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Title: Melted Destruction
Author: Roxanne Kowalchuk
Feedback: roxette@mts.net
Category: Romance/Humor
Pairing: S/G (Sara/Grissom)
Spoilers: None.
Summary: Challenge response to Ash's challenge about writing a story using the song "I Melt" sung by Rascal Flatts.
Notes: See above.
An Extra Big Thank You: To Kelly, my beta reader.
Archived: Yes, please!
Feedback is welcomed.
**********
He didn't feel like doing work. He felt like sitting in his office, staring
at his bug collection and that's exactly what he was doing.
"Gil?"
Looking away from his bugs, Grissom looked to the door. Since her case had
been solved, Catherine looked small and defeated. But she had won the case
in a sense. "Yes Catherine."
"I'm heading home."
"Okay and Sara?" Sara had been on the case with Catherine. The victim, who
had eventually died from her injuries sustained from the hands of her
abusive husband, was Sara's best friend. She had moved from San Francisco to
Las Vegas to get away from him. Unfortunately he had followed.
"Left about half an hour ago."
"Did she head home?" Grissom didn't want Sara to be alone. Her friend had
been beaten to a pulp, she almost hadn't recognized her if it hadn't been
for a necklace that she had designed for the both of them some years
earlier.
Catherine knew Grissom was worried about her. Actually everyone in the lab
was. "McGibbs Bar."
'Drink her sorrows away,' he thought to himself. "Thank you Catherine, go
spend time with your daughter."
"Night Grissom," Catherine said as she left his office as quiet as she had
come.
Looking back to his bugs, Grissom made an important decision.
*****
She sat in the back of the bar at a table, staring at the beer before her,
it was still her first beer, she hadn't touched it. She ordered it thinking
she'd get drunk tonight and forget her friend, but she couldn't drink the
beer. She couldn't bring herself to do it.
Spotting Sara, after having asked the waitress, Grissom made his way across
the semi full bar. "Sara," he said as he stopped beside the table. But when
she didn't look up from her beer, he slid into the seat across from her.
"What can I get for you?" the waitress asked Grissom. It was the same one he
had spoken to, a few minutes earlier.
"What she's drinking," Grissom answered as the waitress nodded her head
and walked off.
Looking up from her beer, she finally noticed that she wasn't alone like she
wanted to be. "Grissom?"
"Hey Sara," Grissom greeted. "Thought I'd join you for a beer."
"Okay," Sara said as she went back to staring at her beer.
She was in a world of pain; Grissom knew that from the way she looked. She
had actually witnessed the husband beating her friend and when she had tried
to break them up, to stop it, he attacked her. Knocked her out cold.
"I failed," Sara said to her beer bottle.
But somehow Grissom knew she was talking to him. "No you didn't."
"Yes I did. I couldn't stop him. He beat her to a pulp. I had a gun, I
should have used it."
"You did what you could do," Grissom reassured her.
"It wasn't enough," Sara said as she spun her beer bottle around, so she
could read the back of it. Of course, there was nothing there so she
spun it back around.
Grissom didn't want to say this but he knew he had too. "If you had done
something, you'd be in jail and she'd probably be a vegetable. He beat her
to death, Sara."
She knew that and that's what hurt. He had beaten her to her death. He
hadn't cared. Even if she had been able to stop him, he probably would of
beaten her too. "It just hurts Grissom."
That was the second time she had said his name. "I know and it will for some
time."
He was right. It would.
Watching her stare at her beer bottle, Grissom finally noticed that their
waitress had dropped off his beer some time earlier. He had never noticed.
All his attention was aimed towards Sara. Picking up the bottle, Grissom
sniffed the odor coming from the top of the bottle. He wasn't a beer
drinker. Setting it back down, he continued to watch Sara. "Is there
anything I can do?"
Sara shook her head as she peeled the label off her bottle. "You can't bring
her back."
"No, I can't," Grissom, admitted. "But if you need anything, Sara."
She needed to be held. She needed some one to hold her up and asking Grissom
for a hug, she knew she wouldn't get one. "I need something you can't give me."
Grissom knew what that was and he knew she wouldn't ask him. Listening to the
music playing around them, a thought popped into his head. "Sara."
