Sara and I pulled into the parking lot of the lab almost simultaneously. I
got out of my Tahoe and waited for her as she got out of hers. I glanced
around to make sure no one was around and leaned down and kissed her
briefly. I looked in her eyes and took her hand in mine, squeezing it for
a moment before letting it go. "Ok, let's put our game faces on."
Sara chuckled at my sports reference, but I could tell that she was nervous. We both were in a position where we could face disciplinary action for just leaving without requesting time off. The fact that we'd have to talk to Grissom didn't set well with either one of us. I was worried about her. I had seen her cry twice in California because of what had transpired between them before she left. I hoped it didn't happen a third time, at least in front of him.
We walked into the lab and received several curious stares from a few of the lab techs. Apparently, no one knew where we had been. I let out a deep breath and glanced at Sara as we rounded the corner toward Grissom's office. She glanced at me and smiled. I could live all day on the smile. I grinned at her and gestured toward his door. We both knew that he would already be there.
Grissom glanced up at us as we stood in the doorway. It took him a moment to register who was there. A subtle myriad of expressions crossed his face before he spoke. He gestured toward us to come in. "Close the door behind you."
We settled into the chairs in front of his desk. He studied us over the frame of his glasses. None of us said anything for a moment. An uncomfortable silence hung in the air. Finally, Grissom spoke. He cut to the chase. "I should have told you."
Sara and I both seemed to let out a breath we didn't know we were holding. We glanced at each other, silently wondering what was coming next.
Grissom studied us. "Catherine said you were in California."
Sara nodded, but remained silent.
Grissom glanced at me.
I nodded. "Yeah, I went to find Sara." There. It was out there. The fact that Sara had left abruptly without an explanation to anyone as to why she left. All of us in that office knew why.
Grissom let out a deep breath. "The book says you both should face disciplinary action for leaving without requesting time off."
Sara looked at him with disbelief. I had learned to measure Grissom's words and wait for the rest of the story.
He continued. "However, I have no desire to lose two of the best CSIs in the country. You both have more than enough time off coming, I'm surprised you didn't take more."
I cleared my throat. "Why didn't you tell us, Gris?" My hurt was evident on my face.
Grissom studied me for a moment. "I'm sorry, Nick. It was part of my personal life and I guess I thought that's where it should stay. I was wrong."
Sara had remained silent this entire time.
Grissom turned to look at her. "Sara, I owe you an apology. I shouldn't have gotten upset with you. I'm sorry."
She studied him, "Thanks."
Grissom glanced at me for a moment and then over at Sara. "Sara, can I speak with you alone for a moment?"
Sara shook her head. "Whatever you have to say to me, you can say with Nick here."
I could tell that Sara still felt hurt. I wanted to hold her hand and offer her a reassuring squeeze, but I didn't think that now was the best time to announce that there was a budding romance happening between Sara and I.
Grissom was slightly taken aback. He studied us both. "Ok." He turned his attention back to Sara. "Why didn't you return my phone calls?"
I had to restrain the smile that was beginning to form on my lips.
Sara rolled her eyes at Grissom. "You want to know why I didn't return your phone calls? I was busy. I didn't feel like talking to you. I am tired of hearing how much the lab needs me. I know the damn lab needs me. What I don't understand is why you can't let the people around you, your team, know you need them. This team is like a family. We all care about each other. You didn't trust us. That hurts. I thought we were friends. I know we've had our difficulties, but I thought we were at least friends. Friends share stuff like that."
Grissom was silent. He studied Sara for a moment. He glanced at me. He let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I'm not sure what else to say."
Sara got up from her chair. She looked at Grissom. "Are we done?"
Grissom nodded.
She looked at me, her eyes said it all. She needed me. She turned and walked out. I followed her. She went into the locker room and by the time I stood by her, she had tears streaming down her face. I just put my arms around her and let her cry. A few minutes later, she pulled away and looked up at me as she wiped her eyes. "I hate that he can do this to me."
I reached over and cupped her face with my hand. "It's gonna be ok, Sara."
She smiled at me and chuckled. "I got your shirt wet again."
I chuckled. "It's ok. I've got this really cool tie-dyed shirt in the car."
She laughed and raised an amused eyebrow at me. "Funny thing. I have one too."
I pulled her into another hug and whispered against her hair. "You ok?"
"Yeah." She pulled away and smiled. "I'm just going to wash my face. I'll see you in the break room?"
I nodded at her. "Yeah, I'll go see if there's any coffee. I think we're going to need it." I realized that we'd already been up for about thirteen hours and we had a twelve hour shift in front of us.
She smiled at me as I left the locker room. As I entered the break room, Warrick was seated at the table sipping coffee with Catherine. Warrick lifted one hand casually to acknowledge me. Catherine looked a little shocked that I was there. "Uh, hey, Nick."
I lifted my hand in a sort of half wave. "Hey, Cath." I pulled two cups down and poured one full of coffee. I'd pour one for Sara when she joined us.
Catherine raised an eyebrow at me curiously. "When did you get back, Nicky?"
I glanced at the clock. "About a half hour ago."
"Is Sara here?" She queried.
I nodded. "She's in the locker room."
