Disclaimer: I do not own anything. CSI belongs to CBS etc. not me. Do you think i'd be writing Fan Fiction if it was mine?? if it was up to me i wouldn't have to wait till NEXT YEAR to find out what happens to Sara.

Summary: this takes place after Leaving Las Vegas. my thoughts on what could have happened.GSR i wouldn't have it any other way also hints of Cathrine/Warrick and team bonding.

Spoilers: LLV,Grave Danger

A/N(1): sorry this is so long after LLV aired but i've been working on it slowly and also had other things to do in the meantime. Study, reading Harry Potter, enduring the family holiday with no compter ARRGH. at least the travelodge had Five and i could watch CSI, Law And Order and NCIS.

A/N(2): This is being typed at midnight as i'm waiting for my S-Grade results witch come out early morning tomorrow(TODAY!!!) and i can't sleep. this ain't been betad so all mstakes are mine and i'll blamed fatigue and my nerves also (as you've probebly guessed) i'm Scottish so some things may be different but you'll have to live with that.

While He Was Gone-Chapter 1

"I'll miss you" Grissom said standing by the locker room door. That was it, the last thing he said to her before leaving for four weeks. The only thing he said to her before leaving for four weeks. There were no "I love you's" no goodbye kisses, no comforting embraces, just "I'll miss you," something she could have expected even before they started 'going out' properly. Nick got a goodbye hug and Sara, his girlfriend, didn't get any type of physical contact, although admittedly she wasn't sure her heart could take it. If their goodbye was any less public, Sara would have probably broken down and begged him to stay, but she didn't and she knew that however hard it was, he had to take this sabbatical or he would burn out, and then what would happen? But still Grissom leaving for William's College to teach for four week would take their toll on both Grissom and Sara and their relationship. Sara couldn't just nip off to visit him when she wanted to, she would have to take time off and face the inevitable question, why? While they had managed to keep their relationship secret Sara wasn't sure that she would be able to keep it secret under pressure from Catherine when all she wanted was to fly to Grissom's arms so she had resigned herself to the fact that she would not see Grissom for the whole four weeks.

After Grissom had left, Sara sat on the locker room floor and cried until she thought she had no tears left. He had only been gone a short time but Sara was missing him like crazy. She missed the sound of his shuffle walk, she missed the way he looked when he was concentrating, she missed his warm arms that would envelope her in a hug whenever she was down or when they wanted an intimate moment, she missed the reassurance that whenever she needed him, he was there, she missed the way that they didn't need words to communicate with each other, she missed he fact that he gave her a life outside of work, she missed his pale blue eyes, she missed his soft touch as his hand secretly brushed the small of her back –a small act of intimacy which he could show even when they were in the busy lab, she missed his soft lips that would brush the back of her neck when they shared an intimate moment, she missed the private smiles they shared while working. She missed him. Finally deciding that she was better going home than risk being caught by someone she stood up and prepared to leave. While sorting out her stuff Sara caught sight of herself in the mirror. She looked awful, but it was nothing a bit of make up couldn't hide. She pulled the make-up from the back of her locker and within seconds she looked like nothing had happened. She had often used make-up to hide tired, puffy eyes and bruises so that it had become second nature to her and while she was out of practise she was able to apply it faultlessly. Sara picked up her bag and headed out of the lab.

As she passed the break room she noticed that most of the graveyard shift were still in there.

"Hey Sara coming to join us" Nick called out to her as she tried to pass unnoticed; she sighed before turning round and entering the break room.

"I suppose, but not for long I have to…uh it doesn't matter. What are you still doing here; I thought you'd all be at home by now."

"We were just talking you know. We haven't really done anything together, out of work for a long time" said Catherine and she was right, Grissom and Sara had been so preoccupied with each other that they hadn't socialized with the rest of the team, the business with Sam Braune had kept Catherine busy and Warrick had been by her side through it all so the team rarely met up outside the confines of the lab. "And we were discussing the bombshell that Grissom has sprung us, I mean he has just suddenly decided to go off on sabbatical for no reason and has given us no explanation either. None of us knew, not even Brass and I thought that Grissom would have at least told him." Sara sat down quickly on a seat before her legs gave way beneath her. She knew that she wasn't going to be able to cope with a discussion about Grissom just yet. She wasn't totally secure with him leaving just yet and was so close to crying again that she would reveal her feelings to the others.

"We were just tossing ideas about his reasons for leaving," Greg said. All Sara could do was nod her head as Greg, with some input from Catherine and Nick, started listing of their ideas. As soon as Sara heard the first idea, she switched off. Of course they would come up with silly ideas and stories about why Grissom had left, they had seen no reason for him to leave. They had only seen the mask that he put up, but she had seen the real him, the one who was about to burn out, the one who every day was sinking deeper and deeper into oblivion. Grissom wasn't good at showing his emotions to other people. Sara knew this more than anyone; it had taken her a long time to get him to open up to her but when he did, it was worth the wait. Grissom kept the mask that everything was fine, even at home. Sara was oblivious to the pain he was in until one day when she returned home and found him in the darkened lounge, lying on the sofa, with tear stains on his cheeks. It had broken her heart that he was that he was in so much pain and didn't even share it with the person he loved but, when he explained everything to her, she did what she could to help him and when the offer to teach at William's College came through it washer who persuaded him to take it. Now she wasn't sure if it had been such a great idea, Grissom might get better but she didn't think she could stand being without him nearby for four weeks.

"So Sara, what do you think?" Greg's voice broke through her thoughts,

"Huh"

"What's your opinion Sara, come on, are you even paying attention?"

"Yes, I think that um…I think that it isn't our position to discuss Grissom's reasons for leaving. If he wanted us to know he would have told us. We just have to accept that he's…that he's left and there's nothing we can do about it" Sara hoped that they didn't notice her voice break, she was on the verge of tears and prayed that they wouldn't fall when the rest could see.

"See, there is someone who agrees that it's none of our business," said Warrick. "If you lot aren't going to talk about anything else I'm going home, I need sleep," he stood up and started to leave.

"I…uh…I'll be off too" said Sara softly keeping back the tears. " I'll see you guys later"

"Yeah bye Sara, bye Warrick" replied Nick.

"See you" Catherine said aimed mainly at Warrick. Greg added, "Enjoy your evening off Sara" Sara gave him a smile although she knew it would be the day off from hell. Normally days off meant more time to spend with Grissom but she couldn't, he was gone. Sara and Warrick headed along the corridor to the car park. They walked in silence until they were out of earshot of the break room.

"Are you alright Sara?" Warrick asked, "You seemed a bit distracted back there"

"Yes, there's…well…there's a lot going on in my life at the moment and to be honest I don't have the time or energy to discuss why Grissom legged to the other side of the country."

"I understand" Warrick gave Sara a smile, she silently breathed a sigh of relief, maybe she could lie. She couldn't have lasted another minute in the break room without breaking down in a flood of tears. And then their relationship wouldn't be a secret anymore. They had reached Sara's Denali and it was time fore them to part ways

"See you Sara"

"Yeah"

"And Sara if you ever need anything, an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on, I'm here, we all are, remember that."

"Thanks," Sara gave him a small smile before climbing into her Denali and driving home to her empty townhouse.