Chapter 24
Keeping her head down and quickly crossing the hotel lobby, Sara hoped to get to her parent's suite in private. Unfortunately, she had been recognized and stopped several times by well-meaning guests before a hotel security guard arrived. She gave him a grateful smile as he politely escorted her to the bank of elevators and appropriated one for her sole use.
Once the doors closed, Sara let out a nervous breath. Crowds had never bothered her before, but all the attention directed her way was becoming disconcerting. Even on the drive over, people were pointing her out as she was stopped at a traffic light. Didn't anyone have better things to do?
She'd seen plenty of celebrities since moving to Las Vegas. The non-stop parties and gambling made it a mecca for the famous and infamous. But she would never dream on walking up to one of them and starting a conversation, unless work-related. She valued her own privacy too much to think of intruding on someone else's. Others didn't seem to have that concern, though.
The intensity of the public's reaction continued to surprise her. She wasn't used to being the center of attention and didn't like the constant violations of her personal space. It was becoming more difficult keeping her composure under the scrutiny. She wondered briefly if that was part of the reason why she was snapping at Grissom - he was an escape valve.
If so, she needed to find another release. She wanted, at the very least, to still be friends with him when this was all over. Of course, she didn't know how he'd react after their upcoming talk. Her rejection could just as easily drive him off. It seemed she was damned whatever she did.
Reaching out to push the button to her parent's floor, Sara swore as her hand started shaking again. How long would this take to go away? She knew she needed to be patient, but she also knew that her position couldn't be held indefinitely.
As much as she hated the idea, Sara knew she had better come up with a contingency plan in case she couldn't return to the field. A lab position was a possibility, if she could handle it without flashbacks. But would she be satisfied with that? There was always grad school. Kahill's note had said she could return any time she wanted. As the elevator doors opened, she pushed those thoughts away. There would be plenty of time to decide what to do later.
Checking the room number she'd written down earlier, Sara stepped out of the elevator and headed down the hallway to her parent's room. Her knock was answered almost immediately. Before she even had time to say "hello" her father had pulled her into a bear hug and kissed the top of her head.
After a similar response from her mother, Sara entered the room and let out an appreciative whistle. Bellagio's had spared no expense. This suite looked to be larger than her own apartment. "You should see the bathroom," her father teased as she inspected the room.
"I will in a bit. Do I need a map to get there?"
Her parent's exchanged a nervous glance, making Sara wonder if someone had called them after her incident in the Drying Room. Stepping further into the suite, she saw the stack of newspapers spread across the coffee table and sofa in the sitting area. The television was on and the tail-end of the news report was talking about the memorial last night.
Walking over to the couch, she sat down and started looking through the stories. Her parents exchanged another nervous look. Sara tried not to smile. She had learned to read her parents accurately at a very young age. "Which one has you worried?"
"All of them," her mother said, sitting beside her.
"How are you holding up?"
"Barely, Dad, just barely," Sara said, blinking back the tears that were threatening again.
Her mother wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. "Don't try to hold it in, dear. You'll feel better once you get it out."
For the first time in her adult life, Sara leaned into her mother and started crying.
~~~~~~
Sipping his coffee, Grissom quickly scanned the large ballroom again. Neither Sara nor her parents had arrived yet and he was on his third cup of coffee. He had come straight to Bellagio's after leaving the hospital and had taken up a position which gave him a full view of the room. Glancing at his watch, he tried to relax. It was still early. The ceremony wouldn't begin for another 20 minutes and it would take her time to shower and change.
Moving away from his corner outpost, Grissom headed to his assigned table. His staring wouldn't get her here any sooner and Catherine kept flashing him dirty looks. He wasn't deliberately avoiding the team; he just didn't have a clear view of the room from the table.
Although he knew it was unnecessary, he found himself worrying when Sara wasn't in sight. He'd often felt protective of her in the past - when she worked too long, became too involved for a case, when she volunteered to be a decoy - but the feeling was more intense now. A lot of feelings were more intense. Normally, that would cause him to pull back, but Sara's well-being was more important.
Grissom found that realization to be both frightening and invigorating.
Unfortunately, he wouldn't be sitting with her. Between the politicians and her family, the large main table was filled. He doubted if his presence at the table would help Sara's nerves any, but he would have felt better being closer to her.
Fortunately, he wouldn't be seated with Ecklie or Hodges, either. He grinned as the obnoxious lab tech cornered both the day-shift supervisor and Carvallo. Hodges had gone all out; the three-piece suit looked tailored and he was trying his best to impress his supervisors. A fleeting thought of rescuing them passed his mind, but Grissom quickly pushed it away. He hadn't hired the pain in the ass.
