Sara held her position, hovering dangerously close in front of Grissom. His gaze flicked quickly from her eyes down to her mouth and he leant in, slowly closing the distance between them. He could feel her soft breath tickle his lips and as he closed his eyes in anticipation of the contact, a soft cough coming from the side of the table interrupted his progress.
"Excuse me," a young girl stuttered, "but aren't you Gil Grissom?" she asked.
Grissom's eyes snapped open and he pulled away from Sara before their mouths touched, groaning inwardly. "Yes," he sighed and managed to smile at the young girl, who was clearly impressed by his presence.
"Would you um," she fumbled to find her words. "Could you sign this for me?" she asked shyly and retrieved a book on entomology from behind her back.
"Of course." Grissom took the book from her trembling hands and signed the front page. "What's your name?" he asked.
"Helen," she stuttered.
He quickly scribbled her name on the font page and looked up at her. "I take it you like bugs?" Grissom asked, interested.
"I love them," she nodded her head. "I've been fascinated with them ever since I was a kid. I'm actually doing an entomology course in college," she explained proudly.
"Good for you," Grissom smiled at her.
"Thank you, Doctor Grissom," she grinned thankfully. "Enjoy your breakfast, and I'm sorry for disturbing you," she flashed him a toothy grin, turned on her heels and left.
Grissom turned to look at Sara when he heard her chuckle. "What?" he smiled at her.
She shook her head in amusement. "You're quite popular in Banff," Sara exclaimed. "Maybe you should consider moving up here," she quipped.
"Why move away from all the wonderful things I have in Vegas," he waggled his eyes suggestively and finished the rest of his now almost cold breakfast.
After a breakfast spent in companionable silence, they left the small restaurant and headed back to the hotel. Grissom retrieved his notes from his room and joined Sara in the lobby. She was sitting in a large, fluffy couch, reading today's newspaper. He plopped down next to her and scanned the page she was reading.
"What's happening in the world?" he asked, looking at her sideways.
"Not anything good," Sara muttered. She turned her head to look at him. "Do you want to kiss me?" she asked bluntly.
Grissom swallowed hard and flashed her a thousand Watt smile. "Yes," he answered simply. "I really want to kiss you. More than anything," he added in a voice barely above a whisper.
Sara said nothing and just smiled at him. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he put his head on top of hers. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Grissom reluctantly pulled away. He stood and offered her his hand, helping her to her feet. With a light hand on her lower back, he guided her towards the conference room.
'Let's get this over with,' he thought and entered the room, surprised at the eager crowd awaiting him.
* * * * * ** * * * * * * * *
Grissom's half hour speech turned into a three hour appearance. He was asked a million questions from around the room, showing what a reputation he had built as an entomologist. Sara had always known he had a good reputation, but this was clearly more than either of them had expected.
As they walked out of the large conference room side by side, Sara elbowed him in the ribs. "You're quite the man, Gris," she said in awe. "It looks like your reputation is starting to take on a life of its own," she quipped.
"Don't start with me," he groaned. "I knew there was a reason why I had second thoughts about coming here," he added as an afterthought. He pushed the call button on the elevator and grumbled as every other person passing by, looked at him as if he were God. "Oh please," he muttered silently, relieved to get into the elevator and escape the prying eyes in the lobby.
"Can I have your autograph?" Sara asked in a sweet voice when the door shut.
Grissom leaned back against the wall and threw his hands up in the air helplessly. "Can I have some normality please?" he pleaded to no one in particular.
Sara stood next to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, I can't seem to help myself. I find it very amusing to tease you," she smiled at him.
Grissom turned his head sideways and gave her a mock glare. "You've got a big mouth, Sidle," he mumbled amused. "One of these days it's going to get you into trouble," he added.
Sara didn't reply, she just flashed him a grin. The elevator came to a halt and they got out. Sara walked to her room, followed very closely by Grissom. "Hey Sara," he started. She turned around to look at him. "Want to go out for lunch?" he asked softly.
"I'd love to," she nodded her head. "I just have to take care of my hand first," she said as she fumbled with her key card.
"Let me help you," he took the card from her hand, opened the door and steered her inside. He sat her down on the small couch in the corner of the room and removed her bandages. "That looks a lot better," he said as he examined her hand.
"It feels a little better too," she stretched and kissed his cheek. "Thank you," she whispered. Her lips lingered on his cheek a little longer than necessary. Grissom turned his head towards her just as she pulled back, leaving their mouths only a few inches apart.
They stared at each other for a few seconds, when Grissom gently took her chin between his thumb and his forefinger. He closed the tiny distance hesitantly and rained butterfly kisses all over her face; he kissed her eyebrows, her nose, her cheekbone, before he moved to her mouth and gently brushed his lips over hers. He kept the kiss light and short, pulling away to gauge her reaction. Her eyes were closed and she had a smile on her face.
