For Barb8: not sad stuff this time, trust me.
Hope Lisa likes this.
It's yet another Butterflied fic
SPIDERED
Sara came home late that night. She'd been walking around, trying to shake off that feeling of sadness and frustration.
She'd watched as Grissom tried to pry a confession from that doctor and failed. She'd listened as he bared his soul to those strangers; she had stayed outside while he remained in that room, alone and hopeless.
She could only watch, knowing that she was the last person he'd want to see.
Sara was crossing the street when she saw Grissom sitting on the front step of her building, looking as desolate as when he was in the interrogation room. It was eerie.
"Grissom?"
He looked up and, to her amazement, exploded in anger
"There you are, finally! Where the hell were you?"
"Excuse me?"
"I've been sitting for hours on this sidewalk! You didn't have to work tonight, so where were you?"
"I… uh… I was walking around…"
"I see! While I…" he made a visible effort to get up "… was sitting on this damn granite slab! Now I have busted knees and a busted-"
"Grissom?" she interrupted "What are you doing here?"
"If you don't mind, I'd rather talk inside!"
Sara was in the kitchen, brewing some tea and watching Grissom, who kept looking around, unable to just sit. She offered him a cup of tea, and waited for him to talk. Grissom sipped, all traces of anger gone.
"Why didn't you say something?" he finally asked
"Say something, when?"
"When I was in the interrogation room! God, I was so vulnerable, sitting on that chair! Every time someone entered the room I looked up hopefully, but it was either Brass busting my ass for making the case personal, or Catherine, telling me to go home and take some days off!"
"How did you know I was there?"
"You always watch the interrogations. I did my speech, practically bared my soul, all the time thinking that you'd understand and come to me as soon as everybody left! I waited and waited, even though after all those glasses of water Catherine kept giving me, I was-"
"Grissom, I didn't know -"
"And I kept thinking, 'there, the next person to cross that door will be Sara; she'll comfort me…' and then you didn't! I couldn't believe-"
"Grissom?" Sara was getting pissed
"… and when I went outside, you weren't there-"
"WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST ASK ME TO COME IN?"
"You mean, be direct for once in my life?" Grissom asked sheepishly
"YEAH!"
"Uh. Well… that I didn't really think of…"
"For crying out loud, Grissom! I've tried for years, YEARS, to get you to open up to me; I've had to squeeze the life out of the little crumbs of attention you've thrown at me! I've asked you out, I've done everything but forcing a kiss on that mouth of yours; and now you're telling me -"
"That would be nice" he interrupted
"What would be nice?"
"Having you force a kiss on me"
"I… I…" she was confused to say the least
"The truth is, I can't pursue you, Sara. I'd feel like robbing the cradle. I'm fifteen years older than you…"
"Sixteen, actually"
"Thank you. Thank you for reminding me!"
"Grissom… Are you telling me that all I had to do, was to kiss you?"
"No. A week ago I would have freaked out. But after all I've seen these past two days, I was ready to say yes to anything you asked. I thought if you saw me so sad and defeated you'd go in and… maybe ask me out again"
Sara's lips trembled.
"You're a strange man, Grissom"
"I just got an awful lesson, Sara. I want to appreciate life as it happens… live it as it is"
She crossed her arms and tried to look severe.
"And you think that I'll just forget the misery you've put me through, right?"
"I… well, yeah…"
"Not in your life, Grissom. You'll have to make it up to me"
He nodded.
"I'll try, Sara" he stood up.
She came to him and gently caressed his cheek. He closed his eyes, leaning into her hand.
"I love you" she whispered. He looked at her, wide eyed. And scared. He took a deep breath. He tried to speak. He really tried to say something. Finally, the words came out, in a rush.
"Eyegurglovgurlu"
"What did you say?" she gaped
"I… I said I love you!" he mumbled "Damn, it's hard" he shook his head. And when he noticed that Sara was just staring at him, he decided that it was time to be a man of action.
He leant a little and, gently, he kissed her.
***
Sara opened her eyes and found herself sitting on the floor, held in Grissom's arms.
"Whoa" she whispered
"Yeah" Grissom nodded, amazed
"Whoa. Grissom, that was… that was…"
"You're so beautiful"
Oh, God, thought Sara, melting. I think I'll forgive him sooner that I thought. And then she lifted her face for another kiss.