Most of the night shift had arrived and were sampling the pre-ceremony "snacks" the hotel had provided. Large tables along one wall held baskets of muffins, danishes and bagels. One table held enough fruit to have prevented scurvy for Magellan's entire voyage. While he considered himself somewhat daring in the culinary department, Grissom wasn't sure he could have identified all the varieties in the display. Another series of empty tables were set up along the opposite wall, probably to hold the brunch to be served at the end of the ceremony.
It was interesting to see so many of his people in dress clothes at the same time. Normally, the only time they ever dressed up was for court or a funeral. Jacqui looked surprisingly elegant in a simple dark blue dress. Bobby seemed uncomfortable and kept adjusting his tie. Greg, well, he was Greg. The gray suit and blue shirt were sharp-looking, but the fractal-patterned tie looked like it had survived an explosion at the Day-Glo paint factory. At least it suited him.
Joining the rest of his team, Grissom listened politely to the conversation, but continued to scan the room on a regular basis. A commotion from the main door signaled her arrival, along with the governor and mayor. Even from this distance, he could see her tense posture. The obviously staged entrance wasn't Sara's style and the standing ovation wasn't helping her nerves.
After posing for a series of photographs, the group broke up as they entered the room. Sara started introducing her parents to different people as they headed towards the main table set at the front of the room. It was easy to see where she got her build; both of her parents had the same tall and lean frame.
It seemed they were getting along well. Her father had a protective arm wrapped around Sara and her mother would occasionally lean in and say something which caused her to laugh. Catching Grissom's inspection, Sara flashed him brief grin. He was happily surprised at how well she was holding up. Photographers had started taking pictures the minute she had entered, and were following her progress around the room. Grissom hoped they weren't trying to trigger a response.
By the time they reached the rest of the CSI's, there wasn't time for anything but brief introductions. Grissom smiled reassuringly as she passed by. From a distance she looked nice and would photograph well. But up close he could see the strain. It was obvious that she'd been crying and that she was wearing more makeup than normal to cover the dark circles under her eyes.
There seemed to be a contest between the various politicos over who could give the most drawn-out speech, but Sara remained composed during the entire ordeal. The only outward sign of stress she gave was the false smile she used for all the posed photographs. He did notice that she kept her hands clasped tightly behind her back whenever possible.
As he expected, the press questions focused heavily on the death of Hunter Lawrence and the encounter with the photographer the night before. Sara gave polite, if somewhat vague, answers to all the questions. Mobley ended the session when it became clear the repeated questions were starting to irritate her.
The mood lightened as brunch began. Even from across the room, it was clear an interesting conversation was taking place between Sara's parents and the governor. He had asked them a question and from the shocked expressions around the table, their answer had been unexpected.
"Can you read their lips from here?" Catherine whispered.
"That would be eavesdropping."
"No, huh?"
"They keep looking away."
"Too bad. I'd love to know what that conversation is like. Sara seems to be holding up okay."
"Yeah."
"How are you doing?"
"Fine."
"Sure, Gil."
Grissom turned to give Catherine a curious look. "I'm fine."
"Sure, Gil," she repeated, giving him a friendly smile. "That's why you're shredding that roll instead of eating it."
Looking down at his plate, he realized she was right. He was nervous. At least the reporters had been kicked out after the last award had been presented. Sara could at least eat in peace. Turning towards the main table, he caught her eye and she gave him a smile. She seemed bemused by the ongoing conversation between her parents and the politicians.
He nodded towards to the buffet table and excused himself. Sara mimicked his actions a moment later and they met by a display of crème puffs.
"Hey."
"Hey. You look nice."
"Thanks."
"You did good up there. I wouldn't have been that patient with those questions."
"Told you I wasn't going to snap. Wouldn't give them the pleasure of knowing they're getting to me."
"Good," he said happily. That was his old Sara speaking.
"Here," she said, slipping him a piece of paper. "Mom and Dad are going to play tourist for the day. I'll be crashing in their room. If you're still up for it, you can stop by later. For our talk."
"Sure. Do you want to get some sleep first?"
"It doesn't matter. I'm not the one who has to work tonight."
"True. Well, I'm already here. I'll go up about 10 minutes after you leave. Give you a chance to unwind a little."
"Thanks," she said, looking back towards her parents. The mayor was staring at them in shock. Sara chuckled.
"Do I even want to know what's going on up there?"
"Probably not. My parents have some interesting views on the death penalty."
Grissom stepped closer, and leaned to whisper in her ear. "You going to be okay? With them? I know you've said you get on each other nerves if you're together too long."
"Yeah. I'll be fine," she said shakily. The warmth of his breath had sent shivers down her spine.
"If you need a break, give me a call. You can come over for dinner, or we can catch a movie."
"Uh. Well. Thanks. Um, I better get back up there. See you later, Grissom," she said nervously, giving him a brief grin before leaving.
He smiled as he picked up some pastries. She hadn't said no.
