A/N: It makes me happy to know that there are people out there who are still reading this story. As always, thanks to my beta for making me a better writer. This chapter contains direct quotes from "One Hit Wonder" Season 3 Episode 14; "Too Tough To Die" Season 1 Episode 10; and lyrics to the song "Kentucky Rain" as sung by Elvis Presley and mentions of child abuse.
Chanel No. 5
Chapter 10
"Sara?" Grissom's voice broke the spell of the moment. She had been staring at his hand that had been lodged against Sophia's low back only seconds ago. That same hand had rested against hers only hours ago when they had arrived at this crime scene containing the dead body of 'Little Matty' Norman.
She looked up into his blue eyes and then sheepishly looked to the ground. "Yes?"
"Did you find anything probative out here?" He was looking straight into her with his piercing blue gaze, she could feel his eyes upon her. They seemed to encompass every inch of her. She felt momentarily aroused under his intense scrutiny.
Why must he do things like that to me when only seconds before his hands were on another woman?
Sara took a deep breath and answered: "Evidence that someone wearing heels ran out of the house. The shoe impressions begin approximately 6 feet from the entry way and end at the street. The stride length averages to 78.66 inches. Which means..."
"The person is 69 inches tall." Grissom answered almost immediately.
"Yes. Although stride lengths vary between males and females. But with the evidence the person was in heels, I thinking woman, but this is Vegas, so it could be a man at 68 inches tall." Sara glanced toward Victor, who was standing next to Sophia watching the two CSI's interact.
"Are you a physiologist?" Victor laughed as he elbowed Sophia, while looking at Sara.
"No, a physicist." She answered.
"It shows." Victor looked at Sophia then whispered, "You don't really stand a chance against her." Then in his regular voice, he continued, "What is your specialty?"
Sophia Curtis answered without preamble, "I majored in criminal justice and have extensive background in police work."
In the meantime, Grissom and Sara's bodies seemed to gravitate toward each other without forethought from either of them.
Grissom cleared his throat. "Alright, let's head back to the lab so we can log this evidence. Sara as soon as you're done, head on home. Shift is over. Sophia, the same. Victor, I'm sure you have important FBI things to do."
A huge smile broke out on Victor's face. "Why thank you there boss man." Victor gestured with his hand on her back for Sophia to head for her Denali. "I'll ride with Miss Curtis here. Gil, you and Sara can ride together. Bye."
With that Sophia shot Grissom a long pleading. perplexed look, but he merely shrugged and headed with Sara toward his own LVMPD issued Denali.
As he lifted the back hatch to place their equipment into the trunk area, Sara handed him her kit and evidence bags. She shyly smiled at Grissom. "When I'm done at the lab, do you mind if I come over to your house and borrow your dog? So he and I can go running?"
"Sounds like a good idea. I'm sure Hank could use a little exercise. But what about you, shouldn't you get some sleep, instead of running?" He shut the hatch, made his way to the drivers side and got into the vehicle. Sara turned and hopped into the passenger side shutting the door firmly as she strapped on her seatbelt.
She continued their conversation, "I need to run first. If I'm not totally exhausted before I sleep, then I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, thinking about things that are better left alone."
"Your parents?"
Sara was shocked at his question. It really wasn't like Grissom to bring up personal things while working. She decided that honesty was the best policy. "Yes, I think about them sometimes but also about things like my life in foster care, some crime scenes that won't go away, even you..."
"Do you ever talk to your biological brother about the abuse in your past?"
"I don't have a 'biological brother'. What are you talking about?" She looked at him sharply as he turned left onto the highway, headed back to Las Vegas on I-15.
He cleared his throat before reciting: "I quote, 'When I was a kid, I was playing hide-and-seek one day and I found this plastic bag under my big brother's bed. I thought it was a bag of dirt so I took it to my mom. Turned out it was his bag of weed. He was grounded for a year.' Unquote."
Sara smiled to herself and replied, "What do you tape everything I say?"
He looked at her a second and smirked slightly, but didn't answer. He raised his eyebrows in question as if to ask her to answer his question.
"I am my parents only child. The brother I spoke of was a foster. After he was grounded, he retaliated against me every chance he got. I stayed in trouble whether I'd done anything or not and finally I was shipped off to another family."
She took a deep breath and watched other cars on the highway and the desert landscape pass by as they neared their exit. Grissom didn't say anything. She recognized that he wanted more from her, but he wasn't going to ask.
