Grissom walked into the hotel room seeing Greg and I working. I talked to Hank Peddigrew in the corner as I took pictures. Hank looked over seeing him and walked out quickly. I looked at Grissom before taking another picture. Grissom sighed walking in carrying his case annoyed. He did not trust Hank and every time he saw the man his senses went crazy.
"What are you doing here, Boss?" Greg asked
"We are slow and I am avoiding the stack of papers on my desk." He said, slapping on some rubber gloves. "What do we have?"
"Woman, twenty-eight, strangled with something…a tie maybe." I said
"Where is the tie?" Grissom asked
"We haven't found it yet." Greg said
"Well then I will check the bathroom." Grissom said, walking away.
Greg looked at me then he went back to work. Minutes later Grissom came out seeing us still next to the bed.
"Sara, I need your help."
"Sure." I said, walking over to him. He led the way into the bathroom standing by the commode.
"There is something in the toilet and my hands are to big."
I sighed thinking about the germs in there. I knelt down slowly rolling up my sleeves dipping my hand into the water. I winched as I put my hand up the pipe feeling something.
"I got something." I said
Grissom watched as I yanked hard getting the blue fabric out. I looked at it then I stood handing it to him.
"Good job." He said
"Thank's." I said, getting a large plastic bag from my back pocket reaching it out to Grissom. He put the tie inside the bag noticing a bruise on my arm.
"Sara, what is that?" He asked
I glanced at my arm then rolled down my sleeve.
"I tripped and hit my arm." I said "I'm fine."
I quickly walked out as he continued to stare. He came out as we were packing up.
"We'll meet you." Greg said, as he walked past.
"Actually Sara, can you ride with me?" Grissom asked
I stopped looking at him.
"I want to talk." He said
"I'll meet you." Greg said
I looked at Greg pleading silently to say something, but he just smiled and walked out. I sighed walking out following Grissom to his car. We got in and he started the car pulling out onto the road. I nervously waited for him to start. He looked over at me as he stopped at a light.
"Sara, it's none of my business, but your story about that bruise does not add up."
"Your right, it's not your business." I said, looking outside.
"I care about you. If anything is happening to endanger you I want to know."
I looked at him.
"I don't know what your talking about."
"Someone with hands made that bruise."
"I fell there is nothing else to tell." I said
He stared at me hearing a car honk. We drove back to CSI building and I rushed out avoiding him.
The next week he called my phone as I was late. I reached over on the bed winching as I picked up my phone.
"Sidle." I said, lying back down.
"Sara, your late." Grissom said
"Oh, I forgot to call. I am not feeling well." I said
"What's wrong?" Grissom asked, as he opened his mail.
"I think I am getting a cold."
"Okay, next time call."
"I will."
I hung up winching holding my ribs. The next day I walked slowly into the locker room seeing Warrick getting ready for work. He closed his locker looking at me.
"Sara, you okay?"
"Yeah." I said
He walked out and I sat on a bench touching my ribs. I slowly lifted my shirt seeing the bruising around my side. The door opened and I lowered my shirt quickly. Grissom looked at me as he opened his locker.
"How's the cold?" He asked
"Oh, it's fine." I said, standing.
"Good, because we are low staffed tonight. I am going to need you."
"Great." I said
We drove to a deserted area. Grissom and I got out holding our cases. My ribs were throbbing as I held my case. I wrapped my arm around my middle as I walked. We made it up a steep hillside where Brass stood with some officers.
"This one has me stumped." Brass said
We all looked over seeing a man sticking out of a pipe dead.
"Hmm." Grissom said
"He's all yours." Brass said
"Thank's." Grissom said "Well let's get to work."
Grissom set a ladder up next to the pipe.
"Grissom, could you work the top?" I asked
"I can, what's wrong?" He asked, taking the camera off me.
"Nothing, my equilibrium is off." I said, lying.
