Sara's stomach knotted when she received a message from Marie. The
receptionist had told her that a lady came in and handed her the note
herself before leaving. It was strange in a way, but correct in others.
Marie couldn't phone the receptionist to leave a message and probably had
things to do and was passing. Anyway, at this time in the morning, just
after shift ended, she was standing at Grissom's front door, hoping he
wasn't in and that this wasn't some kind of stitch up.
Marie let her in and they chatted over coffee briefly. Sara talked about her sign language and even tried using some to communicate. Marie helped perfect some signs and soon the tension lifted slightly. After an hour or so, Sara asked why she was here and Marie explained that she had a few questions about Grissom and that the best person to ask was Sara.
"Why would you ask me? I doubt I can help." Sara looked down when she finished speaking.
"I'm guessing you know more about my son than his best friend. Gil puts up a wall to protect himself. I'm sure you've all noticed that." Marie smiled when Sara nodded and let a small semblance of a smile appear. "I have this feeling that you want to know him. outside work."
Sara shook her head slowly and looked down at her coffee cup, clasped in her hands.
Marie watched her closely. Thinking this was the perfect time to just come out with it, she sat up slightly and said softly. "Are you in love with my son?"
Sara's eyes grew huge when her head snapped up. She broke eye contact and immediately stood. She walked over to the breakfast bar and placed her cup down. Marie watched her reaction and nodded with a small smile. "I thought so."
Sara turned to her and lightly brushed her eyes with the back of her hand. "I don't know where you got that idea."
"You and Gil gave me that impression the first time I saw you in the same room together." Marie chuckled and stood to walk towards Sara. She was looking uncomfortable and trapped. "Don't worry. I won't say anything."
"You don't need to. Grissom doesn't feel that way, whatever you might think. no offence." Sara stubbornly replied.
Marie sighed and took Sara's hands in both hers. "I know my son and I know he's been a pain, but he's got a good heart and is only trying to do what's best."
Nodding her head, Sara squeezed Marie's hands. "I should be going."
"Ok. Gil will be home soon. You could stay for breakfast and you could talk." Marie suggested, walking Sara to the door.
Sara turned when she opened the door. 'A conversation requires Grissom to actually talk.' She smiled sadly and headed for her car.
Sara walked towards the small housing complex car park. She looked up and came face to face with Grissom. He stepped back in surprise. "Erm. hi." He stuttered.
"Hey." Sara said softly. She sensed his wall being pushed up and knew she should leave quickly. "I'm just going. I just...uh. your mother wanted to talk to me." She said, trying to explain why she was standing by his house.
Grissom looked at the ground. Sara sighed and looked towards her car. "I understand Grissom. I realise you don't want to go out to dinner or anything like that, so. just forget I asked you out. This tension is starting to get creepy." She took a step back as she saw the look of confusion cross his eyes as he glanced at her.
She nodded and looked around her. "Ok." She swallowed hard and shrugged. "I'll see you at work." She turned and started to walk around him.
Grissom took a deep breath. "Can I ask you something?"
Sara turned and watched in silence as he hesitantly walked a few steps towards her. She looked away and waited.
"Why did you learn to sign?" He asked as he still kept his eyes on the ground.
Sara closed her eyes briefly before looking at the cloudy sky. She inhaled slowly as she struggled to get the words out. "I figured it would be useful to learn."
Grissom nodded. "Any other reason?"
She turned slightly towards him and glanced at his bowed head. She started to walk a few steps away. "Maybe."
Grissom's hand reached out and grasped her arm as he looked up. He waited for her to look at him, but she wouldn't. His fingers were burning from just the single touch and briefly wondered what would happen if he held her, kissed her, held her hand in his. He dropped his hand from her arm and was momentarily glad that she didn't move away.
"Can I ask you something else?"
Sara turned her head and looked over his shoulder. "Do I have to answer?"
Grissom smirked and looked down. "No, but. I'd like you too." She smiled faintly and looked at his eyes, then looked away. The few cars that drove by filled silence. Sara shifted on her feet and turned to face him. Grissom stepped closer and noticed he was only a few inches from her. There was still a gap between them, but he couldn't help but get a little closer without touching her.
Sara noticed this and dropped her head to look at her hands. "What are you doing Grissom?" She asked quietly.
He slowly covered her hand with his and lightly held it. Sara watched his thumb rub against her skin, but she chose to ignore it the best she could. She tried to pull her hand away, but his fingers wrapped around hers firmly. She breathed out heavily and looked at him. "You really are making me angry." She warned, trying to give him a chance to step away.
"Why am I making you angry?" He asked with his deep voice, making her heart beat faster.
