Disclaimer: If I owned them, I wouldn't be writing this.
Author's Notes: So, as many people who follow my writings know, I am addicted to writing fics about how Grissom and Sara finally start dating. So, I clear my mind of everything I know and I pick a point in history where I can write a fic about how it all started. I haven't written in a really long time, so please forgive my rustiness. For this to work it would have to be set between season 3 and 4 and then follows my own AU. Hope you enjoy. This will probably be yet another long-winded fic with many chapters so please read a review. Thanks!
For the fifth time in the last ten minutes, Catherine nearly stormed into his office. "Grissom, what the hell? You're making us late!"
His internal struggle with the events of the night to come was making his blood pressure rise and rendering his hands nearly useless in the task of tying the bowtie around his neck. He had no desire to accept any award or go to any fancy dinner just for doing his job no matter how good it looked for the lab.
That had been the excuse he had been given by not only the under sheriff, but also the sheriff upon stating that he did not need to be there to accept the award. One of his team members could accept it. It was the entire team that had solved the case, not just himself. But no matter what he said, he had lost.
So now he stood in his office attempting to tie his bowtie to go to an expensive dinner with his entire team rather than continuing to work on the caseload that grew every day. And on top of his aggravation, Catherine stood in her dress, tapping her high-heeled shoe at him.
"You know, Catherine, I can drive myself if you don't want to wait."
She threw her arms out. "Right and then the sheriff will have my ass when you don't show up. No way, Grissom! Right now. Let's go!"
Of course, she was right. Left there alone he would find some way to avoid going to the dinner at all. He let his hands fall to his sides, giving up on the bowtie with a shrug. "Okay, I'm ready."
"Finally! Let's go!"
He actually chuckled as he followed Catherine to the car. When they got to the car though, he found it empty. "Where is everyone else?"
Flashing him a 'duh' look as she climbed into the passenger's seat, "They all left, Grissom. We're late because of you! Now drive."
When they arrived, Catherine went ahead of him in search of the team while he hung back, stopping at the bar. He managed to find a space at the end of the bar without being noticed by anyone and ordered a scotch. He had been there nearly ten minutes before he felt a presence beside him.
He glanced to his left and found Sara invading his three feet of personal space. "I'm supposed to bring you to our table."
"Hello to you as well, Sara. Can I get you a drink?"
She crossed her arms. "You know, I don't like this any more than you do. I have work to do. So you're coming to the table to suffer with me."
Seemingly ignoring her, he turned to the bartender. "She'll have a gin and tonic."
She raised an eyebrow at his choice, glad that he hadn't ordered her some fruity drink, but wondered just how he knew. Her arms were still crossed when he tried to hand her the drink he'd ordered. But with a smirk she reached past the drink and straight for the bowtie around his neck. His face immediately started turning shades of red while she fiddled with the material that he couldn't seem to get right himself.
When she finished and took her drink he cleared his throat a half dozen times before allowing himself to speak. But even then, he stuttered and his voice was scratchy. "I tried…umm…that was…uh…thank you."
She laughed inside her head, wondering how he was still nervous around her after all the years they'd known each other. Silently, she turned and glanced over her shoulder to make sure he was following.
The trip to their table turned out to be incredibly long as nearly every person stopped them once he was recognized and he had to introduce Sara and have idle chitchat with over a dozen people. Finally, when his brain couldn't take another round of small talk, he placed his hand on the small of Sara's back and excused them to their table.
Surrounded by his team once again, the tension started to ease. Although he didn't participate in any of the personal discussions going on around him, he listened, content. It wasn't until the announcement that dinner would be served soon was made and Sara moved away that he realized he'd never removed his hand from her back.
He felt the heat rise in his face as he took his seat. He contemplated apologizing, but then thought she might be offended. She hadn't moved away and she hadn't seemed uncomfortable. His internal struggle rose, trying to figure out the right thing to do. He wasn't good at this; at least not with her. She made him nervous by her mere presence and proximity to him.
