Chapter 2
Diner on the Strip
Grissom drank his coffee and watched Sara as she held hers on the table like she couldn't trust herself to lift it without it shaking. Grissom smiled into his cup at the realisation that she was nervous. The thought of his rules invaded his thoughts. Ok down to business, but make it non threatening. He thought.
"What did Ecklie want?"
Sara looked up and shrugged. "Just wanted me to sign a departure form that he could have done." She finally lifted her cup and took a long gulp.
"I wonder what he's up to?" He mused glancing at her as he looked out the window.
"What is he usually up to?" She asked narrowing her eyes waiting for an answer.
Grissom looked at her then his coffee. Ok didn't go well, she's too good to turning his words against him. "What I meant was that he could have clearly sorted that out himself, but went in search for you."
She pursed her lips and grinned suddenly. "You trying to tell me something? He's not my type Griss and if it were possible he wouldn't be in the same building as me." Grissom looked at her in shock, she dropped her head wishing she didn't say anything. "Sorry." He still didn't say anything. "I. I obviously didn't understand what you were talking about. erm."
Just then Grissom reached across the table and squeezed her hand. "My fault. Ecklie's a sleaze and can be like trying to extract bubble gum from your hair most of the time you don't want him around." Sara laughed at his playfulness and looked down at his hand holding hers. He squeezed once more like he was savouring the feel of her hand in his memory before pulling away. He'd just broken rule one and was not too bothered about it at the time.
She closed her hand tightly and pulled it to her lap. Drinking her coffee, she thought about the real reason she was having coffee with Gil Grissom. He obviously heard the conversation outside his office, but wasn't sure why he'd brought it up and why over breakfast. Yeah they'd been to breakfast, but never alone always with the others. As she looked up she found him staring and he quickly looked away. They seemed to both let out a long breath when the waitress offered more coffee.
Lab car park
Sara went to get out when Grissom touched her hand. Twice in one morning was starting to make her too chipper all of a sudden. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles before speaking. "I owe you a thank you for dinner last night and one for being rude the past few months. I'm sorry." She smiled and turned her hand to squeeze his hand this time before pulling away and climbing out. "I'll see you tonight Sara."
"Like every other night Griss, bye." She grinned and closed the door. He waited for her to drive off before leaving for home. It actually felt nice and ok that he'd broken at least a few more of his rules, but a few weren't that bad and he did have to apologise for being an ass towards her. Heading home he had a sudden thought. Maybe he could talk to her more without his mission being compromised. All he had to do was be friends like they once were at Harvard and not let it get any further. Thinking back to Ecklie, he turned at the traffic lights and headed straight for the motel instead. He may have a lead and needed to follow it.
Motel Room 214
Grissom sat at the small desk in the corner and pulled out his notebook. He looked at his notes for over the past few weeks.
* She's looking at me all the time and my heart just beats faster - * No not those. He flicked back further and found what he was looking for. * Ecklie and David discuss body departure times. * Conrad Ecklie snooping around is freaky. He seems to arrive at the lab at odd hours and not always on his shift. * David complains about one of Ecklie's bodies vanishing from the morgue. Ecklie gets mad. * Hmmm. maybe a little too upset over a missing body he thinks.
Closing the book he picks up the phone and dials the contact number. "Grissom, Gil. Possible suspect, need file for a Conrad Ecklie." Grissom hung up and collapsed onto the bed. Before he fell into sleep he couldn't stop thinking about how soft her skin was, her hand was so soft. He wandered what the rest of her might feel like. He groaned miserably and turned onto his front.
Break Room
"Hey guys. Grissom and Sara db on rooftop of an apartment complex on the strip, Warrick and Nick hit and run and Cath has the night off. Everyone report back when you have something." Brass handed the slips out and went back to his office.
Grissom held the door to the break room open for Sara and she gladly walked through it. They all went there separate ways and agreed to meet up for dinner in a few hours.
