Chapter Five
Grissom walked into the lab that night with his head in a file. Catherine's file to be exact. He had already looked through it a few times, but couldn't understand why there was no follow up on one suspect. He sighed and flipped open Warrick's file. He'd done the same to Catherine's and found that Warrick hadn't signed several reports. What did he have to do to get his team to do something so simple.
He walked through the lab and took his messages from the front desk as they were handed to him and continued down the hallway towards his office.
Opening his door, he noticed someone out the corner of his eye and looked up. Catherine, Nick and Warrick stood in his office, waiting for him.
He frowned at them and sat behind his desk.
Looking around at each other them, they seemed to wait for something.
Just as he was about to ask them what was going on, his office phone rang.
"Grissom."
The other's watched in silence as he nodded and said goodbye.
"Sara's not coming in, she's sick." Grissom said into the silence as he replaced the phone on it's receiver.
"That was Sara?" Warrick asked.
Grissom furrowed his brows in confusion. "Yes." He asked. "Why?"
They all looked at each other.
Catherine stood from her chair. "We thought that she would come on."
Warrick nodded. "You know?"
Grissom still looked confused. "No." He shook his head slowly and waited for them to spell it out.
Nick just watched in silence. He didn't know what was going on, but was asked by Catherine and Warrick to not ask questions, just yet.
"Didn't she have last night off Griss?" Warrick asked.
Grissom nodded slowly. "I think, yes she did." He clarified after checking the calendar. "Warrick, your off tomorrow." He turned back and waited for more questions.
Warrick nodded. "Thanks. I didn't know that. Erm."
Catherine touched Warrick's arm. "Maybe we read into it wrong." She whispered.
"Read into what?" Grissom asked.
"You and Sara had the night off last night and when I dropped by this morning, you were reluctant on letting me in." Catherine trailed off.
Warrick nodded. "Yeah, same with me."
Grissom sighed and removed his glasses. "Guys, I have a night off and you want to barge into my home in the middle of the afternoon when I'm sleeping. Why would I let you in, just to ask about work. Which by the way, you both still have work to do." He handed both files back to blank faces as they took their case files and watched as Grissom turned to his paperwork that was piled on one side of his desk.
** ** ** **
She was continuously on his mind the whole night.
He had put himself on a solo case so the other's didn't notice his distraction.
Walking through a crime scene, collecting the evidence, it was all clouded with the wonderful images of a tall, sexy, beautiful brunette sitting at his home, in his bed, waiting for him to call or come home to her.
He felt like dropping everything to be with her, but knew better. Rumours, suspicion and gossip was not what they needed right now.
The topic was very touchy for both and when it was time to talk about what had to be done, they needed to be honest and careful with their decision.
** ** ** **
She felt tired.
More tired than she thought she would be.
Must be a cold or something.
She felt sick.
Well, you do get sick when you have the flu or something. Right?
Yeah, just the flu.
Didn't help matters when you walk through a down pour and end up on your lovers doorstep in your own down pour, of tears.
Turning onto her side, she stared at the clock.
8 hours until he walks through the door and she could hold him.
There was so much to discuss.
So much to sort out.
To much to ignore for long.
Too important to let go.
Not optional to let what they have be destroyed.
But.
That was what she was thinking.
Their were two brains in this strange relationship.
One was elsewhere, working, lost in his own thoughts.
The other, laying in bed, thinking the same thoughts.
'How is this going to work?'
Work would be dangerous.
Dangerous in ways that Conrad Ecklie and the sheriff would definitely make sure it happens that way.
They'd be split up.
She would be transferred elsewhere.
Or worse. to days.
He would be reprimanded.
Watched over like a hawk by higher ups.
His personal life invaded with questions.
His own life would be made public.
Thinking hard about this. She shook her head and sat up.
She couldn't let him get hurt because they couldn't be together.
In public.
At work.
Anywhere in Las Vegas.
And no matter how much it hurt to think about it.
She was not going to ruin his life just so they could be together.
She was not going to destroy his career so she could be with the one man she truly loved.
And she was not going to let his personal life, he hid so strongly from others, become pubic knowledge so he would end up regretting everything.
