Chapter Thirty Seven:
"Sara, you shouldn't let him sleep on the bed," bossed Grissom.
"Grissom, he's scared. This is a new place and he just wants to be near us."
"The neighbors complained about the howling."
"He thinks we're abandoning him every time we go to work."
"The neighbors…"
"We'll figure something out," she said nervously.
Grissom held up one of shoes that had been chewed. "Those were my favorite!"
Sara swallowed.
Hank whined.
"You can't send him back! He's my dog too."
"Sara…I wasn't insinuating that we should… take him back."
Hank hovered around Sara's legs as she patted him protectively.
"He's ours…faults and all," assured Grissom.
She seemed less tense but sat back down on the bed, directing Hank to sit in the floor.
Grissom sat down cautiously. "They have places that board dogs overnight or longer…maybe we could check into one of those."
Hank crawled over and placed his Grissom's knee.
His huge eyes stared up at Grissom. "We could take turns…dropping him off and…"
"I'll take him and you pick him up," she offered.
"He'll get used to us…the routine," reasoned Grissom.
Sara smiled slightly.
"Can we agree to have him sleep on his nice big comfy bed we bought for him?" asked Grissom as he stroked Sara's hair.
"Hank…go to bed."
The boxer licked her but dropped to the floor and slumped into his bed.
"Why…did you insist on getting a dog from the shelter?"
"I don't mind used….things. Some people do. They discard what they get tired of and…after awhile you're labeled broken…nobody wants you."
"Hank is not broken," stated Grissom.
"No. He just wants someone to love him."
"We do," whispered Grissom. "He's the luckiest dog in the whole world."
She nodded.
"Sara?"
"Hmmm?"
"You were never broken…I was. I've always seen you…even when I didn't want to see the pain in your eyes. I just didn't know what I had to offer was good enough."
She refused to look at him.
He forced her chin up. "The old man…loved Hank so much he forced himself to give him away so he could have a better life…I loved you so much…I was willing to give you…"
She pulled away from him.
"I didn't think you heard…the old man."
"I did…I've been in his shoes," he grieved.
"Hank couldn't decide for himself…I could!"
"Sara…I know it was a mistake…I was wrong."
"You're the only man I've ever wanted. Do you know how hard it was to let someone else touch me?"
He gulped. "Do you know how hard it was for me to let someone touch you? I wanted you! I wanted to marry you! I wanted to have children with you! I wanted to grow old with you!"
She heaved. "No one ever wanted me. My parents never did…the foster parents…pretended."
"John Reynolds wanted you," he said softly.
"Yes, he did….that's what hurts the most…what I did to him," she cried.
"Do you…want to…go back to him?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
"Are you listening to me, Grissom?"
"Yes…It's just…there are times when you don't seem happy…with me."
"I'm afraid…of you," she gulped.
His eyes widened. "Sara, I would never hurt you!"
"You hurt me more than…Dover did."
He raked his fingers through his hair. "Do you remember….San Francisco?"
"Yes…of course."
"So do I. Every evening after you left me at the coffee shop, I followed you…watched you. I wanted you then."
"Why didn't you take me up on my offer? I practically gave you an invitation to bed me," she glared.
"If I had not already fallen in love with you then I would have…but you had your whole life ahead of you. Mine was…"
"Gil, you are not that much older than me!"
"Did you know I used to play cards?" he asked.
"Yes…Warrick told me."
"I was good…still am. I know a good bet when I see one…I would never bet on myself."
She looked confused.
"I saw a young girl…"
"Woman," she clarified.
He corrected himself. "….A young, beautiful, smart woman with a promising career ahead of her. I looked at myself and saw a forty year old, awkward man, too dedicated to his job because he knows that at any given moment he could lose his hearing and thus lose his career. I needed a reputation…so that it would help me land another job if that ever happened. Even if I justified everything else, I couldn't give a woman what she desires…a family."
"I don't see you that way. You could have let me decide."
"I was too afraid that I would be right…you would see that you didn't want me and then I would not only lose you but I would lose you in my life as well….friendship was better than nothing."
"You need therapy."
