Hey guys this is my third CSI Grissom/Sara story, well this one is mild GSR but and mainly Sara but I hope you like it ll the same. Sorry if their are any spelling mistakes, I read over in three times but tired eyes and writing it make me biased. Enjoy I hope. This is the longest one shot I've written so tell me if it's okay. Have a good day/night.
He had been on his way to pass out case assignment slips to the team when the call came. A double murder in Merced with ties to the last cold case the team had worked on.
Changing course, and making his way to Ecklie's office. Grissom dropped the slips on his desk and informed him of the new development.
The cold case had been nationally known, two young children abducted with their prints found at many robberies around Nevada, along with the prints of Nevada's most wanted criminal, Johnathon "Just" Cruise.
Always seeking national praise, Ecklie quickly okayed the trip to California. Before Ecklie's annoying lecture could begin, Grissom made his way to the break room to inform the team.
"What do we have tonight?" Catherine questioned, pouring herself some coffee while the rest of the team sat tiredly around the table.
"No new cases tonight. There's been a break in the cruise case." He said calmly, taking in everyone's mixed emotions.
The case had been trying for the team due to the involvement of children. They had all been upset in their own ways after Ecklie called the case cold. Warrick and Nick brought more violent video games, Greg's music got a tad louder, Catherine took a few days off to spend with Lindsey, Grissom spent many nights trying to read about the new species of fly in Africa while his mind raced, Sara spent her time listening to her police scanner as images from the past replayed before her eyes.
"They found the girls?" Greg asked eagerly turning down the volume of his iPod.
"No, we have another crime scene with their prints." Grissom replied
"Where to?" Nick questioned leaning forward in his seat
"Merced, California." He answered
Eliciting excitement from Greg, who immediately screamed out "Road trip," soon Grissom noticed Sara's face paling. Deciding that it must have something to do with being in a car with Greg for so many hours he decided to let it go.
"Everyone go home and pack. We'll be taking the CSI van, I'll be by to pick up each of you in two hours." Grissom informed.
As Catherine's clock showed 10 the sight of the ever prompt Grissom and the minivan could be seen pulling into her driveway. Giving her mother a goodbye hug, and Lindsey's sleeping form a kiss on the cheek she ran out to climb in.
Pulling away from the curb and making their way to Nick's apartment. He could be seen standing outside waiting. Throwing his things in the back he climbed into the middle row of seats. Once again they were off this time to pick up Greg.
Just like Nick he had been waiting outside. Though he was too entranced in his music to notice the three people waiting for him. Catherine reached over to honk the horn. The noise cause Greg to jump, propelling his head phone's off his head. Soon he ran embarrassed to the van, head phones dragging. Piling his stuff in the trunk he climbed into the back row of seats.
Next thing the group knew they were at Warrick's building, with Nick having texted him, he came out after a few minutes. Climbing in the back with Greg, ever the chivalrous gentleman, he allowed Sara to take the last middle seat.
The car was lively as they drove to Sara's apartment. Grissom and Catherine talking about the case and Lindsey's activities, while the boys joked and laughed in the back.
Seeing a glimpse of Sara standing with bags from the medium distance, the group couldn't help but become silent after the image became clearer allowing them to see a man beside her. From the car no part of their argument could be heard, but their angry gestures and facial expressions were enough to convey they were fighting.
As the team pulled up to the curb, it appeared as though the man was in the middle of a long rant, while Sara held her ground. The team could only watch, knowing how horrible an angry Sara could be. A few times everyone in the car, including Grissom had to tell themselves to allow Sara to handle her problem.
The duo still didn't recognize their audience, and this time Catherine was not about to honk her horn at two angry people, knowing how angry she'd have been if she were in this position with Eddie.
Discretely rolling her window down, Catherine allowed the group to put words to the silent actions.
"I'll be fine!" Sara said in a hushed whisper
"No you won't! Do you not remember the trips down their we had to take? How horrible it was?" The man said in annoyed concern.
"I have the team, besides this is not about me this is about the little girls. Little girls around Sophie's age! And your standing telling me to stay here while god knows what happens to them!" She replied
"The team doesn't know what to watch out for, Sara! They don't know anything and you won't tell them. If you's just tell them th-" The man tried to say being cut off
"Justin! Don't you dare start that, you know why I can't tell them. Do you not remember the pity? The "its okay sweetie you don't have to turn in homework this week!" That was even in college, Justin. I won't let them do that to me." She said determinedly
"Do what to you? Those people were trying to help us." Justine said irritated
"Do what your doing to me right now!" She said throwing her hands up in annoyance. "Look, he's been dead for years, she's in jail if not dead. What are you worried about?"
