Its my birthday :) Was feeling kind so thought I'd write and post another chapter. The bit in italics is the memory, is taken from another story I wrote ages ago so not sure if it really makes sense but thought I'd add it anyway. Hope you enjoy, and please review!
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The unhelpfully curious onlookers stood by as the paramedics wheeled a semi-conscious Sara out on a stretcher. Catherine ran alongside, gripping Sara's hand the whole time. Brass and half of the Las Vegas PD had hauled Jake through the lab and tossed him ungracefully into the back of a waiting police car. So that left Nick and Warrick looking lost in the parking lot, watching as their little surrogate sister disappeared in the back of an ambulance. They had promised to explain all of this to Grissom, not that they really understood it all but Brass had given them a basic overview so they had an idea.
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Catherine kept hold of Sara's hand and never took her eyes off the girl for the whole journey. She could already tell that there was a severe looking gash across her forehead and a lot of scratches on her arms. She could also see dark bruises appearing on the thin wrists underneath the blood dripping down her arms.
As soon as they arrived in the Emergency Department Sara's hand was tugged free from hers and she was left alone in the corridor, lost.
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While most of the gathered lab techs were heading back to their safe labs, Nick and Warrick watched the ambulance pull out of the lot, then turned around to go back inside, almost knocking Greg over in the process. The young lab rat was bouncing from one foot to the next anxiously and his innocent features were the picture of worry. "What happened to Sara? Is she going to be okay? Who was that guy with Brass? Should we go to the hospital?"
"Slow down Greggo," Nick placed a hand on his shoulder. "She was attacked by the guy Brass dragged out. Catherine's gonna call us as soon as she knows anything."
"But she'll be okay right? I mean it's not serious?" He asked eagerly. Nick and Warrick exchanged worried glances.
"I'm sure she'll be fine Greg." Nick said softly.
"Yeah, Sara's a tough cookie." Warrick added. "And besides, she's got Cath there. No one will get near our girl without a top medical degree from Harvard." They shared a smile at the thought of mother Catherine scaring the life out of doctors if they didn't take care of Sara properly. It was common knowledge that the two fought sometimes, but the team knew that deep down Catherine was very overprotective of their youngest member. That had been made quite apparent one day a few months ago.
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"Gilbert Grissom get your butt back here." It seemed every pair of eyes in the station appeared at the doors as Catherine Willows marched down the corridor. Grissom froze and caught the apologetic glances of some of the cops as he turned to face her. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she bellowed. Grissom wasn't entirely sure what he'd done wrong this time but he was sure he'd soon find out.
"Is that a rhetorical question?" for a moment it looked like Catherine was going to slap him.
"Don't play dumb with me; you know exactly what I'm talking about. How could you let her do this? Alone!" Now he was confused.
"Who?"
"Sara. The man has been raping and murdering women all over the city; tall, brunette, slender women just like Sara. And what do you do, you send her to his house with a warrant…ALONE!"
"We don't know its him yet, that's what the warrants for."
"Oh bull, of course its him! And of all the CSIs on this case you had to send her."
"She agreed. Besides, there will be a uniform there, and Brass so she's not alone."
"Gil, this guy is manipulative and we already know he selects his victims before killing them. And you're practically offering her up to him. Now he will know that there's another potential victim for him AND he knows where she works!"
"Catherine, Sara can take care of herself and if anyone can get answers out of him its Sara, like you said, she's exactly what he wants." Cath didn't know whether to be angry or disgusted by her supervisor's last remark. She knew that she wasn't going to change his mind so instead she moved closer to him, pointing a finger very close to his face.
"If anything happens to her, I swear to God…" she left the sentence hanging, he could fill in the blanks. With a final glare she spun on her heel and strode off. Nick and Warrick, who had been spying from across the hall, sent Grissom an apologetic smile.
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Catherine remembered that day. She had been right, it was him, but she could rest easy now that he was serving a life sentence in a psychiatric prison. She was recalling this when a nurse walked up to her. "Ms Willows?" She leapt up, startled.
"Yes, is Sara okay? Can I see her?" She rambled. The nurse held up her hands for her to stop.
"Miss Sidle sustained some rather nasty wounds from the glass but they should heal. She also had a deep cut on her head, which required stitches. Other than that it's just cuts and bruises. We'd like to keep her in overnight just to check she doesn't have concussion but she should be allowed home tomorrow, so long as there's someone who can take care of her." Catherine sighed with relief and nodded.
"Yeah, she'll stay with me. Can I see her?" The nurse led her to a busy corridor and pointed to a closed door before scuttling off. Catherine stepped up to the door and peered through the glass at a sleeping Sara. She smiled and crept inside quietly.
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See, no cliffhanger :) Next chapter Grissom and the team find out the whole truth about Jake.