Disclaimer: C.S.I. still not mine, unlike a yummy set of the trading cards!!

Title: The Holiday assignment (4)

Author: hazeleyes57

Spoilers: Few minor ones that everyone probably knows already.

Author's notes: Massive thank you's to everyone who left a review for the latest chapter, I cannot begin to tell you how much I appreciate them.

As to the story, anyone remember Mr Cool Calm and Collected smashing a coffee pot, or hoisting Eddie off Catherine or that blushing with Lady Heather? I do!

Summary: Grissom and Sara have returned to work. No really, they have.

Rating: R

THE HOLIDAY ASSIGNMENT (4)

Sara Sidle walked across the car park outside the C.S.I. building and entered through the main doors. It was dark outside and as usual the stars lost out to the neon glow that was Las Vegas.

The familiar sights, sounds and smells brought her back to the present with a bump. She was back from her holiday in Florida and due to start work in half an hour. She hefted the large box of Florida chocolates under her arm and took the stairs.

Her first port of call was the ladies room.

She went straight to the hand basins where there was a large mirror covering the entire wall from left to right, basin edge to five feet up the wall. The harsh overhead strip lights cast an unforgiving glare over everything. She critically checked her make up, casting her head left then right to see if it was obvious that she had been crying. It would probably fool most people, but then they didn't work with a bunch of investigators who were trained to notice such things. She sighed and left for the locker room.

After stowing her jacket and purse, Sara closed her locker slowly and thought about the last time she had stood here. It seemed much longer than two weeks. She felt like a different person.

The walk to the break room seemed endless. She had never felt quite so exposed before with all the glass walls. Now she felt as if people were watching her and whispering about her. Her and Grissom. Which was ridiculous because they couldn't possibly know. Apart from Catherine, obviously. And probably Warrick. And neither of them knew everything. Sara wondered fleetingly if there was anything brewing between them. They seemed a little vibey, which was nice. She knew that Warrick got on well with Catherine's daughter, Lindsey.

Her musings had brought her to the door of the break room. She entered and walked over to the main table, putting the chocolates down before going over to the coffee percolator.

Burnt offerings left by the day shift as usual. She cleaned out the pot and put fresh coffee on to brew.

No one else was in yet, but she was half an hour early. While Sara waited for the coffee she had a quick trip to see if Greg was in yet, but there was no sign of him in the DNA lab. so she headed back to the break room.

Twenty minutes later Nick turned up just as Sara was rinsing her mug.

"Mmm, smells like fresh coffee - hey Sara, you're back!"

Clearly delighted to see her, he swept her up in to a bear hug before she had chance to stop him.

"Okay thanks, you can put me down now."

"Oh, sure! How was your holiday?"

Nick set her back down and looked her over, but before he could say anything, Catherine and Warrick arrived and there were more greetings exchanged.

"So girl, you have a nice time?"

Warrick's enquiry came with a sincere smile so Sara gave him the benefit of the doubt regarding his involvement with Catherine's scheme.

Sara smiled back, but it was no delighted grin.

"It was okay."

"How was the hotel?"

Catherine wanted to get Sara alone and find out what had happened. The signs didn't look too good from where she stood.

Sara looked at Catherine and the latter had no trouble interpreting the 'I know what you did' signal.

"Crowded." Sara said succinctly.

Catherine raised both brows in an 'Oh, really?' expression. She had the grace to look a little sheepish.

"The hotel was very nice, in fact I thought I'd come and have a chat with you about it when you have a minute free later."

Catherine was acutely aware that Sara would not be discussing the accommodations.



"Sure."

Nick and Warrick both pretended not to have noticed any sub text in the conversation. Nick because he thought that it was 'girl stuff' and therefore none of his business and Warrick because he knew what Catherine had done and that Sara would be royally pissed.

Anxious for a change of subject Catherine suddenly realised that Grissom would normally have been in by now. She checked her watch.

"Anyone seen the boss?"

They all shook their heads.

"I'll check his office. Back in five."

Catherine left the room and headed for Grissom's office, but ran in to him before she got there. He was walking briskly, head down reading the job sheets.

To Catherine's experienced 'friend's' eye, he looked different. He had lost a little weight, but it suited him. What worried her was the subdued air and the distant manner about him that said 'this close and no closer'.

She realised that whatever she had been hoping to achieve with this holiday had not borne fruit. There was no sense of joy about him. More an air of melancholy.

What the hell had happened?

"Gill?"

Grissom's head came up.

"Catherine."

A dry acknowledgement, nothing more.

"How was your holiday? Did you have a good time?"

"Fine."

Grissom's tone discouraged Catherine from any further enquiry.

They walked to the break room, Catherine entering first. She tried to watch Sara without the other woman's notice.

Warrick and Nick greeted Grissom's return with respectful nods and hellos. Grissom wasn't the kind of boss that you slapped on the back and busted a beer with.

Sara's body had long ago turned in to a finely tuned antenna where Grissom was concerned, and it was working even more efficiently than usual now.

Grissom's quiet greeting of the two male C.S.I's had her heart banging around in her chest.

The sound of his voice brought back memories of soft conversation and subtle kisses.

She remained seated, hoping no one would notice if she looked pale. She refused to meet Catherine's eyes just in case she looked as obvious as she felt.

It had only been a few hours since she had last seen Grissom, since she had made love to him. She still carried his seed inside her. Her whole body was quivering with recognition of its erstwhile lover.

Sara's fists clenched inside her pockets in her efforts to remain still. She managed to scrape up some semblance of a smile, and having summoned every ounce of her courage, she looked up at Grissom.

