Title: Follow the Love
Author: CSI-Sleuth
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Grissom attends his cousins wedding and meets a friend of the bride. G/S U/R/ST.
Spoilers: Various innocuous references up through season two.
Disclaimer: Grissom and Sara don't belong to me, but they do belong to each other and to CBS et al. I'm just borrowing them. As for the Daniels', sure I created them, but I'm glad they're Grissom's family and not mine.
Feedback: Sure. Just be kind.
Archival: Not a problem. Just tell me where.
Authors Note: My niece gets married next weekend and my muse started wondering what Grissom would do at a family wedding. In fact, my brother called from Idaho with last minute wedding info just as I was finishing this piece. I suppose that means something.
Grissom was running late. A case came in two hours before the end of shift and he'd had to handle it alone. Nick and Catherine were working a 419 at a hotel off the strip while Warrick was hot on the trail of a serial rapist. He would have taken Sara with him but she'd asked for a few days off and was adamant about not being called in during her vacation. That was quite unlike her but he was glad she was doing something outside of work. So Grissom worked it alone. It was just a simple robbery, but it was in a casino gift shop. It had been a long time since he'd dusted and lifted quite so many prints without the help of his staff.
Two hours after his shift ended he dropped off the pile of lifted prints in the print lab, cleared some paperwork from his desk and headed to his car. If he was lucky, he'd have just enough time for the drive to San Francisco and to change into his suit at the hotel. His cousin would kill him if he missed his wedding. Grissom's extended family didn't extend very far and Glen was counting on his favorite cousin being there. Grissom didn't know anything about the woman Glen was marrying, just that they'd met in the course of his job with the District Attorney's office. It didn't really matter to him who Glen married, just as long as he was happy.
Grissom was still trying to catch his breath as he took his place on the outside end of the groom's family pew shortly before the wedding party started down the aisle. He took a couple of deep breaths and watched as the flower girl and ring bearer skipped and tripped to the front where Glen had taken his place with his best man and two groomsmen by his side. Gil met Glen's eyes with a smile and quickly signed "Congratulations." Glen nodded in thanks. As the first bridesmaid took her place in the front Grissom turned in his seat, put his arm on the back of the pew, and looked back down the aisle.
If Catherine had been next to him he would have heard "close your mouth" as it had involuntarily dropped open when he saw the next bridesmaid. She was a vision of beauty, gracefully gliding down the aisle. The strapless tea length, purple silk dress was stunning on her slight frame. Her hair was swept up and adorned with lavender flowers and her gap toothed smile went straight to his heart. God she was beautiful. But Sara was on vacation. What was she doing at his cousin's wedding? Better question, what was she doing in his cousin's wedding?
His eyes followed her as she walked to the front and took her place. It was only when she turned to watch the maid of honor approach that she saw him. Grissom's mouth had changed from open to one of his quirky smiles as he just stared at her with questioning eyes. It was difficult to not show the shock she felt as she stared right back at him. Behind her eyes her mind was processing the scene before her. What was Grissom doing at her friends wedding? Better question, why was he sitting in the front row with the groom's family?
It looked like he was wearing the same dark suit he wore to the former chiefs funeral but today he had on a dark grey shirt and purple tie. Sara thought about that. Grissom in purple? Someone must have told him the color scheme of the wedding. That would be just like him to blend in. Why hadn't he said anything about coming to San Fran this weekend? Their smiles and questioning gazes were interrupted by the strains of the organist pounding out the Wedding March. When the bride's mother stood it cued all the others in the church, including Grissom, to stand and turn. He had to take his eyes off of Sara to watch as the bride and her father approached his cousin.
Glen had noticed the look on Gil's face when Samantha's friend Sara walked down the aisle. He briefly wondered what that was all about before he saw his beautiful bride at the back of the church and his thoughts went elsewhere.
While Samantha and Glen listened to the minister and repeated their vows, Gil had only to divert his eyes just past Samantha to see Sara. If you asked him later he wouldn't be able to tell you a single word of what the minister said, what songs were sung or if the ring bearer had dropped the ring. The only thing he saw during the entire ceremony was Sara and his thoughts of her consumed him. Only when the minister said, "you may kiss the bride" was Grissom aware of his surroundings. As he watched Glen and Samantha kiss he ran his tongue lightly over his lips and silently wished it was him up there with Sara.
