Chapter 2
Jim stood in total bafflement. He didn't know what do. Should he take Sara's arm and just walk away, hope she would cool down, but his thoughts to defuse the situation were halted by Charlotte.
She put on her best smile and announced. "I guess we are waiting for a cab?"
Matching her fake smile, he nodded. "Yeah, they said something about everyone being backed up."
Grissom couldn't seem to control his mouth and blurted out with. "Great! Let's walk, I don't want to stand around."
Jim knew the look that Sara had on her face. It was more of the 'your ass is mine' look and he was suddenly fearing her next words.
Sara glared at Grissom. "Well, sorry if our company is not as pleasing. Please be my guest to walk around, maybe a cab will run you ass over!"
Jim turned his head slightly, trying his best not laugh. Charlotte just closed her eyes in hope that Grissom would not fire back. She knew that Sara was in the mood to have it out with him, but was not the place or the time.
Grissom turned angrily to Sara. "What!? The hell is that suppose to mean!?"
"I didn't studder."
Jim knew what was going to happen and Charlotte just stepped back.
Grissom stared angrily at Sara as he spoke to Jim. "Jim, I think you need to control your women. Her mouth-"
Cutting Grissom off before he could finish, Jim said in an equally loud voice. "Gil, I think you have had too much to drink. Maybe you need to step back and relax a little."
Growing more agitated and on edge, Grissom scowled at his old friend. "Don't, tell me how much I've had to drink or what to do!"
Charlotte stepped in at this point, knowing that both men were at the point of no return.
Sara took Jim's arm, not knowing what would happen if he and Grissom kept it up.
Grissom, looking at Sara, let his mouth run before his brain could catch up. "I guess when you said it would be too late, you already had your sights set on Jim. You could have told me you wanted him, but no, just like Hank, you went and did it. I had to hear it from someone else. You know what Sara... I hope you and Jim are happy... have a real nice relationship, get married, have some kids... the hole thing."
Jim was stunned, he had never heard Grissom take that tone with anyone. Charlotte was not sure what to say.
Sara stood her ground and snapped right back. "How dare you throw Hank up at me. You are no angel yourself or did you conveniently forget about Lady Heather!? I never slept with Hank and I am not sleeping with Jim either. Unlike you, I am not trying to get laid by everyone coming and going. You had your chance Grissom, you had three years and you couldn't make your mind up. So, you know what!? It is too late, I don't want to every see your sorry ass again."
Grissom stood there and took his beating, knowing he had no right to say those things to her.
Sara walked off, leaving them all standing there in stunned silence. Jim started to move, but Charlotte stopped him. She suggested she went after Sara and he stayed with Grissom. Grissom leaned against a wall and tried his hardest to comprehend what he had just done.
Walking and crying, she didn't know what to do or what just happened. She stopped when Charlotte caught up to her. "Sara, come on. You and I need to talk. Lets go get a cup of coffee."
Jim told Grissom to go sober up. He told him to call Charlotte to tell her that they were going to go for some food. Grissom agreed and called Charlotte. He told her what they were doing, which she asked him not to go to the diner, because it was where they were going. Grissom relayed that information to Jim and choose somewhere different..
Diner
Charlotte kept her eyes on the brunette and sighed. "Ok ," She started. "Sara, you and I don't know each other, but I am going to get to the point. I know you and Grissom love each other and I know you and Jim are just friends." Sara opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off. "Before you interrupt, Grissom and I are friends. I called him today, asked if he wanted to get together and catch up on old times. It was not a date by any means. We tried that and it didn't work. Grissom should not have acted like he did. I am sorry that he pulled that stunt in the bar. I had no idea he would do that. I did lecture him about it afterwards."
Sara continued to stare at the salt pot as Charlotte explained. Although it was making more sense to why Grissom was acting so strange, she couldn't understand why he had been 'ok' with dating someone who had worked at the lab and then have a problem with her when she asked him out. It didn't make sense.
"It's not your fault." Sara said suddenly.
Charlotte sighed and sat back. "Maybe, maybe not. Either way, Gil shouldn't have done that. It was immature and juvenile."
Sara nodded and turned to look out the diner window. She didn't what to say or feel, her whole body was tired and drained with by the recent activities. She wanted to go home and with that thought, she stood and told Charlotte so.
Following her quickly. Sara hailed a cab and climbed in. Charlotte jumped in beside to make sure she got home ok. Whilst the cab pulled away, she called Jim to tell him what they were doing.
Jim looked at Grissom's saddened face and groaned internally. All the things he could get himself into, he went and made his best friend jealous.