Grissom had entered the room behind Catherine and did not immediately see Sara behind Nick and Warrick, but his sixth sense had already told him that she was there. Call it subliminal pheromones, intuition, whatever you like, his body had recognised her at a visceral level.

He firmly squashed any inappropriate sign of the pleasure he felt that she was here. He greeted Nick and Warrick as usual, then looked at Sara.

She had been looking down but raised her gaze just as Grissom sought hers.

Although it could only have been for a few seconds, their eyes locked and neither could look away.

It was Grissom who finally managed to blink.

"Sara."

He thought that she looked pale. He could see that she had been crying and she had tried to cover it up with make up. The early morning's events flashed through his mind.

"Hey, Grissom."

To Sara's quiet relief her acknowledgement sounded quite normal.

To Grissom it had sounded flirty and arousing. He could not say why.

To his profound horror, Grissom felt his face begin to flush. He could do nothing about it except pretend that he had not noticed. The chocolates had side-tracked Nick and Warrick but that still left Catherine.

And Sara.

Just as Grissom had spared her about her tears, she spared him about the blush.

Catherine's gaze flicked rapidly back and forth between the two of them. Both of them were looking anywhere rather than at each other.

'What have we here?' she thought, "It may not be sorted, but it's different.'

Catherine took a chair across from Sara where she could observe both her and Grissom as well; she tried to look as if the only thing on her mind was getting her assigned tasks for the night.

Grissom cleared his throat to get everyone's attention when he was reasonably certain that most of his flush had faded.

Warrick took the seat next to Catherine while Nick leaned on the edge of the table with the chocolates. He folded his arms to prevent his hands sneaking back in to the box. He caught Sara's eye and winked. She smiled back. He was incorrigible and reminded her of a mischievous younger brother.

"Nick, you have a DB at the Piedmont Retirement Home. Manager called it in, one of their guests has checked out permanently."

Nick walked over, took the detail ticket and returned to the table.

" Can I make the assumption that it appears not to be natural causes?"

Grissom looked up at Nick over his glasses.

"Never assume anything. However, as Brass called us, I think it's safe to say it won't be a wasted journey."

"Residential Home, probably a lot to process."

"Take Sara with you. Cases are thin on the ground at the moment, so we can spare another member of staff."

Grissom glanced at Sara to see how she had taken the news. She was smiling at Nick and did not look put out.

On the one hand Grissom was relieved that she appeared to be okay about not having her own dead body to process, but on the other hand, did she have to grin at Nick like that?

It would probably have taken heavy-duty drugs to get Grissom to utter any admission with the word 'jealousy' in it.

Catherine was vastly comforted by the fleeting expression on Grissom's face. Maybe things had not gone as badly as she thought.

"Warrick, you have a break in at a jewellery store. It looks like the owner put up a fight and got us some evidence."

Warrick regarded Grissom with his head tilted to one side.

"And the owner is now...?"

"At the local hospital in Emergency. He was knocked unconscious but his injuries are not life threatening. Again, there will be plenty to process, so Catherine can go with you. Okay, that's it."

Warrick nodded and started to get up, as did Catherine.

Grissom stood too and turned to leave. He turned back at the door.

"Before you go, Catherine I'd like a word in my office."

He left without waiting for an acknowledgement.

Catherine and Warrick exchanged glances. They had a fair idea what this was about.

So did Sara.

Nick appeared to be happily oblivious - with a suspiciously full mouth.

Catherine found Grissom sitting behind his desk when she entered his office five minutes later.

He did not invite her to be seated.

He looked up at her over his glasses. She could not entirely judge his mood.

"Why?"

Catherine wondered for a moment whether or not to pretend she did not know what he was talking about. She decided against it. They had known each other too long.

"You appeared to need help."

"Who else knows that you put us in the same hotel?"

"Just me and Warrick. But it was my idea, he only knew after the event."

Grissom removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. He briefly closed his eyes.

When he opened them he pinned Catherine with a gimlet stare.

"The next time you pull a stunt like that, you will find yourself the most expensively paid car park attendant this building has ever known. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal."

Catherine held his stare and challenged him without words. He stared right back, and in the end it was Catherine who backed down. She did not risk asking him again how the trip had gone. The man seated here was her Supervisor, not her friend.

Grissom picked up a paper on his desk and started to read. Catherine could take a hint.

She left the office and went to find Warrick.

"You okay?"

Catherine appreciated it that the first words out of his mouth were concern for her.

"Yeah, I'll live."

She grinned suddenly at her co-conspirator.

"I think it worked, we just have to wait for it to cook a while."

Warrick shook his head as they walked up the corridor. There was going to be trouble - he'd bet on it.

^^^^^^

Nick and Sara left the building together and headed for their Tahoe. Nick automatically walked around to the driver's side and Sara didn't bother to challenge him. She did not think that her concentration was up to the job of driving at the moment.

She had seen Grissom and not collapsed in a heap. So far, so good. He had appeared unaffected and calm, two qualities that she envied him at the moment.

At least, he had seemed that way until that flush gave him away. Perhaps she had got through to him more than she realised. The thought cheered her more than it ought to.

"That's better."

Nick's observation made Sara look at him.

"Excuse me?"

"You looked like you had thought of something that cheered you up."

"I wasn't sad."

Sara tried for surprise but it came out defensive.

Nick glanced at her then back to the road.

"No? Okay."

Nick wasn't about to get in to that if she didn't want to go there.

"No, what did you mean?"

Instinct told Sara to let it go, but her mouth had a head start.

"Nuthin' honest. You just looked a little down, is all. For someone who just came back from two weeks off, anyhow."

Nick shrugged and kept his eyes on the traffic.

"I'm fine."

