Remembering Forward Again

Chapter 2

A/N: Thank to everyone who reviewed the first chapter. You made my first anniversary great :) And of course, cookies and waffles to EllipsesBandit and Mingsmommy, who the greatest betas. Thank you ladies for your time and help.

Saturday morning.

Was there ever a greater pair of words in the English language?

Possibly. Arrested suspect was always music to Sara's ears; one less murderer or child abuser off the streets. Then there was free chocolate. Who didn't love receiving a sweet treat at no cost? And then of course, great sex. That one…well, didn't need to be clarified and was possibly only surpassed by multiple orgasms.

Alright, Saturday morning wasn't the greatest pair of words, but they certainly were among the best.

Sara opened her eyes to the morning sun entering through a small slit in the curtains. The clock on her night stand displayed 9:12. On their Saturdays off, she and Grissom would typically enjoy a nice breakfast, followed by some light household chores. If errands needed to be run, they were also completed. They would end the day on the back porch swing, each reading a book.

After mentally running through the list for the day, Sara stretched her legs in an effort to get up. But her husband, who she thought was asleep, gently pulled her closer to his chest. He rested his forehead against the back of her shoulder just before he placed his lips there. Sighing in contentment, she sank back into the warm sheets.

Grissom continued peppering her skin with small kisses until his mouth reached the junction of her shoulder and neck where he lingered for a long moment. When he let go, she turned to lie on her back.

"Good morning," she whispered.

His eyes were soft. "Good morning," he replied. As he lowered his head to her mouth, she quickly covered his lips, halting the action.

"What are you doing?" Sara asked.

"I was going to kiss you?" Grissom's voice was slightly muffled by her palm.

She removed the hand. "On the lips?"

His eyebrows were knitted tightly together in confusion. "Yeah?"

"Morning breath," she pointed out. When he didn't respond, she sighed. "This isn't television where the characters can wake up and indulge in a ten second, open-mouth kiss."

"Besides," she went on, "you don't want a repeat of our first kiss do you?"

July 2005

Sara opened the magazine again. The most powerful particle accelerator in the world is the Tevatron, ring-shaped, stainless steel corridor four miles long that can… She'd read the beginning of the paragraph five times now. Her eyes could not make it any further down the page because she kept glancing at the clock on the cable box. 5:48 pm. Where was he?

Grissom had asked her earlier in the week if she wanted to go to a baseball game. It turned out he frequently purchased tickets for the Las Vegas minor league team. She wasn't a big baseball fan, but couldn't resist his boyish excitement when he told her about the game.

At 5:53 there was a knock on her door. When she opened it, she was greeted to the sight of a Grissom she'd never seen before.

He wore tennis shoes and light-colored jeans. His pocketed, royal blue t-shirt matched his ball cap. The color brought out his eyes, making them sparkle.

But it was the hat that made her silently giggle; the cap had a grey alien face stitched to the front. She knew it represented the Las Vegas 51s -- named after Area 51.

"I'm sorry I'm late. I had to pick up some essentials for the game," he told her.

"Essentials? And those would be…"

"Some peanuts and Cracker Jacks."

She chuckled a little at that and shook her head, adding, "I, uh…like your cap."

It seemed like he missed her smirk because he simply answered, "Thank you. Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah. Take me out to the ball game."

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Catherine always complained that chivalry was dead, that men didn't have to extend more courtesy than required to a woman. To Sara's relief, it meant her blonde colleague had never dated Grissom. The man always treated her above all, and tonight was no exception. He opened the car's passenger door, waited until she was in her seat, closed it, and made his way to other side.

It didn't stop there either. If a restaurant was busy and there was no available parking space close by, he would drop her off at the door while he parked in the back. He pulled out chairs and always allowed her to order first.

The end of their dates also showed his class; whenever he dropped her off, Grissom walked her to the front door. Yet, he never made any attempts to get invited inside.

And no matter what, he always gave her a kiss on the cheek before saying good bye. Truthfully, Sara wanted to know how those velvety lips would feel against her own. She knew though, that he did things in his own time, and she didn't want to push him. She had waited ten years; another few weeks were no hardship. Although, if it seemed like it was going to take another ten years to get their first real kiss, he would get a little nudging.

While it had cooled down significantly from earlier in the day, the evening was still fairly hot. The couple got to their seats with ease, and they settled to watch the game.

Remembering their conversation at the hockey rink so many years ago Sara turned to him, and said, "All right, where is the beauty in this?"

Grissom looked at with that endearing quizzical expression. "You don't see it?"

"I see a group of steroid-pumped, overpaid men mentally equivalent to fourth graders hitting a ball with a stick."

Putting his arm gently around her shoulders, he directed her attention to the field. "Look at the diamond."

She found it a little difficult to observe when his arm touched her shoulder, but she found her concentration somehow. It looked like a diamond.

Sara shrugged her shoulders. "I still don't see it."

"Look at the foul lines. They're perfectly straight, dividing the diamond equally. Balance in a chaotic game."

She turned her eyes to the field again and she could see it this time. The white lines standing out against the dark brown earth. The emerald green shimmering under the brilliant lights.

"I see it," she answered in a hushed voice. She felt his eyes lingering on her before they turned back to the field.

"So you see the symmetry?"

"No. It's the colors."

He seemed perplexed for a moment before turning to the field again. She watched him out of the corner of her eye; he studied as if it were a new species of beetle: familiar, but unique.

He smiled at her and asked, "Would you like to help me keep score?"

As the game started Grissom patiently explained all the numbers and symbols used in the book. He showed her how to record outs, hits, and strikes. His easy-going voice never talked down to her. It was those traits that made him an excellent teacher.

