Title: Cold as You, Part 1
Author: butterflied4life
Rating: Teen
Pairing: GSR Grissom/Sara, a tiny bit of Grissom/Catherine friendship
Spoilers: There really aren't any in this part. This story takes place around Season 4 and 5.
Summary: My take on a song/karaoke fic using the song 'Cold as You' by Taylor Swift. Somewhat angsty, but a satisfying ending, I promise!
Disclaimer: I do not own CSI, or any of its characters. If that happens in the near future, I will let you know so we can celebrate! I also do not own the song 'Cold as You', or Taylor Swift for that matter. All I own is her CD.
A/N: Well, let's see. This is my first story. I would really appreciate any and all comments, nice or not. I really want to see what people think of my story, so I know if it's worth continuing. 'Cold as You' is a really good song by Taylor Swift, and LieLieS over at YouTube was amazing enough to make me my very own GSR video to this song. Go ahead and check it out! Much thanks to Keegan Elizabeth, my fabulous beta who took the time, despite writing her own genius stories, to go over mine and offer suggestions, encouragement, and that final push to finish it. I wouldn't have dared to post this without her. She has an AMAZING story, 'Memories, a Wedding Ring, and Love Along the Way', which I highly recommend. And now for the story…
Friday night at The Crescent Moon Bar meant one thing to Vegas locals: Karaoke Night and cheap drinks. The whole gang, including Greg, was sitting at a circular table in the bar and ordering their first round of drinks. Due to an elusive serial killer, everyone had been forced to work a double shift, and alcohol was just the thing needed to relax and to unwind. There was no way they could sleep for at least a couple of hours, since the adrenaline was still running full force through their bodies. In the end, they had caught the guy, but the victory did little to combat the mixture of exhaustion, frustration, and determination that they had built up.
Their seating arrangements told a lot about the current state of relationships between the workers of the nightshift. Catherine was seated between Nick and Warrick, but sometime during the first hour her chair had scooted closer to Warrick's side than Nick's. Sara was beside Nick, and by some means, Greg had wheedled his way into snagging the chair on her other side. Grissom, always aloof, was theoretically between Greg (to Grissom's dismay) and Warrick, but he had managed to push his chair back in such a way that he didn't really seem to be sitting by anyone.
The drinks arrived, and everyone obligingly downed theirs within a few gulps, raising empty glasses to signal the waitress for more. Sara, especially, was drinking hard. Her rejection by Grissom lately and the last case were just too much to handle at one time, so she sought release in the bottom of bottle.
Sara surprised herself when she got up and made her way over to the DJ's table. It was very unlike her to perform in front of others: that was Catherine's area of expertise. She also didn't consider herself as having much talent in the way of singing. But the three beers she'd swigged down earlier were starting to affect her, and she was feeling a whole lot more daring and bitter. She stood in line for karaoke behind a bouncy teenager with straight blonde hair, who looked absolutely thrilled to be in a bar in the first place.
Sara glanced over at the group's table, where it seemed that no one had found the fact she was gone strange. If they had noticed, then they had probably figured she had gone to the bathroom. As Sara watched them talking and laughing, Catherine finally noticed that she was standing in line for karaoke and alerted the others. She along with Nick and Warrick had encouraging smiles for her while Greg gave her a thumbs-up and Grissom wore a look of confusion.
Who cares what the hell he thinks. He'd disapprove if I won the Nobel Peace Prize. Sara was feeling especially resentful towards Grissom tonight.
When Sara turned her attention back to where she was standing, the blonde teenager started to sing and dance to a sultry Beyoncé song totally unsuited to her. Since Sara was next in line, the DJ asked her for the name of the song she wanted to sing. She gave it to him after reconsidering a bit. It was a country song, which was something she would never listened to normally but Nick had given her Taylor Swift's debut album for her birthday. The CD hadn't been too bad, and there was one song she had really identified with. It was perfect for how she was currently feeling.
The blonde's song mercifully came to an end, and the normally fearless CSI swallowed hard a few times. Gathering up her courage, she briskly stepped in front of the microphone, completely unaware of the pretty picture she made: tall, long legs encased in black slacks, a baby-blue blouse, dark hair starting to curl wildly in the humidity of the bar. She didn't have any time to really ponder that she was about to perform for the first time in front of about a hundred people, including some of her friends, since the opening piano notes had started to play. Her lovely voice rang out across the bar that had, to her utter dismay, become quiet as they listened.
You have a way of coming easily to me.
And when you take you take the very best of me.
So I start a fight 'cause I need to feel something.
You do what you want 'cause I'm not what you wanted.
While she sang, Sara looked straight at Grissom, building up both her strength and resolve as she stared into the eyes that had refused to let her in time after time.
Oh, what a shame.
What a rainy ending given to a perfect day.
Just walk away, no use to fit in words that you will never say.
And now that I'm sitting here thinking it through, I've never been anywhere cold as you.
Grissom visibly flinched at the last few words, and Catherine noticed. Everyone in the bar knew whom Sara was singing to since she had locked eyes with him the very moment she began to sing. However, only Catherine knew how truly complicated their 'relationship' was. Grissom had become cold, distant, and distracted lately. His troubles with Sara had begun taking a toll on him, whether Sara recognized it or not. Only Catherine understood how conflicted Grissom felt about getting involved with a younger woman and a subordinate to boot. "That still doesn't mean he had to push her away to such extremes. Maybe this experience will help him realize how silly his actions are," Catherine thought to herself. Her eyes reverted back to the stage as Sara started singing the next stanza:
You put up walls and paint them all a shade of gray.
And I stood there loving you and wished them all away.
And you come away with a great little story of a mess of dreamer with the nerve to adore you.
A solitary tear rolled down Sara's cheek, and she wiped it away angrily, never breaking eye contact with Grissom. She had wanted to come across hard and unforgiving, but here she was crying in public, which was completely unlike her. She didn't display her emotions.In her mind, she berated herself, "Great, crying looks really angry, Sidle. Too late now, just keep going."
Oh, what a shame.
What a rainy ending given to a perfect day.
Just walk away, no use to fit in words that you will never say.
And now that I'm sitting here thinking it through, I've never been anywhere cold as you.
Taking a deep breath, she plunged into the third and final stanza of the song.
You never did give a damn thing, honey.
But I cried, cried for you.
And I know you wouldn't have told nobody if I died, died for you, died for you.
Sara was really crying now, tears were pouring out as the pent-up emotions burst forth. She almost felt like quitting then but decided that she was no coward and she sang the refrain one last time.
Grissom felt as if he couldn't breathe. Of all the songs Sara could have picked to sing, she chose one that made him out to be the White Witch and the Tin Man combined. He hadn't meant to hurt her. He had never wanted that for them. That was why he had first rejected her offer of dinner: he didn't want her to wake up one day and discover she was dating (or even married, if he dared to hope) an old man, while she was still young. With this song, however, he realized how much pain he had caused her, how much she had suffered at his hand. And he felt like crying too.
Oh, what a shame.
What a rainy ending given to a perfect day. Every smile you fake is so condescending.
Counting all the scars you made.
Now that I'm sitting here thinking it through, I've never been anywhere cold as you.
As soon as the song ended, Sara had broken her stare at Grissom, and she didn't dare to glance back to him before she ran towards the back of the bar, heading for the bathroom, the door, anywhere—she just needed to get out.