ALL I NEED
Spoiler: Leaping Lizards
I know WP's dog's name is Bruno but I call him Derby here. Why Derby? Well, the name just popped into my head.
The story starts right after Sara reads the letter. So, did Grissom left the letter there on purpose? Was Sara happy to read it or was she disappointed? On CSI, some questions are never answered. But here's my own take on what happened afterwards.
It's just a little romantic story. I was kind of depressed after (foolishly) reading spoilers, and decided to lift my spirits with this.
Sara stood by the door of Grissom's office, silently looking as he worked on a miniature set of his office. He had insisted on trying his hand at it, hoping to learn about the miniature killer's behavior by imitating his actions.
It was a dangerous game and Sara didn't quite like it, but she knew better than to try do dissuade him.
She took a step inside the office. Gil didn't notice but his dog, Derby, did. He wagged his tail at the mere sight of her.
Sara took another step.
"Hey," she said.
"Mmmh?" Gil acknowledged her without looking up. His gaze remained on the pieces of cardboard on the desk.
"Gotta go," she said.
This time he looked up.
"They paged you?"
"Catherine," she said. "A double homicide in Weston."
He smiled ruefully. They were both on call, but he was hoping they'd get to spend the night together. Not such luck.
He rose.
"I'll walk you out," he said, tucking a hand into her arm.
Derby followed closely. He had developed a liking for Sara, and she showered him with affection in turn. She liked dogs and all sort of animals but her place was too small and she couldn't keep pets.
Sara distractedly caressed Derby's neck but her gaze was on Gil.
"Try to get some sleep," she said as she opened the door. "You have to be in court tomorrow."
"I'm on call," he said.
"So? You can still take a nap," she said reasonably. "Please," she added, using her most persuasive tone.
He smiled.
"All right," he said. He leant forward for a kiss, and was surprised when Sara didn't respond with a hurried peck but with a more elaborate kiss. She gently cradled his face between her hands as their kiss lingered.
"Mmmh." He hummed appreciatively.
"Mmmh." She hummed back, somewhat amused at his reaction. She started pulling back but he kept his arms around her.
She smiled.
"Got to go," she said.
"Not yet," he muttered and leant for another kiss.
Playfully, she started to pry his arms away but instead she held on to them, savoring the feel of his skin and his muscles under her fingers.
Finally, she broke the kiss. She pressed her cheek against his.
"See you tomorrow," she whispered.
He didn't want to but finally let her go. He watched as she got in the car and drove away.
When he closed the door he noticed Derby's forlorn gaze.
"I know," Grissom said, patting his head. "I'm gonna miss her too."
-----
Grissom worked in his miniature set for a while, but her words remained with him. 'Get some sleep' she had said, and suddenly, he felt he ought to follow her instructions.
He crawled into bed and purposefully chose to lie down on her side of the bed. Her pillow still held her scent.
He casually glanced at the clock on the bedside table, but something else caught his attention. A white envelope, propped against his tome of Shakespeare's complete works. Sara's name was written on it, and part of an address too.
Gil froze. It was the letter he'd written to Sara but never dared to send. He'd been using it as a bookmark ever since his return to Las Vegas. By now he was so used to seeing the envelope that he forgot what was inside.
Grissom closed his eyes.
He didn't mean for her to find out like this.
He didn't move for a while. When he finally did, he reached for the envelope and took a look inside. The letter was still there; he took it, half-expecting to find something from her. A note, perhaps. But the letter was intact.
He took a deep breath and then reached for his phone.
TBC