Author: Ace47
Title: A New Agent
Disclaimer: I do not own CSI or Alias.
Spoilers: CSI: General seasons 1-5,"Play with Fire" "Butterflied" "The Strip Strangler" "Nesting Dolls" Alias: General seasons 1-2, "Rendezvous"
It had been two years since Sara Sidle had left the Las Vegas Crime Lab when Gil Grissom was kidnapped.
"Where the hell is he," Catherine Willows shouted. "We're supposed to be the best CSIs around and we can't even find our own boss."
The men in the crime lab were trying to avoid the last female CSI, seeing as she was on the war path.
"I got something," Greg Sanders, the lab rat called out.
"What!" Asked Catherine sounding agitated.
"You know that paper we found at the crime scene where Grissom was last seen? Well, I was processing the paper while I was eating my lunch, a ham sandwich with not too much mayo and some…"
"Get to the point Greg," Catherine shouted.
"Ok, as I was saying. I was eating my lunch and processing the paper when I spilled my lemonade on it. Well I panicked. But as I looked down at the paper this writing began to appear. Get this; the paper was a note written in invisible ink! The acid in the lemon reacted with the basic formula of the ink to reveal this." Greg then held out a note to Catherine.
Catherine took the note and read it aloud to her team. "'We have your boss. Give us the Rambaldi artifact and you can have him back unharmed.'"
"What is the Rambaldi artifact?" Nick Stokes asked in his Texan accent.
"I have no idea," Catherine replied. She turned to Greg and said, "Good work, but never let me catch you eating in the lab again."
"Yes ma'am," Greg called as he ran back to the processing room.
"Ok, now we have something to go on. Warrick, you look through the Federal Databases about this Rambaldi. Nick, check for fingerprints on that note." Catherine said, handing out the assignments to the team.
Warrick Brown and Nick Stokes both left to do their respective tasks, as Catherine stayed in the conference room, wondering what to do next.
In Los Angeles, Sara Sidle was having just as bad a day. After leaving CSI Sara had applied for a job with the CIA which she easily got, due to her analysis and self defense abilities. Standing in the CIA Rotunda with her friend and coworker, Marcus Dixon, she observed her partner, Sydney Bristow talking with her father, Jack Bristow. The two were clearly having an argument.
"Is he always this cold," Sara asked.
"I'm afraid so," Dixon replied.
In Las Vegas, Warrick was getting many hits for his Rambaldi search. He read things like 'Milo Rambaldi was a fifteenth century inventor and philosopher.'
"What does this have to do with Grissom?" he asked himself.
"Okay, Warrick, Nick, Greg, to the conference room now!" Catherine shouted through the halls of the crime lab.
In the conference room Catherine told them what was going on.
"Well our wonderful sheriff, Mobley," she started, sarcasm dripping from every syllable, "has reported this to the higher ups."
"Are they sending in the Feds?" Nick asked, remembering the last time they worked with the FBI. Seven years ago the FBI had used Sara Sidle as bait to catch a serial rapist.
"They are sending in a CIA team, they say they are the best they've got." Answered Catherine.
At the CIA Rotunda, the entire team, Sara, Sydney, Jack, Dixon, Sydney's boyfriend Michael Vaughn, and the tech guy Marshall Flinkman were waiting for Kendall to start the briefing.
"Ok, all of you listen up", Kendall started, "new mission." He passed out the mission folders.
"A CSI has been kidnapped and the kidnappers want a certain Rambaldi artifact in return for his safety. Now normally a kidnapping wouldn't fall under our purview, but since it has to do with Rambaldi, the FBI has passed case to us."
As Sara opened her folder and saw Grissom's face looking back at her she let out a sob and ran out of the room.
"Sydney?" Jack questioned his daughter as she watched her partner run out of the room.
"I'll get her." Sydney said as she followed Sara out of the room.
Out in the bullpen, Sara sat at her desk with her head in her hands, crying.
"Sara what's the matter?" Sydney asked.
"Him." She replied. "He's the reason I left. Gil Grissom was my boss in Las Vegas. I loved him and he had admitted to loving me, but he wouldn't take the risk. He picked the job over me. And now he's missing and it's all my fault."
