Thanks for all the great reviews! I've changed my original plan, I think that chapters will run the length of Chapter 2 for the most part, however I'll try to keep posting more frequently. Thanks everyone
Sara entered work that night composed and ready to face Grissom. Although she thought she knew where he'd been last night, she had convinced herself that is was possible he got called out on another case and couldn't reach her because of bad service. Entering the building she got a few early glances from Warrick and Nick as they checked out her outfit.
"Sar, lookin good" Nick said, and Sara just smiled in reply.
She was wearing a pair of tight bootcut jeans and a simple black tee shirt that hugged her waist, although it was simple Sara looked great in it. She stepped around the corner to come face to face with Catherine and they almost ran into each other.
"Sara!" Catherine said excitedly, "you are not going to believe what I saw earlier!!"
Sara's face suddenly turned pale, she hoped Catherine's story would include a drunk male stripper dancing in the middle of the road down the Vegas strip, but held her breath as Catherine rushed out "Grissom spent the night with Lady Heather!"
Sara looked down at her feet, the tears quickly building up and ready to come pouring out. Sara brushed by Catherine, and she wondered what was up with Sara the past few days. Sara entered the bathroom ran into a stall and burst into tears. She hardly ever cried at work, let alone make her emotions visible, but she couldn't hold this in, this was too much. Wendy stepped into the bathroom as Sara sat in the stall and cried, she guessed who it was, but quietly left keeping her mouth shut.
After a few minutes Sara had composed herself. She wasn't ready to face Grissom… then again maybe she was. She was ready to tackle him and then beat him repeatedly but then Ecklie would probably fire her and she needed work more than anything now.
She managed to avoid him most of the night, which was a good thing for both of them. Grissom tried to talk to her but she seemed to get away every time he came near her. He could only assume why. Sara stood in one layout room and stood examining evidence with Catherine. Soon Cath received a text from Mandy saying they got a hit off the revolver and ammo box, it belonged to the son of the establishment's owner. Catherine left the room to call Brass and as she left Grissom stepped in; he knew he'd been dodging this bullet all night and had to tell Sara what happened. She looked up and professionally told him they had a suspect, and then looked back down to finish organizing evidence. Grissom took a deep breath and decided he had to say something.
"I'm the only one Heather trusts" The look on Sara's face told him that was not the right way to have said that.
Sara's heart lurched the moment he said Heather's name… yeah you're the only one she trusts, and she's about to become the only one that trusts you she thought to herself.
"I get it" she replied hastily but her eyes drove daggers into him.
Grissom looked down, thinking more about his choice of words, and reflecting on the hurt in her voice.
"Sara…"
"Yeah?" With that his heart nearly stopped, her reply wasn't in an angry tone as he'd expected, and it threw him off guard. She sounded defeated and tired and sad. He hated that he'd made her sad. He went to speak again but the words didn't seem to come out. How could he tell her she still meant everything to him and make her believe him?
"It's fine" she said, interrupting his thoughts. When she said anything attached to fine she never meant it, but this time he knew it was like saying Grissom leave me the fuck alone. She gave him a half hearted smile which suddenly sunk back down into her emotionless face.
"Do what you need to do" she said while exiting the room. Grissom just stood there in shock. This conversation had not gone the way he originally planned it to go and now he felt the weight of her anger and sadness creeping onto his shoulders. He had told Heather she needed him that morning and claimed that is why he went over; she hadn't asked him to, but he felt it was only right, they were friends. Now as he stood in the layout room, he realized that Heather did not need him last night. She was very grateful for his presence but she was strong, tough as nails as he had so keenly put to Sara the day before; no, last night Sara needed him, and he should've been with her. No doubt Catherine had spilt all the juicy details of his and Heather's interactions. He should've known better… now the only woman he truly cared about was broken hearted once again by him, and this time he knew the pain was worse, much worse.
