After the Sunset
Disclaimer - I don't own them and, honestly? I don't want to.
Summary - We literally sailed off into the sunset. For such a non-traditional couple, how on earth did we manage this cliche of a cliche? - Post-finale fic.
Note - I thought maybe if I wrote something I could be less annoyed by things. We'll see.
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This was just too much. All of it. We literally sailed off into the sunset. For such a non-traditional couple, how on earth did we manage this cliche of a cliche? I don't have a clue. All I really know is that I want this to work this time; it has to work this time.
"Gil.", I knew I had to break the silence… no matter how much I hated to break the spell we seemed to be under.
He turned to look at me, eyes still smiling, sunset still fading in their reflection. God, I'd missed him. In some ways, I'm still missing him. He must have seen a bit of that residual unsure-ness in my eyes, he slowed the boat down to a crawl and turned his full attention on me. I had definitely missed that.
"Sara…" he started in that very Grissom-y way, I braced for impact...old habits. "I know this isn't what either of us had envisioned." He took one of his hands off the controls and gestured out to sea.
"Well, it's certainly no jungle." I teased, he smiled; this conversation had to be sprinkled with a bit of humor if it was going to continue… neither one of us did well under direct scrutiny.
"I wish it were the jungle. I wish that time travel wasn't just something discussed at academic conferences and in made-for-tv movies. Meeting you there, among the primates and insects, was like a dream." His eyes never left mine, giving me no chance to look away as flashes of that moment he walked up to me appeared in my mind's eye.
"I guess I just need to make sure that this, this 'dream' isn't going to end like that one did." As much as I wanted to, I couldn't let him off the hook on this. This isn't some Lifetime movie, this is our lives.
He looked down, pursing his lips and nodding slowly. I reached out and put my hand on his arm, I needed him to be present. No more retreating into our own personal hells; if we had to face the world and all her troubles again, it would be together.
"I don't know that there are any guarantees. We're just going to have to do this differently, better." He returned his eye contact and placed a hand over mine that was still resting on his arm.
"What? Better than not talking to each other except through lawyers? Blasphemy!" I smiled and his eyes returned the gesture.
"I think that would definitely be a good place to start…" He reached out with his other hand to take mine from inside my pocket. If it wasn't already a ridiculous picture, it certainly was now, with us standing face-to-face, hands-in-hands, as if readying for a helicopter zoom out or something. I laughed at the mental image and he squeezed my hands gently, he got the joke.
"So...Ahab, where are we headed?" I let go of one of his hands and entwined my fingers through his with the other, turning to face the sea once more.
"You know, I think I might have to change this boat's name… Captain Ahab isn't quite as fitting of a nickname anymore." He turned his body to face the same direction, but kept his face pointed towards mine; showcasing that boyish half-grin that rarely seemed to fade these days.
"Isn't it bad luck to rename a boat? I don't think we, of all people, should invoke the wrath of any sea gods…" We'd pissed off enough powers that be in our time as it was.
"We can do some research. I'm sure there are ways around the rulers of the ships. And, as to your original question… I was thinking…" He started in that same way he did that day with the bees. Those darn, somehow loveable bees. I don't think I was able to quite get the look of panic off of my face before I turned to face him again.
"Oh..no! I mean...we could...it's really up to you on that.. I just meant.." Fumbling Grissom happened to be one of my favorite Grissoms. I put a hand up and smiled to silence him. He sighed and smiled in return. See? We could do this. Maybe.
"Ok, so if you weren't thinking that, what were you thinking? Honestly, I'm good in the dead body department for a while...I think that probably includes dead fish bodies, for now." I grimaced at the thought of the smell.
"We could go north. View the orcas from our own mini-cruise ship? You might be done with dead bodies, for now, and I think I'm done with heat...for a while." He wiped his brow comically, I chuckled. North. Open seas. No cellphones, no real internet. Just us. It could be terrible...but it could also be just what we need.
"I've always liked whales." I smiled and reached down for the controls; enough time had been spent waiting for this. It was our turn to sail.
-fin