This chapter has been redone! I realized after I posted it that I had NOT posted the entire chapter! FORGIVE ME! If you have already read this chapter, please reread... I have exported, edited, and replaced this chapter all for you! Sorry for the inconvenience, but I hope that by posting the rest of the chapter some things will be cleared up, and sincerely leave you waiting for more. I hope to have the next chapter up soon. ;-)

A/N: Thank you so much my reviewers! Constructive criticism or just pure encouragement, they mean a lot!

committed: While I know that it seems improbable that Grissom would break down in front of the crew, it is not impossible. We just haven't seen the right circumstances yet, and I believe that this particular circumstance would do the trick. Just the idea of Sara leaving got him to order her a plant, right?

Fluffy-CSI and Tinkerbell: I'm trying to update as quickly as I can, though this may prove a little more difficult with upcoming college exams. There is also that little tiny detail of finishing the story... I had writer's block for several months over the summer, and updating here has finally helped to put that behind me. I'm working on the ending as fast as I can... REVIEWS HELP! :-) Keep me in your thoughts and prayers.

odeepblue: While an ending has not yet been written, I really am trying to come up with a happy ending. I always write with the very best of intentions. Many times, however, a story doesn't end the way I thought it would when I started out, as I often get new ideas along the way. A story is a journey, and while the destination may be planned, detours may prove better in the end.

Transylvanian: Nick already heard, remember? He heard Sara tell Grissom to back away from the body, and was in the hallway when she broke down. He knows what she's talking about, but you know Nick... Needs a little reminding sometimes. :-)

Thanks again to all my reviewers! It means so much... It's always good to know that your work is being read, and I never dreamed that Federal Involvement would be this popular. Please keep reviewing... With your help, the ending will prove to be just as awesome.

And now... to the story!

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Chapter 12

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That night, Sara slept fitfully, tossing and turning and twisting the covers. Though it was wonderful to be back in her apartment in Vegas, dreams haunted her subconscious, and visions of that horrid night brought her back to a place she dared not go in her waking moments...

She was in her car when he grabbed her... The picture flashed to being in his car. He stared at her from the rear-view mirror... Another flash, and he was in the backseat with her, the car pulled over on a deserted road. It was cold and dark, but she could see his face towering over her as she struggled to free her hands from their bondage. He pinned her down and started to undo her clothing, but she screamed, providing just enough distraction for her to jerk away, ripping her shirt in the process... Yet another flash, and she was fighting to deflect his blows as the brass knuckles cut into her face and chest, despite her screams and cries. A searing pain cut into her wrist, and then all went black as she was hit in the temple... One last picture flashed to reveal him tossing her limp and almost lifeless body from the car and into the snowy ditch. Immediately, she felt the cold and heard the engine roar as he skidded away.

A crack of thunder and the sound of her own whimper woke her. Sitting straight up and gasping for breath, she reached up to ease her throbbing temple, her bad wrist pressed tightly to her chest. In an effort to calm herself, she reached for the glass of water kept on the bedside table. Taking a sip and setting it back in its place, she laid back and tried to relax, which proved difficult as a cold shiver accompanied the terrifying memories of that horrid night. Rolling over, she tried to ignore the intensifying feeling of dread and paranoia, attributing it to the storm raging outside her window, but it seemed to grow stronger with each passing moment. Trusting her instincts, she slowly moved her good hand down the side of the bed, reaching for the spare pistol kept between the mattresses. She was almost there when she heard a small click and a chilling voice utter the command:

"Don't even think it, Agent Sidle."

Frozen in place, she looked up to see the reflection of metal in the darkness as the lightning flashed and the storm raged on, suddenly realizing she had a gun pointed at her. Mustering her courage, she found her voice.

"Put the gun away, Rory. Pulling a gun on an FBI agent is a federal offense."

"Oh," he retorted, "and who's gonna arrest me? You? If I remember corectly, the last time we met, I was the one on top." Chuckling at his own joke, he moved closer, the click of his boots echoing on the hardwood floor.

"News flash, Rory," she said, trying to stall him. "You're not much of a murderer if you leave your victim alive."

He hesitated, but when he spoke again, she could hear a hint of a smile in his voice. "Make no mistake, Ms. Sidle, that won't be the case this time... Stand up," he commanded, sheer arrogance clouding his tone.

Her eyes now adjusted to the dark, she found his face and met his cold stare with one of her own, taking a leaf out of Catherine's book as she began a battle of wits that could've lasted hours had she not been so afraid. Though outwardly she would never let it show, inside she was trembling, and when she heard the cock of the gun, she decided to use that to her advantage. Pulling back the covers, she stood before him, still and silent.

Shocked at first by her obedience, a smile spread slowly spread across his face and he began to laugh. "What happened to your defiance, Agent Sidle?" he cooed mockingly. "Finally realizing that no matter what you hope to accomplish by defying me you're still going to die? You know, that's smart, Sara. Very smart. That's what Grissom would've wanted."

A bright flash of lightning and loud crash of thunder mirrored the anger that burned inside her at his words. Her eyes became slits and she growled through clenched teeth, "Don't you dare bring him into this. He would've wanted me to stand strong and die fighting, you two-faced son of a-"

Before she could finish, she was silenced as he pulled her forward by the chin and shoved his tongue down her throat in a kiss so nauseating and filled with hunger she had to fight to breathe. When he was finished with her, he threw her to the floor and pointed the gun to her head.