Sara opened her eyes to find him gazing at her adoringly, a huge smile on his face. "You're more than welcome," he whispered. He got up from the couch and came back with ice. He took her hand in his and gently held the ice against her knuckles. "You okay?" he smiled at her.
"I'm," she paused. "I'm better than okay," she whispered softly. She put her good hand over his and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"I'm really glad you're here with me," he said suddenly, removing the ice from her hand. He spread some cream on her fingers and bandaged her hand. He looked at her and she was staring at him with a gloomy look in her eyes. "You don't believe me?" he asked.
She nodded, swallowing the lump that had started to form in her now very dry throat. "I do," she whispered.
He took her hand in his and pulled her to her feet. "You ready to go?" he twirled her around and pulled her towards the door, taking their coats from the rack, still holding her hand in his strong grip.
* * * ** * * * * * * * * * *
They were walking down the streets of Banff, the road covered in a thin layer of snow. It had started snowing while Grissom had given his speech, adding a fairytale look to the already very picturesque city. After a quiet lunch in the best restaurant in town, they had decided to go for a walk. Sara stopped when she noticed Grissom shivering slightly, pulling his jacket tighter around him.
"Are you cold?" she asked concerned.
"Just a little," he lied.
"What are you wearing under that jacket?" she questioned him.
"A shirt and a thick sweater." He looked at her when she raised her eyebrows. "What?"
"The secret is to dress in layers," she explained. "You're better off with three or four thin layers, than with two thick ones." Seeing the questioning look on his face she continued. "I don't think you realize how cold winters in Boston are. And you would probably be better off with a Gore-Tex jacket too," she said adamantly as she eyed his choice of jacket.
"I don't need one in Vegas," he chuckled. "So," he changed the subject. "What do you want to do tomorrow?" He took her hand in his and they slowly walked down the street.
"I was thinking about checking out the Icefields Parkway and Lake Louise, but since you're a little underdressed for any kind of hiking, I think we'd better hang around the hotel," she grinned.
"I'm wearing Gore-Tex hiking boots," he defended himself, pointing to his brand new boots.
"Work with me Gris. I'm talking clothes here," she grumbled.
"Want to go shopping?" he quipped, as he pulled her to the other side of the street and entered some sort of camping store. He turned to her. "Tell me what I need?" he asked as he pulled her inside she store.
"Are you angry?" she asked tentatively. "I didn't mean to boss you around," she mumbled softly. "And –"
"Sara," he put his finger on her lips to silence her. "I'm not mad. I'm just asking you for advice." He ran his hand over his beard and sighed. "I really have hurt you in the past, haven't I?" he pondered.
She lowered her head. "Yes," she whispered quietly, feeling the burden of the past coming back to haunt her, all sorts of negative images filling her mind. She tried to fight the wetness forming in her eyes, but when she realized it was futile, she pulled away from him and left the store in a hurry.
"Sara," he called after her, earning curious glares from the other customers quietly doing their shopping. He opened the door and ran after her. "Sara!" he yelled, crossing the street to follow her. She increased her pace when she heard him coming after her. "Sara, stop!" he screamed frantically, the urgency in his voice causing her to stop and turn around. She came face to face with a slightly out-of-breath Gil Grissom. "What's wrong?" he asked concerned.
"Nothing," she lied. "I just - um – I have stuff to do," she turned around, but was held back when Grissom's hand grasped her arm.
"I'm sorry about everything. I never meant to hurt you," he confessed.
She looked straight at him. "I know. And that makes it so sad," she smiled bitterly.
"Tell me how to make it up to you," he pushed.
"Never mind," she responded as she tried to free herself from his grasp, but he wouldn't budge.
"What are you afraid of, honey?" he asked gently. "Tell me what it is, so I can make it all better," he pleaded.
"I'm afraid of you," she stated. "Once we get back to Vegas, you will forget everything that has happened between us. You will put up that protective wall around your heart again and you'll push me away. Like you have been pushing me away all these years," she explained sadly.
"I won't," he said honestly.
"How can I be certain of that?" she asked stubbornly, raising her voice a notch.
"You have to trust me, Sara," he said a little louder than intended.
"Tell me why I should trust you?" she spat.
He walked towards her and pushed her against a building, pinning her body with his, his face dangerously close to hers. "Because I am in love with you!" he yelled at her, shocked by his own confession. "I love you, Sara. And I have been in love with you for a very long time," he whispered hoarsely. "If you don't believe that, there's nothing more I can do."
