By Jane Doe
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of CSI.
Spoilers: Maybe RiBSC when Grissom actually 'sees' Hank and assumes the worst. But no time after.
Author's Notes: Just some fluff for an early Valentine's Day. The site won't be up on Friday or Saturday so I posted it today. I have these random thoughts that become stories and this was just one of them. It's only one chapter long but I am currently writing her sequel. I hope you enjoy it and your reviews are always welcomed! Happy Cupid Day! Can you feel the love?
~ O ~
Sara had her coat in hand but made no move to leave. She stood in the doorway staring into Grissom's dark office. The only light was a lamp casting a somber glow on his daunting paperwork. She smiled as he bit his lip. It was times like these that she was grateful to be unseen by this man. There he was lost in thought and so unguarded. He was completely unaware of the outside world. She pursed her lips to speak. "Hey Grissom the sky is falling."
He didn't even look up from the file spread out across his desk. "Okay."
Sara chuckled as her evil plan worked; he was totally zoned in on that file. His head shot up at the sound of her laughing. "What?"
"Oh nothing." She replied sweetly.
He shrugged it off. "Shouldn't you be getting home?"
"I was just on my way out." She crossed over to his desk. If she worked too hard then so did he. Up close she saw the exhaustion in his eyes. "Maybe you need to go home early tonight too."
He snickered. Sara was one to read minds; especially his. He wasn't helping his case any if he was too tired to think straight. He looked at his watch. Early for Grissom and Sara were before the next shift started. He gathered his papers in his briefcase. "That's not a bad idea."
"I know."
"I'll walk you out." He offered and she silently accepted by turning on her heels and leading the way out to the parking lot.
"So what do you plan to do with your two days off?" Grissom called over to her as he unlocked his car. It was a nice warm September night and the stars and moon provided enough light in the parking lot so he could see her over at her own car.
"I have plans to go out."
Grissom threw his briefcase in on the passenger seat. "I hope you have a good time Sara." He really meant it too. When he heard about Hank, Grissom tried to keep the conversations clear-cut with Sara. It hurt to see her with someone else. He never actually saw them together but if the office gossip was correct then he had reason to believe Sara wasn't his anymore. It still hurt to think about it. He knew then that he had feelings for Sara were more than professional but didn't allow himself to indulge in such luxuries. Love and time were always at war with Gil Grissom it seemed, so he settled for what he could get.
"Thanks Grissom." She called over. She didn't want to linger on the subject because of topic and she didn't want to because it was Grissom. He was already acting strange towards her. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight." He said sadly.
~ O ~
Sara threw her keys down on her counter. Another day, another crime scene, another possible suspect, another possible conviction; it was a good day. She didn't like how she left Grissom, but it was probably for the best. Talking about her plans to enjoy the company of a male friend was dangerous territory with Grissom. The Hank thing was still a sticky mess; she was still trying to fix that mix-up started by Nick and Greg. Now if she told him about Brian, he would defiantly freak out, even though he was only her cousin. Her answering machine blinked to let her know that she had a call. She pressed the button and went to the fridge.
"Sara, it's me Brian. I just wanted to call and let you know that I still have tomorrow off. Call me back as soon as you get this. Oh and don't call my cell, it's acting goofy again. Give me a call at my hotel. Bye."
Sara smiled. Brian was her mother's sister's son. They played together when they were children and even kept in touch when she went to Harvard. He stayed near home for years after his parents split but then he moved to Colorado when his dad offered him a job. Soon contact between them became less and less. Finally he called her up from the airport three days ago. They hung out in between their busy schedules and managed to enjoy themselves for once. She dialed the number Brian gave her to his hotel room. She asked him to stay with her but he didn't want to intrude and insisted. Finally she gave into his charm and dropped it. The phone rang three times before he picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Hey Brian, what's up?"
Sara could hear the smile through the phone, if that was possible. "Oh a little something something."
"Are we still on for tomorrow?" She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and took a sip.
"Yeah. I'll pick you up at six. We can catch the opera then grab a late dinner afterward."
"Sounds good."
"So what are you up to? Finally got off work huh?"
"Well you know how that goes." Sara listened hard to the other end. "What's that noise?"
"Oh that's my laptop. I was brushing up on my Italian for the opera."
"Since when do you know Italian?"
"My dad got me lessons because we always seem to deal with them in the car business."
"Cool. Well I am going to catch some sleep before you keep me out all night." Sara joked.
"Me too. See you at six."
"All right. Goodnight Brian."
"Night Sara."
Sara went to her room and snuggled up to her pillow for company.
~ O ~
Grissom was looking at his case file for that night. With Sara off for two days, he was short staffed and lonely. It wasn't a difficult case but she would have enjoyed it. It was practically over before it started. All the evidence pointed to the suspect they already had in custody. She would have like the way the guy insisted he was innocent even though the evidence was enough to lock him away for years. Grissom shook his head in disgrace. He couldn't believe how hard people try to ignore the truth. He loved that look when the guilty realized it was over; it had everything to do with the evidence. He loved that look and he loved the evidence.
