Chapter 15
Las Vegas, museum
Grissom stood with his back to the wall, looking over the heads of the crowds of people and keeping a tight hold on Sara's hand. She was looking at one of the displays as well as looking through the crowd for anything suspicious.
They had hours to wait, but had no where else to go. The museum would shut in a few hours and they would have to find a place to hide. The main area will be open, but displays would be closed and locked down.
Sara pulled on Grissom's hand and he smiled as she pointed to a little boy running across the room towards a large man with long hair tied in a plait and wearing leathers. Grissom chuckled as the children squealed with laughter, obviously happy to see the person.
Walking towards the café an hour later, Grissom bought coffee and a hot meal for them both. It was going to be a long wait and they needed food. Sara leaned into him and kissed his cheek. Grissom smiled and turned his head to her and brushed his lips across hers.
"I always wondered what it would be like to spend the day with you and not mention work." Sara said as she picked up her fork.
Grissom chuckled and picked up his own fork. "I can mention work if you want me too." He offered.
Sara grinned. "No, you're doing great." She ate her pasta and looked around.
Eating his own pasta, he reached up with his napkin and wiped her chin. "It's one way to get me out the lab I suppose." He mused.
She looked at him confused. "What, being shot, chased out of Vegas, hiding, shot at again and more hiding?"
Grissom shook his head and leaned into her. "I'm talking about us Sara."
"Us wouldn't have happened if you weren't working at the lab in the first place Gil, do you really think you would have said something sooner?" She challenged him. She wasn't trying to be cruel or cold, but she wanted to know.
He looked hurt. Sitting back up, he picked up his coffee and drank some. "I would have. Eventually." He said with certainty. "I can't turn back to clock and change things Sara. I wish I could, but I can't."
Sara took his hand. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be harsh. I know you would have said something at some point. I just started to loose faith in when that something would finally arrive."
Grissom nodded and looked down at his hand in hers. He squeezed hers and sighed. "I should have done something sooner and not held back-"
"You did what you were told. No mixing business with pleasure. Isn't that what you're told?" She asked gently.
He shook his head slowly. "No." She looked at him strangely. He turned to her and took both her hands in his. "We can mix business and pleasure, but with you." He dropped his eyes to her lips and breathed in a shaky breath and let it out through his nose. "I didn't want a one night stand or just some fling with you. You're too important to me. I could never use you like that."
The seriousness of his words made her heart ache for him. She watched as his fingers stroked her hands. "Oh Gil." She whispered on the verge of tears. Leaning into him, she wrapped her arms around him and held him with all the strength she possessed.
Museum, 9pm
He stood there in the main hall. Not in the open, but in the shadows. He was waiting. He was told to wait and once it was time, he would know what to do.
The room was emptying. The last of the visitors were heading home, leaving the cleaners to clean up after them.
As the last group of people left, the cleaners moved into another room. Before he could move, the door open and someone in a suit entered.
Museum, maintenance corridor
Grissom was talking to the maintenance chief and handed him a few dollars to keep him quiet. The man smiled and nodded for him to stay where they were and that no one would be in this part of the building until morning.
Looking down towards the door, Sara turned and leaned against the wall. Grissom made his way back towards her and stood a few inches in front of her. "You ok honey?" He asked, reaching up to cupped her cheek. His hand glided down to her neck and his thumb brushed over her skin.
Sara smiled and nodded. She moved to leaned against him and slipped her arms around his waist. "I'm tired. All this convert stuff, it feels like a movie." She sighed and turned her head into his neck. Her nose rubbing against his stubble. "You need a shave." She whispered and continued to rub her cheek against his.
Grissom pressed his cheek to hers. "Yeah." He said softly. "But I have a feeling you like the stubble."
She giggled quietly and nodded. "I do. Makes you very sexy."
He smirked and held her tighter. "Seems I'm sexy all over huh?"
Sara pulled back and kissed his chin. "I'd say so." She began nuzzling his cheek and neck. "What time is it?" She murmured against his ear.
Grissom looked at his watch and nodded. "Time to go." He dipped his head and placed a soft kiss on her neck. "Remember what I said?"
She stepped back slightly and nodded. "Anything happens, hide and when it's safe you'll come and find me."
Looking into her eyes, he sighed and ran his fingers down her face. "I love you." He whispered.
Sara closed her eyes. "I love you too."
Museums Main Hall, 10.57pm
Looking up from the floor, the man in the suit stepped into the shadows as a door opened. Waiting, he saw two people emerge from the darkness. Stepping out slowly, he watched as Grissom reached behind him and held his hand over his gun.
The man held up his hands. "I'm unarmed." He announced.
Grissom nodded and pulled his hand from his back. He approached the man with Sara standing a few feet behind him. Searching the man quickly, he stepped back and put himself between the man and Sara. "Who are you?" Grissom asked.
The man slowly pushed his hand into his pants pocket and pulled out a wallet. "Craig Peters. I'm with the FBI. I'm your contact."
Grissom looked at the id. "Ok. Before we say anything further, were you followed?"
Craig shook his head. "No. I was very cautious."
Sara looked around the room and noticed something in the shadows. She stepped up to Grissom and slipped her hand under his jacket. She tapped his back by his gun. He didn't move as he spoke to Craig, but reached behind him and covered her hand. She pointed and he causally looked around the room.
