What I Meant to Say – Chapter 7
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters......... not at all. Although I wish I owned Grissom ;)
Author's note: This is the final chapter. All feedback appreciated.
______________________________
When they arrived back at the lab Sara quietly helped unload the evidence and then stood, waiting for her orders. She gathered what Grissom told her to and went to work. Grissom could see that she was upset, but he was thankful to see it wasn't interfering with her work. Sara dropped the blood off in the DNA lab on her way to examine the footprints taken from the crime scene.
A few hours later, on her way to get the DNA results from Greg, Sara's beeper went off. She checked it and saw Grissom's number.
"Great," she mumbled.
Greg looked up as she entered the room.
"Hey, Greg. Can I use your phone?"
"Knock yourself out, babe."
"Thanks."
She dialed and the phone rang only twice.
"Grissom."
"You beeped me?"
"Where are you?"
"DNA lab."
"Did you get the results yet?"
"Hang on..." She turned to Greg, "Do you have my results?"
"Sure do. The blood at the scene matches the vic's."
"Thanks... Gris, it's the vic's blood on the glass."
"That's what I thought. What about the footprints?"
"Also the vic's."
There was a long pause. Sara waited for Grissom to say something, but he stayed quiet.
"Grissom, you still there?"
Still nothing.
"Grissom!"
After a short pause, Grissom spoke, "Yeah... still here. Stop by my office with those results. There's something I need to show you."
"I'm on my way."
Sara hung up the phone and said a quick thanks to Greg on her way out. When Greg looked up she was already gone, so he waved goodbye to the air in the doorway.
As Sara walked into Grissom's office he held out a piece of paper.
"I found this folded in the vic's wallet."
Sara took it and read it aloud, "'I alone am guilty of my death. I only staged the break-in to protect my family from the truth. Please don't tell them I took my own life.' So, he killed himself?"
"Looks that way."
"You knew the whole time didn't you?"
"I had a hunch."
"Some hunch."
Grissom smiled. The earlier events seemed to have been forgotten... or at the very least pushed aside. Maybe they would work after all.
"I also checked up on his background."
"Another hunch?"
He smiled again, "He used to head a forensics lab in L.A."
"So, he knew exactly what to do so we would figure it out, but not his family."
"Exactly... And he waited until they were out of town. His wife took the kids to visit family out of state."
Sara suddenly looked grim.
"What do we tell his family?"
"That's up to Sheriff Walker. I'll fax over the results as soon as everything is finalized."
"Good... Do you need me for anything else? That trip was pretty tiring..."
"No... go get some sleep."
Sara didn't need to be told twice. She collected her things and went home. _______________________________
Once Sara was home the tiredness wore off. She tried to go to sleep but all she could do was think of Grissom and the ride back to Las Vegas.
A few hours later there was a knock at the door.
"Who is it?"
"The jerk of the century."
"Oh... Grissom," she said loud enough for him to hear. She slowly walked over to the door and opened it slightly. "What do you want?"
"To apologize."
She didn't expect that. She hadn't even expected him to show up at her door, but here he was.
"So, apologize."
"Can I come in?"
She turned and walked over to sit on the sofa, leaving him to close the door himself. He stood in the middle of the room, afraid that he would lose his nerve if he sat down.
"I was a real jerk on the ride home. I just started over-thinking everything..."
"You hurt me, Grissom."
"I know."
"You messed with my emotions just to put me through some stupid test."
"I..." He stared at her. "You knew what I was doing?"
"Not at first, but after awhile... I had a hunch."
She smiled and Grissom realized she had been playing along.
"Some hunch."
They both smiled and Grissom finally set down beside Sara.
"I really am sorry."
"I know."
"And, you know, you were staring at me too much."
"Think about it, Gris. Was anyone else ever around when I was staring?"
He thought for a moment.
"Not that I can recall."
"I knew what I was doing. I can't help it if you're easy on the eyes."
Sara thought she saw Grissom blush and decided to keep the conversation moving so he wouldn't get uncomfortable.
"I've proven that I can be professional, right?"
"Yes, you did."
They were both quiet for a few minutes, just enjoying being next to each other, and then Grissom broke the silence.
"What do we do now?"
Sara smiled, "Have dinner with me?"
Grissom was taken back to that night after the explosion when she had asked him that very same question. He wasn't fool enough to make the same mistake twice.
"Your place or mine?"
Sara smiled and kissed him lightly on the lips. As she pulled away, Grissom looked into her eyes.
"You know, the night you first asked me that..."
"Mmhmmm..."
