One week and to days later, Saturday, 3:44 p.m.

"Lindsey!" Catherine called, "are you almost done? We still have to pick up everybody."

"Yeah," she heard from Lindsey's bedroom.

It was nearly three weeks since the abduction, and two since Lindsey and Sara had returned home. Lindsey had spent most of the first week in bed, and towards the end began walking around the house. In the second week she was able to leave the house. She was going to return to school on the coming Monday.

Her physical recovery was going great, all that remained was a small; almost invisible, bruise on her stomach. She could now move freely without pain, and could breathe much easier, too.

As for mental recovery…

Catherine had worried that the kidnapping would harm Lindsey more than just physically. She was worried about Sara as well; after remembering what happened with Natalie. But according to Grissom, she's been coping very well. But, unfortunately, Lindsey wasn't as lucky.

First, there were nightmares.

Catherine would wake to either screams or cries for help coming from Lindsey's bedroom. The first time it happened, she ran down the hall; fearing her daughter was in danger, but after entering her room, all she could do was wake her daughter, comfort her, and go back to bed. It happened four more times, only Catherine wouldn't jump out of bed and run to Lindsey's room. Instead, she would calmly get out of bed, put on her robe, and walk to Lindsey's bedroom.

Finally, on Lindsey's sixth night home, they stopped.

Then there had been the fear.

Before the trial, Lindsey didn't dare to go out alone; not until she was positive that Brian Collins was in locked away for good. Even after the trial, any shadow or any unknown noise would send Lindsey running to her room, shutting the door and locking herself inside for several minutes. And there had been many times were Lindsey would see someone who looked similar to Brian, and (depending on her location) would either run back inside her house or hide in the nearest bathroom until Catherine assured her that it wasn't him.

Eventually, that too faded.

Lastly, there had been the therapy.

Catherine hoped that talking to someone other than a family member, would help Lindsey's fragile mind. The first two trips had ended with Lindsey in tears, and her locking herself in her room after returning home. But, much to Catherine's relief, all of that ended with the third visit. Lindsey was doing much better now, but it was still hard for her to talk about it. She'd informed everyone to try and avoid the subject, not wanting Lindsey to fall back into her fragile state of mind.

She'd come to far for her to sink back into that state again.

Catherine heard Lindsey's door open and close, and Lindsey stepped into view. She smiled, and nodded toward the door.

"Ready?" Catherine asked.

Lindsey nodded, and followed her to the car.

XX

3:57 p.m.

Sara sat on the back porch of her and Grissom's house. It had only been about three weeks since the abduction. She couldn't believe how fast time had gone by, and how well she was feeling.

She could finally walk around the house without feeling a dull pain in her abdomen every time she took a step.

She could finally stretch her arms out and not feel like she was being stabbed with tiny little needles.

She could finally take in deep breathes without it feeling as though her ribs were poking out of her skin.

And, she could finally be intimate with her husband again-something she'd discovered a few days ago, and many times since.

Much like Lindsey, her physical recovery from the abduction was going well.

All that was left were some small bruises along her stomach; which didn't even hurt anymore, and the two gashes on her forehead had healed well and the stitches had already been removed. All that remained of them were two small cuts.

All she needed to do now was go back to work; which she would be doing on Monday.

Part of her couldn't wait to get back.

She wanted to be surrounded by the blue walls of the lab which she'd become so comfortable in. She wanted to put her brain back to work; crossword puzzles wouldn't work forever, no matter what Grissom said. And, she wanted to feel the rush she always got when she put the bad guys away.

But another part of her wanted to stay home with Grissom.

This was the most time they'd spent together in months, and she hated to be away from him again. It had been hard for her to leave him in Paris when she first returned to Vegas, and she didn't want to go through that again.

But thankfully she wouldn't have to.

With the help of some old friends, Grissom managed to find a night job in Vegas, one with hours similar to hers. So, even though she was going back to work, she would be seeing much more of him. And, best of all, his new job involved plenty of bugs for him to study and observe. Or to play with she would often tease him.

"Sara?" Grissom called, walking out with a plate full of hamburgers, hotdogs, and, of course, veggie dogs and burgers. He set on the grill, then joined her.

"Cath and the others will be here…" he glanced at his watch, "… Any minute. Is there anything you need before they get here?"

"No," she looked up at him and smiled, appreciating his offer. He'd been nothing short of an angel to her throughout her recovery. It didn't matter how big or how small her request was, he still did it. It didn't matter how many times she told him "I'm fine," or, "I can do it myself," or, "you don't have to," because there weren't many things he enjoyed more than spoiling his wife.

