A/N'S ok people, read and then review, you're all smart people, so follow
those instructions. Happy reading! And thank you to Geena for beta-ing
this!
Chapter 13 Sara had cried herself to sleep in his arms. He didn't want to move her, but they couldn't sit here forever. Gently, he raised her, careful not to hit her head, he carried her out of the bathroom. Sara murmured and held on more closely to Grissom. He could feel her soft breath caress his skin. She was so strong, but she was strong because she had been as fragile as anyone could be. Grissom didn't fail to see the irony of it, although he didn't appreciate it. He glanced into the spare bedroom and saw her clothes all over the bed. Without giving it a second thought, he carried her into his room and gently laid her down. Sara grasped his hand in her sleep.
'It's ok Sara', He whispered, 'I won't leave you.' Sara released her grip and Grissom covered her affectionately with the sheets. Then he sat down on a chair and watched over her.
Nick looked up from the files they had been going through. 'I think Sara should see a psychiatrist.'
'Really?'
'Yeah, we've got one here, it wouldn't cost anything.'
'I don't think it's the cost you should worry about.'
'You don't think Sara would be up for it?'
'Man, this is Sara we're talking about. Anyway, would you want to?'
'I guess not. I'm still going to suggest it to her.'
'Weren't you going to go over to Gil's?'
'Yeah, I forgot. I'll call him to tell him I'm on my way, and that I didn't find anything.'
'Tell him, that we're probably going to get to a dead end as well.'
'There's still some files to go.'
'Yeah.' Catherine said dejectedly.
Grissom's phone started ringing. Shit, why hadn't he turned it off? Don't wake up Sara. Then he realized if they were calling, they might have a lead. He waited until he was outside of the bedroom to take the call.
'Grissom.'
'Hey, Gris, it's Nick.'
'Did you get anything off the phone call?'
'No, Catherine and Warrick aren't going too well either.'
'Damn.'
'Where's Sara?'
'She's sleeping.'
'That's good. I'm going to come over.'
'Don't worry about it Nick. Help Cath and Warrick.'
'No, there's something I want to talk to you, and Sara about in person.'
'Ok.' Grissom knew Sara probably wouldn't be up to speaking to anyone after her episode in the bathroom. Actually, on second thoughts, she was stronger than he'd given her credit for, she'd gotten out of an abusive relationship, turned her life around, managed to tell her friends, her peers the truth and she wasn't in denial.
'I'll be over in about 10 minutes.'
'See ya.' Grissom hung up the phone and turned around to head back to Sara's side. Suddenly, he started to smell something, burning. Oh God, arson, his mind raced, Sara, was she ok. Then he saw the pasta. He hadn't turned the heat off when he'd gone to help Sara. He walked over to the kitchen bench silently laughing at himself. Nationally acclaimed scientist forgets he has pasta cooking. At least Sara was asleep, she'd never let him forget this.
Sara Sidle began to stir in her sleep. The nightmares were coming back. Justin and the belts, the lamps, anything else that wasn't bolted to the floor, although that didn't always stop him. But now they were different, Justin's face was starting to change. It wasn't him anymore, it wasn't anyone, just a dark shadow, like a black hole, sucking the life out of her. She wasn't going to let him, she hadn't let Justin last time, and this time around she knew she had the support of her friends. Suddenly, a chair came crashing down on top of Sara as she pleaded. Sara bolted up straight.
'God, oh God.' She said quietly. Slowly she opened her eyes, readjusting herself to reality. She was in Grissom's room. Where was Grissom? He said he'd be here. She wasn't stupid enough to go through this alone, she was stubborn, not a complete idiot. Grissom had promised to be there for her, but he wasn't. He had deserted her. Another thought flashed across Sara's mind. What if Grissom was dead, the guy had come looking for Sara and instead found Grissom. She didn't quite know what scared her more.
'Grissom,' she choked, 'Grissom' she said again, a little bit louder. She realized that she had to know, had to find out for sure.. was Grissom safe, was he alive or had he deserted her...Gradually she got up and headed for the door. She stopped, fear holding her, she could not bring herself to open the door. Slowly, tension and fear filling her entire being she lifted her hand to the doorknob, she turned it ever so slowly and quietly fearful of what would be on the other side. Slowly she peered out into the room , then she saw him facing her, he was safe, he was there, everything would be ok, he would protect her.she ran toward him.