Sara looked out the passenger's door window at the passing buildings.

"Good."

Nick suddenly put the clues together in his head. Of course, he should have realised earlier.

"Fine my ass. Who was he?"

"What?!"

Sara reminded herself not to panic. Yet.

Nick counted the points off on his fingers without removing his hands from the steering wheel.

"One, you've just had two weeks off in the sunshine state, but you have not much in way of a tan, two, sad face first day back at work, three, no holiday photos. It's obvious."

"What is?"

"You met a guy, spent all your time together - inside, took loads of photos with him in them, so you won't show them to us, and you miss him like crazy, but you've agreed not to see each other again. Am I right?"

Sara just gaped at Nick. More right than he could imagine but so wrong too.

"C'mon, you met a guy! Ooh, Sara met a guy. Tell, give us the skinny. What was he like? Huh?"

"What makes you think there is a guy? Apart from what you just said."

Sara felt silly for adding the last piece of the sentence, but needed to know what else Nick had picked up from her.

He slowed for the traffic and took the opportunity to look at Sara.

"You have that loved up look, you look relaxed..."

Nick smiled, genuinely happy for her.

"...but a little sad underneath too."

Sara was surprised at his insight, but shouldn't have been. They were investigators, after all.

"Maybe. So what? You never have a holiday romance?"

Nick grinned at the tacit admission.

"I knew it. Well, good for you Sar. Did he treat you right?"

Oh, what the hell. Sara smiled reminiscently.

"Yes. Yes, he did. He broke no promises. It was good."

Privately Nick wondered how Grissom would have taken this news.

"Glad to hear it, or he would have had me to deal with."

Sara smiled again, a little sadly, and turned her head to the window again.

Nick wisely let the matter drop.

^^^^^^

Several hours later both teams were back in the crime lab. building. Their samples had been dropped off, logged and sorted, and were on their way to being processed.



Grissom had managed to make a reasonable dent in his accumulated paperwork. He was grateful that much of it required enough concentration to forget about Sara.

At least for a few seconds at a time.

^^^^^^

Nick looked at his watch and decided to go and get something to eat. At four a.m. in the morning it hardly qualified as lunch, but it was the closest equivalent. He had to wait for test results anyway and nothing new had turned up this shift - so far.

When he entered the break room and headed for the fridge he noticed that Warrick and Catherine had their heads together over some magazine. When he turned back from the fridge with his sandwiches in his hand he saw that Warrick had straightened up and moved slightly away from Catherine. Nick hid a smile and thought that it was about time those two sorted themselves out. He thought about Sara and her holiday.

"Hey, guess what?"

Nick knew that Sara probably wouldn't mind if he told these two about her holiday romance. They would be discrete.

"What?" Warrick obliged.

Nick came over and sat opposite the others with his back to the door so that he wouldn't have to raise his voice.

"Sara met a beau on her holiday - she had a ro-mance!"

He drawled it out, Texan style. He took a bite out of his sandwich while waiting for their reaction.

Warrick's eyebrows raised and he glanced sideways at Catherine, who shrugged.

"Really? How'd you find that out?"

"Oh, I dragged it out of her earlier tonight on the way out to the scene."

Warrick looked sceptical as Nick grinned.

"Oh yeah! Sara had a big fat romance with a guy who - "

He had reached down to the seat beside him to take another bite of his sandwich as he was speaking and when he looked up again the expression on both Warrick and Catherine's face had stopped him in his tracks.

He had an awfully bad feeling about this.

"You were saying?"

Grissom's voice inquired quietly from behind him.

Nick shot out of his seat and turned to face him, looking pale.

"Uh, saying?"

Grissom did not move or blink.

"About Sara." He prompted.

Nick looked like a bug pinned on one of Grissom's boards.

"Sara? Nothing, nothing at all."

The thought of what Grissom had already heard and now wanted him to elaborate upon filled him with dread.

Thankfully Catherine stepped in to the breach.

"Nicky was just telling us that Sara met a nice man on her holiday and had some fun. He was please that she had a good time."

If Nick had not been staring at Grissom like a rabbit trapped in headlights he would have missed the brief flicker that crossed Grissom's eyes.

"Really?"

Grissom's voice held no emotion, no interest, but Nick wasn't fooled.

Grissom had felt strong emotion of some kind. Anger? Jealousy? Fear? He didn't know, but he wished he'd kept his mouth shut.

It wasn't until much later that Nick realised that the word 'satisfaction' had kept popping in to his head,

Grissom had handed the file he was holding to Catherine and left the room.

The silence was deafening.

^^^^^^

Grissom returned to his office and sat down at his desk to continue with his paperwork. He did not make much progress as his mind kept wandering. After a couple of hours he gave himself a break, leaning back in his chair.

He knew for certain that Sara would never have divulged anything to Nick about their holiday, regardless of what he had overheard in the break room. The young man was bright, he had obviously drawn his own conclusions from the information he had and Sara had allowed him to believe what he wanted. As Sara had said to him, the best lies are based on the truth.

Somehow Nick had come to think that she'd had 'a big fat romance'.

Grissom's lips twitched as he visualised Nick's face when he realised that he had been behind him and heard what he had said.

Priceless.

It had been all he could do to keep the satisfaction off his face.

"What are you smirking about?"

Grissom looked up with a start. Catherine stood in the open doorway.

"Don't you ever knock?"

Catherine pointedly knocked on the already open door.

"Well?" Grissom asked. He still hadn't forgiven Catherine, but she was a respected colleague as well as a friend.

"We've had a break on the jewellery job. One of the prints came back from AFIS with a match. Brass is off to round up our suspect. We're going with."

"Okay. Good work."

Catherine was already half out of the door.