Sara shook her head and managed to pull her hand away. "You think of this as a game, but it's not. not anymore." She told him seriously.
Grissom closed his eyes briefly. "Maybe it was a game at first." He confessed.
"It's never been a game for me." She revealed.
"I know." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't know what you want to hear."
Sara nodded with her feet carrying her backwards. "I don't want to hear anything anymore. It's been up to you for too long."
Grissom watched her walk away and then she turned to him and even with the distance, she still kept her voice quiet. "I will respect you either way Grissom. You decide if you really want to continue this distance between us or you tell me what you want. I'll forget ever trying to find out how you feel and you forget what a fool I've been making of myself since I met you. Either way, I will leave it alone. and you." Her voice was wavering and cracked slightly at the end as she got into her car and left him standing there with his hands in his pockets and his trademark, free of emotion mask.
Grissom turned and looked up at the sky. The colour drained from his face as he started walking towards his house. A headache was approaching and the heat wasn't helping. Before he turned the corner, he looked back at the car park and saw Sara's car pull onto the road and drive away.
Marie saw the door open from her seat on the couch. She was reading a book and waiting for her son to get home and when she saw him, she knew he'd just seen Sara.
Grissom entered the living room and walked toward his mother. 'Mother.' He started. 'I'm at a loss. I really am. I just saw Sara and.' He sighed and rubbed his face warily.
She reached out and touched his hand to get his attention She placed her book on the coffee table before sitting back. 'I think you should sort this out soon Gil.' Grissom's eyes widened. 'I want to you talk to her. I've heard so much about her for years and was hoping you had settled down.'
'It's so hard.' He complained.
'She's so much like you.' Marie smiled. 'You need to pull away from work and talk to her outside the lab. Go to her and find out what she really wants from you.'
Grissom nodded. 'She's very stubborn.'
Marie chuckled. 'Much like you.' Grissom sighed at her in response. 'We talked about a few things when she was here a few moments ago.' She began. 'I found my answers to my questions.' Marie shared.
'What questions?'
"I know you aren't one for trusting your feelings or following your heart, but I think you have to in this case." Marie talked over Grissom's signing, causing him to stop and listen.
'How am I supposed to tell her when I can't even talk to her without angering or upsetting her?' He hurriedly signed.
Marie smiled. 'Do something she doesn't expect. She's seen you run away and now she's waiting for something that she knows you won't give into. She knows you better than you think.' Grissom rubbed his face and leaned forward with a frustrated groan.
Marie let her in and they chatted over coffee briefly. Sara talked about her sign language and even tried using some to communicate. Marie helped perfect some signs and soon the tension lifted slightly. After an hour or so, Sara asked why she was here and Marie explained that she had a few questions about Grissom and that the best person to ask was Sara.
"Why would you ask me? I doubt I can help." Sara looked down when she finished speaking.
"I'm guessing you know more about my son than his best friend. Gil puts up a wall to protect himself. I'm sure you've all noticed that." Marie smiled when Sara nodded and let a small semblance of a smile appear. "I have this feeling that you want to know him. outside work."
Sara shook her head slowly and looked down at her coffee cup, clasped in her hands.
Marie watched her closely. Thinking this was the perfect time to just come out with it, she sat up slightly and said softly. "Are you in love with my son?"
Sara's eyes grew huge when her head snapped up. She broke eye contact and immediately stood. She walked over to the breakfast bar and placed her cup down. Marie watched her reaction and nodded with a small smile. "I thought so."
Sara turned to her and lightly brushed her eyes with the back of her hand. "I don't know where you got that idea."
"You and Gil gave me that impression the first time I saw you in the same room together." Marie chuckled and stood to walk towards Sara. She was looking uncomfortable and trapped. "Don't worry. I won't say anything."
"You don't need to. Grissom doesn't feel that way, whatever you might think. no offence." Sara stubbornly replied.
Marie sighed and took Sara's hands in both hers. "I know my son and I know he's been a pain, but he's got a good heart and is only trying to do what's best."
Nodding her head, Sara squeezed Marie's hands. "I should be going."
"Ok. Gil will be home soon. You could stay for breakfast and you could talk." Marie suggested, walking Sara to the door.
Sara turned when she opened the door. 'A conversation requires Grissom to actually talk.' She smiled sadly and headed for her car.
Sara walked towards the small housing complex car park. She looked up and came face to face with Grissom. He stepped back in surprise. "Erm. hi." He stuttered.
"Hey." Sara said softly. She sensed his wall being pushed up and knew she should leave quickly. "I'm just going. I just...uh. your mother wanted to talk to me." She said, trying to explain why she was standing by his house.