Keeping her head down and quickly crossing the hotel lobby, Sara hoped to get to her parent's suite in private. Unfortunately, she had been recognized and stopped several times by well-meaning guests before a hotel security guard arrived. She gave him a grateful smile as he politely escorted her to the bank of elevators and appropriated one for her sole use.
Once the doors closed, Sara let out a nervous breath. Crowds had never bothered her before, but all the attention directed her way was becoming disconcerting. Even on the drive over, people were pointing her out as she was stopped at a traffic light. Didn't anyone have better things to do?
She'd seen plenty of celebrities since moving to Las Vegas. The non-stop parties and gambling made it a mecca for the famous and infamous. But she would never dream on walking up to one of them and starting a conversation, unless work-related. She valued her own privacy too much to think of intruding on someone else's. Others didn't seem to have that concern, though.
The intensity of the public's reaction continued to surprise her. She wasn't used to being the center of attention and didn't like the constant violations of her personal space. It was becoming more difficult keeping her composure under the scrutiny. She wondered briefly if that was part of the reason why she was snapping at Grissom - he was an escape valve.
If so, she needed to find another release. She wanted, at the very least, to still be friends with him when this was all over. Of course, she didn't know how he'd react after their upcoming talk. Her rejection could just as easily drive him off. It seemed she was damned whatever she did.
Reaching out to push the button to her parent's floor, Sara swore as her hand started shaking again. How long would this take to go away? She knew she needed to be patient, but she also knew that her position couldn't be held indefinitely.
As much as she hated the idea, Sara knew she had better come up with a contingency plan in case she couldn't return to the field. A lab position was a possibility, if she could handle it without flashbacks. But would she be satisfied with that? There was always grad school. Kahill's note had said she could return any time she wanted. As the elevator doors opened, she pushed those thoughts away. There would be plenty of time to decide what to do later.
Checking the room number she'd written down earlier, Sara stepped out of the elevator and headed down the hallway to her parent's room. Her knock was answered almost immediately. Before she even had time to say "hello" her father had pulled her into a bear hug and kissed the top of her head.
After a similar response from her mother, Sara entered the room and let out an appreciative whistle. Bellagio's had spared no expense. This suite looked to be larger than her own apartment. "You should see the bathroom," her father teased as she inspected the room.
"I will in a bit. Do I need a map to get there?"
Her parent's exchanged a nervous glance, making Sara wonder if someone had called them after her incident in the Drying Room. Stepping further into the suite, she saw the stack of newspapers spread across the coffee table and sofa in the sitting area. The television was on and the tail-end of the news report was talking about the memorial last night.
Walking over to the couch, she sat down and started looking through the stories. Her parents exchanged another nervous look. Sara tried not to smile. She had learned to read her parents accurately at a very young age. "Which one has you worried?"
"All of them," her mother said, sitting beside her.
"How are you holding up?"
"Barely, Dad, just barely," Sara said, blinking back the tears that were threatening again.
Her mother wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. "Don't try to hold it in, dear. You'll feel better once you get it out."
For the first time in her adult life, Sara leaned into her mother and started crying.
~~~~~~
Sipping his coffee, Grissom quickly scanned the large ballroom again. Neither Sara nor her parents had arrived yet and he was on his third cup of coffee. He had come straight to Bellagio's after leaving the hospital and had taken up a position which gave him a full view of the room. Glancing at his watch, he tried to relax. It was still early. The ceremony wouldn't begin for another 20 minutes and it would take her time to shower and change.
Moving away from his corner outpost, Grissom headed to his assigned table. His staring wouldn't get her here any sooner and Catherine kept flashing him dirty looks. He wasn't deliberately avoiding the team; he just didn't have a clear view of the room from the table.
Although he knew it was unnecessary, he found himself worrying when Sara wasn't in sight. He'd often felt protective of her in the past - when she worked too long, became too involved for a case, when she volunteered to be a decoy - but the feeling was more intense now. A lot of feelings were more intense. Normally, that would cause him to pull back, but Sara's well-being was more important.
Grissom found that realization to be both frightening and invigorating.
Unfortunately, he wouldn't be sitting with her. Between the politicians and her family, the large main table was filled. He doubted if his presence at the table would help Sara's nerves any, but he would have felt better being closer to her.
Fortunately, he wouldn't be seated with Ecklie or Hodges, either. He grinned as the obnoxious lab tech cornered both the day-shift supervisor and Carvallo. Hodges had gone all out; the three-piece suit looked tailored and he was trying his best to impress his supervisors. A fleeting thought of rescuing them passed his mind, but Grissom quickly pushed it away. He hadn't hired the pain in the ass.