"Watch it Gris!" Nick said as Grissom collided with him in the hallway.
"Sorry Nick. I was looking at this case I have." Grissom frowned; Nick wasn't paying attention. "But I guess you weren't paying attention either. It must be a two way street."
Warrick snickered. "Yeah. He's practically drooling over that woman at the front desk."
"What woman?"
Nick pointed. "Right there. Man look at those legs. And I wasn't drooling I was being a good CSI and observing."
A young woman stood at the front desk facing away from them. She had dark hair drawn into a loose bun with curls every which way. Grissom had to agree that she had a very attractive figure. She was wearing a black dress that hugged her curves nicely. It stopped just below the knee leaving her calves fully exposed. Spaghetti straps left her shoulders bare and the low cut back revealed her shoulder blades and delicate back. A black coat was draped over her arm for the cool nights and a silver cell phone was clutched in her left hand.
"She is gorgeous." Nick said.
Grissom's frown deepened. "You can't even see her face." For Grissom the face was everything, or even better the eyes were everything. He could see a lot in people's eyes. Sometimes he could catch a killer just by reading their eyes. He absently started to think of Sara, the opposite of a killer. She was too caring. Her eyes were the deepest brown he had ever seen. They conveyed such mystery yet if he was allowed to look long enough he was sure he would see the inner workings of her soul.
Just as Nick was about to say something, the woman turned around.
"Oh. My. God." Nick breathed. "Sara?"
He said it loud enough to catch Sara's attention before she threw her coat on to go on her way. "Hey guys." She said as she walked over to them.
It didn't go unnoticed that Nick was sizing her up, Warrick was stunned to silence and didn't even move, and Grissom's mouth was open. She wanted to laugh at their reaction. Not exactly what she was going for, but Brian responded the same way.
"Well how do I look?" She spun around to give them a quick view of the dress. It was even more gorgeous now that Grissom knew it was Sara who was wearing it.
"Amazing." Nick beamed with flushed cheeks of embarrassment that he was staring at the same Sara Sidle that he came to love. The same Sara Sidle that wore jeans and long sleeved shirts to work everyday. His tomboy baby sister was wearing a stunning dress and looked wonderful.
"Girl...damn." Warrick said also smiling.
Grissom remained silent as his eyes traveled the length of her body until they came to rest on her face. She was beautiful. Actually even that was an understatement. He had never seen her look so great. She looked great everyday, but this was a dress. Sara was wearing a dress; a beautiful black dress that left a lot up to the imagination. Her big brown eyes were drawn out by the black eyeliner and a pale eye shadow. Her lips also caught his eye as they gleamed with a soft red gloss. That was really the only makeup she wore. She didn't even need makeup, Grissom thought.
Suddenly he realized he was silent and still gawking at her. "You look great Sara." He said finding his voice finally.
"Well thanks guys." She smiled. She didn't want to be looked at like that but at least it got some reaction from Grissom.
"So you got a hot date or what?" Nick teased.
Sara's smile widened. "Actually yes I do. I am off to the Opera."
"What's playing?"
Grissom frowned. "It's not a movie Nick, it's the Theatre."
Nick rolled his eyes. "She knows what I meant?"
"Rigoletto." It rolled off her tongue with impressive ease.
He raised an eyebrow. "Your date has good taste."
"I'll tell him you said that." She gestured to her phone. "I just came to get my cell that I left at the front desk last night."
"You're not on call." Grissom pointed out.
"No but I still wanted my cell phone. Is that okay?" No one answered. It was quiet for a moment or two before Sara spoke. "Well I better go, I don't want to be late. See you guys day after next."
"Yeah Sara. Have fun." Nick called after her.
"I will." She yelled back walking briskly down the hallway.
Catherine was carrying her kit in from the 419 when she passed Sara going out the door. "Whoa. Look at you. Wow." She said letting the smile linger.
"Thanks Cath." Sara blushed at all the attention. She had no idea she would turn so many heads. She wouldn't have come if she knew she would be paraded with attention by her coworkers. Sara wasn't much of an attention grabber. Well Grissom's attention was okay, she thought with a smile.
"Got a date?"
"Yeah. At the Nevada Opera Theatre."
"Knock 'em dead Sara." Catherine shouted as Sara pushed through the doors with a big smile. She looked up the hall and saw three very dumbstruck men. Hey you get a girl like Sara in a dress and it's no surprise how the men react. She even noticed that Grissom had that look guys get. It's as if they were staring at a steak dinner after they hadn't even in days. "Men." She said aloud and walked the other way.
"It's nice to see her get out some." Nick chimed after Sara was out of sight.
"If she keeps looking like that it won't be too long before she is taken out every night." Warrick said tapping Nick's shoulder. "Come on we have work."
"You know this calls for major teasing when she gets back." Nick smiled mischievously.
"If you live. She is going to kill you when she finds out you were making eyes at her."
"I am just looking out for her well-being man. She needs a big brother like me."
