Title: Power cuts and word games Summary: Sara and Grissom are stuck in a locked closet during a power cut and Sara uses it to her own advantage. Disclaimer: I don't own CSI, being antisocial just gives me too much time on my hands. Spoilers: AU A/N: I got the inspiration for this a week ago during a power cut. It's amazing what you think of in the dark for two hours.

As the power went out throughout the building Sara cursed. The electronic lock on the door had been disengaged and she couldn't open the door to the storage closet. "Griss, we have a slight problem." She muttered, refusing to look at him. "Power's out, the door won't open." "Oh no. No, no, no, no!" He tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge. He rammed against it, but one thing a door in a crime lab was, was secure. It didn't budge and he winced as his shoulder collided with the metal door.

Sara started laughing at their situation. Until Grissom give her a quizzical look. "You pull me in here to lecture me about shouting at a suspect and now we're stuck in the cupboard." He couldn't help a small smile forming at the corner of his mouth. "Does anyone know we're here?" He asked. She shook her head. "You pulled me in here so no one could hear you lecturing me." "You almost hit a suspect, Sara!" He argued sternly. Sara's brow furrowed. "He raped three women, Grissom!" She objected, but he shook his head. "That's what I've been trying to tell you. We caught the guy, it wasn't our initial suspect."
She slumped on the floor and took off her jacket at the immense heat in the small space. "I'm sorry." He slumped down beside her. "It's okay. I won't mention it." He sighed and looked around the cupboard for a means of escape, but the invading darkness impaired his vision and he found nothing. "Makes you think doesn't it?" Sara muttered. "How much we take the bright lights of Vegas for granted. I don't think I could stand living in the old days. No electricity, no forensic science, no cars..." "You wouldn't miss what you've never had."
"But if you knew it existed, then you could miss it." He wasn't quite sure where the conversation was going. "If you knew something existed that you've never had, wouldn't you be curious?" "But it didn't exist." Grissom pointed out. She sighed at his ignorance. "I wasn't talking about the electricity." "I know."
She frowned at him. "Grissom, why won't you come to dinner with me?" "We've been through this, Sara." He sighed and removed his glasses and jacket. "Well maybe we need to go through it again." Sara objected as she moved nearer to him. He tried to back away from her like he did everyday, but a traitorous metal shelving unit struck his back.
"Sara..." He could just see the outline of her young face in the darkness, but then he always could. If he was having a bad day, lost in the darkness of humanity, then he could look at Sara and the light she radiated. "Yes?" She was too close to him. He had to stay focused. Sara was younger than him, she was his CSI and whatever he did he couldn't cross the professional line he yearned to leap over. He reached into the tool kit he'd dragged in with him when he'd forced Sara in here to lecture her. He took out his field torch and switched it on. The soft glow illuminated her features and he had to suppress the brash thoughts that crossed his mind.
"Griss, you were saying?" Sara urged him to finish. He looked away from her. "It won't last too long, we should be out soon..." Sara's brow furrowed the way it did when she was angry. "Oh...I'm sorry being stuck in here with me is such a chore..." Grissom covered his face with his hands. "It Is!" He objected, a glint in his eyes she'd never seen before. Severe anger? It scared her that Grissom was loosing his patience. It rarely happened, but it was usually due to a difficult case, or her. "Do you know how hard it is to sit in here with you?"
That wasn't anger in his tone it was a slight whimper. He couldn't look at her while he was like this. He just had to stay focused for a while. He had to stop imagining what she would do if he just kissed her there and then and concentrate on bugs.
Bugs were safe. Bugs weren't attractive and young and offering themselves to him. They didn't have her smile, her beauty, her determination or her...He had to stop. Change his line of thought. Luckily Sara had thought of a distraction. "How about we play word association?" She suggested. Grissom nodded, regaining his composure. "I'm sorry about before. I just don't like being trapped in closets." He apologized. She smiled and forgave him like she always did. "Okay, I'll start...Darkness." "Murderer." "Crime." "CSI." "Nick." Grissom paused. "Why Nick?" He hadn't meant to let jealousy seep into his tone, but he had and Sara had spotted it. She shrugged. "He's a CSI...your turn." "Trouble." Sara couldn't help a small smile at his response. "Me." She replied. He looked puzzled. She tried to look innocent. "What? I was in trouble a few minutes ago."
She waited to see if he'd take the bait. He nodded his head and agreed with her statement. "You..." He muttered. "Lets' see...arrogant, strong-minded, determined..." Sara sighed slightly with disappointment. He was evaluating her in professional terms. "And..." He continued. "Intelligent, attractive, amazing...but one word for you is too hard, so I can put it down to four words. 'Something I'm unworthy of.'"
Sara sat in a stunned silence. Gill Grissom had just described her as attractive and amazing and...too good for him. "Why?" Sara managed to mutter. "Why don't you deserve me?" He sat and looked everywhere but at her and then sighed. "This may sound childish, but...can I tell you without the torch on? It'll be easier." Sara grabbed the torch impatiently from his hand, switched it off and put it back in is kit box.
She heard him fill his lungs and then exhale. "I...you're...Sara, how many attractive, amazing and ideal, young women, do you think are attracted to me? You deserve someone your own age, someone with the same interests..." "Griss," She interrupted. "My 'interests' are work, work, you and work. Our work makes us both, we probably both spend more time here then in our homes..." "Sara, it's not that simple. There's professionalism, I'm your superior." "It is that simple. You're making excuses. One second I can get close, the next you go cold and pull away..."
"I'm scared." Those two words echoed in the small dark closet, she couldn't see his face, but she could hear the pain on it. "I'm scared we wouldn't work and everything would change. I'm scared of commitment. Bugs are simple. They don't need love, or a lot of commitment. People do, you do! I can't give you that. That's why you deserve better."
She could hear him trying to stifle his tears at his confession and she wiped them away with her hand. "Grissom, I see you everyday, over twelve hours a day, we're both committed to the job. It's not much harder being committed to each other." He held her hand to his face. "I...I'm terrified, Sara. I'm not a people person. I can't give you what you need..." "What I need..." Her voice was stern now. "Is you." He felt her breath before her warm lips engulfed his own. They kissed with years of need and want. He held her in his arms and she melted into him. "I love you, Gill." She muttered in his ear. "And I'll help you not be afraid, promise." "I love you too, Sara."
The door opened and light flooded the room from the outside. Catherine stood at the doorway with a large grin on her face. "Are they in there?" Warrick called to her. "No!" She lied. "They must have left before the power outage. I'm sure they'll turn up soon." She grinned one last time and shut the door again. Grissom smiled at Sara. "Catherine?" "Liability." She replied and claimed his lips again. "We'll deal with it later."

END