Chapter 18

"I deserve it Cath, she hasn't talked to me since yesterday and she stays in her room all day and night only coming out to pick up some food from the kitchen." Grissom sighed into the phone.

"You're damn right you deserve it Gil, I don't even know why I'm talking with you right now." Catherine was far from being disgusted at Grissom's recent behavior. Nick had told Catherine and Warrick everything he knew from his visit with Sara, all of the team decided to transfer to another lab. They thought it would be best not to tell Grissom, Catherine decided to not leave until she knew Grissom got the help he needed.

"Catherine you don't have to tell me that I'm a monster, a psychopath or just a plain jerk I already know so spare your breath. I just want to make sure she's alright; I know things will never be the same between her and I. That's my fault. But, we're leaving to go back to Vegas tonight and she still hasn't said a word to me." Grissom held the phone tight as he paced the floor of the living room waiting for Catherine's response.

"Gil all I can say is leave her alone, think of everything she has been through. She probably is scared to talk with you, fearing that you'll snap again. Just stay well away from her even in Vegas until you get the treatment you need. Just remember that forgiveness takes time and if she never forgives you then nothing can change her decision. Sorry to say it Gil, but if I were in her position I would have called the cops on you. Anyways, I have to go." Catherine hung up the phone with no hesitation making Grissom believe he was all out of friends.

"Now I've truly become a ghost. Am I that out of control?" Grissom couldn't remember any of his angry outbursts; it's as if he had amnesia relating only to his memories involving his intense emotions of rage. Grissom started to pack up some of their lab equipment upstairs to take his mind off of his problems. It looked as if he was packing everything by himself since Sara obviously didn't want to be around. As he began to finish packing the lab supplies, he made his way to his bedroom to finish putting away his belongings in a suitcase. A paper airplane which rested on his dresser made a slight smile form on his lips. He picked up the creation with the most care he could summon and packed it in an evidence bag. An hour quickly passed and before Grissom knew it everything he brought was packed safely in his bags. He dreaded the journey back to Las Vegas. He didn't want to invade Sara's space on the plane or in the taxi ride to the airport. Unfortunately, he didn't have a say in their travel arrangements or else he would have booked himself a separate flight. Suddenly he felt the odd urge to clean, to get his mind off of the inevitable. He started to wipe down all the windows of the home forcing all his strength into removing a stubborn spot which refused to come off. His cleaning efforts directed him towards Sara's bathroom. Hoping she would notice his kind gesture in making everything neat and tidy for her last night, he began to neatly display her various toiletries in alphabetical order.

"This actually looks like I'm trying too hard to impress…" Grissom mused as he placed one last bottle on a shelf hanging from the bathroom wall. He moved his attention to the trash which was already starting to overflow in a mere period of three days.

"I just remember taking this out." Grissom thought as he struggled to pull the bag free from the can. The plastic stuck to the can with more force then Grissom had expected. As he pulled the bag finally free it ripped in half spilling the contents of the trash to the ground.

"Shit." Grissom exclaimed under his breath, quickly trying to put all the garbage back into the broken bag. As he clumsily tried to clean up his mess something caught his eye. A simple cardboard box made his stomach lurch in pain.

"A pregnancy test?" Grissom stared at the box for what appeared to be an eternity before panicking. He immediately threw everything out of the bag and then searched recklessly for the test tube which would give him the answers he needed. His heart wildly beat in his chest as he fumbled through piles of toilet paper and cotton balls until a plastic tube rolled down the floor. He slowly walked over to the test and closed his eyes as he picked up the tube. As he opened one eye he was greeted with a plus sign. Emotions from fear to anger flooded his body as he quickly became dangerously out of control once more. His logical side was thrown once more to the wind as his the familiar emotion of anger took over his senses. He squeezed the test tube in his hand as he stormed out of the bathroom and knocked down Sara's door. It didn't take much force to knock it down as it was feebly repaired days earlier.