He grinned. "Next time, I'll add that to my list of…flaws."
"I have flaws…lots of them."
He kissed her gently on the lips. "Not to me…never to me."
"You can't get rid of me now," she warned. "You're stuck with Hank and me."
"And I'm the luckiest man in the world."
He pulled her down, lavishing in the feel of her body beneath him.
"No will ever know," he whispered.
She licked her lips. "What if…they do? What if we get caught?"
"I know something that could get Ecklie into trouble."
"Really?"
"There was never…any contamination. It was just a CDC drill."
"What?"
He grinned. "Don't hit me, Sara. I didn't know the truth until Rogers told me…Ecklie was involved. You and I could file suit against the department for what happened."
"Wait. Ecklie knew there was no danger but…he didn't tell us?"
"It was a little detail he forgot to mention."
"That son of a…." she stopped. "Does he know….that we…know now?"
"Yes….which is the reason he is not going to do a damn thing to us if he or the others find out about us…cause for once I have Ecklie's balls in my hands."
"I so don't want to visualize that."
He chuckled.
"Still, we need to be careful."
"Sara, we've been practically living together for weeks and no one has caught on. They still think you're looking for someone who is husband material."
She grinned. "Nick is still trying to fix me up with someone."
"No one suspects us."
She smiled when his fingers began to unbutton her blouse.
His lips nipped at her delicate skin sending chills down her spine.
"I missed you so much," he choked. "I never want to be away from you."
Her lips caught his.
"I wouldn't trade this…for anything," she whispered.
"Even….for a chance…to have a family."
She hushed him with a kiss.
"All I've ever wanted is you…and Hank."
That night, she lay in his arms, confident that nothing would separate them.
He woke with a start, yanking himself to a sitting position.
"Grissom?"
He jumped at her touch.
"Sara?"
"I'm here," she soothed.
He grabbed her into his arms. "I had…" he did not finish but locked his arms around her. "I dreamed….I dreamed I couldn't find you."
She kissed him, caressing his cheek. "It was just a dream."
His hands made haste with their clothing.
"We're going to be late for work," she warned.
"I'll be quick…but slow," he teased.
She giggled from the sensations his lips were causing on her abdomen.
The laughter soon turned to moans as he descended further.
His lips returned to hers as their bodies joined, feeling whole once more as he made love to her.
She smiled as he lay sleeping in her arms.
There would be time to discuss their predicament later, the double lined pregnancy stick lying in the bathroom.
Now, she was content to lie there, keeping the secret to herself.
He grinned as she crossed the yellow crime tape.
It had been her turn to drop off Hank at the sitter and she was certain this was going to be a long shift.
She didn't care.
The love of her life was standing nearby.
She dared not look into his eyes because she was certain she would blush from the memory of their lovemaking just a few hours ago.
It had been the most excruciating hour of her life as he had tortured her body, draining the last orgasm from her as she gasped for air.
He had been quite satisfied with himself.
His ego stroked over and over as she could not seem to stand after the bout of lovemaking.
He had proven to be a gifted lover and the best friend a woman could have.
Of course the discovery of the pregnancy stick brought tears to his eyes as she smiled over and over.
He reached for the camera letting his hand intentionally slide down her arm setting off sparks between them.
"You are so going to pay for that," she thought as she stepped back to continue her collection of the evidence.
He had been doing that a lot as of late.
It was subtle and it would take a trained eye to catch him but Sara knew and he knew.
There was one other person who caught sight of the gesture.
Natalie stood in the crowd as she watched the lover's touch.
Soon, she would dedicate a miniature just for the two.
In the meantime, she stepped into the shop to purchase some new items for her new project.
Note from author:
Well, we know what happened…he did announce that she was the only woman he had ever loved, they were found out, Natalie did take Sara away, but she was found and then…
I did add the pregnancy...I always thought that it had to be something awful to push Sara to leave Vegas...the loss of a child made sense to me...not what they tried to insinuate...
A friend gave me the idea of bringing the story back into canon so I did. Thanks for reading and reviewing. The next story should be up in a few weeks if not sooner. In the mean time,
Take care!