Sara could feel Grissom's stare as she watched Samantha and Glen throughout the ceremony. As much as she wanted to turn and look at Grissom, as a bridesmaid she was sort of obligated to pay attention to what the bride and groom were doing. When Glen and Samantha kissed, Sara stole a glance at Grissom and she wasn't sure but she thought she saw him licking his lips. The recessional music started, Sara took the arm of a groomsman and followed Samantha and Glen out of the church. They were ushered into waiting limos which took them to a park for some photos. Grissom and the rest of the guests were requested to make their way to the reception being held in the same hotel where Grissom had earlier changed into his suit and purple tie.
His first stop at the reception was the open bar. He'd been up for nearly twenty-four hours and hadn't had the chance to stop for food on the drive. If he didn't take it easy with the alcohol he'd be passed out in a hurry. As good as a few quick shots sounded, he opted for a glass of water. He'd need a clear head when he saw Sara again. Waiters passed through the ballroom with mini quiche, calamari and what looked like fish sticks but turned out to be fried cheese. Grissom glanced across the room and saw his aunt and uncle with the bride's mother and father. He tossed his dirty napkin on an empty serving tray and headed over to greet his family.
His aunt saw him first and took him into her arms for a crushing hug, "Gil it's so good to see you. Glen was so worried you wouldn't make it. He knows all too well the things that can come up at the last minute. How was your drive? Did you get caught in that rainstorm? Do you have a girlfriend yet? Samantha has a friend you might like. You do want to find someone don't you?"
Grissom didn't know if he was expected to answer any or all of those questions, but his uncle stepped in, shook his hand and in a conspiratorial tone said, "Don't you worry about your aunt. She's been going non-stop all week. I think as soon as this shindig is over she's gonna collapse and sleep for days. You have 'til at least Christmas to answer her questions."
Gil just smiled. His uncle's firm handshake had calmed his nerves a little and he was about to thank him when he heard his aunt say, "Oh look, there she is now. Come here dear I want you to meet someone."
Gil's aunt had a firm grip on his right arm and was leading him across the ballroom to where the wedding party, absent the bride and groom, had entered. "Sara, Sara! Dear, it was so nice to meet you at the rehearsal yesterday. I noticed you came alone to the dinner last night so I want to introduce you to my nephew."
Sara missed half of what Mrs. Daniels had said as she finished a conversation with the wedding coordinator learning what she was expected to do next and when. When she looked up there was Glen's mom with Grissom in tow saying something about her nephew.
"Sara, this is my nephew Gil. Gil, this is Sara. You live in Las Vegas right? That's where Gil lives. Maybe you two can get together some time."
Gil and Sara just looked at each other and smiled. "Aunt Mae, Sara and I have already met. In fact, I see her almost every day."
"But how could you? Las Vegas is such a big town with all those tourists running around. Really, it's just not possible." Mae was having none of this. She would be the one responsible for introducing them.
It was Sara's turn to chime in, "Actually Mrs. Daniels, your nephew's right. We do see each other a lot. We work together."
Gil turned to his aunt and simply said, "I'm her boss."
"Well, I'll be. What a small world this is. Why I'll just leave you two to talk. I see someone over there I haven't seen in ages." And with that Mae Daniels was off and Grissom breathed a sigh of relief as he watched his mother's younger sister walk away. Before Grissom could turn to speak to Sara the bandleader asked for everyone's attention to be directed to the main doors in the back of the room. "And now ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Mr. and Mrs. Glen Daniels as they dance together for the first time as husband and wife." The guests in the ballroom clapped, cheered and whistled. Glen and Samantha made their way through the parting crowd to the dance floor. The band started playing and the bride and groom began their dance.
As the band started their second tune, the bandleader asked the bride and groom's parents to join their son and daughter on the dance floor. A few minutes later the entire wedding party was asked to join in. Sara's groomsman escort found her and led her to the dance floor. Grissom still hadn't said a word to Sara. When the guests were asked to dance with the wedding party, Grissom took the bandleader at his word. He made his way through the dancing couples and with his right hand tapped Sara's partner on the shoulder. When the man turned towards the tap, Grissom politely asked to cut in. The man moved aside and Grissom stood in front on Sara. At first he just stared. Then he smiled. Fortunately she smiled back. Slowly he placed his left hand on her waist and took her left hand in his right and began to lead her around the dance floor.
Sara was a little surprised at how good a dancer he was. She'd heard about his initial trouble on the ice rink and just assumed he wasn't very graceful. There were so many things she wanted to learn about this man. A new song began that was even slower than the last and their bodies naturally moved closer together with Grissom's left arm almost encircling her waist and Sara's head just about resting on Grissom's shoulder.
