The First Kiss — Year 2001

Sara wasn't entirely sure about Nick Stokes' sanity, organizing a pool party at the end of April. The warmer months of June or July would have been ideal…but April? Sure, the swimming pool was heated, but still…

Sara shrugged. Whatever. She figured she was probably just as crazy, showing up at the party anyway when she really hadn't intended to.

After several lousy attempts at conversation with people she barely knew from the Day Shift, Sara eventually joined her fellow Night Shift colleagues in the swimming pool.

Catherine was tossing a football around in the water with the guys, and she threw it to Sara with a grin.

Sara sent the ball to Nick, who spiraled it to Warrick, who aimed it at Grissom.

Sara tried to intercept, but missed the ball by just a few inches.

Grissom caught her around the waist with one arm, and caught the football with his other hand. "Cheater," he playfully accused.

"Am not." Sara grabbed the ball from his hand, throwing it to Catherine.

Catherine caught the football, noticing out of the corner of her eye that Grissom was taking his sweet time letting go of Sara.

His fingers lingered at her side. But Sara didn't make any big effort to move away.

Grissom saw the football coming towards him again, and finally let go of Sara to avoid pulling her down when he lunged to the side to catch the ball.

They all built up quick appetites, eventually leaving the swimming pool and football behind. They each dried off, dressed in their outer clothes, and swarmed the barbecue where Greg Sanders was grilling hot dogs.

Carrying paper plates piled high with hot dogs and potato chips and other things, Sara, Catherine, Grissom, Nick and Warrick sat in the sprouting grass to eat.

As always, conversation fizzled out soon after the food disappeared. Sara left the small circle of friends briefly to get another can of Pepsi, and returned to find only Grissom still there.

She stood over him as he lay flat on his back in the grass with his eyes closed and arms folded behind his head. Grinning to herself, she poked him with her toe. "You dead?"

"Yup. Death by heartburn."

She wrinkled her nose. "That's not fun."

"Nope."

Feeling mischievous, Sara picked a long blade of green grass, knelt behind Grissom's head, and tickled his nose with it.

Grissom scrunched up his tickled nose and opened an eye, looking up at her, upside down. "Troublemaker."

"I'm bored," Sara gave excuse.

"Go mingle," Grissom suggested, closing his eyes again.

Sara looked toward the group of other visitors gathered around the table of food. Most of them were the day-shift workers she'd tried to talk with earlier. She certainly didn't feel comfortable enough to strike up meaningless conversation with them again.

The sun was going down quickly, and Greg and Nick were pulling together the makings of a bonfire.

Sara watched for a while, then decided to take another dip in the pool. It was finally empty now, much how Sara preferred it when she swam.

Grissom's eyes opened and he looked up at her. "Are you sure? It's getting dark."

"Darkness never hurt anyone," Sara answered lightly.

"No, but things in the dark hurt people. Besides, you shouldn't swim alone," Grissom pointed out. "Someone else should be there in case you get injured and need help."

She shrugged. "Then come with me."

"Sara—"

"With or without you, Grissom, I'm going swimming."

With an inward sigh at Sara's stubbornness, Grissom got up and followed her to the pool.

At least there were fluorescent lights illuminating the water along all the edges and bottom of the pool. Grissom felt a little better, knowing Sara wouldn't be swimming in complete darkness.

She stood with her back to him as she removed her sweater and tank top and jeans, dropping them once more into a lounge chair along with her sandals.

She gingerly stepped down the wet tile steps, careful not to slip. The water had grown a bit chilly since the sun went down, but Sara didn't really mind that much.

She swam to where Grissom still stood at the edge, rested her arms on the tile rim and looked up at him. "What's the matter? Don't wanna get wet?" she teased.

Grissom teased back, "You might try to drown me."

Sara laughed. "There are much easier ways to off you than drowning. Come on," she urged with a smile.

Grissom debated this for a moment longer, finally tossing his sandals next to hers and stripping off his shirt. He dipped a foot into the water. "It's really cold."

"You'll get used to it."

"Get hypothermia, you mean," Grissom retorted, stepping into the pool. Goosebumps tickled the surface of his legs and prickled up to his arms as he swam the length of the pool and back again.

"You're graceful," Sara complimented, circling him slowly in the water.

"Thank you." Grissom followed her movements with his eyes. "So are you."

"I wanted to be an Olympic swimmer when I was a kid," Sara told him for no particular reason. "I even joined the swim team in Junior High."

"What happened?"

Sara leaned back into the water and stretched her legs out in front of her, floating on her back. "I never had the lungs for it. I eventually quit the team."

"That's a good thing," Grissom answered.

Sara's feet connected with the pool floor again. "Why? I'm not a good enough swimmer?"

"No, no, you're a fine swimmer," Grissom quickly amended. "It's just that if you were a swimmer in the Olympics, you wouldn't be a CSI. And I never would have had the privilege of knowing you."

