Chapter Two:

Shadows

She boldly went to Heather's house knocking until the door opened.

Heather stared at her for a moment. "Sara…I didn't know you were back in the states."

"I am…" Bruno's head managed to get around Heather and he jumped up at Sara.

"Bruno, down," ordered Heather.

The dog hung his head as his tail slipped between his legs.

He looked sadly at his old mistress.

"I've come for Bruno," announced Sara.

Bruno's ears perked at the sound of his name.

"Grissom left him in my care…until he returned."

"Gil left him in order to come to me…now I'm here to get Bruno."

"Where is…Grissom?"

"He'll be home soon," Sara lied as she called Bruno.

"Thank you for taking care of him. If there is a charge then…"

"No…Sara…"

Sara put a leash around the dog, leading him toward her vehicle. "Well then, thank you…for Gil."

She fled with the dog fearing there would be a protest but there was none.

She opened the passenger side of her rental, letting Bruno slip inside.

She laughed when the huge dog licked her repeatedly while she drove to the townhouse.

The lack of email was easier to take as she sat there with Bruno's head in her lap.

She sat in front of the laptop, not sure what to say.

Her brain and heart were on overload, not sure how to handle the information she had obtained.

It felt like a jagged blade had been twisted in her gut at the revelation by Brass.

She forced herself not to jump to conclusions but it was difficult.

Don't go there, Sara…

That's exactly what Grissom did…

He thought the worse…

He took another person's word without even confronting you…

She shot off an email.

Gil,

We never had time to talk about Bruno but I figured you had left him some place safe….with Heather. I brought him home today and he seems excited to be here although he searches for you. I tell him you're coming home…soon. I miss you. I love you…

All my love,

Sara.

She wasn't prepared for Heather to show up on her door step.

She took a deep breath and then opened the door.

"You left before I could give you Bruno's things," she said.

Sara looked down at the bag she held.

Sara quickly took it from her hand.

"There's more," Heather announced.

Within minutes the items from her vehicle were placed inside the townhouse.

"Again…thank you," said Sara, not sure why Heather appeared to be examining the surroundings.

"There are…a lot of boxes," remarked Heather.

"Things from… Grissom's office…at the lab."

Heather smiled. "I guess you're not sure whether they should be unpacked."

Sara returned the smile. "No…I'm not."

Heather nodded. "I was surprised when…you came for Bruno. Grissom wasn't sure…whether he would be coming back for Bruno…or you would. He said he would let me know."

"I told him I would handle it."

Heather stepped into the townhouse without invitation.

She glanced around the house before turning directly to Sara.

"You don't plan to stay," assessed Heather.

"Not permanently. We're waiting on a grant…then we're going to return to Costa Rica."

Heather feigned a smile, not liking Sara's use of the word, "we."

"I didn't think your research grant had ended so soon," she said trying to act as though Sara's statement had not bothered her.

Sara stood her ground. "Neither did Gil."

"I was surprised when Grissom suddenly decided to leave...here."

"As you can see he had no intentions of returning," stated Sara.

Heather stepped closer. "He was going to return. I know it."

Sara swallowed. "It was his choice."

"Was it?"

Sara bristled. "I didn't force him to leave…he came willingly."

"He went because of the video…he felt you needed…something…closure perhaps."

The video was sent?

Darren sent it…

It was supposed to be sent...

Sara's stomach knotted. "Heather, I'm not going to discuss my private life with you."

"Grissom did…always as a matter of fact," she said smugly.

She knew Heather was only trying to rattle her but there was no need.

She was already rattled.

Sara leaned against the door for support. "Our…marriage is private."

"Then I guess you didn't sign the papers."

She walked past Sara but stopped when she was just inches from her.

"Where is Grissom?"

"He's teaching…in France."

"Where...in France?"

"If he wanted you to know then he would have contacted you," retorted Sara.

"I find it strange that the one person who was adamant about leaving Vegas is now back, working in the very lab that was swallowing her up a year ago."

She already knows I'm back at the lab...

Grissom confided in her about me…

About us…

What else does she know?

"I wanted to leave this time on better terms…help out the lab so Grissom doesn't feel compelled to return. He needs the break from the lab."

Her words rang true.

Grissom had talked endlessly about his slow burn out of the lab but he also lamented how he didn't want to see his life's work crumble before his very eyes.

It was quite a dilemma for him.

He was through with death, especially after the loss of Warrick.

"I'll talk with Grissom," replied Heather as she turned and left.

Sara made her way to the couch, unsure of the wobbly legs that threatened to dump her into the floor.

"Then I guess you didn't sign the papers."

What papers?

A low agonizing gasp came from her lips.

Divorce papers…

Was he there to give me divorce papers…

"He felt you needed closure."

He wanted closure…

He wanted a divorce…

She banged out another email to Grissom.

Gil,

Why did you come to Costa Rica? Did you come for us…or did you come to say goodbye?

Please call me. Please email me. I need to hear from you.

Sara

She lay with Bruno, not able to move after the conversation.

There had been days like this in Costa Rica when she ached for Grissom.

The only thing that kept her going was the research.

From the moment she had met Darren there was something familiar about him.

He had arrived on the expedition site a few days later than the rest taking the place of another biologist who had backed out at the last minute.

His peppered hair and blue eyes reminded her of Grissom and it was painful at times to look at him without yearning for home.

He was gentle and kind, offering her a hand while in the field.