He started to pull away, but jerked back towards her when she grabbed his jacket. Caught up in the emotional moment, he leant forward to place his lips on hers and kissed her so gently she thought she might cry.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Excuse me," a young girl stuttered, "but aren't you Gil Grissom?" she asked.
Grissom's eyes snapped open and he pulled away from Sara before their mouths touched, groaning inwardly. "Yes," he sighed and managed to smile at the young girl, who was clearly impressed by his presence.
"Would you um," she fumbled to find her words. "Could you sign this for me?" she asked shyly and retrieved a book on entomology from behind her back.
"Of course." Grissom took the book from her trembling hands and signed the front page. "What's your name?" he asked.
"Helen," she stuttered.
He quickly scribbled her name on the font page and looked up at her. "I take it you like bugs?" Grissom asked, interested.
"I love them," she nodded her head. "I've been fascinated with them ever since I was a kid. I'm actually doing an entomology course in college," she explained proudly.
"Good for you," Grissom smiled at her.
"Thank you, Doctor Grissom," she grinned thankfully. "Enjoy your breakfast, and I'm sorry for disturbing you," she flashed him a toothy grin, turned on her heels and left.
Grissom turned to look at Sara when he heard her chuckle. "What?" he smiled at her.
She shook her head in amusement. "You're quite popular in Banff," Sara exclaimed. "Maybe you should consider moving up here," she quipped.
"Why move away from all the wonderful things I have in Vegas," he waggled his eyes suggestively and finished the rest of his now almost cold breakfast.
After a breakfast spent in companionable silence, they left the small restaurant and headed back to the hotel. Grissom retrieved his notes from his room and joined Sara in the lobby. She was sitting in a large, fluffy couch, reading today's newspaper. He plopped down next to her and scanned the page she was reading.
"What's happening in the world?" he asked, looking at her sideways.
"Not anything good," Sara muttered. She turned her head to look at him. "Do you want to kiss me?" she asked bluntly.
Grissom swallowed hard and flashed her a thousand Watt smile. "Yes," he answered simply. "I really want to kiss you. More than anything," he added in a voice barely above a whisper.
Sara said nothing and just smiled at him. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he put his head on top of hers. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Grissom reluctantly pulled away. He stood and offered her his hand, helping her to her feet. With a light hand on her lower back, he guided her towards the conference room.
'Let's get this over with,' he thought and entered the room, surprised at the eager crowd awaiting him.
* * * * * ** * * * * * * * *
Grissom's half hour speech turned into a three hour appearance. He was asked a million questions from around the room, showing what a reputation he had built as an entomologist. Sara had always known he had a good reputation, but this was clearly more than either of them had expected.
As they walked out of the large conference room side by side, Sara elbowed him in the ribs. "You're quite the man, Gris," she said in awe. "It looks like your reputation is starting to take on a life of its own," she quipped.
"Don't start with me," he groaned. "I knew there was a reason why I had second thoughts about coming here," he added as an afterthought. He pushed the call button on the elevator and grumbled as every other person passing by, looked at him as if he were God. "Oh please," he muttered silently, relieved to get into the elevator and escape the prying eyes in the lobby.
"Can I have your autograph?" Sara asked in a sweet voice when the door shut.
Grissom leaned back against the wall and threw his hands up in the air helplessly. "Can I have some normality please?" he pleaded to no one in particular.
Sara stood next to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, I can't seem to help myself. I find it very amusing to tease you," she smiled at him.
Grissom turned his head sideways and gave her a mock glare. "You've got a big mouth, Sidle," he mumbled amused. "One of these days it's going to get you into trouble," he added.
Sara didn't reply, she just flashed him a grin. The elevator came to a halt and they got out. Sara walked to her room, followed very closely by Grissom. "Hey Sara," he started. She turned around to look at him. "Want to go out for lunch?" he asked softly.
"I'd love to," she nodded her head. "I just have to take care of my hand first," she said as she fumbled with her key card.
"Let me help you," he took the card from her hand, opened the door and steered her inside. He sat her down on the small couch in the corner of the room and removed her bandages. "That looks a lot better," he said as he examined her hand.
"It feels a little better too," she stretched and kissed his cheek. "Thank you," she whispered. Her lips lingered on his cheek a little longer than necessary. Grissom turned his head towards her just as she pulled back, leaving their mouths only a few inches apart.
They stared at each other for a few seconds, when Grissom gently took her chin between his thumb and his forefinger. He closed the tiny distance hesitantly and rained butterfly kisses all over her face; he kissed her eyebrows, her nose, her cheekbone, before he moved to her mouth and gently brushed his lips over hers. He kept the kiss light and short, pulling away to gauge her reaction. Her eyes were closed and she had a smile on her face.
