DISCLAIMER: I own nothing here. Please don't sue my sorry butt.
Ch.7
Grissom loaded the last of his things into his car. Professor Eriksson had come through for him. He would be lecturing for two classes the following day just a short drive from Sara's hometown. Not many colleges turned down an opportunity for a free lecture from an entomologist with Grissom's credentials. Catherine was right. No one batted an eye at the notion of Gil Grissom going off to some college in California for a few days. Grissom smiled, and shook his head. Maybe life wasn't as complicated as he thought.
As the sun rose, he rolled his windows down, turned the radio station to his favorite classic rock channel, and pulled out of his drive.
===
Sara stood at the edge of the water as it lapped at her toes. The slight chill felt exhilarating. She sat down with her knees pulled up tight to her chest. It felt odd being back. It was home, but it wasn't. She felt like she existed in a sort of habitation limbo; nowhere to truly call home. She didn't belong here anymore, if she ever had. She didn't quite feel like she fit in Vegas either. It was so close to the right thing, but there were the constant complications. Things with Grissom were taking a welcome change, but how long could it last? Where was it truly going? Sara felt the sudden urge for a beer and a cigarette. It's not like she had a problem, she just craved one occasionally. Sara didn't like the idea of being the victim of her own body's cravings. That loss of control was something she couldn't stomach.
"No beer for you, Sidle." Sara mumbled to herself, and hugged herself tighter as the waves crashed in.
The day hadn't been completely unpleasant. Sadie had lectured Sara about her love-life to the point of a brief shouting match, but that was nothing unusual. She loved her mother dearly, but to say they weren't close was an understatement. It was yet another part of her life that Sara felt was simply too complicated. To Sara, life needed to be explained, detailed, and resolved. To her parents, life had to be experienced; no matter how many lives it took. . .yet another issue Sara hated debating with her folks. Being in her old house -under her parent's roof- made her feel lost. Unsafe. That was how she felt. Without the security of her work, her friends, her daily routine, Sara felt unsettlingly unsafe. She wanted so badly to jump in her car, and barrel straight back to Las Vegas. She couldn't do that though. She had to at least try to face her past ghosts.
Sara looked out across the now golden-hued waters. The sun was quickly setting. The breeze was catching a slight chill as night started to attach itself. Sara saw headlights come up the beach and stop at the edge of the drive to the B&B. As the car door opened, and she saw a man step out, her heart raced. At first, she thought her mind was playing tricks.
"Grissom!" Sara yelled up the beach to him. The winds and waves drowned her out. She could tell he hadn't heard her as he made his way up the drive towards the house. Sara broke into a clumsy run across the beach. She reached the end of the driveway before he could get to the B&B's doors.
"Gris?" Sara stood panting in front of him, smiling like a fool.
Grissom returned the smile, placing a hand on her shoulder to give her some balance.
"Are you ok?" He laughed.
"Yeah. I was down the beach." She took a moment to catch her breath before continuing. "I wanted to catch you before you got hauled in for the interrogation of your life." She smiled broadly up at him, and hugged onto him before he had a chance to react.
"I'm glad you did then." He smiled into her hair as he hugged her tighter to him. All worry that this had been a huge mistake faded from his mind. Sara took his hand, and led him down the beach, unwilling to share him with anyone else just yet.
"I can't believe you actually came to see me." She took his arm as they walked, and held on.
Grissom sighed, and smiled. He was walking on a deserted beach with Sara Sidle clinging to his arm. He leaned over and placed a kiss on the side of her head as she leaned into his shoulder. She stopped, and looked up at him, eyes brimming with tears.
"Sara? What's wrong?"
"Can we just sit out here for a while?" She motioned down towards the sand.
"Sure."
Grissom eased himself down onto the warm sand as Sara settled into his arms. She closed her eyes as the first few silent tears fell. She leaned in closer as if wanting to hold onto the moment for dear life. Grissom wrapped his arms around her while they watched the moon rise over the bay. Sara laid her head against his chest, and listened to his heart beating. She felt safe. Home wasn't a place she had to look for anymore. Home was a person. A man who, at the moment, had his arms wrapped protectively around her.