Most of the night shift had arrived and were sampling the pre-ceremony "snacks" the hotel had provided. Large tables along one wall held baskets of muffins, danishes and bagels. One table held enough fruit to have prevented scurvy for Magellan's entire voyage. While he considered himself somewhat daring in the culinary department, Grissom wasn't sure he could have identified all the varieties in the display. Another series of empty tables were set up along the opposite wall, probably to hold the brunch to be served at the end of the ceremony.
It was interesting to see so many of his people in dress clothes at the same time. Normally, the only time they ever dressed up was for court or a funeral. Jacqui looked surprisingly elegant in a simple dark blue dress. Bobby seemed uncomfortable and kept adjusting his tie. Greg, well, he was Greg. The gray suit and blue shirt were sharp-looking, but the fractal-patterned tie looked like it had survived an explosion at the Day-Glo paint factory. At least it suited him.
Joining the rest of his team, Grissom listened politely to the conversation, but continued to scan the room on a regular basis. A commotion from the main door signaled her arrival, along with the governor and mayor. Even from this distance, he could see her tense posture. The obviously staged entrance wasn't Sara's style and the standing ovation wasn't helping her nerves.
After posing for a series of photographs, the group broke up as they entered the room. Sara started introducing her parents to different people as they headed towards the main table set at the front of the room. It was easy to see where she got her build; both of her parents had the same tall and lean frame.
It seemed they were getting along well. Her father had a protective arm wrapped around Sara and her mother would occasionally lean in and say something which caused her to laugh. Catching Grissom's inspection, Sara flashed him brief grin. He was happily surprised at how well she was holding up. Photographers had started taking pictures the minute she had entered, and were following her progress around the room. Grissom hoped they weren't trying to trigger a response.
By the time they reached the rest of the CSI's, there wasn't time for anything but brief introductions. Grissom smiled reassuringly as she passed by. From a distance she looked nice and would photograph well. But up close he could see the strain. It was obvious that she'd been crying and that she was wearing more makeup than normal to cover the dark circles under her eyes.
There seemed to be a contest between the various politicos over who could give the most drawn-out speech, but Sara remained composed during the entire ordeal. The only outward sign of stress she gave was the false smile she used for all the posed photographs. He did notice that she kept her hands clasped tightly behind her back whenever possible.
As he expected, the press questions focused heavily on the death of Hunter Lawrence and the encounter with the photographer the night before. Sara gave polite, if somewhat vague, answers to all the questions. Mobley ended the session when it became clear the repeated questions were starting to irritate her.
The mood lightened as brunch began. Even from across the room, it was clear an interesting conversation was taking place between Sara's parents and the governor. He had asked them a question and from the shocked expressions around the table, their answer had been unexpected.
"Can you read their lips from here?" Catherine whispered.
"That would be eavesdropping."
"No, huh?"
"They keep looking away."
"Too bad. I'd love to know what that conversation is like. Sara seems to be holding up okay."
"Yeah."
"How are you doing?"
"Fine."
"Sure, Gil."
Grissom turned to give Catherine a curious look. "I'm fine."
"Sure, Gil," she repeated, giving him a friendly smile. "That's why you're shredding that roll instead of eating it."
Looking down at his plate, he realized she was right. He was nervous. At least the reporters had been kicked out after the last award had been presented. Sara could at least eat in peace. Turning towards the main table, he caught her eye and she gave him a smile. She seemed bemused by the ongoing conversation between her parents and the politicians.
He nodded towards to the buffet table and excused himself. Sara mimicked his actions a moment later and they met by a display of crème puffs.
"Hey."
"Hey. You look nice."
"Thanks."
"You did good up there. I wouldn't have been that patient with those questions."
"Told you I wasn't going to snap. Wouldn't give them the pleasure of knowing they're getting to me."
"Good," he said happily. That was his old Sara speaking.
"Here," she said, slipping him a piece of paper. "Mom and Dad are going to play tourist for the day. I'll be crashing in their room. If you're still up for it, you can stop by later. For our talk."
"Sure. Do you want to get some sleep first?"
"It doesn't matter. I'm not the one who has to work tonight."
"True. Well, I'm already here. I'll go up about 10 minutes after you leave. Give you a chance to unwind a little."
"Thanks," she said, looking back towards her parents. The mayor was staring at them in shock. Sara chuckled.
"Do I even want to know what's going on up there?"
"Probably not. My parents have some interesting views on the death penalty."
Grissom stepped closer, and leaned to whisper in her ear. "You going to be okay? With them? I know you've said you get on each other nerves if you're together too long."
"Yeah. I'll be fine," she said shakily. The warmth of his breath had sent shivers down her spine.
"If you need a break, give me a call. You can come over for dinner, or we can catch a movie."
"Uh. Well. Thanks. Um, I better get back up there. See you later, Grissom," she said nervously, giving him a brief grin before leaving.
He smiled as he picked up some pastries. She hadn't said no.