"I'm always going to worry, Sara. Just, just be careful. Okay? Call if you need anything." The man said, giving her a hug and finally noticing the car full of confused CSI's. Grabbing her bag and walking with her to put the things in the trunk, Sara kept her head held high.
Whispering more so her nosy team could barely hear, she told him, "I'll be fine. You just make sure Sophie makes me another ceramic hand, and if I need anything I'll call. But under no circumstances do you bring her out there. She doesn't need to deal with this." She finished hugging the man and climbing in the silent car beside Nick.
After a few more miles it was clear to Sara, none or possibly only some of her conversation had been between herself and her brother. If the silence didn't give it away, the fact Catherine's window was still cracked open causing the annoying fluctuation of air.
Debating whether or not to confront the others, she decided getting it all in the open may be easier to do than hiding her pain, though she'd still try to hide most of the hurt.
"How much did you hear?" Sara questioned the car as a whole, almost laughing at the shocked looks surrounding her.
"Umm, well, we didn't her anything." Greg tried to lie, now dangerously aware of his position within swing range of Sara.
"First off, you suck at lying Greggo, Second I know you heard us, how much is what I want to know." She said trying again.
"Just the last few minutes." Nick replied getting furious glances from the guilty parties, excluding Grissom who calmly glanced at him through the review mirror. "What? I learned a long time ago to never lie to her, plus I'm in immediate swing zone." His comment causing Sara to smile.
"Well then, anything you want to ask? If its this quiet all the way to California, I may have to suffer through some of Greg's songs." She said in a tone of amusement, with a underlying tone of suppressed pain.
"Who was that guy?" Catherine asked starting off the questions.
"That's my brother Justin, as you can tell he's a little over protective." Sara answered rolling her eyes
"And Sophia?" Warrick asked
"That's my daughter." Sara replied straight faced
The car grew quiet, Catherine and the boy's mouths fell open in shock as Grissom's hands gripped the steering wheel with hurt and jealousy.
"Wh..what?" Catherine managed to get out.
Letting a smirk pass over her face, Sara held out her arms in surrender. "Joking, joking. I'm on the spot over here, this stuff is not the easiest to say. She's my niece, Justin's little girl."
At her retraction, the group released their held breaths, while Grissom's grip relaxed only noticed by Catherine.
"Sara don't do that to us, you just took about five years off everyone's lives." Nick said playfully pushing Sara.
"Hey, I don't see any of you spilling your guts." She responded, pushing him back.
"Children, children, please! No more giving us heart attacks Sara, it's not nice." Greg said jokingly.
"Do you have anything you won't to tell us Sara?" Nick asked reaching out to give her a comforting side hug.
"You heard that huh?" Sara questioned, greeted with many nods. "When the times right." She said with a sad smile.
After they passed the border into California, and made it to a diner just two hours out of Merced. Not noticing Sara pale as they pulled into the lot, the guys went in to get a table. Grissom glanced at her in concern but quickly walked behind the others. Sara stayed behind for a moment, Catherine staying too.
"I really don't want to talk about it." Sara told Catherine as she stood beside her.
"I know, you need to at your own time. I just didn't want you out here alone, seeing how much this place affects you." Catherine said with a motherly smile.
"Thanks, its just so many memories here." Sara answered returning her smile with a smaller, troubled version of her own.
"All good I hope." Cathering replied in earnest
"Yeah, I wish that were the case." She responded, "Might as well get this over with, besides who knows what the boys have gotten into. I bet you ten bucks, there will be no more pancakes by the time we leave."
Sharing a smile the girls walked to the entrance. Sitting across from Grissom at the end of a u-shaped table, with Catherine beside her, then Greg, Nick, Warrick, ending the semi-circle with Grissom.
Glancing around nervously, Sara tried to discretely turn her face away from the room whenever people would look toward them.
When everyone decided on their orders they looked to Sara who hadn't looked over the menu.
"Do you need a menu, Sara?" Grissom tried to pass on to her
"No thanks, I already know what I'm having." She replied putting the menu back into the pile in the center.
Soon an older looking woman with gray hair and a grandmotherly vibe came to take their orders. Starting with Grissom and going around the table, she couldn't help but glance at Sara a few times, who, in turn, hid her face by pretending to check her phone. When the time came for Sara to order she quickly said her order without looking up.