Crime Scene: Roof
Sara stood in the middle of the roof taking pictures while Grissom looked over the edge. "Hey Sara come look at this." His voice was quiet and distant with the air-conditioning fans for the building.
She ignored him and continued to take pictures. She crouched down and processed the body. "Griss, this guy has brick fragments in the head wound." She shouted over the growing noise.
"Come here." He shouted and motioning with both hands.
Sara looked up and sighed. "Fine."
Grissom watched her stop a few feet from the edge and smirked. "You need to come closer to see Sara."
"Nope, you see it that's what matters. I'm going to finish the body and look around the building." She turned, but was stopped with Grissom grabbing her upper arm. "I don't need to see it Griss." She tried to pull from his grasp.
"Just take one look." He coaxed. He pulled her closer to him and put his arm around her back.
She closed her eyes as she got closer to the edge. "Griss just let me get back to the body." She stopped talking when she felt him close to her ear.
"To overcome your fear of height's Sara, you need to face it first." He whispered.
She felt him lean into her as he moved them both to look down and onto the car park. She opened her eyes and closed them instantly as she stepped back quickly. "No Griss, I can't." She whimpered and turned away as she wiggled out of his hold on her.
Grissom walked up behind her and watched her cover her eyes with her hand. "Sara." He turned her slowly and saw tears. "God Sara I'm so sorry." Without thinking he pulled her to him and held her. "I'm sorry." He repeated.
"No it's ok, you were trying to help that's all." She sobbed. "I'm such a baby. I'm 32 and still afraid of heights." She laughed and pulled at his jacket as he held her tightly to him. She realised he didn't want to and wasn't going to let her go. They just held each other until her tears dried and she pulled back. "Don't do that again." She playfully warned.
"Promise." He chuckled and gently wiped the sticky tear lines away with his thumbs. "Let's get back to work and I'll collect the evidence on the wall." He suggested still rubbing he cheeks softly. She nodded and they pulled away from each other.
Diner on the Strip
Grissom drank his coffee and watched Sara as she held hers on the table like she couldn't trust herself to lift it without it shaking. Grissom smiled into his cup at the realisation that she was nervous. The thought of his rules invaded his thoughts. Ok down to business, but make it non threatening. He thought.
"What did Ecklie want?"
Sara looked up and shrugged. "Just wanted me to sign a departure form that he could have done." She finally lifted her cup and took a long gulp.
"I wonder what he's up to?" He mused glancing at her as he looked out the window.
"What is he usually up to?" She asked narrowing her eyes waiting for an answer.
Grissom looked at her then his coffee. Ok didn't go well, she's too good to turning his words against him. "What I meant was that he could have clearly sorted that out himself, but went in search for you."
She pursed her lips and grinned suddenly. "You trying to tell me something? He's not my type Griss and if it were possible he wouldn't be in the same building as me." Grissom looked at her in shock, she dropped her head wishing she didn't say anything. "Sorry." He still didn't say anything. "I. I obviously didn't understand what you were talking about. erm."
Just then Grissom reached across the table and squeezed her hand. "My fault. Ecklie's a sleaze and can be like trying to extract bubble gum from your hair most of the time you don't want him around." Sara laughed at his playfulness and looked down at his hand holding hers. He squeezed once more like he was savouring the feel of her hand in his memory before pulling away. He'd just broken rule one and was not too bothered about it at the time.
She closed her hand tightly and pulled it to her lap. Drinking her coffee, she thought about the real reason she was having coffee with Gil Grissom. He obviously heard the conversation outside his office, but wasn't sure why he'd brought it up and why over breakfast. Yeah they'd been to breakfast, but never alone always with the others. As she looked up she found him staring and he quickly looked away. They seemed to both let out a long breath when the waitress offered more coffee.