"Later." She flung over her shoulder.

Grissom didn't bother to reply as she had already gone.

He shifted another file and found the toxicology report on the victim at the residential home, which should have gone to Nick. He flicked quickly but thoroughly through the report and drew his own conclusions. He stood up and left his office with the report, intending to find Nick.

Having checked a couple of the labs. and come up empty Grissom headed for the break room.

He found Sara instead.

She glanced up from her magazine as he came in and gave him an inquiring look.

"Have you seen Nicky?"

"Not recently. He was in Trace about ten minutes ago. We're going to go and see the vic's wife in half an hour so I know he'll be back then."

Grissom looked over Sara's face as she answered him and tried not to think of her as anything other than a work colleague. He failed miserably, but hoped that she hadn't noticed. He suddenly realised that she had stopped talking and was waiting for him to make a decision.

"Right. Here's the toxicological report, you can show it to him."

Grissom handed the report over, stepping closer to do so. He was assailed by the smell of her shampoo and his mind transported him straight back to waking up beside her this morning.

Sara's eyes met his and with the briefest flash of naked yearning he knew that she was remembering too. He needed to step back now and regain his distance. If only his body would do as his brain was telling it.

Sara wanted to look away, she really did, but the oh so familiar Grissom scent had grabbed her and was reeling her in.

"Sara..."

Whatever Grissom was going to say was lost when Nick entered the room and Sara wanted to scream. Nothing in the tone of Grissom's voice had indicated that he had been about to tell her off.

"Grissom, Bobby said that you were looking for me?"

"Yes." Grissom kept his back to the young man, turning only his head, shielding Sara from his view for a moment.

"Tox. is back on your DB."

He gestured to the report in Sara's hands and moved away to the fridge, taking out a bottle of water as if that had been his intention all along.

"Great. Thanks for bringing it."

Nick was sure that he had interrupted 'something' here and worried that someone had told Sara about his gaffe earlier. He looked at her expecting to see her angry, but she was just looking blankly at the file in her hands. Perhaps he was just being paranoid because he felt guilty.

He looked back to Grissom who was on his way out of the room. He couldn't tell what the older man was thinking. Now he just felt confused. He turned back to Sara.

"Anything interesting in that?"

Sara looked at Nick and then at the report as if surprised that she was holding it.

"Ah, don't know, haven't read it yet."

Sara opened the report on her lap and made herself concentrate on what she was reading. Eventually.

^^^^^^

Grissom mentally kicked himself all the way back to his office. Thank God Nicky had interrupted them in the break room. Heaven knows what he would have said otherwise.

He sat down at his desk and absently drank the water he hadn't wanted. He had to pull himself together. He'd resisted Sara for three years; he should have some measure of control over his desire for her.

'Ah, but ' the little voice in his head argued, 'before you had no real idea what it would be like to be with her. Now you know what you're missing and it's all your own fault.'

"Oh shut up." He muttered, looking at his watch. Half an hour until the end of shift.

He pulled over another file from the pile and opened it up. He'd work a little overtime tonight - this morning, he amended.

After all, there was nothing waiting for him at home.

^^^^^^

Sara collected her belongings from her locker and shut the door. It had been a long night and she was tired. She left the locker room and walked along the corridor fishing in her purse for her car keys. Her feet barely hesitated when she saw that the light was still on in Grissom's office. She kept going, one foot in front of the other until she was standing beside her car. She reminded herself that she was a strong independent woman who could manage without a man. She would not make a fool of herself again and again like some lovesick puppy. Next time, Grissom could make the first move. Her brain pointed out on a distinctly sarcastic note that Grissom had made the first move last time, at her apartment.

On the way home Sara stopped off and purchased the Dido album she had heard on the radio. She slipped the CD in to her player in the car and skipped through to track number eight.

It still gave her goosebumps.

Later that day she had a bath instead of a shower, but that was no help because she and Grissom had shared a bath too. In the end she gave up trying to stop thinking about him. She made herself a hot drink, collected her holiday photos and climbed into bed.

The sheets smelled like Grissom. She propped up the pillow he had used behind her and slid the photos out of their pocket. She went through the pictures until she found her favourite, the second one from Silver Springs. She found a pen on her side table and dated the back of the photo, adding 'Sara and Gill' as well. As if there was any chance she'd forget.

She propped that one against the bedside lamp, and looked slowly through the rest.

She could examine them far more closely now that Gill wasn't sitting next to her looking at them with her. She was very pleased with the pictures even if it was in a bittersweet way. Gill looked relaxed and happy and Sara was sorry that he could not see it for himself. She slid down the bed a little, beginning to feel a little drowsy.

Grissom's voice guided her forward, as did the hand on her shoulder. Not being able to see was disconcerting but she trusted him.

"Just a little further. Okay, stop there. Don't move."

His voice was playful and amused.

"May I look now?"

"Yes, you may."

Sara took her own hands away from her face and looked at her surprise.

The ensuite of Grissom's room had been transformed into a romantic trysting place. The main light was off but there were several lit candles dotted around the room away from the bath. The bath itself was half full of scented bubbly hot water and lying within easy reach was a little table with an ice bucket holding a bottle of champagne, two poured glasses and a plate of strawberries.

The scene took Sara's breath away. She looked back at Grissom with a huge smile.

"This is wonderful. What's the occasion?"

He handed her one of the champagne glasses and picked up the other one.

"I thought we'd celebrate your successful transfer to this room. It's a room warming party."

Sara laughed with delight as they clinked their glasses together and took a drink.

"Oh, dear and I haven't a thing to wear."

"This is one party where I think you'll find that's the perfect outfit."

