Disclaimer: I don't own CSI. nuff said.

Wow. Long time no update. I just got caught up in school ending, but most of it was procrastination. I know I could have found time to write this but honestly would you rather have something I took time on or some piece of crap I threw together just to post something? So without further ado chapter 6.

Grissom froze in place. Instantly his mind transported him to the last time he'd been here. It was after Sara had been suspended without pay for a week. He remembered the chilling story she'd told him about her childhood.

He still couldn't imagine what it could have been like. An abusive father that drove her mother to murder, growing up with no one who cared about her, it was enough to tear someone apart. But Sara had held fast and she hadn't used her past as an excuse.

Sara walked past him to the kitchen, where she opened the fridge.

She clicked her tongue and in a sarcastic tone, "Well, would you look at that. The first time a man comes over in months and I have no beer."

Grissom winced as she slammed the fridge door and continued around the counter to the living room where she threw herself onto the couch. "You can tell Ecklie that the whole guarding the gate thing, while it is a nice gesture, is unnecessary."

Shaking his head, he walked to the chair across from her. "I requested, well insisted, that they put an officer outside your apartment."

There was a flash of pleasant surprise that was quickly covered up by her cynical expression. "Aw, I didn't know you cared." She looked him right in the eye. "Look, I may have forgotten what's gone on for the past two days or so but I haven't forgotten how to do my job. So unless you're here to tell me I can come back you've wasted your time."

"That's exactly why Garcia is out there Sara. You don't remember what your captor is capable of."

"Apparently not much if all I have is this," she held up her splinted left wrist.

Grissom ran a hand over his graying black hair. "You were sexually assaulted. I was there when the doctor performed the examination. I saw the look of fear on your face and it--- I never want to see that look on your face again. So I'm sorry if I'm trying to do everything in my power to keep you safe."

She stood and began to pace. "Not everything." Sara spoke so quietly he wasn't sure she had said anything at all.

His brow creased. "I'm not sure I understand."

When she returned her gaze the old Sara was back. Determination, knowledge, wisdom were all reflected in her dark eyes. She gestured with her good arm. "Look around you Grissom. We aren't in the lab or the interrogation room or at a crime scene. There's no reason for you not to get emotionally involved."

He was about to respond when his cell phone rang.

"You better get that. It might be one of your D.B.s calling to confirm dinner reservations." Grissom ignored the jab as he flipped it open.

"Grissom."

"Hey, Gil. This is Doc Robbins. I just got the tox screen back and I thought you might want to hear this. Our victim had traces of Psilocybin Puniceus; Red Foot Psilocybes."

"Our vic was high on 'shrooms?"

"Yes, this may explain why there were no defensive wounds. She probably had no idea what was going on at the time. And get this the Caerulipes form of the fungi is found practically all across America, but its cousin, the Puniceus variety is only found in western parts of Asia and Northern Africa."

"So, how did our suspect get them?"

Grissom could almost see the Doc shrug as he said, "That's your job not mine."

"Ok. I'll be there in a few."

He closed his phone and looked up to see Sara studying him again. There was that twisted smirk again. "I guess I was right."

"This discussion isn't over." Grissom followed Sara as she led him to the door.

"Oh don't worry. I look forward to the sequel."

And as Sara was closing the door, Grissom made eye contact with her. "Garcia stays."

Back at the lab Mia was running the DNA through CODIS as Greg paced behind her.

"Could you stop?" Mia spoke through gritted teeth.

Greg halted and ran a hand over his hair. "Sorry. I just really want to get this guy."

"Worried about Sara?"

He exhaled noisily. "It's just she's always been there for me, I just want to pay her back."

Mia pressed the print button, swiveling in her chair to face him. "Well, there you go. The results from the hairs and the epithelials on the fabric around the victim's wrists."

Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the results from the printer. His face fell as his eyes scanned the paper. "The hairs came back unknown, but the skin cells belong to a… I better get this to Grissom."

Greg hurried out of the lab, heading in the direction of Grissom's office. Without knocking he opened the door. A man stood in front of his desk and when he turned Greg nearly jumped out of his Doc Martens'.

"Jeez, Ecklie. I thought you were on vacation."

A smarmy grin split his face. "I wouldn't call a seminar on Managing a Forensics Lab a vacation, but it's always nice to see the Big Apple. I just got back. Were you looking for Gil? Because I believe he had to go make sure Ms. Sidle didn't blow another gasket."

Greg remained silent.

"Oh. Yes. I forgot. Sara's like a sister to you. Please forgive me."

"You're out of line, Conrad."

Both men looked to see Grissom standing in the doorway.

For a moment Ecklie looked shocked but then his lips pulled back. "Of, course. I'm sorry. Must be jetlag. I better go get some sleep. Excuse me." He hastily retreated, with only his stall cologne hinting he'd been there.

Greg's shoulders relaxed. "Man that guy creeps me out."

"Just ignore him." Grissom walked around his desk and dropped into his chair, rubbing his face as he did. "What can I do for you Greg?"

"Oh, right. Well the DNA from the hairs are unknown, but the skin cells belong to--- drumroll please--- Officer Robert Davis."

After Grissom had left Sara couldn't take it anymore. She broke down and cried. Cried for herself and the man she couldn't change but for some reason never gave-up hope when she should have long ago.

She knew that if she told the officer to go away he'd call Grissom. She knew that Grissom would come to try talking sense into her. She knew he would succeed. But that still hadn't stopped her. She just had to see him.

But now that he was gone all she had were the tears and the feeling that she was being watched, a feeling which had been with her since she'd left the hospital. And even though she had wrapped herself in her thickest comforter, the cold still found a way in.