Chapter 14
Nick pulled up to Grissom's house with trepidation. He didn't know how he
was going to tell either of them that he thought Sara should talk to
someone, a professional. He was so wrapped up in trying to plan what he was
going to say that he before he knew it he was standing at Grissom's front
door. He told himself he was an idiot, how long had he been just standing
here. Ok, here goes nothing he thought. Nick knocked on the large wooden
door. Then he rang the doorbell, still no answer. This couldn't be good.
Please let them be ok
'Grissom, Sara, are you in there?'
Sara was looking at Grissom with adoration in her eyes. She had never felt anything like this before. She was happy. Which was kind of ironic considering there was a sociopath after her. But she couldn't help it, she loved him, and that was all she needed.
Grissom gazed into Sara's eyes. He had always thought they were beautiful, he just never realized how beautiful. There was something different about them though. Usually her eyes were deep, brown, curious and daring. But when this had started, she had had a cloud settle over her eyes, one that refused to move. He had been worried that it would stay there forever. But now, her eyes were full of light, and they had an enigmatic sparkle that he had never seen.
At the same time, they both seemed to snap out of their mutual trance just enough to hear Nick telling them that if someone didn't answer the door he was going to force it open.
Nick was standing there his gun pointed at the lock, Come on, please be ok
'Alright Nicky, I'm coming'. Nick almost dropped his gun in surprise. What the hell had taken Grissom so long? Nick breathed in deeply as he willed his heart rate to slow down.
Gradually, Grissom released his hold on Sara, and she did the same. Grissom went over to the door and opened it, but before he did he stole one last look at her. Nick was standing there, still replacing his gun to its rightful home in his holster.
'What took you so long Grissom, where's Sara?'
'I'm here.' Nick noticed they both looked a little flushed, Sara in particular was staring at her feet like a teenager not wanting to admit something to her parents. Nick knew how to recognize that look, he'd had plenty of personal experience.
'Sorry, I took so long to get to the door. Sara was having trouble sleeping and I was in the other room, making sure she was ok. We didn't hear you.' Grissom was glad that Nick was still examining Sara's fascination with her feet because he wouldn't have been able to lie to Nick face to face.
'So, Nick, what did you want to talk to us about?' Grissom said quickly, in an attempt to move the subject along.
'What's this about?' Sara asked, she definitely was not in the mood to be kept in the dark.
'Nick called while you were sleeping, said that he wanted to talk to us about something.'
'Um.yeah. Maybe we should sit down.' Grissom was full of apprehension, but agreed to sit down on his couch. He looked over at Sara who hadn't moved from behind the kitchen bench.
'Sara?'
'I think I'll stay over here.'
'Ok, Nick you have our complete attention.' That wasn't entirely true, Sara was taking the opportunity to examine Grissom's back and head and well..Grissom.
'I was thinking that Sara should talk to someone.'
'I agree.'
'I don't mean one of us.'
'Who else would she talk to?' At this point Sara stopped examining Grissom's back and started to observe the scene playing out in front of her. She saw Nick's nervousness, and the tenseness resonating from Grissom's body. He had put up a defensive front, why?
He's protecting me, from Nick? Or Nick's suggestion?
'I think she should talk to a professional.'
'You have to be kidding Nick.' Grissom practically jumped out of his seat and was already advancing on Nick.
If I was expecting anyone to act like this, it was Sara Nick thought Not Grissom, he has to think about this rationally
'There is no way that.'
'I think it's a good idea.' Both men looked at her in utter shock. 'I think it's a good idea' she repeated.
'Sara, are you sure?'
'Yeah, I' Grissom just kept looking at her.
'It's her choice Grissom.'
'Sara, you don't have to do this if you don't want to.'
'Grissom, if I were anyone else, you would have made this suggestion as well.'
'You sure you want to talk to the psych at the lab.'
'Yeah, I mean I dealt with all the problems in my life by myself, and look how that turned out.' They both thought of the incidence in the bathroom.
'But you're not by yourself.'
'It's worth a try Gil.' For once, Grissom barely noticed the use of his first name. Nick on the other hand picked up on it immediately. He started to look at their body language, it was comfortable, loving. Then the realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. Sure Sara was having trouble sleeping when I came to the door. Nick decided to give them some time alone.
'I think you made the right decision Sara. I'll organize the appointment with Dr. Felton for tomorrow morning, about 11am. Is that ok?'
'That sounds good Nick.'
Nick silently went towards the door, It took her life being in danger for them to finally get together. For two people so smart, they could be incredibly oblivious.
Sara walked towards Grissom and just stood in front of him. Each of them sharing mutual benefit from the proximity of their bodies.
'Are you sure?'
'Yes.'
