Disclaimers are in the first chapter.
Thanks to my first three reviewers, GScrasy, odeepblue and Tessa.
Sara gained consciousness minutes later with Catherine kneeling next to the couch. She glanced around seeing bugs in jars and other strange things she realised she was in Grissom's office.
"There you are." Catherine smiled at the younger woman; she reached up and smoothed Sara's hair in a motherly fashion. "There are other people we have to let in on our secret. Grissom should know and Brass, he'll be pissed if we don't tell him."
Sara pulled herself up so she was sitting and facing Catherine then rubbed her eyes.
"No. It's fine, I'll be fine." She sighed. "We should get back to the break room, wait for assignments." She tired to get up but Catherine held her down.
"No, Grissom will be here any minute. I told him already and he doesn't want you out in the field." Catherine spoke quietly and slow so Sara would have to pay attention if she wanted to hear what the older woman had to say. When Catherine was finished Sara brushed the other woman's hands away and got up.
"No! I'm not going to be boxed in just because of some pictures." She staggered not quite steady on her feet. "Warrick said they could just be a sick joke."
"He just said that to make you feel better. This could be very serious; you know how it can be." Catherine tried not to talk to Sara like a child but she couldn't help it coming out slightly maternal.
"Yes, I do. And that should be enough. I'm not in this blind." She spun around to find Grissom on the threshold of his office.
The look on his face told her to stay quiet, but she wasn't going to.
"How could you?" she set her jaw and levelled her gaze.
"How could I not?" he kept his voice level while holding out copies of her photos. The picture on top was of Sara and her date kissing.
A pang of guilt hit her hard, and she felt a blush rising to her face. She really didn't want him to see her kissing another man and felt like explaining herself. Explain how she didn't want to kiss her date, and how she only smiled to be polite after.
She sighed, her hands slapping her thighs in frustration and looked away from Grissom's searching stare.
"It's not that serious. Sure, he followed me around, knows where I live but," she took the photos and flipped through them, "These aren't graphic."
"Yet." He replied calmly.
Catherine was stuck. She wanted to agree with Grissom but at the same time she knew what cooping Sara up would do to the younger woman even though it would be only for a little while.
"Do you know if anything was out of order in your home?" she asked as an after thought.
Sara turned to Catherine, looking at her as if she forgot she was still in the room,
"I-uh-no. Not off hand." She shook her head. She thought about what the other woman asked going over her morning. Locked bathroom window, patio door closed with the wood stick across the bottom, front door bolted…. nothing…"No." she concluded.
"Fine. Brass will do a search of your house for any surveillance equipment or devices. Are you sure nothing was out of place; your keys maybe?" Grissom asked, handing Catherine assignment sheets and signalling for her to hand them out.
Sara watched Catherine leave as she spoke.
"No. I just toss them on the counter, I don't memorise the exact position where they landed." she tried to keep the sarcasm out of her tone but failed.
Grissom ignored it.
"So it's possible that he entered your house while you were taking a shower, took your keys, copied them then put them back?"
"That's pretty ballsie. What if I wasn't taking a shower?"
Grissom tilted his head and removed his glasses before speaking.
"You know that stalkers study their victims. They know all of their habits and their routine even if the victim doesn't know it's a routine."
Sara shivered involuntarily. She knew he was right, her stalker could have come in her home while she was sleeping, showering, naked…
"Okay fine. But I'm not going to stay home while an armed guard sits in his car."
"Then you won't. You will work in the lab, you will not be alone at anytime. If you need something from your car send someone else but don't give your keys to anyone unfamiliar. I'll have my cell phone on and pager. Don't leave the lab until I get back."
She watched him for a full minute waiting for something but not knowing what. When he didn't way anything else she brushed past him and went back to the break room.
Her coffee mug was still where she left it. She took the cold cup into her hands and went to the sink and washed it out. She was just about to turn around when Nick stuck his head in the room,
"Sara!"
She almost dropped her mug but caught it in time.
"Oh, hey Nicky. What's up?" she smiled hoping to cover her jumpiness. It worked.
"I got a hot one. I could use an extra hand, wanna come?" he grinned largely waving his assignment sheet in the air.
She shrugged.
"Sorry, man. I've been grounded. I can help you out in here though."
Nick's shoulders slumped with his disappointment and he frowned showing his concern.
"Do you want me to talk to him? Ask him to hold off the grounding until another night?"
She smiled at his sweetness,
"Naw, it's cool. I promise I'll help you out on your next big one." She shrugged and smiled bigger when he looked a little doubtful.
"Okay." He shrugged. "Explains why Greg got a solo. If he gets really good, we might not need you anymore." He grinned.
"I highly doubt that, Nicky. See you later."
"Yeah. Definitely." She watched him walk down the hall through the glass walls before fixing another cup of coffee and searching for Warrick.
TBC…
part three brings a note...tell what you think...
