Read disclaimer CH1
Part II - Left Behind
The doorbell rang just as she finished taping up the last box. Stepping over several boxes marked dishes she made her way to the door. Glancing through the peephole she flipped the lock and opened the door.
"Come on in," she said to the two men. They kind of reminded her of Mario and Luigi--she thought and had to force herself not to laugh. The first had to duck under the door jamb while the second barely came up to her shoulder.
"You can take these boxes first and there's more in the bedroom. All the furniture stays except the bed. Thats it."
"Ok Miss, we'll get started then."
"Thanks," Sara said with a smile. She felt infinitely better now that she was doing SOMETHING. She had been living in limbo so long.... This would only provide a temporary high, but she was going to enjoy it while it lasted. Hopefully by the time the feeling wore off she would be far away from Las Vegas and all it's temptations. The plan was to get so far away that she wouldn't be able to rush back when the urge hit her. As she knew it inevitably would.
Going to the dresser she began the last of her packing. These clothes where the only things going with her, the rest was on it's way to storage. Where it would stay until she figured out what she was going to do with her life. Pulling open the top drawer she began methodicaly transfering it's contents into her suitcase.
By the time she was finished the movers where gone and so where the boxes that had blanketed the apartment. Her mail had been redirected and the phone disconected. All she had left was returning the keys to the landlord. Glancing around the empty bedroom she realised that she wasn't sad to be leaving the apartment. The walls where the same robins egg blue they had been when she moved in 3 years ago; she hated the color but had never gotten around to repainting it. The apartment came furnished so it wasn't even her own furniture. None of it bothered her because this had never been her home. It had just been a place to sleep.
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Grissom looked up when he heard the knock on his door. Expecting Sara he was surprised to see that it was Nick.
"Yes?" he asked, wondering what the young man could possibly want.
"Uh Griss I need to talk to you." Nick stutered, obviously nervous.
Closing the folder in front of him Grissom leaned back in his chair and studied the man standing in his doorway.
"Well have a seat then, what can I help you with?"
Moving into the room Nick closed the door behind him and sat facing Grissom.
"I don't need help with anything, I just thought that maybe I should tell you this before shift started." Nick said. Grissom could see that he was worried about something.
"Well, what is it? Nick if you've done something......."
"No no, it's not that. It's just. Griss Sara's gone." he finaly managed to spit out.
"Gone how?" asked Grissom sitting up straight in his chair, a thousand scenarios running through his head, Sara in the hospita, Sara dead, Sara kidnapped....
"She left, I just came from the airport."
Dumbstruck Grissom stared at Nick. "Why? Where'd she go and when is she coming back?" Sara had obviously needed time off, but if she was taking a vacation why hadn't she told him?
As if he someone had flipped a switch Nick jumped up from his chair. His body stiff with anger. How could he be so clueless?
"Because of you! She left because of you!" he said pointing at Grissom "Can't you even see what you've done? I don't know where she went because she was afraid YOU would find out. I don't think she's coming back because she can't stand to be near YOU everyday. How can you sit there like all of this isn't your fault?"
Sinking back into his chair stunned, Grissom tried to process everything he had just been told.
His voice deadly quiet Nick drove his point home "Thats good. Think about it for awhile. You. Ruined. Her. Life. The only thing she ever wanted was you and you where just to damn selfish. Too afraid to give her a chance. There are worse things in life then death Griss." Turning his back on Grissom, Nick exited room, the door closing behind him with a soft click. Grissom would probably kill him later he thought but it would be a small price to pay for the satisfaction of seeing him experience a fraction of the pain he had inflicted on Sara.
He should be angry, no one ever spoke to him that way, but he wasn't. Nick was absolutely right and in her own way so was Sara. Hadn't she said that by the time he figured "this" out he would be to late? Putting his head in his hands Grissom resisted the urge to weep.
**********************
That was how Brass found him when he entered the room 10 minutes later.
"Ehem, Griss?"
Looking up at Brass Grissom sat up straighter.
"Yes?" he asked, wishing that the empty feeling inside of him would leave.
"I take it you've already heard about Sara?" Brass asked catiously.
"Am I the only person who didn't know?" He asked "I had breakfast with her this morning for godsakes and she didn't even tell me." He understood why of course. But still he had deserved to know and now he was one CSI short, what was he going to do?
"Well if thats out of the way then" said Brass who was relieved that he hadn't had to break the news himself. "There's someone here I'd like you to meet." Leaning out the door he motioned to the woman waiting there.
Forcing himself to get a hold on things Grissom stood and turned towards the door as a young waman entered.
"Grissom this is Megan Lee, she'll be replacing Sara." He said motionining towards the petite blonde.
"Megan, this is your new supervisor, Gil Grissom."
Staring Grissom hoped his shock didn't show. Brass had known about Sara long enough to have aranged a replacement. No. Replacement was the wrong word no one could replace Sara, no one could take the place she had left behind. Leaning forward and he placed his hands on his desk for support. Was this some kind of conspiracy? or was the world just out to get him? Giving himself a mental shake he brought his mind back to the here and now.
So this was the famous Gruesome Grissom she thought studying him. He was more then a little famous in the world of crime scene investigation. Moving a lab from fourteenth to second was an amazing feat. There was alot she could learn from this man and he was the why she had taken the job. Even though, it meant moving from Texas to Nevada. She had been looking forward to meeting him but, for some reason, she didn't think he had been expecting her.
"It's an honor to meet you Mr. Grissom." She said extending her hand.
Reaching out Grissom gave her hand a slight shake and said, in a voice that wasn't quite steady "Welcome to the LVPD Crime Lab Miss Lee."