"It's not too late Gil." Jim supplied hesitantly.
Scoffing lightly, Grissom stared at his untouched meal. He had messed things up good and proper because his drunken mouth wouldn't let things lie until he was more understanding to himself and others. He sighed and dropped his shoulders. "Doesn't matter. She's never gonna talk to me again."
"You don't know that."
Lifting his head slowly, Grissom narrowed his eyes at him. "She told me as much Jim. What the hell, am I suppose to do if she won't see me or talk to me?"
Jim shrugged and cleared his throat. "Go talk to her."
Grissom groaned in dismay and leaned his head into his hand. "Like she would listen to me now."
"Maybe you could go to hers. Talk this out with her?" Jim suggested.
Not needing to think much about his answer, he shook his head. "She wouldn't even open the door."
"Perhaps, but it's only a few inches of wood. You can talk through it, can't you?"
Grissom managed to raised his eyes to the policeman and stare at him for a long time whilst trying to think of what to say if he did go to hers and what she would do, or not do, depending of her mood. She was probably still angry and was telling the truth about never seeing him again. He couldn't win, but he knew he had to try.
"Ok. This is what we're going to do. I'll call a cab. We drive over there and you talk to her." Jim explained before Grissom could. He wasn't sure if he was going to back out and forget the ordeal, so he figured he'd step in first.
Sara's Apartment
Charlotte and Sara exit the cab to walk up to Sara's apartment complex. Sara entered her code for the door and pushed it. Upon entering Sara's apartment, both women kicked off their shoes. Sara made her way to the kitchen to make some coffee. Charlotte made her way to the rest room intent on changing clothes.
While Sara waited for the coffee, she thought about her talk with Charlotte. She couldn't think of a time when she was ever more pissed at Grissom. When the coffee finished, Sara poured two cups.
Handing Charlotte cup, they headed for the living room. Sara was the first to speak as they sat down. "You know, I should call Jim, make sure everything is alright. God knows I don't have bail money if he kills Grissom."
Charlotte chuckled lightly and sipped her coffee. "Sara, relax. Jim was head of Graveyard before Grissom. He knows how to hide a body."
Sara burst out laughing at the thought of a slightly drunk Jim Brass, dragging Gil Grissom's corpse through the dessert. Sara's laughter came to a halt when her door beeped. Charlotte looked at Sara and questioned who could be at her door at this hour?
Both women looked at each other and said. "Jim."
Outside
Jim was trying to get Grissom to shut up rambling so he could get Sara to open the door. Jim spoke to the little mic on the mechanical keypad stuck to the wall. "Sara, could you let me in. I need to talk to you and I would rather not do it this way. I won't stay long I promise, just a few minutes, then I will go. Ok?" Jim stood there hoping she would let him in and that she wouldn't flip out when she saw that Grissom was with him.
Inside
Sara looked at Charlotte with raised eyebrows. "I know he is with him and I don't want to talk to him. When he is sober, then, I will talk to him."
Charlotte thought for a second. "You know a drunk man speaks a sober mans mind. Sara, give him a chance, hell, Jim is with him."
Sara thought long and hard about this, but couldn't come up with anything other than. "No, I don't want to talk to him."
Outside
Jim listened to Sara and tried to convince her to talk to him.
Grissom decided he had to put in his two cents. "Sara, look, I know your pissed, ok. I am sorry... I was wrong. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Please just talk to me. Let me in and we can work this out." Grissom smiled to himself and looked at Jim with a 'see, now she will open the door and all will be fine' look.
Jim shook his head and laughed.
Grissom wasn't sure why Jim was laughing at him, "What?"
Sara told both of them to go home, she didn't want to talk to either of them. "If you don't leave, I will call the police and have you removed from here."
Jim and Grissom, both stunned that Sara would do such a thing, stared at the speaker. Jim reached out to stop Grissom's hand as he went to press the button to speak. "Ok, that's it. Your coming with me. I am not going to have to explain to the sheriff why your drunk and were being removed from Sara's apartment."
Grissom looked at Jim "I am not leaving until Sara talks to me. Let her call the cops, besides... Sara won't call the cops, Jim."
That didn't convince Jim at all. The first thought was, 'no, Sara would just shoot us, then call the cops'.
Grissom walked over to what he hoped was Sara's window. This caught Jim's attention and he gasped. "What the hell are you doing?" His mind and eyes circled around them, thinking of the neighbours and whether they would call the cops. Grissom told Jim to 'come here' and help him, but Jim wasn't happy with the image that popped into his head. "What, you can't climb up there!"
