Chapter 13

The poaching case was at a stale-mate and Sara was frustrated beyond believe. She was in frequent communication with both Agent Scott and Wollie Wolmerans. Though Wolmerans had managed to arrest two suspected smugglers last week, her own work wasn't yielding anything new.

The case was taking up more and more of her time. She knew she was getting too involved, and a little obsessed by it, but felt almost helpless to prevent it. That the whole subject got so little attention rankled, it was as if nobody cared. Well everybody was appalled by it but nobody was prepared to actually do something about it. Sara knew she could do something and she felt a responsibility to do it. She knew it was irrational, that these crimes were being committed thousands of miles away, but she couldn't do anything to steer her mind away from it. Giving a voice to those who can't do so themselves were one of the main joys of her work.

While working on the poaching case, Sara was always careful to make a show of 'arriving' along with the rest of the team. After all, it was supposed to be a 'closed' case. She ran all the tests she wanted and did all the digging herself. The only person privy to her scheme was Greg, but she knew he had her back.

Sara's phone rang as she entered the locker room.

It was Mrs. Milligan. Sara answered with some trepidation as the woman rarely phoned her.

"Sara speaking. Hello Mrs. Milligan." There was only one thing she and the woman had in common and a cold hand touched her heart.

"Hello Sara."

"Is Chris ok?" The words escaped before she could stop them.

"Yes he's fine thank you," Mrs. Milligan said with clear delight. "But it's because of him that I'm phoning."

Sara frowned as she opened her locker and started putting her stuff away.

"I'm going to New York for my book tour. Is it at all possible for you to look after Chris while I'm gone?"

Sara's face broke into a huge grin. She had the whole Saturday and Sunday morning off and had been dreading it. She hated spending time away from the lab, it left her with too much time to think. However she knew if she asked Grissom to let her work, he would suspect she was once again not coping. She hated the fact that his impression and opinion of her mattered so much, but it did. More than anything she wanted him to think of her as strong and competent. Not the emotional wreck she was in reality. She had planned to take the poaching case home with her, at least make her forced absence from the lab productive. The thought that she and Chris might curl up on the bed with the case file together was very enticing. A deeper part of her brain prompted that it would have been even better if a certain human male also joined her in her bed. But she shut the thought down forcefully. Grissom had made himself perfectly clear: she wasn't worth the risk.

Privately, she agreed.

"It's settled. Chris will be spending the weekend with me."

Smiling as she rang off she slammed her locker shut, only to come face to face with a very curious Greg Sanders.

"So….. who's Chris?" Greg asked with wanton curiosity "Have you been holding out on me Sara Sidle?"

Sara blushed, but for the life of her couldn't understand why.

"It's nothing Greg," she muttered and was about to say more when Catherine walked in.

"What's nothing?" She asked with a grin, eyeing them suspiciously.

Sara looked pleadingly at Greg. He turned to Catherine,

"Sara loaned me one of her books on criminology, it's singed by the author. I'm trying to get his contact information out of her." Greg answered smoothly without even missing a beat.

Shooting Greg a grateful look, Sara turned to leave. Catherine watched them and noted the look of relief that crossed Sara's face along with the proud smugness on Greg's. Fine, she thought to herself. I'll figure it out myself.

Sara led the trio to the break room to get their assignments. Catherine spotted someone in the hallway and sped towards that person.

"So," Greg resumed their earlier conversation when they were alone. "Does Chris know about us?"

"I tell him everything," Sara in a funny mood suddenly, was starting to enjoy this.

"So you did tell him about us then."

"Yes, he doesn't seem to think you're a threat."

"Ouch" Greg made a dramatic grab for his heart at her words. "So in what line of work is this 'Chris' mmm?"

Sara considered this for a moment. "Well, mostly he's a body guard."

Greg gaped at her, not in a million years had he thought Sara might go for a Jock.

"Who's a bodyguard?" Grissom asked, Sara had not heard him enter and before she could answer Greg beat her to it.

"Sara's new boyfriend Chris," Greg answered folding his arms over his chest, every bit the disapproving brother.

Grissom dropped the paper he was holding and came up wearing a furious frown. Sara was somewhat taken aback. She imagined he won't be thrilled about her seeing someone, but he made it abundantly clear that a relationship between the two of them would never happen. But their relationship, or lack thereof, was anything but logical - Sara knew.

What pissed her off was the way he would dangle her on a string. He'd be as supportive as he was in the last case, and then pissed if she had a private life that didn't involve him. Not that she had one, and if anything, that made her even angrier.

Grissom thrust a piece of paper her way. She took it and glanced at it. A body had been found down a sewer, typical of Grissom to give her such a case. Her eyes blazed with anger, but not surprise.

"Come on Greg," she said, brushing past Grissom on her way out.

"No," Grissom said sharply, his tone only fueling her anger. "I need him to help Catherine on her case."

She turned around to face Grissom. It probably was only a half-truth, he wanted her to work alone. She held his eyes for a moment, more disappointed that they seemed unable to move past this pattern of behavior.

"Fine."

She stalked to the locker rooms to grab her change of gear and clothes.