AN: Thank you for the reviews. Here is the next chapter.
Chapter 29: Night out with the team
May 12, 2001
1 week later
It was toward the end of shift, Grissom just walked into the break room, and Nick, Warrick, Catherine and Greg had stopped talking as they looked at him.
He gives them a little smile and asked. "Should I be a little suspicious you stopped talking the moment I walked in here?" Sara was sitting on the couch with a smile on her face when she heard his voice, it was hidden behind a forensic magazine she was reading.
They all smiled, shook their heads and Nick replied. "Just worried that you came here to hand out another case, when it was so close to the end of shift."
Grissom nods in understanding then responded. "Actually I came to tell you that you can go early, but if you really want an..." They cut him off by shaking their heads immediately, and he smiled again. "Alright then, it goes to days." They did a sigh of relief then he asked. "So what did I walk in on?"
They all looked at each other, then Catherine answered his question. "We were thinking about going out tonight." Grissom was about to speak, but Catherine continued. "And no we won't do anything to jeopardize our ability to work next shift. We just need to get out and have fun for a few hours, it's been awhile."
He nods again. "Did you figure out where you guys are going?"
Warrick answered Grissom's question this time. "There is a new club Greg was talking about."
As Grissom was walking up to the sink to wash out his coffee mug, he asked again. "Is there an invitation for another person?"
They all stared at his back and even Sara moved the magazine away from her face to turn her attention to him.
When it was still quiet after a few minutes he looks back at them, which they were staring at him like they've never stared before, he raised an eyebrow. "What? You are acting like I've never been out with you guys?"
They took a moment then Nick decided to answer that. "But there is a big difference on going to the diner or the bar than to a club."
Grissom nodded again as he was drying his cup, then as he was walking back to the door he continued. "I get it, you don't want the old man tagging along."
Before anybody else answered, Sara spoke. "Well Griss, I for one would love for you to come."
Grissom stopped in the doorway, looked at Sara for a few seconds, which their moment was interrupted when Catherine speaks. "Yeah me too Griss, it would be nice to see you out of your element."
Greg nodded in agreement with Catherine then replied. "I wouldn't want to miss it, this might be a once in a life time event."
Grissom acts like he is laughing and replied sarcastically. "Ha, Ha, very funny Greg."
The rest of them smiled and did a small chuckle, then Nick nodded and replied. "Ok, we would love to see you there."
"Alright and you're still welcome to leave early." Then he leaves the room, while the rest of them was still a little shocked that he would want to go to a club.
5 minutes later when he was in his office, somebody knocked on his door, so he said. "Come in."
The door opened and Sara walked in, turns to the door once she was all the way in and shuts it.
When she turned to him again they smiled at each other and she said. "I can't believe you want to go."
He shrugs his shoulders and replied. "I feel that we should do something different." He sighed and continued. "They are right though, a club isn't my scene, but it gets you out and having fun and I would like you to have that after the week you had."
Since she's told him about her childhood she's been going through some horrible nightmares, and he was there for her through every one, just like he said he would be. He kind of felt responsible for bringing out the horrors of her childhood, which sparked some of her recent nightmares, but she told him that she couldn't hide that part of her past from him forever if they were basing their relationship on trust and honesty, and after finding reason in her words he agreed. Now he just wanted her to go out and enjoy herself, even if it's only for a few hours.
Grissom could see that Sara was very touched with this suggestion. "Well a club isn't really my scene either, but with you there we can be misfits together and thank you." He smiles with a nod then she sighed and continue. "But with us going out that means..."
She trails off and he continued. "We act like we are single, I know. Just make sure you don't go too crazy with the younger guys."
She smirks and replied. "So its ok if I go a little crazy with them then?" He just shakes his head with a smile, knowing she was only joking. She smiles again and continued with another smirk. "I'll behave, I promise."
"Just have fun, that's what tonight is about."
"I hope you do too." She looks at him in silence for a few minutes, then clears her throat and continued. "I'll see you later."
"Ok." They smile at each other one more time then after another long look she turns and walks out of the office.
When the door shuts he smiles to himself, true the club scene has never been on the top of his to do list, but seeing Sara having a good time will surely be worth it.
He gets up from his seat, picks up his things, turns out any lights that were still on, walks out of his office, locks it, then heads out of the lab to go home and rest before his night out.
From the moment Grissom left his townhouse till he got to the club and heard the very loud music before he even stepped inside the building, he was wondering what the heck he was doing. But when he stepped inside and started looking around and found the table the gang was at, he smiled when he spotted her. He reminded himself he was doing this for her, no she wasn't a club type of person either, but she wanted to hang out with the group and this is what they chose to do, so she wanted to join in.
He weaves through the people on the dance floor, walked up the 10 steps to the bar/sitting area, and just as he got to the table he heard Catherine say. "Ok pay up boys." He looks at them as the guys exchanged their money over to both of the girls.
Catherine looks at him after taking money from the guys. "Thanks Grissom you just made me fifteen bucks richer."
He raised an eyebrow and asked. "And what did I do, to do that?"
She hands him his beer and replied. "By showing up, the guys didn't think you would." He grabs the beer, looks at the guys, while the girls were smiling.