Ch.7
Grissom loaded the last of his things into his car. Professor Eriksson had come through for him. He would be lecturing for two classes the following day just a short drive from Sara's hometown. Not many colleges turned down an opportunity for a free lecture from an entomologist with Grissom's credentials. Catherine was right. No one batted an eye at the notion of Gil Grissom going off to some college in California for a few days. Grissom smiled, and shook his head. Maybe life wasn't as complicated as he thought.
As the sun rose, he rolled his windows down, turned the radio station to his favorite classic rock channel, and pulled out of his drive.
===
Sara stood at the edge of the water as it lapped at her toes. The slight chill felt exhilarating. She sat down with her knees pulled up tight to her chest. It felt odd being back. It was home, but it wasn't. She felt like she existed in a sort of habitation limbo; nowhere to truly call home. She didn't belong here anymore, if she ever had. She didn't quite feel like she fit in Vegas either. It was so close to the right thing, but there were the constant complications. Things with Grissom were taking a welcome change, but how long could it last? Where was it truly going? Sara felt the sudden urge for a beer and a cigarette. It's not like she had a problem, she just craved one occasionally. Sara didn't like the idea of being the victim of her own body's cravings. That loss of control was something she couldn't stomach.
"No beer for you, Sidle." Sara mumbled to herself, and hugged herself tighter as the waves crashed in.
The day hadn't been completely unpleasant. Sadie had lectured Sara about her love-life to the point of a brief shouting match, but that was nothing unusual. She loved her mother dearly, but to say they weren't close was an understatement. It was yet another part of her life that Sara felt was simply too complicated. To Sara, life needed to be explained, detailed, and resolved. To her parents, life had to be experienced; no matter how many lives it took. . .yet another issue Sara hated debating with her folks. Being in her old house -under her parent's roof- made her feel lost. Unsafe. That was how she felt. Without the security of her work, her friends, her daily routine, Sara felt unsettlingly unsafe. She wanted so badly to jump in her car, and barrel straight back to Las Vegas. She couldn't do that though. She had to at least try to face her past ghosts.
Sara looked out across the now golden-hued waters. The sun was quickly setting. The breeze was catching a slight chill as night started to attach itself. Sara saw headlights come up the beach and stop at the edge of the drive to the B&B. As the car door opened, and she saw a man step out, her heart raced. At first, she thought her mind was playing tricks.
"Grissom!" Sara yelled up the beach to him. The winds and waves drowned her out. She could tell he hadn't heard her as he made his way up the drive towards the house. Sara broke into a clumsy run across the beach. She reached the end of the driveway before he could get to the B&B's doors.
"Gris?" Sara stood panting in front of him, smiling like a fool.
Grissom returned the smile, placing a hand on her shoulder to give her some balance.
"Are you ok?" He laughed.
"Yeah. I was down the beach." She took a moment to catch her breath before continuing. "I wanted to catch you before you got hauled in for the interrogation of your life." She smiled broadly up at him, and hugged onto him before he had a chance to react.
"I'm glad you did then." He smiled into her hair as he hugged her tighter to him. All worry that this had been a huge mistake faded from his mind. Sara took his hand, and led him down the beach, unwilling to share him with anyone else just yet.
"I can't believe you actually came to see me." She took his arm as they walked, and held on.
Grissom sighed, and smiled. He was walking on a deserted beach with Sara Sidle clinging to his arm. He leaned over and placed a kiss on the side of her head as she leaned into his shoulder. She stopped, and looked up at him, eyes brimming with tears.
"Sara? What's wrong?"
"Can we just sit out here for a while?" She motioned down towards the sand.
"Sure."
Grissom eased himself down onto the warm sand as Sara settled into his arms. She closed her eyes as the first few silent tears fell. She leaned in closer as if wanting to hold onto the moment for dear life. Grissom wrapped his arms around her while they watched the moon rise over the bay. Sara laid her head against his chest, and listened to his heart beating. She felt safe. Home wasn't a place she had to look for anymore. Home was a person. A man who, at the moment, had his arms wrapped protectively around her.