Okay, I can't believe that I'm onto the 5th chapter of this story already. Still, I'm not even close to owning CSI… Perhaps, with all the non-money that I'm making here, I might some day be able to afford it. Don't you be holding your breath.

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It took some time and a few tears, but finally the whole sordid account of the day's events was given to the police. Question after question, followed by answer after answer, she was telling the truth, and not holding anything back. For once, Sara was able to share what happened of not only today, but also from years before, and it seemed as if the forces of gravity were finally easing up on her.

Despite what she had thought earlier, this truly did seem like the right thing to do. She'd just been too afraid to admit it before now. For so long she'd thought, 'What if no one believed her? What if they blamed it all on her?' How would she answer all the questions like, 'Why didn't you say anything sooner?' and 'Where's your proof?'

She knew the answers clearly. Not only did she feel weak for speaking up, the man was still her father. Shouldn't she have some form of loyalty? Shouldn't she protect him? Wait, what? No… a real father would never have done those things in the first place. A real father would have protected his daughter. That man was not a father. Not anyone's father.

As for the proof, they definitely had that now – and witnessed by a cop. You don't get much better of a corroboration to a story than that. Plus, the evidence was there – carefully collected by her professor.

At the thought of Mr. Grissom, her mind went once again into hyper drive. 'What would he think of all this? Would things change? For the better?' She couldn't bare to think of the alternative just yet, so she stuck with the better option. This way, the awkward moments wouldn't arise like they were bound to. This way he wouldn't see her as damaged goods. She just wanted to be seen for whom she was, and who she would become.

Her thoughts of the professor were cut short by the words of the man himself.

"Do you have a place to go to tonight? Maybe a relative or a friend that you could stay with? You can't go home, especially with your father not in custody yet."

Mr. Grissom could tell she was thinking about it. He could read the different expressions as she thought through the possibilities. Finally, she told him yes, so he offered to drive her there.

"But I think I should give them a call, so I don't just show up out of the blue," Sara reminded the man.

"That's a good idea. You make the call, and I'll go and pull the car around. Meet me out front when you are ready."

"Okay," Sara replied, adding a little wave for effect. "I'll be right out."

Mr. Grissom left, and walked over to his car. He had to park it a few minutes down the street because the traffic had been fairly bad when they first arrived. Unlike the officer that Sara had driven with, he did not have a parking space in the police station's lot. Not that it mattered all that much, because by now, most of the cars had left, and there were plenty of parking spaces closer to the station.

'A little exercise is good for everyone', he thought to himself as he reached his car. 'Plus, it would give Sara a little extra time to okay the plans with her friend.' He wondered just how much she would tell them. Probably not that much over the phone, but she might tell them more when she met up in person. He hoped that she would share the story again, because he knew by the way she was acting, getting the tale off her chest had helped out quite a bit.

He turned the key in the ignition, and then slowly began moving the car. As he rounded the corner toward the front doors of the station, he saw his student already seated on the steps. When she noticed his approach, she rose and started off in the direction of the car.

"Wow, that was quick," Mr. Grissom commented.

"I knew they'd say yes."

"Well, I'm happy they did. What's the address?" He asked as his student fastened her seatbelt.

"Actually, she was just headed out for a coffee, and I told her I'd meet her there. It's the place at the corner of Wellington and Main."

He drove her to the cafe, where she pointed to the interior of the building. "Oh, she's already here. Thanks for the ride."

"I'll see you in class tomorrow?" Mr. Grissom asked, as she hopped out of the car.

"Yeah, sure. Thanks again for the ride."

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Well, I'm off to bed now. And though I know you won't be able to read this, at least until I get my precious internet connection back, I still think I've grown as a person while writing it. I hope you are enjoying it as well.