Title Life's What You Make It
Author wobbear
Rating T
Pairing Grissom/Sara
Disclaimer I really don't think TPTB will be worried, or even concerned, about this.
Author's notes This is the massively overdue fic that elfling65 won in the fandomaid auction for Japan much earlier in the year, or at least part 1 of 2. Her prompts were: rain, Hank drooling, a blackmail photo op, nail polish - two down, two to go. The title was inspired by the Talk Talk song, not the Hannah Montana version – just wanted to make that clear! Set after The Two Mrs Grissoms. Hope it's worth the wait.
Summary Remember that Skype call Grissom had with the two Mrs Gs? Read on.
Life's What You Make It
"So, what was with the African Violets?"
"Hah, yes, the 'vegetation'..."
Grissom sensed Sara's hesitation and decided to prod her a little. "I know Mom was apologizing for something, but what? I got that you both seem to seem to have buried the hatchet, but not what the problem was."
He saw Sara gather herself, and then ... the screen froze on a picture of her looking off to the left and frowning, as she contemplated what to say.
Grissom waited for a few seconds and when nothing changed he clicked the large red 'End call' button. Quickly he hit the video call button again and crossed his fingers for good measure. The Skype software made a new connection and soon, Sara's face reappeared, animated once more.
"Hey, Gil ... I dunno what happened there, but we're back."
"So," he repeated, "what was with the African Violets?"
"Weeeeelll, it's a long story ..." Sara shook her head, trying to dissuade him from wanting to hear more.
Grissom shrugged, and smiled in what he hoped was an encouraging way. "It's pouring outside, we won't start working until the rain stops and has dried out some. I have plenty of time." He schooled his face into an expression of calm interest and waited.
Sara took in a deep breath, held it, then exhaled slowly as she started to speak. "During the investigation at the Gilbert College Betty was ... sniping at me about how our long distance marriage wasn't a real marriage, and I ... uh ... let rip, saying that although it was unconventional, what we have works, that we love each other..."
Grissom smiled as he signed 'I agree' but Sara was on a roll and didn't notice. She continued, "I said we were a family, and if she didn't want to be part of it that was her call."
She paused and looked at him, trying to gauge his reaction. His poker face was nearly intact, but the sparkle in his blue eyes gave him away.
"Hence her rather cryptic email asking what sort of gift you might appreciate."
"Yes, hence. Vegetation, Gilbert? Not very original," she chided half-heartedly.
"Yes, vegetation. It worked once when a Grissom was being clueless and insensitive toward you, so why not again?" He cocked his head coyly and then ruined the effect by winking.
"But I swear, she's like Hank with a bone, only without the drooling. She just couldn't let it go. No sooner had we agreed to start over than she's talking about our sex life!" Sara's indignation was making her talk fast, very fast.
"Yeah, I tried to distract her ..."
"What were you thinking? Your trick of changing the subject by launching into a detailed exposition on something esoteric or arcane usually works well, but for it to work you actually have to change the subject." Sara shivered at the memory. "Sexpots? What on earth possessed you?
"Uh, sorry ... but I had just bought a present for you and ... uh ... " his voice trailed off.
Sara giggled, her eyes alight. "Let me guess, is it a small pottery item with images of underdressed people on it?"
Grissom laughed. "You read me so well."
"My husband, the open book. Anyway, I didn't want to start a fight on Skype, so instead I talked to her again after the call."
Grissom's raised eyebrow asked her to elaborate.
"We've come to ... an understanding. Yes, that's what it is. We agreed that we both love you and to let it be."
"Why I do I get the feeling you're not telling me the whole story?"
"Um, I dunno ... probably ... because I'm not."
Sara stretched her arms above her head and rolled her shoulders as she lowered them, releasing tension. Grissom knew that eventually she would start to talk and he privately resolved not to interrupt. He decided to put his thoughts in brackets, [like so], until she had finished.
"It was a challenge, because I wanted to make sure she understood me. I signed it all."
Grissom looked impressed, and held his hand out, encouraging her to continue.
"It went something like this ..."
"Do you know when Gil lost his virginity?"
[No, she doesn't. She would never dream of asking me that.]
