A/N: Hey guys. Sorry for the delay. RL has been mad and I have had zero mojo since Christmas. It's been very hard for me to write until this last week. But, thankfully, I seem to have a lot of desire to write at the moment, so I suppose that's a good sign.

A quick note to say the upcoming chapters will have quite a lot of reference to the first two stories in this series – Retribution & Affliction. It helps if you have read them although it's not essential. Just so you know if you haven't read them, I'm not going mad and there is sense in what I'm saying, lol.

Thanks, as always for your great reviews and many thanks to PrintDust for the beta. Praise the Lord she loves angst as much as I do :) Evil hat has never been so happy to have a friend!

For those of you waiting on The Calling, I am almost done on the next chapter, again, sorry for the delay.

Ok, let's get on with the heartache shall we. Mwahahahaha!

Chapter 19

Grissom grabbed his wife's hand, and instantly wrapped an arm around her waist to support her. "Tell me what's wrong," he requested urgently.

She scrunched her eyes closed as another jab of pain hit her stomach and she gasped.

"Sara..." Grissom cupped her cheeks in his hands, biting down hard on his bottom lip as his fingers were instantly coated in the officer's blood that clung to her skin. She really did look quite a mess but he tried to push that to the back of his mind for now. "...Honey, you need to tell me what's wrong..."

Sara sucked in a deep breath, the pain relenting for a moment. "Jabbing pain in my stomach," she managed to say. "Feels like..." She took another breath, "...I don't know…contractions..."

Grissom's eyes widened and he shot a look behind him to Ryan, who was just staring at them. "Let's...sit you down," Grissom said swiftly and nervously, looking back to his wife. He flipped one of her arms over his shoulder and took a firm hold on her just in case. It hurt his ribs but he tried to ignore it. "I'm taking her to sit down," he said to Ryan.

Ryan just nodded, watching as Grissom slowly walked Sara back into the living room.

With great care, Grissom eased Sara onto the sofa, sitting beside her. She leaned back and closed her eyes, taking deep breaths.

"Sara, please...tell me you're not in labor..." His words came quick and panicked as he reached for her hand. "It's too..." He swallowed hard, "...early..."

Her eyes popped open and her breathing lessened some. She shook her head. "I don't know." Her free hand smoothed over her stomach. "The pain was so fast in coming...when the shot happened..."

He squeezed her hand tighter, reaching beside him to grab a bottle of the water from earlier, which had been left there. "Try and take a drink..."

Ryan's eyes watched the couple, his expression half suspicious half curious. "Close the door," he directed his brother, who was still giving Danny the evil eye.

Jay looked at the door, scratching his temple with the barrel of his gun. "Yeah...that's a simple task with a damn body stuck in the middle of it..."

Ryan's right eye twitched as he took his attention from the CSI's and looked over David's body. "Then...move it," he seethed, not in the mood for games.

The younger brother sighed, slipping his weapon into his belt. He grumbled under his breath as he stepped over Danny and grabbed David's legs, hauling the dead officer from the doorway and into the house. The body left a trail of blood in its wake, which would be very visible to any more unwanted guests. Ryan noticed there was also splatter all over the walls. There was too much blood to clean up though, so it was pointless to even attempt to do so.

"So what do you want to do about him?" Jay asked, pointing to Danny, releasing the dead man's legs once he was inside.

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Sara took another long breath after managing a sip of water. "I can't believe what just happened," she mumbled, the events of a few minutes ago now catching up with her. She pulled her hand away from her husband's and ran it over her face, nauseated by the sticky feeling of David's blood clinging to her skin. Her hand shook as she looked down over her clothing.

"Sara..."

She looked into her husband's eyes and gave him a weak smile as the pain in her stomach slackened and she sighed. "Thankfully...I don't think its labor," she reassured him.

"Are you sure?" His eyes searched hers and she nodded.

"Could be…a little minor Braxton Hicks...or the little ones are just…jumpy…It's...fading..."

He sighed with relief. "Caused by the shock no doubt..."

The look of distress she gave him was enough to answer the question.

He looked over his shoulder, noticing no eyes were upon them at that point.

"I'm not sure how much more of this my body is going to be able to handle," she admitted. "So much death...Unnecessary death...and pain..."

Grissom looked back to her just as she reached a hand to his face, running a gentle finger across the bump over his eye. "You must be hurting," she whispered.

He took her hand and tenderly kissed her knuckles. "I'll be ok." He held her hand against his cheek. "Are you sure you're alright?"

