"Wait, for real?"
"Yes, Greg. I really don't know how to ride a bike." It was so embarrassing, admitting to Greg that I couldn't do what most 6 year olds can.
"What, the mighty Grissom never taught you?" I shoot him a look. My marriage to Grissom has always been a sore spot between us. "Well, I'll teach you."
"Really?"
"Sure, why not? I have a bike at my place. Let's go after shift."
"Fine, but I swear to god Sanders, if you tell anyone about this…"
"I won't."
"Sara! You and Nick got a 419 at the Tangiers." DB Russell announces. I get up from the break room table.
"Bye, Sar." I head to the locker room where Nick waits. We drive to the Tangiers and quickly discover that the death was a suicide. We head back to the lab and DB let's us know we can go. Greg waits for me in the locker room.
"Short shift?" He asks.
"Yeah, it was a suicide. Must be a friend of the sheriff, no way CSI's were needed. Textbook hanging. You?"
"Wrapped up my case quick. Ex-wife confessed. You ready to go?"
"Why do I have the feeling I'm going to regret this?" He sticks his tongue out at me. "Yeah, I'm ready." We walk to the parking lot.
"Meet you there." He says. We hop in our cars and begin the drive. The ten minutes between the lab and Greg's apartment gives me time to think. I'm not proud to admit the things that fill my brain, things like the cute spikes in Greg's hair, or the way he looks when he's working on a hard case. The way he looked when he fell asleep on the break room couch, the way he shamelessly flirts with me. The fact that he thinks I have a "scent". The way he hugged me when I came back from Paris. Oh, god, Greg. I shake my head, trying to remember I'm married. But it's so hard when I reach Greg's apartment and see him causally leaning against the car. I park in front of the apartment complex. I get out of the car and he smiles.
"Stay here, I'm going to get the bike." He says, and I nod. I grab my phone from my pocket while he gets the bike. 4 missed calls. All from Grissom. I shut down the phone. He is the last person I want to talk to right now. I let my mind drift away as I wait for Greg. He soon comes out, wheeling a large bike. I gulp.
"Wow…that's…big." I'm trying not to sound scared, but it's no easy feat, the bike looks terrifying.
"The great Sara Sidle is scared?" He asks.
"No… I'm just excited." I say, gulping.
"Sure. Oh, here's the helmet. I adjusted it, I think it'll fit." I take the ugly black helmet, holding it by the strap. "So I figure that we can go to a park?"
"Sure." He throws the bike in the trunk of his car, and I get into the drivers seat. Greg gets in the passenger seat and passes me the keys.
"How come you get to drive? It's my car."
"Get over it, Greg." He continues to pout for the entire two minute drive. We get out at a park near a preschool. It's nearly empty, after all, it's 10 o'clock at night on a Monday. I fasten on the ugly helmet as Greg picks the bike up and sets it down on the ground. There's a path running around the play structure, and Greg wheels over to it.
"Okay, so here's what your going to do. Swing your leg over like this," He says, demonstrating, "And then, you need to pedal." He says, and starts to pedal, putting his hands on his head.
"Show off."
"Jealous."
"You wish. So, are you going to let me try?" He hops off. And wheels it over to me.
"You ready?" I nod like I am, while on the inside I'm screaming NO! I grab the handlebars, and swing my legs over. Greg holds onto my shoulders, keeping me steady. Normally, I would shrug him off. But right now, I am incredibly grateful for the steady hands keeping me grounded, preventing me from falling. "Okay, just pedal. You need to just keep moving the second you stop pedaling, you fall. So don't stop." He whispers into my ear. Before I can try to control it, tears are falling down my face. "Sar? Are you okay?"
"No, I'm not okay. God, Greg, I screwed everything up. I can't believe I let myself…" I dismount, and walk over to a park bench. Greg follows and sits next to me.
"I let myself fall in love with him. I worked so, so, so hard to make him love me. And after 6 years, he finally did. And then he stopped trying, and now we're falling." I bury my head into my hands and sob. "I can't believe I ever thought he could love me. I can't believe I thought anyone would love me. God, I was so stupid to think…"
"Sara, stop it. You just don't get it, do you? You shouldn't have to make him love you. You deserve someone who is so completely in love with you that they would do anything for you. You should have someone who would never leave you. He should've never left you. Sara, I'm so in love with you and your in love with him and he's in love with his bugs!" I lift up my head.
"No, I'm not in love with him. I'm in love with you." I lean towards him, and brush my lips against his. I drape my arms around his neck, and he grips my waist, pulling me closer. He then releases his lips from mine.
"Sara, what are we doing?"
"I don't know. But I really like it." I capture his lips again, and slowly kiss him. He moans, and whispers against my lips.
"Don't stop pedaling."