Betty looked shocked and said, "No, I never ... would never dream of asking him that."
Grissom bit his tongue and stifled a snort.
"You raised him, you changed his diapers thousands of times. You've definitely seen him naked more times than I have."
[I think I see where you're going with this.]
"Betty nodded, starting to look a little pensive. I really got into it then.
"Whereas me, you've seen me, fully clothed, what, maybe ten times, and you somehow feel entitled to ask me about, to- to comment on the intimate details of my life, my sex life. I get that you want your son to be happy, but hey, newsflash, so do I."
[That's my girl.]
"I'm paraphrasing a bit, but ... ya know. I wasn't so wordy, signing."
Grissom bit his lip, trying not to smile as he nodded silently and Sara continued.
"Then I said, 'Did your mother, no, better, your mother-in-law, ask about your sex life with your husband?'
"Betty started to look somewhat sheepish, and signed, 'She just told me to make him happy.'
"I do, he is, we are happy. Why can't you just be happy too?"
[ Well put.]
"Then I couldn't remember the sign for 'understand' so I spoke, I mean I know she's a great lip-reader, so I made sure she was looking at me ..."
Sara's voice drifted away as her eyes looked off into the distance, replaying the scene in her memory.
Grissom decided she needed a nudge. "Uh, honey ..."
"Yeah, sorry, I was just remembering. I asked, 'Do you get that?' and she said, exaggerating her lip movements, to be sure I followed her. It was kind weird coming from her, but she said-"
Grissom suddenly knew, and blurted, "Yes, I get it loud and clear."
Sara burst out laughing, and ended up head in hands, gasping for air. Grissom watched and waited with a sinking feeling of misgiving as she got her breath back.
Sara rubbed the hysterical tears from her eyes and looked again at the screen, mirth still not far from the surface. "Okay, explanation please. How did you know?"
"It's ... a sort of family tradition, I guess. It started when I was about nine or ten ... " Grissom pursed his lips, thinking back. "Uh, nine and three quarters. I was being stubborn about cleaning my room."
"You being stubborn, picture that!" Sara chortled, then waggled her hand for him to go on.
"Yeah, well, I had everything, all my specimens and experiments, exactly where I wanted them, and Mom was insisting it was a mess and I had to tidy it to her satisfaction, every Saturday, if I had a hope of going to science camp that summer."
"Ooh, the no-science-camp threat. Pulling out the big guns, she was!" The softness in her eyes belied Sara's mocking words. "She knew how to push your buttons."
"She sure did. So she laid down the law, and then she signed, is that clear?"
"I knew I had met myf match, but I thought I'd be smart about it." Grissom pursed his lips, feeling himself flush with ages-old embarrassment.
"Smart, as in clever, or smart as in ...?" asked Sara.
"Smart as in stupid, but I thought I was being funny. Witty, even." He could see the scene in his mind's eye, vivid despite the passing of the years. "She was deaf, and signing without vocalizing, so I said 'loud and clear, Mom'."
Sara winced.
"She looked at me, just looked at me and I wished the words back. She didn't tell me off, she just looked at me and I realized how cruel I had been." Grissom sighed. "She never let me forget it, and it became her go-to phrase, the one she expected me to say to show I had taken on board her latest guidance or instruction. Maybe it was a harsh lesson, but I learned it well."
He attempted a smile, which was a wan approximation of his usual warm grin, and waved his hand, as if trying to waft away the memories. "It's funny the things that you remember ..."
And just like that, they were both transported to another time years ago when Grissom finally stepped beyond his self-imposed barriers, and learned of Sara's family tragedy.
For a moment they stared at each other in silence, remembering. Then Sara shook herself and said, as drolly as possible, "She's a force to be reckoned with, your mom."
Lost for words, Grissom rubbed his furry chin.
Sara pointed her forefinger in the air, as she recalled something she'd been meaning to tell him. "And the Force wants to try to make it up to me, to us. She insists on taking us out to dinner when you're next here. The deal is, I pick the restaurant, you choose the date and she'll make it happen."
"So, she and I both want to know, when will you be here?"
Author's notes the second I hope that wasn't too odd. Part 2 will appear as soon it's ready. I have next week off, so that's promising.