Grissom looked at the ground. Sara sighed and looked towards her car. "I understand Grissom. I realise you don't want to go out to dinner or anything like that, so. just forget I asked you out. This tension is starting to get creepy." She took a step back as she saw the look of confusion cross his eyes as he glanced at her.
She nodded and looked around her. "Ok." She swallowed hard and shrugged. "I'll see you at work." She turned and started to walk around him.
Grissom took a deep breath. "Can I ask you something?"
Sara turned and watched in silence as he hesitantly walked a few steps towards her. She looked away and waited.
"Why did you learn to sign?" He asked as he still kept his eyes on the ground.
Sara closed her eyes briefly before looking at the cloudy sky. She inhaled slowly as she struggled to get the words out. "I figured it would be useful to learn."
Grissom nodded. "Any other reason?"
She turned slightly towards him and glanced at his bowed head. She started to walk a few steps away. "Maybe."
Grissom's hand reached out and grasped her arm as he looked up. He waited for her to look at him, but she wouldn't. His fingers were burning from just the single touch and briefly wondered what would happen if he held her, kissed her, held her hand in his. He dropped his hand from her arm and was momentarily glad that she didn't move away.
"Can I ask you something else?"
Sara turned her head and looked over his shoulder. "Do I have to answer?"
Grissom smirked and looked down. "No, but. I'd like you too." She smiled faintly and looked at his eyes, then looked away. The few cars that drove by filled silence. Sara shifted on her feet and turned to face him. Grissom stepped closer and noticed he was only a few inches from her. There was still a gap between them, but he couldn't help but get a little closer without touching her.
Sara noticed this and dropped her head to look at her hands. "What are you doing Grissom?" She asked quietly.
He slowly covered her hand with his and lightly held it. Sara watched his thumb rub against her skin, but she chose to ignore it the best she could. She tried to pull her hand away, but his fingers wrapped around hers firmly. She breathed out heavily and looked at him. "You really are making me angry." She warned, trying to give him a chance to step away.
"Why am I making you angry?" He asked with his deep voice, making her heart beat faster.
Sara shook her head and managed to pull her hand away. "You think of this as a game, but it's not. not anymore." She told him seriously.
Grissom closed his eyes briefly. "Maybe it was a game at first." He confessed.
"It's never been a game for me." She revealed.
"I know." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't know what you want to hear."
Sara nodded with her feet carrying her backwards. "I don't want to hear anything anymore. It's been up to you for too long."
Grissom watched her walk away and then she turned to him and even with the distance, she still kept her voice quiet. "I will respect you either way Grissom. You decide if you really want to continue this distance between us or you tell me what you want. I'll forget ever trying to find out how you feel and you forget what a fool I've been making of myself since I met you. Either way, I will leave it alone. and you." Her voice was wavering and cracked slightly at the end as she got into her car and left him standing there with his hands in his pockets and his trademark, free of emotion mask.
Grissom turned and looked up at the sky. The colour drained from his face as he started walking towards his house. A headache was approaching and the heat wasn't helping. Before he turned the corner, he looked back at the car park and saw Sara's car pull onto the road and drive away.
Marie saw the door open from her seat on the couch. She was reading a book and waiting for her son to get home and when she saw him, she knew he'd just seen Sara.
Grissom entered the living room and walked toward his mother. 'Mother.' He started. 'I'm at a loss. I really am. I just saw Sara and.' He sighed and rubbed his face warily.
She reached out and touched his hand to get his attention She placed her book on the coffee table before sitting back. 'I think you should sort this out soon Gil.' Grissom's eyes widened. 'I want to you talk to her. I've heard so much about her for years and was hoping you had settled down.'
'It's so hard.' He complained.
'She's so much like you.' Marie smiled. 'You need to pull away from work and talk to her outside the lab. Go to her and find out what she really wants from you.'
Grissom nodded. 'She's very stubborn.'
Marie chuckled. 'Much like you.' Grissom sighed at her in response. 'We talked about a few things when she was here a few moments ago.' She began. 'I found my answers to my questions.' Marie shared.
'What questions?'
"I know you aren't one for trusting your feelings or following your heart, but I think you have to in this case." Marie talked over Grissom's signing, causing him to stop and listen.
'How am I supposed to tell her when I can't even talk to her without angering or upsetting her?' He hurriedly signed.
Marie smiled. 'Do something she doesn't expect. She's seen you run away and now she's waiting for something that she knows you won't give into. She knows you better than you think.' Grissom rubbed his face and leaned forward with a frustrated groan.