Title: Why Me
Author: Coldtoes
Pairing: GSR
Spoilers: Not really anything.
Rating: T
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Summary: Gil and Sara are together, forever, or are they?
Chapter Seven
Day three hundred and seventy-three.
The classical music played softly; echoing across the barren apartment. The situation he found himself in was supposed to be temporary, and temporary could describe this…apartment.
A dull light flickered as it swung along with its mundane white shade as he paced up and down each wall of the boxed room. The walls also matched the lamp shade hanging from the damp ceiling; brilliant white in color. The kitchen, at the end of the living area, was tedious and bland; containing only the necessary equipment.
The bedroom was another story however.
It was his favorite room for many reasons.
A large king-sized bed took up the majority of the space and the bed covers and pillows, his favorite, were from his old house, his old life.
After Grissom had let it slip to Sara that sleeping without her, was impossible, Sara took a plan of action; giving him something, just one little thing, to try and give him an ease.
She was escorted into the apartment building at the back end of the town with two police officers, her kit and a large carrier bag.
Her compulsory bullet-proof work vest alerted the neighbors of a crime; not unusual in this building, or neighborhood.
This process had to be repeated every time Sara visited Gil.
It was an attempt to through off anyone of Grissom's living arrangements, by making it look like she was attending a crime scene.
It worked well; surprisingly; considering the simplicity.
"What's in the bag dear?" Grissom greeted her with great curiosity as she walked into the apartment.
She however answered him by giving her all-too-known mischievous puckered lips -which always rendered him silent- as she walked into the bedroom, holding the carrier protectively in her right hand.
He couldn't help but smile, and following her, he entered his 'new' bedroom.
He watched her as she stripped the bed, dumping the sickly yellow sheets onto the clashing green carpet. Once she was finished she lifted her eyes up to meet his, gave him an encouraging smile and then leaned into her bag pulling out the green duvet covers that he had picked out for their house not too long ago.
"You need this more than I do and, I figured, if you're having a hard time sleeping then hopefully these will help you-"
If he didn't think it was possible to love her more than he already did he was so wrong.
Her sheer thoughtfulness at his behalf surprised him each time, making his heart swell with so much love, admiration and pride that it hurt.
"Well, smell does evoke memory in a way no other sense can…" Grissom spoke as a true scientist, knowing the physical reason for Sara doing this.
However, there is also the emotional reason, which is why he quietly walked towards her and finally gave her his delighted –and slightly belated- greeting.
Oh Sara.
Where was she?
He knew he sometimes over-reacted.
Ever since the first 'incident' Sara's wellbeing was first on his mind at all times.
It had caused a few arguments, his 'over protective attitude' ;especially due to the fact his partner was an extremely independent woman.
Yes, he can picture her in his head now, preaching him on how she didn't need 'a knight in shining armor'. However he always replied that it was 'his nature so deal with it'.
In the end they'd make up and laugh it off.
Ah, the good old days.
At this moment, as he stood looking outside at the early morning sunshine, he flipped open his cell, and held down the number two on his phone for speed-dial.
"Brass"
"Jim it's me. Can you check on Sara for me?" Grissom's concern could be heard through the raspy tone of his voice.
"What? Is there something wrong?"
"Well usually she turns up to the apartment at three am, but she hasn't-"
"Have you checked with Gordon? You know what he's like Gil…" Brass' distaste for the 'temporary' supervisor could be felt through the electronic device.
Grissom couldn't help but finish off Brass' sentence, "Oh I know what he's like alright, I'd just wish Sara would see it too…"
"I'll call him up just now for ya, I'm telling you, and he works that lot too hard- especially Sara"
"It's just that she was supposed to be here over five hours ago…"
"Oh"
He heard Brass pause, and then take in a deep breath. "I'll go check out her house just now for ya-"
"Jim?"
"Keep me alerted." Grissom's worry was accumulating by the minute. "No matter what the circumstances are"
"Gil-"
Grissom knew what Brass was about to say and quickly ended the phone call "Bye."
With him once again welcomed to silence, he began what he started four hours ago; pacing.
After knocking at the front door for two minutes, he was just about to barge in, when he saw a shadow behind the frosted glass.
Sure enough, the door was slowly opened and there she stood.
Her eyes were swollen; a clear indication for Brass to know that she was crying. In her hand she held her fingerprinting brush. This alerted him to look behind her, and he was welcomed to a processed crime scene.
"Well someone's been busy"
He gave a slight chuckle accompanied with a cheeky grin.
He expected her Sidle-smile in return.
No Sidle-smile.
No smile at all.
Not even a smirk, or a flicker of acknowledgment.
He waited for her to explain.