Nodding his head defiantly, Grissom looked up. "Yes I can and I am. If we can get up there, Sara will have to talk to me then."
Jim moved Grissom to the side with a heavy sigh. "I am going up first/ I don't want you losing your grip and falling on me."
Grissom grinned. "Thanks Jim." Jim and Grissom started making there way up to what they hoped was Sara's apartment. Jim was on the balcony, leaning over to help Grissom the rest of the way up.
Hearing a noise, Charlotte started to get up from the couch. Sara looked up. "You don't think they are that dumb do you?"
Charlotte peaked threw the curtain and saw Jim bent over and the top of Grissom's head. Rolling her eyes, she told Sara they had company. Sara opened the curtain and scared the hell out Jim and Grissom.
Both men jumped like they had been shot. Grissom moved to the sliding door and asked Sara to please let him in and that they had to talk this out.
Sara, against her better judgement, opened the door. Grissom and Jim walked in, brushing dirt from there clothing. Charlotte went to get some more coffee with Jim following behind her. Charlotte poured the coffee as she spoke. "Jim, do you think it is a good idea for those to be alone?"
Jim peeked into the living room. "I think so. Sara hasn't pulled out her gun yet, that's a good sign."
Grissom and Sara sat down on the couch. Grissom was looking more like a little lost puppy every passing second. "Sara," He nervously cleared his throat. "I am so sorry. I was a jerk. I said things that I should not have and I can't never forgive myself for that." Sara started to speak, but he held up a hand to silence her. "Please. let me finish. There's a lot I need to say. I may not have a chance later to say them."
"Sara, Charlotte and I are friends, nothing more. As for Heather, I never slept with her. Yes I was there that morning, but nothing happen. We talked and fell asleep, and no we didn't sleep in the same bed. I slept on the couch. As for Hank, I was wrong. I was hurt when you and he were together. I wanted to be the person you went to the movies with and what ever else you did."
Moving from his place on the couch, Grissom knelt down in front of Sara, taking both her hands in his. "Tonight, when I saw you dancing with Jim... I don't know... I just snapped. I couldn't stand to see you with someone else. I now know that Jim and you are friends, nothing more. Leaning up to Sara so that there noses were almost touching, he whispered. "Sara, I Love You. Please tell me I'm not too late?"
Jim stood in total bafflement. He didn't know what do. Should he take Sara's arm and just walk away, hope she would cool down, but his thoughts to defuse the situation were halted by Charlotte.
She put on her best smile and announced. "I guess we are waiting for a cab?"
Matching her fake smile, he nodded. "Yeah, they said something about everyone being backed up."
Grissom couldn't seem to control his mouth and blurted out with. "Great! Let's walk, I don't want to stand around."
Jim knew the look that Sara had on her face. It was more of the 'your ass is mine' look and he was suddenly fearing her next words.
Sara glared at Grissom. "Well, sorry if our company is not as pleasing. Please be my guest to walk around, maybe a cab will run you ass over!"
Jim turned his head slightly, trying his best not laugh. Charlotte just closed her eyes in hope that Grissom would not fire back. She knew that Sara was in the mood to have it out with him, but was not the place or the time.
Grissom turned angrily to Sara. "What!? The hell is that suppose to mean!?"
"I didn't studder."
Jim knew what was going to happen and Charlotte just stepped back.
Grissom stared angrily at Sara as he spoke to Jim. "Jim, I think you need to control your women. Her mouth-"
Cutting Grissom off before he could finish, Jim said in an equally loud voice. "Gil, I think you have had too much to drink. Maybe you need to step back and relax a little."
Growing more agitated and on edge, Grissom scowled at his old friend. "Don't, tell me how much I've had to drink or what to do!"
Charlotte stepped in at this point, knowing that both men were at the point of no return.
Sara took Jim's arm, not knowing what would happen if he and Grissom kept it up.
Grissom, looking at Sara, let his mouth run before his brain could catch up. "I guess when you said it would be too late, you already had your sights set on Jim. You could have told me you wanted him, but no, just like Hank, you went and did it. I had to hear it from someone else. You know what Sara... I hope you and Jim are happy... have a real nice relationship, get married, have some kids... the hole thing."
Jim was stunned, he had never heard Grissom take that tone with anyone. Charlotte was not sure what to say.
Sara stood her ground and snapped right back. "How dare you throw Hank up at me. You are no angel yourself or did you conveniently forget about Lady Heather!? I never slept with Hank and I am not sleeping with Jim either. Unlike you, I am not trying to get laid by everyone coming and going. You had your chance Grissom, you had three years and you couldn't make your mind up. So, you know what!? It is too late, I don't want to every see your sorry ass again."
