A/N: Hey everyone, thanks for being patient with me through this. I know it's been a long and difficult wait and it hasn't always turned out the way that we wanted it to but you guys have been great. I owe a big thanks to JellyBean again for doing an awesome beta job on this:)

I don't think that I infringed on anyone in this chapter, but if I did I am sorry and I am sure that you will have your lawyers contact me:D

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Chapter Twenty-One

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After a couple of minutes Nick and Greg returned with more coffee. They sat in the armchairs across from Gil and Sara.

"N-Nick," Gil called his friend's attention. "S-S-Sorry ab-bout your j-j-jaw."

"Don't worry about it, Griss. I never would have thought that a science geek would have such a great left hook."

Everyone laughed, including Gil who turned his sheepish smile to Greg.

"No worries, Grissom," Greg added before Gil could speak. "You've been pushing me around for years."

Gil was grateful for their covert forgiveness and that they were not just dismissing his actions.

They sat and talked for a while before they realized that it was dinner time. Just as it was mentioned they heard Jim announce himself from the front door.

"We're in here, Jim." Sara called over her shoulder and moments later Jim entered the living room.

"Hey, everyone. I brought dinner." Jim greeted them with a smile.

"So did Nick." Sara smiled in return.

Jim straddled the dining chair that still sat beside the couch. It was then that he noticed the redness that indicated a bruise beginning to show on Nick's jaw and the new bandages on Gil's knuckles and Sara's arm.

"So... did I miss anything while I was gone?" Jim calmly asked.

Everyone became silent and Gil's cheeks reddened with embarrassment as he looked down at the floor, ashamed of himself. Taking Gil's uninjured hand, Sara smiled warmly.

"Yeah, you did." Gil tightly shut his eyes as he knew that she was going to tell Jim of his outburst. But instead, Sara focused on the outcome. "Gil's decided that it's time he worked to move forward."

Gil raised his eyes in astonishment which quickly turned to overwhelming gratitude that she had maintained his privacy. He looked at Jim and saw his friend would let Gil tell him what happened when he was ready instead pressing the issue now.

"Well, I had an... interesting... afternoon." Jim said, changing the subject despite his curiosity.

"Yeah?" Sara was immediately intrigued. "Where did you go?"

"I went to the lab," Jim replied as he stood up and walked over to the doorway. "Because I got to thinking the other day about what would help to cheer Gil up." Jim smiled secretively as they all watched him disappear into the other room. When he returned a moment later, he held something behind his back. "And I thought about that God-awful... damned ugly... hairy spider in his office."

Gil's face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. "Har-Harry? You b-b-brought Har-Harry?"

Jim brought the clear, plastic carrying case out from behind his back which housed the tarantula. Gil lifted his shaking hands and received the cage as Jim passed it to him. As Gil looked up at Jim his eyes misted.

"Thank you, J-J-Jim."

"Don't mention it, pal," Jim smiled, then grimaced when Gil reached into the cage. "Ewww."

Gil's hands seemed to shake less as he concentrated on holding the delicate creature on his hand. Sara watched Gil fondly as his eyes were filled with happy wonderment. With Gil enthralled by the spider, the others got dinner on the table.

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Harry began to become agitated, as he had not been held for a while and was no longer used to it. Gil carefully put the spider back in its cage and set the cage on the coffee table in front of him.

As Gil looked out the window at the street that ran in front of their house the sounds coming from the kitchen faded in the silence of the room as the voices of his tormentors invaded his thoughts again.

You liked it, you faggot.

You're garbage!

You don't want to disobey me, do you?

Gil covered his ears with his hands as their voices from his memory mixed with the voice of his own doubt.

You're worthless, you pathetic piece of garbage! What makes you think that Sara still wants a broken, old failure like you?

Gil became more agitated and squeezed his eyes shut as he fought the doubt. "G-Go away. G-Go away," he whispered.

He hadn't heard Sara when she quietly sat down beside him, but he jumped when she touched his arm. "Gil, is it the voices again?" She quietly asked and he nodded.

"I c-can st-still hear th-the things they said to m-me." Gil lowered his hands to his lap and Sara gently caressed his face.

"What do you think of the weather?" Sara's question came out of nowhere. While Gil didn't understand why she suddenly changed the topic, she continued on her tangent. "That sunshine is gorgeous, don't you think?"

