Author: winter
Title: Close Behind
Paring: Catherine/Sara friendship, GSR
Rating: k+
Timeline: some time after "The Two Mrs. Grissoms"
Summary: is Sara and Grissom's long distance relationship really working?

A/N: Thank you to my awesome beta Sharon and Diane. It has been ages since they read this chapter and every error you can find here is totally mine. I changed a few lines here and there when I decided to make this story longer.


Close Behind

Chapter One: Intervention

It had been a long shift that had ended a very long week; no gruesome cases but with lots of evidence to process and witnesses and suspects to interview. Catherine hardly remembered when she had last clocked out on time. She checked her watch and sighed. It was almost nine in the morning. She entered the locker room with the only aim to take her things and go out as fast as she could. She was exhausted. She was dreaming of spending her day off in bed when the image of Sara, lost in her thoughts, standing in front of her locker, made her go back to the present.

"Is everything okay?" Catherine asked.

"Huh… yeah, fine. I'm just tired," Sara absently answered.

"Who isn't? I'm dreaming of a relaxing bath and a full day of sleep," Catherine replied as she took her purse and closed her locker. She turned toward her co-worker and stopped to take a better look at her. There were bags under her eyes and she looked distressed, yes, but it was Sara's look that had caught Catherine's attention. Clearly something was worrying her. Catherine briefly debated with herself if she should let it go or press more; then, knowing that Sara was a very private and reserved person, just said, "Okay, then, see you tomorrow night."

"Sure," Sara replied with a forced smile.

Catherine was walking through the doorway when she suddenly turned around.

"Sara, I know I should just mind my business, but you don't look fine to me. Would you like to grab some breakfast together?"

Sara was taken aback by Catherine's offer. She needed so much to get everything off her chest, but at the same time she didn't want to be judged and, above all, not by Catherine, Grissom's best friend and her current boss.

Catherine noticed Sara's deer-in-the-headlights look. She had to come up with something quickly or Sara would hide behind those high walls she tended to build.
"What about something at my place? Pancakes and coffee are my specialties!" Catherine quickly added as a motherly smile cracked her lips.

Catherine's warm smile was more than an invitation. Sara wondered how a smile could convey so much. It broadcast an understanding feeling and a warm sensation. You couldn't say no. It was like that time after the Hank fiasco.

"See you in a few," were Catherine's words before turning and leaving the locker room without waiting for an answer.

Sara stayed there, watching the door closing behind her boss. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea talking to someone.

###

A few minutes later Sara parked in Catherine's driveway, but couldn't get out of her car. She didn't know what would happen once inside. Catherine usually didn't push, but when she decided that an 'intervention' was needed, there was no way to make her change her mind. Sara wasn't ready to talk. Was she scared? There was no reason. It was just Catherine, and she couldn't read her mind. Catherine would know only what Sara would tell her. Sara was in charge.

After this self-convincing speech, Sara walked to her supervisor's door. She rang the bell and waited. Catherine had obviously changed into something more comfortable. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail.

"Hey, come on in," Catherine welcomed Sara; then she led her into the kitchen and took a seat at the already set table.

"Coffee?" Catherine asked.

"Sure, thanks."

Catherine made small talk during breakfast and Sara quickly relaxed, but as the ending of breakfast approached, Sara was getting nervous again. She knew her supervisor wasn't famous for beating around the bush.

Catherine rinsed the dishes in the sink and put them into the dishwasher, then looked at Sara. She could tell the woman was pondering what to do.
"It's a nice day. What about a coffee in the backyard?" Catherine asked, giving Sara more time.

"Yeah, sure."

Catherine refilled their cups, handed Sara hers and walked toward the door to the garden with Sara close behind. They sat on the chaise lounges on the patio.

"I have to call the guy who cleans the pool," Catherine said as she put her mug on the floor. "Lindsey will be home in two weeks and I'm sure she'll love taking a swim in this heat. With her away, I even forget there is a pool in my backyard."

Sara was listening to Catherine as she sipped her coffee. She knew Catherine was giving her time to talk whenever she would be ready. She took a deep breath and tried to relax leaning against the back of the chair as she savored the warming sensation of the sun on her skin.

"It's the first time it's just the two of us here," Sara realized.

Catherine nodded before taking a sip from her coffee.

"It's nice. Thank you," Sara said as she turned to Catherine.

"You're welcome." Catherine's warming smile was there again.

"I thought Vartann would be here," Sara said, trying to change the subject to hide her discomfort.

Catherine smiled and lightly shook her head as she said, "No, it's a while since he has been here. Actually, I don't know where we are. But it's okay."

"Oh… I'm sorry. I'd say it's not a great time for us women on 'grave'…"

Catherine smiled. She had suspected Sara's troubles were something concerning Gil, but with Sara you could never say. "Definitely." And they laughed together.

"How is Gil? I haven't heard from him lately," Catherine casually asked as she laid her cup of coffee on the floor again. It was her way to help Sara open up. She knew Grissom was 'the problem', but she wanted to hear Sara say it.

"Uhm, fine. He's still busy in Peru. They even asked him to take part to a new study financed by the European Union. It should start next month."

"No need to say he accepted, right?"

"You know him. He was like a kid on Christmas morning!"

"And you? How do you feel about it?" Catherine asked as she focused her eyes on Sara.

"Me? How I feel… well, let's see… I'm proud, happy for him and… alone," Sara said as she embraced herself. The warm sun was suddenly not enough. She felt her sight blurring. She turned her head to Catherine. "I miss him."