She took in a deep breath; inhaling the fresh air and looked him straight in the eye- her face becoming strong;
"I've had enough"
He raised an eyebrow indicating that he didn't understand.
"My house is a mess, my life is in a shambles, I honestly haven't had a good night sleep in over a year…any chance of happiness? Forget it!"
"Sara…"
She raise her hand; she wasn't finished.
"Its funny…I have always thought of myself as a fighter. And, I always thought, that if I ever became a victim, it would be no problem for me not fighting back. I have always been stubborn that way."
She heard Brass chuckle.
"But, last night, when I finally gave in, I realized I have done everything but-"
Brass intercepted her speech as she took a long pause; "Gil, he's been looking-"
"The next time I see him will only be when this bastard is behind bars at the least….I can't do this any longer Jim" Her voice became softer. "It's killing me"
At this revelation, as her voice began to break again, Brass could do nothing but hug her with all his strength.
He, not in the least bit spiritual, thought that this hug could somehow give her that extra strength she needed to go on.
In the distance, along the street, a car screeched as it sped off in a fury. The noise of the car pulled them apart.
He used his head to point towards the evidence markers inside the house. "Need an extra hand?"
He smiled.
And Guess what?
She smiled.
They finished processing the house four hours later.
The blood and finger print samples were picked up by Greg hours ago as he drove past the neighborhood on his way to the lab; promising Sara that they'd be priority.
He sat with Sara, exhausted and famished, on the living room couch.
"God Sara, you do something to piss off the delivery boy? It's over an hour past and still no Chinese!"
He noticed Sara looking a little sheepish. "Well now that you mention it, I may have freaked him out a little…"
At that moment, his phone call echoed, alerting him that somebody had died; most likely a homicide.
He grunted a few times, saying he'd be there in half an hour, and hung up.
"I'll be fine"
Sara spoke before he had a chance, and then she walked him out to his car.
She bent down to give him a loving, yet totally paternal kiss goodbye.
As she turned around, she was welcomed to the face of Michael.
Brass cracked his window open as he drove off, jokingly shouting at Michael for his 'fast' delivery.
He muttered his apology and followed Sara into her house as she prepared to give him an apology for 'freaking out last night'.
"Michael, I want to say I'm sorry…"
"Sorry for what exactly? You know you've done a lot to piss me off Sara" He spat ominously.
Sara stared at him, what was he talking about?
At that moment she was interrupted to the shriek of her house phone.
"I'll just be a second…" She gave him an eerie look before going to pick up the receiver.
"Sara. It's Wendy. We have a match. The DNA from the envelope matches the blood stain from your hallway stair."
Sara suddenly felt very hot and light headed.
A thousand thoughts ran through her head at once as she began to process this information.
There was a match.
The blood from the house…The blood from…
"Wendy call Br-"
The phone suddenly went dead.
She subconsciously turned around.
She saw Michael holding the end of the phone wire; cut halfway. His eyes were like tunnels, his smile sickly.
It all fitted into place as she took in her surroundings.
From the window that Michael drove a black Chevy.
He had access to her apartment and her house.
He knew her business.
She also noticed that instead of a food packaging in the carrier bag, was what appeared to be rope and something that from where she was standing looked a lot like a gun.
She also realized that she was mud-deep in trouble.
A/N
All mistakes are mine, please accept my apology in advanced!
Oh, the italics are a little flashback/memory of Gil's in case I confused anyone!
So, it took longer to update than usual, with that I'm sorry. I know how much it can suck when you read a WIP which ends up taking ages to update and then you end up forgetting the storyline and with this storyline, its pretty easy to forget I think!
I have a pretty good reason for not updating though!
I have been ill for a few months, and no one knew what was up or that, and I started this fic to actually get my mind off it. Finally, somebody listened to me and I ended up in hospital for a while, and ended up getting surgery too. I'm still going back and forth for various hospital appointments so updating will take time but I promise it won't be as long as has been!
I'd like to thank everyone who's been asking for my health and been there for me, words cannot describe my appreciation for all of you. It means a lot. Seriously!
Thanks for everyone who has taken the time to leave me a review. I honestly appreciate those loads! Even those who have added this story to the story alert system, the number of you has honestly shocked me! Thank you all!
This chapter was a little tricky. From this point on I totally re-wrote it.
Want to know why? Recent spoilers concerning a reoccurring character to CSI who likes to piss off a lot of GSR fans. I had reoccurring character in this chapter in the next, but decided, not to include this (who shall not be named) from this story.
So if you can be bothered, take the time to tell me what you thought of this chapter.
It was originally two chapters but in my opinion they were both going to be too short, so I thought what the heck? And merged them both together.
