I have a beta! I'm so excited, no more worrying about looking stupid becuase I can't spell! Yeah, I'm cool. I know. And having said that, all mistakes are mine. Thank you sovery much to Tessa for betaing.

Here's part six or eighteen...Yeah, this is a nice lengthy story.


Sara knocked before coming up behind Catherine. The older woman quickly piled all the processed photos together then stopped when she saw that it was Sara.

"Oh, hey. Covering you up." She explained, "Didn't think you wanted Greg to see these."

"I could give 'em to him. It's that or burn them." Sara said and tried to smile but it came out more like a grimace. "I'll burn 'em." She decided nodding. She leaned on the table looking over the pictures Catherine didn't hide. "Did you get any prints?"

"A partial, I'll send it through AFIS if I can't get anything better. Note book?" she gestured to the note book in Sara's hands, "Finished translating?"

"Yeah, Warrick got me a whole page of numbers." She handed over the note book and waited as Catherine read all three different passages.

"So what does this mean? Who writes like this? Is it supposed to be code?"

"I don't think it was supposed to be a code, not if he wanted me to figure it out. I doubt he would always write like that." She shrugged. "I was gonna run this by Grissom."

"Good, he'd want to see that."

Sara straightened about to leave but Catherine held her elbow,

"Um, Sara?"

"Yeah?"

"He cares about you, you know."

"Maybe" she replied sadly.

"No." Catherine moved her hand to Sara's shoulder, "I saw it, Sara. In his eyes, he loves you."

Sara backed out of Catherine's hold, shaking her head.

"Don't so this. I heard him, he might but… I can't, not right now. I can't take it." she felt tears welling up.

Catherine nodded.

"Sorry. I just wanted you to know. He- he's too stubborn to admit that sort of thing."

Sara lowered her head and left. She couldn't listen anymore. She was actually feeling the violation in full now and hearing Catherine talk about how Grissom loved her…she couldn't hear that when she over heard him confess that he wouldn't give up his career for her.

She ducked into an empty lab and stomped her feet in frustration. Her life was being ripped apart. She re-entered the hallway and wiped away the tears that escaped.

-----------------------------------------

Jim Brass was standing between Grissom's desk and Sara as she approached the office. The detective turned to Sara, gave her a sympathetic smile and held out two bright shiny new keys.

"It's all yours."

She accepted them with a small smile. He nodded and continued his report.

"We've cleaned out all the guy's equipment. I sent it to Warrick to print and Archie'll tear it apart to se if he can track it down to an individual."

Grissom nodded his approval.

"Thanks Jim."

Sara used this time to hold out her notebook,

"I broke the code." She placed the pages down on Grissom's desk, letting him and Brass read it over before continuing. "I think this guy writes like this on purpose. Not just to stumble us. I was wondering if you knew anything about it."

Grissom closed his eyes for a moment, seemingly in deep thought.

"No." he answered finally.

Brass shuffled his feet for a moment then returned his attention back to Sara.

"I'll have my cell on all night if you need anything."

Sara gave him an appreciative nod and was about to thank him when Grissom cut her off.

"No need. She'll be staying with me."

Sara almost got whiplash turning her head to gape at him. Brass did the same. He could tell by the look on her face that this decision did not take place before hand.

"I was not aware of this." She said voicing Brass' original thought.

"That's because I just thought of it. Jim just finished cleaning up after this guy, do you want your stalker coming back?" Grissom asked.

"He could if I'm not there." She said looking to Brass to back her up but he just shook his head signalling that he wanted nothing to do with their argument.

"No. this guy will be too busy trying to find you and when he does, and when he sees you with me he'll get angry." Grissom held up the photo of Sara and her date and the first note to prove his point. "And when they get angry they mess up."

"Grissom, this is crazy. There will be surveillance on my house. That's enough. And I've got my gun." She patted her 9mm in its holster on her hip.

"I'm not giving you the opportunity to take someone's life. I'll send Catherine and Warrick over to your house to get your things for the night. This discussion is over."

She knew there was no changing his mind by his tone of voice. She snatched up her note book and with one final glare she left. Her mind was a torrent of thoughts so when she reached the break room she was in full rant.

"It's not the guy that's gonna drive me nuts, it's that man. I don't need him at my side, this guy's been stalking me for months? Well that's fine. He wasn't bothering me. Pictures is all…he's like a paparazzi. Celebrities deal with them all the time. I can deal with this. I'm fine!" she finished and turned around to see Catherine standing behind her.

"I can see that. And you certainly sound fine too."

"What do you want?" she snapped.

Catherine held up her hands in a defensive posture.

"Finished your pictures. Nothing but the partial, Warrick's running it through AFIS. Grissom asked me to get your keys."

Enraged Sara flung them at her and lucky for Catherine she was quick or the keys would have hit her in the face.

"So you agree with him then?" Sara spat shaking her head.

Catherine shrugged as she pocketed the keys.

"Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"If he's doing it to piss off the guy then, yes but if this is about him playing your protector; no."

Catherine's answer calmed Sara a bit but she was still facing the horrible prospect of staying at Grissom's place…and for how long?

"Fine. My pajamas are in the left side of my dresser. Don't worry about tomorrow; I've got a change of clothes in my locker." She watched as Catherine left, her mind began to wander. She thought about Grissom playing her protector then her mind went to any and all the time she was going to be spending alone with him. She shook her head and wished it all away.

TBC…

Up next, Sara in Grissom's home...