He went up taking pictures as I did the perimeter. David came taking the man out and Grissom looked down inside the pipe. I knelt down at the bottom looking at a piece of cloth. I reached over getting something out of my case when my ribs ached causing me to wince crying out.
"Sara, you okay?" He asked, shining his light onto me.
"Yeah, I just slept the wrong way." I said, taking a breath.
He came down walking over to me.
"What's wrong with your ribs?" He asked
I looked up at him watching his jaw flex.
"Grissom, I told you."
"Let me see them." He said
"No."
"That is not going to work now. I want to see them." He said
I sighed standing slowly looking at him.
"I don't need an examination. I am fine."
"Lift up your shirt." He said
I took off my gloves slowly lifting my shirt up. Grissom shined his light on my waist seeing blackish bruising on my rib area. He looked at me seeing that I looked down.
"Sara."
I put my shirt down avoiding his stare. He got his phone out and made a call to Catherine. I felt him take my arm with my case leading me down to the car. I sat inside as he picked his things up. Catherine came talking to him with Nick then Grissom got into the car looking at me. I looked down as he drove us away from the crime scene to the hospital.
The doctor looked at my ribs wrapping them giving me some meds then Grissom took me home. We got in and I set the meds down on the kitchen counter as I sat down on the couch in the living room. Grissom took the bottle of pills walking into the living room. He put them down on the coffee table leaving to get a glass of water for me. I watched him place it beside the pills then he sat down beside me.
"How long has this been going on?" He asked
"I don't know." I said, looking down.
"How long, Sara?"
"A few months."
"Months?" He said, looking at me.
I stood holding my side as I paced. He said nothing as I moved. I stopped as he stood coming over to me.
"Sara, I think you have a problem and I hope that you get help." He said
"I don't need help." I said
"I want you to stay home this week and rest." He said, sighing.
I watched him walk out of the apartment closing the door quietly. I looked over at the pills on the coffee table. Hank came in later walking into the bedroom smiling as I was sprawled out on the bed sleeping. He took off his clothes off and came to bed. I jumped as he kissed me.
"Hey babe, what's wrong?" He asked, slipping in behind me.
"Nothing." I said, settling back.
"You seem jumpy."
"I just thought I heard someone breaking in earlier." I said, looking to the side.
"Goodnight." He said, sighing.
"Night."
I moved my head deeper into the pillow wide awake trembling when he moved. Two days later I had a visitor. Grissom stood outside as I opened the door.
"Hey."
"Hey." I said, quietly.
"Are you alone?" He asked
I looked behind me coming out closing the door.
"No."
"How are you doing?" He asked
"Fine, is that the only reason you came?"
The door opened and Hank came out in work clothes. He looked at Grissom before kissing me.
"I'll be home late."
"Okay."
He smacked my behind then walked past. I cleared my throat looking at Grissom who watched Hank disappear.
"You never answered my question." I said, getting his attention again.
"No, I didn't just come to ask you that." He said
"Come in." I said, going to the door. He followed closing the door seeing that I was standing by a chair next to the kitchen counter with my back to him looking down.
"How are your ribs?"
"Better." I said
"Good." He said, walking over to me. "Sara?"
"What?" I asked
"Turn around."
I slowly turned looking at him.
"Did you talk to him?"
I shook my head.
"Are you going to talk to him?"
I shook my head again.
"Sara."
"Grissom, he has been in a really good mood lately. Why would I ruin this?" I said, watching him stare at me. "Or why would you want me to ruin it?"
"What?" He said, looking at me confused.
"You never liked it that I went out with Hank."
"Sara, what you do in your private life is your affair. Don't spin this around blaming me. I want you to be happy, but not in an abused relationship!" He said
"Then why did you reject me?" I yelled
He looked at me as he did the day that I asked him out to dinner.
"There is that look again. I always say the wrong thing don't I?" I said, crossing my arms over my chest.
"I told you I don't know what to do about this." He said
"Then why can't you leave me alone?"
"I can't do that."
"Why not?" I asked, walking away into the living room.