Grissom decided to say what he'd been thinking since he first saw her in the church and whispered in her ear, "Sara, you look beautiful."
Since she couldn't see his face, she gently squeezed his hand and said, "Thank you." They danced a few more measures and she added, "You look quite handsome yourself." She could hear the smile on his face as he said, "Thank you."
Grissom continued speaking into her ear, "So you know why I'm here. Why are you here and how did you end up a bridesmaid?"
"I'm not one of your suspect's Grissom," Sara replied.
"I know that. I'm just curious,' he said with some hesitation.
Sara decided to satisfy his curiosity. "Samantha and I met when I worked for CSI here in San Francisco. She's a homicide detective. Cases brought us together all the time. Sometimes at the end of shift we'd go get something to eat, go shopping, that sort of thing. Along the way we became friends. Sort of like the friendship you and Brass have."
Grissom pulled back a little and looked into Sara's eyes, "Do you miss San Francisco and your friends here? I mean, I haven't seen you strike up a friendship with anyone in Vegas."
Sara thought for a moment, dropped her eyes so she wouldn't have to look into Grissom's and slowly tried to explain, "Some, I guess. I just, I don't know. It's hard for me to open up to new people, especially when I came in like Internal Affairs. But, I have a few friends in Vegas."
Gil moved his right hand, still clasped in her left, and used it to lift her chin so he could see her eyes and with all the tenderness he could muster said, "I hope I'm one of them."
She looked into his blue eyes that seemed even brighter offset by the purple tie and softly said, "You are."
Suddenly, the band kicked it into high gear and Grissom felt very out of place. Besides, he was still starving. Those little quiches just didn't fill him up. He saw that Glen and Samantha had a plate of food in front of them and led Sara off the dance floor in search of something more substantive to eat. "Come on, I'm hungry."
Sara was supposed to sit at the main table with the wedding party and Gil's place was with the groom's parents. But somehow things got mixed up and Gil and Sara ended up sitting next to each other at a table filled with Glen and Samantha's co-workers from the Police Department and District Attorney's office. For the next hour or so they were involved in different conversations about the bride and groom and their own jobs in Vegas. They discussed cases and found some patterns that would require follow-up between the departments. By the time dinner was over Gil had handed out his card to everyone at the table and had promised to help them out with some bug analysis. Every so often people would tap on their glasses and Glen and Samantha would kiss. Then the toasts began, followed by the cake cutting and more dancing. Sara had been asked by the wedding coordinator to do something. Gil wasn't quite sure what. All he knew was Sara was no longer sitting next to him and he felt very lonely. He quietly excused himself from the table.
She found him out on the balcony. "There you are. What are you doing out here?"
Grissom turned from the view of San Francisco when he heard her voice. "Just needed some air. Besides, I envisioned Aunt Mae insisting I stand in front when it was time for Glen to throw the garter."
"Well, you'd be right on that one. She practically dragged me across the room for the bouquet toss." Sara wrapped her arms across her chest as she stood to Grissom's right and looked at the lights of San Francisco.
"You're not holding any flowers so she must not have succeeded," Grissom replied.
Sara laughed slightly, "Believe it or not, the bouquet was headed right for me when out of nowhere this chick practically dove for it. I decided it was a good time to leave."
Grissom looked at Sara and with his right hand lightly brushed her left arm. She turned slightly to face him. "You look beautiful tonight."
She smiled. "You already said that." She reached over with her right hand to cover his.
"I really mean it." Grissom reached out and put his hands on Sara's arms intending to say something more meaningful when he noticed the chill on her bare arms. "Sara you're freezing." Grissom took off his suit coat and wrapped it around her shoulders.
"Thanks Gris. You really didn't have," before she finished she heard Samantha's voice, "Glen, honey, here they are. Out here on the balcony." Samantha and Glen walked across the balcony and joined Sara and Grissom at the railing. "Sara, I've been looking all over for you. Glen's been dying to introduce the both of us to his cousin," she paused for a moment and with a suspicious look in her eyes said, "but, I see you've already met."
Glen looked at his cousin and then turned to his wife. "Samantha, I'd like you to meet my cousin Gil Grissom. Gil, this is my wife Samantha. Samantha Daniels." Glen smiled when he said her name. It sounded so good. "Mom told me you two worked together. How come you never said anything?"
