Title: A Matter Of Trust (2/?)
Disclaimer etc: See Chapter 1
(2/?)
A couple of hours later had Grissom, Sara, and Warrick were walking back through the doors of the Las Vegas Crime Lab.
After dropping the evidence they had collected at Greg's workstation, Warrick made his way to the break room. Sara was about to follow, when she felt someone lightly touch her arm, and spun around to find Grissom, looking at her intently.
No words were needed.
Grissom lead Sara down the hallway towards his office. Warrick had noticed them going off together in that direction, but carried onto the break room where he found Catherine and Nick, but not before taking one last look over his shoulder to see Grissom leading Sara towards his office.
He sighed and sat down in one of the chairs, to find both the other CSIs looking at him intently. He knew what they were thinking.
"I don't know what's worrying her, but something ain't right" he said, as if answering their silent question.
Catherine had a concerned look on her face, as she asked:
"Well, where is she now?"
"I just saw her go off with Grissom, I'm guessing to his office. If anyone can get through to her, it'll be him."
xxx
Grissom lead Sara into his office, and for once, shut the door behind them.
Sara went and sat down in one of the two chairs in front of his desk, while Grissom came and joined her, sitting in the other chair, instead of behind his desk as he usually did. He felt that making this a formal conversation would be a big mistake, as there was nothing formal about it. This was personal.
xxx
They sat in silence for quite some time. , not wanting to press Sara, sat patiently, waiting, occasionally shooting glances at his tarantula in the glass case next to him.
'I'm not sure what I'm meant to be doing or thinking right now' she finally said, fear evident in her voice, her face finally betraying weakness.
She had curled herself up in the chair. 'The foetal position' he thought to himself. Her face was pale, and her eyes had a far-out look about them.
'Nobody's expecting you to' came Grissom's reply.
'The others are, they don't know what's going on, they just know I'm stressed out about something, but they don't know any details.'
'Do you want them to?' he asked softly.
'No. Not yet anyway. They shouldn't have to worry about me', Sara said in a quiet voice.
'They're your friends, they're already worried about you' Grissom reasoned.
'I just...I don't think I'm ready to tell them yet.'
They again lapsed into silence; Sara lost in her thoughts, while Grissom watched her carefully.
'What if...what if he comes after me again?' she asked a few minutes later. Her fear struck a chord deep inside of him, and, in that moment he made a silent vow that he would forever protect her.
'He won't. I won't let him.'
Sara turned to her left, and looked Grissom straight in the eyes, with tears forming in her own.
'How are you going to be able to stop him? You couldn't last time' she replied softly.
Grissom flinched. She was right; he hadn't been able to stop him the last time.
'I'm...I'm sorry, Gris, I didn't mean it like that, it just came out...' instantly regretting what she had said.
'No, no, you're right, I couldn't stop him last time, but I promise you, I will do everything in my power to keep you safe.'
Sara looked at him again. She could see the sincerity in his eyes, and knew that he meant what he said. In any other time or place, she would felt giddy at his words, but right now she just felt what he intended her to feel, and what she needed to feel...safe.
The emotions she had kept bottled up inside of her for so long became so strong that she could no longer keep them all locked up inside. The tears started rolling down her cheeks uncontrollably, as the sobs wracked her body.
Suddenly she felt a pair of strong arms around of her, as Grissom lent forward in his chair and pulled her to him, trying to ease her pain. She didn't try to stop crying, she finally just let the pain flow out of her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding onto him tightly, while he rocked her, gently stroking her back.
They stayed like that for a long while, just holding onto each other, as Sara brought down the walls that she usually held so high.
As she started to calm down, all her tears having been shed, they pulled back slightly from each other. Grissom brought a hand up to Sara's cheek, and gently rubbed away the last of her tears with his thumb.
'Thank you' she said softly.
Grissom understood her double meaning, and just nodded, giving her one of his famous half smiles.
'I can't believe how early he got out, surely he should have stayed in prison a good few years longer than he has done.' She said after a few minutes, her voice calm once more.
'He should have. But he didn't.'
'I just...I never thought I'd have to deal with this so soon' she said, looking down at her hands, playing with them absentmindedly.
'You were going to have to deal with it sometime.'
'It's not fair' she said softly.
'No, it's not' he agreed, 'but you have to get on with your own life, and hopefully he'll just do the same.'
'And if he doesn't?'
Grissom didn't have an answer to that, so he stayed silent.
She looked at him and nodded. She knew what he was thinking. There was no way of telling what was going to happen.
'He doesn't even know that you're in Las Vegas now, Sara.' Grissom said, as if addressing her silent worry.
'Come on Gris, you know better than that. He found me once, he could find me again if he really wanted to.'
'Well to get to you, he's going to have to go through me first.' Grissom said, smiling slightly, but his voice was full on sincerity.
Despite the situation, Sara had to smile her wonderful gap toothed smile at his comment. She loved how Grissom was so protective of her. 'He must care for me after all' she thought to herself.
'Well' she said, getting up, 'we've got work to do.'
He smiled at her, knowing that he would never be able to keep her away from her work for too long.
She started to walk towards the door, where she turned round to look at him and said, smiling:
'Well, are you coming?'
'Yeah', he replied, marvelled by her ability to just switch off to things, as he got up and went towards the door.
As she was about to open the door, he stopped her by putting his hand on her arm, and repeated:
'I won't let anything happen to you, Sara. I promise.'
'I know.' She replied softly, her eyes twinkling. Whether it was because of unshed tears, or because of something else, he wasn't sure. She then turned back to the door, gently opening it.
"Come on" she said, softly, taking his hand. "We'll get through this, together."
Before stepping out, they released their hands, morphing into the professionals they were so well respected for being, and walked down the hallway to join their co-workers.
xxx
