A SMALL NUDGE
DISCLAIMER- Still don't own them sorry.
AN- this is set in that awful period at the end of season 4 / beginning of season 5 when Grissom was still being an ass.
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Jim Brass was stood outside his office. He had come into work early in the hope of catching up on the never ending pile of paperwork that he had covering his desk. Normally at this time of day none of his normal colleagues were around nor any of the graveyard CSI's but not today. Occupying the couch in the corner of his office was the long leggy body of CSI Sara Sidle. Now if it was any of the other CSI's Jim wouldn't have a problem barging in and waking them demanding to know why they were there but this was Sara.
Brass took a glance at his watch and did a quick calculation of time. He was in a good three hours before his shift stated which meant that it was about four hours before Sara should have been in. the only reason for Sara to be there this early was if she hadn't gone home and had pulled one of her typical double shifts. Jim gave a shake of his head and moved a small way down the corridor away from his office. With a sigh he leaned against the wall and pulled out his cell phone. He quickly pressed the speed dial button. After a few moments it was answered.
"Hey Gil, have you finished in court yet?" he asked.
"Good, look I've got a problem in my office. Can you come and give me a hand?"
Jim listened to the answer and gave a small smile.
"Thanks see you then." Jim snapped shut his phone and went back to standing guard outside his office door. He didn't want anybody waking Sara yet.
Not long after the phone call finished Jim heard the quiet tones of the graveyard supervisor.
"Hi Jim, what's the problem? Why aren't you in your office?" Gil Grissom asked as he joined Jim outside the door.
Jim beckoned him further down the hallway. When Grissom had joined him Jim answered.
"Thanks for coming Gil. I'm not in my office because it's occupied by one of your guys sleeping on the couch."
Grissom gave Jim a puzzled look.
"Well go and wake them then. Nobody should be in this early. Who is it?"
"It's Sara. Thing is I know if I go and wake her, she'll go straight back to work. She's not meant to be on shift tonight and I happen to know that she was in at least three hours early last night."
Grissom leaned against the wall and shook his head. He hadn't realised that Sara was in so early the night before.
"And what do you want me to do Jim?" he asked.
Jim turned to him and gave him a hard stare.
"Wake her and make her go home." He told him.
Grissom returned the stare with a raised eyebrow.
"Just what makes you think that Sara will do as I ask?" he asked.
"Gil, Sara will do it because it is you asking. In case you have forgotten that girl in there will do anything you ask her to!" Jim was getting exasperated.
"She might have done once, now I'm not so sure. We are not exactly communicating these days." Grissom turned away from his friend and stared at the closed office door.
"Well maybe it's time you did start communicating again. Sara needs a friend and you used to be a damn good one!" Jim told him, giving him a push towards the door. "Some of us have work to do and I need my office. I'll be back in fifteen minutes and I hope that you are both gone."
Grissom stood watching Jim walk down the corridor and then he slowly moved towards the door. As quietly as he could he opened it and stepped inside, closing it behind him. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room but when they had they were drawn to the couch where Sara lay sleeping. As he watched her, Grissom noticed the changes. No longer was she the fresh faced happy person that she was when she first arrived in Vegas. She had lost weight and she always seemed to be in work. With a heavy heart Grissom slowly moved towards her. Deep down he knew that he was the reason for her unhappiness; he just wasn't sure how to make things better between them. The one thing he did realize was that Jim was right, Sara did need a friend and it was time that he became one again.
Kneeling down by her side Grissom spoke softly not wanting to scare her.
"Sara honey, it's time to wake up."
"Mm Griss." Sara muttered half asleep turning towards him. Suddenly her eyes flew open. "Grissom!"
Sara moved to sit up, rubbing a hand over her face, hoping that he couldn't see her blushing cheeks.
"Hey, Jim wanted his office back." He smiled.
"What?" Sara gave him a confused look and then glanced around the room. "Oh," she said as she saw where she was. "I was just having a ten minute recharge." She muttered defiantly.
"Yes Sara, "Grissom said with a smirk as he stood up. "Come on; let's get you out of here. I'm sure Jim will be back in a minute!"
Sara moved to stand up but just as she was upright the room seemed to tilt and everything went blurred. If it wasn't for Grissom quickly grabbing her she would have been in a heap on the floor.
"Oh," she whispered as Grissom sat her back down.
"Sara honey, what's wrong?" Grissom asked in a quiet voice, his arm wrapped around her.
"Bit dizzy, sorry. I'm alright now." Sara started to stand again but the room was still blurred. "Maybe not."
Grissom tightened his arm around her and gently reached a finger to turn her face towards him.
"Honey, when did you last eat?" he asked.
Sara was silent for a moment while she thought how to answer. In the end Sara realised that she should just tell him the truth. In a small voice she answered Grissom.
"Before shift yesterday."
"SARA!" Grissom was stunned. "That was 24 hours ago!"
"Yeah, ok, I get the drift. I'll get something to eat." Sara muttered making to stand again, this time with a bit more success.
Grissom stood up to join her.
"How about we both go and get some dinner now? I haven't eaten all day and am starved."
Sara turned to look at him, an eyebrow raised.
"Griss, rearrange this. Kettle. Black. Pot. Calling." She said with a smirk.
"Yes Sara. Come on, Jim'll be here in a minute and he wanted us gone." Grissom said as he walked to the door and held it open for Sara.