Samantha looked at Sara, "Wait a minute. This is Gris? That guy you're always telling me about?" Gil turned his questioning eyes to Sara waiting for her response with a slight smirk on his face. Sara was glad it was dark out because she was sure her face had just turned a deep shade of red. With her eyes she begged Samantha to stop. "Sara, girlfriend. Let's go over there and talk." Samantha reached under Grissom's suit coat, grabbed Sara's arm and pulled her to the other end of the balcony.
Glen turned to his cousin, "Anything you want to tell me Gil?"
Gil took the half-full champagne glass out of Glen's hand and downed it in one swallow. "There's not much to tell. She's an intelligent, dedicated woman who happens to work for me." He turned back to look at the city lights and leaned on the railing. Just loud enough for Glen to hear, Grissom continued with "I think she's beautiful and I think I'm falling in love."
Glen leaned on the railing next to his cousin. "So what are you going to do about that?"
He took a deep breath and quietly said, "Follow the love."
Glen was about to ask his cousin what he meant when they heard the women returning. Samantha had a triumphant look on her face while Sara had that same look she had at the hockey rink when they were told the difference between boyfriend and husband material.
Samantha hooked her hand through Glen's arm. With a smile she said, "Glen, I think it's time for us to go back inside and say goodbye to our guests. It was very nice to meet you Gil. You'll have to come back and visit us after we get settled. Maybe you could come back up with Sara for the 4th of July. She and I have spent it in the city for years and we always watch the fireworks from my father's boat. We could make it a foursome."
He glanced over at Sara and said, "Uhm, yeah, that would be great." Gil couldn't read Sara's expression. He'd never been really good at reading her thoughts if it didn't have to do with a case and he really wanted to, no needed to, right now. He looked back over at Glen and Samantha. Glen just shrugged his shoulders as his new wife propelled him back into the ballroom leaving Gil and Sara alone on the balcony.
Searching for some answers Gil asked, "So what did you two talk about over there?"
"Wouldn't you like to know," Sara said as she pulled Gil's jacket tighter around her . "Don't give me that look. You should know better than to even ask that question."
Grissom put out his arms palms up, "What? I can't even ask?"
Incredulously, Sara replied, "No."
The loud cheering of the guests in the ballroom diverted Gil and Sara's attention. "Looks like they're leaving," Grissom said to Sara. "Maybe we should go too before you freeze."
"Probably a good idea." Sara replied.
Together they walked back into the ballroom, both of them aware of the many things still unspoken between them. An awkward moment passed before Sara asked, "will you walk me to my room?"
Gil just looked at her. "You're staying here, in this hotel?" Sara just nodded. "Sure, I mean, yeah, I'll walk you to your room." He gently placed his hand at the small of Sara's back and guided her through the remaining guests to the hotel elevator. Sara loved how his hand felt on her. When she pressed the button for the 17th floor Gil was a little surprised. He followed Sara off the elevator. First she turned to the left and at the "T" intersection made a right. One door past Grissom's own she stopped. Grissom stood just behind her in front of the door. Sara turned to face him. "Well, this is me. Thanks for the escort."
That was silly Sara; just do what you really want to do, she thought to herself. With her left hand she grabbed his tie. Her right hand caressed his cheek as she placed it behind his neck and pulled him closer. Their eyes met as she hesitantly kissed him on the lips. At first Grissom was too stunned to do anything. Then he realized his thoughts from the wedding ceremony were coming true and he remembered what he'd just told his cousin. He reached out and put his hands on Sara's waist and pulled her to him. He responded with the kiss he'd been saving just for her. One of his hands slowly made his way to the middle of her back while the other rested a bit lower. Both of them fervently pulling her even closer. Sara let go of Gil's tie and slid her hand down to his waistline. She tucked her thumb behind his belt and then ran her thumb along his waistline to the small of his back. Their kiss finally broke off and they looked into each other's eyes. Both of them wanting what they shouldn't and both unsure what to do about it. In a quiet voice Sara finally said, "Why don't you come in."
Without hesitation Gil just nodded. Sara reached for the card key in her purse and turned to open the door. Gil leaned into her and put his arms around her, clasping them in front as she fumbled with the handle. "You sure?" he whispered in her ear. Gil could feel Sara's nodded reply. He bent his head to kiss the back of her neck. When the door finally opened Grissom carefully lifted Sara off the ground and carried her into the room. As the door shut behind them they heard his Aunt Mae in the hallway, "Honey, wasn't that Gil and Sara?" Her husband replied, "No dear. Now let's get some sleep."