Warrick and Greg look at him then looked down, Nick was about to speak, but Grissom puts his hand up to stop him and said. "It's all right, I won't hold that against you." Then he smiled. "Sorry to make you lose your money though." They chuckled a little with a nod.
As he took a sip of his beer, while sitting down on the empty chair between Nick and Sara, and despite the dancing music playing and the eclectic energy around the club the air turned a little stiff around the group. He looks at his team and realized they didn't know how to act when he was around them at a place like this, so he said. "Relax guys we aren't at work, and I'm not boss here, enjoy yourselves." They nodded, took a breath and eventually they started to relax as the minutes passed by.
A couple of songs later Nick ask Sara if she wanted to dance, and Warrick asked Catherine. Catherine nodded with a smile and they left the table. Before Sara accepted though, Grissom heard her tell Nick that if he stepped anywhere near her personal space there will be hell to pay, Grissom mentally chuckled and watched them leave, Greg gets up and follows them a few seconds later.
Now alone, Grissom takes another sip of his beer, sets it on the table, gets up from the chair he was sitting on, walks over to the railing and looks down at the dancers, he spots Sara with Nick, and Greg had found a dancing partner close by.
As Grissom was watching the other dancers he wasn't sure what to think of their very close, suggestive dancing, and at this moment he doesn't think he ever felt more out-of-place than he did now, but when he saw Sara laugh, warmness filled his heart. His mission for her was accomplished, she was having fun.
He saw her look up at him and they smiled at each other, even at a distance they knew they were looking at each other.
After a few seconds he saw her look away from him, he looked to the right and saw Catherine walking to the table, she grabbed her drink, walked up to him and stopped when she was standing next to him then she looks at him and asked. "Not dancing?"
Grissom shakes his head and replied. "This is not dancing music."
Catherine chuckles. "I think those people down there will disagree with you."
He made an objective noise. "They wouldn't know dancing music if they heard it."
She chuckles again and shakes her head. "Ahh the old school type of dancer."
Grissom nodded and said with a smirk. "Proud of it." She smiled then he cleared his throat and asked. "And speaking of dancers where did your dancing partner go?"
She points down to the right of the dancing floor and Grissom sees Warrick dancing with a young woman, he looks back at Catherine and she speaks after a sigh. "I got to tell you ever since my divorce, my personal life has really been in a rut."
He looks at her with sympathy and replied. "I'm sorry Cath."
She shakes her head and responded. "No I am sorry, I don't know why I just told you that."
He frowned and replied. "You know you can tell me anything, Don't you?"
She nodded and started to have tears in her eyes, and just going on instinct he puts his arms around her shoulders then brings her in a hug, which surprised the both of them, but neither one pulled away until they hugged for a few seconds.
As they finally pulled back he gives her a little smile and said. "You'll find the 'one' Catherine, Eddie was the stupid one. Its his loss and he will regret it forever."
She raised an eyebrow and asked. "When did you become this eternal optimist?"
Not that she thought he was always pessimistic, but how his love was, which she didn't know it changed, she really didn't think he had that much optimism in the romance department.
He looks back down at the dancers and saw his 'one' then said. "Just say that I have a new outlook on things."
She steps back from him as he looks back at her, then she said. "Yeah I kind of noticed."
He hides his fear that she knew something and asked. "Noticed what?"
"You seem like you've been happy for a while now, happier then I've seen you before." He was about to talk, but she continued. "And whatever is keeping you that way don't lose it, happiness looks good on you."
She pats him on the shoulder then walks to the table before he could say anything, but he did think. 'I don't plan on it.' Then mentally shakes his head as the rest of team was walking back to the table.
When they were all sitting down again they started talking and laughing.
After an hour and half Grissom clears his throat and said. "I really had fun, but I think it's time for me to head out." They nodded and as he stood up they started exchanging money again, this time all to Sara.
He raised an eyebrow and Sara chuckled. "There was also a bet on how long you would stay."
Greg shakes his head and said with an almost whining tone because he lost 15 bucks tonight. "Yeah and I can't believe Sara had gotten it right both times." Then he looks at Sara and asked. "Do you read his mind or something?"
Sara and Grissom both mentally smiled, knowing the reason why she knew the answers to both bets.
He mentally shakes his head and replied. "Congratulations on your win tonight Sara, I am glad betting for me worked in your favor."
She smiles as she responded. "And with my luck tonight, I don't think I will ever bet against you." They share one of their looks for a second then stopped themselves before it got longer and the rest of them noticed.
He looked back at the team and continued. "Alright I'll see you later at the lab, so you better be ready for shift."
They nodded and one more look between Grissom and Sara happened, he was telling her he wanted her to come over after she got done here, and her look told him she will. Then he walked away and out of the club.
By the time he got to his vehicle he was thankful that his headache had stopped before it got worse.
When he got in and started it, music came through the speakers, but it was a lot different than what was in the club.
He listens to the soothing tone, while closing his eyes and smiled as his mind takes him back to every moment he spent with Sara, including their time in San Francisco, then as his mind comes back into the present he opens his eyes and mentally shakes his head, because he didn't understand why he was still holding back on taking their relationship to the next level.
A few minutes later after coming to a decision, he took a breath and headed home to set up for the next part of their night, hoping he could use more than words now to let her know just how much he loves her.
AN: Next Chapter: As you might have guessed they take their relationship to the next level. Please review.
