Disclaimer: See Chapter One. Billy Joel and all his wonderful creations
don't belong to me either.
Author's Notes: I've decided to take some liberation with Grissom and Sara's past. Hope you don't mind.
Feedback: I would like some very much, please. :)
Spoilers: There is a very slight one but I don't know the episode name. Sorry.
CHAPTER SEVEN: Intentions
At 6:26, Sara was ready to leave. She shuffled her feet at her bar and chewed on her lip. She didn't have to leave for another ten minutes if she wanted to be early, fifteen if she wanted to be on time. She walked back into her bathroom and frowned at her reflection. She wore a crimson skirt that ended just above her knees and a fitted black halter-top. She wore black slides on her feet and a black beaded bracelet. She was simple yet breathtaking. She just hoped Grissom saw her that way.
She sat in the kitchen, tapped her fingernails rapidly on the counter, applied some more perfume and deodorant, put Nivea lotion on her legs, watched the clock for two minutes, double checked her purse, thought about putting on another bracelet, considered taking the single bracelet off, stared at her toe nail polish, grabbed her black coat and put it on, watched the clock for another minute, took the coat off, picked up her purse and keys, tapped her foot on the ground in front of the clock for another minute, put the coat on again, and finally headed for the door.
She started her car and waited for the heater to kick in. When the vehicle was sufficiently warm, she began the drive to Grissom's house. 6:38. If I don't speed at all, she thought, I can be there right on time. Nevertheless, she found herself surpassing the speed limit on every road. Why am I in such a rush to get to Grissom's? What am I hoping to find there?
Sara allowed her thoughts to wander as she drove. The closer she got to his home, though, the more she began to wonder what her intentions for the night were. She told herself all she really wanted was to see Grissom outside of work, relaxed, in a peaceful situation. She wanted a stimulating conversation, enjoyable company, and decent food, although that was at the very bottom of the list. Who knows? If the night turns out good, maybe we'll wind up in bed. That wouldn't be so bad. She frowned at the windshield. If that was what she was thinking, what the hell was he thinking?
At 6:53, she pulled into his driveway. The outside lights were on and a warm glow came from inside. His home looked absolutely inviting. She turned off the car and slowly walked up to the front door. This is it, she thought. This night can forever change us. "Us?" she frowned, knocking on the door.
The door opened and a small smile crept onto her lips. He looked good. He wore khaki pants and a black sweater. He smiled at her and said, "Come on in, Sara."
She stepped inside and he took her coat. He glanced down at her bare back and noted, "You look very nice tonight."
She couldn't resist. She allowed her eyes to look him up and down and said, "You do, too."
Grissom froze at her blatant flirting. He hung her coat on the coat rack next to the door and asked, "Would you like some wine?"
"Sure." She followed him into the kitchen and smiled. He didn't have a dining room but he had made do in the kitchen. The lights were dimmed and several small candles lay among the countertops. There were two tall, white candles on the table. There were two place settings. A bottle of wine rested atop the table. The scent of good cooking dispersed throughout the house. Faint music played in the background.
Sara watched him pour two glasses of the red wine and gladly accepted the glass. She leaned against the kitchen counter and asked, "So, what smells so good?"
"Lasagna," he replied, glancing at the oven timer. Four minutes left. She frowned and began to open her mouth when he continued, "Meatless." He turned his head to look at her and she grinned.
"Thank you for remembering."
"Well, I recall the consequences of not remembering from last time." He tilted his head and asked, "Would you have really left?"
Sara winked at him and took her drink into the den. She called over her shoulder, "Billy Joel?"
Grissom specified, "'She's Got A Way.'" Sara nodded and stood before the stereo system. She bent over slightly to pick up the CD case. Grissom watched her from twenty feet away. She stood tall and elegant. She held the wineglass in her left hand and the case in her right. For the first time in a long time, Grissom inspected her physique. Her shoulders were strong, her arms were toned, her waist dipped in but it wasn't too small, her hips were nice, her legs were thin. Her back was smooth and he could see the muscles ripple when she placed the CD case back down. She turned on her heel and Grissom's eyes rose to her face. Sara was a beautiful woman, there was no doubt. He had felt that way for seven years and there was no changing it now. She wasn't pretty in a classic or even exotic way. She was pretty in a Sara way. She approached him and he could detect a small twinkle in her eye.
