Happy new year everyone! I thought that, to ring in the new year, I would post another chapter. Yippee for me! Lol. Anyways, a big shout out to those who reviewed last chapter: Nicole101, bmo16, and grullo-cowgirl. You girls totally rock!

Chapter Nine

"No," Meg pushed Greg off her, "no, you can't say that."

Stunned, Greg stared at her, lost for words.

"What?" He stared at Meg, wondering what was going on inside her head. Any girl would be happy for a guy to say they loved them. So why was Meg looking so frightened?

"Meg, what are you saying?"

"Take it back," she ordered, tears glistening in her eyes. "Please, Greg, take it back."

"I don't underst-"

"Tell me you hate me and that you never want to see me again." She stood, pacing the floor and looking for all the world like a caged animal with wide, fearful eyes. "Say it, or there's nothing I can do to stop this."

"Stop what? Damn it, Meg, you're not making any sense."

Tears streamed down her cheeks in twin waterfalls and Greg regretted his harsh words. She was so fragile at that moment, like a porcelain doll. He stood and wrapped her in his arms.

"What's going on?" He asked in an anxious whisper. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

"I wish that were true," Meg sobbed into his shoulder, her tears soaking through his shirt and dampening his skin. "God you have no idea how I wish that were true."

Confused, Greg could only hold Meg and hope that that was enough.

>>>>>

"Where is Meg?" Brass asked, looking up from the composite photo of Meg's face.

"We don't know." Grissom shook his head. "She has the night off, so there's no telling where she is."

Brass sighed tiredly. No one had seen this coming.

"Well, we have two options then. Either we wait until she comes in tomorrow morning and arrest her then, or we track her down and end this now." Brass looked back down at the photos, still not believing what was right before his eyes.

"You're sure it's her."

"It's Meg." Grissom replied, a look of sorrow crossing his face. Who ever would have suspected Meg- sweet and innocent Meg- to be such a cold-hearted killer?

"Grissom?" Nick's head came into view around the corner of the doorway.

"Yes, Nick?"

Sensing the weariness in the room, Nick stepped inside and shut the door behind him.

"I uh, I might know where we can find Meg."

Both men perked up at the words. Though they did not want to arrest Meg, they knew that her crimes could not be ignored. And, if she was planning to kill again, she could not be left on the streets.

"Where?" Brass asked, his hand already poised over the phone to call the dispatcher.

"Greg told me that the two of them were going out tonight."

"That doesn't give us any location, Nick." Grissom said, shaking his head.

"I know, but Greg told me that last time they went back to Meg's place afterwards. They might go back there tonight."

Immediately, Brass picked up his phone and dialed, commanding the dispatcher to send available units to Meg's apartment.

Grissom turned to Nick as Brass gave the dispatcher the address.

"Call Greg," he told Nick, "tell him that under no circumstances is he to enter Meg's apartment."

Nick nodded and turned to leave.

"And, Nick," Grissom called after him, "make sure that you don't tell Greg anything about what's going on."

>>>>>

The feel of Greg's arms around her only caused Meg to cry more. She couldn't endure this any longer. She couldn't stand to have him holding her when she was supposed to kill him. Her sobs grew in force until her entire body shook. And Greg only held her tighter.

Minutes passed in what seemed like hours to Meg. Her heart hurt. Searing, burning pain that would not ease. Guilt. How could she kill him? How could she kill the one man that she had ever truly grown to love?

Love.

The word struck Meg with the force of a Mac truck. It was true. She had grown to love him in a way that she had never loved her previous victims. Sure she had felt something for all of them, but Greg was the only one that she had ever truly loved. Meg was so shocked by this revelation that she became instantly silent.

The silence seemed to hang over them both, like a weighted cloud. Meg stared into the fabric of Greg's shirt. The brown and blue stripes seeming to swirl together in a haze of confusion.

"Are you okay?" Greg asked, his voice heavy with concern. Meg looked up into his worried and anxious eyes, unsure of what to say.

Forget everything, said a small voice in her head, forget that you love him. Forget that you even know him. Just do the job.

She didn't want to, but Meg knew that she had to listen to that devilish voice. There was no other choice.

She forced herself to focus on the task at hand. Now was not the time to let personal feelings get in the way. She had a job to do. So, wiping her mind clear of all thought, Meg nodded slowly and stepped back from Greg.

"I'm fine." She replied shakily. "I'm real sorry Greg, it's been a weird day for me." She forced a laugh.

"Alright," Greg replied hesitantly. "As long as you're sure you're fine."

"I am." She smiled weakly and chuckled slightly at his disbelieving look. "I swear I'm fine." She moved towards the kitchen. "Now, how about some coffee."

>>>>>

He checked his watch. The minute hand had barely moved since the last time he'd checked it. When was she going to call? When would the job be over?

The waitress stopped at his table and refilled the mug of coffee in front of him. He smiled up at her with that debonair smile of his and the dim-witted woman nearly swooned into his lap.

He chuckled to himself. Women were so easy. Except for Meg.

A slick smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. He never knew how to read Meg. One minute she was hot, the other cold. She was like an ever changing book. Just when you thought you had her figured out, another layer appeared. Perhaps that was why she interested him so much. Perhaps that was why he had chosen her in the first place.

>>>>>

It sat there, staring at her, mocking her.

Meg reached into the back of the freezer with one shaking hand and pulled out the leather case and opened it. And there it was. Cold and deadly. Much like Meg needed to be. She stared at it until her vision swam, but could not bring herself to pluck the weapon from its case.

Do it, the evil part of her brain persisted, do it now.

Closing her eyes, Meg reached for the weapon and pulled it from its case. The ice was slick beneath her fingers, but she gripped it tightly, her fingers finding their familiar spots. She allowed one last tear to escape before she opened her eyes and turned to go into the living room.

>>>>>

The ring of Greg's cell phone broke through the silence of the living room. He checked the caller id. Nick. For a second, Greg pondered whether or not to answer. Meg was still in the kitchen getting the coffee ready, giving Greg enough time to say hi and find out what Nick wanted. His finger was about to press the talk button when Meg walked through the doorway separating the kitchen and living room. She smiled at him.

Greg wasn't sure what had been going on with her earlier. He wanted her to tell him, to explain why she'd acted like a complete lunatic. What was it that she'd wanted him to take back? Did she fear the fact that he loved her? But why should she? Love wasn't something that was evil, it was something precious. Something that Greg had never really felt for a woman, at least not until Meg came along.

He returned her smile, hoping to put her more at ease with him, and turned off his phone.

>>>>>

Police cars sped towards the apartment building. Their lights flashed, casting blue and red light over the ground, but their sirens remained silent. They had been ordered to remain silent, lest Meg hear them and know that she had been found out.

Behind the squad cars, Grissom followed in his own car. Though he showed no emotion, his heart was pounding inside his chest. He only hoped that they were not too late.

>>>>>

Another cliffhanger folks. Gosh am I evil or what?

I'm grateful for every review I get, but I would like to have more people review. So, if you guys can give me at least ten reviews this chapter I promise I'll have the next chapter up in one week or less. You think you guys can rise to the challenge?

Anyways, I hope you all liked this chapter and will share your thoughts with me.