Author: CSI-Sleuth
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Grissom attends his cousins wedding and meets a friend of the bride. G/S U/R/ST.
Spoilers: Various innocuous references up through season two.
Disclaimer: Grissom and Sara don't belong to me, but they do belong to each other and to CBS et al. I'm just borrowing them. As for the Daniels', sure I created them, but I'm glad they're Grissom's family and not mine.
Feedback: Sure. Just be kind.
Archival: Not a problem. Just tell me where.
Authors Note: My niece gets married next weekend and my muse started wondering what Grissom would do at a family wedding. In fact, my brother called from Idaho with last minute wedding info just as I was finishing this piece. I suppose that means something.
Grissom was running late. A case came in two hours before the end of shift and he'd had to handle it alone. Nick and Catherine were working a 419 at a hotel off the strip while Warrick was hot on the trail of a serial rapist. He would have taken Sara with him but she'd asked for a few days off and was adamant about not being called in during her vacation. That was quite unlike her but he was glad she was doing something outside of work. So Grissom worked it alone. It was just a simple robbery, but it was in a casino gift shop. It had been a long time since he'd dusted and lifted quite so many prints without the help of his staff.
Two hours after his shift ended he dropped off the pile of lifted prints in the print lab, cleared some paperwork from his desk and headed to his car. If he was lucky, he'd have just enough time for the drive to San Francisco and to change into his suit at the hotel. His cousin would kill him if he missed his wedding. Grissom's extended family didn't extend very far and Glen was counting on his favorite cousin being there. Grissom didn't know anything about the woman Glen was marrying, just that they'd met in the course of his job with the District Attorney's office. It didn't really matter to him who Glen married, just as long as he was happy.
Grissom was still trying to catch his breath as he took his place on the outside end of the groom's family pew shortly before the wedding party started down the aisle. He took a couple of deep breaths and watched as the flower girl and ring bearer skipped and tripped to the front where Glen had taken his place with his best man and two groomsmen by his side. Gil met Glen's eyes with a smile and quickly signed "Congratulations." Glen nodded in thanks. As the first bridesmaid took her place in the front Grissom turned in his seat, put his arm on the back of the pew, and looked back down the aisle.
If Catherine had been next to him he would have heard "close your mouth" as it had involuntarily dropped open when he saw the next bridesmaid. She was a vision of beauty, gracefully gliding down the aisle. The strapless tea length, purple silk dress was stunning on her slight frame. Her hair was swept up and adorned with lavender flowers and her gap toothed smile went straight to his heart. God she was beautiful. But Sara was on vacation. What was she doing at his cousin's wedding? Better question, what was she doing in his cousin's wedding?
His eyes followed her as she walked to the front and took her place. It was only when she turned to watch the maid of honor approach that she saw him. Grissom's mouth had changed from open to one of his quirky smiles as he just stared at her with questioning eyes. It was difficult to not show the shock she felt as she stared right back at him. Behind her eyes her mind was processing the scene before her. What was Grissom doing at her friends wedding? Better question, why was he sitting in the front row with the groom's family?
It looked like he was wearing the same dark suit he wore to the former chiefs funeral but today he had on a dark grey shirt and purple tie. Sara thought about that. Grissom in purple? Someone must have told him the color scheme of the wedding. That would be just like him to blend in. Why hadn't he said anything about coming to San Fran this weekend? Their smiles and questioning gazes were interrupted by the strains of the organist pounding out the Wedding March. When the bride's mother stood it cued all the others in the church, including Grissom, to stand and turn. He had to take his eyes off of Sara to watch as the bride and her father approached his cousin.
Glen had noticed the look on Gil's face when Samantha's friend Sara walked down the aisle. He briefly wondered what that was all about before he saw his beautiful bride at the back of the church and his thoughts went elsewhere.
While Samantha and Glen listened to the minister and repeated their vows, Gil had only to divert his eyes just past Samantha to see Sara. If you asked him later he wouldn't be able to tell you a single word of what the minister said, what songs were sung or if the ring bearer had dropped the ring. The only thing he saw during the entire ceremony was Sara and his thoughts of her consumed him. Only when the minister said, "you may kiss the bride" was Grissom aware of his surroundings. As he watched Glen and Samantha kiss he ran his tongue lightly over his lips and silently wished it was him up there with Sara.
