Chapter 13

Greg carried the read out through the hallway. His thoughts continually dwelt on Sara, and how comforting it was to actually play a role in the investigative process other then lab work. He actually felt like his actions put her attacker away.

He wanted to feel like that again. Now all he needed to do was convince Grissom that he was ready to be in the field fulltime. Looking up, he saw his opportunity walking down the adjacent hallway.

Speeding up, Greg positioned himself in front of his supervisor. "Grissom," he started; his heart beating faster, worried about the answer to his request.

Grissom eyed him with an air of annoyance. Having just left Sara, his mind was focused on her. He wanted to help her, but he didn't know how without her pulling away from him. Greg's enthusiasm wasn't what he was in the mood for.

'Just say it.' Greg commanded himself. "I have some information that will be of use to you. But, before you get it, I need a decision."

Grissom's face transformed from annoyance to concern. Feeling he had misjudged the young lab technician, he remembered how dedicated he was during Sara's case. "What?"

The younger man looked away, suddenly intimidated by the man in front of him. He also felt guilty thinking about his career when Sara was struggling to return to the field herself. Still he had opened his mouth, and he wanted to be out of limbo, "I'm tired of being on the fence here. Either I'm in the lab or I'm in the field."

Grissom wasn't expecting an ultimatum, but it also wasn't a request he saw coming. He was under the impression that Greg was merely exploring the investigative role of CSIs, but in the end would decide the money was better where he was. Truth be told, Grissom had been impressed with the resolve he had shown during the toughest case any of the CSI had processed. Remaining professional enough to complete the job when someone they knew and cared for was involved took a great deal of maturity.

"Which is it?" Greg asked, drawing Grissom's attention back to the question.

"Well, as soon as you can find and train a replacement, you can be in
the field. Until then, I need you in the lab." He answered genuinely happy the younger man wanted to become a CSI. His positive attitude was one they all needed to find again. He was also slightly amused by the nervousness Greg was projecting.

Greg fought hard to contain his smile. He wanted to hug the man in front of him.

"Now give." Grissom commanded, Greg's good mood wearing down his troubled state of mind.

Looking down at the paper, Greg suddenly remembered the details of the case they were working on. Another rape victim. He had yet to see Sara, but he was wondering if she was anywhere near the case, "I got a CODIS hit off the semen from your victim. DNA matches a rape-murder case from a year ago." The details were haunting to him. Another serial rapist that had gotten away.

Sensing the seriousness overtake the younger man, Grissom looked down at the paper, "Still open?"

"Warrick's pulling the file," he answered simply.

Reading the younger man's mind, Grissom knew he needed some encouragement. They all did, offering him a wink, he turned to walk away. "Thanks," he offered over his shoulder. They all needed to return to some semblance of normal, and that meant not feeling bad about being in a good mood.

Getting the message, Greg watched the older CSI walk down the hall. "No, thank you," he said to no one, but threw a small party for himself anyway.

---/---

Grissom observed Warrick sorting through crime scene photos. He couldn't help but remember the guilt and rage that filled him when he was forced to look through picture after picture of Sara. Her bruised and battered body…the hand-shaped marks… Closing his eyes, he took a deep steady breath, and walked into the room.

Sensing he was no longer alone, Warrick looked up, "Hey." He had no idea where to begin. He knew that if he didn't solve the case, the rapist would attack again, and he had no control over who was picked. Despite all their efforts during the Kirkwood case, Kelly James had not been caught. Having not played a huge roll in that rape case, he fought hard against the 'what-if' syndrome.

Glancing over at his boss, Warrick saw the intensity and knew he wasn't the only one still beating himself up over Sara's assault. Looking back down at the pictures, he began to narrate the old case, "Victim was a 32-year-old Caucasian female, Emma Dobbins. Sexually assaulted." Noting how intently the man beside him was looking at the photos in front of them, Warrick picked up the picture that seemed to be the focus.

Grissom slowly accepted the picture, half listening to what his colleague was saying.

"Cause of death, strangulation. They used her pantyhose." He concluded, watching Grissom.

The eyes of the woman were clouded over in death. The bruised face transformed momentarily into Sara's. "Where'd they find the body?" His voice sounded distant even to himself. 'This isn't Sara. She didn't die.'

"Off of Blue Diamond Road, Southern Highlands," Warrick answered allowing Grissom time to study the picture.

Looking up, he realized his mind was wandering to places it shouldn't go, and attempted to focus completely on the case in front of him, "That's not far from where Linley Parker was assaulted."

"Other than the semen, the only evidence at the scene was a shoe print; man's size nine. I talked to Nick. They also found a print; size nine." The younger CSI explained further, sticking to the facts of the case.

Keeping the conversation rolling before he had time to let his mind wander, Gil processed the earlier crime scene in his head, trying to find the common thread, "Did she have a car?"

Checking the notes, Warrick read, "A vintage Pontiac. Registered in her name, never recovered."

Grissom's eyes wandered back to the pictures laid out before him. Not wanting the case to turn into another unsolved serial rapist, he pushed forward, "So apart from geography and age, what else did they have in common?" His eyes never left the unseeing gaze of the dead woman.