"What the hell is this?" Grissom yelled, his face bright red with anger.

"Grissom…" Sara dropped the phone out of her hand as soon as she saw what was in Grissom's possession. Fear gripped her body as she struggled to remain calm.

"So tell me Sara, whose is it?" Grissom stated under his clenched teeth.

"What?" Sara couldn't understand why she couldn't move. She tried to force her body off of her bed but failed miserably. Grissom approached her closer and closer by the second, the thought of him harming her and the baby eventually became enough motivation to wipe away her fear. She climbed off of the bed and backed up as far as she could until she was flush with the back wall in her bedroom.

"It's Nick's isn't it?" Grissom was a mere three feet away and the thought of him losing control entirely made Sara tremble. "Answer me!" Grissom yelled.

"Whatever you want to think Grissom." Sara didn't want Grissom to know he was the father at all costs, however she would tell him if it meant saving her child's life. Sara's answer rewarded her with a hard slap to her face, she remained stunned as Grissom gripped her shoulders enabling her to run away.

"You know what? You are a whore." Grissom spit on Sara before placing his hands roughly around her neck. His grip tightened the more she tried to fight back. The sound of soft gags filled the room as he slightly lifted Sara off of the ground with just her neck. Her legs frantically kicked searching for the ground. Her eyes locked on Grissom's making her fear her future even more as she saw the intensity of his anger growing larger in his eyes.

"Grissom…Please…It's your baby." Sara managed to say, as she was on the brink of passing out from lack of oxygen. Grissom's grip loosened enough for Sara to have enough strength to kick him in the leg. He cried out in pain and dropped to the ground giving Sara her only opportunity for escape. Feeling the adrenaline pump through her veins, she raced to the spare bedroom and opened the dresser to find the gun Grissom had given her. Her hands shook out of control as she struggled to open the drawer. Sara had hidden the gun the night she received the gift. She never thought she would need to use it. Now her mind set was different, she wasn't just protecting herself she was also protecting her unborn child. Hearing the creek of the door from the other room, Sara took the gun and quickly loaded it before hiding inside the closet. Grissom's footsteps grew louder and louder making her start to fear the future.

"Sara?" Grissom called out. His voice lacked the gentle overtones he normally had when speaking out loud. This was a different person, this was no longer Grissom. His eyes shifted around the room searching for any hiding places. He smiled as he saw that a shirt was sticking out of the closet. He silently made his way over to the door putting his hand on the handle waiting for the perfect opportunity to avail himself. With one powerful "swish" Grissom opened the door and was stunned when Sara leapt out holding the gun against his head.

"Get the hell away from me and my baby or else I swear to God I will kill you right here and now." Sara's chest violently rose up and down as she breathed heavily, her lungs worked in a state of "over time" as fear gripped her tight. Grissom smiled at the sight of Sara in control.

"You won't kill me, I'm the father of your child remember?" Grissom continued to look at Sara confident.

"Try me." Sara clicked off the safety and pressed the barrel harder against his skull.

"Alright, I know when to take a hint." Grissom hissed, as he backed away from Sara's proximity. A familiar sense of deja'vu loomed over her after Grissom spoke his final words before exiting the home and leaving her life forever. Sara dropped to her knees and held her hands over her face.

"It's over. You don't have to be scared any longer." Sara rubbed her stomach and walked out of the room to collect herself, leaving the phone still on the ground.

"Sara? Sara are you still there? Talk to me…" Catherine was still on the line as she was in full panic mode. She heard yelling and things being knocked around, she could only hope Grissom didn't do something he would regret. She whipped out her cell phone and kept Sara's line open.

"Nick? It's me…" Catherine spoke into the phone as calmly as she possibly could hoping he could reach Sara in time before it was too late.

