Chasing Cars
The lab was silent as Grissom sat as his desk. He wasn't sure what time it was but it didn't much matter. He had nowhere else to be. All he had was his work to occupy him now. He didn't blame Sara for leaving. He could understand her need t get away. But he missed her. He tried to hide his feelings but they were slowly slipping from his grasp and he needed to find a solution. As he stared at the collection of half done experiments in his office, Catherine's words sounded in his head; "take a few days off and go after her". She was right that he had enough vacation days saved up to take a few off and fly out to San Francisco to see Sara. But did she want him to follow her? He pulled the center drawer in his desk open and retrieved the letter she'd written him. He must have read it thirty times now.
"What do you want?" he muttered to the paper. He knew she couldn't hear his query but saying it made him feel better. In the silence of the lab, he made a decision that was very unlike him. He typed a brief note to Brass, detailing what he was doing and left it on his desk. Grissom walked with purpose to the garage and climbed into his car.
Several hours later, he found himself leaving the state of Nevada, GPS programmed and a cup of coffee in the cup holder at his side. He didn't think about the lab or his colleagues. At that moment all his thoughts were focused on one thing, going after Sara. He had waited so long to acknowledge their relationship, much to her annoyance, and now he feared he'd waited too long.
Back at the lab, Brass had found Grissom's note and was rereading it when there was a knock at his door. Nick and Warrick both stood in the doorway. The letter was simple enough; 'Jim. I need to take some time to sort this out. I'll be in San Francisco. Gil'.
"What is it, guys?" Brass questioned.
"Have you seen Grissom?" Nick asked.
"Uh…no. He's on his way to San Francisco," Brass answered.
"What's in San Francisco?" it was Warrick's turn to ask.
"Sara," Brass replied shortly, tossing them the letter.
"Good for him," Warrick said with a smile.
The two CSIs headed back to their respective cases and Jim went back to the files on his desk. On the road, Grissom had pulled over at a gas station to grab a sandwich. At this rate, he would be there by nightfall if he didn't hit traffic. He climbed back into his car and sat there, just staring at the road. It was certainly no dessert. He took a breath and started the ignition.
The rest of the drive was uneventful. He pulled into the parking lot of a cheap hotel around 9:30 and got a room. He needed some time and sleep before he saw her. That night, despite the rather uncomfortable bed, he slept like a rock. It was the first time he'd slept at night in a very long time. The following morning, he skipped breakfast just to make sure he caught Sara before she left the city. She hadn't been sure how long she would be visiting her mother. He reached her mother's place and parked on the side of the road. There were two cars in the driveway but he didn't recognize either of them. He assumed one was a rental. He stepped out of the car and walked up the front steps. His hand paused before knocking.
"Coming," a familiar voice called. The screen door was pulled open to reveal a very surprised looking Sara.
"Gil?" she asked, stepping onto the porch.
"What are you doing here?" she continued, not letting him get a word in.
"I had a few vacation days saved up and I thought I'd come see you," he answered with a small smile. It was the truth after all. Without a word, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. Grissom could feel tears begin to soak his shoulder and he made gentle circles on her back with his hand.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered.
"You were ready to move on," he murmured back.
"It wasn't fair to you," she replied, looking him directly in the eye.
"I wanted this for so long and when I finally got it, I just threw it away," she sniffed.
"No…you didn't. I'm here. And I'm not going anywhere," he breathed, tilting her head up an inch or two before kissing her.
"I just couldn't handle it anymore," she choked out. He folded his arms around her again, comforting her.
"I want to be with you, now and always," she said, finally managing to try her eyes.
"You will be," he told her.
"How?" Sara questioned.
"It's not like we're married," she added.
"You think we need a ring for that? We don't," he assured her.
"You said I'm your one and only. You are mine," Grissom whispered against her hair. She couldn't help but smile at his statement. She had felt so horrible leaving him like she'd done. But it was a relief that he understood and still wanted her.
"I love you," she told him.
"And I you," he replied before kissing her gently.