"We both know that answer because I care." He said, walking over watching me sit on the couch. He came over sitting in the armchair beside the couch. "I am here to talk."
I closed my eyes laying my head back against the couch.
"You can't just fix what no longer works." I said
"Are you saying you have given up?"
I opened my eyes looking at him.
"Yes, I have."
He moved over to sit beside me.
"You cannot give in to his behavior. The Sara I know would have beaten this man into tomorrow."
"Grissom do you love me at all?"
He was taken aback by the question.
"Once and for all just…tell me."
"Sara." He said, looking down.
"I want to hear it."
"If I don't?" He asked, watching me look at him.
"Then I know your lying."
"I don't." He said "Your thinking that my concern is love and it is not."
"You can tell me what you want. I know you love me." I said
He sighed getting up.
"Remember that case that you pinned me against the sheet? I knew then that you loved me."
"Sara." He said
I stood walking over to where he stood looking uncomfortable.
"I said pin me down and you moved my arms up gently letting them go."
"Stop." He said, looking at me.
"We stood there looking at each other and I could see that you wanted to kiss me." I said, stepping closer to him.
"Stop!" He shouted, going to the door. I ran over pushing him against the wall.
"We stood like this and you just stared at me making me nervous."
"This is inappropriate. I am your boss." He said
"Not in this place your not." I said "Aren't you going to kiss me?"
He searched my face breathing out gently.
"No, I am going to suspend you." He said
"You said you wanted to help me. If you kiss me I will leave Hank."
"You can't blackmail me."
"Then I stay with Hank."
He sighed looking at me.
"Sara, this is not something you should joke about."
"I am not joking." I said, coming closer. He cleared his throat fidgeting.
"I am leaving and when you come back I want to see you in my office to talk about your transferring to Catherine's team." He said, opening the door leaving. I watched him go feeling my heart break into two again. I cried after he left feeling sick.
When I came back he hardly saw me after my transfer to Catherine's team. I think at some level he was trying to hide his feelings. Hank left me scared after a huge fight. I came in walking stiffly feeling my swollen lip. I spent the day applying makeup to spots and cleaning up the blood.
I managed to hide in dark corners and dimly lit rooms. That is until Grissom walked in with Sophia in the lounge. I sat in the corner eating my egg salad sandwich alone. They laughed getting some coffee talking about a case. I glanced at Grissom as he poured coffee glancing over at me. My heart started racing as Sophia walked out and he slowly walked over.
"Hey." He said
"Hey." I said, looking down.
"How's your case?"
"Fine." I said, without feeling.
"I heard about you finding a soup body." He said
I swallowed trying not to throw up thinking about the smell. I put down my sandwich wrapping it up standing.
"I better get back." I said, before walking past him. I looked over at him before leaving. He watched me leave sadly. After the shift I yawned knowing what awaited me as I went home. Grissom was coming out of his office seeing me walking down the hallway holding a paper reading it.
"Sara?" He said
I stopped looking at him.
"Shouldn't you be off now?" He asked, walking over.
"Yeah, I just wanted to look at something first."
He looked at the paper then at me.
"That can wait, go home."
"It's important now." I said
He sighed putting down his case on the floor looking at me.
"Why don't you want to go home?"
"I will go when I am done." I said, walking past him.
The next shift Grissom walked into the lounge seeing me on the couch asleep in the clothes I wore last shift. He knew I had stayed. Walking over he looked at me angry, but that changed to concern as he looked noticing my lip was swollen.
I moved opening my eyes jumping a little seeing him. I slowly sat up looking around seeing the clock.
"Did you sleep here?"
"I guess I did." I said, touching my messy hair.
"I've talked to you before about that."
"Sorry." I said, standing. I noticed he was staring at me. "What?"
"How did you hurt your lip?" He asked
I reached up touching my bottom lip feeling the swollen part.
"I….don't know." I said
He gave me a look and I walked past him.
"Sara." He called
I glanced at him. He walked over reaching a hand to touch my arm.