"Sure."
The voices died away and Grissom just stood there, one half stunned and the other half embarrassed. He sighed when he realized he was the only one in the hall. He walked back to his office to finish his work but he knew not too much was going to get done with images of Sara in that dress plaguing his mind.
~ O ~
Sara blinked hard at the change in lighting in the lab. Brian got a call from his dad to close a deal right away. They were meeting for dinner when Rigoletto was supposed to start. She waited but it soon turned into an all night negotiation and finally got a cab home. She had never been so disappointed. She had never been to the Opera before, she had one to go with. Brian promised that the tickets were still good for tomorrow night's show but while in the cab on her way home, he called to let her know that he had to go back Colorado that night. She sighed in defeat and told the driver to drop her off at CSI. Since she didn't need the extra day off, she had high hopes of finding Grissom so she could come in tomorrow. She was relieved to find Grissom feeding his bugs in his office.
"Hey you." She called as she leaned on the door frame.
He turned so quickly that he almost lost his balance. Paperwork was abandoned because of her. He was right, he couldn't get her out of his head. The way her hair exposed her neck, the small pendant necklace that graced her collarbone, the tender skin of her back, the dress. God that dress; that woman. He blinked hard making sure it wasn't a dream. She had on her black over coat but the front was unbuttoned so he still saw much of the dress.
"Sara, what are you doing here?" He croaked out realizing it wasn't a mirage.
She shrugged. "Oh it didn't work out. My date was called to work and we had to miss the Opera. Bad luck I guess."
"Sorry to hear that." Actually he wasn't. "Well you know how demanding an EMT's work is." He said offering some kind of assurance even if he didn't want to give it.
She raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
"Your date. His name is Hank right? The EMT?" He knew exactly who he was.
She smiled but stopped herself from laughing. "I didn't go with Hank. I went with my cousin, Brian Uptum. He was in town on business and we decided to catch up. Why did you think it was Hank?"
He fed another bug as if the topic was boring and needed little attention. "Well...I just assumed."
"Gil Grissom assumes something without evidence." They both raised an eyebrow before Sara continued. "Besides, I wouldn't go to the Opera with Hank. It's not his scene." She smiled at the thought of Hank in a suit and taking her to an upscale restaurant and the opera. It was definitely not his scene. She noticed Grissom's behavioral shift and decided to accomplish what she came here for in the first place. "Anyway I came to ask if I can work tomorrow. Brian also had to leave early for home and well I don't see wasting an entire day when I can work."
He smiled. Sara was so efficient. "Yeah you can come in."
She returned the smile. "Thanks. Well..." She tapped on the door frame. "See you tomorrow then."
"Okay. Goodnight Sara."
"Goodnight."
He stood there watching her go. This was his perfect opportunity and he was standing there with bugs instead of going after the most beautiful woman in his world. Bugs for crying out loud! His case was finished hours ago, Warrick and Nick had their case covered, and Catherine was more than capable of working solo. Besides he would be on call. "Come on Gil you can do this." He whispered to himself. "It's Sara. You're comfortable with Sara all the time. Just go ask her." He swallowed hard then walked after her.
"Judy where is Sara?" He asked stopping at the front desk.
"Oh she just called a cab and went outside to wait for it."
"Thank you." He wanted to quicken his steps but didn't want to draw attention. He finally found her at the bottom of the steps outside pacing back and forth. The black high heels made her flow as she paced. He took a deep breath. "Sara?"
She turned quickly letting the air catch her coat and separating it to reveal her legs. "Grissom." She said shocked as if it were a statement to make it all believable that he was standing in front of her. "Is everything okay?"
"Oh yeah." He came down the steps to meet her. "I was wondering if maybe you want to get something to eat? I mean if you haven't eaten already."
She breathed a sigh of relief. "Sure. I think I have a change of clothes in my locker. Let me go change then we can grab some take out or something."
Grissom touched her arm to stop her. "No I like the dress." He hurriedly removed his hand from her arm.
Time to panic. Sara couldn't believe what he was saying. She knew the dress was nice but not that nice. No relax Sara, it's just Grissom and he just doesn't want you to be inconvenienced by having to change. Just breathe. "Well it's a little over dressed for take out or pizza but okay."
He could feel his pulse in his neck. She was confused. So make it clear Gil! "Do you mind swinging by my place first? I can change and then we can go to this really nice restaurant that I heard was great. They have the best vegetarian entrees and the deserts are delicious." He stopped to catch his breath.
Sara's brow knitted in confusion then awe. "Grissom are you asking me on a date?"
He took in a large intake of air to get oxygen to his brain. "Um...uh...yeah...I mean no if you don't want to. It's just dinner, I understand if you want to go home. I mean you don't have tomorrow off anymore and if you want to get some rest then well you don't have to go. Besides I am sure my company is not much compared to your cousin's."
She stopped him by putting a hand on his hand. "No, I would love to." She nodded and smiled at him. "It's a date then."
He breathed a sigh of relief. "It's a date."
The End