Sara stared into the blue eyes that sparkled back at her. "Well...thank you. I think that's one of the nicest things anybody has ever said to me." She began slowly circling him again, going in the opposite direction as before. "So, what did you want to be when you were a kid? Besides a scientist, I mean."

Grissom shyly avoided her eyes. "You don't really want to know."

"Yes I do. Come on, what was your childish ambition?"

Grissom looked into Sara's mischievous brown eyes. He finally admitted, "I wanted to be a stunt driver."

"A stunt driver?"

"Yeah. You know, in action movies where the car chases have about ten police cars and one bad guy in a really great sports car? I always wanted to be that one guy."

"Aha! The truth comes out!" Sara teased. "Gil Grissom wants to be the bad guy!"

"Not the bad guy," Grissom corrected with a laugh. "Just the stunt driver."

"What's the difference?" Sara challenged, playfully splashing water at him.

"There's a world of difference!" Grissom declared, splashing the water right back at her.

"Well it's a good thing you're not the bad guy."

"Yeah? Why?"

With a grin, Sara replied, "Because then I'd have to catch you and put you in jail."

"There's just one problem with that," Grissom stated. "You're not a cop, therefore you couldn't actually arrest me."

Sara rolled her eyes. "A minor detail." She grinned again. "Just wait till I tell Nicky and Warrick about your dirty little secret."

Grissom gasped in mock fear. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Oh wouldn't I?" Sara raised an eyebrow at him.

Narrowing his eyes, Grissom lunged at her without warning.

"Ack!" Sara ducked out of his reach.

He chased her through the water.

Sara shrieked; Grissom laughed; they both splashed at each other.

Then suddenly they stopped.

Grissom's arms had found their way around Sara's waist, and her arms had somehow gotten around his neck.

They stared at each other, separated by a few mere inches.

Sara was mesmerized by those baby blue eyes gazing at her.

Grissom was captivated by the moonlight filtering through Sara's hair.

She dared not breathe.

His eyes flickered from her eyes to her mouth, and back to her eyes. His hand on her back gently nudged her closer, and she tightened her arms just barely around his neck.

Their lips were just a hair's breadth away—

"Woo-hoo!" A whoop and minor explosion startled them, and the moment was lost.

Sara pulled back slightly and looked down, away from Grissom's eyes. With a nervous exhale, she removed her arms from his neck.

Disappointed, he released his hold on her.

Moving away from each other, they turned to see what the shouting had been for.

Sara gave Grissom a half-smile. "Somebody threw firecrackers on the bonfire."

Grissom frowned. "That's illegal."

"Hey, tell them." Sara swam past him to the tile steps and exited the pool. She dried off with a towel and shivered back into her jeans, tank top and sweater.

Grissom dried off, too, and dressed quickly. He hooked his fingers around the crook of Sara's elbow, then let his hand slide down her arm to link with her fingers. "Let's go watch the bonfire."

They settled side by side on the picnic bench facing the fire. Shoulders and arms touching, they shared a comfortable silence.

A soft breeze blew, causing Sara to pull her sweater around herself and lean into Grissom's warm side.

"Well, it is only the end of April," Grissom chuckled at her. "Not exactly warm enough to go swimming, even in a heated pool."

"So, keep me warm," Sara returned lightly.

"There's a blanket in my car."

"Car's too far away."

"No, it's not," he argued with a smile. "But I guess if you're going to be stubborn about it…"

Grissom moved his arm across the back of her shoulders, his fingers resting lightly on her upper arm. An experiment, really, to see if she'd allow it.

She allowed it, though she was definitely surprised, even after that almost-kiss in the pool.

She gave a little smile. "This could work."

He smiled back, pleased. It had taken nearly all his nerve to make a move like that.

His gaze focused ever so briefly on her lips before coming back to her pretty brown eyes.

She was so near he could almost taste those lips—

Another firecracker exploded.

"Who keeps doing that?" Grissom growled.

Sara looked, immediately catching sight of the culprit. "It's Greg. He just threw another."

Crack!

Grissom glared in Greg's direction.

Sara grinned, slipping her hand into his. "Let's go get that blanket."

They crossed to the grassy lot where all the cars were parked, weaving around to Grissom's vehicle.

Sara didn't really want the blanket, and Grissom somehow knew it was just an excuse to get away from the noise.

The distance between them closed again.

And a loud, colorful crackle once more drove them apart.

"Excuse me while I murder Greg," Grissom said in extreme annoyance.

Sara couldn't help but laugh at their situation. "Just kiss me, Griss," she said, grasping the front of his shirt and pulling him towards her.

Grissom needed no further prompting.

Sara slid her arms around his neck as he pulled her against him.

They finally shared a kiss in the cool April air.

He wrapped both arms around Sara's waist as he deepened the kiss and pressed her back against the car.

Voices floated toward them. The bonfire was dying out now and everybody else was beginning to leave.

"Mmm. People are coming," Sara mumbled against Grissom's lips.

"Ignore them," Grissom mumbled back.