Grissom tried to save the pasta, and decided it was a futile effort. So he turned his attention to his saucepan, only to find that it too, had gone to the great kitchen in the sky. Eventually he gave up the scrubbing, deciding that why the hell would he want to be trying to save a pot, when he could be with Sara. With that thought, he put the pot in the sink, washed and wiped his hands and headed back to his bedroom.
Just as he turned to head back though, Sara appeared at his door. He instantly felt guilty for leaving her. He had made a promise.
'Sara, I am so sorry. I got a call from..' Before he could even finish his sentence Sara had run up to him and held him in a strong embrace. He slowly responded and wrapped his arms around her.
This feels so right, to hold her like this. I always thought, if it ever happened, if I ever reached out to her, that it would be awkward and uncomfortable. But it isn't, it is perfect, she is perfect, no they are perfect He knew he would never forget this moment, he wanted it to last forever. He couldn't stand the thought of her pulling away.
Then she started to move her head, her body to fit closer to his, she lifted her head just enough to see him, for him to see her, her eyes held the same dawning light of joy that he suspected was reflected in his. Then they came together in the most automatically natural gesture anyone could imagine, a kiss, softly at first, then with a growing hunger as each recognized the response of the other. Still somewhere deep within himself he knew she was suffering and needed to be protected so from his love came the strength not to push too hard or too fast, thereby leaving her space, space to understand later, if not right now, that she was safe with him, he wasn't like Justin or this other psychopath. He loved her.
I don't want to let him go, I need him Sara was shocked as she admitted this to herself, here she was, embracing her boss, her mentor, her friend, and for the first time in her life, she had admitted she needed someone, she needed him. She wanted him. It feels so right Sara slowly lifted her head to see Grissom looking back down at her, and she knew, they both knew, that everything was right. I'm kissing him, and I don't want it to end.
Slowly, they drew away from each other, each not believing what they had just done. After so many years of friendship, they thought they knew what they were, this changed everything. They didn't know what they were anymore, but they knew that it was more amazing and exhilarating than anything they had ever done before.
Chapter 13 Sara had cried herself to sleep in his arms. He didn't want to move her, but they couldn't sit here forever. Gently, he raised her, careful not to hit her head, he carried her out of the bathroom. Sara murmured and held on more closely to Grissom. He could feel her soft breath caress his skin. She was so strong, but she was strong because she had been as fragile as anyone could be. Grissom didn't fail to see the irony of it, although he didn't appreciate it. He glanced into the spare bedroom and saw her clothes all over the bed. Without giving it a second thought, he carried her into his room and gently laid her down. Sara grasped his hand in her sleep.
'It's ok Sara', He whispered, 'I won't leave you.' Sara released her grip and Grissom covered her affectionately with the sheets. Then he sat down on a chair and watched over her.
Nick looked up from the files they had been going through. 'I think Sara should see a psychiatrist.'
'Really?'
'Yeah, we've got one here, it wouldn't cost anything.'
'I don't think it's the cost you should worry about.'
'You don't think Sara would be up for it?'
'Man, this is Sara we're talking about. Anyway, would you want to?'
'I guess not. I'm still going to suggest it to her.'
'Weren't you going to go over to Gil's?'
'Yeah, I forgot. I'll call him to tell him I'm on my way, and that I didn't find anything.'
'Tell him, that we're probably going to get to a dead end as well.'
'There's still some files to go.'
'Yeah.' Catherine said dejectedly.
Grissom's phone started ringing. Shit, why hadn't he turned it off? Don't wake up Sara. Then he realized if they were calling, they might have a lead. He waited until he was outside of the bedroom to take the call.
'Grissom.'
'Hey, Gris, it's Nick.'
'Did you get anything off the phone call?'
'No, Catherine and Warrick aren't going too well either.'
'Damn.'
'Where's Sara?'
'She's sleeping.'
'That's good. I'm going to come over.'
'Don't worry about it Nick. Help Cath and Warrick.'
'No, there's something I want to talk to you, and Sara about in person.'