Standing and searching for her clothes, she decided it was best to go and she'd ring later so they could meet somewhere to talk things through and take all the words they had spoken, promised, shared. back and put themselves at a distance that was safe enough to keep their jobs and lives intact.
They'd never met up.
Never 'really' discussed their attraction.
It was about time they did.
It may be too late, but if they didn't stop it. he'd regret everything and the only thing she could see as their future was.
Blame.
** ** ** **
Break came and no answer from his house phone.
Ringing again ten minutes later was futile as there was still no reply.
He was on his way home during his break as promised and he wanted to know if she wanted anything picked up from the store, but no answer from his phone.
Unlocking his front door, he dropped his keys onto the kitchen counter as he moved around the island to the coffee maker.
Listening to the silence, he turned the machine on and made his way to the bedroom.
Nothing.
The bed was made.
The blinds were closed.
The room still had her smell.
He inhaled sadly and walked back to the kitchen.
Opening his fridge, he saw a note stuck to his bottle of milk.
He smiled and pulled out his glasses so he could read it.
His smile quickly fled at the words.
'Gil, It's not worth you loosing your job. It's not worth you being hurt because I'm too selfish to not want to keep us quiet. I don't want you to regret what happened between us so I can't let this continue. I'm sorry I said I can't let you go last night, but I'm not sorry that I love you. Sara'
Sinking to the floor as his legs gave way under him, he leaned back against the closed refrigerator door and scrunched the letter up in his hands.
Squeezing all the life out of the piece of paper, he threw it at the opposite cupboard and watched as it bounced across the floor and stopped by his feet.
His eyes zoned in on the small ball of paper.
His eyes grew heavy.
Stinging came first as his stare continued.
Then the wetness.
He blinked once and they tumbled down his cheeks.
** ** ** **
Pulling himself to his feet after falling into a emotionally tired induced sleep, he went into his bathroom and washed his face.
He was late for work and as if on cue.
His cell rang.
Finding his jacket, he grabbed his cell and answered it.
"Grissom?"
"Where are you?" Catherine's voice boomed down the line. "A triple just came in and we're short handed. Get a move on." With that outburst, she hung up and Grissom was already out the door.
Grissom walked into the lab that night with his head in a file. Catherine's file to be exact. He had already looked through it a few times, but couldn't understand why there was no follow up on one suspect. He sighed and flipped open Warrick's file. He'd done the same to Catherine's and found that Warrick hadn't signed several reports. What did he have to do to get his team to do something so simple.
He walked through the lab and took his messages from the front desk as they were handed to him and continued down the hallway towards his office.
Opening his door, he noticed someone out the corner of his eye and looked up. Catherine, Nick and Warrick stood in his office, waiting for him.
He frowned at them and sat behind his desk.
Looking around at each other them, they seemed to wait for something.
Just as he was about to ask them what was going on, his office phone rang.
"Grissom."
The other's watched in silence as he nodded and said goodbye.
"Sara's not coming in, she's sick." Grissom said into the silence as he replaced the phone on it's receiver.
"That was Sara?" Warrick asked.
Grissom furrowed his brows in confusion. "Yes." He asked. "Why?"
They all looked at each other.
Catherine stood from her chair. "We thought that she would come on."
Warrick nodded. "You know?"
Grissom still looked confused. "No." He shook his head slowly and waited for them to spell it out.
Nick just watched in silence. He didn't know what was going on, but was asked by Catherine and Warrick to not ask questions, just yet.
"Didn't she have last night off Griss?" Warrick asked.
Grissom nodded slowly. "I think, yes she did." He clarified after checking the calendar. "Warrick, your off tomorrow." He turned back and waited for more questions.
Warrick nodded. "Thanks. I didn't know that. Erm."
Catherine touched Warrick's arm. "Maybe we read into it wrong." She whispered.
"Read into what?" Grissom asked.
"You and Sara had the night off last night and when I dropped by this morning, you were reluctant on letting me in." Catherine trailed off.
Warrick nodded. "Yeah, same with me."
Grissom sighed and removed his glasses. "Guys, I have a night off and you want to barge into my home in the middle of the afternoon when I'm sleeping. Why would I let you in, just to ask about work. Which by the way, you both still have work to do." He handed both files back to blank faces as they took their case files and watched as Grissom turned to his paperwork that was piled on one side of his desk.
