TITLE: Worth The Wait 1/5
AUTHOR: VanillaBug
RATING: PG-13 cause I'm paranoid
CATEGORY: Grissom/Sara Romance with just a hint of Yo-Bling
DISCLAIMER: Don't own anything!
SPOILERS: Just a mention of Nesting Dolls. And a few general GSR moments
ARCHIVE: With Authors Permission After an incredibly long case Grissom sends Sara home, but she doesn't go to far. After a talk with Catherine he's finally ready to talk to Sara. Will she listen?
Worth The Wait 1/5
11:24 Las Vegas Crime Lab
The halls of the Las Vegas Crime Lab were filled with employees and alive with activity. A bombing at a local casino, forced Ecklie to call an 'all hands on deck'. People from every shift were coming and going at all hours of the day and night. Sara and Warrick were in one of the evidence rooms trying to put a piece of one of the explosive devices back together. It was almost 11:30 and both were into their 51st hour with no sleep and even worse ... no lead. Exhaustion was taking over both Warrick and Sara.
Grissom was coming back from the lab where Greg and Nick were camped out running test after test. He looked into the evidence room and saw two very stressed and over worked members of his team. He watched as Sara let her forehead fall to the table and Warrick threw a piece of metal onto the lighted surface out of pure frustration.
"I'm not even gonna ask how it's going," Grissom said entering the room.
"It's just pissing me off! I know the answer is right here! We are just not seeing it!" Warrick said almost yelling.
"How long have you been here?" Grissom asked.
"You really don't want to know the answer to that," Sara said lifting her head to meet Grissom's eyes.
"Warrick?" he questioned.
"Um, working on this, or here at the lab?" he replied.
"You haven't slept have you?" Grissom asked directing his question to Sara.
"Um ... not in the last," she glanced at her watch, "51 hours," she said turning away from him.
"You two need to go home and grab some sleep," Grissom said.
"We're fine, Griss," Warrick replied.
"Please don't talk to me like I'm stupid. Go home and come back at the start of your next shift. Not one minute earlier," he ordered.
"Grissom, really, I for one, am not leaving until I figure this out," Sara said defiantly.
"This is not up for discussion Sara. Fresh eyes help you see more," he said placing a hand on her shoulder, "That goes for you to Warrick."
"Griss, man you can't ... " he started.
"Look, Catherine is here, and they've even pulled Sofia back into the lab for now. We will be alright. Having fresh eyes is like looking at fresh evidence," he repeated.
"Nick and Greg ..." he began.
"Are going to be right behind you two. Now grab your stuff, and I'll see you next shift," Grissom stated.
"Warrick, we are never going to win," Sara offered.
"No ... your not," Grissom said, his hand still resting on Sara's shoulder.
"Alright, alright, alright," Warrick said throwing his hands up in defeat, "You hungry, Sara?"
"Yeah, I could eat," she replied.
"Alright meet you in the locker room, and we'll go grab some grub. It's Las Vegas, something's gotta be open at midnight," he said walking to the door.
"Be right there!" she called after him as he walked down the hall.
Sara stood up gathering her stuff when Grissom stopped her by taking a hold of her upper arms.
"I'm worried about you, Sara."
"I'm fine, Grissom. Don't worry about it," she said not meeting his eyes.
"You're one of the best I've got, honey."
She finally looked up, meeting his gaze
"I'd hate to see you crash and burn." he said.
"I though you'd be used to it by now," she muttered moving out of his grasp looking at her feet.
"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked defensively.
"You know what it means, Grissom! You can't keep playing at this."
"Sara, I'm lost here. What are you ... " he said looking at her confused.
"No Grissom, I am the one who's lost. You say one thing, but your actions tell me something completely different. You are standing here in front of me telling me that I'm the best you've got. That you care so much for me. You call me honey, and the simplest touch you give me sends sparks flying, yet you don't want anything more than this. This ... right here, right now. Grissom, right now I'd barely even call us friends."
"Sara ... "
"I know you feel something, Griss. There is something between us. There has been for the longest time. Why are you constantly pushing it away? What are you so scared of?"
"Sara, it's just not worth risking what we've worked for."
"You mean I'm not worth it," she replied
"No, no, not at all. How could you think that?"
"At any mention of us getting together, you back out with some lame excuse. Even if it's with the rest of the team! But then you go have dinner with her."
"Excuse me?"
"Sofia."
"Sara, that wasn't what you think."
"You know what Grissom, it never is. I thought ... I still think we could have something," she said walking to the door.
"Sara wait," he said stopping her in the doorway, "I want you to understand, there is nothing I want more than to be with you," he brought his hand back to her cheek, "To feel your skin, to taste your lips, to know what it feels like to be loved by the most beautiful, persistent, strong, sexy woman in the world. But all of that ... it just isn't worth it."
She reached her hand up and removed his from her cheek. She looked into the eyes of the completely clueless man before her. She held his gaze as she tried to continue the façade that she was a strong, independent woman that didn't need him in her life.
"Everyone says that Grissom. Catherine, Warrick, Nick, Greg, hell they all tell me the same thing, that it's just not worth it. That all this heartache, and all the tears, in the end just aren't worth the pain. But you know what, you are worth it to me. I'll be probably be stupid enough to let you break my heart over and over again, because there isn't anything else I could feel that is stronger than the love I feel for you."
"Sara, I don't know what to do."
"I know, Grissom. And look at me, I'm still here, waiting for you to figure out what to do. I don't think I am ever going to learn that if you haven't figured it out by now, you probably never will."
"Sara, honey, don't be like that."
"Don't be like what ... .what? Be like you? I'm sorry Grissom, I can't be like you, I actually know how to feel," she snapped with venom as she left the doorway leaving a stunned and speechless Gill Grissom in her wake.
Sara made her way to the locker with a deep determination to make it there without crying. She burst through the door as Warrick was buttoning the last button on his shirt.
"Hey Sara you bout ... baby girl what happened?" he said watching her grab her stuff from her locker.
"Nothing, it doesn't matter."
"My ass nothing! What's going on? Oh,wait a minute, let me guess? Hurricane Grissom?"
"Isn't it always?" she replied trying to crack a smile.
"Come on Sara, its only midnight. The night can only just begin," Warrick said throwing an arm around her shoulders, dragging her out of the locker room.
"Warrick, I'm kinda tired. Honestly, I don't feel like ... " she started
"Oh hell no! You are not backing out on me now Sara! " he said as they turned the corner.
Sara smiled up at Warrick and placed a kiss on his cheek. She glanced to the side at the break room and stopped in her tracks.
"Is that?" she said pointing into the room.
Warrick turned to face the break room and was surprised at the sight before him.
"What's going on here?" she asked
"Lets find out," Warrick said leading them into the break room.