"In my life, I've always tried to avoid being questioned too closely about my past. It's easier to throw around a few factual tidbits around without being too specific so it would seem like I was normal. Like I had a normal life."
There was silence between them for a while. The only sounds in the Denali came from the engine, passing trucks, and the music from a nearly muted radio. The local oldies station was sponsoring a "Two for Elvis Tuesday" in which a listener should call the radio station for a chance to win a thousand dollars and tickets to see an all Elvis revue at a local casino. 'Burning Love' had just ended and the next song began playing.
For weeks, both Grissom, Sara, and the rest of the nightshift CSI's and lab techs had been bombarded with Greg Sanders' diligent pursuit of winning the grand prize in the radio station giveaway. Greg adored anything 'Las Vegas' and in his minds eye, Elvis made Vegas.
"Sara, call the radio station. Burning Love and Kentucky Rain."
"It's the two for Elvis, isn't it?" Sara quickly punched the phone number and was immediately rewarded with, "You qualify for the big Elvis prize package. Please stay on the line to give your personal information. Thanks for listening to 95.1."
She mocked whispered to Grissom, "We qualified!"
He grinned as he turned up the volume and the soft voice of Elvis Presley filled the cab of the SUV:
'Seven lonely days and a dozen towns ago
I reached out one night and you were gone
Don't know why you'd run, what you're running to or from
All I know is I want to bring you home.'
Sara watched as Grissom listened to the lyrics and wondered what he was thinking as he took the correct exit from the interstate and made a series of complex twists and turns in the busy streets of Las Vegas. As the song ended on the radio, Grissom turned into the lab's parking area and parked the Denali.
He cleared his throat then spoke quicker and quieter than he normally did, "If we win the big prize, Sara, I want us to go together to the show and then maybe dinner. What should we do with the thousand dollars?"
She was flabbergasted. "Really?" Had Grissom just asked her out on a theoretical date? "I gave the radio station my personal information, Griss, not your's. And I would donate my winnings to charity."
"But need I remind you, Miss Sidle that I gave you the correct answers."
"Yeah, that's true." With that quick answer she shot out the driver's door and opened the hatch to get their stuff. She reached for her kit as Grissom walked around to the back of the truck. She smiled up at him and replied, "If we win, I'll go with you."
She didn't notice the huge smile on his face as she turned her back to him and entered the main doors to the Crime Lab.
GSRGSRGSRGSR
A couple hours after Grissom and Sara's exchange in the parking lot at the Crime Lab, the long legged brunette stood in front of Grissom's townhouse for the second time in less than a week. She nervously adjusted the strap of her running bra with her left hand and self consciously smoothed out the skin tight jogging shorts against her thigh.
Sara Sidle had always considered herself to be a brave woman, but as she stood again in the entryway to Gil Grissom's townhouse, she felt the overwhelming urge to flee and run away as quickly as possible. Had he really asked her out? She knew she shouldn't read too much into his behavior. Maybe he was just a huge Elvis fan, she thought.
She'd rung the doorbell and so far, there had been no answer. Just standing there was almost unbearable, almost like barring her soul to him. She shifted her weight back and forth, first on one foot then the other.
These new running shoes are the best I've ever had, she mused over the purchase of her new 'New Balance' running sneakers to keep her mind off of their possible date.
Then an idea flitted through her brain: He could be at the swimming pool. Maybe I could sneak over there and watch him swim.
She smiled in spite of herself at the mental image of Grissom dripping wet, with only a towel around his neck and those red swimming trunks as she and Catherine had seen him only days before.
Oh my! He was a good looking man.
She rang the doorbell again, and was rewarded with the muffled sound of Hank barking on the other side, then the door opened. Sara had never met the blue eyed woman on the other side, but she knew immediately who it was. Sara again seriously considered running away as fast as she could.
She could see the reason of her visit, sitting clearly at attention, near the open door, but Hank didn't move from his spot.
Her voice was dry and monotone and something about the inflection bothered Sara. "Who are you?"
She was about seventy, a face lined with age with a familiar cleft in her chin. She wore round framed glasses and her expression was hard. Imitimadating.
Sara couldn't put her finger exactly what was going on, but she was automatically scared of the woman standing in front of her. Oh, God, why did I come over now, without calling first. Grissom will be pissed because I'm talking to his mother.
"I'm here for Hank," Sara said as she looked over her shoulder hoping Grissom would magically appear behind her to save her from this embarrassment.
