On with the story...


Archie understood entirely when Sara asked him to take a break. He gave her the sympathetic look that people whose dogs died get and she just cocked her head to the side and nodded.

She set up and closed the door. She held her breath and pushed play.

A grainy picture appeared on the monitor before her. She couldn't figure out the image until she subject moved and she realised she was looking at herself asleep in her room. She exhaled but the tension didn't leave her. The video Sara rolled over and current Sara noticed that she wasn't wearing anything under the sheets.

She pushed fast forward and went through a whole 'night' of her sleeping then the tape stopped, flashed and turned into another grainy picture. It was of the other night when she went home with Grissom. The view closed in on her face. Remembering that night and the note she realised she did appear to be sad but she recalled feeling bitter about the situation.

She sighed and felt relieved that the content of the tape wasn't too risqué. The tape ended completely and ejected. She pulled it out, placed it in an evidence bag and went to Grissom's office.

Her boss was hunched over his desk just behind a mountain of paperwork.

"Nothing; it's all the same 'I'm watching you' stuff." She said setting the tape down on one of the smaller piles on his desk.

"So it's more psychological intimidation." He said, taking off his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Checked your messages? Did Rick call back?"

She was confused for a moment then pulled out her cell without asking. A few seconds later she answered his question.

"There are no new messages." She mimicked the voice on the phone.

Grissom leaned back in his chair, flipping his glasses in his fingers against the paperwork in front of him. He considered the case silently.

"Have you run the print yet?"

"Oh, no." she turned and walked away.

Catherine found Sara at a computer, green finger prints flashing one by one across the screen.

"Hey, Catherine. What's up?" she watched Catherine come in with a 6" by 6" by 6" box in her hands and sit down.

"Well, after this morning's talk, I figured that I should bring this to you instead of pussy footing around and give it to Grissom." She handed over the box and Sara accepted it.

"What is it?" she asked setting it on the table next to the monitor.

Catherine shrugged.

"I don't know, it was on your cars hood. I knew it was from him so I though I'd bring it up to you before shift ended." She watched Sara for any sign of feeling and wasn't sure if she was okay with Sara being so collected.

"Okay. Um, I was just running a print. Did you need the computer?"

"No, I just felt like playing mail girl. Print huh?" Catherine asked hopeful there might be a break and all this crazy shit can come to an end.

"Yeah, came from the inside of the third message." She sighed and turned back to the computer screen.

"Third? So this makes four." The older woman said glancing at the box Sara had set on the computer table.

"Yeah. And Grissom had me calling my date from the other night." Seeing Catherine's confused expression she explained. "Oh, uh, off the note, I got another journal entry. Apparently my stalker was talking to Rick so Grissom wants me to leave messages to get him to call me back." She finished but it didn't clear things up for Catherine.

"Sure, well I'm going, see you later." Catherine said getting up and patting Sara on the shoulder.

Sara gave a quick smile and wave but didn't look up. She picked the box up in her hands and flipped it over. She shook it and it didn't sound like another tape. She considered what it could contain when the computer beeped telling her there were no matches in the database.

Groaning she stood up and brought her new mail to Grissom's office. He looked up when she came in and waited for her to speak.

"Nothing on the print, I'm not really surprised." She flopped down in the visitor chair across from him. "Catherine brought this to me." She set the box on the desk. "I still have to give Greg the flap from the last envelope; I was hoping to get DNA." She gestured to the box. "I just thought you should know about this."

"Thank you." He replied. He met her eyes across the desk, examining her as she sat there in the chair. "How are you feeling?" he asked after a full minute of silence.

Sara thought about her answer and decided on complete honesty.

"Scared, annoyed, frustrated, confused and angry." Her brow furrowed and she spoke. "Embarrassed. God, I don't know what. Damn it, Grissom, I don't know what I feel." She slumped lower in the chair crossing her arms across her chest.

"That's good enough." He stood and began clearing off his desk. "Run that envelope to Greg and if you like we can process this together." He nodded towards the box.

"Sure." She nodded and left.

She found Greg in the locker room. He was listening to music from a radio in his locker and singing along loudly, and terribly.

"What are you waiting for…You stupid H-."

"Greg!" she said before he could finish the line.

Surprised he hit the power and grinned foolishly.

"Hey, hot stuff. What can I do you for?" he waggled his eye brows.

"I'm trying to keep this on the down low, I was wondering if you would get me some DNA from this." She held out the bag containing the cut off envelope tab.

He flipped it over in his hands, fished a glove out of his tweed jacket pocket and took the flap out. He pulled at the area where it was sealed then stopped when it started to come loose.

"Sorry, Beautiful. But this is the sticky kind, no licking necessary. No licking…"

"…no, DNA. Shit!" she finished and sighed in frustration. "Thanks anyway Greg." She said as he handed her back the evidence.

TBC…

Up next, what's in the box?