"Are you checking me out, Griss?" He smiled in reply. She chuckled and took a sip of her wine. "I didn't want to leave, you know. I had come to Las Vegas because of you. I didn't want to leave because of you."
Grissom frowned. "I never want to be the cause of you leaving."
Sara raised an eyebrow. She reached for his hand and said, "I left Harvard because of you."
"No. You graduated." "True," she grinned. "But I had thought about staying to get my doctorate. I left then to go to San Francisco to be with you." She emphasized the last four words and nodded shortly. "Why do you think I applied to work in 'Cisco? The scenery?"
"Educational purposes," he grinned, referring to their teacher/student relationship gone awry.
She squeezed his hand and released it. "No, although I did learn a lot." She smiled faintly. "We haven't talked about this in a long time, huh?"
He leaned against the counter and said, "We agreed not to."
"Yes, but it's a good story." She moved to sit on the coffee table. She crossed her legs and smiled when his eyes followed their movement. She leaned forward and asked, "Why did we decide to ignore everything?"
"'Everything?'"
"I thought I said not to do all that repeating shit with me." He smiled and she rolled her eyes. "You know, everything. We were getting kind of close there, you realize, in 'Cisco."
"Isn't that why we decided to ignore everything?"
"I guess." She looked away. "I regret it sometimes."
"I know you do."
"Do you?" Sara's eyes darted back to his. He hesitated and she pressed, "When you feel yourself getting older by the minute and you just wish you could go back in time and change one thing. Don't you wish we hadn't thought logically? Don't you wish we could have followed our hearts?" Grissom stood silently and struggled for words. The oven buzzer sounded off. He made no moves to silence it. Sara stood and walked for the kitchen. As she passed him, she rested her hand on his arm and whispered, "We didn't even have sex before we called it quits." He turned his head and she smirked.
Sara turned off the buzzer and Grissom made her sit down. They began to eat the meal of salad, Italian bread, and lasagna. The conversation had turned toward work. Before she began on her lasagna, Sara said, "I thought you were working tonight."
"I am," Grissom confirmed. "I told Catherine I'd be in late."
"I can't convince you not to go at all?"
He offered a slight smile and said, "Cath called before you showed up. They received two more cases. Under most circumstances, yes, but tonight, no."
Sara smiled and looked at the two candles on the table. "This is nice, Gil." His head rose sharply at the use of his first name. She licked her lips and said, "Really nice."
"You deserve nice."
She dipped her head and continued with her meal. After she finished, she commented, "I forgot how good of a cook you are."
He smiled and rested his fork on his plate. "You used to tell me to teach you to cook."
"We never got around to that," she smiled. "Ever."
Grissom nodded and said, "There were always more pressing things to do."
Sara glanced at the clock. "How late were you planning on going into work?"
"I told Catherine I'd be there by ten."
She raised her eyebrows. "You allowed a lot of time."
"I know how you are," he pointed out. He took their plates to the sink and started the coffee machine. "You always wanted to eat first and then talk later."
"Which explains the prompt dinner," she grinned. "I'm flattered." She took the salad bowls to the sink. He watched her go back to the table and pick up to the stray pieces of silverware. She threw out the napkins and pushed the leftover food into the trashcan. When she turned on the faucet, Grissom took a step towards her.
"What are you doing?"
"Dishes," she replied, turning her head.
He shook his head. "No, Sara."
She rolled her eyes and rinsed off a plate. He stood a few feet behind her with his brow furrowed. After a minute, he approached her. He stood directly behind her, his chest barely brushing her back, and placed his hands on top of hers. He followed her motions for a few moments before he tightened his grip. He whispered, "Stop, Sara."
She shuddered as his breath tickled her ear and neck. She leaned back slightly and rested against him. He took the bowl she was holding and set it down on the counter. He grabbed a dishtowel and moved it to their soapy hands. He gently rubbed the cloth against their skin, erasing the water and suds. When their hands were dry, he held both of hers with his right hand and hit the faucet with his left hand. The water stopped flowing. The dishtowel rested on the counter.