Gil looked out the window and nodded, but was still confused by her sudden change in demeanor ... until he looked back at her and saw a renewed compassion in her soft, chocolate eyes.

"Yes, it's v-v-very b-beautiful."

"I like days like this, they put me in a better mood."

Gil realized he could no longer hear the voices of his tormentors and the tiny voice of doubt was nothing more than a distant whisper. Sara came to the rescue once again, and drove away his demons.

"The s-sunshine m-makes m-me f-feel b-better too." Gil smiled beyond the tears of love and gratitude that welled in his eyes. "C-Can w-we eat on the p-p-patio tonight?"

"That's a great idea. You haven't been outside much. You could sit in the sun until it sets."

Sara continued her conversation and helped Gil off the couch. She seemed excited about something as small as eating outside, but Gil didn't mind her enthusiasm. He appreciated and understood what she was doing. And now he concentrated more on her voice rather than what was being said. The sound of her voice was like a chorus of angels to his soul.

They slowly made their way into the kitchen to see Greg setting the table as Jim and Nick warmed the food and got out the drinks.

"We're going to eat on the patio tonight, guys," Sara piped up.

All three men stopped what they were doing and turned to look from Sara to Gil, then back to Sara again as an awkward silence hung in the air. All three of them knew that the patio was where Gil had tried to take his own life, just the day before, and they were worried about how either of the couple would react to being out there again so soon.

"Gil would like to sit in the sunshine while he eats," Sara added, ignoring the sudden change in the room.

"Oh…" Jim nodded his head slowly. "Okay."

Sara and Gil made their way to the back door as the others gathered what they would need for dinner. As the two of them made their way across the patio Gil stopped in front of the patio chair that he had sat in the day before.

When he recalled that moment, Gil felt once again how he had wanted to be as far away from the house as he could. It was the pain in his leg combined with the dizziness caused by the anxiety of the moment that forced him to stop and drop himself in the plastic chair.

But on this day, Gil shook himself from the memory and reached for the chair. He turned it around from the way it was the day before and looked up at Sara. "W-We're heading in a n-new d-direction, r-right?"

Sara smiled and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. If it were little, symbolic things like moving a chair that were going to help him move on than she would help him with every one. Sara grabbed the plastic chair, toted it across the yard and placed it on top of the two garbage cans.

Although confused, Gil looked at her with a smile and watched as she grabbed another chair nearby and put it the old chair's place. She faced it in the same direction Gil had positioned the former chair. Then Sara returned a grin. "Not just a new direction, but a new start."

"I l-love you." Gil chuckled.

"I love you too," Sara replied. She wondered if he would ever know how much her heart swelled every time she heard him laugh.

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Dinner had been good. It was the first time since his rescue that Gil enjoyed the company of his friends. They had not been loud or gotten carried away. They hadn't talked about anything to do with his ordeal or their present caseloads.

As the sun set, Gil felt the the cool, evening breeze in his hair and listened to his friends chat about everyday things. As Nick and Greg joked about each other as brothers would, Gil was happily reminded how his friends were his family.

As darkness began to fall upon them Jim and Nick stood and helped Sara as she began to clean up the dinner mess and take everything inside.

"What do you think, Griss, care to have your butt kicked at a game of chess?" Greg asked playfully. "I was the captain of my high school chess team."

Gil had been looking up at the sky, watching the stars as they began to peak out for their nightly dance. He looked at Greg and grinned.

"M-Maybe tom-morrow, G-Greg. I'm k-kind of t-tired tonight."

"Sure, Griss," Greg smiled back. "But don't think I'll forget."

Gil nodded and smiled as Sara came back outside and put her hand on his arm.

"Hey," she smiled as he looked up at her. "How are you feeling?"

"T-Tired and I hurt," Gil replied, his voice laced with exhaustion.

"Are you ready to change your bandages and go to bed than?" Gil nodded and she and Greg helped him up and back into the house.

After Nick and Greg said their goodbyes, Jim and Sara helped Gil upstairs. It had been a long day full of emotional and physical ups and down, so by the the time they reached the top of the stairs Gil could barely stand up on his own.

Jim, being mindful of the wounds under Gil's arm, took Gil's arm over his shoulders and supported his weight. "It's okay, buddy," Jim encouraged. "Just lean into me, I got you."