Grissom put down his glass and slid his arms around Sara from behind. He kissed her at the junction between her neck and shoulder.

She tipped her head sideways to give him better access and moaned at the sensations flooding through her from the hot spot on her neck.

Grissom's hands were not idle. He undid the small buttons on Sara's blouse, then parted the edges, using the fingers of each hand to brush her nipples gently bringing them to attention. He was nearly side-tracked from his task when he realised that Sara had put one hand behind her and was using it to undo his pants.

He brought one hand down to the waistband of Sara's shorts and easily flicked open the button. He slid his hand inside the shorts and cupped her gently.

Sara matched his move by sliding her hand into his pants.

"Lovely though this is, we need to slow down."

"Oh, do we have to?" Sara complained with a grin, earning her a tap on the bottom from Grissom as he moved her hand.

"Yes. I went to some trouble, so let's enjoy it."

He laughed as she made a grab for him that he avoided. He very efficiently stripped off the rest of her clothes and then held her hand while she climbed in the bath and sat down. He quickly shed the remainder of his clothes and stepped in to the bath behind her. He sat down carefully, parting his legs so that Sara could scoot back against him.

"Mmm."

"You like?" Grissom asked.

"What's not to like?"

He reached for Sara's champagne glass and the strawberries. He gave her the former and fed her a strawberry after she had taken a drink. She sighed happily.

"This is so decadent."

"Yes, good, isn't it?"

"The best."

Sara rested her head back against the right side of Grissom's chest and turned her head left to look at him. She could feel his arousal in the small of her back.

He leaned forward and they kissed.

"I don't know how to thank you for all this."

Grissom smirked.

"I'm sure we'll think of something."

He was as good as his word. They had a leisurely soak interspersed with bouts of kissing and soft caresses. When things began to heat up they decided to get out of the bath before all of the water ended up on the floor.

Grissom got out first, then helped Sara out, taking a towel and drying her off so that she would not get too cold in the air-conditioned bedroom. He wrapped her in a dry towel and carried her to their bed. Having seen her safely delivered he turned back to the bathroom.

"Where are you going?"

Grissom looked back and half-grinned.

"I'm going to put those candles out. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be interrupted by half a dozen fire-fighters any time soon."

Sara sat up in the bed, looking speculative.

"Ooh, I don't know..."

She spoiled it by laughing.

"Brat."

He was back in seconds.

He stood for a moment beside the bed just looking down at Sara, still unable to believe his luck and she smiled serenely back at him. She held out a hand and tugged him on to the bed.

"I believe we have some unfinished business."

Sara pulled him down into a kiss that curled his toes. Her lips opened under his and his tongue sought hers. Without conscious thought they were both aware that foreplay was over.

Grissom lay on his side next to Sara, not taking his lips from hers. He pushed his right leg between hers and brought his thigh up to apply pressure. Her moan of delight vibrated into his mouth. She brought her right hand up between them and took hold of him, bringing him back up to full arousal in moments.

Grissom used his right hand to tease a nipple to a peak, then using just enough pressure to be arousing but not painful he squeezed her breast. He broke off the kiss to watch her response to his actions, storing away her preferences.

Moments later he slid the same hand down Sara's torso until it got to his thigh. He moved his leg slightly so that he could slip his fingers down through the damp curls to the bundle of pleasure hiding there.

Sara's whole body jerked and her eyes flew open when he made contact. He skilfully applied his fingers to heighten her arousal.

Grissom moved over Sara and she parted her legs so that he settled naturally between them.

They maintained eye contact as he used his hand to guide himself to her. It seemed profoundly intimate to be looking into each other's eyes as he slowly entered her body.

"Oh Griss..."

"Yes, I know..."

Sara knew that he did understand. He felt it too. It didn't need to be put in to words.

He slowly started to move and she was with him, perfectly attuned.

Grissom wanted this to last so he kept things slow but within minutes it was obvious to both of them that their journey would be short.

Sara looked up at him and felt the coils of sensation begin to tighten through her body. Each gliding thrust pushed her closer to the peak. Her hands alternated between clutching his backside or his shoulders, wanting to hold all of him to her.

"You feel so good!"

Grissom grunted in acknowledgement, leaning in for a quick kiss, but he was focused on not climaxing before Sara.

Her whole body tensed as the pressure built up. She was in that delicious place where she knew that she was about to climax but still had it to look forward to.

Grissom had already reached the end of his tether and was barely hanging on.

"Sara!"

It was her name but also a plea. Her body responded instantly to his.

"Yes! Oh God yes!"

Sara's cry of completion released Grissom from his restraint and he came explosively even as she did.

Sara's legs were tangled in her sheets and she fell ignominiously out of bed and on to the floor, banging her head on the carpet. Her holiday photos were scattered around her. She struggled with both pain and disorientation after her vivid dream.

Or rather, a memory from the holiday. She had actually woken up in the throws of a climax.

She freed her legs and got to her feet. She collected all the photos and put them away, then tidied her bed and got back in. At least she still had Gil in her dreams. She felt a little foolish but also pleasantly drowsy and soon went back to sleep.

^^^^^^

By nine a.m. Grissom had cleared all of his paperwork. He left it on his desk to have another look at it tonight just to make sure he'd not overlooked anything because of his distraction.

He collected his briefcase and had a quick glance around the office before he switched off the light and left, closing the door behind him. The regular day staff were arriving and the place had a different rhythm to the night shift. He left the building and crossed to his Tahoe.

When Grissom arrived home he dropped his keys on the dining table on the way over to his sound system. He selected some soothing Chopin and headed for the kitchen area. He made himself a light breakfast with juice instead of a caffeine drink knowing that that he would have to sleep later.