Sara grabbed as much clothes as she could and jammed it into her suitcase. She didn't care what she left behind; she wasn't going to need it anyways. All that mattered was getting as far away from Grissom as she possibly could. She had a plan, she would ditch her tickets Culpepper bought her and purchase airline tickets to San Francisco under a fake name. Sara knew that she would have to change her name as soon as possible, Grissom would eventually find her if she didn't act quickly. Her stomach burned with the thought of Grissom attacking her child. She placed another loving hand on her stomach before turning off all the lights in the home. Searching the room quickly for anything important, she made her way to the living room. As she grew closer and closer to the front door a noise made her jump.

"Who's there?" Sara asked. Her body began to shake once more at the thought of Grissom returning. The creeks grew louder and louder as she approached the front door. As she entered the living room a figure in black grabbed her from behind, immediately covering her mouth to prevent her from screaming.

"Nice to see you again too Sara." The voice seemed all too familiar as she forced her head to look at her attacker. He let her head turn around, still holding her mouth closed. A muffled scream escaped from her lips as she saw the elderly gentleman who had flirted with her a couple of days ago. His grip hardened on her shoulders even more as she tried to fight back.

"Why fight it my dear?" The elderly man said as he gagged Sara with a white handkerchief. Sara was unable to fight his power over her as he duct taped her arms and legs together. She struggled to fight with all her strength but failed miserably.

"You know what turns me on the most? You're tough, the others were just too easy. And God you're the most beautiful woman I've ever laid my eyes on. Who says that age really does matter?" The elderly man smiled once more as Sara was trying to get free by moving around violently from side to side on the floor.

"You know what I'm going to do to you?" The man grew closer and closer until he was face to face with Sara on the ground. She screamed once more at the thought of dying and ending her baby's life.

"I'm going to hang you from that lovely, strong chandelier from your living room, so that when your husband comes home he can be greeted immediately with your radiant beauty. You're an intoxicating trophy Sara, you should be hung from the highest peak for all to see." The man sneered as Sara's struggling made several buttons on her blouse come undone. His hand slowly slid down her shirt searching for her breasts.

"You're the one trophy that no man can ever have. I thought there was no such thing as the perfect woman, I guess I'm wrong." He ripped open the rest of her blouse causing it to tear in half. He picked up the fabric and held it up to his nose, inhaling all of her enriching scent.

"I hope you feel as wonderful as you smell." The man climbed on top of Sara and began to kiss her down her neck and on to her chest. All the while Sara continued to struggle. The wiggling was starting to get on the killer's nerves.

"I have a feeling I'm going to have to sadly kill you before I have you my dear. Now if you would just settle down, I wouldn't have to do it right away. I tend to like having my women alive, understand?" Sara was unable to hear her attacker's words as her mind was still set on saving her baby. He forcefully lifted Sara to her feet and held her to make sure she didn't fall to the ground. He grabbed a long rope from his black jacket and made a noose. Only now did Sara notice that her attacker was wearing thick gloves to prevent his epithelials

and fingerprints from being left behind at the scene. He tied the noose around Sara's neck and patiently waited to adjust it tighter.

"Any last words?" The killer asked as he took the handkerchief out of her mouth.

"Please, don't kill me I'm pregnant. Please…" Sara felt the rush of tears fall down her face as she looked her attacker in the eye.

"Sorry sympathy doesn't click with me my dear." He exclaimed before tightening the knot around her neck and letting her fall to the ground. He grabbed a step ladder he must have brought with him to the home and placed it beneath the chandelier. He knelt over Sara and picked her up using the rope which was wrapped tightly around her neck. He continued to lift her up in the air until the front door swung open.

"Put her down." Grissom held out a gun as he struggled to see if Sara was still alive, ignoring the appearance of the killer. Her feet continued to slowly kick in the air but as the seconds passed their force was diminishing. The killer dropped Sara to the ground in mid air, luckily she wasn't very high up. Grissom ran over to Sara but was stopped when the man grabbed his shoulder. All the colour drained from Grissom's face as he recognized the attacker.

"Dad?"

TBC…