"I'm sorry." Sydney replied. "But it's not your fault. Now we have to go back to the briefing so we can get him back."
Sara allowed herself to be led back to the briefing room where Marshall and Dixon greeted her with a smile.
"Okay," Kendall started as if nothing had happened, "As I was saying, this man, Gilbert Grissom was kidnapped by a rogue group who want the Diluvio sword in return for his safety."
Kendall showed them picture of an ancient sword and for the second time that day, Sara stared in shock.
"We have that sword in Las Vegas!" she said.
"What!" Jack questioned.
"Yeah, we found it at a crime scene four years ago. It had been used as a murder weapon. We never caught the guy. That sword is in the evidence room in the Las Vegas Crime Lab."
"Okay," Kendall started, "here's what we're gonna do. All of you are going to Vegas. Jack's in charge, Miss Bristow, Miss Sidle, you are point. Vaughn, Dixon and Jack will be back up. Marshall, you will run tech from the hotel room. Wheels up within the hour." He told them.
In Las Vegas Catherine was pacing around the lab as she told her team what was going on. "Okay guys," she addressed the CSIs and homicide detective Jim Brass, "here's where we stand. The CIA team will be here in three hours so let's get to work and give them something to go on."
"Cat what's up? I mean you hate when people take over our cases." Nick said.
"I know Nicky," she replied, "but this is different. This is Grissom, we have to find him. Hopefully this CIA team will keep us involved."
"And not use us as bait." Nick muttered.
On the plane to Las Vegas Sydney, Sara, and Vaughn were sitting together talking. Marshall was working on a new gadget and Jack was going over the brief.
While all of the other agents were reviewing, Dixon, who had already reviewed the mission objective, was thinking about his friends.
Dixon was worried about his two female co-workers. After learning how rough their lives had been, and still are, he admitted to himself that he sometimes felt paternal to them.
Both Sydney and Sara had lost a parent growing up. Sara had lost her father, by her mother's hand when she was nine. Sara's mother was now in jail but Sara could never forget the image of her mother, covered in George Sidle's blood, being carted off by the police. Sydney's mom had died in a car crash when Sydney was six. Sydney's father was distant as she grew up and she was only now starting to have a relationship with him.
'But it's worse than that,' Dixon thought. Sydney's mom wasn't really dead, nor the nice literature teacher they thought she was. Sydney's mother faked her death and returned to Russia to start her own crime syndicate. 'God these girls had it rough,' he thought.
Dixon looked at them and was glad to see that they could still smile and enjoy life.
At the back of the plane the three younger agents were talking.
"Are you excited to see them again?" Sydney asked referring to Sara's former colleges.
"They're gonna hate me because I left," Sara replied.
"No they won't, no one could ever hate you." Vaughn said, giving her a hug.
"Hey, you're supposed to be in love with me," Sydney said with a smirk, smacking his arm.
This got a laugh from the three agents. Although she looked happy, Sara Sidle was still worried about seeing all of them, especially Catherine, again.
As Catherine paced the halls becoming more and more nervous, she wondered if she had made the right decision in handing off the case. 'Who are these people, they don't know Grissom,' she thought.
All of a sudden, Greg burst through the lab. "They're here!" He shouted as he ran towards the lobby.
Catherine, Nick, Warrick, and Brass went running after him.
Two black Sedans were pulling up. Out of the first one came three people, a gray haired, severe looking man, a regal looking black man, and a goofy looking younger man who was juggling a mountain of papers.
Out of the other one, came a handsome younger man, a beautiful tall brunette, and someone the CSIs had thought they would never see again.
"SARA!" All five of the investigators shouted in shock.
"Hi guys," she said, giving them a small wave.
When the two teams got to the conference room the CSIs still hadn't gotten over the shock of seeing Sara.
Before allowing people to introduce themselves, Nick asked the question that was on CSIs minds. "Sara, what are doing here?"
"I work for the CIA now," she explained. "After I left Vegas, I got a job with the CIA in Los Angeles."