He thought how different this breakfast was to that of yesterday.

Sometimes he wondered how his life would have been if he had never even met Sara. Would he have just sailed calmly and completely detached into his old age and perhaps never realised just how much he was missing out of his life?

Would he have woken up some day and thought, 'Oh, was that it? Where did the time go?'

He recalled his bafflement when Teri had left him sitting at the restaurant table during a phone call about work. Sara would never have left or complained that his work came before her. Hell, Sara would have been loading the doggy bag and paying the bill to get him out of there even more quickly. She sometimes understood him better than he understood himself.

He didn't know what scared him more; the fact that she understood him or the fact that she understood him and still liked him.

Sara was like his roller coaster rides, thrilling and terrifying and addictive.

He would not allow himself to be in a relationship with her, yet he did not want to be without her.

Each time he promised himself that he would tell her to get on with her life without him, there would be Hank or his equivalent and he would want to rush in and claim Sara for himself. He wanted to have his cake and eat it.

Trouble was, did the cake really want him in return?

But the cake loved him, she had said so.

It was at this point that Grissom realised he really ought to get some sleep.

He washed up and left the few things to drain. He checked that his front door was locked and then went in to the bedroom. He closed the blinds and the drapes over them to shut out the sunshine.

He stripped off, hung his pants up and threw everything else in the laundry bin. He slipped between the cool sheets, turning over on to his stomach. Once he was comfortable he shut his eyes and tried to sleep.

It wasn't until he gave in and slipped his hand under his pillow to hold a small scrap of lace that he finally fell asleep.

^^^^^^

Over the following week the night shift cases came and went with some taking longer than others, some inevitably unlikely ever to be solved. But they tried their best all the same.

They caught the person who had robbed the jewellery shop, he had confessed as soon as he had been faced with all the evidence.

The elderly man at the nursing home had been treated as a suspicious death because his body had been redressed post-mortem, but it turned out that the octogenarian had been having an affair with a sprightly seventy six year old female resident that his wife had known nothing about. The 'girlfriend' had dressed the body to spare his wife's feelings. He had actually died of a stroke in his sleep.

At the end of her first week back at work, Sara was grateful that she had a couple of days off. She was exhausted with the effort of pretending that everything was fine.

Sitting like an accusation beside her front door were Grissom's shoes and the pair of boxers he'd left behind. Sara had washed the underwear properly with her laundry then ironed them and folded them neatly, tucking them inside the shoe bag. All she had to do was give them back.

It was proving more difficult than it should. Three times she had taken them to work and not had opportunity to leave them in his office, either she was out or Grissom was in and she did not want to hand them to him directly.

She was also pissed that Grissom had not partnered himself with her on any case since they had returned to work. Apart from that brief slip up in the break room she had not given him any cause to find fault with her behaviour. She knew that she could be professional, so why wasn't he?

A couple of times she had been partnered with Catherine but she never did talk to her about the holiday set up, preferring to let it drop. She couldn't talk about it yet in a remote enough way to pretend that nothing had happened.

Catherine herself had been grateful not to get an earful of Sara's wrath at first, but as time went on she was concerned that the level of tension in the lab. was on the increase again.

Sara sighed heavily and picked up the shoe bag. Grissom had been still at work when she left and appeared likely to be there for some time. She would drop these outside his apartment, it would be safe enough.

^^^^^^

When Grissom got home later that day his neighbour, an elderly lady who appreciated her quiet non-troublesome neighbour, stopped him. He was surprised when she handed him the shoe bag.

"It's yours dear. Your young lady left it about a half-hour ago. Didn't want to wait, said she had to go and that you would understand. Nice girl."

Grissom didn't disabuse her about Sara being his 'young lady' it would have been too long an explanation and there would be too many questions. He let himself in to his place and shut the door gratefully behind him.

He unzipped the bag and found the boxers with the shoes. As with so many things lately, he was back with Sara in his thoughts. He took his loafers through to his bedroom and put them away. He sat down on the bed and picked up the framed photograph on the night table. Sara and himself at Silver Springs. He ran his thumb over Sara's face and wondered over 'might have beens'. No wonder Sara had tried to hide this photo.

Although he would never admit it, part of Grissom was sorry that Sara had returned the shoes.

There was no excuse to go to her apartment now.

^^^^^^

Two months later, Sara had never felt less like celebrating Christmas. She did not decorate her apartment and didn't bother with a tree. All the commercial preparations struck her as cynical attempts to get money out of everyone without any regard for the true meaning of Christmas.

She had volunteered to be part of the holiday cover, having no plans to do anything this year.

Things had settled in to a rhythm at work and time and distance had given Sara a perspective on her holiday. Each day hurt a little less, and one day, maybe in a hundred years or so, she would be fine.

She had just started to reheat some leftover Chinese food when the phone went.

It was Catherine.

"We've got a multiple and Grissom wants everyone in now. It'll be a long night, so eat something quick."

"Sure. I'll be right in."

Sara hung up and debated going without the food. The Chinese hadn't really had long enough to reheat properly, but it was hot enough. It would probably be okay.

She ate it quickly from the pan and was on her way within ten minutes.

^^^^^^

Some time later Nick, Catherine and Sara were just finishing up logging in the evidence when Nick noticed that Sara had gone white.

"You okay?"

Sara had been overcome with a dreadful wave of nausea that had appeared out of nowhere.

She didn't even risk opening her mouth to speak, just pushed past the other two in her headlong dash to the ladies.

Catherine followed quickly after her and was in time to hear Sara being very ill.

There was another woman in the toilets, one of the lab. staff from the arriving day shift, who stood by looking horrified. When she saw Catherine was going to Sara's aid she left quickly.

