Author's note: Sorry for the extremely long delay! I'm feeling much better now, thank you all for hoping I got better! A musical I was performing in was last week, so I wasn't able to write between rehearsals, performances and other school work and practices. But, here it is! Chapter six! Please, I hope you enjoy, and I hope the lack of affection from the reunion can be explained!

……….

"It is absolutely amazing just how fast time flies when you're having fun, isn't it?"

Sara had hoped that she had heard that cold voice for the last time two days ago, when he had last walked into the dark room. She had wished she could formulate an escape plan, or at least die alone, without staring into his fiery eyes. But he had come back… he always came back.

"Now, Sara, what have I told you about thinking bad thoughts?"

"Go to hell, you bastard," Sara mumbled as she turned her head away from his voice.

Hot breath puffed out against the chapped skin of her neck, and the man's calloused hands ran against her battered cheeks. Sara flinched, and tried to pull away, ducking her head low to avoid his touch. She sucked in a deep breath.

'Don't let him see you cry, Sara,' she thought.

"It's been a year now. Do you remember the promise I made you a year ago?"

Sara nodded slowly, "You said you'd let me see a picture. His picture."

"If you managed to live a year. I have to give you credit for that. Before I met you, I judged you to be weak. You definitely surpassed all my expectations."

Sara felt something fall against her lap, then felt his hands go to the knotted rope keeping her wrists together. He lowered her blooded wrists to her lap, as Sara grimaced at the sharp pain shooting through her shoulders, but her hands went straight for the picture.

"I took a little vacation for two days, in case you were wondering. Las Vegas, what a beautiful city, don't you think? He's enjoying it too, by the looks of it."

Sara gripped the picture tight and stared down at the image. She gasped and tossed it away, screaming as the man grabbed her arms again and thrust the rope over them, pulling tightly to secure it firmly on her cut wrists. Sara let out a sob, looking away as the man shoved the picture in her face.

"Does this look like a man who cares that you're gone? Does it? One year, and he's smiling and laughing, as if nothing ever happened. As if YOU never happened. Have you ever wondered why, after a year, the country's greatest criminalist never found you?"

Sara shook her head, forcing his voice out of her head.

"He doesn't care that you're gone. And in one more year, it'll be the same story! He doesn't love you, he never did! You'll learn to except it, just like I did. He's never coming for you, Sara, never!"

The man walked out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him, and Sara cried, wishing it all to be over soon.

……….

"You're going back to Vegas?" Catherine asked in disbelief.

"She can't stay here, Cath. She needs to be home. Let me take her back, I can assist with the investigation from the Las Vegas angle. If someone had been following me, there might be evidence of that."

Catherine shook her head and flopped into the seat next to Grissom. She placed a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to look at her.

"Gil, what do you really expect to find in Vegas?"

Grissom shrugged, "A name. A face. This bastard knew things that… that even you didn't know about. Maybe he showed up in a photo from the Rollins case, or something. I need to look. I can't say I didn't try."

Detective Warner knocked on the doorframe, and walked into the break room. He sat down at the table, rubbing a hand over his tired face, and stretching his legs in front of himself. He leaned forward and grinned.

"She fell asleep in Kyra's office. She'll probably be out for at least a couple of hours. Considering what she's been through, Ms. Sidle seems to be taking it pretty well," he paused to yawn, then added, "I hear you're taking her back to Vegas."

"I want to. Maybe she'll open up more if she's back home."

"Do you really think that's wise to do, her being in this fragile state and all?" Warner asked.

"She'll be heading home, with people she trusts," Grissom said.

"Yeah, about that…"

Warner trailed off and stared at Catherine, who nodded and turned towards Grissom. She bit her bottom lip, as she wondered how to tell him what she knew would eventually have to be said.

"What? What's going on?" asked Grissom.

"Grissom…,"

"What the hell are you implying? Are you saying she doesn't trust me anymore?"

