A/N: A lot of cheering for Grissom, as he was finally pushed to take some action with Jake. The question is, will Jake take it like and man, and cut his losses and return to Seattle, or look for retribution instead? There's a lot of (well -deserved) hate going on for Jake...As always many thanks for you comments. I love each and every one. :) Another marvellous beta from the awesome JellybeanChiChi.

CHAPTER 8

Instead of the picnic they had planned, Sara, Grissom and Daniel returned to the house. Although Sara offered to care for Grissom's injuries, he shrugged her off and retreated to the bathroom to tend to his wounds.

Although they didn't say much to one another, they lavished attention on Daniel, playing with him on the floor, singing songs and watching his favourite video.

After Sara put Daniel down for the night, she stepped into their bedroom and glanced worriedly at her husband as he sat on their bed. His silence and brooding didn't surprise her; she was sure the fight in the parking lot took a lot out of him emotionally and physically.

Jake's demeanour right before Grissom arrived frightened Sara and she truly was grateful her husband showed up when he did. She shuddered to think what Jake would have done to her if Grissom had arrived even a minute later.

Yet she wasn't sure how Grissom handled Sara taking down Jake after he took a beating from the man. While Grissom respected Sara and her ability to defend herself, any man might feel emasculated knowing his 130-pound wife took down a 220-pound man who was using her husband like a punching bag.

Sara didn't see the situation like that and wanted nothing more than to voice that, but she knew her husband well enough. He needed time and space. In the meantime she would quietly offer her support, and understanding, knowing that he'd eventually open up to her.

I just need Jake gone, she thought to herself. Back in Seattle. Away from us. So we can enjoy our weekend.

She retreated to the bath to freshen up and change into her nightclothes. When she came back into the bedroom, only the light on her light stand was lit. Grissom was in bed with his back to her.

She slipped into the covers on her side of the bed and turned off the light. As she closed her eyes, she heard Grissom speak.

"Do you have regrets?"

She opened her eyes having heard the reflective tone of his voice. As she wondered the direction of the conversation, she lightly stroked his shoulder.

"Turn around, honey." He did and they looked in each other's eyes. "Do I have regrets about what?"

His mouth pursed in thought, and he winced slightly. He broke eye contact with her. "Us. Do you have regrets about us?"

"No." While her reply was clear, she couldn't mask the worry in her own voice when she asked him, "Do you?"

It was a moment before he nodded his head, and her breath caught in her chest and she had to force herself to breathe.

Sensing her distress her turned to face her. "I don't mean like that," he was quick to reassure her. He sighed in frustration and looked down at his hands pressed fingertip to fingertip. It was a moment before he spoke again.

"I regret that everything was so much harder here than San Francisco. For allowing becoming Supervisor to get in the way of everything I wanted most. For thinking a life with you was too much of a risk. Turning you down for dinner after the lab explosion. For wasting so much time…for not being the man you deserved from the start."

Sara grasped his hands in hers.

"Gil, please look at me," she said in a soft voice. She waited patiently for him to comply. He glanced at her briefly, unable to completely hold her gaze.

Moving the covers back, she straddled his lap, and gently turned his cheek to face her. Framing his head in her hands, careful of the cuts and bruises from his fight with Jake earlier, she held his gaze with her own.

"Yes, we could say the time we weren't together was wasted time, but, Gil, I think we needed time. Perhaps if we had gotten together sooner it might never have worked out between us and we could have ended up hating each other."

"You believe that?"

"Yeah. I do," she said. "From the moment we met, no has ever looked at me the way you do. No one has ever accepted me the way you have. You stayed when I told you my deepest secret. You're an amazing father, and a devoted and loving husband."

A mischievous glint twinkled in her eyes, the corner of her mouth twitched upwards in an impish smirk. "A fantastic lover. You're my one and only. You always have."

"Sara," her name was a whispered breath, as his thumb tenderly brushed against her cheek. She hummed as she leaned into his touch, her eyes closing briefly, before gently caressing her lips with his.

The kiss was one of reassurance at first, before igniting a desire so intense. It took them both by surprise.

Her fingers raked through his hair. She titled her head to give him better access to the sensitive spot just below her ear. As he kissed her, molten desire swept through her. Her arms clamped around his head, whispering his name in a breathy moan.

His hands seemed everywhere all at once as they caressed her body. He tugged her tank top over her head, as his mouth claimed her breasts.