Amazingly, to the team, the waiter's eyes grew wide, and filled with moisture. As her pen fell to the table, Sara knew she was caught.
Launching herself into an awkward positioned hug with Sara, the group could do nothing but glance curiously.
"Honey, I've, We've missed you so much! Earl! Earl! Come out here!" The women said pulling Sara to stand, with her arms still wrapped around her.
"What, dear?" The man said before he came into view.
The receipt in his hand floated to the floor as he walked as fast as possible to Sara.
"Where have you been, honey? It's been what three years?" He said as he pulled back from the hug.
"Are you eating right? You look too thin. Extra toast for you, and I don't want to hear any buts. No giving it to your friends either." The old woman said glancing to the table
"I eat perfectly fine. Its good to see you guys again." Sara said feeling the gaze of the group on her.
"Who are your friends?" Earl asked gesturing to the group staring at the trio.
"These are my coworkers from Las Vegas. That's Catherine, Greg, Nick, Warrick and Grissom." Sara said pointing each one out.
Receiving waves from the confused group, the couple turned back to Sara. "So you've been in Nevada all this time? We were getting ready to send out a search party." Earl said laughing
"Vinny's been here a lot but it has been strange seeing him her alone." The woman said
"I'll be seeing him later on this week, Justin called him before I left." Sara replied
"Oh good, it'll cheer him up. He's been so sad lately." The woman said again
"Its so good to see you again Beth. I'm sorry, I just didn't have time to stop by before I left town. And you know Justin, once he starts driving you can't make him stop for anything." Sara tried to explain
"Its okay deary, I wouldn't want you staying here another minute if I could have helped it. I'm just surprised your back." Beth explained, as Earl disappeared back into the kitchen to put in the teams orders.
"As much as I hate that place, I have to work." Sara said smiling.
"I'll leave you to your friends, I've got to make sure Earl doesn't hurt himself, or my kitchen trying to cook again."
Sara sat back down after the outburst uneasy.
"Before you ask, they were my neighbors, and me and Justin basically grew up at their house and here. You see those scraps in the beam over there?" She said gesturing to the support beam a few feet away, at there nodding heads, she continued, "Those are our height to age markers."
Talk turned back to the case and after a phone call received by Grissom, it was decided the San Francisco team that was dispatched to handle the call first, due to it being their jurisdiction, would have a day to get all the evidence possible and then the teams would work together.
This angered the group who wanted to be completely involved.
Acting on instinct and anger, when Beth came back with their drinks she asked, "Vinny will be in soon, right? It's about the time he used to take his lunch break."
"Yeah, he should be in in a few minutes. I'll tell you when I see him."
"Thank you."
At that the group were still left with many questions but seeing as Catherine kept quiet, they knew it was not the time to ask questions.
As the group ate their soups and salads for the first course, Sara noticed Beth signaling Vinny was in. Fueled with annoyance, and eagerness to see her old friend, she got up without preamble and walked across the room to where she could see him.
"Somebody's in trouble." Greg taunted as they watched her march to the table.
A discussion could be seen from the teams point of view, but the man was left faceless. After a few minutes a hug could be seen, and Sara was seen walking back with a smirk. While her sparing partner sat starring at her returning form, a look of amazement and respect forming on his face.
"We can go in and work with the other team around three to go through the evidence." Sitting back down, she picked up her fork nonchalantly and continued eating.
"What did you do to that guy? He won't stop staring." Nick questioned nodding toward the man. The group exchanged a glance, and Grissom's jealousy increased a little.
Before she could finish chewing to answer, the blonde haired man brought a chair to the table requesting to sit.
"Hello, I'm Agent Dins. You guys will be joining my team for this case." Shaking everyone's hand and receiving a playful glare from Sara when he tried to get a handshake.
"Last time I tried to shake your hand I got bear hugged instead, I'd rather not relive that, Vinny." She said allowing him tom take her tomato as she grabbed the cucumber slice from his salad.
"That was when I was you best friend, Vinny. At the moment I'm Agent Dins, meeting LV's liaison team." He said sarcastically
"Sure, sure." She smiled in amusement, bringing the group to question their relationship. "Before this gets awkward, and silent. This is my old partner, Vincent Dins. I'm getting better at this whole revealing secrets from the past thing." She said jokingly, feeling calmer due to her best friend's presence.
"They don't know about me? And they let me sit down without knowing, wow. Unsafe guys, unsafe. What if I had been the chainsaw massacre guy?" He said teasingly
"You'd need a bloody chainsaw." Sara replied as she took a bite of the salad.