Sara stared down at their hands. Time certainly had passed since they had been left in a position even remotely similar to this. She knew her reasons for deserting what could have been a fantastic romance. She was too young to settle down, too eager to see the world around her, too ambitious. She didn't know his, however.
Grissom leaned his head against hers and closed his eyes. It had been too long since he had held her. He thought about the remaining time they had tonight. What were his intentions for the night? He had obviously given plenty of time to allow for something, anything to happen. But what? I just want to be with her, he thought. I just want to hear her voice and see her before me. I'm not expecting anything in return.
Sara pulled her hands away and turned in his arms. She watched his eyes open. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. He encircled her waist and held her tight. He had forgotten how good she felt against him.
They remained that way for a few minutes before she placed a small kiss on his neck. She pushed him away and walked to the coffee pot. She asked, "Where are your mugs?"
He removed a maroon mug and a black mug from a cabinet and rested them on the counter. She poured the coffee out and, after adding milk and sugar to hers, followed Grissom to the living room. They sat on the couch, close together. She took off her shoes and tucked her legs underneath her. She held the hot mug in her hands and stated, "Let's play a game. Monopoly."
Grissom found the game and set it up. They played for a while, only speaking when it involved the game or when a side remark was needed. They didn't speak of the serious topics that hovered above them.
Finally, when Sara counted her money to forfeit after landing on Grissom's property, Grissom spoke. "Do you ever feel yourself getting older, Sara?" She met his eyes. He looked at her knowingly. "You asked earlier if I ever felt that way. You must know what you're talking about."
"Yeah, I feel it," she replied, handing over the slips of paper.
"You're 32." He put the money in his pile.
"And when I see Lindsey and I realize that I don't have a child." She shrugged. "I feel it then. When I see couples, I feel it then." She shook her head. "It's silly, I know, but it's there."
"And then?"
She gave him a withering look. She sighed and leaned against the couch and said, "And then I think of what could have been different if we hadn't agreed to. split. What if we had allowed ourselves to indulge in our emotions for once? Haven't you ever thought of that? We could be married right now, did you ever think of that?"
"Are you sure that's what you would've wanted?"
"I don't know. It wasn't meant to be, obviously, because we're not hitched." He smiled at her casual diction. She looked up at him and said, "Maybe I'm the only one who thinks like that."
Grissom scooted closer to her and rested his hand on the nape of her neck. "Sara, listen. I've fought thinking about you. I've forced myself to become focused on other things. When I called you to come to Las Vegas, I slipped. I just wanted to see you again. I didn't want you to get away. Just having you here has been good for me."
She smiled softly. "Are you taking me for granted?"
He put his mug down and removed hers from her hands. He rested his other hand on her knee and said, "You're not the only one who thinks about the past. Don't doubt how much you mean to me."
Sara nodded. She sighed and rested her hand on his leg. She hesitated before leaning forward. She pressed her lips against his and remained still. After a few seconds, she pulled back. She looked at him and raised her eyebrows. He returned the gaze and then pulled her head back to him. They kissed.
They became lost in a sea of emotions. It was just the two of them in the world. She could only feel his lips and his tongue and his fingers and his very being. The sensations threw her back in time to two months in a tiny apartment with no air conditioning in San Francisco, on a couch with her ex-professor, with exploring hands and inhibitions always thrown to the wind until one of them realized what they were doing and who they were.
Sara smiled against his mouth and he chuckled. "What?" he asked, breaking the kiss.
She kissed the corner of his mouth and ran her hand through his hair. "I missed this." Her fingers trailed down to the collar of his sweater. "I missed this a lot."
He put his hands on her sides and pulled her closer. He whispered against her lips, "I don't plan on going anywhere."
"Me either," she smiled. He kissed her again. "The Longest Time" played softly in the background and he held her closer.
I'll take my chances-I forgot how nice romance is-I haven't been there for the longest time-I had second thoughts at the start-I said to myself-Hold on to your heart-Now I know the woman that you are-You're wonderful so far- And it's more than I hoped for-I don't care what consequence it brings-I have been a fool for lesser things-I want you so bad-I think you ought to know that-I intend to hold you for-The longest time
Bam. :) Well, I hope you liked it and now, on to the next couple! But there will be more Griss and Sara, I promise. And I don't think the next chapter will be up to soon because I keep deleting what I have written. :)
Author's Notes: I've decided to take some liberation with Grissom and Sara's past. Hope you don't mind.