Grissom stood there and took his beating, knowing he had no right to say those things to her.
Sara walked off, leaving them all standing there in stunned silence. Jim started to move, but Charlotte stopped him. She suggested she went after Sara and he stayed with Grissom. Grissom leaned against a wall and tried his hardest to comprehend what he had just done.
Walking and crying, she didn't know what to do or what just happened. She stopped when Charlotte caught up to her. "Sara, come on. You and I need to talk. Lets go get a cup of coffee."
Jim told Grissom to go sober up. He told him to call Charlotte to tell her that they were going to go for some food. Grissom agreed and called Charlotte. He told her what they were doing, which she asked him not to go to the diner, because it was where they were going. Grissom relayed that information to Jim and choose somewhere different..
Diner
Charlotte kept her eyes on the brunette and sighed. "Ok ," She started. "Sara, you and I don't know each other, but I am going to get to the point. I know you and Grissom love each other and I know you and Jim are just friends." Sara opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off. "Before you interrupt, Grissom and I are friends. I called him today, asked if he wanted to get together and catch up on old times. It was not a date by any means. We tried that and it didn't work. Grissom should not have acted like he did. I am sorry that he pulled that stunt in the bar. I had no idea he would do that. I did lecture him about it afterwards."
Sara continued to stare at the salt pot as Charlotte explained. Although it was making more sense to why Grissom was acting so strange, she couldn't understand why he had been 'ok' with dating someone who had worked at the lab and then have a problem with her when she asked him out. It didn't make sense.
"It's not your fault." Sara said suddenly.
Charlotte sighed and sat back. "Maybe, maybe not. Either way, Gil shouldn't have done that. It was immature and juvenile."
Sara nodded and turned to look out the diner window. She didn't what to say or feel, her whole body was tired and drained with by the recent activities. She wanted to go home and with that thought, she stood and told Charlotte so.
Following her quickly. Sara hailed a cab and climbed in. Charlotte jumped in beside to make sure she got home ok. Whilst the cab pulled away, she called Jim to tell him what they were doing.
Jim looked at Grissom's saddened face and groaned internally. All the things he could get himself into, he went and made his best friend jealous.
"It's not too late Gil." Jim supplied hesitantly.
Scoffing lightly, Grissom stared at his untouched meal. He had messed things up good and proper because his drunken mouth wouldn't let things lie until he was more understanding to himself and others. He sighed and dropped his shoulders. "Doesn't matter. She's never gonna talk to me again."
"You don't know that."
Lifting his head slowly, Grissom narrowed his eyes at him. "She told me as much Jim. What the hell, am I suppose to do if she won't see me or talk to me?"
Jim shrugged and cleared his throat. "Go talk to her."
Grissom groaned in dismay and leaned his head into his hand. "Like she would listen to me now."
"Maybe you could go to hers. Talk this out with her?" Jim suggested.
Not needing to think much about his answer, he shook his head. "She wouldn't even open the door."
"Perhaps, but it's only a few inches of wood. You can talk through it, can't you?"
Grissom managed to raised his eyes to the policeman and stare at him for a long time whilst trying to think of what to say if he did go to hers and what she would do, or not do, depending of her mood. She was probably still angry and was telling the truth about never seeing him again. He couldn't win, but he knew he had to try.
"Ok. This is what we're going to do. I'll call a cab. We drive over there and you talk to her." Jim explained before Grissom could. He wasn't sure if he was going to back out and forget the ordeal, so he figured he'd step in first.
Sara's Apartment
Charlotte and Sara exit the cab to walk up to Sara's apartment complex. Sara entered her code for the door and pushed it. Upon entering Sara's apartment, both women kicked off their shoes. Sara made her way to the kitchen to make some coffee. Charlotte made her way to the rest room intent on changing clothes.
While Sara waited for the coffee, she thought about her talk with Charlotte. She couldn't think of a time when she was ever more pissed at Grissom. When the coffee finished, Sara poured two cups.
Handing Charlotte cup, they headed for the living room. Sara was the first to speak as they sat down. "You know, I should call Jim, make sure everything is alright. God knows I don't have bail money if he kills Grissom."
Charlotte chuckled lightly and sipped her coffee. "Sara, relax. Jim was head of Graveyard before Grissom. He knows how to hide a body."
Sara burst out laughing at the thought of a slightly drunk Jim Brass, dragging Gil Grissom's corpse through the dessert. Sara's laughter came to a halt when her door beeped. Charlotte looked at Sara and questioned who could be at her door at this hour?