Hank made a slight movement toward Sara, but Mrs. Grissom took a hold of his collar and didn't allow the dog to get up from his sitting position. She let go of the dog when he didn't move and then touched Sara's shoulder with a quick jarring movement, startling her as the young woman scanned the area behind her.
"I'm deaf." Betty Grissom sounded extremely aggravated., "Would you look at me when you speak to me?"
Sara literally felt the woman's anger rolling off of her. "I'm sorry." Sara enunciated each syllable. "I'm here for Hank."
"You don't have to patronize me, young lady." Betty gave Sara a rather pointed look, then continued, with the same slow monotone droning voice, "You're here for the dog? You must be the one Gil said was coming over to take Hank for a walk. Do you offer some sort of dog walking service? And is that your uniform? It's kinda skimpy and inappropriate for work."
Sara knew she could run at an average of 9.6 miles an hour. She considered bolting for the open road as compared to standing there taking abuse from of all people, Gil Grissom's mother.
"Is Grissom here He knows me," Sara countered quickly, speaking directly to the woman.
"My son is not home right now."
"Grissom told you I was coming; I'm here. Can I take Hank or do I need to leave?" Sara continued to speak directly to the woman. She made eye contact with her. It just so disconcerting to see Grissom's gaze on someone else.
"My son wouldn't trust his dog to just anyone." Which to Sara sounded like Mrs. Grissom was really saying the her son wouldn't trust his heart to anyone.
"I guess I'll leave then..." Sara began before she was interrupted by the sound of Victor Monahan's voice.
"Sara, nice to see you again. And I must say I like your choice of your wardrobe. You look very hot, girl." Then he looked at Betty Grissom standing in the doorway and signed, "Where's Gil?"
Mrs. Grissom replied in sign language, "He's gone to pick up some steaks at the market. Who is this girl?"
"Probably your future daughter in law." Victor signed and spoke the words aloud so Sara could hear them, too.
"No," came the woman's response in her coarse monotone.
"Yes," stated Victor unequivocally.
"She's clearly not good enough." Betty stated looking directly at Sara.
"I guess, I'll leave..." Sara began again.
"No, Sara. Stay." Victor said then signed and spoke to Betty, "You better get used to her, Betty. She is Gil's equal in every way. I'd venture to say his soul mate." His expression was one of solemn resignation, then he spoke and signed, "Betty Grissom, this is Sara Sidle. Sara, this is Betty Grissom."
Neither of the two women said anything until Victor interjected, "'Pleased to meet you' is the proper response from both of you."
Sara broke the ice and extended her hand in greeting, "Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Grissom." When the woman reached to shake Sara's hand, Sara was suddenly overwhelmed with the scent of Chanel No. 5 rising off of the older woman. And Sara was unable to quell the flashback as another memory surfaced.
A seven year old Sara Sidle looked at the square bottle of Chanel No. 5 on her mother's antique French dressing table. She picked up the bottle, intending to take a sniff of the beautiful fragrance as her father walked into the room.
"What are you doing with that, you nosy brat?"
"I...I...I was just, just looking at, at it." Sara stuttered. The bottle shattered as it hit the floor when it slipped out of her trembling hands.
Her father's voice was menacing, "You got a hundred bucks?"
"No, sir. Why?" She edged slowly toward the carefully made bed, thinking she could hide underneath the bed.
"Your spoiled mother couldn't live without that perfume and I paid that much to placate her sorry ass. And now, you wasted all of it." He stealthfully made his way toward her. "I'm going to take the money out of your hide, you little bitch."
He grabbed her, then jerked her arms forcibly toward him, then forced her facedown on the bed. He began to spank her. And he continued for a long time, even after she'd lost feeling in her butt.
"You okay, Sara?" Victor asked, concern on his face.
Sara shook her head to clear the images in her brain. "Yeah. Ugh, I really need to go run. Is Hank going or not?"
Betty Grissom looked exasperated before answering, "Let me get his leash." She disappeared into the townhouse as Sara and Victor stood uncomfortably in the doorway.
Sara could tell Victor wanted to say something to her, but he remained silent.
In less than a minute, Mrs. Grissom returned with the leashed dog and handed him over to her without preamble. Sara mumbled her thanks because the dog took off in a full run on the concrete walkway toward a small grassy area. Sara followed the dog and was happy to finally to be able to fulfill her desire to flee from the townhouse.
When she turned back to look at the townhouse, she saw Victor usher Mrs. Grissom back into the townhouse and close the door. Hank pulled harder against the leash and off the two ran at a frenzied pace.
To be continued in the next chapter.