Disclaimer: Not mine. Which I suppose is a good thing, I don't think the show would have been nearly as successful if I was the writer (
Spoilers: none
Rating: Um, PG, there are a few bad words, but nothing they don't say on network shows.
Author's Note: This story has been floating around in my head for a while now, I am really curious as to what Grissom and Sara's past is, so I made it up to cure my curiosity. I have to admit it is a little fluffy. My first story, Liquid Courage, is on hiatus because I think I hit a road block, but I am working on it still. Oh, and if anyone is interested in Betaing for me drop me an email. Thanks and enjoy!
And away we go!
Sara sat in the passenger seat of the black Tahoe staring silently out the window. She was kind of confused as to why she was there to begin with, her and Grissom were all but avoiding each other as of late, and now here she was on her way to a scene out in the middle of the desert with him. She watched scenery pass by as her mind wandered to the man sitting next to her. As she thought back on their fragile past, a past that was much longer than most of the people around them knew, Sara was suddenly overwhelmed with a feeling of bitter spite. That feeling lead her to start what she knew would be a heated and sensitive conversation with Grissom.
"So, have you talked to Karen lately?" Sara asked still staring out the window, an almost evil smile forming on her lips.
"Sara." Grissom warned never taking his eyes from the road
"What? It's a legitimate question. I just thought maybe since she was in town this week..." Grissom cut her off.
"Karen is in town?"
"I thought you knew, she is giving a series of lectures this week at WLVU, I saw it in the bulletin, I get it in the mail." Sara was sure that she had bitten off more than she could chew with this one, but she persisted, "She changed her name."
"Well then how do you even know it's her, Sara?"
"Her picture was in the bulletin, with her biography, it's her. I think I might make an appearance, front and center, we need to catch up." Sara's tone dripped with sarcasm as she spoke.
"Do you really think that is a good idea?" As Grissom spoke Sara could tell he was getting nervous, "You'll just make things worse if you go, I think you've just about burned that bridge to ashes."
I don't Grissom, I bet if she knew how things are between us now she'd do backflips down the hall." Sara said quietly with a hint of sadness in her voice, "I'm going to go, it sounded interesting, besides it's not like I have anything better to do on my night off."
Silence crept back over the two for the rest of the drive. Grissom knew Sara was right, Karen had been a victim of his passion for his work, and Sara. And Grissom was sure of one thing, Karen really did not like him, but she hated Sara. Something inside him knew that Karen would boarder on euphoria if she knew how tragically his and Sara's relationship had crumbled.
Sara and Grissom worked almost complete silence except for the occasional "bag that", "could you hand me a bindle" or "photograph this", which was nothing new to them or anyone else at the scene.
"So, when is this lecture, Sara?" Grissom asked just as they were finishing up their collection.
"Tomorrow night, starts at seven." Sara answered as she got in the SUV, "Psychology of the Serial Killer", Sara said with a grin.
Sara stood in front of her mirror and looked herself over, she was wearing a black pinstripe pant suit with a purple button down shirt underneath, "not bad if I do say so myself." She smiled and glanced at her watch, 6:20 plenty of time to get there and get situated before the lecture started. She grabbed her purse and went to her car.
When Sara got to the lecture hall she was one of the first people there, she grabbed a program and headed towards the front row. She sat down in the seat directly in front of the speaker's podium and started to flip through her program. It wasn't long before the hall started to fill up and not long after that the dean of the university began his introduction and suddenly Sara began to feel very uneasy about the situation she had placed herself in. She turned around to scan the room for a seat further back in the hall, but she saw that it was standing room only, "damn" Sara whispered as she sunk lower in her chair. Grissom was right; this was a bad idea.
"And now it is my pleasure to welcome Dr. Karen Goodall." The dean stepped away from the podium and the hall erupted in applause as Karen moved to fill his place. Karen was a tall woman, almost the same height as Sara, she had a slender build with light brown hair just below her shoulder. She was wearing a brown skirt with a matching jacket, and Sara could not help but noticed how much she had aged since the last time they had met, she must be in her early 50's by now Sara thought. The people on either side of Sara stood and she looked around to see that she was the only one not standing, so to blend herself in with the rest of the crowd Sara also stood. As she looked up at Karen their eyes locked, Karen's eyes filled with nothing but hate and Sara wanted to bolt for the door.