Now that one of their questions had been answered, the CSIs were a little less confused.
"Okay, time for introductions," Brass said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Sara, why don't you do this," Sydney suggested.
"Okay. I'll start with the CSIs. This is Catherine Willows," Sara said pointing to the redhead. "This is Nick Stokes and Warrick Brown," she gestured to the tall man with the close cut hair and the lanky black man. "This is Jim Brass," she said as the short balding man stepped forward. "And this is . . ."
"Hi. I'm Greg Sanders." Greg interrupted offering his hand to Sydney as Vaughn glared at him.
"Ok," Sara turned to her fellow agents. "Now that you know them, I'll let you introduce yourselves."
"Jack Bristow," the gray-haired man gruffed.
"Hi. I'm Dixon." The tall black man said, giving them a small smile.
"Um, yeah, hi I'm Marshall Flinkman, but um, you can call me Marshall." The goofy guy said.
"I'm Michael Vaughn," said the handsome young man who currently had his arm around Sydney.
"And I'm Sydney Bristow," said the tall brunette.
"Now that we all know each other," Jack started turning to the other agents, "I want Marshall, Vaughn, and Dixon to come back to the hotel with me so we can set-up communications with L.A. Sydney, Sara, stay here and learn what's going on."
The CIA had paid for six hotel rooms in a hotel that was not on the strip. This was an ideal location because it was easy to monitor.
There were five rooms for the agent to sleep in (Sydney and Vaughn would share a room) and a room that was being used as an office. That was where the four male agents were working.
"I think these CSIs will be easy to work with. They seem nice and they are friends with Sara." Vaughn said.
"Maybe," Jack said, "but here's where we stand. Sydney and Sara are going to get information from the CSIs and tell them about the sword. Marshall, you will make a replica of the sword. How long will that take you?"
"Um…uh, maybe two hours." He stammered.
"Ok," Jack continued, "let's get a connection to the Rotunda and we'll wait for Sara and Sydney's report."
In the crime lab, the two agents and the five investigators sat around the conference room table.
"What's going on?" Sara asked.
"That's a question we should be asking you." Came Catherine's reply.
"I already told you. When I left the lab I got a job with the CIA."
"Why'd you leave?"
"Grissom."
"Oh." Catherine said as she realized what had happened. Grissom would reel Sara in and then push her out. Catherine now realized Sara must have had enough.
"Now that we got that out of the way, can we get to work and find Grissom?" Sara asked.
"Yes, and it is good to see you again." Said Catherine.
"Thanks," said Sara, "Now let's get to work."
"Sara," Sydney said, "We should probably explain Rambaldi."
"God help us all." She said rolling her eyes. "You can do it."
"Thanks. A lot." Came the sarcastic reply. "Where to start?" Rambaldi was a fifteenth century philosopher and inventor with ideas well ahead of his time. He developed a rough schematic for a cell phone around the time of the Ottoman Empire."
"Whoa!" Nick said.
"Yeah, well it only gets better" Sydney continued, "There are many people who follow the work of Rambaldi, most of them terrorists; like the group who has your friend. The CIA is in a race with these terrorists to collect all of his artifacts. We have twenty-four, but the other twenty-three are still out there. These groups are trying to figure out Rambaldi's end game by gathering and assembling all of his artifacts."
"What does this have to do with Grissom?" Warrick asked.
"Well his captors believe, and Sara claims, that you have a Rambaldi artifact in your evidence room." Sydney showed them a picture. "This is the Diluvio sword, it's what the kidnappers wanted."
"We do have that!" Catherine exclaimed.
"Good. Here's what we are going to do. Marshall is going to create a replica of the sword and we will wait for the kidnappers to contact us with a drop location."
Sydney and Sara went back to the hotel and met up with the other agents.
"Catherine Willows confirmed that the Diluvio sword is in their possession," said Sydney. "However it is against federal law to remove the sword from the evidence room, so Marshall, you will have to create the replica at the crime lab."
"Since when have we followed federal law?" Vaughn asked.
"Let's try to this time." Came Dixon's reply.