Feedback: I would like some very much, please. :)
Spoilers: There is a very slight one but I don't know the episode name. Sorry.
CHAPTER SEVEN: Intentions
At 6:26, Sara was ready to leave. She shuffled her feet at her bar and chewed on her lip. She didn't have to leave for another ten minutes if she wanted to be early, fifteen if she wanted to be on time. She walked back into her bathroom and frowned at her reflection. She wore a crimson skirt that ended just above her knees and a fitted black halter-top. She wore black slides on her feet and a black beaded bracelet. She was simple yet breathtaking. She just hoped Grissom saw her that way.
She sat in the kitchen, tapped her fingernails rapidly on the counter, applied some more perfume and deodorant, put Nivea lotion on her legs, watched the clock for two minutes, double checked her purse, thought about putting on another bracelet, considered taking the single bracelet off, stared at her toe nail polish, grabbed her black coat and put it on, watched the clock for another minute, took the coat off, picked up her purse and keys, tapped her foot on the ground in front of the clock for another minute, put the coat on again, and finally headed for the door.
She started her car and waited for the heater to kick in. When the vehicle was sufficiently warm, she began the drive to Grissom's house. 6:38. If I don't speed at all, she thought, I can be there right on time. Nevertheless, she found herself surpassing the speed limit on every road. Why am I in such a rush to get to Grissom's? What am I hoping to find there?
Sara allowed her thoughts to wander as she drove. The closer she got to his home, though, the more she began to wonder what her intentions for the night were. She told herself all she really wanted was to see Grissom outside of work, relaxed, in a peaceful situation. She wanted a stimulating conversation, enjoyable company, and decent food, although that was at the very bottom of the list. Who knows? If the night turns out good, maybe we'll wind up in bed. That wouldn't be so bad. She frowned at the windshield. If that was what she was thinking, what the hell was he thinking?
At 6:53, she pulled into his driveway. The outside lights were on and a warm glow came from inside. His home looked absolutely inviting. She turned off the car and slowly walked up to the front door. This is it, she thought. This night can forever change us. "Us?" she frowned, knocking on the door.
The door opened and a small smile crept onto her lips. He looked good. He wore khaki pants and a black sweater. He smiled at her and said, "Come on in, Sara."
She stepped inside and he took her coat. He glanced down at her bare back and noted, "You look very nice tonight."
She couldn't resist. She allowed her eyes to look him up and down and said, "You do, too."
Grissom froze at her blatant flirting. He hung her coat on the coat rack next to the door and asked, "Would you like some wine?"
"Sure." She followed him into the kitchen and smiled. He didn't have a dining room but he had made do in the kitchen. The lights were dimmed and several small candles lay among the countertops. There were two tall, white candles on the table. There were two place settings. A bottle of wine rested atop the table. The scent of good cooking dispersed throughout the house. Faint music played in the background.
Sara watched him pour two glasses of the red wine and gladly accepted the glass. She leaned against the kitchen counter and asked, "So, what smells so good?"
"Lasagna," he replied, glancing at the oven timer. Four minutes left. She frowned and began to open her mouth when he continued, "Meatless." He turned his head to look at her and she grinned.
"Thank you for remembering."
"Well, I recall the consequences of not remembering from last time." He tilted his head and asked, "Would you have really left?"
Sara winked at him and took her drink into the den. She called over her shoulder, "Billy Joel?"
Grissom specified, "'She's Got A Way.'" Sara nodded and stood before the stereo system. She bent over slightly to pick up the CD case. Grissom watched her from twenty feet away. She stood tall and elegant. She held the wineglass in her left hand and the case in her right. For the first time in a long time, Grissom inspected her physique. Her shoulders were strong, her arms were toned, her waist dipped in but it wasn't too small, her hips were nice, her legs were thin. Her back was smooth and he could see the muscles ripple when she placed the CD case back down. She turned on her heel and Grissom's eyes rose to her face. Sara was a beautiful woman, there was no doubt. He had felt that way for seven years and there was no changing it now. She wasn't pretty in a classic or even exotic way. She was pretty in a Sara way. She approached him and he could detect a small twinkle in her eye.