Gil sagged tiredly against his friend. Sweat beaded on his forehead and he breathed heavily.

When they reached the master bathroom Gil could no longer support himself and Jim had to hold him in a gentle bear hug while Sara pulled down Gil's pants. Jim eased Gil down onto the chair in the corner and stepped back.

Gil was overcome by a rush of dizziness and Jim and Sara jumped forward to catch him as he began to fall out of the chair. After they set him up in the chair again Gil let his eyes close and lifted a shaking hand to rub his forehead.

"Gil?" Sara squatted down in front of him and rested her hands on his knees. "Baby, are you okay?"

"D-D-Dizzy." It was all Gil could manage to say. Sara looked up at Jim and he saw the evident concern on her face.

"Do you want me to stay in here, in case he topples over again?" Sara nodded then turned back to Gil.

"Gil, honey, can Jim stay in here with us? In case you fall over again?" Gil didn't say anything for a long time.

"I'm not trying to intrude on your privacy, pal," Jim assured. "I just want to help."

Gil understood and nodded.

Jim helped Sara take off Gil's shirt then held his shoulders while Sara removed the bandages. Sara carefully inspected each of Gil's wounds. Although still gruesome they had all scabbed over, and it was obvious that they were all shrinking in size.

Sara informed Gil of his body's progress in a quiet, yet positive tone. Jim observed as Sara continued to constantly chatter as she helped with Gil. Jim couldn't remember ever hearing her talk this much in a single setting. When he quirked his eyebrow towards her, she smiled gently at him and continued on with her chatter as she finished caring for Gil's wounds.

After Gil's bandages had been changed and he was in his pajamas the urge to use the toilet hit him. Jim and Sara lifted him off the chair and all but carried him to the toilet. They stood on either side of him, keeping him upright, as his body emptied itself.

When Gil was done Jim held him in another gentle, bear hug as Sara washed him. Gil rested his face against Jim's shoulder and Jim tried to soothe him when he heard Gil try to muffle several cries of pain.

"Gil, how you doing, buddy?" Jim asked.

"M-Migraine." Gil replied, his voice muffled by Jim's shoulder.

"We're almost done, Gil," Sara said. "And then we'll have you medicated and in bed in no time. Just hang in there."

After his wash, Sara and Jim helped Gil into the bedroom and into bed. Jim got a glass of water then held Gil up so Sara could get his pills into his mouth without him choking on them. Jim laid Gil down on the bed and Sara covered him with the blankets. No sooner had Gil's head hit the pillow that he had fallen into a deep sleep.

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Gil's sleep, although deep, was not restful. He was plagued by a new nightmare that night.

"You stand there and don't you fuckin' move." Shelling ordered and Gil obeyed.

Gil fearfully stood stock still, with his hands down by his sides. He had not realized that he was not alone until Shelling stepped forward and grabbed the person standing next to him. Shelling grabbed Sara's arm and pulled her away from Gil's side.

"Gil, help me." Sara begged.

Shelling began to roughly kiss Sara on the lips, but his eyes never left Gil's. Gil had never felt such a sense of fear in his life as what was caused by the crazed and savage look in Shelling's eyes. Gil's whole body trembled as Shelling began to fondle Sara's body.

Gil awoke in a cold sweat and panted for breath. He looked at Sara who lay quietly nestled at his side. Despite her peacefulness, he felt the walls close in on him and strangle the life out of him. He had to get out of the house. He couldn't breathe.

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Something seemed different as Sara slowly awoke from her sleep. She opened her eyes to see the clock on her side of the bed, it read 2:30. She rolled over to check on Gil and met cold sheets. She bolted upright and looked around the room. Gil was nowhere to be seen and the bathroom was dark. Fear gripped her heart as she ran out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

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A/N: I know, I know, some of you, if not all, are pretty upset with me for leaving you hanging like that. I already got a type written reprimand from my beta. She growled at me! So if any of you feel that you need to confirm her reprimand than type it up, make three copies, file one, keep one for yourself and burn the third:D And if any of you think that I am scared of hissing and growling sounds... I have gerbils -nothing can touch me!

By the way, I just reallized how short this is, sorry about that:( I'll be more mindful of the length in the future.