"Okay, let's go, we can have another chat with the CSIs and wait for more information." Jack said.
At the Crime Lab, Marshall went with Greg to create the replica sword.
When they got to the evidence room Marshall took out a sword that was the same size as the Diluvio sword.
"So um, Greg," Marshall started, "how long have you known Sara?"
"I've know her since she moved here from Frisco eight years ago. When I first saw her I knew she was special."
"That she is." Marshall said.
While they were talking Marshall was working on carving the hilt of the replica sword so that it matched the artifact.
"What's that symbol there?" Greg asked pointing to the O> shaped mark.
"That's the eye of Rambaldi, it is what Rambaldi used to mark all of his works." Marshall answered.
While Marshall carved the sword, he and Greg talked about Sara and their jobs. The two were easily becoming fast friends.
Upstairs in the lab Jack was talking to Catherine while the others waited for an update.
"Did you find any contact information?" Jack asked.
"No, apparently we just have to wait."
The room became quiet as Catherine searched for something to talk about. "Are you married?" Catherine asked Jack. She figured it was the wrong question when all the agents stiffened and looked at Jack.
"Sort of," Jack replied.
Catherine knew not to press the matter further.
"So, Ms. Willows, what did you do before you became a CSI?" Sydney asked.
At that, Sara and all the CSIs (save for Catherine) burst into laughter.
"She was a stripper!" Nick said with a laugh.
"Excuse me, its exotic dancer." Catherine said with a glare in Nick's direction.
"Sure, Cat." Sara piped up from her position in between Dixon and Warrick on the couch.
The mood in the room was light until the computer beeped.
"Hey, we have an e-mail." Warrick said.
"Maybe it's a drop location." Said Dixon.
Catherine sat down at the computer and opened the message. She read aloud to the group.
"'WE WILL GIVE YOU GRISSOM FOR THE DILUVIO SWORD AT 2200 HOURS ON MAY 12TH. MEET AT THE BAR ON THE CORNER OF TIMBRE AND SOL DE ORO IN MÀLAGA SPAIN.'"
"Get Marshall in here now, so he can track the source of the e-mail." Jack said to Sara.
Sara ran down to the evidence room. When she got there Marshall and Greg looked up in shock at her panting figure.
"Marshall. Break room. Computer. E-mail. Grissom. Now." She gasped.
He got the point and they all ran to the break room.
When he got there he sat down at the computer and started to try to find the source of the e-mail.
After a few minutes he sighed in defeat. "I'm sorry, it's useless. The e-mail has been bounced off too many servers."
"That's okay Marshall." Sara said, trying to console him.
"Ok, here's what we are gonna do," Jack said, taking charge. "We will go with the meet as planned. They don't know a CIA team has been called in so one of you will have to present the false Diluvio sword in Màlaga. May 12th is tomorrow so we will fly out tonight at midnight. That will give us a couple hours in country to set up. Which of you is willing to present the sword?" Jack asked the CSIs.
"I will." Catherine, Nick, Warrick, Greg, and Brass all said at once.
"Ms. Willows, you have seniority. You will meet the kidnappers at the bar." Jack said, addressing Catherine. "Marshall, you'll run tech from the van, Vaughn, Dixon, Nick, Warrick, Greg, Brass, and I will be your outside back up. Sydney and Sara, you will go and find Grissom because the phony sword will only hold up to inspection for so long. Sydney and Sara, you'll both have to go in disguise. The location of the bar is in the wild part of town so come up with something creative, but make sure you can still carry your guns. We leave in three hours.
On the plane the eleven person team was trying to make small talk. Trying to get ready for the work ahead.
Two hours outside of Màlaga Jack turned to Sydney, Sara, and Catherine and said, "you should get ready."
"What do I have to do?" Catherine asked.
"Well, you can't go into a wild bar dressed in slacks and a t-shirt. Don't worry, we have something for you." Said Sydney while Sara smirked.
In the back of the plane, in a closed off section, the girls started getting ready.
"Do you want the bright red wig or the blue one?" Sara asked Sydney.
"What the heck?" Catherine asked.