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Part II - Left Behind
The doorbell rang just as she finished taping up the last box. Stepping over several boxes marked dishes she made her way to the door. Glancing through the peephole she flipped the lock and opened the door.
"Come on in," she said to the two men. They kind of reminded her of Mario and Luigi--she thought and had to force herself not to laugh. The first had to duck under the door jamb while the second barely came up to her shoulder.
"You can take these boxes first and there's more in the bedroom. All the furniture stays except the bed. Thats it."
"Ok Miss, we'll get started then."
"Thanks," Sara said with a smile. She felt infinitely better now that she was doing SOMETHING. She had been living in limbo so long.... This would only provide a temporary high, but she was going to enjoy it while it lasted. Hopefully by the time the feeling wore off she would be far away from Las Vegas and all it's temptations. The plan was to get so far away that she wouldn't be able to rush back when the urge hit her. As she knew it inevitably would.
Going to the dresser she began the last of her packing. These clothes where the only things going with her, the rest was on it's way to storage. Where it would stay until she figured out what she was going to do with her life. Pulling open the top drawer she began methodicaly transfering it's contents into her suitcase.
By the time she was finished the movers where gone and so where the boxes that had blanketed the apartment. Her mail had been redirected and the phone disconected. All she had left was returning the keys to the landlord. Glancing around the empty bedroom she realised that she wasn't sad to be leaving the apartment. The walls where the same robins egg blue they had been when she moved in 3 years ago; she hated the color but had never gotten around to repainting it. The apartment came furnished so it wasn't even her own furniture. None of it bothered her because this had never been her home. It had just been a place to sleep.
****************
Grissom looked up when he heard the knock on his door. Expecting Sara he was surprised to see that it was Nick.
"Yes?" he asked, wondering what the young man could possibly want.
"Uh Griss I need to talk to you." Nick stutered, obviously nervous.
Closing the folder in front of him Grissom leaned back in his chair and studied the man standing in his doorway.
"Well have a seat then, what can I help you with?"
Moving into the room Nick closed the door behind him and sat facing Grissom.
"I don't need help with anything, I just thought that maybe I should tell you this before shift started." Nick said. Grissom could see that he was worried about something.
"Well, what is it? Nick if you've done something......."
"No no, it's not that. It's just. Griss Sara's gone." he finaly managed to spit out.
"Gone how?" asked Grissom sitting up straight in his chair, a thousand scenarios running through his head, Sara in the hospita, Sara dead, Sara kidnapped....
"She left, I just came from the airport."
Dumbstruck Grissom stared at Nick. "Why? Where'd she go and when is she coming back?" Sara had obviously needed time off, but if she was taking a vacation why hadn't she told him?
As if he someone had flipped a switch Nick jumped up from his chair. His body stiff with anger. How could he be so clueless?
"Because of you! She left because of you!" he said pointing at Grissom "Can't you even see what you've done? I don't know where she went because she was afraid YOU would find out. I don't think she's coming back because she can't stand to be near YOU everyday. How can you sit there like all of this isn't your fault?"
Sinking back into his chair stunned, Grissom tried to process everything he had just been told.
His voice deadly quiet Nick drove his point home "Thats good. Think about it for awhile. You. Ruined. Her. Life. The only thing she ever wanted was you and you where just to damn selfish. Too afraid to give her a chance. There are worse things in life then death Griss." Turning his back on Grissom, Nick exited room, the door closing behind him with a soft click. Grissom would probably kill him later he thought but it would be a small price to pay for the satisfaction of seeing him experience a fraction of the pain he had inflicted on Sara.
He should be angry, no one ever spoke to him that way, but he wasn't. Nick was absolutely right and in her own way so was Sara. Hadn't she said that by the time he figured "this" out he would be to late? Putting his head in his hands Grissom resisted the urge to weep.
**********************
That was how Brass found him when he entered the room 10 minutes later.
"Ehem, Griss?"
Looking up at Brass Grissom sat up straighter.
"Yes?" he asked, wishing that the empty feeling inside of him would leave.
"I take it you've already heard about Sara?" Brass asked catiously.
"Am I the only person who didn't know?" He asked "I had breakfast with her this morning for godsakes and she didn't even tell me." He understood why of course. But still he had deserved to know and now he was one CSI short, what was he going to do?
"Well if thats out of the way then" said Brass who was relieved that he hadn't had to break the news himself. "There's someone here I'd like you to meet." Leaning out the door he motioned to the woman waiting there.
Forcing himself to get a hold on things Grissom stood and turned towards the door as a young waman entered.
"Grissom this is Megan Lee, she'll be replacing Sara." He said motionining towards the petite blonde.
"Megan, this is your new supervisor, Gil Grissom."
Staring Grissom hoped his shock didn't show. Brass had known about Sara long enough to have aranged a replacement. No. Replacement was the wrong word no one could replace Sara, no one could take the place she had left behind. Leaning forward and he placed his hands on his desk for support. Was this some kind of conspiracy? or was the world just out to get him? Giving himself a mental shake he brought his mind back to the here and now.
So this was the famous Gruesome Grissom she thought studying him. He was more then a little famous in the world of crime scene investigation. Moving a lab from fourteenth to second was an amazing feat. There was alot she could learn from this man and he was the why she had taken the job. Even though, it meant moving from Texas to Nevada. She had been looking forward to meeting him but, for some reason, she didn't think he had been expecting her.
"It's an honor to meet you Mr. Grissom." She said extending her hand.
Reaching out Grissom gave her hand a slight shake and said, in a voice that wasn't quite steady "Welcome to the LVPD Crime Lab Miss Lee."
******************