Finally peeling her eyes off her beer bottle, Sara looked up at him. "Yes."
"Would you care to dance?"
She was in the middle of mourning for her best friend and he was asking her
to dance. About to say no, she heard the music. This would mean he'd be
holding her. "Only if you want too."
Getting out of the chair, Grissom held his hand out. When she grabbed it, he
led her to the open corner of the dance floor. Letting her slide her arms
around his neck, he placed his hands on her hips. This was all new to him,
but he knew she needed to be held. And if anyone walked in, they would see
that they were just dancing. That's all it was.
"When you light those candles
Up there on that mantle, setting the mood
Well, I just lie there staring
Silently preparing to love on you
Well, I can feel the heat from across the room
Ain't it wild what a little flame can make you wanna do
Chorus
I melt every time you look at me that way
It never fails, anytime, any place
This burn in me is the coolest thing I've ever felt
I melt ..."
The song was a romantic one, he'd admit that but for some reason, he thought
the song was telling her how he felt. How he'd do anything for her. How he'd
had almost lost her. Snaking his hands further around her waist, he said
nothing when she laid her head on his shoulder.
"Don't know how you do it
I love the way I lose it, every time
What's even better
Is knowing that forever you're all mine
The closer you get, the more my body aches
One little stare from you is all it takes
I melt every time you look at me that way
It never fails, anytime, any place
This burn in me is the coolest thing I've ever felt
I melt..."
This was what she needed. She needed to be held by him and no one else.
Basically she needed him, and she had him. Listening to the song, the singer
sung about how he feels for the girl. How every time he sees her, he melts.
And that's what was happening to Grissom.
"Grissom," she spoke softly.
Listening to the music, Grissom heard her soft voice. "Yes Sara."
"Thank you," she told him. "Thank you for caring."
"I'll always care for you," Grissom told her as he felt her lift her head
off his shoulder.
"I know," Sara said as she moved to kiss him on the cheek.
When Sara lifted her head off his shoulder, Grissom moved his head.
Her kiss ended up on his lips.
Grissom didn't move.
Neither did Sara.
Actually Grissom opened his mouth to give Sara the option of deepening the
kiss.
She did.
He didn't let go of her.
"I melt every time you look at me that way
It never fails, anytime, any place
This burn in me is the coolest thing I've ever felt
I melt
Every time you look at me that way
I melt, I melt ..."
As the song drifted off, so did the kiss.
Pulling back, she rested her forehead against his. "I'm not sorry."
"Neither am I," he told her.
"But this may not be the best time," she admitted.
"No, but I do care for you," Grissom told her.
"I know," Sara replied as the song finally ended.
"Would you like me to take you home?" Grissom asked as they remained where
they were.
"Sure," Sara said as she let go of him and together they walked back to
their table.
Taking some money out of his pocket, Grissom dropped it on the table.
Grabbing his jacket, he waited for Sara.
"I drove here?"
"I didn't," Grissom admitted. Brass had driven him.
Digging her keys out, Sara handed them to Grissom. "Well then, here you go."
Smiling, Grissom took her keys and walked with her out of the bar.
Outside, Sara waited as Grissom unlocked the passenger door. "I still can't
get her out of my head."
Facing her, Grissom spoke. "It'll take time. You did all you could, Sara."
"It feels like it wasn't enough," Sara told him as she pulled the door open.
"Ya, I know," Grissom admitted.
Reaching out, Sara grabbed a hold of his hand. "It hurts everyone?"
"Ya, Catherine was looking gloomy," Grissom admitted.
"I'm being selfish."
"No your not. You're being yourself. A grieving friend," Grissom explained
to her as he squeezed her hand. "You're allowed to do that."
"Am I?"
"Yes."
"I believe you," she told Grissom as she climbed into the truck.
Closing the door for her, Grissom spoke. "Good, you're supposed too."
Sara smiled.
*****
He had dropped her off at home with the promise of returning before the next
shift to pick her up. She had agreed. After all, he had her truck.
Sitting in bed, Sara was having trouble sleeping. Every time she closed her
eyes, all she saw was her friend. So now she sat in bed, staring at her
phone. Reaching out, she picked it up.
