The car, she remembered getting out of her car. Then nothing. Blank. When she woke again, it was dark. She wasn't sure if she was awake at all. But she could feel that she was moving. A trunk. She was in the trunk of another car. Pain. Her head throbbed. Gagged, she couldn't yell, couldn't call for help. Light, then a towel coming at her. The overwhelming smell of a chemical. Darkness. Swimming out of the darkness was hard the second time. Heavy eyes. Dull senses. Groggy. Something still in her mouth. The room was gloomy, shadows. She wondered if this was a nightmare. Wrists bound, legs tied. What was around her waist? Ticking, red numbers, realization. Horror. Desperate attempts to call for help. Why? Struggling against the bonds that held her. It was no use. Tears. Help me!

"Where am I?" he mumbled, his eyes opening slowly.

Nick looked up slowly into Grissom's worried face and a paramedic.

"Are you alright?" his supervisor asked.

He gingerly rubbed his eyes, and attempted to sit up. The feeling of dizziness overtook him and he lay down again.

"I'll be fine…in a second," he said quietly.

"Do you remember what happened?" the paramedic asked.

"I passed out, didn't I?"

"Are you experiencing any headache sir?"

"Yeah, a little…Clara…is she alright?" Nick suddenly panicked, trying to sit up again, this time succeeding, fighting a wave of nausea.

"Nothing has changed yet Nicky. You should lay down again."

"No. I'm fine. I have to get the ransom…find Clara…" he couldn't stand up.

"Mr. Stokes please, sit back. You're in no condition to go anywhere right now."

"I'm fine!" he growled, raising slowly to his feet, using the arm of the couch as a balance.

"Nick, let us take care of this," Grissom pleaded, helping to steady the younger man, placing his hand on his arm.

"I'm sick of sitting around doing nothing Grissom, we only have a few hours left."

"And how are you going to help now Nick? Are you in any condition to help her? What would you do? Let us do this, you need to rest right now."

Nick met his gaze, his eyes full of determination, yet the bags under his eyes giving away how he was really feeling. The steely blue stare of his supervisor told him all he needed to know. There would be no way around it. He sighed loudly, sitting back down on the couch, allowing the paramedic to take his blood pressure.

"Let me know the minute anything happens," Nick demanded quietly.

"Of course," Grissom answered, his gaze softening.

Grissom walked down the hall to his office, and arrived at nearly the same time as Sara.

"Can I come in?" it was not really a question coming from her, more of her telling him what she was going to do.

He opened the door, gesturing for her to go first, then closing it slightly behind him.

"What is this I'm hearing that we're not paying the ransom?" she challenged, her eyes flaring with anger.

"Sara-"

"How can we not pay it? It's not like this guy is going to call us and negotiate further if we don't. He'll probably just push that button, and then what? What about Nick? What about Cassie? What are we going to tell them Grissom? Is there nothing we can do?"

"It wasn't my decision."

"Let me guess, Ecklie. You know he won't fire you, so why don't you just stand up to him for once Grissom?"

"He didn't make the decision."
"Bastards! I cannot believe they are doing this to Nick! What are we going to do? We've got nearly nothing to go on! What's the plan…"

She ranted on, and he watched her, her mouth moving, forming words that weren't reaching his ears. He could only hear the distress in her voice, the look of panic on her face, the anger etched in it. He could only feel her pain, feel what the tension the whole lab was under. He only knew how much he wanted to comfort her and be comforted himself.

"Tell me Grissom! Tell me what we do-"

And his lips were crushing hers, silencing her words, fears. She stiffened in his arms, then pushed him harshly away.

"What the hell was that!"

"You're beautiful when you're angry."

She blinked, starred at him for a few seconds, then suddenly they were in each other's arms again. Her lips on his, and all the problems faded away.

To be continued…

Gumdroplover, reading instead of doing math rules! Thanks! Sorry the chapters have been a little slow going up, and its only going to get worse before it gets better. I have five papers due soon, and they all take priority, otherwise I fail miserably. Oh, the life of the English major. Then exams. And so the weeks from hell begin. Wish me luck and send reviews. They make me feel better, and may encourage me to stop the essays for a few minutes to try and write/post a new chapter. Byes, -L