Author's Notes: Thank you so much to everyone's who reading and/or reviewing.
All I Have to Do
by Kristen Elizabeth
Sara arrived home earlier than she'd planned, and her first thought was of him. How pleased would he be that she hadn't stayed too long at the lab? But it was dangerous to think about him too much. She was hanging by a thread as it was.
Her body resisted falling back into her old routine of shedding her jacket, checking her answering machine, looking in the fridge for something to eat, and crashing on her couch. These days, she had new habits. Showering, changing clothes, and heading to his house for breakfast in bed. Breakfast being optional.
She liked her new schedule. She wanted to drop everything and go to him, curl up in his arms and forget everything that had happened since he'd left her in the locker room.
Instead, she shed her jacket. Checked her answering machine. Looked in the fridge. And crashed onto the couch.
She didn't want to close her eyes because she knew that the moment she did, she'd be right back in Ecklie's office, reliving all those things she wanted to forget.
Sara fought the Sandman bravely, but in the end, the bastard won.
As soon as the door to his office was completely shut, Sara turned on him. "What did I do this time?"
Ecklie eased into his chair and leaned back. "Calm down, Sidle. This issue's bigger than just you." He gestured to the other two chairs. "Have a seat. We might be here awhile."
"Are you on another mission to bring down Grissom? Because you might have caught me off guard last time, but now…"
"Sit down," he ordered. "And listen." Sara slowly lowered herself into one of the chairs. He watched her closely before continuing, "I heard about what happened yesterday. Did you fill out all the necessary accident paperwork?"
"I'm fine, Ecklie, thanks for asking."
He went on, undaunted. "Funny how I heard about it. I got a call earlier from the DA, who had just gotten a call from Randall Malcolm. You might remember him. He's the attorney…"
"Of the guy who did this to me," she finished, pointing at her lip.
Ecklie inclined his head. "Seems that at his client's arraignment last night, he filed a motion to dismiss the charges."
"Of course he did. I'd expect no less."
"And he might win."
Sara blinked. "Excuse me? On what grounds?"
"On the grounds that the two CSI's who interrogated his client are romantically involved, and I quote, 'used their intimate knowledge of each other to tag-team his client into incriminating himself and acting in an inappropriate manner that he otherwise never would have'. End quote."
"That's bullshit!" she exploded.
"Which part?" She glared at him, but he just calmly spread his hands. "It's a valid question."
"It'll never work," Sara said after a moment. "There were witnesses to what happened in the interrogation room. And because of that, we were able to get his DNA. Wendy matched it to the sample from Katie Green an hour ago. He's going down for this. And he knows it. He's desperate, so he's got his lawyer grabbing at straws."
"That's the other thing. The lawyer's also contesting the fact that the DNA was taken at all." When she stared at him, he added, "His claim is that if you and Grissom hadn't baited his client into attacking you, his DNA never would have been able to be compelled."
Sara leaned forward, her voice rising. "We have his print next to the dead body of a woman he was stalking! We would have gotten his DNA no matter what he did to me."
Ecklie nodded. "I know this, Sidle. But it's not up to me, or any of us. Once it's in a judge's hands…who knows? He could very well walk. Unless…"
"Unless what?"
"Unless there's no basis to the motion," he hedged.
Sara snorted delicately. "Just ask what you really want to ask, Ecklie."
"Fine. Are you and Supervisor Grissom in a romantic relationship?"
She looked him straight in the eye. "Yes. Now ask me if we've ever, ever let it interfere with our professional relationship."
"I don't have to," he sighed. "No more than I have to tell you how seriously this could affect not just this case, but every case you and Gil have ever worked on. If you didn't already know that, you wouldn't be keeping your involvement a secret, would you?"
They considered each other for a long time. Finally, Sara asked, "What are you going to do?"
"Not a damn thing."
"Run that by me again?"
He smiled without mirth. "You're a good CSI. Certain personality flaws notwithstanding. No one in this lab could question your dedication to law enforcement. If it comes down to a choice…I don't think I'll be the one to make it."
"If it comes down to that," she echoed. Ecklie nodded again.
Sara could feel her control slipping away. The unfairness of it all was too much to handle. She looked up at the ceiling, forcing back an onslaught of outraged tears. There was no way in hell Ecklie was going to see her cry. Even if her happiness was cracking right in front of him.
"Will you do something for me?" she asked. "Don't go to him with this. I realize that he's the supervisor, and the only reason you came to me first was because you know that as soon as you start talking, he starts reciting the periodic table in his head, but…" Sara dragged her lower lip between her teeth. "I don't want you to put this on him. If that bastard walks…I can't let him take the responsibility for it. Because he will. And it'll eat away at him."
Ecklie took his time with his answer. "All right. Gil won't hear about any of this. When I find out more, I'll let you know."
Sara lowered her chin all the way to her chest and closed her eyes for a brief second. "Thanks."
When she stood to go, he stopped her. "Sidle…believe it or not, I wish it didn't have to be this way."
"But you can't risk the lab. I know." Sara walked to the door. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."
"And if it does?"
She grasped the doorknob with a trembling hand. "I'll take care of it."
The ringing phone startled her out of a fitful sleep. She lifted her head from couch cushion too quickly; the room spun a bit as she reached for her cell. She didn't need to look at the screen. There was only one number that had that particular ring tone.
"Shouldn't you be sleeping?"
"I've tried everything," Grissom said, his voice tinny over the line. "I watched infomercials."
Sara sat up and pulled her knees to her chest. "No good?"
"I almost became the proud owner of a Magic Bullet."
She smiled. "What can I do?"
"Come over," he answered without hesitation. "I know why I can't sleep, honey. You're not next to me."
Her chin wobbled and it took her a second to be able to speak without putting the same wobble in her voice. "I really want to," she whispered. "But there's still…work left."
Grissom sighed in resignation. "What if your supervisor told you to drop everything?"
"My supervisor knows better." She swallowed back a lump in her throat. "Have you tried warm milk?"
"No."
"Good. It's disgusting."
He laughed, a pure sound that temporarily patched all the cracks in her heart. "Does my vegetarian have objections to me counting sheep?" he teased.
"We do what we have to do," Sara murmured. Shaking her head, she added, "Go to sleep."
"Sara." She could almost feel his smile through the phone. "You know I called just to hear your voice, right?" He let her absorb this for a second. "Goodnight, honey."
She closed up the phone and held it to her lips for a long time. Her heart and her brain were at war. It was a new battle on an old subject.
For all of her supposed intelligence, her instincts always seemed to win out.
Speed limits were broken on her way to his townhouse; she let herself in with the spare key he'd given her only weeks into their official relationship. All of his lights were out, but she knew the way to his bedroom blindfolded.
The right side of the bed was empty, like he was expecting her. Sara stepped out of her shoes and lay down next to him on top of the paisley covers.
"Baby?" she whispered, testing to see if he was just dozing. There was no reply. Sometime during the time it had taken her to drive to his place, he'd fallen asleep.
She shifted closer to him, her chest touching his back. Ever so gently, she slipped her arm under his, hugging his waist.
It was only there, tucked up against the man she loved, the man who she would do anything to protect, that she let herself cry.
To Be Continued