"True, maybe I could be Edward Sissorhands, or that guy from scream?"
"I don't think so, you'd need a mask for the scream guy. But if you had been Edward I'd have been alright." She said with a smile
"Man these killers have to many prompts what happened to the good old knife and cement truck. Wait a minute you'd be alright with Edward Sissorhands just sitting down next to you?" He asked giving Sara an I'll-never-understand-you look.
"Hey its Johnny Depp regardless. I think you've thought of that murder thing a little too much." Sara said finishing her salad and placing it in the pile of plates the group had created.
"First off gross, he has knifes for hands. And second, there's only one time I've had to consider that murder, and the guy was already dead." He said giving Sara a pointed look.
"You and me both. But Laura took care of that for both of us." Sara said
Beth came out with the orders, including Vinny's.
"How have you been Vinny? Better now that Sara's here I'm guessing." Beth said
"It's always good to see my best friend mom. We're going to be working together like that old times, partners in crime." He finished bumping fits with Sara
"I'm happy to here that. You've got to come by on your way home." Beth responded, "But I hope to god you guys have grown enough to tell me who managed to break Justin's arm. I won't forget it." She vowed
"Don't look at me, Vinny did it." Sara said gesturing to Vinny, causing his face to form in mock shock.
"Well I never, Mommy I would never do that." He said trying to form puppy dog eyes
"Sure sure." Beth said making her way back into the kitchen with a smirk.
"Way to rat out your best friend!" Vinny said in mock annoyance
"It wasn't my idea to push him now was it?"
"No, but-" He tried to say
"Eat your food so we can go show these Nevada lovers California." Sara said locking eyes with Grissom before she began eating her own food.
"Thanks again, Beth. We'll come by on our way home." Sara said as she walked out the door after about twenty hugs from various locals. The team waited at the car, as Sara and Vinny broke away from the crowd.
"Hey you mind if I go with you? I'm not allowed in the store the crime scene's at so I've got nothing to do." He questioned
"Sure, it'd be nice to spend more time with you." Sara replied
Climbing back in the car the group decided they had a few more hours to kill, so they began driving to the hotel to unpack. Their wouldn't be enough time to get any sleep so instead they would drive around.
"Why can't you go into the store the murders happened in?" Warrick asked on the way to the hotel.
"I got in a fight with a group of people when I was younger. Come to think of it, you're banned from the place too Sara." He revealed
"The Corner Market? Shoot I forgot all about that." She said, "Guess you guys are on your own, we could always do exterior I guess."
"That's what I'm planning on, but I have to wait for the owner to leave until we can go."
"Wait, what did you do to get banned?" Greg asked intrigued
"It was high school, and being the science nerd is not the easiest thing, not to mention if your dating the football star." She said nudging Vinny, "So of course these girls decided to fight for their man or something, and their boyfriends decided to join in against Vinny. But for six against two we kicked butt."
Grissom's mind went over and over the whole story. She dated Vinny. She got picked on. She got hit.
Vinny dove into a story of matrix moves and slow motion stunts, exaggerating the fight. When Catherine's voice rung out, "Wait a minute! You guys dated?"
"Of course by pass the action scene and straight for the romance." Warrick joked, earning a glare
"No of course not. No offense but, gross. You know how it is a girl and guy are best friends and go to high school, rumors were bound to fly around." Sara answered
"Yeah your great and all Sara, but, just no. It'd be like dating my little sister."
Their responses brought the car to laughter, even Grissom chuckled a bit.
"We're the same age."
"True and you always went for older men."
The car went extremely quiet. Sara and Grissom playing eye contact chicken through the review mirror.
"So what happened in the fight?" Nick supplied to distract the attention
"So Amy starts chucking insults and Sara starts chucking Twinkies..."
"I in no uncertain terms turned into a ninja and jumped on Macy's back!" Sara said laughing at his story
"Okay, Sara. Were keeping your ninja skills on the down low, I got it."
"We're here, go check in and meet back in here in fifteen minutes." Grissom said sliding out of the car
Waiting in line for to check in, Grissom stood behind Sara and Vinny who carried her bag in.
"You know you could always stay with me. We could sit in the old tree house like old times."
"I don't know. Wait a minute is that concierge Mary Billups?" Sara whispered
"Yes, yes it is. Quick hide me!" He said quickly trying to duck behind Sara's smaller frame
"Hide you? Hide me! She's the one that vowed to get me back after I won the science fair."
