I was in a garage filled with boxes when I regained consciousness. I was tied to a rather uncomfortable chair and the room was fairly dark. I looked around and from my side a man stood up from a chair. He walked in front of me so that I could see him. I was not happy.

"Who are you?"

"I am your keeper for now."

"Why am I here?"

"So that I can see Lydia again."

"What do you want with her?"

"She is very important to me, she completes me."

"She said that you are a jerk."

"She has called me many things, that doesn't change who I am to her."

"What are you to her?"

"I am her husband," the man replied. I was shocked.

Sara and Sophia finished processing the scene, and then they went back to the lab. Sara brought the letter into the room where Grissom, Greg, and Brass sat, and she let them read the note themselves.

If you read this I got your girl, if you want her back get me 5 million bucks by noon today or she's dead, and you'll never see her again. When you get the money have it delivered to post office box 1981 at the post office. Lydia it's your fault, you never should have left me!

Mark Collins

"Wow, he sounds like a real charmer," said Brass.

"Sophia is running the name to see if he has a record, and the rest of the evidence, though it's not much, is being processed," Sara said.

"Good," Grissom answered. "Catherine is getting the money from Sam Braun. I want our team to work on this as hard as possible to get her back, if necessary call in Nick and Warrick, I'm certain they'll want to help. Greg why don't you see what you can do. If you feel too close to this case I want you to remove yourself from it, is that understood."

"Yes"

"Well, I have to get going, I'm going to try and find out more about this guy and his connection to Catherine's family," Brass said. Then Greg and Brass both left, leaving Sara and Grissom sitting alone in the room.

"I'm sorry that this happened to them, I know that she is pretty much part of your family, it must be hard."

"I feel like I've lost my own child Sara. It's tearing me apart inside and I don't know what to do about it."

"I'm certain that she'll be all right; Lindsey is a very tough girl, she can take it. I don't know how well the rest of you are going to hold up though."

"Neither do I. We're practically a family, we only just found each other, and now it feels like we're being torn apart. I'm afraid that if we don't get Lindsey back that Catherine will never recover. She's been happier ever since Lydia returned to us, she became the person she used to be, she won't be if she loses Lindsey, and neither will the rest of us."

Sara went over to Grissom's side and she put a hand on his shoulder. He was surprised by her touch and then she spoke very gently to him. "I know how much Catherine means to you, and even though it hurts me a little, I want you two to be happy. We'll get Lindsey back so that the four of you can be a family again."

Despite all of his worrying he smiled at her and she at him, he took her hand and squeezed it tightly. "Thank you Sara. How did you figure it out?"

"When I saw the two of you hugging earlier I knew that the two of you had become more than just friends. I was shocked, but not too surprised at the same time. We have a case to solve now, but afterwards, I hope that we can be friends again, like we were all those years ago when we didn't have the problems of being attracted to one another."

"I'd like that, and I think that it would work for the better for all of us, now lets get to work."

Sara grinned, and then they left the room to work on the case.

Catherine and Lydia entered the Tangiers casino and they were told where to find Sam Braun within the building. He was sitting at a table with some of his associates and a few women, but as soon as he saw them he got up and he went over to them.

"Well, what is the reason that you have decided to come and see me Mugs?"

"I need help Sam."

"That's a surprising thing to hear from you."

"Would you two stop it," Lydia snapped.

Sam looked at her curiously. "Who is this?"

"Do you remember my first daughter Lydia, well this is her."

"Liddy, after you ran away I missed you, I sent out people to find you but it didn't work, I'm glad that you're back."

"Thank you, but right now that isn't the problem. One of my ex's kidnapped Lindsey and he wants a five million dollar ransom paid by noon or she's going to be killed."

"Please Sam, I need the money to save Lindsey," Catherine pleaded while crying.

Sam hugged them both, and he said, "The money is yours, I want Lindsey to be safe, and I know that she won't be if I don't give you the money. I just hope that this is the beginning of a relationship with you and your family again."

"Yes Sam, it is," Catherine replied.

Within twenty minutes they had the money in a bag in their car and they returned to the lab where they arranged for the money to be dropped off. They only had four hours left.

TBC...

I do realize that parts of this resemble 'Grave Danger', but it really isn't supposed to... : )

Thanks for the reviews, they are so nice! CSIindiegurl, CSIFan4Life, CSI Kennedy, janisha, belgianbabe2974, elvenpyro, csifreak04

and Medha, your review is the funniest thing I've ever read! that was great! also thanks to those who are reading and reviewing "Hope" and "I loved you the first time I met you" as well!