Eventually Sara was reduced to dry heaves and finally stopped. She flushed the toilet and used the drinking water tap to wash out her mouth. She washed her hands and wiped her face with tissue. Catherine looked her over.

"What was that all about? You look like hell."

Sara glared at Catherine's reflection in the mirror.

"Gee, thanks Catherine."

"You know what I mean."

Sara straightened slowly over the sink.

"Earlier tonight I reheated a Chinese meal from the day before yesterday. I didn't give it long enough to heat through when you called. It's my own stupid fault."

Catherine put her hands on her hips and tutted.

"The day before? You shouldn't have reheated it from two days ago. No wonder you're sick."

She looked Sara over and the look turned speculative.

Sara saw her expression.

"What?"

"Sure it's just that? Nick says that you met a guy on your holiday and had some fun."

Sara's jaw dropped.

"Nick will get his ass kicked when I feel well enough."

"You haven't answered the question."

"No. I. Am. Not. Pregnant." Sara ground out between gritted teeth.

"Sure?"

"Positive."

"Unlike the test?"

"I haven't taken a...oh shut up."

Sara threw her paper towel in the bin as Catherine laughed at her expense.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's just that your face was a picture. Kidding. Why don't you go home, that Chinese won't have finished with you yet. I'll let the others know that you're not well."

Sara realised that the other woman was quite sincere in her apology and let herself be guided out of the ladies room.

"Will you be okay getting home Sara?"

Sara nodded, and turned towards the locker room. Catherine saw her to her car and made sure that Sara knew she could call if she needed anything.

Catherine stuck her head in to Grissom's office when she returned to the building.

"I've sent Sara home, she's not well. I doubt she'll be in tomorrow."

Grissom looked up from his desk, concern on his face.

"What's up?"

"Her last meal mostly. A stomach bug. Probably. She'll be okay in a day or two."

"Right." Grissom looked contemplative for a moment. "I think that we can manage without extra cover for her. Between us we can deal with the multiple now that the evidence is in."

Catherine shook her head in disbelief.

"Gil, I can't believe you just said that."

Grissom looked surprised.

"What?"

Catherine came fully in to his office and shut the door behind her.

"Remember that little chat we had about lifting your head out of the microscope every once in a while?"

Grissom looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Vividly."

"So, lift already!"

^^^^^^

Catherine made no apology to her conscience about misdirecting Grissom. Honestly, she wanted to slap him sometimes.

Over the last seven, no eight weeks since what she privately referred to as the holiday assignment, there had been little clues and hints and signs that led her to believe that her two friends had got a lot closer than they were admitting to.

If she had made Gil think that this stomach bug was anything more than a stomach bug, well, it was his fault for making an assumption. At least it might get them talking.

Grissom remained at his desk, trying to figure out what Catherine was trying to tell him.

Was he being callous about Sara being ill? As Supervisor it was his job to arrange staff cover if needed, but a stomach upset wouldn't keep Sara off for long.

He was concerned about her of course. But he didn't rush round to any other staff member's house if they were ill. They might think that he was checking up on them.

Knowing Sara she would probably never forgive him for seeing her when she was ill.

He would get Catherine to go round if it was necessary.



^^^^^^

When Sara returned to work the following night she felt much better. It was surprising how quickly she had recovered after twenty-four hours, admittedly ten of those fast asleep.

For the first time since she came back off her holiday she felt that same sensation of being watched and whispered about. One or two people had enquired after her health that would not have normally done so, and twice she had entered a lab. only to find the conversation had ceased suddenly.

She had not mentioned her concerns to her colleagues, thinking that she was just being fanciful. It would blow over, whatever it was.

^^^^^^

A couple of nights later Nick entered the break room and found Catherine and Warrick eating their lunch.

He looked unusually solemn.

"Have you heard any gossip lately?"

Catherine looked up at him in surprise. He didn't normally pay any attention to gossip.

"What about?"

Nick lowered his voice.

"Scuttlebutt around the water cooler is that Sara's pregnant."

"What?!"

Catherine looked surprised, then exasperated.

Warrick looked uncomfortable.

"Yeah, I heard that too, but I don't believe it."

Catherine looked at the two of them. Obviously the woman who had seen Sara throwing up had been busy.

"Well, it's not true. She had food poisoning. She's okay now. Forget it, it'll be a five day wonder."

Catherine stood and threw her sandwich wrapper in the bin. She headed for the door and turned back to the two men.

" It's just malicious gossip and none of our business."

"What's none of our business?"

Grissom's voice behind her made Catherine jump out of her skin. Damn the man, did he have to have such silent shoes?

"Nothing!" Nick said too quickly.

Grissom's internal radar was up in an instant. He stood blocking the doorway and gave each of them a hard stare.

"Nothing?"

His gaze settled on Nick and the younger man quailed at the idea of telling Grissom that Sara's holiday romance may have left a lasting reminder.

Catherine stepped into the two men's line of sight and indicated the file in Grissom's hand.

"Is that file the blood work back on our fire vic.?"

Grissom did not answer immediately. He thought he saw some sort of warning in her gaze and allowed himself to be distracted.

"Yes, he was sedated with well over the therapeutic dose level of sleeping tablets. He could not have been smoking in bed with that amount of drug in him. He would have been asleep for hours."

"So, he was probably doped and someone placed the cigarette in his hand?"

Catherine indicated with her hand that she was leaving the break room and Grissom turned to follow her, but not before flicking one last glance back at the two men.

It seemed to say 'this isn't over'.

Both Nick and Warrick waited several beats before they breathed a sigh of relief.

"Man, that was close."

"You got that right."