His thoughts were interrupted once the soup was served and he noticed Sara engaged herself in conversation with the rest of the team. Perhaps she hadn't even noticed his hand was there. He tried to focus on eating his meal, but couldn't help but pay attention to the woman beside him. She had barely touched the soup, eating some bread to seem like she was actually eating dinner and now her entrée was in front of her and she seemed to avoid that as well.
His brain moved a mile a minute, trying to decide whether it was his fault that she had lost her appetite. But in the moment he had decided he would ask her if something was wrong, a light went off in his head. Excusing himself from the table, he was proud of his next move.
Upon returning the table, he resumed eating his meal and minutes later a waiter showed up at the table to exchange Sara's plate with a large salad. The soup had been chicken noodle and the entrée was prime rib. She wasn't eating because she didn't eat meat. The shock on her face when her meal was changed was evident to him, but the rest of the team made idle conversation about the waiter finally remembering a request they assumed Sara had made earlier.
The rest of dinner was uneventful and soon the award was given. Grissom gave his speech, short but appropriate and the room began to buzz when the music started playing and couples began dancing. Catherine and Warrick quickly made their way to the crowd and Nick searched out a girl he knew for a dance partner as well. He and Sara were left at the table, his mind reeling with thoughts of asking her to dance.
Dancing was not his forte. He had two proverbial left feet and would quite possibly embarrass himself with her. But his decision was cut short when Hank showed up at the table and asked Sara to dance. She flashed Grissom a look that he thought might have been a plea to save her, but accepted the invitation anyway.
Never taking his eyes off of the couple, he made his way back to the bar cursing himself for not driving himself so he could just leave when he wanted to. As he sipped his double scotch, he watched the hand Hank held at Sara's back, wondering just why he had to be the EMT that had worked on this particular case.
They moved together with grace, seemingly having danced before while they were dating. But Hank had hurt Sara. For a moment he wondered if there had been a man in Sara's life who hadn't hurt her. Hank was the only man he'd known Sara to date and he'd cheated on her. And even though Grissom had turned down her dinner invitation, he still cared for her in a way that even he didn't understand.
Emotions were confusing to him. Science was definite. Evidence was definite. The most complex experiment he could find a solution to, but a relationship was an equation he just couldn't balance.
Hank leaned in closer to Sara, his face nearly touching her makeup free face and whispered something in her ear. Grissom watched the young EMT's lips closely and cursed in his head when they turned after only a couple words. But the next sequence of events helped him to understand the nature of what was said. After a short struggle and Hank trying to restrain her, Sara gave one good shove and turned to nearly run out of the room.
Grissom never paused, his adrenaline and anger getting the best of him. It seemed like he only took a few steps to get to Hank, grabbed him by the elbow and led him from the room. They only just made it out the doors, out of the view of the crowd when Grissom jerked the young man into the wall.
Keeping his voice in check was harder than he'd ever thought it would be. His voice came out in a deep growl. "What did you say to her?"
With a cocky attitude, "Get away from me old man."
Instead, Grissom took a step closer. "Listen you punk, you're gonna tell me what you said after 'Remember when we…' that made her run out of the room either willingly or in an interrogation room. Your choice."
His voice shook with nervousness, "How'd you know what I started to say?"
Grissom's anger was getting the best of him and his voice was getting louder. "You don't get to cheat on a lady and then make a move on her, you asshole. So we're gonna make a deal here. You never so much as EVER set an eye on her and I won't find a way to kick your ass and bury your body where no one will find you." He took one more step and his voice deepened to a very serious, calm tone. "I will kill you if you ever hurt her again. And I won't get caught. Do we understand each other?"
Hank nodded with wide eyes and Grissom backed away. "No get the hell out of my sight." Grissom pointed into the crowed room, signaling for Hank to not even think of following Sara out the door.
It took a few moments for his nerves to calm before he headed out the door himself to find Sara.