"That's what I meant to say."
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters......... not at all. Although I wish I owned Grissom ;)
Author's note: This is the final chapter. All feedback appreciated.
______________________________
When they arrived back at the lab Sara quietly helped unload the evidence and then stood, waiting for her orders. She gathered what Grissom told her to and went to work. Grissom could see that she was upset, but he was thankful to see it wasn't interfering with her work. Sara dropped the blood off in the DNA lab on her way to examine the footprints taken from the crime scene.
A few hours later, on her way to get the DNA results from Greg, Sara's beeper went off. She checked it and saw Grissom's number.
"Great," she mumbled.
Greg looked up as she entered the room.
"Hey, Greg. Can I use your phone?"
"Knock yourself out, babe."
"Thanks."
She dialed and the phone rang only twice.
"Grissom."
"You beeped me?"
"Where are you?"
"DNA lab."
"Did you get the results yet?"
"Hang on..." She turned to Greg, "Do you have my results?"
"Sure do. The blood at the scene matches the vic's."
"Thanks... Gris, it's the vic's blood on the glass."
"That's what I thought. What about the footprints?"
"Also the vic's."
There was a long pause. Sara waited for Grissom to say something, but he stayed quiet.
"Grissom, you still there?"
Still nothing.
"Grissom!"
After a short pause, Grissom spoke, "Yeah... still here. Stop by my office with those results. There's something I need to show you."
"I'm on my way."
Sara hung up the phone and said a quick thanks to Greg on her way out. When Greg looked up she was already gone, so he waved goodbye to the air in the doorway.
As Sara walked into Grissom's office he held out a piece of paper.
"I found this folded in the vic's wallet."
Sara took it and read it aloud, "'I alone am guilty of my death. I only staged the break-in to protect my family from the truth. Please don't tell them I took my own life.' So, he killed himself?"
"Looks that way."
"You knew the whole time didn't you?"
"I had a hunch."
"Some hunch."
Grissom smiled. The earlier events seemed to have been forgotten... or at the very least pushed aside. Maybe they would work after all.
"I also checked up on his background."
"Another hunch?"
He smiled again, "He used to head a forensics lab in L.A."
"So, he knew exactly what to do so we would figure it out, but not his family."
"Exactly... And he waited until they were out of town. His wife took the kids to visit family out of state."
Sara suddenly looked grim.
"What do we tell his family?"
"That's up to Sheriff Walker. I'll fax over the results as soon as everything is finalized."
"Good... Do you need me for anything else? That trip was pretty tiring..."
"No... go get some sleep."
Sara didn't need to be told twice. She collected her things and went home. _______________________________
Once Sara was home the tiredness wore off. She tried to go to sleep but all she could do was think of Grissom and the ride back to Las Vegas.
A few hours later there was a knock at the door.
"Who is it?"
"The jerk of the century."
"Oh... Grissom," she said loud enough for him to hear. She slowly walked over to the door and opened it slightly. "What do you want?"
"To apologize."
She didn't expect that. She hadn't even expected him to show up at her door, but here he was.
"So, apologize."
"Can I come in?"
She turned and walked over to sit on the sofa, leaving him to close the door himself. He stood in the middle of the room, afraid that he would lose his nerve if he sat down.
"I was a real jerk on the ride home. I just started over-thinking everything..."
"You hurt me, Grissom."
"I know."
"You messed with my emotions just to put me through some stupid test."
"I..." He stared at her. "You knew what I was doing?"
"Not at first, but after awhile... I had a hunch."
She smiled and Grissom realized she had been playing along.
"Some hunch."
They both smiled and Grissom finally set down beside Sara.
"I really am sorry."
"I know."
"And, you know, you were staring at me too much."
"Think about it, Gris. Was anyone else ever around when I was staring?"
He thought for a moment.
"Not that I can recall."
"I knew what I was doing. I can't help it if you're easy on the eyes."
Sara thought she saw Grissom blush and decided to keep the conversation moving so he wouldn't get uncomfortable.
"I've proven that I can be professional, right?"
"Yes, you did."
They were both quiet for a few minutes, just enjoying being next to each other, and then Grissom broke the silence.
"What do we do now?"
Sara smiled, "Have dinner with me?"
Grissom was taken back to that night after the explosion when she had asked him that very same question. He wasn't fool enough to make the same mistake twice.
"Your place or mine?"
Sara smiled and kissed him lightly on the lips. As she pulled away, Grissom looked into her eyes.
"You know, the night you first asked me that..."
"Mmhmmm..."
"That's what I meant to say."