This chapter came out creepy.

The warm Nevada breeze brush across Nick's face. If he looked over his shoulder he would see Sara where she'd fallen asleep on his couch. Her knees were brought up to her chest, one arm spread over her bent knees the other grasping the pillow by her face. It was a protective position, even in her sleep she couldn't relax, couldn't feel safe.

It wasn't like she was safe in her sleep anyway, Nick thought ruefully.

About forty five minutes ago Nick had been awaken from his own restless sleep when he heard whimpering and sobbing coming from the living room. He quickly made his way out to find Sara in the midst of a heart wrenching nightmare. He had brushed her hair out of her face and whispered her name. It had calmed her down a bit, so he stayed with her, running his hand up and down her arm and saying every soothing word he could remember his mother saying to him when he woke up with a nightmare as a child.

When she had finally settled down he left her to escape on his front porch.

Nick trust a hand through his sleep rustled hair and sighed in frustration. He wished he could help, that there was some words he could say or something he could do to make everything Ok for her. He knew, probably better then anyone, that these were Sara's demons, something she'd have to conquer on her own. There weren't any words that he could say to relieve the unbearable pain that a loss of a friend brings or the guilt that is acquired when you believe it's your fault. He may have not lost a friend as brutally as Sara did, but he had lost something just as important. His childhood innocence. When his babysitter had molested him when he was little it was something that irrevocable changed his life, like the death of Sara's friend Aribella did for her. They were both screwed up from those moments, probable for the rest of their lives.

It's strange, how it was just a moment, a few seconds, and it permanently changes you, how you think, how you react, the way you see yourself, the world. Most importantly how you trust. Without trust you don't build relationships, romantic or platonic.

Nick knew that he could be there as a sounding board, a way to vent her anger, sadness, terror but he couldn't fix this for her.

She knew Nick thought she was asleep, and that he was worried about her. His ridged posture was visible through the open door to the porch. She found though that she just couldn't bring herself to say anything to inform Nick that she was awake. She needed to be alone. There was a deep seeded need for the quietness, the calmness that was surrounding her right now. She finally felt safe. She knew it wouldn't last, that something would break this moment and she'd been thrown back into the hell that was consuming her life. She needed this moment. She needed to know she could be alone and still feel this way. The way she used to feel before the Frisco Chocker case, the feeling she thought she was finally getting back before everything started back up again. She didn't know the word for it, or even if there was a word for it. It was a mix of calmness, confidence, contentment, comfort and peace. The way she felt when there was no guilt that suffocated her and haunted her dreams, no fear that felt too strong to overcome.

Moments, they're just a few seconds with life altering power. The moment I was taken away to foster care, I got my acceptance letter to Harvard, when I met Ari and the moment I lost her, when I met Nick and the rest of the team, moments …It was a single moment that destroyed me, maybe a single moment can save me.

Sara shook her head trying to get purge her thoughts. She made choices, she had to deal with them now. Her confession of what had happened to her in her past helped a bit, she now knew that he wouldn't run, that she hadn't lost her friend. His confidence that she wasn't losing her mind helped too. To have someone look her in the eye and say that her biggest fear was wrong, that she was alright had helped ease the tight pressure in her chest. She didn't believe him that she wasn't going crazy, but it was still nice to hear it. She closed her eyes and adjusted her position on the couch. As she felt herself sipping back into sleep she sent a desperate plea to whoever would listen in the universe, Help, please, help keep me sane enough to finish this… I have to finish this.

"What the hell is a cufflink doing in our victim's hair?" Warrick asked Doc Robins.

"It's possible that when he rapped his arm around her to snap her neck it was caught in her hair. If you see here the backing is sharp, it would have cut him when it ripped off the cuff. If is adrenalin was pumping with excitement, he may have not even noticed what had happened."

"There might be enough blood to test for DNA" Nick said lifting the cufflink closer to the light.

It was possible there might be just enough, then we've go the bastard! Warrick thought.

"I don't mean to intrude but have you heard how Sara's doing?" Doc Robbins asked as Warrick examined the link.

"Nick said she was really exhausted but she was going to come in tomorrow… I'm starting to get a little worried about her. This case seems to be really getting to her" Warrick said turning back to the pathologist.

"I agree."

"OK I'm going to take this down to DNA and see what our boys can do with it, thanks Doc."

Warrick's shoes made a loud echo as the slapped against the ground as he walked through the parkade. He hated parkades. The echo of any noise, the eerie yellow lighting, and there was always that asshole that liked to whistle as they walked through adding that perfect creepy touch. It created a perfect set for some serial killer movie. Shaking off the feel of unease crawling up his spine he continued on to his car. A soft noise caught Warrick attention. Stopping Warrick glanced around the dark concert building. The echo of what was defiantly foot steps made it confusing on which direction the noise was coming from. Warrick's heart pick up a few beats as he continued on to his car at a slightly faster pace. He turned around the corner and header to the car. He took his keys out of his pocket and attempted to open the door when a reflection in the window caught his eye. Swinging around he came eye to eye with a pair of strange brown eyes.