Sara opened her eyes to find him gazing at her adoringly, a huge smile on his face. "You're more than welcome," he whispered. He got up from the couch and came back with ice. He took her hand in his and gently held the ice against her knuckles. "You okay?" he smiled at her.
"I'm," she paused. "I'm better than okay," she whispered softly. She put her good hand over his and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"I'm really glad you're here with me," he said suddenly, removing the ice from her hand. He spread some cream on her fingers and bandaged her hand. He looked at her and she was staring at him with a gloomy look in her eyes. "You don't believe me?" he asked.
She nodded, swallowing the lump that had started to form in her now very dry throat. "I do," she whispered.
He took her hand in his and pulled her to her feet. "You ready to go?" he twirled her around and pulled her towards the door, taking their coats from the rack, still holding her hand in his strong grip.
* * * ** * * * * * * * * * *
They were walking down the streets of Banff, the road covered in a thin layer of snow. It had started snowing while Grissom had given his speech, adding a fairytale look to the already very picturesque city. After a quiet lunch in the best restaurant in town, they had decided to go for a walk. Sara stopped when she noticed Grissom shivering slightly, pulling his jacket tighter around him.
"Are you cold?" she asked concerned.
"Just a little," he lied.
"What are you wearing under that jacket?" she questioned him.
"A shirt and a thick sweater." He looked at her when she raised her eyebrows. "What?"
"The secret is to dress in layers," she explained. "You're better off with three or four thin layers, than with two thick ones." Seeing the questioning look on his face she continued. "I don't think you realize how cold winters in Boston are. And you would probably be better off with a Gore-Tex jacket too," she said adamantly as she eyed his choice of jacket.
"I don't need one in Vegas," he chuckled. "So," he changed the subject. "What do you want to do tomorrow?" He took her hand in his and they slowly walked down the street.
"I was thinking about checking out the Icefields Parkway and Lake Louise, but since you're a little underdressed for any kind of hiking, I think we'd better hang around the hotel," she grinned.
"I'm wearing Gore-Tex hiking boots," he defended himself, pointing to his brand new boots.
"Work with me Gris. I'm talking clothes here," she grumbled.
"Want to go shopping?" he quipped, as he pulled her to the other side of the street and entered some sort of camping store. He turned to her. "Tell me what I need?" he asked as he pulled her inside she store.
"Are you angry?" she asked tentatively. "I didn't mean to boss you around," she mumbled softly. "And –"
"Sara," he put his finger on her lips to silence her. "I'm not mad. I'm just asking you for advice." He ran his hand over his beard and sighed. "I really have hurt you in the past, haven't I?" he pondered.
She lowered her head. "Yes," she whispered quietly, feeling the burden of the past coming back to haunt her, all sorts of negative images filling her mind. She tried to fight the wetness forming in her eyes, but when she realized it was futile, she pulled away from him and left the store in a hurry.
"Sara," he called after her, earning curious glares from the other customers quietly doing their shopping. He opened the door and ran after her. "Sara!" he yelled, crossing the street to follow her. She increased her pace when she heard him coming after her. "Sara, stop!" he screamed frantically, the urgency in his voice causing her to stop and turn around. She came face to face with a slightly out-of-breath Gil Grissom. "What's wrong?" he asked concerned.
"Nothing," she lied. "I just - um – I have stuff to do," she turned around, but was held back when Grissom's hand grasped her arm.
"I'm sorry about everything. I never meant to hurt you," he confessed.
She looked straight at him. "I know. And that makes it so sad," she smiled bitterly.
"Tell me how to make it up to you," he pushed.
"Never mind," she responded as she tried to free herself from his grasp, but he wouldn't budge.
"What are you afraid of, honey?" he asked gently. "Tell me what it is, so I can make it all better," he pleaded.
"I'm afraid of you," she stated. "Once we get back to Vegas, you will forget everything that has happened between us. You will put up that protective wall around your heart again and you'll push me away. Like you have been pushing me away all these years," she explained sadly.
"I won't," he said honestly.
"How can I be certain of that?" she asked stubbornly, raising her voice a notch.
"You have to trust me, Sara," he said a little louder than intended.
"Tell me why I should trust you?" she spat.
He walked towards her and pushed her against a building, pinning her body with his, his face dangerously close to hers. "Because I am in love with you!" he yelled at her, shocked by his own confession. "I love you, Sara. And I have been in love with you for a very long time," he whispered hoarsely. "If you don't believe that, there's nothing more I can do."
He started to pull away, but jerked back towards her when she grabbed his jacket. Caught up in the emotional moment, he leant forward to place his lips on hers and kissed her so gently she thought she might cry.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