"Grissom," came a groggy voice.
"I woke you, didn't I?"
He instantly knew who it was. "No, was just resting my eyes."
Sara chuckled. "Sorry Gris, I'll let you go."
"Oh no, I'm awake. Talk," Grissom said as he pulled himself up in a sitting
position.
"I can't sleep."
He knew why. "Have you tried counting sheep?"
He was being funny, unusual for Grissom. But she had tried his suggestion sometime earlier. "Didn't work."
"All right, then let's talk about something," Grissom started.
"Like?"
"Pick a topic."
She didn't know what to pick. It was in the middle of the night and here she was talking to the one person who made her complete. Then a thought popped into her head. "That kiss."
"I'm not sorry I didn't stop you," Grissom admitted. Eventually they'd talk about it.
"Neither am I, but what I want to know is would you kiss me again?" Sara asked. She was wide-awake with no possibly of falling back to sleep. She might as well ask.
"Yes."
He wasn't awake, she figured. "You would?"
"Yes, as the song goes," Grissom quoted. "I melt every time you look at me that way. It never fails, anytime, any place. This burn in me is the coolest thing I've ever felt."
Something dawned on her. But she didn't believe it. "You know the song?"
"I might," Grissom admitted, a little. "But I do have a burn in me, every time you look at me."
Pulling the phone away from her ear, she stared at it. Putting back to her ear, she spoke. "Are you awake?"
"Yes," Grissom chuckled.
"And is this Gil Grissom?"
"Yes Sara, it's me," Grissom replied. "Seriously, I'd kiss you again."
She always wanted to hear that. "I'm glad to hear that."
"I know you are," Grissom told her. Hearing her sigh, he continued on. "Tell me again how you two met?"
"I already told you," Sara replied. She had told him a few days ago when she had been the one to identify the body.
"Humor me."
She would. "High school, if you can believe it or not. I was the loner in the school and she was almost the most popular."
"You the loner?" Grissom teased. He figured Sara had been.
"Yes," Sara said as she rolled her eyes. "We quickly found out we had a lot in common and so one day, she, well we, ended up hanging out together. We'd freak people out." Sara explained. "Ever since high school, we've been friends, although when she got married, we lost contact. And now I know why."
"He was very controlling," Grissom told her. "There was nothing you could do."
"I know, but I convinced her to get out of that relationship," Sara started. "I cost her, her life."
"No, you didn't," Grissom replied. "She did everything right. Got out of an abusive relationship and moved on with her life. She was starting over with her best friend near by to help her out."
"Some help I was."
"Neither of you knew he was coming to hunt her down," Grissom pointed out. "He didn't call her up and say 'hey honey, I'll be by in 30 minutes to beat the crap out of you'."
"True."
"When you answered the door that night, you had no clue it was him. And you also had no clue that he was there to kill her," Grissom continued on. "But you did try to help her out, but he was stronger than you. He had an advantage."
"I did too."
"I hate to say this Sara, but he probably would have wrestled your gun away from you and either used it on her or both of you.
Some times she hated it when Grissom made sense. "I know."
"Your friend will always be in your heart, Sara. You have a big heart," Grissom told her as he silently wished that she had room for him in there too.
"I know, but it still hurts," Sara told him as she lay down on her bed and pulled the covers up. "With time I know it will heal."
"Yes it will," Grissom agreed.
Covering her mouth with her hand, Sara yawned. "Sorry Gris."
To lighten the mood, after hearing her yawn, Grissom spoke. "Guess I'm better than counting sheep."
Sara laughed. "I needed to see the situation in a different light. I'm more at ease now."
"Good to hear," Grissom told her. "So now, why don't you close your eyes and get some rest."
"I think I might try that," Sara told him as she yawned again.
"Good, now I'll be here if you need me. So phone anytime," Grissom explained to her.
"I will," Sara replied. "Night Grissom."
"Night Sara," Grissom said as he hung up his phone and closed his eyes.
Hanging her phone up, Sara snuggled deep down into her bed beneath her covers. Smiling to herself, she closed her eyes. Grissom was the best thing for her. And she made him burn inside himself for her. Now she knew he was her's.
*****
feedback welcomed! :)