Sara felt the had drift down her side to her hip. The slight touch lifted her mind from sleep. Nick? Shifting slightly she started drifting back to sleep.

"Sara."

Sara's body twitched at the call of her name. Her mind still foggy from sleep, didn't recognize the voice.

"Sara"

She came closer to the waking world.

"Sara"

Sara jolted up. There was definitely someone calling her name. With a shaky hand she pushed aside the soft blanket that had fallen to her lap when he sat up. The house was dark and quiet. A feeling of unease settled over Sara. She'd never seen Nick's place like this before. When ever she'd been here it was full of light, and loud, whether it be from music of from people laughing. It was so quiet now. She felt her skin cool and breathing got heaver. Looking around Nicks home she saw nothing. The only sounds she heard were the Nicks refrigerator. She walked down the hall listening for movement. Reaching for Nicks bedroom door, she turned the cool metal knob. Glancing inside she saw him covered by a blanket crinkled by a restless sleep, the only noise she heard was his rhythmic breathing. Shaking her head she headed back towards the couch.

"Sara." The voice was quicker sharper this time, more urgent. Spinning around she tried to identify which direction the voice was coming from. There was no one there but her and Nick.

"Oh God" she whispered, "I just need to keep it together for a little while longer." I can do this. Sinking down to her knees in the middle of the living room she clasped her hands to head she tried to control her breathing, to calm herself down. What had they taught her at Ocean Ridge. Breath. Just breath and remember this isn't real, no one can hurt me. I'm safe.

"Sara"

Outside, the voice was outside. Throwing her head up she looked out the open door, where she saw a sight she'd seen before. The body of her best friend hung from the porch rafters, blood pooling at her feet.

Sara stumbled back. "This isn't real, this isn't real" she mumbled crawling backwards unable to take her eyes away from the site in front of her.

"No, no, no. no. This isn't real" shaking her head she stumbled and fell back onto her forearms.

The blood spread of from where it was pooling, quickly approaching Sara's feet. She continued to move backwards quickly slamming up against the wall watching as the flood of red distorted the clean cream carpet of Nicks floor into a sea of blood. She lifted her knees to her chest and rapped her arms around her knees. The blood continued to close in on her and started to fill the room. Terror closed Sara's throat. Scream, for the love of God scream for help before you drown! She thought to her self as panic seized her and her body shock. Tearing her eyes from the blood she looked back to the body and the haunting blue eyes staring at her from her dead friend. She watched as her friends blue ships shaped the words and the name "Sara" shattered the silence in the room. A scream of terror erupted from Sara's lips.

The blood curtailing scream jolted Nick From his sleep. Dashing to the living room he found Sara rocking herself against the wall, her eyes pressed to her knees. Kneeling in front of her to grasped her arms and called her name. When she didn't respond she shook her shoulders, calling her name louder. Her head raised and Nicks eyes met ones like he had never seen before. Pure terror filled her completely.

"Please, Nick, help me. God the blood, there is so much blood." Her voice was broken, scared and frighteningly childlike.

Rapping his arms around her, he rocked her.

"Everything is alright Sare, there's no blood"

"No it's everywhere, don't you see it. We have to get out. We'll drown. Ari! We have to help Ari. We have to get her down. We have to save her." Her movements were jerky and her body was ridged with fear as she tried to pull back

"Sara there's no blood and Ari's not here. Were alone Sara."

"NO, she's here, don't you see her hanging on the porch." Sara said forcefully not tearing her eyes from Nick, too terrified at what she might see around them if she did.

"Sara look around there is no blood or your friend hanging on the porch. You're seeing things."

Shaking her head, a broken "no" came from Sara's lips.

"Sara look around" Nick said forcefully hoping that seeing she was safe would break the hold the hallucination and the terror had on her.

Sara's eyes slowly broke from Nicks and looked around the room. He eyes saw only a clean room and an empty door way. Turning back to Nick her devastated gaze begged Nick for answers.

"You were seeing things Sara. It's alright now"

"Oh God. Nick I can't do this again. Please help me" she sobbed as she turned into Nicks arms.

"Shhh, Sara. It's going to be alright. I promise you. It'll be alright" Nick held her as her body stopped shaking and she relaxed in his arms. After a few moments Nick realized her body had became too still and relaxed in his arms, that she was actually more limp than relaxed.

"Sara?" When she didn't respond the looked towards her turned down head. "Sara?"

When she didn't move he reached down to turn her head up to him and found her eyes closed.

" Sara. Sara, come on wake up." Patting her cheek he called louder. "Sara wake up."

Her breathing was shallow. Resting his hands on her wrist's pulse point and a weak rhythmic bumping met his finger tips.

"Shit"

Grabbing the phone off the table next to him he called 911.

"This is CSI Nick Stokes I need an ambulance"

Ok. Chapter done. I'm hoping to finish this story soon. Please review.