Lab car park
Sara went to get out when Grissom touched her hand. Twice in one morning was starting to make her too chipper all of a sudden. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles before speaking. "I owe you a thank you for dinner last night and one for being rude the past few months. I'm sorry." She smiled and turned her hand to squeeze his hand this time before pulling away and climbing out. "I'll see you tonight Sara."
"Like every other night Griss, bye." She grinned and closed the door. He waited for her to drive off before leaving for home. It actually felt nice and ok that he'd broken at least a few more of his rules, but a few weren't that bad and he did have to apologise for being an ass towards her. Heading home he had a sudden thought. Maybe he could talk to her more without his mission being compromised. All he had to do was be friends like they once were at Harvard and not let it get any further. Thinking back to Ecklie, he turned at the traffic lights and headed straight for the motel instead. He may have a lead and needed to follow it.
Motel Room 214
Grissom sat at the small desk in the corner and pulled out his notebook. He looked at his notes for over the past few weeks.
* She's looking at me all the time and my heart just beats faster - * No not those. He flicked back further and found what he was looking for. * Ecklie and David discuss body departure times. * Conrad Ecklie snooping around is freaky. He seems to arrive at the lab at odd hours and not always on his shift. * David complains about one of Ecklie's bodies vanishing from the morgue. Ecklie gets mad. * Hmmm. maybe a little too upset over a missing body he thinks.
Closing the book he picks up the phone and dials the contact number. "Grissom, Gil. Possible suspect, need file for a Conrad Ecklie." Grissom hung up and collapsed onto the bed. Before he fell into sleep he couldn't stop thinking about how soft her skin was, her hand was so soft. He wandered what the rest of her might feel like. He groaned miserably and turned onto his front.
Break Room
"Hey guys. Grissom and Sara db on rooftop of an apartment complex on the strip, Warrick and Nick hit and run and Cath has the night off. Everyone report back when you have something." Brass handed the slips out and went back to his office.
Grissom held the door to the break room open for Sara and she gladly walked through it. They all went there separate ways and agreed to meet up for dinner in a few hours.
Crime Scene: Roof
Sara stood in the middle of the roof taking pictures while Grissom looked over the edge. "Hey Sara come look at this." His voice was quiet and distant with the air-conditioning fans for the building.
She ignored him and continued to take pictures. She crouched down and processed the body. "Griss, this guy has brick fragments in the head wound." She shouted over the growing noise.
"Come here." He shouted and motioning with both hands.
Sara looked up and sighed. "Fine."
Grissom watched her stop a few feet from the edge and smirked. "You need to come closer to see Sara."
"Nope, you see it that's what matters. I'm going to finish the body and look around the building." She turned, but was stopped with Grissom grabbing her upper arm. "I don't need to see it Griss." She tried to pull from his grasp.
"Just take one look." He coaxed. He pulled her closer to him and put his arm around her back.
She closed her eyes as she got closer to the edge. "Griss just let me get back to the body." She stopped talking when she felt him close to her ear.
"To overcome your fear of height's Sara, you need to face it first." He whispered.
She felt him lean into her as he moved them both to look down and onto the car park. She opened her eyes and closed them instantly as she stepped back quickly. "No Griss, I can't." She whimpered and turned away as she wiggled out of his hold on her.
Grissom walked up behind her and watched her cover her eyes with her hand. "Sara." He turned her slowly and saw tears. "God Sara I'm so sorry." Without thinking he pulled her to him and held her. "I'm sorry." He repeated.
"No it's ok, you were trying to help that's all." She sobbed. "I'm such a baby. I'm 32 and still afraid of heights." She laughed and pulled at his jacket as he held her tightly to him. She realised he didn't want to and wasn't going to let her go. They just held each other until her tears dried and she pulled back. "Don't do that again." She playfully warned.
"Promise." He chuckled and gently wiped the sticky tear lines away with his thumbs. "Let's get back to work and I'll collect the evidence on the wall." He suggested still rubbing he cheeks softly. She nodded and they pulled away from each other.