"Mr. Grissom, we're just saying… two years is a long time to not see someone you thought would come to you're rescue. I'm sorry to put it that way, but it's true."

"Sara was with this guy for two years. He could have put a lot of crazy thoughts into her head. We never showed up kicking down any doors and pulling her out of that hell, and she was probably wondering why. He was probably the only one around, and his explanation was probably the only thing she had to listen to," Catherine added gently.

"She was reluctant to come back with me," whispered Grissom.

"She's probably scared. Think of the change. She's still in a very fragile state, and things need to go slowly. She may not trust you completely for awhile. It's something you'll have to get used to," warned Detective Warner.

Grissom nodded and lowered his head into his hands. He fought back the tears quickly gathering behind his closed eyes, and he swallowed around the hard lump in his throat. In all the years he had known Sara, he had done some crappy things, but not once during the two years she was missing did he ever think she would come back thinking he was the enemy. The thought sent shooting pains through his gut, and squeezed at his heart. He nodded slowly as he looked up.

"I… I can handle that," he lied.

"Are you sure? Catherine could take her back if you'd…"

"I said I can handle it. We have a flight for six p.m. I should start getting ready," Grissom stood up and walked out of the room.

Catherine and Warner watched as he left, and sat quietly as soon as he was gone. Warner was the first to speak.

"Is he going to be able to do this?"

"I'm not sure. I do know that when they get back to Vegas, though, there's gonna be a team there waiting for answers. Answers they never got two years ago. Grissom is going to have a lot of explaining to do when he tells them they can't see her, and that's when things could get ugly."

Catherine shrugged and stood up, stretching her tired limbs before walking out of the room to find Grissom and help him prepare for his flight to Las Vegas, and a whole mess of new problems.

……….

"What the hell is going on Grissom? I got here for shift and the place was buzzing with life like I've never seen," Nick said as entered the break room.

The team was already gathered around the nightshift supervisor, who sat distraught in his seat, frantically talking on his cell phone.

"Her name is Sara Sidle, room 206... Yes, I know it's standard to wait twenty four hours but… no! You listen to me, God damn it! I was on the phone with her when it happened. If you'd stop wasting time and get over there, you might find her!" There was a pause, and Grissom sighed, "Gil Grissom, with the Las Vegas… hell yes, I'm coming to assist with the investigation… I don't care if it's personal! She was my CSI!… Tomorrow morning? No, I'll be there tonight."

Grissom shut his phone off and slid it back into his pocket. He stood up and looked around the room, covering his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Griss, what's going on?" asked Warrick from his seat.

"Sara's gone missing. Someone took her. I…I'm heading to Denver, I'm leaving in a few minutes. Look, uh, Warrick's in charge while I'm gone… I'll call when I find her."

He walked out of the room, and Greg shook his head.

"Are we just gonna let him leave without letting us help? We have to do something, don't we?"

Greg stood up and ran out the door after Grissom, shouting his name down the hall, "Grissom! I'm coming with you!"

Grissom kept walking, "Stay here Greg. I might send evidence to our lab. I don't trust anyone else to do it, and I'll need you here to help."

"Hell, no, Grissom, I'm not you're lab boy anymore. I'm a CSI damn it, and Sara's my friend, let me help! Will you stop? Grissom!" Greg grabbed the older man's shoulder and pulled back, causing Grissom to spin around and face the younger CSI.

"Greg, back off!" Grissom grabbed Greg by the collar and pulled him close, "If you really want to help Sara, you'll stay here where you can't screw things up!"

Grissom let go, and Greg took a step back as Grissom stared him down. Catherine, Nick and Warrick ran up behind Greg, staring wide-eyed. With that, Grissom turned around and started back down the hallway.

"Come on Catherine, we have a flight to catch."

Catherine ran to catch up with him. Two years would pass before the team would hear anything else about the disappearance, and see Sara Sidle.

TBC