Las Vegas, museum
Grissom stood with his back to the wall, looking over the heads of the crowds of people and keeping a tight hold on Sara's hand. She was looking at one of the displays as well as looking through the crowd for anything suspicious.
They had hours to wait, but had no where else to go. The museum would shut in a few hours and they would have to find a place to hide. The main area will be open, but displays would be closed and locked down.
Sara pulled on Grissom's hand and he smiled as she pointed to a little boy running across the room towards a large man with long hair tied in a plait and wearing leathers. Grissom chuckled as the children squealed with laughter, obviously happy to see the person.
Walking towards the café an hour later, Grissom bought coffee and a hot meal for them both. It was going to be a long wait and they needed food. Sara leaned into him and kissed his cheek. Grissom smiled and turned his head to her and brushed his lips across hers.
"I always wondered what it would be like to spend the day with you and not mention work." Sara said as she picked up her fork.
Grissom chuckled and picked up his own fork. "I can mention work if you want me too." He offered.
Sara grinned. "No, you're doing great." She ate her pasta and looked around.
Eating his own pasta, he reached up with his napkin and wiped her chin. "It's one way to get me out the lab I suppose." He mused.
She looked at him confused. "What, being shot, chased out of Vegas, hiding, shot at again and more hiding?"
Grissom shook his head and leaned into her. "I'm talking about us Sara."
"Us wouldn't have happened if you weren't working at the lab in the first place Gil, do you really think you would have said something sooner?" She challenged him. She wasn't trying to be cruel or cold, but she wanted to know.
He looked hurt. Sitting back up, he picked up his coffee and drank some. "I would have. Eventually." He said with certainty. "I can't turn back to clock and change things Sara. I wish I could, but I can't."
Sara took his hand. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be harsh. I know you would have said something at some point. I just started to loose faith in when that something would finally arrive."
Grissom nodded and looked down at his hand in hers. He squeezed hers and sighed. "I should have done something sooner and not held back-"
"You did what you were told. No mixing business with pleasure. Isn't that what you're told?" She asked gently.
He shook his head slowly. "No." She looked at him strangely. He turned to her and took both her hands in his. "We can mix business and pleasure, but with you." He dropped his eyes to her lips and breathed in a shaky breath and let it out through his nose. "I didn't want a one night stand or just some fling with you. You're too important to me. I could never use you like that."
The seriousness of his words made her heart ache for him. She watched as his fingers stroked her hands. "Oh Gil." She whispered on the verge of tears. Leaning into him, she wrapped her arms around him and held him with all the strength she possessed.
Museum, 9pm
He stood there in the main hall. Not in the open, but in the shadows. He was waiting. He was told to wait and once it was time, he would know what to do.
The room was emptying. The last of the visitors were heading home, leaving the cleaners to clean up after them.
As the last group of people left, the cleaners moved into another room. Before he could move, the door open and someone in a suit entered.
Museum, maintenance corridor
Grissom was talking to the maintenance chief and handed him a few dollars to keep him quiet. The man smiled and nodded for him to stay where they were and that no one would be in this part of the building until morning.
Looking down towards the door, Sara turned and leaned against the wall. Grissom made his way back towards her and stood a few inches in front of her. "You ok honey?" He asked, reaching up to cupped her cheek. His hand glided down to her neck and his thumb brushed over her skin.
Sara smiled and nodded. She moved to leaned against him and slipped her arms around his waist. "I'm tired. All this convert stuff, it feels like a movie." She sighed and turned her head into his neck. Her nose rubbing against his stubble. "You need a shave." She whispered and continued to rub her cheek against his.
Grissom pressed his cheek to hers. "Yeah." He said softly. "But I have a feeling you like the stubble."
She giggled quietly and nodded. "I do. Makes you very sexy."
He smirked and held her tighter. "Seems I'm sexy all over huh?"
Sara pulled back and kissed his chin. "I'd say so." She began nuzzling his cheek and neck. "What time is it?" She murmured against his ear.
Grissom looked at his watch and nodded. "Time to go." He dipped his head and placed a soft kiss on her neck. "Remember what I said?"
She stepped back slightly and nodded. "Anything happens, hide and when it's safe you'll come and find me."
Looking into her eyes, he sighed and ran his fingers down her face. "I love you." He whispered.
Sara closed her eyes. "I love you too."
Museums Main Hall, 10.57pm
Looking up from the floor, the man in the suit stepped into the shadows as a door opened. Waiting, he saw two people emerge from the darkness. Stepping out slowly, he watched as Grissom reached behind him and held his hand over his gun.
The man held up his hands. "I'm unarmed." He announced.
Grissom nodded and pulled his hand from his back. He approached the man with Sara standing a few feet behind him. Searching the man quickly, he stepped back and put himself between the man and Sara. "Who are you?" Grissom asked.
The man slowly pushed his hand into his pants pocket and pulled out a wallet. "Craig Peters. I'm with the FBI. I'm your contact."
Grissom looked at the id. "Ok. Before we say anything further, were you followed?"
Craig shook his head. "No. I was very cautious."
Sara looked around the room and noticed something in the shadows. She stepped up to Grissom and slipped her hand under his jacket. She tapped his back by his gun. He didn't move as he spoke to Craig, but reached behind him and covered her hand. She pointed and he causally looked around the room.