Title: Without Them - We'd Crumble
Author's Note: Oook. So this ones a little different. A little strange. A little bit of what plays out in my subconcious. I was feeling a tad bit flustered with all the attention put on my 'ship - the GSR -after the finale. The story pretty much explains the rest. And HUGE thanks to Sol for Beta-ing this one again. I can't even call her my beta anymore - she's more then that, she's my bud.
Disclaimer: They ain't mine. And neither are the TPTB. And really? I'm not sure I'd want them. I have enough of a headache as is.
"Grissom, come take a look at this." Sara poked her head into his office.
"Find something on the Anderson homicide?" His voice was bored and he didn't look up.
"No.. this is... personal." She knew that would get his attention.
He looked up and raised an eyebrow. "What kind of personal?"
"Us kind of personal. The kind that only you, me, and TPTB know about."
"TPTB?" He frowned as his tongue tripped over the acronym.
Sara rolled her eyes. "The Powers That Be." She had stepped into the room and was now standing with both hands on her hips. "You know, the destiny makers. The ones who decide if I wear purple or green, and whether or not Catherine is going to survive yet another strike against her family."
Grissom snorted. "Ahhh, those PTB. They must really have a thing against Catherine, huh?"
"Well, for a long time I thought they had a thing against me!" She wagged her finger at him. "Keeping us apart."
Grissom stood up. "I wonder what changed their minds?"
"That's exactly what I want to show you. Come on." He stepped closer and she grabbed at his wrist and pulled him from the room.
"Sara - where are we going?"
"Break room. Trust me ok?" She let go of him.
"Always have." He followed closely behind her.
Sara walked into the break room, turned, and smiled at him. "You're going to love this."
"What am I going to love?" He was happy to play along; it got him away from the mountain of paperwork he was supposed to be signing off on. "Come on now, you know I'm not fond of surprises. What does the break room have to do with TPTB?"
"And I thought you were a patient man." She laughed. "Let me explain something ok?"
"Go on." He sat down on the couch in the corner and she settled beside him, for a second he let himself enjoy her closeness before he started to pull away. "We're going to get caught."
"Nope, TPTB want to show us something; the whole lab is currently out to lunch." She leaned into him.
He raised a skeptical eyebrow. "The whole lab?"
"It's amazing what the powers can do, isn't it? Well, it's recently come to my attention that even they have bosses." She chuckled at the thought. "Even the ones controlling our destiny have someone controlling theirs. A group called 'The Viewers'.
"The Viewers?" Grissom was highly concerned about Sara's mental stability now.
"Yep, they watch over what TPTB put us through, and decide whether or not they're doing a good job. It's really not that complicated."
"And these 'Viewers' they're the reason you dragged me from my office?"
She placed a hand against his chest. "Sort of. You know all those years that TPTB kept us apart?"
He covered his hand with his own. "How could I forget?"
"And you know all those times you would slip off their "script" and do or say something that would let me know how you really felt, no matter what the powers felt like making you do?"
He nodded, and the lines on his forehead deepened as he frowned. "Thank you for knowing what I was doing."
"Well, I wasn't the only one who caught on. The "Viewers" saw it too. And you know what?"
"They approved." He smiled, catching on. "They must have, or we wouldn't be here together."
"That's what I wanted to show you." She stood up and walked to the window where she pulled up a blind. "Look."
Grissom got to his feet and walked up beside her. His eyes grew wide as he stared out the window. "Who are they?"
"The Viewers." Sara reached out and took his hand. "They wanted us to know."
"There's so many people out there..."
"Not people Griss, they don't belong in our world - normally they're just observers. But this time, they wanted us to know." She repeated herself. "They'll be gone before too long."
Grissom was studying the group. "They kind of look... divided." He turned his gaze to Sara.
"They are." She pointed to one of the bigger groups. "See those? They are the ones who like us together. They are going to be making sure that the powers don't mess this up." She leaned her head on his shoulder.
"And those?" Grissom pointed to another group, only slightly smaller then the first. "They look, well, angry."
Sara sighed. "They are, those are the ones who honestly believed that I was going to end up with Nicky or Greg or like... Hodges or something." She felt Grissom tense up. "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere."
"So they want you to be happy with anyone but me?" He frowned. "Must not like me so much huh?"
Sara stifled a laugh. "Nope, they are practically demanding that you and Catherine are an item."
His eyes widened with shock. "Catherine? Willows?" He shook his head. "I mean I love Catherine..."
Sara raised an eyebrow.
"But like family! I don't want her in my bed!"
"Sofia?" Sara actually had to cover her mouth to suppress her giggles as Grissom covered his eyes with his hand and shook his head.
"It was that dinner wasn't it? Jeez, I knew that was a bad idea."
He was still shaking his head when Sara spoke again. "Heather?"
This time he just blushed a deep crimson red. "She was definitely... interesting."
"I think someone had a little crush."
"It was hard not to." He shrugged. "But I never loved her."
"I know." She leaned up and kissed him. "And that's ok with me. Because I have you now."
She gazed again out the window. "And you see them?"
"Them?" Grissom pointed out the window to the smallest group. "Why are they so upset? Honey, some of them are even crying." He looked back toward Sara. "Don't tell me that us being together made them that upset..."
"No, that group; the really upset ones, refused to come today at all. There have been rumors flying that they've left their posts all together and refuse to be viewers anymore."
"Wow... I didn't know such a secret relationship could have such an effect on everyone."
"You can't please everyone." She smiled sadly. "No matter what we do, not everyone is going to be pleased. I'd rather us be happy together and be supported by the ones that do, then to be miserable alone and keep trying to make everyone happy."
"Then why are they so sad?" He still looked upset.
"They're not. They're just... " She looked out the window. "I don't have a word to describe it I guess."
Grissom sighed. "Then explain it to me."
She leaned against him and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her. "They loved us before we knew there was an us."
Grissom frowned against the top of her head.
"Since the day that the powers decided to bring me back into your life through a cruel twist of fate."
"Holly." He murmured her name.
"Yeah." Sara was silent for a long time. "They've been our biggest supporters, the ones who always knew we were meant to be."
"Then why the tears?"
"They miss being the only ones standing outside watching us." Sara chuckled. "I know it sounds lame, and even a little insane, but as happy as they are that TPTB got us together, they miss when this little 'ship was just theirs."
"'Ship?"
"Relationship. When it was mine, and it was yours, but it was primarily... theirs. Now it's everyone's. All of the Viewers are watching - and some are waiting for one of us to screw up."
"They don't want the limelight?"
"Nope, most of them prefer the shadows."
"But still, they got what they wanted... shouldn't they be celebrating?"
"Where something is gained, something else is often lost." Sara quoted.
"And in getting us together..."
"Their club lost it's exclusivity."
"And they miss it."
"Tremendously."
"I don't want them to be so sad." His voice was low. "We owe them so much."
"We owe them each other. If they hadn't seen it, this love never would have happened. And they're not sad for us - for us they're so happy they almost can't contain themselves." She smiled. "They're sad because of what they think they lost."
"But they did lose it." Grissom looked over at the sea of supporters.
"Nope, they didn't. Because we know it was them that were with us the whole time, and we know it'll be them that will still be rooting for us when, inevitably, TPTB try to tear us apart. They're the foundation of us, and without them we'd crumble. And now they know that."
"I hope they do." His gaze landed back on the tiny group. "For our sake, and theirs, I really hope they do."
The End
I really hope I didn't offend anybody with this. And I hope that those of you who actually like it take the time to hit the review button and tell me. Thanks a million, I really appreciate it.