Sara could feel Grissom's stare as she watched Samantha and Glen throughout the ceremony. As much as she wanted to turn and look at Grissom, as a bridesmaid she was sort of obligated to pay attention to what the bride and groom were doing. When Glen and Samantha kissed, Sara stole a glance at Grissom and she wasn't sure but she thought she saw him licking his lips. The recessional music started, Sara took the arm of a groomsman and followed Samantha and Glen out of the church. They were ushered into waiting limos which took them to a park for some photos. Grissom and the rest of the guests were requested to make their way to the reception being held in the same hotel where Grissom had earlier changed into his suit and purple tie.
His first stop at the reception was the open bar. He'd been up for nearly twenty-four hours and hadn't had the chance to stop for food on the drive. If he didn't take it easy with the alcohol he'd be passed out in a hurry. As good as a few quick shots sounded, he opted for a glass of water. He'd need a clear head when he saw Sara again. Waiters passed through the ballroom with mini quiche, calamari and what looked like fish sticks but turned out to be fried cheese. Grissom glanced across the room and saw his aunt and uncle with the bride's mother and father. He tossed his dirty napkin on an empty serving tray and headed over to greet his family.
His aunt saw him first and took him into her arms for a crushing hug, "Gil it's so good to see you. Glen was so worried you wouldn't make it. He knows all too well the things that can come up at the last minute. How was your drive? Did you get caught in that rainstorm? Do you have a girlfriend yet? Samantha has a friend you might like. You do want to find someone don't you?"
Grissom didn't know if he was expected to answer any or all of those questions, but his uncle stepped in, shook his hand and in a conspiratorial tone said, "Don't you worry about your aunt. She's been going non-stop all week. I think as soon as this shindig is over she's gonna collapse and sleep for days. You have 'til at least Christmas to answer her questions."
Gil just smiled. His uncle's firm handshake had calmed his nerves a little and he was about to thank him when he heard his aunt say, "Oh look, there she is now. Come here dear I want you to meet someone."
Gil's aunt had a firm grip on his right arm and was leading him across the ballroom to where the wedding party, absent the bride and groom, had entered. "Sara, Sara! Dear, it was so nice to meet you at the rehearsal yesterday. I noticed you came alone to the dinner last night so I want to introduce you to my nephew."
Sara missed half of what Mrs. Daniels had said as she finished a conversation with the wedding coordinator learning what she was expected to do next and when. When she looked up there was Glen's mom with Grissom in tow saying something about her nephew.
"Sara, this is my nephew Gil. Gil, this is Sara. You live in Las Vegas right? That's where Gil lives. Maybe you two can get together some time."
Gil and Sara just looked at each other and smiled. "Aunt Mae, Sara and I have already met. In fact, I see her almost every day."
"But how could you? Las Vegas is such a big town with all those tourists running around. Really, it's just not possible." Mae was having none of this. She would be the one responsible for introducing them.
It was Sara's turn to chime in, "Actually Mrs. Daniels, your nephew's right. We do see each other a lot. We work together."
Gil turned to his aunt and simply said, "I'm her boss."
"Well, I'll be. What a small world this is. Why I'll just leave you two to talk. I see someone over there I haven't seen in ages." And with that Mae Daniels was off and Grissom breathed a sigh of relief as he watched his mother's younger sister walk away. Before Grissom could turn to speak to Sara the bandleader asked for everyone's attention to be directed to the main doors in the back of the room. "And now ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Mr. and Mrs. Glen Daniels as they dance together for the first time as husband and wife." The guests in the ballroom clapped, cheered and whistled. Glen and Samantha made their way through the parting crowd to the dance floor. The band started playing and the bride and groom began their dance.
As the band started their second tune, the bandleader asked the bride and groom's parents to join their son and daughter on the dance floor. A few minutes later the entire wedding party was asked to join in. Sara's groomsman escort found her and led her to the dance floor. Grissom still hadn't said a word to Sara. When the guests were asked to dance with the wedding party, Grissom took the bandleader at his word. He made his way through the dancing couples and with his right hand tapped Sara's partner on the shoulder. When the man turned towards the tap, Grissom politely asked to cut in. The man moved aside and Grissom stood in front on Sara. At first he just stared. Then he smiled. Fortunately she smiled back. Slowly he placed his left hand on her waist and took her left hand in his right and began to lead her around the dance floor.
Sara was a little surprised at how good a dancer he was. She'd heard about his initial trouble on the ice rink and just assumed he wasn't very graceful. There were so many things she wanted to learn about this man. A new song began that was even slower than the last and their bodies naturally moved closer together with Grissom's left arm almost encircling her waist and Sara's head just about resting on Grissom's shoulder.
