This was supposed to be posted last night, but I got a little distracted. Sorry about that. Thank you again for all the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this one as well.

Thank you Lady J… (I so love that name too…) You know you're the best, right?

Chapter Twenty One

Going to Jail

There was a knock on the door and she went to answer it, closely followed by two of the men assigned to protect her.

"Ben?"

"Ronnie," Ben looked up with tears in his eyes, "I'm so sorry." He wiped away the tears running down his cheeks with his sleeve. "I just…"

"It's ok." She stepped closer to him. "Come here." She pulled him into a hug. "Shhh… It's all going to be ok, Benji. It's all so long ago…"

"I just walked out on you." He sobbed into her shoulder. "Dad walked out on you back then and I walked out now…"

"It's ok. I understand. You had to process all this." She was holding on tight and stroking his hair trying to calm him down. "Shhh… Don't cry Benji. Don't cry. Come on in." She released the strong hold she had on him, but kept an arm around him leading him inside. "Guys, could you leave us alone please?" She asked Mr. Jones and the uniformed cop, who left the room to give them the needed privacy.

"God Veronica, I am so sorry. I don't know how to ever make this up to you again. The one time you need my support the most, I let you down."

"It's ok, Ben. I knew you'd come back eventually – you always do. You can't live without me." She said with a smile, trying to make him feel better.

"It's not ok, Ronnie. I did just what all the others did - I walked out on you. I swore to myself that I would never do that to you and I did." He looked down guiltily.

"Well," Veronica sat down on the couch and patted the spot next to her. "Look at it this way; you are the only one who has returned voluntarily. The one person I can always count on."

"Sara came back." He said, sitting down next to her.

"By accident."

"But she stayed."

"Yes, she did." Veronica smiled. "And she'll stick around this time, too."

"So, do we like her?" He asked, trying to revive an old game they used to play.

"No…" Veronica played along. "We love her."

"Love?" Benjamin looked at her. "Kim's not going to like that."

"Love as in platonic, as in a best friend kind of way. Kim is still… Kim."

"Ah, ok. Well, as long as she doesn't replace your little brother, I'm ok with her." He said, placing an arm around her shoulders and squeezing lightly.

"Never." She answered, leaning into him to accept the comfort he was offering. "Ben… There's something I have to tell you."

"Again?" He joked.

"Yes." She sat back up and looked at him. "The guy who killed Siobhan might have me targeted as his next victim. Most likely Bridget is the one he's after, but Anita or I could be in danger as well."

"What!" Benjamin got up and started pacing the floor. "What are the police doing about all this?"

"They are protecting us, and Dad sent Mr. Jones to keep an eye on Julie and me as well."

"Dad?" He stopped mid pace and turned towards her. "You are accepting anything he has to offer you?"

"Yes. I am. I need for Julie to be protected. I need to know that she is as safe as she can possibly be."

"She can be protected without Dad's help!" He was raising his voice. "The guy threw you out at 15, and then ignored you when you were raped and almost killed…"

"It's been over ten years, Ben!" Veronica got up and shouted back. "You have to forgive sooner or later!"

"Why? Why the hell should I forgive that bastard? Tell me that, Veronica. He fucking hurt you! He separated us!"

"Because it makes life so much easier, Benji. It makes it so much easier without all the hate and pain and…" She was interrupted by someone clearing their throat, trying to get their attention. They both turned towards the newcomer.

"Can I get some of that forgiveness too?" Kimberly asked.

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On the way back to Catherine's office, Sara prepared herself for the worst-case scenario. After all, she had just told a female colleague that she had feelings for her. Ok, so the colleague was the most gorgeous woman on earth who would be used to people falling for her all the time, but she was still a senior CSI and if anyone would have to leave the lab it would be Sara. Maybe she could convince the blonde to not press sexual harassment charges against her and just let her transfer somewhere far away. Overnight if possible.

"Sara."

She looked up at the woman she had been thinking about.

"Catherine."

They fell silent, just staring at each other.

"Could we…" Catherine gestured back to her office. "Finish up in there?"

"Uhm…" Sara started.

"Ok, it wasn't really a question, Sara. Get into the office."

"Bossy." Sara muttered.

"You know you love it. Now get in there."

As soon as they were in the office Sara started talking, not letting Catherine get a word in.