"One day you're going to learn that language like that is going to get you in trouble... Say goodbye, Sara."

But before he could pull the trigger, she jumped up, taking him by surprise as she tried to grab the gun. A struggle ensued, and in an attempt to end this cover-up gone awry, he fired, sending a bullet whizzing past Sara's head and shattering the bedroom window. Stunned into silence for a split second, both stood simply staring at the shattered window, watching as the rain poured in and created a puddle on her hardwood floor.

Rory suddenly turned back to Sara, a fire in his eyes. "You bitch!" he cried, delivering a backhand that sent her crashing into the nightstand.

Though the fall upset her equilibrium, she managed to aim a kickshot in the groin powerful enough to bring him to her level and let the gun fall to the floor. As he lay crumpled in pain, she kicked the gun out of reach, and taking further advantage of his incapacitation, she reached over and grabbed her cell phone from the spilled contents of her purse. Her fingers flew over the keypad as she dialed the first number that came to mind. He answered almost immediately.

"Grissom," came the quick response.

"Grissom, it's Sara. You have to get over here, it's-"

"I don't think so," Rory sneered as he grabbed her by the hair and yanked her back, sending the phone skidding under the bed. Pinning her down with a knee on her chest, he put pressure on her windpipe, wrapping both hands around her neck. Her hands flew instantly to his, clawing and scratching at his arm from the elbow down, trying anything and everything to loosen his grip, but to no avail. The harder she fought, the tighter he squeezed, an evil smile spreading over his face in the process, knowing that he was slowly killing her. She could hear the loud screaming of her cell phone from under the bed, yelling at her that the call had been disconnected and that Grisom was no longer on the line. Her last attempt at freedom failed, her hope for survival was dwindling almost as quickly as her consciousness when she heard a crash from somewhere in the apartment.

Startled by the sound of shattering glass, Rory's grip losened momentarily as he turned to the doorway, providing just enough time for Sara to punch him in the stomach and squirm out of his hold on her. His knee crashing to the hardwood floor fully brought his attention back to what was happening before him. As he swung at Sara, her weaponless combat training came out full force. This she could deal with, and the only thing that kept her from killing the son of a bitch was the knowledge that his crimes would earn him the death penalty anyway.

A few moments later as he skidded to a halt in the doorway holding his bleeding temple in pain, she rushed to the bed and lifted the mattress to grab her pistol. Kneeling to load it with ammunition from the side drawer, she felt her bad wrist begin to shake.

"Oh, not now," she whispered as another flash of lightning momentarily brightened the room. "Please, not now!"

Finally managing to load the pistol, she turned with weapon raised to see Rory facing her and pointing his own gun, ready to fire.

"Don't look so surprised, Agent Sidle, he laughed wickedly. "You had to know that it would come to this."

"Don't do this, Rory," she breathed. "Think about it, you're smarter than this."

Her words seemed to have the opposite effect of what she was hoping for. She watched as his face twisted in anger and frustration. "Of all the times you've run into me, you choose now for a pep talk!"

"Well, I really wasn't in the position to give one last time, was I?" she retorted. "Come on, think. You've already got 10 breaking and entering charges, 11 for gross lewdness, 8 carjackings, 2 highjackings, grand theft auto, and 7 counts of murder under your belt, and that doesn't even count all the investigators you've dumped along the way, not to mention attempted muder for that little stunt you pulled with me in Virginia. Do you really want to add stalking, resisting arrest, and the murder of a federal agent to your evergrowing criminal record?"

For a moment it almost seemed as though he were listening. Stunned into silence by her words, he stood still, his brows furrowed and his head tilted to the side. But suddenly, he shook himself out of his stupor, his temper flaring and cocked his gun.

"I know what you're trying to do, bitch, and it's not going to work," he yelled. "You're still going to die!"

"Rory, don't!" she cried, her wrist shaking even worse now.

He was about to pull the trigger when a voice from the doorway caught their attention.

"Don't move!"

Startled and obviously threatened by Grissom pointing a gun at him, Rory panicked and fired.

"NO!" Sara shouted, raising her weapon once more and unloading four bullets into the chestof Rory McNabb.

At first he didn't move. He simply stared at her helplessly, and in shock he pressed his free hand to his chest. She looked on in horror as he fell to his knees, his gun dropping to the floor and his stare moving down to his bloody hand. Finally, he looked up and met her wide-eyed stare for a brief moment before falling forward and bleeding out on her hardwood floor.

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Still kneeling by the bed, Sara dropped her pistol and stared in horror at the scene before her. How had it come to this? That question and a million others clouded her brain like a storm as furious as the one still raging outside... Why hadn't she locked the doors that day in Virginia? Why hadn't she had a team to help her on the case? What made Rory McNabb think that he was any better than Syd Goggle in the first place?

But the question that bothered her the most was, Why hadn't she called for backup? Why bring Grissom into it, only to have him become another victim of a sickenly intelligent serial killer? At this thought, she began to cry. She cried like she'd never cried before, holding her head in her hands as she mouned the loss of the only man she'd ever love, leaving only one question...

What had she done?

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