She tugged at his t-shirt impatiently, and he moved just long enough to pull it over his head, before claiming her lips with his own, his tongue plunging her mouth.

Their hands journeyed further south, removing the last remaining barriers.

His hands on her hips, she straddled his lap, settling herself on his erect penis. Her hands gripped his shoulders, her lips crushing his in a heated kiss, as they moved together. His grip tightened on her hips that would leave oval-shaped bruises the next morning as the rapture continued to build with every thrust of his hips towards a crashing crescendo. He growled from deep in his throat, while her grip on his shoulders tightened. In a moment, they exploded together.

Sara rested her head against Grissom's forehead. Spent and limp, both breathing heavily, her hands resting on the nape of his neck, his skin and hair damp with sweat.

Grissom wrapped his arms around her waist drawing her closer, kissing her shoulder gently, and sighing contentedly.

First it was Hank's frantic barking and threatening growls that startled them awake. Then it was the baby monitor on Grissom's side of the bed that sputtered to life as Daniel awoke crying.

Muttering under his breath, Grissom put his on his pyjama bottoms and tugged on his robe to attend to his crying son. As he lifted his son off the crib and soothed him, he wondered what had set off Hank.

With Daniel cradled in his arms, Grissom went into the hallway where he whistled lightly for the dog. Although Hank heard his master, he refused to leave the front door. He continued to growl menacingly, and pawed at the door.

"Hank, come!" Grissom ordered in a hushed command. But still the dog refused to leave the front door, his growl's becoming more menacing.

Carrying Daniel into their room, he handed Daniel over to Sara, before hurriedly pulling on some clothes.

"What's going on?" Sara asked, still half asleep.

"Hank's acting up. Saw an owl or a squirrel outside. Who knows?"

Sara sat up a bit. "Why are you getting dressed?"

"To take Hank for a walk."

Sara leaned over to look at the clock. "Gil, it's almost midnight. Come back to bed."

"He's all wound up," Grissom said with some frustration.

"He'll get over it. Come to bed," Sara said, rubbing circles on Daniel's back as he began to fuss again.

The view of his naked wife under the sheets soothing his son made Grissom smile. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to Sara's forehead and then one upon his son's. "A walk will do him good. I'll be right back."

Sara glanced down, as Dan wiped his eyes sleepily with the back of his hand, his small face streaked with tears.

Making soothing noises, and giving him his ant, Sara gently rocked him, humming softly. "OK. But don't be long."

Once outside, Hank made a beeline for some to the shrubs and bushes that lined the edges of the drive and garden. A little annoyed at Hank having woken Daniel, Grissom was in no mood to let the dog explore as freely as he would have.

"It's just a cat, Hank," he hissed quietly, as he headed in the direction of the community park.

Hank huffed, and strained on his lead, but Grissom was determined and Hank soon fell into step with him.

When they were a little distance away, a separate shadow moved from the bushes and began to follow man and dog.

Jake glanced at his watch, barely able to contain his impatience. He was tired and he still hurt from his clash with Grissom. The guy might be old, but boy he could throw a punch, and he felt a grudging sort of admiration.

He glanced at his watch again, trying to decide if coming to the community park was such a good idea after all. He knew Sara would be furious if she knew he'd followed her home that first night they'd worked together, and realised that he didn't really care what she thought.

Footsteps coming towards him made him smile. His patience had paid off after all. This time, the old guy wouldn't have Sara to protect him. He slipped his hand into his jacket pocket, feeling the reassuring weight of the knuckle-duster.

He turned around, as he said, "Ready for round two, old man?"

The blow to his stomach was hard and swift. Jake doubled over in pain as he fell to his knees. His head hung low and he had no way to dodge the savage kick to his face. Blood sprayed from his mouth and nose. The force drove his head backwards and the momentum was enough to topple him over on his back.

He groaned in pain, as his hand searched blindly for the knuckle-duster that he hoped was just within reach. Then, he screamed in agony as that same hand was stomped upon. Jake felt the small bones in his hand crush under the force.

Another savage kick to his head followed. Dazedly, his head lolled to the side, as his aggressor's foot rose once more and slammed down upon Jake's exposed throat.

Jake gave a strangled gasp as he tried to breathe. Blood bubbled from his mouth and his chest rose rapidly.

He fought desperately to breathe, but he couldn't.

His chest began to rise and fall more slowly. His struggle for a life-saving breath continued, until, eventually, he had no fight left.