As if on cue, Sara walked into the break room. I turned and poured her cup of coffee, handing it to her as she stood next to me. We both leaned against the counter and sipped our coffee. I glanced at her. I could tell we were thinking the same thing. We wished were still in the kitchen in Malibu.
Sara chuckled at my sports reference, but I could tell that she was nervous. We both were in a position where we could face disciplinary action for just leaving without requesting time off. The fact that we'd have to talk to Grissom didn't set well with either one of us. I was worried about her. I had seen her cry twice in California because of what had transpired between them before she left. I hoped it didn't happen a third time, at least in front of him.
We walked into the lab and received several curious stares from a few of the lab techs. Apparently, no one knew where we had been. I let out a deep breath and glanced at Sara as we rounded the corner toward Grissom's office. She glanced at me and smiled. I could live all day on the smile. I grinned at her and gestured toward his door. We both knew that he would already be there.
Grissom glanced up at us as we stood in the doorway. It took him a moment to register who was there. A subtle myriad of expressions crossed his face before he spoke. He gestured toward us to come in. "Close the door behind you."
We settled into the chairs in front of his desk. He studied us over the frame of his glasses. None of us said anything for a moment. An uncomfortable silence hung in the air. Finally, Grissom spoke. He cut to the chase. "I should have told you."
Sara and I both seemed to let out a breath we didn't know we were holding. We glanced at each other, silently wondering what was coming next.
Grissom studied us. "Catherine said you were in California."
Sara nodded, but remained silent.
Grissom glanced at me.
I nodded. "Yeah, I went to find Sara." There. It was out there. The fact that Sara had left abruptly without an explanation to anyone as to why she left. All of us in that office knew why.
Grissom let out a deep breath. "The book says you both should face disciplinary action for leaving without requesting time off."
Sara looked at him with disbelief. I had learned to measure Grissom's words and wait for the rest of the story.
He continued. "However, I have no desire to lose two of the best CSIs in the country. You both have more than enough time off coming, I'm surprised you didn't take more."
I cleared my throat. "Why didn't you tell us, Gris?" My hurt was evident on my face.
Grissom studied me for a moment. "I'm sorry, Nick. It was part of my personal life and I guess I thought that's where it should stay. I was wrong."
Sara had remained silent this entire time.
Grissom turned to look at her. "Sara, I owe you an apology. I shouldn't have gotten upset with you. I'm sorry."
She studied him, "Thanks."
Grissom glanced at me for a moment and then over at Sara. "Sara, can I speak with you alone for a moment?"
Sara shook her head. "Whatever you have to say to me, you can say with Nick here."
I could tell that Sara still felt hurt. I wanted to hold her hand and offer her a reassuring squeeze, but I didn't think that now was the best time to announce that there was a budding romance happening between Sara and I.
Grissom was slightly taken aback. He studied us both. "Ok." He turned his attention back to Sara. "Why didn't you return my phone calls?"
I had to restrain the smile that was beginning to form on my lips.
Sara rolled her eyes at Grissom. "You want to know why I didn't return your phone calls? I was busy. I didn't feel like talking to you. I am tired of hearing how much the lab needs me. I know the damn lab needs me. What I don't understand is why you can't let the people around you, your team, know you need them. This team is like a family. We all care about each other. You didn't trust us. That hurts. I thought we were friends. I know we've had our difficulties, but I thought we were at least friends. Friends share stuff like that."
Grissom was silent. He studied Sara for a moment. He glanced at me. He let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I'm not sure what else to say."
Sara got up from her chair. She looked at Grissom. "Are we done?"
Grissom nodded.
She looked at me, her eyes said it all. She needed me. She turned and walked out. I followed her. She went into the locker room and by the time I stood by her, she had tears streaming down her face. I just put my arms around her and let her cry. A few minutes later, she pulled away and looked up at me as she wiped her eyes. "I hate that he can do this to me."
I reached over and cupped her face with my hand. "It's gonna be ok, Sara."
She smiled at me and chuckled. "I got your shirt wet again."
I chuckled. "It's ok. I've got this really cool tie-dyed shirt in the car."
She laughed and raised an amused eyebrow at me. "Funny thing. I have one too."
I pulled her into another hug and whispered against her hair. "You ok?"
"Yeah." She pulled away and smiled. "I'm just going to wash my face. I'll see you in the break room?"
I nodded at her. "Yeah, I'll go see if there's any coffee. I think we're going to need it." I realized that we'd already been up for about thirteen hours and we had a twelve hour shift in front of us.
She smiled at me as I left the locker room. As I entered the break room, Warrick was seated at the table sipping coffee with Catherine. Warrick lifted one hand casually to acknowledge me. Catherine looked a little shocked that I was there. "Uh, hey, Nick."
I lifted my hand in a sort of half wave. "Hey, Cath." I pulled two cups down and poured one full of coffee. I'd pour one for Sara when she joined us.
Catherine raised an eyebrow at me curiously. "When did you get back, Nicky?"
I glanced at the clock. "About a half hour ago."
"Is Sara here?" She queried.
I nodded. "She's in the locker room."
As if on cue, Sara walked into the break room. I turned and poured her cup of coffee, handing it to her as she stood next to me. We both leaned against the counter and sipped our coffee. I glanced at her. I could tell we were thinking the same thing. We wished were still in the kitchen in Malibu.