Sara walked out into the hallway followed by Grissom, who quickly shut the office door and joined Sara. They were soon in the car park heading for their cars. By a strange twist of fate Grissom had parked next to Sara's without even noticing.
"Look Grissom, you don't have to baby-sit me. I promise that I will get something to eat." Sara said turning to look at him, her car keys in her hand.
Grissom stood next to her, looking into her deep dark eyes, momentary loosing himself in them. He gave a small sigh.
"Sara, if I didn't want to eat with you I wouldn't have suggested it. It's not about babysitting you either, I want to have dinner with you." He said quietly.
Sara stood there, silent as his words sunk in. when they had, she looked up catching his eyes.
"Why now?" she demanded. "Why not when I asked you over a year ago?"
Grissom took a glance around the car park, checking to see if they were alone. When he saw that they were he answered.
"Because I was a stupid idiot. It took Jim to make me see that I had lost you as a friend. I don't want that Sara."
"You were the one who pushed me away Griss." Sara told him. "Look I've got to go."
"I know I did. Sara let's get dinner and then talk. I don't want things to go on like this anymore. I miss you."
Sara gave him a small smile.
"I miss you too. Alright, let's go and get something to eat. What do you fancy?" Sara asked him.
"I'm easy, whatever you want." Grissom smiled.
Sara raised her eyebrow and returned his smile with one of her own.
"Griss, believe me you are not easy!" she laughed. "How about we go back to mine and get take out delivered?"
"Sara Sidle I could take offence at that but I won't." Grissom gave a small chuckle. "That sounds like a good idea. Shall I follow you?"
"Okay." Sara turned towards her car and got in. she watched as Grissom walked around to his and started the engine. Moments later they both pulled out of the PD car park. Neither of then had noticed Jim stood a few cars down in the shadow of the building. He watched them leave, a smile on his face.
"Well I've done my bit, the rest is up to them." He said to himself as he turned and walked back inside.
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Sara pulled into her parking slot in front of her building and slowly slid out of her car. She quickly locked it and was leaning against the hood watching Grissom lock his car and walk towards her.
"Hey," he said as he met her. "I hear this is a good place for take out!" he joked.
Sara moved away from her car and walked towards her building.
"You coming?" she called. "If you don't hurry I'll make you eat my cooking!"
"No! Anything but that!" Grissom chuckled as he followed her inside. "Or have you actually learnt to cook since leaving Frisco?"
Sara turned towards him as they made their way upstairs and gave him a quick tap on the arm.
"I'll have you know that I can make a mean mushroom omelette." She chuckled.
"Ok, ok I believe you but I still think we'll call a take away!"
Sara stood in front of her apartment door and dragged the keys out of her jeans pocket. She opened the door and walked inside, followed by Grissom. Sara threw her keys down on the side and walked to the fridge.
"Can I get you anything to drink?" she asked.
"Sure, what have you got?" Grissom had joined her in the small kitchen area.
Sara opened the fridge door and stood staring inside.
"Well, there's water or beer or if you would rather I can put a pot of coffee on." Sara answered turning to look back at Grissom.
"Water's fine."
Sara turned back to the fridge and pulled out a couple of bottles of water. She passed one to Grissom and took a long sip out of her own.
"Let's go and sit down," she said pointing to the couch in the living room.
Grissom went and sat down, quiet now. Sara joined him on the couch and sat staring at the bottle in her hand. After a few minutes of silence Sara turned to Grissom.
"What are we doing Griss?" she asked him.
Grissom looked at her.
"Having dinner soon." He answered a puzzled look on his face.
Sara gave a sigh and placed her bottle of water down on the coffee table.
"Griss, for the last few months you haven't spoken to me other than the basic comments about whatever case I am working on. Now you're laughing and joking as if the last 18 months have never happened. It's confusing." Sara told him.
Grissom placed his bottle down carefully next to hers and then turned to face Sara.
"I know. I'm sorry, I never meant for things to get as bad as they have. When you asked me to dinner I was confused. I was due in hospital for an operation on my hearing, I had just seen the lab blown up and you injured. Then I heard from Brass about you going into that room before it had been cleared. I was scared and I've never felt that way before."
"So you pushed me away."
"Yes, I daren't admit to myself that the way I felt was anything more than I wo0uld feel for any of the others on the team. In doing so I lost you as a friend. I hadn't even realised just how bad it had got until today when Jim told me that I used to be your friend." Grissom took a deep breath and then carried on. "I want us to go back to how we were years ago. I want to be that friend again, and then who knows."
Sara reached over and picked up her water, after taking a sip she spoke.
"I want that as well. I've missed us, I miss our conversations, heck I even miss our disagreements!" she chuckled. "Do you think that we can get it back?" she asked her voice serious again.
Grissom reached across and took hold of one of Sara's hands.
"I think so, if we both want it to work. Little steps like this are what we need to do. Trust me Sara, I'm not going to loose you or this friendship again."
"Ok, we'll do the little steps." Sara gave him one of her brilliant Sidle smiles. "Now let's order I'm starving!"
Grissom burst out laughing.
"Get the food ordered then!" he laughed.
Sara quickly walked into the kitchen and phoned their order through to the local take away. Grissom smiled as he watched her.
"We can do this," he said to himself, "I guess I should Thank Jim for the nudge to make me see sense."
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