"Emma Dobbins ran a movie memorabilia place downtown." Warrick threw out.

"My vic was a pit boss at the Palms," countered Grissom.

Shaking his head, the younger CSI continued, "Emma was married."

Finally taking his eyes off the table, Gil added, "Linley Parker was single. Blonde."

The frustration of getting no where was growing, "She was brunette. The only thing in common: the guy who raped them." Warrick concluded looking at his boss, trying to judge his reaction.

Grissom's eyes drifted back to the crime scene photos. The sickness in the pit of his stomach, he got when looking at the pictures of Sara's naked body, returned. He wasn't going to let this one get away. It was his silent vow to Sara.

---/---

Catherine walked into the observation bay and observed the sketch artist interact with Linley Parker. She was surprised she hadn't found Sara there watching. In truth had come to check up on her colleague as much as she wanted to see how the composite was progressing.

The blonde in front of her looked so small and fragile as she spoke. So unlike the original interview, but Catherine understood, now more then ever, the reactions of the victim.

Linley had the same haunted look Sara had when Catherine had asked for her testimony. It was like they both were watching a movie in their head, helpless to stop it, but forced themselves to relive it, if only to remember the key details that would put their attacker away.

The effect had to be traumatizing.

Helplessly, Catherine watched as Linley's eyes opened, and saw the face of her rapist. The reaction was primal, and heartbreaking, as she leaned over and vomited.

The CSI was suddenly torn between staying to comfort the young woman, and finding Sara. She was always going to remember watching Sara dry heave at the memory of what Kelly James did to her, and Catherine felt guilty for both women's reactions. She forced them both to think about the pain, and humiliation, but had done little to help them forget.

Linley was going to be different. Catherine was determined to help the woman. It was her silent promise to Sara.

---/---

Sara leaned back in her booth, fingering her coffee cup. She was tired of people thinking they needed to fix her. All her life she had encountered individuals that decided that was their mission in life. Sitting in front of Nick, she tried to push aside the feelings of resentment. It wasn't his fault he wasn't the first to make her a project.

"Sara," his calm voice drew her attention away from the handle she had become intensely interested in.

Drawing in a deep breath, "Look, Nick, I'm sorry, I'm not really in the mood to talk."

Trying to hide the hurt he felt, he reached for her hand, "Sara, we don't have to talk about…it. I just want to… I miss you." The time they had spent in her apartment made him realize that a tension had grown between the two of them from the moment they both put in there names for the promotion.

Pulling her hand away, Sara looked her friend in the eye only for second, and returned her gaze to the deep brown liquid that had now grown cold. She was sick of her inability to control her thoughts. Having been so wrapped up in her ability to deal with her feelings for Grissom, she had searched out the one friendship she had always relied on for stability. She understood exactly what he meant. She had missed him too, and regretted that anger toward Grissom's promotion decision was projected toward Nick.

"Thanks for being there…when I needed you," she finally told him, and then realized she had another person she needed to thank. Reaching for his hand the remained on the table, she squeezed it, "We should head back to the lab."

"Are you sure you're up for it? That case, it was getting to me," he admitted.

Standing quickly, Sara fumbled with her wallet, dropping some bills on the table, "Ready?" she asked.

Nick understood avoidance, but he was still just as worried about her as he was the night she was raped.

---/---

Stopping outside Grissom's door, Sara's hand rested on the door knob. Closing her eyes, she searched for the words she needed to tell him. She knew she usually let her words get ahead of her brain when it came to Grissom.

Letting go of the handle, she took a small step back. Before she could retreat, the door swung open.

Coming face to face with Sara, Grissom froze. He was on his way to the line up Brass was preparing for Linley. The last thing he was expecting when he opened the door was Sara's haunted eyes. "Sara? Is there something wrong?"

Taking another step back, "No, you look busy. I'll talk to you later."

Instinctively Gil's hand reached out for Sara's elbow, stopping her, "Come on, come sit down."

She allowed herself to be guided back to the chair in front of his desk. Hearing the door close behind her, her mind flashed back to the comforting embrace she had experienced the last time she sat in his office. Tears welled up in her eyes as the raw emotion coursed through her body again.

Grissom repositioned the chair beside her so he could see her face, "Sara, honey, tell me what's wrong."

Blinking rapidly, his voice pulled her back to reality. Wiping her eyes she shook her head. She had cried in front of Grissom more than any other person in her life. "I just…I just wanted to thank you and apologize."

"Apologize?" He wanted to hold her, to touch her, but he remembered the boundaries he placed on himself after her reaction in her apartment.

"I can't explain what happened. It was too much," she paused, normally the words would spill out of her mouth, but at that moment, she had no way to convey her thoughts.

"What was too much?" he asked, her inability to communicate scared him.

Sara leaned back, and stared up at the ceiling. "When I ran away from you. When I hid in the bathroom. It wasn't anything you did, I just didn't need…"

"The complication." He finished for her, finally understanding. He had been hurt and angry that she wanted Nick and not him, but now as he considered it, he realized the way he had been treating her, there was no reason she would have wanted him.

She stood before he could continue, "Thanks for being there for me."

Grissom was forced to watch her from a distance, as he became suddenly aware of how empty his office felt.

TBC