Both women looked at each other and said. "Jim."
Outside
Jim was trying to get Grissom to shut up rambling so he could get Sara to open the door. Jim spoke to the little mic on the mechanical keypad stuck to the wall. "Sara, could you let me in. I need to talk to you and I would rather not do it this way. I won't stay long I promise, just a few minutes, then I will go. Ok?" Jim stood there hoping she would let him in and that she wouldn't flip out when she saw that Grissom was with him.
Inside
Sara looked at Charlotte with raised eyebrows. "I know he is with him and I don't want to talk to him. When he is sober, then, I will talk to him."
Charlotte thought for a second. "You know a drunk man speaks a sober mans mind. Sara, give him a chance, hell, Jim is with him."
Sara thought long and hard about this, but couldn't come up with anything other than. "No, I don't want to talk to him."
Outside
Jim listened to Sara and tried to convince her to talk to him.
Grissom decided he had to put in his two cents. "Sara, look, I know your pissed, ok. I am sorry... I was wrong. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Please just talk to me. Let me in and we can work this out." Grissom smiled to himself and looked at Jim with a 'see, now she will open the door and all will be fine' look.
Jim shook his head and laughed.
Grissom wasn't sure why Jim was laughing at him, "What?"
Sara told both of them to go home, she didn't want to talk to either of them. "If you don't leave, I will call the police and have you removed from here."
Jim and Grissom, both stunned that Sara would do such a thing, stared at the speaker. Jim reached out to stop Grissom's hand as he went to press the button to speak. "Ok, that's it. Your coming with me. I am not going to have to explain to the sheriff why your drunk and were being removed from Sara's apartment."
Grissom looked at Jim "I am not leaving until Sara talks to me. Let her call the cops, besides... Sara won't call the cops, Jim."
That didn't convince Jim at all. The first thought was, 'no, Sara would just shoot us, then call the cops'.
Grissom walked over to what he hoped was Sara's window. This caught Jim's attention and he gasped. "What the hell are you doing?" His mind and eyes circled around them, thinking of the neighbours and whether they would call the cops. Grissom told Jim to 'come here' and help him, but Jim wasn't happy with the image that popped into his head. "What, you can't climb up there!"
Nodding his head defiantly, Grissom looked up. "Yes I can and I am. If we can get up there, Sara will have to talk to me then."
Jim moved Grissom to the side with a heavy sigh. "I am going up first/ I don't want you losing your grip and falling on me."
Grissom grinned. "Thanks Jim." Jim and Grissom started making there way up to what they hoped was Sara's apartment. Jim was on the balcony, leaning over to help Grissom the rest of the way up.
Hearing a noise, Charlotte started to get up from the couch. Sara looked up. "You don't think they are that dumb do you?"
Charlotte peaked threw the curtain and saw Jim bent over and the top of Grissom's head. Rolling her eyes, she told Sara they had company. Sara opened the curtain and scared the hell out Jim and Grissom.
Both men jumped like they had been shot. Grissom moved to the sliding door and asked Sara to please let him in and that they had to talk this out.
Sara, against her better judgement, opened the door. Grissom and Jim walked in, brushing dirt from there clothing. Charlotte went to get some more coffee with Jim following behind her. Charlotte poured the coffee as she spoke. "Jim, do you think it is a good idea for those to be alone?"
Jim peeked into the living room. "I think so. Sara hasn't pulled out her gun yet, that's a good sign."
Grissom and Sara sat down on the couch. Grissom was looking more like a little lost puppy every passing second. "Sara," He nervously cleared his throat. "I am so sorry. I was a jerk. I said things that I should not have and I can't never forgive myself for that." Sara started to speak, but he held up a hand to silence her. "Please. let me finish. There's a lot I need to say. I may not have a chance later to say them."
"Sara, Charlotte and I are friends, nothing more. As for Heather, I never slept with her. Yes I was there that morning, but nothing happen. We talked and fell asleep, and no we didn't sleep in the same bed. I slept on the couch. As for Hank, I was wrong. I was hurt when you and he were together. I wanted to be the person you went to the movies with and what ever else you did."
Moving from his place on the couch, Grissom knelt down in front of Sara, taking both her hands in his. "Tonight, when I saw you dancing with Jim... I don't know... I just snapped. I couldn't stand to see you with someone else. I now know that Jim and you are friends, nothing more. Leaning up to Sara so that there noses were almost touching, he whispered. "Sara, I Love You. Please tell me I'm not too late?"