He was quiet and listened as she slowly opened up a little to admit a few details about her past.

The first time his hand landed on her shoulder she stepped back while smiling but over time she grew accustomed to his touch.

He often nudged her when they sat side by side, telling jokes round the camp fire.

His knee rubbed against hers a few times but it was done inconspicuously.

Over time, she never noticed his intentional touches.

They were meaningless to her but others noticed.

To her, Darren was a friend, a co-worker.

He brought things to her tent now and then for her to watch or listen.

His radio appeared on her nightstand followed by other small things.

She treated him like one of the others while he continued to outwardly display something more to the others.

She was oblivious to his actions, still mourning over the loss of Warrick as well as her marriage.

Darren had loaned Sara his video cam in order to make the video.

He'd prompted her over and over to do it so that it would be a means of therapy.

Say what you wanted to say but never send it.

It was like writing a "Dear Grissom" letter and never mailing it.

It felt good to say the things she said but it was also a reminder to her that no matter how far she traveled, Grissom would always be with her.

She had intended to call him on her next visit into town.

She'd made an appointment for continuation of her birth control shot and decided it would be the perfect time to contact him to see if he was as miserable as she was.

Things didn't turn out the way she planned.

Each day it was difficult to get out of bed and function.

There were days when she couldn't and she was clearly jeopardizing her grant.

It wasn't until Grissom appeared that things became distorted.

She felt him before she saw him, turning slowly to see Grissom standing there looking fairly worn out and haggard.

It was almost too much to hope for as she stared at him.

As if in slow motion, he made his way into her arms.

The kiss was awkward, interrupted by Sara's need to know why he finally chose to come after two months of waiting.

She wondered if something had happened at the lab.

There was little contact with the outside world.

"You came," she whispered.

She glanced toward Darren as he stepped out of her tent.

Grissom caught the exchange. "Is there something wrong?"

"No…Gil, I have to get this…to Ben. He needs this," stated Sara as she held up the camera.

"I'll come with you," he offered.

"No…you rest. You're exhausted. We can talk…soon. I promise."

Grissom sat down in a chair, grateful to get off his feet.

She had no idea why she lied in order to get away but she needed a moment to collect herself. She had not thought he would come.

She swallowed, afraid to face him at the moment unsure what brought him to come all of this way, knowing that she could not bear to say goodbye again.

Grissom watched as Sara slipped away through the jungle.

"I guess she didn't expect you here," stated Darren. "This is awkward for her…for me…I guess for you as well."

Grissom's eyes shot up recognizing the man who'd come out of the tent on the other side of the camp.

"She probably needs a moment…to try to tell you…about us."

Grissom gulped. "You are?"

"We've been…companions…for over a month. We live in that tent over there."

Grissom was on his feet in a second, hurrying to the tent, not sure if Sara had actually circled around to get to it.

He stepped inside recognizing a few items. He gulped when he noticed the pair of men's boots sitting off to the side. There was also a pack of cigarettes that clearly did not belong to Sara as well as a man's shirt tossed over a chair. There was something shiny sticking out from under the mattress and he pulled it out, displaying the multi colored condoms that had been tucked away in case of an emergency.

He swallowed not able to believe what he was seeing.

"We didn't intend for this to happen…but…we've been happy."

Grissom glanced around the camp. "We're married," glared Grissom.

"I know. She's been trying to get up the nerve to…do something about that. She thought she would send the video first."

A man appeared in the flap of the tent.

"Oh sorry. I thought you and Sara was turning in for the night," stated Ben.

"She's getting some air," said Darren.

Ben glanced briefly at Grissom and then left.

It suddenly made perfect sense to him the way she kept him at arm's length when he tried to kiss her.

By the time she made it back to her tent, he was gone.

She frantically tried to run after him but it was as if he had been a figment of her imagination.

"Beth…Did Grissom say where he was going?" she asked frantically.

"Grissom? Who is Grissom?"

Sara stepped back. "Gil Grissom, he was here earlier. He came and I…I had to take the camera to Ben."

Beth glanced down at the camera in Sara's possession.

Sara thrust it at her. "I didn't make it…I left Grissom here…I don't understand…why…"

Her eyes shot to a figure standing at the entrance of her tent.

She scrambled across the camp.

"Darren…where is Grissom?"

"He left."

"Why? I don't understand…why…" she stopped in midsentence taking in the sight of the tent.

Her eyes shot accusingly to Darren.

He smiled. "I did it for you, Sara. Now, he's out of your life for good."

"You led him to believe we…were together?"

Darren smiled. "Now, it's over…finally. He's gone…for good."

Bruno's whine brought her back to the present.

"He left without hearing my side," she wept. "I don't know how to find him."

She stared at the computer screen.

She had hoped he would have responded immediately but he didn't.

There was not a single message to follow and it was heartbreaking to Sara.

Sara groaned when she spotted Heather sitting in Jim's office that evening.

Their eyes followed her as she continued on her destination trying to remain calm while inwardly her stomach was in knots.

She felt that any moment she would be fingered out, a fraud masquerading as a C.S.I.

She just needed enough time to locate Grissom but as she felt their eyes following her every move, she knew that her house of lies were about to crumble.

Heather will keep digging until she finds out…

The others will wonder why I lied…

There's a pain in my sawdust…

Note from author:

That rhyme still gives me chills…stupid lines and all…so anybody know where Grissom is? Don't worry this story does not drag so we will know in a chapter or two and then it gets really exciting but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Take care!