"Are you checking me out, Griss?" He smiled in reply. She chuckled and took a sip of her wine. "I didn't want to leave, you know. I had come to Las Vegas because of you. I didn't want to leave because of you."
Grissom frowned. "I never want to be the cause of you leaving."
Sara raised an eyebrow. She reached for his hand and said, "I left Harvard because of you."
"No. You graduated." "True," she grinned. "But I had thought about staying to get my doctorate. I left then to go to San Francisco to be with you." She emphasized the last four words and nodded shortly. "Why do you think I applied to work in 'Cisco? The scenery?"
"Educational purposes," he grinned, referring to their teacher/student relationship gone awry.
She squeezed his hand and released it. "No, although I did learn a lot." She smiled faintly. "We haven't talked about this in a long time, huh?"
He leaned against the counter and said, "We agreed not to."
"Yes, but it's a good story." She moved to sit on the coffee table. She crossed her legs and smiled when his eyes followed their movement. She leaned forward and asked, "Why did we decide to ignore everything?"
"'Everything?'"
"I thought I said not to do all that repeating shit with me." He smiled and she rolled her eyes. "You know, everything. We were getting kind of close there, you realize, in 'Cisco."
"Isn't that why we decided to ignore everything?"
"I guess." She looked away. "I regret it sometimes."
"I know you do."
"Do you?" Sara's eyes darted back to his. He hesitated and she pressed, "When you feel yourself getting older by the minute and you just wish you could go back in time and change one thing. Don't you wish we hadn't thought logically? Don't you wish we could have followed our hearts?" Grissom stood silently and struggled for words. The oven buzzer sounded off. He made no moves to silence it. Sara stood and walked for the kitchen. As she passed him, she rested her hand on his arm and whispered, "We didn't even have sex before we called it quits." He turned his head and she smirked.
Sara turned off the buzzer and Grissom made her sit down. They began to eat the meal of salad, Italian bread, and lasagna. The conversation had turned toward work. Before she began on her lasagna, Sara said, "I thought you were working tonight."
"I am," Grissom confirmed. "I told Catherine I'd be in late."
"I can't convince you not to go at all?"
He offered a slight smile and said, "Cath called before you showed up. They received two more cases. Under most circumstances, yes, but tonight, no."
Sara smiled and looked at the two candles on the table. "This is nice, Gil." His head rose sharply at the use of his first name. She licked her lips and said, "Really nice."
"You deserve nice."
She dipped her head and continued with her meal. After she finished, she commented, "I forgot how good of a cook you are."
He smiled and rested his fork on his plate. "You used to tell me to teach you to cook."
"We never got around to that," she smiled. "Ever."
Grissom nodded and said, "There were always more pressing things to do."
Sara glanced at the clock. "How late were you planning on going into work?"
"I told Catherine I'd be there by ten."
She raised her eyebrows. "You allowed a lot of time."
"I know how you are," he pointed out. He took their plates to the sink and started the coffee machine. "You always wanted to eat first and then talk later."
"Which explains the prompt dinner," she grinned. "I'm flattered." She took the salad bowls to the sink. He watched her go back to the table and pick up to the stray pieces of silverware. She threw out the napkins and pushed the leftover food into the trashcan. When she turned on the faucet, Grissom took a step towards her.
"What are you doing?"
"Dishes," she replied, turning her head.
He shook his head. "No, Sara."
She rolled her eyes and rinsed off a plate. He stood a few feet behind her with his brow furrowed. After a minute, he approached her. He stood directly behind her, his chest barely brushing her back, and placed his hands on top of hers. He followed her motions for a few moments before he tightened his grip. He whispered, "Stop, Sara."
She shuddered as his breath tickled her ear and neck. She leaned back slightly and rested against him. He took the bowl she was holding and set it down on the counter. He grabbed a dishtowel and moved it to their soapy hands. He gently rubbed the cloth against their skin, erasing the water and suds. When their hands were dry, he held both of hers with his right hand and hit the faucet with his left hand. The water stopped flowing. The dishtowel rested on the counter.