He leaned in and kissed her. As if on cue, Hank darted from his dog house, and jumped up the stairs, landing on the couple, knocking them onto their backs. Both burst into laughter, and Hank continued to lick at their faces.

"Ew! C'mon, buddy," Sara chuckled, wiping the drool off her face as Grissom pushed Hank off of them, scratching behind the boxer's ear as he did so. Hank pawed at him and licked his hand.

Sara heard the doorbell ring from the other side of the house.

"You, uuh… want me to get it?" She giggled as Hank pounced on Grissom, managing to knock him back onto his bottom.

"Could you, please?" Grissom responded, attempting to push the dog off of him.

Her pace quickened when the doorbell rang again. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" She called in a mock annoyed tone.

The door hadn't been open for more than five seconds before she had Greg's arms wrapped around her neck. Behind him, she could see Nick, Brass, Catherine, and Lindsey.

"I missed you too, Greg." She laughed as his grip tightened.

"Ok, Greggo, my turn." Laughed Nick, who was moving closer to the door.

"You say it like I'm a video game." Sara laughed as she left Greg's embrace, only to be pulled into another by Nick.

"Okay, boys," came Brass's voice, "make room, you're blocking the door."

"Where's Dr. Ray?" Sara asked, looking over Catherine's shoulder.

"He said he thought that it would be nice if the 'old team' should get back together," Nick answered, "we said it didn't matter, but he insisted."

"Plus," he said after a pause, "He said he'd treat you to something special later." he winked at Sara as he joined Greg, Brass, and Grissom on the back porch.

"So," Sara started, facing Lindsey, "how you holdin' up?"

"Better," Lindsey answered with a sigh.

Sara knew that it was best not ask anything else that had anything to with what had happened. "Well," she began, making room for them to enter, "the party's in the back."

The three walked to the backyard, where they found Nick and Greg roughhousing with Hank in the yard, and Brass helping Grissom with the food.

"How's the food, chef?" Catherine teased.

"You'll find out shortly." Grissom replied, handing her a plate of grilled hotdogs. "Mind setting these on the table?"

"Not a problem." She said as she walked back inside.

In a matter of minutes, the food was done and everyone was back inside, either washing their hands or setting the table, while Hank stared at them from outside.

"Don't worry about him," Sara said when Greg asked if they should let him in, "he'll be eating whatever we don't." Even though she sounded like she was fine with it, she secretly hated it when he looked at them like that, it made her feel guilty.

It wasn't long before everyone was seated, filling up their plates with food.

"So, Sara," Nick began, squirting ketchup on his hotdog, "lookin' forward to coming back to work?"

"Yes!" She answered without hesitation.

"I don't care what he says," she pointed at Grissom, "but crossword puzzles won't keep me entertained all-day-everyday."

"What's wrong with crossword puzzles?" Grissom asked innocently, bringing low fits of giggles from the rest of the group.

"Speaking of," Catherine jumped in, looking at Grissom, "are you excited about your new job?"

He nodded, taking a bit of his hotdog. "But," he said after swallowing, "probable not the best thing to talk about at the dinner table."

A low grumble of 'ews' echoed the room.

"Well, either way," Nick wiped his mouth with a napkin, "it's great to have you back in Vegas, Griss."

"Good to be back."

The rest of the afternoon went on just like that. Old friends carrying on conversations, smiling and laughing with one another. It lasted this way long after the food was gone (or in Hank's bowl) and a few hours into the night. But at close to eleven p.m., everyone was gone, and Grissom and Sara were in bed.

"Are you happy that you're going back?" Grissom asked, she nodded into his shoulder.

"But it'll be bittersweet." She looked up at him, "I'll miss you."

"I'll still be here," he pulled her closer, "I'll just be working."

She smiled and closed her eyes. Her life was about to start over again. She'd wondered over the past few weeks, why she'd been able to recover -mentally- so much better than she had with the Natalie incident. Perhaps, it was because she wasn't alone in that cabin, or that she was focused more on Lindsey and not herself.

She'd come up with many other reasons, but wasn't sure about any of them.

The only important thing, but that they were both home, and safe again.

It was completely over now.

No more worries, no more fear, and no more tears.

Brian was never going to hurt them again.

Every time she saw Lindsey, she was reminded that they almost didn't make it. But they did. Both of them were fighters, together they proved to be more than their kidnappers could handle.

Sara wasn't going to be a victim again, no.

She was going to be a survivor.

The End

Note: I would like to thank the people who stayed with the story 'till the end. Really, you all are what made me look forward to posting each chapter. I hope you've enjoyed this as much as I've enjoyed writing it. I already have the idea for my next story, but if you have any ideas, feel free to tell me!