They'd been walking for several minutes in a comfortable silence. The chirping of birds and the shuffle of their steps were the only sounds. The path was narrow and slightly uphill and Grissom was leading the way. He'd discovered the trail a few days ago and he knew right away that he had to share it with Sara.
Every now and then he would look behind him to make sure Sara was still following; she was walking slowly taking in the scenery. Her grin was wide, her eyes sparkled and the frizz of her hair created a halo in the afternoon sun. "This is breathtaking," she said in awe.
"You're breathtaking." He said taking in the sight of her. The denim shorts and fitted top weren't exactly what he considered hiking appropriate clothing but he wasn't about to complain.
On any other day, he wouldn't have been able to keep his hands to himself; he'd discovered with delight that Sara had an adventurous side to her that extended to a fondness for outdoor sex. But he knew today was unlikely to end with a lovemaking session.
She looked so beautiful and happy, unaware that today's outing had been meticulously planned to soften the blow she was about to receive. Grissom felt awful, but there was no point in avoiding the inevitable any longer.
Sara stopped to gather her hair in a ponytail, missing a few strands that had started to stick to the sweat at the base of her neck. She looked around in wonder, "How come I've never heard of this place, how long have I lived here?"
"I suppose it's the kind of place you don't advertise once you've found it so it doesn't get overcrowded." Grissom offered.
"Yeah, I guess." She reached for the bottled water he was holding and took a long swig. Some water escaped to settle in her cleavage and Grissom's hand was on her before she had time to react. He rubbed the water below her collarbone. "There you go, all gone," he said with a smirk.
She playfully pushed his hand away, feigning indignation, "Dr. Grissom! What would people think?"
He reverently took her slender hand in his. "That I'm a very lucky man to be in the company of such a lovely woman."
She brushed her lips on his cheek and offered him her biggest smile. The thought of not seeing that smile everyday was too painful for him to bear and he had to look away.
The change in his demeanor didn't go unnoticed.
Sara searched his gaze, confusion on her brow. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing…Everything. Sara I-" He looked around searching for answers in the nature surrounding them, "I don't know how to do this." He finally said in a solemn voice.
She led him to a big rock, inviting him to sit down on the impromptu seat.
Still holding on to his hand she squeezed it gently, "Whatever it is Grissom, just tell me. I can take it, I'm a big girl."
He let out a sigh, "Sara, I'm leaving tomorrow." And just like that it was out in the open.
He had expected her to be disappointed, to be sad. He had imagined a fight, maybe even some tears but he hadn't expected her to be so quiet. Her features were still, almost peaceful. She was looking in front of her when she spoke, "I knew you had to go back to Vegas at some point. I just assumed I would get more than a day's notice."
She let go of his hand and stood up; she started walking back towards the car not bothering to check if he was following.
He studied her determined stride, his eyes settling on her rear end. Every step she made gave him a glance of the skin above her upper thighs, taunting him like forbidden fruit. He finally got up and dragged his feet behind her, keeping a safe distance between them; he assumed this was the calm before the storm.
She had every right to be angry; he'd known for over a week that tomorrow was his departure date and had deliberately kept it from her. He figured that if she'd known a week ago, she would have ended their affair then and he'd selfishly wanted to spend as much time as possible with her.
When he caught up with her, Sara was sitting on the hood of the car looking toward him. She patted the spot next to her and when he sat down reluctantly she surprised him by leaning against him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"I am upset that you didn't tell me before today Grissom, but I think I understand why you did it." She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. "You think I would have left you as soon as I found out without a second thought… I wouldn't have, just so you know…" She looked at him, "I knew you were eventually going to leave… I just… I would have liked to have more time to say…see you later." She said the last words with a smile and it caught him off guard.
She laughed at this bewildered expression, "You don't seriously think that this is goodbye, do you? You can't really think this is the end of us?" Her tone softened, "I don't… You aren't getting rid of me so easily Gil Grissom."
"I…I don't know. I guess…I guess I just assumed…" He cleared his throat before he continued, "So you really want to stay in touch with an old fool like me?"
They stared at each other for a moment, matching smirks on their faces. Suddenly Sara felt the hint of tears threatening her brave front and she willed them away. Tonight she would cry but for now she would pretend it was just another day.
"Yeah…" she lay back on the hood and he did the same. He interlaced his fingers with hers and prayed to the God he sometimes believed in that she was right, that this wasn't the end.
They stayed in that position for a long time, both lost in the memories they had created in the past couple of months. They hadn't planned on developing such strong feelings, they originally had thought the mutual attraction superficial but it clearly went beyond anything they'd ever experienced. It wasn't quite love yet; but it was more than lust.
Grissom was the first one to break the silence, "What are you thinking about?"
She seemed to ponder the question for a moment, "I'm thinking that since you're leaving tomorrow and that it might be a long time until I see you again…" she turned to him wiggling her eyebrow, "outdoor sex?"
She didn't have to ask him twice.
"Take My Hand"
Touch my skin,and tell me what you're thinking
Take my hand and show me where we're going
Lie down next to me, look into my eyes and tell me, oh tell me what you're seeing
So sit on top of the world and tell me how you're feeling
what you feel now is what I feel for you
Take my hand and if I'm lying to you
I'll always be alone
if I'm lying to you
See my eyes, they carry your reflection
Watch my lips and hear the words I'm telling you
Give your trust to me and look into my heart and show me, show me what you're doing
So sit on top of the world and tell me how you're feeling
what you feel now is what I feel for you
Take my hand and if I'm lying to you
I'll always be alone
if I'm lying to you
Take your time, if I'm lying to you
I know you'll find that you believe me
you believe me
Feel the sun on your face and tell me what you're thinking
Catch the snow on your tongue and show me how it tastes
Take my hand and if I'm lying to you
I'll always be alone
if I'm lying to you
Take your time, if I'm lying to you
I know you'll find that you believe me
you believe me