America's Sexiest Scientist

TEASER: Just what do Geeks read for titillation? Response to the 3/28 Unbound Improv Challenge.

RATING: T for language and implied sexual content

SPOILERS: Season 5 through "Complications".

DISCLAIMERS: Not only am I not making money on this, I have no money to pay anyone who might think about suing, so please save us all a lot of trouble and just read to enjoy!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Reviews appreciated, archived at mysite. and there's a new episode this Thursday, happy birthday to me from JB, et al.! First and last lines given, 1000 word limit for the story itself; according to MS Word 2003, I made it with 7 words to spare.

CSI CSI CSI

"You shouldn't have . . . you really shouldn't have." Sara looked at Catherine with wide brown eyes, aghast at the other woman's audacity. She reached into the break room fridge, reveling in the cool air as it soothed her embarrassment-heated face.

"Why not? At least one of us thinks it's true, and even I will admit that the picture showed him at his very best."

Sara turned her head away from the blessed comfort. "Oh, come on, Catherine. It was a joke."

Catherine shrugged and flipped her head in the direction of Grissom's office. "We both know it wasn't, and if he had the common sense of one of his precious bugs, he'd be writing an entry for you. I don't know what it is between you – and before you say anything, I know you don't, either – but with any luck, this will spur something."

Sara sighed, relieved at the thought triggered by Catherine's statement. "Well, since he won't win, he won't ever know, will he, now?" She narrowed her eyes at the blonde and put every ounce of intimidation she could muster into her stare.

Catherine twisted her lips and bit down onto her lower lip for a moment, then sighed and shrugged. "No, if he doesn't win, I won't tell him about what you wrote or that I mailed it."

"Thank you." And Sara never thought another thing about the entry form for General Science Review magazine's "America's Sexiest Scientist" contest.

Several Months Later . . .

Grissom would never have nominated Sara for "America's Sexiest Scientist" had Warrick not given him a copy of the most incredible picture of Sara he had ever seen, a test snapshot taken with a new camera the day the contest was announced. In addition to the one he had made for the contest, Grissom had a copy in his desk drawer, a cropped copy in his wallet, and a 5 by 7 on his nightstand.

He tried to keep to his usual pace as he walked through the lab without stopping at his office, wanting to get to the newest issue of General Science Review before he even checked his messages. He knew Sara would be on the cover.

He met Sara outside the mail room. "Good evening, Sara."

"Hey, Gris. Did you get my message about the Foster case?"

He shook his head. "No, I decided to check my mail first."

"You just got here?"

"Yeah. Why?"

She shrugged. "It just seems a little later than usual."

It was – but then, she was a little later than usual, too, if she was just realizing he was late. "I went shopping. I'll come and find you after I check my messages?"

"Sure." She didn't move.

"Um, Sara, my mail?"

"Oh, sorry. Let me grab mine, too." She stepped into the mail room.

Does she subscribe to GSR? He wracked his brain, trying to remember if they had ever discussed an article without him giving her his copy to read first. Doesn't really matter – whatever's going to hit the fan will do so whether she gets her own copy or not.

He squared his shoulders and stepped in behind her. He reached over her head from beside her to get at his box, but to keep his balance, he had to step back and just behind her, which put him closer to her than he had been in months, maybe years. The hug at the end of her confession about her parents a few weeks ago had hardly been a sexual moment. This, however . . . this could quickly become embarrassing.

"Well, hello to you, to, Dr. Grissom." Her voice trembled as she spoke and had a breathy quality he would never have expected.

"Sorry," he mumbled, trying to keep his own voice from betraying the blood roaring through his body as he clamped down on the contents of his box.

The brown wrapper labeled General Science Review sat right on top of his pile. He glanced down to see that Sara's mail, spread out on the counter, also contained the innocuous package. He debated for a moment, then went ahead and reached for GSR. The paper gave a satisfying rip as he yanked at the center seam, and then he had the magazine in his hands and was looking at a picture of . . .

HIMSELF?

Beside his picture of Sara. But HIMSELF?

Sara gasped. "Uh, um, that's um . . ."

"Us." He was amazed that his voice didn't quaver at all.

"Yeah."

"Catchy headline." He pointed at the bold white words under their faces. Hot and Sexy at the Vegas PD Lab.

"Yeah."

"So, um . . ."

She looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears and her lower lip tucked under her teeth as though she were fighting to keep herself in control. "I, uh, oh, God."

"You?"

She looked away for a moment, then nodded without looking back at him.

He thought for a moment. He relaxed and smiled, realizing the possibilities. "Sara."

She turned back toward him but didn't speak. A couple of tears leaked over her bottom lashes and trailed down her face.

He did the only thing that felt natural at that moment and wrapped his arms around her. "Me," he confessed into her ear.

Time slowed as she looked into his eyes, closed the distance between their lips a millimeter at a time until the fission from their meeting left him blinded and weak in the knees even from such a brief encounter.

"So, um, breakfast? Lunch? Dinner?" he asked after a moment of just gazing into her liquid brown eyes.

She blinked at him, then smiled and kissed him hard again. She pushed out of his arms and swept her mail into her arms. At the door, she turned to look at him.

"Well?" This time, his voice did quaver.

"All of the above." With a wink, she was gone.