"Well, I'm partial to red, so if you don't mind." Sydney said, ignoring the confused look from Catherine.
"Blue's fine with me." Sara answered.
"Why are you wearing that stuff? It will cause you to stick out." Catherine asked.
"To blend in where we're going we have to wear something that'll cause us to stick out anywhere else." Sara answered.
"That makes sense, I guess." Catherine replied, thinking about what Sara had just said. "What do I have to wear?" She dreaded the answer, figuring they'd tie in her past profession.
"Well, your hair is fine but we all have to wear leather, lots and lots of leather." Sydney said with a smirk.
In their clothes arsenal, they had a lot to pick from.
When they were done getting dressed, Catherine was wearing combat boots, leather pants and a leather vest. Sara had on her blue wig, heavy eye makeup, combat boots, leather pants, a mesh top through which her black leather bra was clearly visible, and a spiked dog collar. Sydney was wearing knee-high boots with fish net stockings, a leather miniskirt and a matching top to the one Sara was wearing. She also had on her bright red wig.
"God, I feel like a dancer again." Catherine said.
"Well at least you know how to act." Sara said, "Now let's go shock those guys." She said, giving her famous Sara smile. "I can't wait to see Warrick's reaction to what you're wearing."
"What about Greg's reaction to your clothes, Sara. Or your father and Vaughn's thoughts Syd." Catherine said.
"Well, Greg will just have to pick his jaw up off of the floor and Sydney wears stuff like this on missions all the time." Sara replied.
As the girls walked into the main cabin of the plane four mouths dropped open in shock. Dixon, Vaughn, Jack, and Marshall were used to seeing Sydney and Sara like this. However Greg, Brass, Nick, and Warrick were speechless.
Warrick was the first to regain his voice. "What the hell are you wearing?"
"Our disguises." Sara said.
"Oh, uh, ok." Warrick muttered.
"Well let's get to work." Jack said, "Sydney, Sara, here's the blueprints of the bar. There seems to be a basement area. We can assume that's where Grissom's being held. You two will go through the back exit and down to the basement. Catherine, you will go through the front door. Your contact will meet you. Do not present the sword right away. I want to give Sydney and Sara a chance to find Grissom so that we can pull you out once we know he is safe. Here are your earpieces. Sydney's call sign is Phoenix, Sara is Freelancer, Catherine, you can be Blackbird. If you want to talk to one of us guys call for Basecamp. We are landing in fifteen minutes. Get your guns and get ready."
When they landed in Màlaga, they got in the delivery truck that they would use as their basecamp. As they were driving to the bar the three women were preparing themselves for the work ahead.
"Here we go." Jack said when they got to the bar.
Catherine strapped the sword onto her back while Sara and Sydney both strapped their guns to their hips.
As they were about to get out of the truck, Marshall stopped Catherine and handed her a pair of earrings. "These earrings have a camera in them and we can take a picture of who you are talking to."
"Thanks Marshall." Catherine said.
As Sara and Sydney snuck around back, Catherine went to meet the man who had kidnapped her best friend.
When Catherine walked into the bar, she made sure to take a picture of her surroundings. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a man dressed in all black start to approach her. She turned to face him, touching her ear to take a picture.
"Ms. Willows I presume." He said in a thick Russian accent.
"How do you know my name?" Catherine asked.
"We have been monitoring you for a long time. Come let us get down to business." He said, gesturing to a table in the middle of the room.
Catherine knew she had to be careful and she silently wished the two other women good luck as she followed the man who had her friend.
As Catherine, Sara, and Sydney were getting into place, Grissom was waking up in the basement.
With his head pounding, he looked around at his surroundings. He realized that he was bound to a chair in the middle of a dim room. 'A basement somewhere?' he thought. He also saw two armed guards.
'Don't panic. Think.' He thought to himself. 'Where was I? Oh right crime scene. I was looking at the dead body when someone slapped something over my mouth and nose. It smelled sweet. Chloroform maybe. No wonder I have a headache. Why did they kidnap me? Maybe I shouldn't let them know I am awake.'
