Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! As for all the enquiries as to whether Doc Robbins will get involved, I'm afraid I have no plans to have him help Sara medically, although you may well see him crop up in the future!

Emily x

The day Sara was able to leave the hospital Nick came to drive her home. Grissom had told her nothing would keep him away but unfortunately it turned out that there was something that could stand in his way; he had to give evidence in court. It had taken Sara a whole hour to convince him that she would be alright and did not need to come out of hospital a day later so that he could be there.

"Are you alright?" Nick asked, watching her manoeuvre herself from the bed into her wheelchair concernedly.

"Fine," Sara reassured him. She had become quite practised at this art in the last few days. At first it had been both a physical and an emotional battle to get herself out of bed. It had been a shock to find something she had previously taken for granted could now be so difficult. Accepting help from the nurses and in particular her friends and colleagues had been a struggle. But her determination had won through and each day it became easier for her to move around without help. Her arms were certainly building strength by the day.

They took the elevator down to the ground floor, speaking gratefully to the nurses and doctors who were still helping Sara on the road to recovery on their way out. When they reached Nick's car, Sara managed to pull the car door open. Nick was about to climb into the driver's side when he noticed Sara attempting to manoeuvre herself close enough to the car in order to transfer to it from her wheelchair. It was a moment of revelation for him; he felt a wave of sadness wash over him. She was going to need his help, if not to get into the car, to put away the wheelchair. She seemed so vulnerable to him, so reliant. It was not the way he was used to viewing Sara. As he wordlessly walked round to the passenger door and eased Sara into the car, before folding up the wheelchair and placing it into the back, he met her gaze briefly. Neither felt the need to speak but the look in Sara's eyes said more than words ever could. They may have won the battle, but the war was not over yet.

I I I I I

The sound of the doorbell, whilst she was examining the meagre contents of her fridge, came as a surprise to Sara. Nick had left only half an hour ago. He had made her promise to call if she needed anything but had said he would not return until the next day. She wheeled herself over to the door. Instinctively she went to look through the viewing hole at the top of the door, before she realised that was not possible. Cautiously she pulled the door open. Standing outside was Grissom. Sara glanced at her watch.

"You weren't meant to be done in court for another hour."

"Don't sound so happy to see me."

Sara could not prevent her smile. "Sorry. Come in." Wheeling herself over to a position beside her armchair she motioned for him to sit down. "How was it?"

"I don't think that guy is going to be seeing the light of day again."

"Evidence that solid, huh?"

"They struggled to find a hole in our procedure. We did the job well."

"Good." Sara's mind wandered to her job and Grissom could tell what she was thinking.

"Everyone at the lab is asking after you," he said, not entirely sure how else to breach the topic.

"Glad to hear I'm missed."

Silence descended over the pair. Sara could not bear to consider the life she had had to put on hold. "So, what can I do for you?"

"You're going to have to get used to this, I'm afraid."

"Get used to what?"

"Visits from me with no particular reason behind them."

Sara replied quickly. "I told you, I don't want pity."

Grissom immediately jumped to defend himself. "Pity is a reason. I said they had no reason. Except-" He stopped mid-sentence.

"Except what, Grissom?" Sara noticed him going to protest and immediately corrected herself. "I mean, Gil."

Grissom smiled self-consciously. "Except that I enjoy your company, Sara."

Both of them realised the cliché. They smiled at each other as their gazes met but after a couple of seconds both looked away, slightly embarrassed.

"How are you going to cope alone here?" Grissom asked.

Sara hoped that this was not another line. "Absolutely fine, thank you," she smiled. "That's what elevators were invented for. And I'm surprisingly mobile in this thing." She gestured to her wheelchair. "Not that I won't ask for help if I need it," she added. "I've already had that lecture from Nick."

"Glad to hear it," Grissom replied. "So…"

"Where do I go from here?"

"Yes, I suppose that's what I wanted to ask."

"I have to acquaint myself with a new leg. I have my first physiotherapy appointment on Monday."

Sara knew what was coming next. "Would you like me to take you?"

"Actually, Nick asked me." Sara watched the disappointment flash over Grissom's face for a second before continuing, "But I turned him down. I thought you'd offer. It's a date?"

Grissom smiled. "Absolutely."

I I I I I

Nick was talking to Catherine when Brass entered the room. Both turned and smiled warmly at him. His distance and aloofness since the accident had not been lost on them. Sara had told Nick about her and Brass' conversation. She had also told him that she believed he still thought himself responsible; Nick was inclined to agree.

"What can we do for you?" Catherine enquired.

"We arrested Harold Sinclair."

"Glad to hear it," Catherine replied. "That guy was a creep, if ever I knew one."

"Yes," Brass' reply was brief. "Anyway, I better go." He turned to leave but Nick called out to him.

"Hang on a minute."

"Yes?"

"Have you been to see Sara since she got out of hospital?"

"No," Brass replied, sounding slightly suspicious about where this conversation was going.

"I'm sure she'd like to see you."

"Yes, well, I've been busy."

"Would you like to come visit her after our shift today? I'm going so you could join me."

"I'm…not free tonight. Sorry."

Catherine at this point decided to intervene. "It would mean a lot to her, Jim."

Brass face began to flush and when he spoke he sounded flustered. "I will go and see her. Just not tonight. Alright?"

Nick could not avoid saying what he had been wanting to. "None of this is your fault you know, Jim."

Now Brass sounded positively angry. "I don't think that has anything to do with you."

Catherine took a step closer to Brass and placed a hand gently on his arm. "Nick is right, Jim."

Brass pulled away from her touch. "It's nice to see you have some kind of conspiracy going on against me."

"Against you?" Nick asked in disbelief. "We support you, Brass. That's our point."

"I don't need support, Nick."

"You could have fooled me." Nick barely hid his frustration and Catherine shot him a harsh glance.

"Please, Jim," she began. "Don't let this burn you out."

"I have no plans to do so."

"I hope not," Catherine replied.

"If the interrogation is over, I'll go and do some work. Maybe you two should do the same." Without looking at either of them, he walked out, leaving Catherine and Nick shaking their heads sadly in his wake.