They stood there for another few minutes before Grissom gently touched her face. He was rewarded with a dazzling smile, which literally lit up his life.
'I know I said I was cooking you pasta, but that didn't quite work out.'
'It burnt.'
'Yes, how did you.'
'I could smell it, plus there's the pot in your sink and pasta in the bin.'
'I trained you better than I thought.'
'Bad habit, huh?' Grissom just smiled. 'Did you try using bicarb soda on it?'
'No, it's an old wives tale isn't it.'
'Maybe, but it always worked at my parents B+B.' Sara was already over at his cupboards, rummaging through them, searching for the Bicarbonate of Soda.
'Sara?'
'Uh, huh?' she answered, her attention was being held by the elusive packet of soda sitting at the back of the cupboard. She took it out and started applying it to the burnt on pasta at the bottom of the pot.
Grissom sensed that his efforts to engage her concentration would have to be a little more obvious. He quietly got out of his seat and made his away around the bench to Sara's busy figure that was standing over the sink. Just like Sara, won't give up on anything, not even a pot. Just like she didn't give up on me. She looks at home here. God, I love her. Well just tell her that Gil.
He placed his hand on her shoulder, and attempted to turn her around. It was too late when he realized what he had done.
Her body seized up and she felt the fear, confusion and degradation surge through her body. She turned around to face her attacker, and found herself staring into those piercing blue eyes that belonged to the person she loved. Her body felt as if it was going to crumple into a heap then and there.
'God Sara, I am so sorry. I should have thought.'
'No Gris, it's me I shouldn't have.'
'Sara'
'Yes'
'You know you can trust me right?'
'Yes'
'Don't lie to me.' Sara walked away from him No, please don't tell me I'm losing her
Sara took a deep breath in, and turned to face Grissom from the other side of the room.
'I love you Grissom.' Both of them were startled by this admission.
'I love you too, but do you trust me?'
'I want to. And most of me trusts you with my life, the logical part does, even most of the emotional part. But there is that little bit of me that can't help but think- there was a time when I would have trusted Justin with my life, there was a time when I loved him too.'
Grissom didn't know what to say to that. How do I answer that? I love her, and she's telling me she loves me, but she can't trust me, will she ever be able to trust me? How can I ever get her to trust me? Or would to even try be to fight a losing battle? There as to be something I can do. We'll deal with these problems together, and hopefully she'll learn to trust me. His mother used to say that honesty was the first step to trust, and Sara was definitely being honest with him, almost painfully so. Grissom walked over and held her.
'I'm sorry Gil'
'For what?'
'For what I just said.'
'At least you can be honest with me. You're tired, lets go to bed.'
'Ok.'
'Grissom, Sara, are you in there?'
Sara was looking at Grissom with adoration in her eyes. She had never felt anything like this before. She was happy. Which was kind of ironic considering there was a sociopath after her. But she couldn't help it, she loved him, and that was all she needed.
Grissom gazed into Sara's eyes. He had always thought they were beautiful, he just never realized how beautiful. There was something different about them though. Usually her eyes were deep, brown, curious and daring. But when this had started, she had had a cloud settle over her eyes, one that refused to move. He had been worried that it would stay there forever. But now, her eyes were full of light, and they had an enigmatic sparkle that he had never seen.
At the same time, they both seemed to snap out of their mutual trance just enough to hear Nick telling them that if someone didn't answer the door he was going to force it open.
Nick was standing there his gun pointed at the lock, Come on, please be ok
'Alright Nicky, I'm coming'. Nick almost dropped his gun in surprise. What the hell had taken Grissom so long? Nick breathed in deeply as he willed his heart rate to slow down.
Gradually, Grissom released his hold on Sara, and she did the same. Grissom went over to the door and opened it, but before he did he stole one last look at her. Nick was standing there, still replacing his gun to its rightful home in his holster.
'What took you so long Grissom, where's Sara?'
'I'm here.' Nick noticed they both looked a little flushed, Sara in particular was staring at her feet like a teenager not wanting to admit something to her parents. Nick knew how to recognize that look, he'd had plenty of personal experience.
'Sorry, I took so long to get to the door. Sara was having trouble sleeping and I was in the other room, making sure she was ok. We didn't hear you.' Grissom was glad that Nick was still examining Sara's fascination with her feet because he wouldn't have been able to lie to Nick face to face.
'So, Nick, what did you want to talk to us about?' Grissom said quickly, in an attempt to move the subject along.
'What's this about?' Sara asked, she definitely was not in the mood to be kept in the dark.
'Nick called while you were sleeping, said that he wanted to talk to us about something.'
'Um.yeah. Maybe we should sit down.' Grissom was full of apprehension, but agreed to sit down on his couch. He looked over at Sara who hadn't moved from behind the kitchen bench.