As Grissom pretended to be asleep, Sara and Sydney snuck around the back. While Sydney picked the lock on the back door Sara kept an eye out for company.
"Okay Basecamp, Freelancer and Phoenix are in." Sara whispered to their back-up as Sydney pushed open the door.
They found themselves in a darkened stairwell that led down to the basement.
"Let's go." Sydney said.
When they got down to the open basement door they pressed their bodies to the wall and looked into the room.
"I see him!" Sara whispered excitedly.
"I count two armed guards." Said Sydney.
"We can take them. I'll get the one by Grissom, you take the one on the left." Sara said.
"Okay, let's go."
Sydney and Sara ran undetected into the room. Sydney reached her guard first and took him out with a single kick to the head. This alerted both Grissom and the remaining guard to the girl's presence.
Grissom watched in amazement as a woman with red hair ran towards him. He also saw a girl with blue hair who looked oddly familiar. She was currently engaged in a fight with the remaining guard. Grissom watched as she blocked and punched the guard. She finally took him out with a roundhouse kick to the head. When she turned around Grissom realized who she was.
"Aaaahhhhh" he screamed.
"Grissom, Grissom its okay, it's me. It's Sara." Sara said, trying to calm him down.
Sydney untied his arms and feet as Sara talked to Grissom.
Grissom, who was still in shock and slightly drugged, asked, "Why is your hair blue Sara?"
She laughed and helped him stand up.
"Mr. Grissom my name is Sydney Bristow, Sara and I work for the CIA. We have to get you out of here." Sydney said taking his other arm.
They turned around to go up the stairs but the door was jammed.
"Shit!" Sydney exclaimed.
"Basecamp, the door is jammed. We have to go through the bar to get out."
"Proceed Freelancer. Be careful. Extract Ms. Willows as well."
"Copy that Basecamp."
Upstairs Catherine was presenting the Diluvio knockoff to her contact.
"You have your sword, now where's Grissom?" she asked.
"All in good time Ms. Willows."
As her contact looked over the sword, Catherine was startled as she saw Sara, Sydney, and Grissom coming up the stairs. She prayed that her contact would not see them. That hope was shattered when one of her contact's guards yelled, "STOP!"
This alerted the contact to their presence.
Sara and Sydney drew their guns and Sara shoved Grissom to the floor as one of the kidnappers squeezed off a round from his hand gun. The bullet embedded itself deep in Sara's right shoulder and she gasped in pain.
Sydney, hearing her partners gasp asked, "are you okay?"
Sara, not wanting to let them know she'd been hurt, answered through gritted teeth, "I'm fine."
Sydney shot at the man who had shot Sara, hitting him in the chest.
Catherine, having dived out of the way, watched in horror as the kidnapper picked up the sword that he had been examining and rushed at Sara and Sydney.
Sydney, who was currently engaged in hand – to – hand combat with another guard, was unaware of the sword bearer who decided to aim at Sara.
Sara luckily heard a sound behind her and moved out of the way as the man brought the sword down right where head had been not a split second before.
Sara looked around for a weapon of any kind, having dropped her gun when she was shot. She spotted a chair leg that had been broken off during the skirmish. She grabbed it off the floor, and holding it in one hand, she turned to face her attacker.
Sara, who was focused on protecting Grissom, missed her attackers first swing, which grazed her right side leaving a long cut that went across her rib cage. This elicited another gasp from Sara who retaliated with a few strong thrusts. One of which hit the attacker's hand resulting in a loud crunch of broken fingers. The man let out a loud scream and charged at Sara knocking her to the ground. He raised the sword above her in his good hand. He was about to bring it down when Sara heard a shot. The man fell forward dead. Sara looked to see who had saved her life. Jack was standing over the attacker's lifeless body holding a smoking gun.
"Thank you." Sara gasped.
"You okay?" came Jack's worried reply.
"What do you know about removing bullets and stitching up cuts?" Sara asked, trying to smile.
"Enough," Jack said, examining her wounds before helping her to her feet. "First let's get everyone out of here."
