Running Away
Chapter 9
(AN: I cannot believe the response to chapter 8. You guys rock! Thank you so much, and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. Please continue to let me know your thoughts. Disclaimer: I do not own CSI or Law & Order SVU. )
Both Sara and Grissom were required to attend the seminar for the remainder of the week, but at the end of the day they would both go back to Sara's apartment so Grissom could spend time with his son. They fell into a routine that consisted of dinner together followed by playing with Alex. At around 7:00 Sara would give Alex a bath while Grissom watched, but by the end of the week he would jump right in and help with the chore, getting just as wet as Alex on more than one occasion. Stories would follow, and finally it would be bed time.
Once Alex was in bed Sara and Grissom would talk for awhile before he headed back to his hotel. Usually the conversation would revolve around Alex. Grissom wanted to know every detail of his life up until that point.
John was trying to give them their space, so when he wasn't at work he was spending more and more time with Casey. Of course he did not mind.
On Friday the seminar was done at noon, so the three spent Grissom's last day in New York together. In the early afternoon they sat on the floor playing with oversized toy bugs that Grissom had brought with him that day for Alex. They were interrupted by the sound of his cell phone ringing. He picked it up and said, "Grissom," into the receiver.
After a pause he quickly got to his feet and walked further from Sara and Alex. She pretended to keep her focus on the game at hand, but her ears never left him once he confirmed who was on the other end.
"Hi Sofia…I miss you too." His voice was barely audible at that point, but Sara heard enough to make her chest hurt.
"I'm in a cab, on my way back to my hotel." Sara had to turn to hide her smile, the pain in her chest lightened a little.
"My flight lands at 10:30 tomorrow morning…No, you don't have to do that…No I don't have any plans for the afternoon…We could do that." The pain suddenly came back with a vengeance.
"I'll see you then…Bye." He hung up the phone and took a breath hoping that Sara had not heard what he had said.
"How's Sofia?" Sara tried to sound breezy.
Grissom realized she had in fact heard the conversation. "Fine, she's going to pick me up at the airport tomorrow."
Sara nodded, and then couldn't help herself, "So cab, huh?"
"Well I couldn't really tell her that I am with my son, that is really more of a face-to-face conversation, don't you think?"
"What are you going to tell her?"
"I have no idea," his eyes fell to the floor as he spoke. At that moment Alex walked over to him and made the giant lady bug he held climb up his father's leg. Grissom smiled and picked up his son. "I do know that I'm not ready to say good-bye to him yet."
She smiled as she watched the father-son interaction. "I think he shares the sentiment with you." She was amazed at how quickly Alex had taken to his father. It made her feel even more guilty over keeping them apart. Over the last few days she realized that she had made the wrong decision just over two years ago. With only a few days' practice he really was a great father, much better than her own. She realized that fear had clouded her judgment. Grissom was already in love with his son, and Alex already had his father wrapped around his finger.
"Why don't the two of you come to Vegas with me?" Grissom had effectively brought her out of her thoughts.
"Griss, I have to work."
"Knowing you, you have a ton of vacation time built up."
"I can't just drop everything and fly across the country."
"Yes you can." He had that mischievous smile. It was contagious and soon Sara was smiling.
"What about Sofia? How is she going to feel seeing Alex and I getting off the plane with you?" While Sara was not a fan of Sofia's, she didn't want to hurt the other woman. God, what was she thinking. He wants to see Alex, not me. I may be the one hurt here, not Sofia.
"You're right. I should talk to her first."
"Look I understand that you want to spend more time with Alex, and I want you to, but we also need to take this one step at a time. I don't want to upset his life too much at once. You need to go back by yourself, talk with Sofia, and decide how you want to proceed."
"Fair enough, but please consider taking some vacation time and come out to Vegas."
"I will, I'll let you know when."
That night he laid Alex down to bed and said "Goodnight" and "Good-bye" not knowing when he would see his son next.
Alex amazed him by looking up and saying "Dadda."
Smiling with damp eyes, he kissed his forehead and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Sara was finishing up the dinner dishes. "Did he go down for you?"
Grissom nodded slowly.
"You okay?"
"He called me 'Dadda'"
She smiled, understanding what he was saying. "It's an amazing feeling, isn't it?"
"I had no idea."
"Gil."
He smiled, it had been so long since he had heard her use his first name so tenderly. "Yes."
"I'm sorry. I made the wrong choice. I have no right to ask for your forgiveness, but I am sorry."
He could only nod, not really ready to forgive her yet. "What do we do now?"
"Well, like I said earlier, when you go back to Vegas decide what you want, and then when I come out there we can talk about it and work something out. Beyond that I don't know. One step at a time." She gently patted his hand which was resting on the counter as she spoke the last part.
TBC…
Next: Sofia's reaction :o