Grissom decided to say what he'd been thinking since he first saw her in the church and whispered in her ear, "Sara, you look beautiful."
Since she couldn't see his face, she gently squeezed his hand and said, "Thank you." They danced a few more measures and she added, "You look quite handsome yourself." She could hear the smile on his face as he said, "Thank you."
Grissom continued speaking into her ear, "So you know why I'm here. Why are you here and how did you end up a bridesmaid?"
"I'm not one of your suspect's Grissom," Sara replied.
"I know that. I'm just curious,' he said with some hesitation.
Sara decided to satisfy his curiosity. "Samantha and I met when I worked for CSI here in San Francisco. She's a homicide detective. Cases brought us together all the time. Sometimes at the end of shift we'd go get something to eat, go shopping, that sort of thing. Along the way we became friends. Sort of like the friendship you and Brass have."
Grissom pulled back a little and looked into Sara's eyes, "Do you miss San Francisco and your friends here? I mean, I haven't seen you strike up a friendship with anyone in Vegas."
Sara thought for a moment, dropped her eyes so she wouldn't have to look into Grissom's and slowly tried to explain, "Some, I guess. I just, I don't know. It's hard for me to open up to new people, especially when I came in like Internal Affairs. But, I have a few friends in Vegas."
Gil moved his right hand, still clasped in her left, and used it to lift her chin so he could see her eyes and with all the tenderness he could muster said, "I hope I'm one of them."
She looked into his blue eyes that seemed even brighter offset by the purple tie and softly said, "You are."
Suddenly, the band kicked it into high gear and Grissom felt very out of place. Besides, he was still starving. Those little quiches just didn't fill him up. He saw that Glen and Samantha had a plate of food in front of them and led Sara off the dance floor in search of something more substantive to eat. "Come on, I'm hungry."
Sara was supposed to sit at the main table with the wedding party and Gil's place was with the groom's parents. But somehow things got mixed up and Gil and Sara ended up sitting next to each other at a table filled with Glen and Samantha's co-workers from the Police Department and District Attorney's office. For the next hour or so they were involved in different conversations about the bride and groom and their own jobs in Vegas. They discussed cases and found some patterns that would require follow-up between the departments. By the time dinner was over Gil had handed out his card to everyone at the table and had promised to help them out with some bug analysis. Every so often people would tap on their glasses and Glen and Samantha would kiss. Then the toasts began, followed by the cake cutting and more dancing. Sara had been asked by the wedding coordinator to do something. Gil wasn't quite sure what. All he knew was Sara was no longer sitting next to him and he felt very lonely. He quietly excused himself from the table.
She found him out on the balcony. "There you are. What are you doing out here?"
Grissom turned from the view of San Francisco when he heard her voice. "Just needed some air. Besides, I envisioned Aunt Mae insisting I stand in front when it was time for Glen to throw the garter."
"Well, you'd be right on that one. She practically dragged me across the room for the bouquet toss." Sara wrapped her arms across her chest as she stood to Grissom's right and looked at the lights of San Francisco.
"You're not holding any flowers so she must not have succeeded," Grissom replied.
Sara laughed slightly, "Believe it or not, the bouquet was headed right for me when out of nowhere this chick practically dove for it. I decided it was a good time to leave."
Grissom looked at Sara and with his right hand lightly brushed her left arm. She turned slightly to face him. "You look beautiful tonight."
She smiled. "You already said that." She reached over with her right hand to cover his.
"I really mean it." Grissom reached out and put his hands on Sara's arms intending to say something more meaningful when he noticed the chill on her bare arms. "Sara you're freezing." Grissom took off his suit coat and wrapped it around her shoulders.
"Thanks Gris. You really didn't have," before she finished she heard Samantha's voice, "Glen, honey, here they are. Out here on the balcony." Samantha and Glen walked across the balcony and joined Sara and Grissom at the railing. "Sara, I've been looking all over for you. Glen's been dying to introduce the both of us to his cousin," she paused for a moment and with a suspicious look in her eyes said, "but, I see you've already met."
Glen looked at his cousin and then turned to his wife. "Samantha, I'd like you to meet my cousin Gil Grissom. Gil, this is my wife Samantha. Samantha Daniels." Glen smiled when he said her name. It sounded so good. "Mom told me you two worked together. How come you never said anything?"