She swallowed hard but nodded. "But, I'm scared, I'll admit that."

"I know. Me too..."

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Ryan circled around the cop as the terrified bleeding man attempted to keep eye contact with him. "Let's move him into the main room so everyone's together. Easier to watch them. Then there's some cleaning up to do." He pointed down to Danny. "Help me..."

The eldest brother took one of the cop's arms and Jay followed suit, grabbing the other. Danny cried out as he was hauled to his feet and dragged across the floor but he couldn't do anything to stop it.

A line of blood trailed behind the threesome as they approached the sofa area and Grissom and Sara watched on nervously as they dropped Danny down onto the vacant piece of furniture. The poor man looked like a rag doll and just keeled floppily to his left, attempting to keep a hand over the wound in his stomach.

Ryan's attention was brought to the couple staring at him and he looked Sara over. "I would presume by the now lack of panic that you won't be dropping babies on the carpet?"

Sara glared at him and cleared her throat. "That's an interesting way of putting it," she began. "But no...at least, not yet." Her last words came with a bite.

Ryan sniggered. "I'd advise you keep your legs closed, would be better on all parts."

A spark of anger flowed through Sara's veins. "How dare..."

Grissom grabbed her hand, cutting her off with a sharp squeeze of his fingers. "Honey, don't..." he whispered as she shot him a death look, "...he's looking for a reaction and it's not worth the backlash."

Sara bit down on her lip, fighting hard not to give him a true piece of her mind. A groan of pain from Danny finalized their conversation and the two CSI's looked to him.

"He will probably die if he doesn't get to a hospital," Sara said to her captor.

Ryan folded his arms across his chest, giving her a small smile. "You know that's not going to happen."

"Well, can you at least try and help him. Slow the bleeding? He might have a slight chance if you do..."

The gunman didn't answer. Instead he stepped away and entered the kitchen, returning barely a minute later. He carried several kitchen towels and some tape. He stopped in front of the couple and dropped what he was carrying onto Sara's knees. "Knock yourself out if you think you can help him. That's...if you're up to it...And...that's all you're getting."

Sara looked down to the items given to her. It could have been worse.

"You..." Ryan crooked his finger at Grissom, "...up now. You're going to help me."

Placing a hand on her husband's knee, Sara halted any movement he may have made. "What are you doing?" she questioned.

Ryan rolled his eyes and reached for his gun. "Do I really need to repeat myself?"

"No," Grissom said immediately and stood. "I'll do whatever you want," he continued, attempting to spare Sara any more stress. She might not see it his way at that point, being as frustrated as she was, but ultimately, as she'd taught him during their captivity: 'Do as you're told.'

Sara raised her head and he met her eyes. "Try and relax," he said, no matter how difficult he knew his request was. "I'll be okay."

"Jay, go clean that blood off your hands. You need to be fit to go outside."

The younger brother looked confused. "Why?" he questioned.

Ryan took Grissom's arm and pushed him back towards the front door. "Just do it, will you? And hurry up..."

Rolling his eyes, Jay had his usual grumble as he headed off into the kitchen.

Anxiously, Sara waited...watching her husband to see what was going on.

Ryan urged the supervisor towards David's body. The gunman bent and took David's weapon, car keys and his cuffs. "Now..." he said standing, "...get him in the cellar with the other one," he ordered.

Grissom puffed out his cheeks at the command. He was used to bodies, but not discarding of them like that. Plus, he didn't feel particularly strong at that point in time. He ran an unsteady hand over his chin.

"Come on...come on..." Ryan grumbled. "I haven't got all day."

Sighing, Grissom did as he was told; despite the pain it caused his body. He took the dead man's legs, just as Jay had done not so long ago and began dragging him across the floor towards the cellar. It hurt but he would have to cope it.

Sara felt for her husband as she watched him, knowing the strain would be hurting him. However, she was satisfied enough that he wasn't in danger so she turned her attention to Danny. She took the items from her lap and pushed herself up; albeit with a groan as another small spasm hit her belly. She approached the fallen officer and carefully sat beside him.

"Hi," she said softly as he stared at her.

He flinched when she reached a hand towards him and she pulled back. "I won't hurt you," she reassured him.

Danny coughed. "You're…Sara Grissom, aren't you?" he managed to ask, his hand pressing hard over his wound.

She nodded somberly. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I had to do as I was told..." Sara couldn't help the guilt she felt over his predicament and his dead partner.