By the fourth inning, she became quite proficient with the numbers, and told him she could handle scoring when he offered to buy some food.

Sara politely asked him to get her some nachos, and just as he was about to head up the steps, she called his name. "You know I read somewhere that 'a hotdog at the ball park tastes better than a steak at the Ritz,'" she stated, obviously proud of herself.

"And who said that?"

While Grissom's tone was mild, she couldn't help but notice his lips twitch into a brief smirk. Of course he knew the source. But he was allowing her this small moment of glory. Good man.

But it still earned him a bit of teasing. "Humphrey Bogart. Now I know how you like to prove these kinds of things for yourself, so I wouldn't have a problem if you got a hotdog."

This time, his smirk didn't disappear as quickly. He nodded before he left.

He'd been so considerate during their first few dates. When they shared meals, his food had little to no meat. While she found it sweet, Sara knew Grissom enjoyed a good piece of steak. She had told him she didn't have a problem if he wanted to have meat, just as long as the food didn't "moo" when it arrived to the table. And cleaning it up was certainly out of the question.

A few minutes later he appeared, carrying the food and a small plastic bag hanging from his wrist. He handed her the nachos and she noticed he had gotten himself a chili dog with barbeque chips. Of course, she could only suspect it was a chili dog because the shredded cheese covered everything except some of the bun.

After sitting down, Grissom opened the bag. "I got this for you, too." His eyes didn't quite meet hers as he shyly handed her the infamous alien cap.

She stared at it for a few moments, amazed at his linear thinking. According to his thought process, she complimented the hat, therefore she must want one. Glancing at him, she found Grissom nervously trying to gauge her reaction. The blue hat immediately went on her head and she rewarded him with a bright smile. "Thank you," she murmured.

The two of them enjoyed the rest of the game. Sara was surprised when she heard him whistle and cheer the 51s on to a win. He was obviously having fun and being carefree; she'd gladly watch the Ken Burns baseball documentary if she got to see this side of him more often.

There was no climatic ending to the game as the Las Vegas 51s were able to win easily with a score of 8-2. Grissom packed the leftover snacks and the score book in his bag, and the two headed out. As they walked side-by-side, their hands would occasionally brush against each other. When her arm bumped his again, he carefully entwined her fingers.

Her smaller hand fit naturally into his larger one. His skin was slightly rough, but she wasn't about to let go. The comfortable, warm feeling stayed with her as they continued to the car and on the drive to her apartment.

"Thank you for coming with me tonight," he quietly said while they stood in front of her door.

Sara tilted her head to the side, grinning. "I had a great time."

His soft whiskers tickled the skin on her cheek as he kissed her goodnight. "I'll call you tomorrow."

"Thanks again for the hat," she told him happily. "I'll be sure to wear it the next time we go to a game."

He seemed relieved by her words because she heard him let out a breath of air and then smile widely. But just as quickly, his expression turned serious. Instead of leaving, she was surprised when he took a step toward her. His eyes looked different, but maybe that was because she had never seen them this close before. He smelled like grass, peanuts, baseball, and Grissom. She heard her heart thundering away as he leaned in closer to claim her lips.

Sara never experienced any kiss like this; his lips were soft, and he was incredibly gentle. Her brain melted at the simple, brief touch.

Grissom's eyes were still closed when he pulled back. As he opened them, a small grin appeared. "Good night," he whispered.

This time, she was not going to let him off that easy.

Their lips touched again, and she spent a few minutes simply reveling in the feel of him. Nudging her tongue against his mouth, he immediately complied. She couldn't wait to figure out how he tasted. For some reason, she had always thought he would taste like vanilla…when she suddenly pulled back.

Sara had forgotten about the chili dog. With onions. Combined with the popcorn and barbeque chips. He tasted…he tasted…well, not like vanilla.

He must have tasted something similar in her mouth because he had the same look of politely suppressed disgust. It was then she realized her breath wasn't that good either. She didn't pop any mints to cover up the nachos and the other salty snacks she indulged in because she never expected him to kiss her on the lips tonight.

They both chuckled at this predicament. This definitely was not how she imagined her first kiss with him. Her fantasy had involved something shy, but sweet and the darkness and Grissom and vanilla. Not chili dog breath. Although she had to admit he looked rather cute fighting against his embarrassment.

She felt all the blood traveling to her face; she had to be bright red by now. Using what last bit of strength she had, and there wasn't much, she kissed Grissom quickly on the cheek, told him goodnight, and entered her apartment.

Once she closed the door, she started to laugh. She just hoped this was a minor set back and he would not be afraid to kiss her again.

Sara knew that wasn't going to the case as she heard him chuckling on the other side of her door.

She made a mental note to have LifeSavers with her at the next game.

Much to her delight, with no chili dogs preceding, Sara discovered Grissom tasted like sugar cookies; fresh-from-the-oven sugar cookies. And like her vice for actual cookies, she could never resist his kisses. It was impossible to have just one.

She cocked an eyebrow at him, waiting for a response.

Grissom merely smiled as he brought his face close to hers again. His breath smelled…different when he spoke. "That's why I'm always prepared." A small, white circular piece of candy appeared between his teeth.

"Is that a--"

"Wintergreen LifeSaver," he finished. Leaning over to his side of the bed, he grabbed something from the top of the small table. Then he was back over her, popping a LifeSaver in her mouth. Blushing slightly, he muttered, "I keep some in the top drawer of my nightstand."

Sara's laughter was covered by minty kisses.

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Yup, it's back to the LifeSavers, the greatest candy ever :)