At this piece of history Grissom couldn't help but smile, his Sara was always smart.
"You where we wouldn't have this problem?" Vinny said after they both turned around facing Grissom
"Your house?" Sara questioned with a smile
"Exactly. What do you say?" He replied with a cheeky smile
"Fine but only if we make it outside before hairy Mary sees us." She said with a smirk
"I knew you hated her! On three, one, two, three!" With that the duo were out the doors and standing by the car within moments.
The group came out soon and Sara explained that she'd be staying with Vinny to catch up.
"Could you guys drop us off? Its 423 Brandson Street. I'll tell you how to get there."
Nodding his head Grissom got in the driver's seat, biting his tongue unsure of what would be appropriate to say when it involved Sara.
"Just take a right at the end of these apple trees, and a left at the corn field." Sara instructed as Vinny talked to the boys about a new video game.
As the terrain turned darker and a broken down house came into view, Sara went pale and grabbed Vinny's hand.
"Wow that house is torn up, I think a tree might be growing inside it." Greg said observantly
"Yeah I mean why isn't it just bulldozed, that farmer could have more area for planting." Nick added
Glancing quickly at Sara, noticed only by Catherine and Grissom, Vinny replied, "It's a hard place to sell, their was a.."
"Murder there." Sara finished quietly
Warrick, Nick and Greg continued talking about the state of the house, while the observant riders in the front seat stayed silent studying the stressed features on Sara and the concerned stance of Vinny.
"Right here on the right." Vinny said
Pulling the van to a stop Vinny offered the group a tour. Entering the one-story house conveyed a since of family. Pictures scattered the walls, while the furniture gave a since of lived in comfort without being dirty.
Walking to the kitchen to get the groups drinks, Sara and Vinny left the team to observe the room.
Catherine and Grissom studied an old photo of what looked like an eight year old Sara standing in between Vinny and Justin. Another showed a four year old Sara riding a tricycle with Vinny playing cop. The barely concealed bruises on Sara peaked their interest.
"Do you see what I see?" Catherine questioned him
"Check the others." He said curtly scanning the other photos of his Sara.
One by one they confirmed what the duo had feared.
"Maybe she just was rough. She did have two 'brothers' plus she's never been some delicate daisy." Catherine tried to reason afraid of her own anger as well as Grissom's.
"You and I both know, those boys would never hurt Sara. Besides, rough housing doesn't leave hand shaped bruises." Grissom said starring at the smiling Sara, with a hint of what seemed to be fear in her eyes.
"I can't believe we never knew." Catherine spoke softly
"Me either."
Soon Sara and Vinny walked back into the living room carrying the drinks. Passing them around Vinny nodded to Sara, whose eyes rimed red.
"First off, they found the girls. Mr. Cruise decided to tie them in the secret storage area so when we found them, we'd feel the guilt for not saving them fast enough. He's still on the loose but one of the girls, Megan I think, stuck her mother's cellphone under his car's seat. The police are following him." Vinny said
"That's great! Strange, but great!." Greg announced as the relief washed over everyone.
"I was going to tell you guess something, but it Catherine and Grissom have already found out. Based on the looks on their faces. Vinny brought these from Laura and Rick's old house, before the tree grew into it according to Greg." She smiled starring at the floor, "I figure one of these days someone will find out so I might as well put it out there now. You see this was Beth and Earl's house and I lived next door with Justin, Laura and Rick. Sorry I mean I lived there with Justin my mom, and dad. Strange saying that. Anyway, the house. Well the house is full of ghosts and blood. Not Rick's ghost, Hell dragged him down I'm sure, but all those personal demons I have tried to hide but ended up coming up eventually. If we had our kits, you'd see the blood was not just from Laura murdering Rick. But from him murdering Justin's and my childhoods."
Quickly Vinny moved to her side after handing each concerned member a copy of Sara's secrets. "You see these happy pictures and feel the love in this home? Its hard to believe that right next door lays a house full of pain. After the murder, foster care did its job. I'm sure you can imagine how hard it is for a child to be told they are not good enough to be loved or at least cared for. Luckily, Beth and Earl worked hard to adopt us both. Then I worked hard to get away from this place, these memories. That brought me to Harvard and the rest is not important." Sara finished quickly, glad to have it all over with.
The room went quiet as the group flipped page after page, wondering why they hadn't realized it before.
The group continued reading while Sara's relieved eyes met Grissom's finally unguarded eyes, something floating between them.
They realized they had each other.
They realized they could make it.
They realized they were in love.