He sucked in a ragged breath as she once again held a hand out to him, but this time he didn't pull back. She placed her hand over his, more blood pooling over her fingers. "Let me help you..."

He coughed again, his face contorting in pain. Perspiration ravaged his skin as the color continued to drain away from his face.

Sara gently tugged on his hand and he allowed her to pull it away from his stomach. It wasn't as if he could put up much of a fight anyway not that it seemed like he wanted to.

She carefully pulled his shirt from his pants, trying her best not to cause him anymore pain. Her eyes closed for the briefest of seconds and her mind flashed back to when her husband had been shot in the stomach. These kinds of injuries were life threatening unless treated, she knew that. And, as she unbuttoned his shirt, she knew it was bad.

She leaned him back a little in order to get a better look and blood oozed from the entry wound. His eyes drifted closed and she noticed. Quickly, she held one of the towels purposely hard over the wound and it startled him.

Giving him a gentle smile she pressed firmly and he squirmed. "I'm sorry but I have to press hard and you need to stay awake. Okay?"

He grunted so she took that as a yes.

Sara tried to assess the wound the best she could, but all she really knew was the bullet was inside him and the bleeding was bad. "All I can do is strap it, okay? I'll need to do it tight so we can slow the bleeding. It's going to hurt..."

He took a breath. "Just..." He gritted his teeth, blinking hard. "...do whatever you have to do..."

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The sound of the officer's body thumping down the cellar steps echoed around the house and Grissom watched as the dead man disappeared into the darkness. A shallow dry lump formed in his throat as events caught up with him. How he wished he could turn back the clock. He stepped from the doorway, wiping his perspiring forehead on his shirt sleeve.

He closed the door, turning to face his captor who stood behind. "Happy now?" he sighed.

"Far from it, smart ass," Ryan growled.

Grissom swallowed hard expecting retaliation for his comment but it never came as Jay appeared.

"Okay, Bro, now what?" the younger brother asked holding up his hands. "Look...all clean."

Ryan reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys to the patrol car. "You need to get rid of the car," he said, holding the keys out to his brother.

"Why me?" Jay moaned.

"Because I said so, that's why," Ryan replied, throwing the keys.

Jay caught them but he still didn't look happy. "I always get the shit jobs. Where the hell am I going to take it? And I'm going to have to walk back... I'm going to get soaked out there."

Grissom just stood static, watching the brothers as they had their little argument.

Ryan sighed. "Jay...you are in a much better condition than I am, okay? You will be faster and we are surrounded by a fucking forest so just...dump the damn thing out of sight and get rid of the GPS otherwise we are going to have more cops on our ass."

"Was that a compliment?" Jay snickered, swinging the keys around his finger.

"Sure," Ryan responded. "You always were faster."

Now Jay smiled. "Okay, I'll do it. Be back as soon as I can."

Ryan nodded. "Ditch the GPS ASAP though, or they will track it."

"Got it," Jay finished on and rushed towards the front door.

Running a finger over his stitches, Ryan winced. "Okay..." he began, "...back over there." He pointed to Sara.

Doing as he was told, Grissom moved quickly back to the sofa and watched as his wife gave Danny some pain killers, urging him to drink some of her water.

"How's he doing?" Grissom asked.

Sara placed a cushion behind the officer's head and then looked up to her husband. She blew out a heavy breath and shrugged her shoulders. "Not great but...there isn't much more I can do. I've strapped the wound but...it's going to continue bleeding..."

"Hopefully he can hold on..."

Sara smiled weakly, her gesture not holding all that much hope. She attempted to wipe the blood from her hands on a spare towel but she didn't have much success.

Ryan stepped up, his eyes passing over the fallen cop and then over Sara. He looked her over from head to toe and thought for a moment. "Can he move?" he asked.

"No," she said. "The bleeding is too bad and he would probably pass out if he causes himself anymore pain by moving."

"Good." Ryan took Grissom's arm again and the CSI looked at him confused. "Get over by the stairs," he commanded.

"Why?" the supervisor asked.

Ryan just pushed him and he almost tripped.

Sara went to stand but Ryan glared her down. "You stay right there until I tell you to move," he warned.

She remained seated, nervously working her jaw. "What are you doing?"

"You'll see soon enough," he retorted, turning to Grissom. He pointed to the stairs with a stern finger. "Over there...now!"

A/N: Well, well. The plot thickens. Hehehehe. Thoughts? Thanks for reading :)