'Sara?'
'I think I'll stay over here.'
'Ok, Nick you have our complete attention.' That wasn't entirely true, Sara was taking the opportunity to examine Grissom's back and head and well..Grissom.
'I was thinking that Sara should talk to someone.'
'I agree.'
'I don't mean one of us.'
'Who else would she talk to?' At this point Sara stopped examining Grissom's back and started to observe the scene playing out in front of her. She saw Nick's nervousness, and the tenseness resonating from Grissom's body. He had put up a defensive front, why?
He's protecting me, from Nick? Or Nick's suggestion?
'I think she should talk to a professional.'
'You have to be kidding Nick.' Grissom practically jumped out of his seat and was already advancing on Nick.
If I was expecting anyone to act like this, it was Sara Nick thought Not Grissom, he has to think about this rationally
'There is no way that.'
'I think it's a good idea.' Both men looked at her in utter shock. 'I think it's a good idea' she repeated.
'Sara, are you sure?'
'Yeah, I' Grissom just kept looking at her.
'It's her choice Grissom.'
'Sara, you don't have to do this if you don't want to.'
'Grissom, if I were anyone else, you would have made this suggestion as well.'
'You sure you want to talk to the psych at the lab.'
'Yeah, I mean I dealt with all the problems in my life by myself, and look how that turned out.' They both thought of the incidence in the bathroom.
'But you're not by yourself.'
'It's worth a try Gil.' For once, Grissom barely noticed the use of his first name. Nick on the other hand picked up on it immediately. He started to look at their body language, it was comfortable, loving. Then the realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. Sure Sara was having trouble sleeping when I came to the door. Nick decided to give them some time alone.
'I think you made the right decision Sara. I'll organize the appointment with Dr. Felton for tomorrow morning, about 11am. Is that ok?'
'That sounds good Nick.'
Nick silently went towards the door, It took her life being in danger for them to finally get together. For two people so smart, they could be incredibly oblivious.
Sara walked towards Grissom and just stood in front of him. Each of them sharing mutual benefit from the proximity of their bodies.
'Are you sure?'
'Yes.'
They stood there for another few minutes before Grissom gently touched her face. He was rewarded with a dazzling smile, which literally lit up his life.
'I know I said I was cooking you pasta, but that didn't quite work out.'
'It burnt.'
'Yes, how did you.'
'I could smell it, plus there's the pot in your sink and pasta in the bin.'
'I trained you better than I thought.'
'Bad habit, huh?' Grissom just smiled. 'Did you try using bicarb soda on it?'
'No, it's an old wives tale isn't it.'
'Maybe, but it always worked at my parents B+B.' Sara was already over at his cupboards, rummaging through them, searching for the Bicarbonate of Soda.
'Sara?'
'Uh, huh?' she answered, her attention was being held by the elusive packet of soda sitting at the back of the cupboard. She took it out and started applying it to the burnt on pasta at the bottom of the pot.
Grissom sensed that his efforts to engage her concentration would have to be a little more obvious. He quietly got out of his seat and made his away around the bench to Sara's busy figure that was standing over the sink. Just like Sara, won't give up on anything, not even a pot. Just like she didn't give up on me. She looks at home here. God, I love her. Well just tell her that Gil.
He placed his hand on her shoulder, and attempted to turn her around. It was too late when he realized what he had done.
Her body seized up and she felt the fear, confusion and degradation surge through her body. She turned around to face her attacker, and found herself staring into those piercing blue eyes that belonged to the person she loved. Her body felt as if it was going to crumple into a heap then and there.
'God Sara, I am so sorry. I should have thought.'
'No Gris, it's me I shouldn't have.'
'Sara'
'Yes'
'You know you can trust me right?'
'Yes'
'Don't lie to me.' Sara walked away from him No, please don't tell me I'm losing her
Sara took a deep breath in, and turned to face Grissom from the other side of the room.
'I love you Grissom.' Both of them were startled by this admission.
'I love you too, but do you trust me?'
'I want to. And most of me trusts you with my life, the logical part does, even most of the emotional part. But there is that little bit of me that can't help but think- there was a time when I would have trusted Justin with my life, there was a time when I loved him too.'
Grissom didn't know what to say to that. How do I answer that? I love her, and she's telling me she loves me, but she can't trust me, will she ever be able to trust me? How can I ever get her to trust me? Or would to even try be to fight a losing battle? There as to be something I can do. We'll deal with these problems together, and hopefully she'll learn to trust me. His mother used to say that honesty was the first step to trust, and Sara was definitely being honest with him, almost painfully so. Grissom walked over and held her.
'I'm sorry Gil'
'For what?'
'For what I just said.'
'At least you can be honest with me. You're tired, lets go to bed.'
'Ok.'