Sara helped a startled Grissom to his feet while Jack went to find Catherine and his daughter. Sara kept her injured right side away from Grissom. She didn't want him to worry.
"God Sara, where have you been?" he asked.
"I've been in L.A." she replied. "Come on, let's get you to the truck so Jack can assess any damage."
"When you left I was broken. Sara, please forgive me for what I've done to you. I realized when you left that I needed you." Grissom started to cry and Sara stood in shock. She finally heard the words she wanted to hear.
"I love you Griss." She said, as she wrapped her arm around him.
"I love you too Sara." Came his reply.
They stood in their emotional embrace until Jack, Catherine, and Sydney walked past them.
"Come one you guys." Sydney said.
Once they got in the truck, Jack called Sara over to him and said, "Let me check out your shoulder and your side."
When Jack said that everyone realized that Sara had been hurt.
"Oh my God," Grissom said grabbing her hand, "What did he do to you?"
Sara, who had finally been overcome with pain said nothing and grimaced as she moved towards Jack.
"What happened!" Grissom and Greg demanded at the same time.
"She got injured in the scuffle." Jack replied.
"NO!" Grissom shouted, moving towards her.
"She'll be alright Grissom, calm down." Jack said. "Sara," he said holding up a syringe, "this is a pain killer. I have to dig out the bullet so you are going to want this."
Sara nodded.
Jack worked to dig out the bullet while Sara's worried friends watched in silence. None of them knew that she had been injured until Jack said something.
When Jack finally got the bullet out he said to Sara, "The bullet did not damage any arteries. There is some muscle tearing, but a few days in a sling and you will be good as new. Now let me check out your side. Sydney come here and help her take off her shirt and gently raise her arm so I can access the cut."
Sydney helped Sara out of her mesh top leaving her sitting only in her leather bra. A sight that would have made most of the men in the truck start drooling if it wasn't for the blood running down her side from her injuries.
"My God Sara." Grissom repeated over and over.
"Okay Sara, here's another pain killer." Jack said, taking the needle and injecting it into her side.
Sara stared straight ahead at Grissom, while Jack sewed shut her side. When he finished the whole group let out a sigh of relief.
"You can clean up once you get on the plane." Jack said.
"Sara, here's my jacket so you can cover up." Said Grissom, handing her his 'Forensics' jacket.
"Thanks," she said, moving towards him.
"Sit down," he said pulling her into a gentle embrace, careful of her side and shoulder.
Sara leaned against Grissom's shoulder while Jack stood and addressed the team.
"Good job. You rescued Grissom and kept the Diluvio sword from our enemies. All of you will have to go through debriefing in L.A. After debriefing, you can go back to Vegas.
When Jack said that Grissom started to worry again, 'Oh no, I'm going to lose Sara again. She'll stay in L.A. when I go back to Vegas.' Grissom was about to say something to Sara when the truck pulled to a stop. They were at the airport. What he had to say would have to wait.
Once on the plane Sara, Sydney, and Catherine went to the bathroom to clean up and get out of their disguises.
Before getting into their normal clothes, Sydney and Catherine helped Sara wash the blood off of her body.
"The first aid kit is around here somewhere." Sydney said. "Ah here it is."
Sydney taped gauze over Sara's bullet wound and stitches. After finishing, the three women took off their disguises and put on jeans and t-shirts.
"Here's a sling Sara." Sydney said, as she took it out of the first aid kit and helped Sara put it on.
"Thanks."
"Ok, let's get some rest. It will take about ten hours to get to L.A." Sydney said.
The girls walked into the main cabin of the plane where the men were already resting.
Catherine and Sydney sat down and Grissom called Sara over to him.
"Hi," Grissom said.
"Hey, how are you?" Sara asked.
"That is a question I should be asking you." He said, looking at the sling.
"I'm fine." She said.
"Sara you always say that but do you mean it?"
"Honestly Grissom, I am fine."
"Sara, I need to ask you, am I too late? I love you."
"I love you too Griss. You're not too late. You're just in time."
With that, Sara leaned her head against Grissom's shoulder, as they sat there ready to face the future together.
Fin
A/N: Please Review