We are arriving at the end of my tale, just one more to go after this.
Thanks again to my beta, who's dying ot know how it ends.
Catherine caught up with Grissom just before he drove away. She jumped into the passenger side and buckled up. She glanced at him long enough to see he was grinding his teeth. She was sure if the Denali wasn't making noise she could hear his teeth grinding together.
"So, Sara ducked out when you were in the bathroom?" she asked making small talk…
"No." he didn't look at her. He pretended he was paying full attention to driving.
"Club you over the head?" she prompted him to elaborate.
"We were talking and she ran out." He said through his clenched teeth, his answer was abrupt.
"About the note?" she asked needling.
"Yes and no."
"About Rick?" she guessed.
"Mostly." He answered.
Catherine watched his jaw clench and unclench and she had the answer.
"You told her why she couldn't be bait."
He turned his head to look at her. If he wasn't so angry, scared, hurt and embarrassed he'd be proud of her investigative skills. Then he frowned; if she could figure that out from six or seven words, what else did she know?
Catherine knew from his surprised expression and sudden frown that she was right.
"You told her you love her?" she tried not to smile but she found it difficult. He furrowed his brow, not looking at her.
"This is no time to make fun of me. Sara is in danger!"
Catherine held up her hands in a defensive manner.
"I'm not. I'm happy you finally confessed but," she paused trying to hold herself together. "Couldn't you have picked a better time?" she couldn't hold back her laughter anymore. "It's not funny, I know."
Grissom shook his head, and the corners of his mouth began to curl.
"I thought if she knew, she would stay." He chuckled.
"Needle that broke the camel's back. All those emotion at once; no wonder she ran. I would have."
As they turned the corner to the block Sara lived on Grissom laughed.
"I just don't get women." His laughter subsided when he parked the car on the curb outside her house. "Damn!" he slammed the steering wheel with his hands.
"Maybe she's inside." Catherine suggested.
Grissom shook his head and produced Sara's keys from his pocket.
"Shit!"
He sighed and lowered his head.
Catherine wracked her brain for any comforting words but she found herself struggling to stay positive. Turned out she didn't have to; her cell went off.
"Willows." She said into the phone.
"His name is Darwin Johnson. He lives two blocks from Sara." Nick's voice made her heart pound, he continued giving her an address and she gave it to Grissom. He spun the wheel so hard they were forced left in their seats.
The sun was coming up when they parked in front the little white house. Grissom leaped out of the car and started up the walk way.
Catherine grabbed him and stopped him before he reached the stairs to the door.
"We can't just go in there. We have no idea what we'll find." She tried to reason but she might as well not have bothered as they heard Sara's desperate scream.
"NO!"
Nothing could have held back Grissom. He rushed into the house with Catherine close on his heals.
She pulled out her gun as she entered, Grissom went through the living room and she moved to go up the stairs to the second floor, but he stopped her pointing to his ear signalling for her to listen.
Voices could be hear in the kitchen, they couldn't make out what the lower voices were saying but Sara was loud and clear.
"You can't let him die!"
Grissom waited by the door. Catherine lowered her weapon. He wondered how he was going to get down stairs without putting Sara in more danger.
"Don't touch me!" Sara yelled.
Catherine shrugged.
"I don't think she'd yell at him if he was armed."
Grissom agreed but he still motioned for her to go first with her gun.
"Sara, we're here!" she called down.
Sara heard Catherine's voice before the older woman appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
Darwin turned around, away from Sara on the floor, she took a chance and with her good foot she kicked him in the back of his knee dropping him to the ground. She moved fast enough to grab his arm and twisted it up behind his back. He yelped and struggled but his movements only made it hurt more.
When Grissom reached the bottom of the stairs he locked eyes with Sara. She shot a look to Rick in his chair and Grissom knew what to do. He pulled out his cell and called an ambulance.
A few seconds later they heard Brass's voice followed by heavy foot steps on the floor above.
"Vegas PD!"
"Down here!" Catherine called; her hold on her gun didn't waver.
Sara let go of Darwin and shimmied backwards away from him. She stopped when her back hit the wall. For the first time in two and a half days she didn't feel any pressure. Her hands went up to her face, then smoothed her hair behind her ears and began to laugh.
Brass came down, his gun drawn until he saw Catherine with her gun, re-holstered his firearm and cuffed Darwin. Catherine put on gloves then checked Rick for vitals.
This all happened in seconds but to Grissom was eternity. His eyes moved around the room, from new comer Nick to a laughing Sara huddled in the corner. He saw the cut and bruised flesh above her left eye. His gaze went from her bent elbows to her knees to her bare feet and ended on her swollen ankle.
He forgot everyone else in the room and walked over to Sara and knelt in front of her. Her laughter died down to a soft giggle.
"Sara, honey, you're hurt. Let me help you." He carefully touched her foot and he pulled back like it burned. "They're freezing. Come on lets get you warmed up."
She stopped giggling and looked to Rick.
"I want to make sure he's okay first."
"Sure. The ambulance will be here any seconds." He learned from his mistakes and didn't get in the way. He took her hand and helped her stand. She was standing awkward on her foot and held tight to Grissom.
The paramedics arrived with a stretcher and tended to Rick. One of the boys noticed Sara's head and began to make a fuss, she just batted him away.
"Jesus, that man could die and you're worried about a flesh wound. Get the fuck out of my face." She yelled and he shied away in time to help his buddies lift Rick up the stairs. "I'm going with him." She said whether or not anyone was listening.
Grissom didn't argue but he did stop her.
"Wait!" he slipped off his shoes and pulled off his socks. He handed them over to her. "Put these on before you get sick."
She didn't think about it or what it meant as she did what he said then wobbled up the stairs.
TBC…
up next the conclusion...and what's with the socks?
