Beta'd – by me… and take into consideration the fact that most of the time I write this late, late at night in a dark room while my eyes are only half open. So if you receive two notifications for the same chapter that generally means I found a boo boo after posting and am just fixing it up.

Anything up to season 8 is fair game in terms of spoilers – maybe beyond – depends on how long winded I get. I have two more stories clawing to get out.

This chapter was another one of those enigmas – I knew what I wanted to establish with it, and from that point on the characters wrote the rest. Weird I know.

As always reviews are adored and keep me writing – some or you are expecially diligent about it and I love you dearly for it. Thanks to all who have reviewed.

And remember, your opinions are always welcome as well.

Interlude 21

The delicate scent of jasmine invaded his nostrils as he entered their cool comfortable home. The scent, decided upon by his wife a few months previously, was intended to be a gentle pick-me-up after an insanely long number of shifts. She'd read it in a book somewhere.

Closing the door behind him, Grissom rubbed his eyes. He was beyond exhausted to the point where his body didn't know how tired he really was and he would undoubtedly sleep like the dead once he finally made it between the sheets.

Sara had drawn the curtains before she left to keep out the heat of the searing Nevada sun so he tapped on the small lamp on the hallway table as he passed, and noted that her keys weren't in the bowl where she usually left them.

Obviously, the woman he shared his life with wasn't home yet.

That was odd, in and of itself, as she'd left just before him after sadly dropping the news that they seemed to be out of suspects. This was something he was at loath to accept, so he'd stuck around a little longer, went over the miniature for a millionth time and then, after finding nothing, retired it for the day.

Feeling for the phone in his pocket, he contemplated calling her to see if she was alright. It was a reflexive action after the mess with Brass, and he knew he was being paranoid. There could be any number of reasons why she wasn't home yet; groceries, an early lunch pick up, getting clothes from the cleaners…

Pulling the phone out he dropped it on the counter, slipped his shoes off and draped his jacket over one of the nearby barstools on his way to the bathroom. It had been forever since he'd showered, and his and Sara's carnal adventure in the observation room earlier that day meant his underwear had been sticking to him ever since.

She'd had laughed at him when he's lamented about it over a shared coffee just before the end of shift. She'd laughed even harder when he mentioned that there wasn't a replacement pair of boxers in his locker. So much for the feminine sympathy he'd been hoping for.

Entering their bathroom, he flipped the shower on, dropped his clothes on the floor and then finally, with a heavily satisfied sigh, stepped under the pounding water; visions of curling up next to his wife dancing in his head.

Two very dark, very cute, and very wary brown eyes stared up at him. The upturned nose perched prominently on its face gave the owner a very sweet look, while the long willowy legs looked ready to bolt at any moment.

Gil Grissom's very concerned voice broke the din of the town house… "Sara!"

"Hey…" She made her way around the corner in record time; a bright smile plastered on her face, and very little other than a red lace thong, and matching tank on her body.

Gil Grissom was speechless as his libido jumped into overdrive and he almost completely forgot about the two brown eyes staring up at him; that is until he heard a soft snort followed by a humph as the tall creature dropped onto the floor. "What is this…?"

"That is Bruno." She made her way over to him; her soft food falls drawing the lanky boxer's attention to her as she made her approach. "And I think he's offended you called him an it." She bent over and scratched the auburn and white dog behind the ears. "Isn't that right, boy?"

"Tell me we're babysitting, him…Or that you found him wandering the streets and brought him home to call his owner."

Sara simply smiled at him, her lithe form leaning up against the hallway wall.

Grissom squinted at her and leaned over to check the tags dangling around the large beast's neck: Bruno Grissom, 2463 Burnt Tundra Way, Las Vegas, Nevada. "Sara…" Her name came out as an angry grumble.

"Look…" She cut him off, her hand immediately going to the dog's head as he rose in response to the tone of he husband's voice. "He's sweet. He's neutered. He's toilet trained, command trained, used to being home alone, great with kids and babies, and still a puppy though he won't get any bigger."

Grissom's hand cut across his mouth his head shaking at the same time. "Sara…"

"And," she added. "They were going to put him down if he didn't find a home. He only had 24 hours left. His original family moved to Hong Kong because the father is a pilot and that's where his new airline is situated out of. They loved him desperately but had to give him up because they couldn't take him. He's only a year old, Babe, and yesterday was his birthday."

"He's huge." Grissom couldn't resist, as he reached out and rubbed one silky soft ear. "You're huge…" He repeated staring into the soft brown eyes.

"You can consider this payback for the mom fiasco…" There was a bargaining tone to her voice as she winked at her husband and then slipped her arm around the large dog.

Bruno in turn gave her a large wet kiss right on the nose, as a thank you for the attention and Sara rubbed it away with a laugh.

"Hey – she's my wife." He told the boxer, and with that leaned in and kissed her on the mouth possessively. A resigned sigh escaped him. "I thought payback was going to be about strawberries and whipped cream."

Sara giggled huskily at the petulant disappointment in her husband's voice. "Ahh… no that was supposed to be an attempt to restore my faith in the sanctity of marriage, and that would have let you off too easily." She leaned in and whispered seductively into his ear. "However, I have a bowlful of each in the bedroom, Dr. Grissom."

At her comment, shiver of excitement headed southward, and Gil Grissom swallowed hard, "And Bruno?"

"Bruno, bed…" She pointed out into the living room and both watched as the large dog got up and headed out to a large paw and bone embroidered cushion placed on the floor near the couch. Less than a minute later the boxer was curled up and already asleep.

"I guess I should be grateful you didn't bring home the entire pound." The exhausted entomologist ground out, as he actually lifted his wife off of her feet and tossed her fireman style over his shoulder. A scream of delighted surprise escaped Sara as he carried her towards the bedroom, his fatigue forgotten for the time being.

"Gris let me down, this is crazy and you're going to drop me." He did let her down a second later by tossing her rather roughly onto her side of the bed, where she bounced and let out a soft giggle. "Caveman…" She intoned.

Eyeing the bowls on the bedside table Grissom leaned in and kissed her languidly. "Close your eyes…and keep them that way." He whispered in between tastes of his wife.

Once she'd done as she was told, he reached into the drawer beside the bed and pulled out a black velvet bag. Removing the object inside it, he took one of her hands and planting a trail of kisses up her arm, he lifted it over her head. Sara was so lost in the sensation that before she knew what was going on, a pink furry handcuff had been attached to her wrist and subsequently, to the lower half of the bed's headboard. "Gil Grissom…" There was a lilt of excitement in her voice as she feigned anger.

"Payback is a bitch, Mrs. Grissom…" He told her, as he reached for the whipped cream.

TBC