"Look, Cath. I know I have no right to ask this of you, but is it possible that you could just forget all this and let me transfer somewhere else without pressing charges against me? I shouldn't have said anything at all, I don't know what got into me umph…" She was stopped effectively by Catherine's hand clamped over her mouth.

"Sara, would you let me get a word in?" She asked, looking the younger woman in the eyes.

Sara, whose mouth was still covered by Catherine's hand, nodded slowly.

"Sara…" Catherine removed her hand from the brunette's mouth. "I don't know what to say…" She didn't get further before they were once again interrupted by a knock on the door. She went to the door and opened it forcefully. "What?" She barked, without looking who was on the other side first.

"Miss Willows." The man on the other side greeted her.

"Governor Lavisham." She answered in a slightly gentler tone of voice. "How can I help you?"

"Miss Sidle." The Governor greeted Sara as he entered the office. "I know it hasn't been long since we last spoke, but I would like another update on the case. I am visiting the Rowans in a couple of hours and I would like to have some news for them."

"Sure." Catherine told him. "Sara." She said, stopping the other woman from leaving the office. "Just a second, Governor, I'll be right with you." She told him, rushing out after the brunette. "Sara!"

"You should update the Governor, Catherine." Sara said, feeling a little safer in the corridor.

"We are going to talk about this, Sara." Catherine informed her. "I'll get rid of the Governor and then you are going to give me the chance to get a word in." She turned to go back to her office. "Wait for me in the break room."

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"Hey." Nick greeted the brunette as she walked up to the car.

"Hey." Sara smiled back.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" Nick asked.

"No." Sara answered honestly, leaning against the car next to him. "But I have to. I need to know that that son of a bitch is still in jail."

"Ok." Nick looked at her. "But you're not getting in the room with him, right?"

"No." Sara smiled even though it was a serious conversation. "Catherine won't let me."

Nick smiled too at the thought of Sara Sidle willingly taking orders from Catherine Willows.

"You're whipped." He snickered.

"I'm…" She was stopped from retaliating as Catherine walked up to them.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late. I couldn't get rid of the Governor." She said, looking Sara straight in the eyes, offering a silent apology.

"It's ok." Nick said getting into the car. "It's only a couple of minutes."

"Yeah, no worries." Sara said, getting in the back leaving the passenger side for Catherine.

In the car, Nick turned back to Sara.

"As I said, you're so whipped."

"I…" Once again she was stopped from answering back as Catherine opened the door and got into the car.

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"So…" Nick started, wanting to break the uncomfortable silence they had been sitting in for the last 15 minutes of driving. "How do we play this? Good cop, bad CSI?"

"I don't think that will work on him, Nick." Sara answered. "He is highly intelligent and won't fall for any stupid little tricks."

"So Nick and Brass will have to outsmart him?" Catherine wanted to know.

"No offence, but I don't think that's going to happen either." Sara sighed. "I think you just have to ask him your questions and hope that he'll feel confident enough that you won't figure out his plan to answer them truthfully." She thought about it for a minute. "In fact if you could act a little stupider than you really are that might help… He loves feeling superior."

"I can't imagine Veronica letting him feel superior to her." Catherine remarked.

"No." Sara said with a sigh. "I think that's partly why he chose her – he wants to break her."

"That won't happen." Nick promised.

"No, not as long as we have anything to do with it." Catherine agreed.

"Ok, here we are." Nick said as they pulled up and parked next to Brass' car. As they got out, the Captain got out of his car as well.

"Hi guys." He said.

"Brass." Catherine greeted him.

"I didn't think you wanted any females here." Brass said questioningly.

"I couldn't stop her from coming here." Catherine offered as an explanation. "So I figured I'd tag along and keep an eye on her."

"Ok." Brass accepted the explanation and understood why Sara wanted to be there. "But neither of you are going to be in the room with him."

"No, Catherine already made me promise." Sara said with a smile as they walked up the path.

"Yeah, and you better not forget it." Catherine said, placing a hand on Sara's lower back guiding her up the steps to the entrance.

"I won't." Sara couldn't stop the big smile forming on her lips. If Catherine was touching her, she couldn't be as mad as Sara feared. Even if it was just a worried colleague offering her support, it was better than a pissed Catherine. "I don't ever want to talk to him ever again."