'Ok.' Grissom knew Sara probably wouldn't be up to speaking to anyone after her episode in the bathroom. Actually, on second thoughts, she was stronger than he'd given her credit for, she'd gotten out of an abusive relationship, turned her life around, managed to tell her friends, her peers the truth and she wasn't in denial.
'I'll be over in about 10 minutes.'
'See ya.' Grissom hung up the phone and turned around to head back to Sara's side. Suddenly, he started to smell something, burning. Oh God, arson, his mind raced, Sara, was she ok. Then he saw the pasta. He hadn't turned the heat off when he'd gone to help Sara. He walked over to the kitchen bench silently laughing at himself. Nationally acclaimed scientist forgets he has pasta cooking. At least Sara was asleep, she'd never let him forget this.
Sara Sidle began to stir in her sleep. The nightmares were coming back. Justin and the belts, the lamps, anything else that wasn't bolted to the floor, although that didn't always stop him. But now they were different, Justin's face was starting to change. It wasn't him anymore, it wasn't anyone, just a dark shadow, like a black hole, sucking the life out of her. She wasn't going to let him, she hadn't let Justin last time, and this time around she knew she had the support of her friends. Suddenly, a chair came crashing down on top of Sara as she pleaded. Sara bolted up straight.
'God, oh God.' She said quietly. Slowly she opened her eyes, readjusting herself to reality. She was in Grissom's room. Where was Grissom? He said he'd be here. She wasn't stupid enough to go through this alone, she was stubborn, not a complete idiot. Grissom had promised to be there for her, but he wasn't. He had deserted her. Another thought flashed across Sara's mind. What if Grissom was dead, the guy had come looking for Sara and instead found Grissom. She didn't quite know what scared her more.
'Grissom,' she choked, 'Grissom' she said again, a little bit louder. She realized that she had to know, had to find out for sure.. was Grissom safe, was he alive or had he deserted her...Gradually she got up and headed for the door. She stopped, fear holding her, she could not bring herself to open the door. Slowly, tension and fear filling her entire being she lifted her hand to the doorknob, she turned it ever so slowly and quietly fearful of what would be on the other side. Slowly she peered out into the room , then she saw him facing her, he was safe, he was there, everything would be ok, he would protect her.she ran toward him.
Grissom tried to save the pasta, and decided it was a futile effort. So he turned his attention to his saucepan, only to find that it too, had gone to the great kitchen in the sky. Eventually he gave up the scrubbing, deciding that why the hell would he want to be trying to save a pot, when he could be with Sara. With that thought, he put the pot in the sink, washed and wiped his hands and headed back to his bedroom.
Just as he turned to head back though, Sara appeared at his door. He instantly felt guilty for leaving her. He had made a promise.
'Sara, I am so sorry. I got a call from..' Before he could even finish his sentence Sara had run up to him and held him in a strong embrace. He slowly responded and wrapped his arms around her.
This feels so right, to hold her like this. I always thought, if it ever happened, if I ever reached out to her, that it would be awkward and uncomfortable. But it isn't, it is perfect, she is perfect, no they are perfect He knew he would never forget this moment, he wanted it to last forever. He couldn't stand the thought of her pulling away.
Then she started to move her head, her body to fit closer to his, she lifted her head just enough to see him, for him to see her, her eyes held the same dawning light of joy that he suspected was reflected in his. Then they came together in the most automatically natural gesture anyone could imagine, a kiss, softly at first, then with a growing hunger as each recognized the response of the other. Still somewhere deep within himself he knew she was suffering and needed to be protected so from his love came the strength not to push too hard or too fast, thereby leaving her space, space to understand later, if not right now, that she was safe with him, he wasn't like Justin or this other psychopath. He loved her.
I don't want to let him go, I need him Sara was shocked as she admitted this to herself, here she was, embracing her boss, her mentor, her friend, and for the first time in her life, she had admitted she needed someone, she needed him. She wanted him. It feels so right Sara slowly lifted her head to see Grissom looking back down at her, and she knew, they both knew, that everything was right. I'm kissing him, and I don't want it to end.
Slowly, they drew away from each other, each not believing what they had just done. After so many years of friendship, they thought they knew what they were, this changed everything. They didn't know what they were anymore, but they knew that it was more amazing and exhilarating than anything they had ever done before.