Samantha looked at Sara, "Wait a minute. This is Gris? That guy you're always telling me about?" Gil turned his questioning eyes to Sara waiting for her response with a slight smirk on his face. Sara was glad it was dark out because she was sure her face had just turned a deep shade of red. With her eyes she begged Samantha to stop. "Sara, girlfriend. Let's go over there and talk." Samantha reached under Grissom's suit coat, grabbed Sara's arm and pulled her to the other end of the balcony.
Glen turned to his cousin, "Anything you want to tell me Gil?"
Gil took the half-full champagne glass out of Glen's hand and downed it in one swallow. "There's not much to tell. She's an intelligent, dedicated woman who happens to work for me." He turned back to look at the city lights and leaned on the railing. Just loud enough for Glen to hear, Grissom continued with "I think she's beautiful and I think I'm falling in love."
Glen leaned on the railing next to his cousin. "So what are you going to do about that?"
He took a deep breath and quietly said, "Follow the love."
Glen was about to ask his cousin what he meant when they heard the women returning. Samantha had a triumphant look on her face while Sara had that same look she had at the hockey rink when they were told the difference between boyfriend and husband material.
Samantha hooked her hand through Glen's arm. With a smile she said, "Glen, I think it's time for us to go back inside and say goodbye to our guests. It was very nice to meet you Gil. You'll have to come back and visit us after we get settled. Maybe you could come back up with Sara for the 4th of July. She and I have spent it in the city for years and we always watch the fireworks from my father's boat. We could make it a foursome."
He glanced over at Sara and said, "Uhm, yeah, that would be great." Gil couldn't read Sara's expression. He'd never been really good at reading her thoughts if it didn't have to do with a case and he really wanted to, no needed to, right now. He looked back over at Glen and Samantha. Glen just shrugged his shoulders as his new wife propelled him back into the ballroom leaving Gil and Sara alone on the balcony.
Searching for some answers Gil asked, "So what did you two talk about over there?"
"Wouldn't you like to know," Sara said as she pulled Gil's jacket tighter around her . "Don't give me that look. You should know better than to even ask that question."
Grissom put out his arms palms up, "What? I can't even ask?"
Incredulously, Sara replied, "No."
The loud cheering of the guests in the ballroom diverted Gil and Sara's attention. "Looks like they're leaving," Grissom said to Sara. "Maybe we should go too before you freeze."
"Probably a good idea." Sara replied.
Together they walked back into the ballroom, both of them aware of the many things still unspoken between them. An awkward moment passed before Sara asked, "will you walk me to my room?"
Gil just looked at her. "You're staying here, in this hotel?" Sara just nodded. "Sure, I mean, yeah, I'll walk you to your room." He gently placed his hand at the small of Sara's back and guided her through the remaining guests to the hotel elevator. Sara loved how his hand felt on her. When she pressed the button for the 17th floor Gil was a little surprised. He followed Sara off the elevator. First she turned to the left and at the "T" intersection made a right. One door past Grissom's own she stopped. Grissom stood just behind her in front of the door. Sara turned to face him. "Well, this is me. Thanks for the escort."
That was silly Sara; just do what you really want to do, she thought to herself. With her left hand she grabbed his tie. Her right hand caressed his cheek as she placed it behind his neck and pulled him closer. Their eyes met as she hesitantly kissed him on the lips. At first Grissom was too stunned to do anything. Then he realized his thoughts from the wedding ceremony were coming true and he remembered what he'd just told his cousin. He reached out and put his hands on Sara's waist and pulled her to him. He responded with the kiss he'd been saving just for her. One of his hands slowly made his way to the middle of her back while the other rested a bit lower. Both of them fervently pulling her even closer. Sara let go of Gil's tie and slid her hand down to his waistline. She tucked her thumb behind his belt and then ran her thumb along his waistline to the small of his back. Their kiss finally broke off and they looked into each other's eyes. Both of them wanting what they shouldn't and both unsure what to do about it. In a quiet voice Sara finally said, "Why don't you come in."
Without hesitation Gil just nodded. Sara reached for the card key in her purse and turned to open the door. Gil leaned into her and put his arms around her, clasping them in front as she fumbled with the handle. "You sure?" he whispered in her ear. Gil could feel Sara's nodded reply. He bent his head to kiss the back of her neck. When the door finally opened Grissom carefully lifted Sara off the ground and carried her into the room. As the door shut behind them they heard his Aunt Mae in the hallway, "Honey, wasn't that Gil and Sara?" Her husband replied, "No dear. Now let's get some sleep."