"Oh, honey…" Catherine put her hand on Sara's. She had to restrain herself from hugging the woman. Sara wasn't as welcoming about displaying of emotions as Catherine. She wanted to comfort her friend-yes, her friend. Somewhere along the road their working relationship turned into friendship even if they weren't exactly aware of it happening. And the fact that Sara had become Grissom's wife didn't hurt.

Catherine saw that there was something between Gil and Sara from the beginning, but she hadn't seen them getting together. Her antisocial friend and that closed up young woman wouldn't have risked anything to follow their heart. Or this was what Catherine had thought, being obviously wrong. She didn't notice when they got together, probably because she was too self-absorbed to notice. Sam's death, her mother, Lindsay… too many things were going on in her life to worry about her friend's love life.

Sara slowly turned her head toward Catherine; sadness and uncertainty were easy to read on her.

"You know, everything started with the case at the Gilbert Foundation. Meeting Gil's mother and his ex-lover has set me out. Betty was judging me without even knowing who I was. I shouldn't have put too much into it, I know, but it made me think. There is so much I don't know about his past… I'm sure even you know more about him than I do!"

"Sara, Grissom and I have been friends for a long time. When you spend more than fifteen years of your life working close with someone, you're bound to get to know each other at least a bit. But if it can help you, I've never had access to his inner thoughts. And I can't say that I didn't try. I love him, but sometimes I can't get him. He can be really annoying. I can't understand how a woman in her sane mind could freely decide to marry him. You have all my respect!" Catherine smiled as she read understanding on Sara's face. Then Catherine continued, "You know, back at the beginning he really pissed me off. I've always been good at reading people, but he was a lost cause. I had to admit my defeat."

Heartened by another smile stolen from her coworker, Catherine felt brave enough to add, "I knew there was something between you two. I even tried to get his head out of his ass, but he needs his own time. You can't force Gil into anything."

"Yeah, don't tell me that!" Sara sighed. "I know we have something special. We are two lonely persons. We need our space. We created our little world, or I had convinced myself we did. People couldn't understand us. It seems childish, I know."

"Maybe you're both a bit 'childish' about your relationship. You are good for each other. You don't have to look for acceptance from the outside. If what you have is good for you two, then screw the world," Catherine said.

"That was my idea, but Betty, the case, and even Hodges made me think. And it shouldn't have happened. If I was so sure of our relationship, I wouldn't doubt our arrangements. Instead I started to feel insecure about our feelings. I needed reassurance from Gil, a hug, hell… even sex. I was planning when I could take a leave from work when he called me. I was so happy. And he told me he would stay in France for another year. He didn't ask for my opinion and he had already accepted. Married people don't do that, do they?"

"Oh, Sara, it's Grissom we're talking about. I think you knew what you signed for when you married him. Gil is a great friend, but is a 'social inept' as I liked to think of him. I'm sure he didn't ignore you when he made his decision; he just didn't realize he was married. You have your ménage, and it works for you; you have strong feelings for each other, and I know he loves you. But Gil has a mind of his own. He works differently than most of us. He is a good man, but he's like a child sometimes. He has that flame to study everything that burns in him. I wouldn't be surprised if he approached even your relationship with a scientific method," Catherine said as a warm smile ended her speech.

Sara rolled her eyes at Catherine's last words. She knew very well how dealing with her husband could be frustrating, but, truth to be said, she wasn't a piece of cake either.

"Did you have plans for tonight?" Catherine's voice interrupted Sara's musing.

"No, why?"

"What about a girls' night out? Dinner at the Bellagio? My treat. Sometimes we need to take care of ourselves," Catherine smirked knowingly.

Sara couldn't help a smile. And to her surprise, her smile was genuine. It came from inside and reached her eyes. Maybe what they had kept telling her since her childhood was right-talking could help.

#

Catherine closed her front door behind Sara and sprinted to her study. Sara would be there again around seven to spend their night together. She needed to catch at least a few hours of sleep if she wanted to be of any help, but first of all she had to call that ass of her friend. If she was lucky, maybe she could reach him on his cell phone, otherwise she would have to wait till night to reach him online. She dialed the number and waited. It rang. Good sign.

"Hallo?" Grissom's voice answered.

"Hi, Gil," Catherine coldly greeted him.

"Catherine! How are you? And Lindsey?" Grissom asked not noticing Catherine's icy tone.

"Fine, we're fine."

"Is everything okay? Why are you calling at this hour?" Gil said as he noticed the bitterness of her friend.

"I talked to Sara."

"Is she okay? Did something happen to her?" Gil's alarmed voice reached Catherine's ear.

"Nothing happened, but I suggest you to take the first flight available and get your ass here, or I'll personally come to drag you here. I'm not kidding, Gil."

"But is she okay? Is she hurt or something?" Catherine was doing nothing to reassure her friend and he was quickly losing it.

"She's not hurt but she's not okay, Gil," Catherine said as she rolled her eyes. "When is the last time you actually listened to her? You married her, not your bugs! She needs you….now! People talk and listen to each other, and when they have to make important decisions they consult, above all if they are married! I swear, if you were here I would strangle you! When is the last time you told her you love her?"

"I don't know, we aren't like that… she knows I love her."

"Sometimes even she needs to hear the words, above all after dealing with your mother, your ex-lover, and all the thoughts that you know she can't stay away from."

"What I should do?"

"Don't send her a plant! Come here as soon as you can. Let me know when you arrive and I'll pick you up at the airport. Bye."

"Bye, and thanks, Catherine."

"You're welcome. How you've managed until now is a mystery to me."