Sara stared down at their hands. Time certainly had passed since they had been left in a position even remotely similar to this. She knew her reasons for deserting what could have been a fantastic romance. She was too young to settle down, too eager to see the world around her, too ambitious. She didn't know his, however.
Grissom leaned his head against hers and closed his eyes. It had been too long since he had held her. He thought about the remaining time they had tonight. What were his intentions for the night? He had obviously given plenty of time to allow for something, anything to happen. But what? I just want to be with her, he thought. I just want to hear her voice and see her before me. I'm not expecting anything in return.
Sara pulled her hands away and turned in his arms. She watched his eyes open. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. He encircled her waist and held her tight. He had forgotten how good she felt against him.
They remained that way for a few minutes before she placed a small kiss on his neck. She pushed him away and walked to the coffee pot. She asked, "Where are your mugs?"
He removed a maroon mug and a black mug from a cabinet and rested them on the counter. She poured the coffee out and, after adding milk and sugar to hers, followed Grissom to the living room. They sat on the couch, close together. She took off her shoes and tucked her legs underneath her. She held the hot mug in her hands and stated, "Let's play a game. Monopoly."
Grissom found the game and set it up. They played for a while, only speaking when it involved the game or when a side remark was needed. They didn't speak of the serious topics that hovered above them.
Finally, when Sara counted her money to forfeit after landing on Grissom's property, Grissom spoke. "Do you ever feel yourself getting older, Sara?" She met his eyes. He looked at her knowingly. "You asked earlier if I ever felt that way. You must know what you're talking about."
"Yeah, I feel it," she replied, handing over the slips of paper.
"You're 32." He put the money in his pile.
"And when I see Lindsey and I realize that I don't have a child." She shrugged. "I feel it then. When I see couples, I feel it then." She shook her head. "It's silly, I know, but it's there."
"And then?"
She gave him a withering look. She sighed and leaned against the couch and said, "And then I think of what could have been different if we hadn't agreed to. split. What if we had allowed ourselves to indulge in our emotions for once? Haven't you ever thought of that? We could be married right now, did you ever think of that?"
"Are you sure that's what you would've wanted?"
"I don't know. It wasn't meant to be, obviously, because we're not hitched." He smiled at her casual diction. She looked up at him and said, "Maybe I'm the only one who thinks like that."
Grissom scooted closer to her and rested his hand on the nape of her neck. "Sara, listen. I've fought thinking about you. I've forced myself to become focused on other things. When I called you to come to Las Vegas, I slipped. I just wanted to see you again. I didn't want you to get away. Just having you here has been good for me."
She smiled softly. "Are you taking me for granted?"
He put his mug down and removed hers from her hands. He rested his other hand on her knee and said, "You're not the only one who thinks about the past. Don't doubt how much you mean to me."
Sara nodded. She sighed and rested her hand on his leg. She hesitated before leaning forward. She pressed her lips against his and remained still. After a few seconds, she pulled back. She looked at him and raised her eyebrows. He returned the gaze and then pulled her head back to him. They kissed.
They became lost in a sea of emotions. It was just the two of them in the world. She could only feel his lips and his tongue and his fingers and his very being. The sensations threw her back in time to two months in a tiny apartment with no air conditioning in San Francisco, on a couch with her ex-professor, with exploring hands and inhibitions always thrown to the wind until one of them realized what they were doing and who they were.
Sara smiled against his mouth and he chuckled. "What?" he asked, breaking the kiss.
She kissed the corner of his mouth and ran her hand through his hair. "I missed this." Her fingers trailed down to the collar of his sweater. "I missed this a lot."
He put his hands on her sides and pulled her closer. He whispered against her lips, "I don't plan on going anywhere."
"Me either," she smiled. He kissed her again. "The Longest Time" played softly in the background and he held her closer.
I'll take my chances-I forgot how nice romance is-I haven't been there for the longest time-I had second thoughts at the start-I said to myself-Hold on to your heart-Now I know the woman that you are-You're wonderful so far- And it's more than I hoped for-I don't care what consequence it brings-I have been a fool for lesser things-I want you so bad-I think you ought to know that-I intend to hold you for-The longest time
Bam. :) Well, I hope you liked it and now, on to the next couple! But there will be more Griss and Sara, I promise. And I don't think the next chapter will be up to soon because I keep deleting what I have written. :)