Title: Fairytale Ending

Disclaimer:  Not mine

AN:  Hi folks, this is NOT the much requested Mom sequel, it is coming though.  This is another idea.  Hope you like it.  It is my usual fluffy stuff though.

The music pounded in his ears and not for the first time Grissom contemplated the benefits of his former hearing loss.  As he looked around the club he had just entered a familiar form breezed towards him,

'Gil glad you could make it.'  Catherine exclaimed as she grabbed a hold of his arm and dragged him towards the balcony that stretched around the room and overlooked the basement floor below.

'As you can see you are the last to arrive, being only an hour and a half late.'  As she said this she pointed to the other members of the night shift and many of the lab techs from his shift who were gathered around the far right corner of the bar close to the edge of the thronging dance floor.  This year the sheriff had left the arrangement of the annual Law-Enforcement officers' spring party to his 23 year old assistant – and probable mistress.  This is what they got. A loud noisy nightclub with a barbeque at dawn – nothing like their usual fare.  Although looking around Grissom did have to acknowledge that everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

'Goin' downstairs?'

'Sure'

Catherine led them to the edge of the room where a dramatic sweeping staircase led to the floor below.

Everyone exchanged their greetings with Grissom as Warrick handed him a beer.

'Thanks Warrick, having a good time?'

'Yeah, man this is a nice place.  I guess it isn't really your thing though'

As Grissom moved to answer he caught sight of a familiar figure surrounded by female company move his way around the dance floor.

'Is that Albert?'  He asked, confusion evident in his voice,

'yeah man, he can move crutch or no crutch.'

As he said this the nighttime coroners crutch past them in the arms of a young lady who seemed to think that it was an electric guitar.

Grissom continued to look around the room at colleagues he would not expect to see with their guard down, at times he felt that he was the only one still maintaining their work façade.

Warrick, Greg and Nick appeared to be having a competition

to see who could get the phone numbers of the most women, although Greg seemed to be cheating. 

Catherine was playing the politic game, she was doing what he probably should have been and charming all those she needed to, right now she was chatting to Eliza Ecklie, no doubt which would be enlightening conversation.

As he looked around for the figure he had been trying to avoid looking at all night he heard he voice,

'Aren't you supposed to be the one charming your way around the room?'  Sara asked as she gestured towards Catherine.

'I'm not very charming!'

'Well that is true.'  She answered, although her tone was light hearted, there was an underlying sting to her words.

'Catherine does it much better than me, and she enjoys it.'

'What do you enjoy?'

'I enjoy watching.'

'It's good to act sometimes you know!'  She answered in a serious tone before walking across the room towards Greg.

Grissom grabbed another beer and made his way back upstairs.  His glances didn't make anyone self-conscious from there.  He tried to look around him, but his glace never failed to settle on the impossibly long legs that were poking out from the short – but not too short black skirt, and encased in fine black silk pantyhose and knee high leather boots.  The top half was pretty stunning too.  A fuchsia pink, high neck tank top that clung to her body like a second skin.  He could watch her from here.  The urge to grab her had not lessened, but the thirty foot drop was a hindrance.

As he glanced around the lower floor it became painfully apparent that he was not the only male in the building mesmerized by her form.  It seemed that every male in the place was sending Sara, his Sara, appreciative glances.

Several beers later Grissom watched as the eleventh young, fit, handsome, policeman approached her.  He did all the right things, lots of eye contact, bought her a drink, said something witty, he could see her laughing…twenty seconds later he walks away, a defeated look on his face, the same look as all of the others.  Again Grissom looked around the room already spotting her next apparent suitor preening before making his way towards her.  Once again Grissom felt the bile rise in his throat as it had with the others, this one, as with three of their others had asked her to dance.  He was mesmerized by the sway of her body… maybe she wouldn't turn this one away…maybe she would give him her phone number… maybe she would kiss him… what the hell would he do then.  Grissom once again took on a stricken appearance as he had whenever these thoughts crossed his mind as she was approached by another man,

'Stunning!'

At the sound of the deep voice in his left ear Grissom snapped out of his reverie.  'Huh'

'She is stunning, I'm not surprised that she is fighting them off.'

'Who.'

'My Aunt Cordelia, who do you think?'  Albert Robbins replied sarcastically.

'What?'  Grissom asked still coming to his senses.

'Gil, Sara, she looks great.'

'Oh…yeah everyone looks great.'

'They do.  But I didn't think that you noticed anyone else considering you haven't taken your eyes off her.'

'Do you have a point?'  Grissom was becoming irate.

'Wanna know what she is telling them to get rid of them.'

'What?'  Grissom's interest was suddenly piqued.

'I should tell you to go ask her out and find out for yourself, but I don't think that you will get the same answer if you ask.'

'Huh' Again Grissom appeared confused.

'She is telling them that she is waiting for her fairytale ending.  That her prince charming was just trying to work out what that was.  Most of them have a comeback about being her knight in shining armor or something, and then she just tells them that she already found her prince.'

Grissom felt his heart in his socks as the color drained from his face 'She has?'  His voice almost cracked as the enormity of Albert's words settled over him.  Sara had found her prince charming, he really was too late.

Al leaned into him and whispered into his ear 'For God's sakes Gil, don't stand there with that look on your face.  She is waiting for YOU Gil.  Do something before she gives up on the fairy tale ending.'