"You need to put ice on that."
"I will."
He nodded watching me leave.
I came home later seeing Hank getting a beer from the kitchen. He took a drink seeing me close the door.
"Hey babe." He said
"Hey." I said, walking over. He leaned down to kiss me, but I avoided it.
"What's wrong?" He asked, looking at me.
"I need to talk to you." I said
"Games on." He said, walking past me to the living room. I walked over as he plopped down on the couch. I sat beside him looking down.
"Hank, I've been thinking."
"Ssh." He said, eyes glued to the TV.
I sighed getting up walking over turning it off. He cried out throwing his arms up.
"Turn it back on!" He yelled
"I am trying to talk to you!"
"I told you the game was on!" He said, getting up to turn on the TV.
I reached behind it unplugging the cord. He stood looking at me.
"I want to break up." I said
He just stood there staring at me. My hand trembled as I waited.
"Did you just say you wanted to break up with me?" He asked
"Yes."
"Wow." He said, walking around.
"Hank, I am tired of…you and I want out."
He turned looking at me then he came over grabbing my arms.
"If I leave I won't be coming back here." He said
"Great." I said
"Your not worth it." He said, searching my face.
"Please leave." I said
He let me go and got his stuff. I stayed still listening feeling relieved that this was not ugly. He came out of the bedroom looking at me. I avoided his stare. He walked past going to the door. I listened hearing him drop his things. He came over and I felt pain as he hit me.
Grissom woke to hurried knocking at his door. He got up looking at the clock beside his bed. He came out of the bedroom to the living room. He opened the door seeing me soaked from the rain and bleeding.
"Sara!" He said
"I did it!" I shouted, as I trembled.
He looked at me bruised and bleeding from a cut on my cheek.
"Come in." He said
I slowly walked in holding myself. He closed the door looking at me shaking terribly. I watched him run into a room coming back with a large towel. He put it around me trying to stop the water.
"What do you mean you did it?" He asked
"I…told Hank to leave." I said "I did it!"
He led me to his bathroom sitting me on the toilet seat. He looked into his cabinet above the sink finding the first aid kit. I put my head down in my hands feeling a panic attack coming on. Grissom knelt down and set the kit beside him.
"Sara, it's okay."
A sob from deep inside came out as I shook. Grissom tensely put his arms around me.
"Your safe now. He can't hurt you."
I moved my hands clutching his shirt. He sighed holding me slowly relaxing. He later sat down next to me on the couch handing me some hot tea in a mug. I slowly drank some under a thick blanket. He drank his looking down.
He watched me place the cup onto his coffee table then I sat back pulling the blanket closer sniffing.
"When…I first met Hank…I thought this is it." I said, quietly. "Now I…don't know what to do."
I looked down feeling his eyes on me.
"I am not exactly flawless…I am damaged….my mother abused us and…." I said "I can't be close to anyone."
I heard him move. His arm came around my shoulders pushing me to him. I sniffed laying my head against his chest as he rested his chin on my head.
"That day you asked me out was not a good time because I had just decided to see a doctor about my hearing." He said
I lifted my head looking at him.
"I was going deaf." He said
"What? You never said."
"Well it's not something I wanted people to know. I am flawed to."
"Is it…okay now?"
"Yes."
I searched his face as he looked at me.
"My flaw is I can't let people in. I have refused to have feelings because in our line of work that is what gets you into trouble."
I put my head back on his chest touching his shirt.
"Sara, the truth is I do have…feelings for you that go farther than just friends, but I can't let them out because it could jeopardize everything."
"Sometimes you look at me and I know." I said
"That day of the explosion I called you honey. I didn't want to hurt you. I was scared for you and when I saw you sitting there it just came out."
He put his lips against my head.
"I will talk to Catherine tonight and have you moved back." He said
I lifted my head sitting up.
"No, I'll stay where I am."
He reached over touching my cheek.
"We are not ready, Grissom, but someday we will be and I will be ready."