** ** ** **
She was continuously on his mind the whole night.
He had put himself on a solo case so the other's didn't notice his distraction.
Walking through a crime scene, collecting the evidence, it was all clouded with the wonderful images of a tall, sexy, beautiful brunette sitting at his home, in his bed, waiting for him to call or come home to her.
He felt like dropping everything to be with her, but knew better. Rumours, suspicion and gossip was not what they needed right now.
The topic was very touchy for both and when it was time to talk about what had to be done, they needed to be honest and careful with their decision.
** ** ** **
She felt tired.
More tired than she thought she would be.
Must be a cold or something.
She felt sick.
Well, you do get sick when you have the flu or something. Right?
Yeah, just the flu.
Didn't help matters when you walk through a down pour and end up on your lovers doorstep in your own down pour, of tears.
Turning onto her side, she stared at the clock.
8 hours until he walks through the door and she could hold him.
There was so much to discuss.
So much to sort out.
To much to ignore for long.
Too important to let go.
Not optional to let what they have be destroyed.
But.
That was what she was thinking.
Their were two brains in this strange relationship.
One was elsewhere, working, lost in his own thoughts.
The other, laying in bed, thinking the same thoughts.
'How is this going to work?'
Work would be dangerous.
Dangerous in ways that Conrad Ecklie and the sheriff would definitely make sure it happens that way.
They'd be split up.
She would be transferred elsewhere.
Or worse. to days.
He would be reprimanded.
Watched over like a hawk by higher ups.
His personal life invaded with questions.
His own life would be made public.
Thinking hard about this. She shook her head and sat up.
She couldn't let him get hurt because they couldn't be together.
In public.
At work.
Anywhere in Las Vegas.
And no matter how much it hurt to think about it.
She was not going to ruin his life just so they could be together.
She was not going to destroy his career so she could be with the one man she truly loved.
And she was not going to let his personal life, he hid so strongly from others, become pubic knowledge so he would end up regretting everything.
Standing and searching for her clothes, she decided it was best to go and she'd ring later so they could meet somewhere to talk things through and take all the words they had spoken, promised, shared. back and put themselves at a distance that was safe enough to keep their jobs and lives intact.
They'd never met up.
Never 'really' discussed their attraction.
It was about time they did.
It may be too late, but if they didn't stop it. he'd regret everything and the only thing she could see as their future was.
Blame.
** ** ** **
Break came and no answer from his house phone.
Ringing again ten minutes later was futile as there was still no reply.
He was on his way home during his break as promised and he wanted to know if she wanted anything picked up from the store, but no answer from his phone.
Unlocking his front door, he dropped his keys onto the kitchen counter as he moved around the island to the coffee maker.
Listening to the silence, he turned the machine on and made his way to the bedroom.
Nothing.
The bed was made.
The blinds were closed.
The room still had her smell.
He inhaled sadly and walked back to the kitchen.
Opening his fridge, he saw a note stuck to his bottle of milk.
He smiled and pulled out his glasses so he could read it.
His smile quickly fled at the words.
'Gil, It's not worth you loosing your job. It's not worth you being hurt because I'm too selfish to not want to keep us quiet. I don't want you to regret what happened between us so I can't let this continue. I'm sorry I said I can't let you go last night, but I'm not sorry that I love you. Sara'
Sinking to the floor as his legs gave way under him, he leaned back against the closed refrigerator door and scrunched the letter up in his hands.
Squeezing all the life out of the piece of paper, he threw it at the opposite cupboard and watched as it bounced across the floor and stopped by his feet.
His eyes zoned in on the small ball of paper.
His eyes grew heavy.
Stinging came first as his stare continued.
Then the wetness.
He blinked once and they tumbled down his cheeks.
** ** ** **
Pulling himself to his feet after falling into a emotionally tired induced sleep, he went into his bathroom and washed his face.
He was late for work and as if on cue.
His cell rang.
Finding his jacket, he grabbed his cell and answered it.
"Grissom?"
"Where are you?" Catherine's voice boomed down the line. "A triple just came in and we're short handed. Get a move on." With that outburst, she hung up and Grissom was already out the door.