But Sara stayed, she stayed for the whole thing, through the lecture and through the question and answer session. Sara finally stood to leave, walking down the isle she noticed that the hall had all but emptied out as she scanned the rows of chairs. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a familiar face, Grissom. Sara smiled and walked down the isle and sat in the seat next to him.
"I thought you said this was a bad idea, coming here."
"No, Sara. I said it was a bad idea for you to come here, and still stand firmly on that, especially after that look you got earlier." Grissom stood to leave and Sara followed suit.
"I guess you're right." Sara said heading towards the door, "At least I didn't run into her after the lecture," Grissom held the door as Sara stepped into the cool Las Vegas night, "I don't know if I could have handled that particularly well."
Grissom and Sara started to walk towards the parking deck, in a surprisingly comfortable silence when Grissom spoke up, "I was thinking about what you said yesterday, about the way things are between us now". Grissom sat down on a bench and studied the ground for a moment, "And I just couldn't figure out what happened to us. I racked my brain and retraced everything that we've been through, and I just don't know."
Sara stood and digested the words that Grissom had just said, she was not sure if it was an apology or a general statement, but either way it was sweet. "Me either, Grissom. I don't know when things went wrong, but I wonder sometimes if we can ever make it right, or if we should." Sara sat down next to Grissom with her head in her hands.
"I see you're still baby-sitting after all these years, Gil." Grissom and Sara both looked up to see Karen walking towards them.
Sara stood up, "Excuse me?" Sara said loudly, almost louder than she had intended.
"I wasn't talk to you sweetheart." Karen said in a condescending tone.
"Well, I was talking to you... sweetheart." Sara said returning the tone.
"Sara..." Grissom warned as he stood, "Come on, let's go." Grissom reached for Sara's hand but she pulled away.
"No Grissom, I want to hear what she has to say. I'm sure it will be almost as enthralling as her lecture." Sara said flashing her very best fake smile.
"Like I said Gil, still baby-sitting." Karen said.
Suddenly, Sara lunged at Karen. Karen took a step back and smiled almost tauntingly as Grissom jumped up from the bench and wrapped his arms around Sara holding her back from surely doing some serious damage. Sara flailed in his arms trying to free herself to no avail.
"Let me go, Grissom, Let me go!" Sara yelled squirming in Grissom's grip, " I'll kick your ass, bitch!"
Karen was breathing hard, obviously scared by the threat, "You lay one hand on me you'll regret it for the rest of your life you home wrecking bitch!"
Upon hearing that, Grissom seriously considered letting Sara go. "Karen, cool it!" Grissom shouted at her. "Let it go, both of you, now!"
Grissom tightened his grip on Sara, it almost felt like a hug, and when she felt his thumb start to rub up and down against her side, her thoughts were confirmed and she started to relax a bit.
"Oh yeah, Gil, that's easy for you to say Mr. Pacifist, let it go, huh? That's all you have to say? I'll let it go, when hell freezes over or when she's there, whatever comes first." Karen said pointing at Sara, who was still locked in Grissom's arms.
"Yeah, I'll see you there." Sara said and spit on the ground.
"Keep her away from me, Gil. She's obviously unstable, I guess it takes two." Karen smiled and walked away into the shadows of the campus.
Grissom held on to Sara until he was sure that she would not be able to run and catch up to Karen, he finally let her go a good five minutes later.
Sara turned to face Grissom, she looked at him and then to the ground, " I'm sorry, Grissom." Sara said quietly almost in tears.
"Don't apologize, I was going to let you go, but I thought better of it." Grissom studied Sara for a moment and noticed the tear streaks starting down her cheeks, he smiled slightly, "Come here, hun."
Grissom opened his arms and Sara fell into him. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back. Grissom felt a rush of emotions come back to him as Sara cried in his arms, he started to remember he had left Karen in the first place, not for Sara, for himself, but because of Sara. Sara was a fighter, and she was the first person who fought for him, and that made him want to fight for her. Somewhere along the way, they had lost that.
Grissom leaned down and kissed Sara's forehead. She looked up at him and wiped the tears off her cheeks and smiled, Grissom ran his finger under her chin and tilted Sara face up to his and kissed her. It was just like he remembered.