"You think we should warn Sara?"

Warrick gave Nick's question some thought.

"About the gossip or about Grissom?

"Both. Wouldn't you want to know?"

"I guess."

The two men left the room and split up to go and find Sara.

^^^^^^

Catherine steered Grissom back to his office. She figured he was less likely to overhear any gossip there.

"What was that all about?"

Grissom's enquiry was quite mild, but his gaze said, 'don't mess with me'.

"Not important."

Catherine waved her hand to dismiss something of no relevance.

"Kindly let me be the judge of that. What is going on?"

Just at that moment Catherine's mobile rang.

She excused herself to Grissom and answered the phone.

"Willows. Yeah. Ahuh. No that's fine, I'll do that. Later."

She hung up and tried to look apologetic.

"I have to go. We need to talk later."

She was out of the door before Grissom could stop her.

Catherine was never going to tell Grissom that that had been Warrick on the mobile, giving her an 'out' from his office if she needed it. Warrick had also told her that they were trying, without much luck to find Sara.

^^^^^^

Grissom left his office in search of Catherine.

Brass had just called to say that he and Sara were about to pick up their arson suspect for the 'cigarette in bed' victim. He thought that Catherine should know as the three of them had dealt with the case.

Grissom was just on his way to the labs. when he saw Catherine go in to the break room with Conrad Eckle. Now there was a man who knew how to be an idiot. What the heck was he doing here an hour early for the day shift?

By the time he entered the break room Catherine had already started to reply to whatever Eckle had said. She did not look happy.

"I've told you, it's a pack of lies. If you don't believe me ask Sara herself and even if it was true, it's none of your damn business."

Eckle turned round from the coffee percolator with the jug in his hand, pouring himself a coffee.

"Well, when I can find Grissom I'll..."

"You'll do what Eckle?"

Eckle looked over his shoulder at the night shift Supervisor. The scorn on his face was blatant and both Grissom and Catherine wanted to smack it off.

Eckle turned to face Grissom, gesturing with the coffee jug.

"I have been reliably informed that a member of the night shift has failed to inform the appropriate staff about a medical condition that could compromise their ability to do their job. A failing compounded by the fact that you have also failed to report it."

"You pompous windbag. What are you on about?"

Grissom was getting increasingly annoyed with the other man waving the pot in front of his face. Had he learned nothing?

"C.S.I. Sidle is pregnant."

Grissom froze for only a second as various disparate pieces of information gathered together to form a theory. His shocked gaze transferred to Catherine and turned to anger.

Catherine saw his fury build as he turned back to Eckle.

"You have no reliable sources, only your own staff who couldn't find their backsides with their own hands and a map."

"At least my staff don't get themselves knocked up on - "

Grissom batted aside the coffee jug and stepped forward. Catherine stepped in front of him when she saw his fist ball. She hung on to his arm, and shook it to get his attention.



"Grissom - he's not worth it!"

The glass jug shattered on the floor and Eckle looked at Grissom in disgust.

"What the hell is it with you and coffee jugs? You - "

He saw the fury in the usually imperturbable Grissom, and seemed suddenly to realise the danger that he was in. He abruptly shut up.



When he had backed away sufficiently he faced Catherine.

"You saw him, he assaulted me! I'll report him and have him fired."

Catherine turned to Eckle but maintained her grip on Grissom.

"All I saw was you dropping the coffee pot. You were careless - again. Now get out of here."

Catherine turned back to Grissom once Eckle had left. She released his arm.

Grissom was still in a state of shock. Eckle always seemed to bring out the worst in him. He had been ready to deck the man. He looked at Catherine.

"Thank you." He paused, gathering himself. "Back to my office. You said that we needed to talk."

Grissom refused to say another word until the two of them were inside his office.

He sat down at his desk, rubbing his hands over his face. If Sara was pregnant why the hell hadn't she come and told him?

"Okay, so talk. No, first is it true?"

Catherine eyed Grissom trying to judge how he felt about the idea. She knew that Sara wasn't pregnant, but that didn't mean she shouldn't take advantage of the situation.

"What difference does it make to you? It's nothing to do with you, is it?"

Grissom looked at Catherine. He knew that she had set them up at that hotel and she was still unrepentant about it. Was she being dense or crafty? She obviously wanted him and Sara to get together. Now it looked as if the fates wanted it too.

However, he wasn't about to confess all when he hadn't got all the facts.

"Of course it makes a difference to me, I have to organise the shift staff."

Catherine smiled, sensing him wriggling on the hook.

"That's not what I meant and you know it. Do you care about Sara? C'mon Gill, it's just you and me here. Do you care about Sara? Yes or no. Simple question, even simpler answer. I care about her, don't you?"

Grissom thought it wasn't in the least simple. But he wouldn't stand by and let Sara cope on her own. They would have to talk about this. But he would talk to Sara before anyone else, and that included Catherine.

"I care about all my staff. Now, is it true about a baby?"

Before Catherine could answer the door to Grissom's office burst open.

The expression on Nick's face precluded any attempt to chastise the young man for interrupting their conversation. He was breathing heavily from exertion but his face was as white as a sheet.

"Brass has been trying to get through on your phone!"

Nick gestured to the desk phone, which Grissom now noticed was slightly off the hook. He re-seated the handset and looked back at Nick.

An awful foreboding clutched at his insides even as the desk phone and his mobile started to ring.

"What is it?"

"Sara's been shot."

.

.

.

.

TBC

Working on 5, don't shoot me.

.

P.S. If you are wonderfully kind enough to review, and you don't mind, I'd love to know what country you're from. It's one of the aspects of the internet I find fascinating!

Best wishes, be well.

(England)