DISCLAIMER: I don't own them. None of this is mine. This font? Not mine.
Please don't sue me, k?
A/N: Spoilers? Yup! Mostly from Season 4's "Butterflied."
CH.5:
"Tony's Florist. How can I help you?" The overly cheery voice sang across the lines.
"I'd like to send a dozen red roses." Lurie smiled. Old school charm was still the best method, he wagered. "Please have them sent to a Miss Sara Sidle at the Las Vegas Crime Labs." Vincent Lurie was absolutely gleeful at the thought of his nemesis hearing of his object of desire being wooed by another. He couldn't, but Vincent Lurie certainly could. Why not rub it in? There was no need for him to know that Lurie was the sender. He couldn't resist this little stab at the man who thought he was so smart. For all the investigator's gadgets, Lurie was a free man. More now than ever before.
====
Grissom adjusted his glasses as he sat in his office looking over the files of the Coombs brothers Rape case. It had been a harrowing, yet fascinating case. He wondered how Sara was taking it. If he knew her, she was probably still blaming herself on some level for the death of Linley Parker. Catherine was still stinging from it as well. He sighed deeply. There was no way they could have seen that one coming. Still, for once the evidence worked against him. Gil Grissom found that very unsettling. He looked up at his clock. It was already noontime, and he'd yet to see the outside of the building. Placing the files safely back in their folder, he gathered his keys and coat, and headed down the halls.
"Mr. Grisoom?" Tammy from days came up to him with a large vase of flowers. "Uh, these are for Sara. I was just wondering where to put them."
Grissom eyed the flowers curiously.
"Here. Thanks." He took the flowers from her, and headed towards the exit. The card was poking him in the chest as he walked. It almost begged him to open it. His curiosity was killing him, but he tried to remain cool about it. He respected Sara's privacy. Still, the envelope wasn't sealed.
Grissom waited until he was in the sanctity of his car before slipping the card carefully from its sheath.
'Dear Sara,
Thank you for a lovely evening of conversation with a beautiful new acquaintance.
Yours,
Vincent'
Grissom felt a cold sweat forming on his brow. He slipped the card back into place, and headed towards Sara's apartment. Who was Vincent? Whoever he was, Gil Grissom did not like him one bit. An evening of conversation? Since when did Sara converse for hours with strangers? Strangers of the male persuasion who sent roses? Grissom mentally kicked himself. He was acting jealous when he had no right to. Sara was a grown woman. She didn't belong to him. He had no claim to her. . .still, she was his Sara. The thought that she might not always just be a page away from him sent chills down his back. He drove faster.
Lurie spotted the other Mercedes pulling into Sara's apartment complex as he sipped his iced coffee. He nearly choked when he recognized the driver. His eyes steeled at the site of his red roses in the investigator's front seat. What was he doing delivering them? That hadn't been part of his plan. Still. . .this could still go well for Vincent if the emotionally handicapped man before him put his foot in his mouth for jealousy's sake. Lurie grinned, and took a long sip of his coffee. He felt alive. He was the star of this production. Everyone else was mere puppets for him to direct. Sara was his to direct, and please, and hold. He knew that now. She was his. He pulled out his cell phone, and waited patiently.
Grissom climbed the stairs with the cumbersome flowers slapping him in the face, and poking him in the chest. He stood before her door, and hesitantly knocked. A few moments seemed to pass before he heard her unfastening the latch.
"Grissom?" She eyed the roses, and her heart leapt. She smiled broadly with surprise.
"I, uh, these came for you at the lab. I figured you'd want them here, and wasn't sure when you'd be stopping in." He registered the sorrow on her face at his words, and wasn't sure if it gave him hope or broke his heart.
"Thanks." Her tone was flat as she took the vase, and motioned for Grissom to enter. "You want something to drink?" Sara placed the vase on her counter overlooking her living room, and picked up the small card that was sticking up amongst them.
Grissom studied her face as she read it. His heart sank to his stomach as a broad smile crossed her face. She shook her head, and stuck the note up on her fridge next to what looked like a business card. Grissom, always the curious, read the card carefully. 'Vincent Mathers – Bio-TRCcam Engineers'. Grissom felt almost guilty, but he was merely curious.
"Those are nice." He pointed to the flowers.
"Yeah." She nodded and smiled shyly. Why should she be feeling guilty? If Grissom felt jealous it served him right.
"I, uh, should be going. I hope your time off is nice." Grissom cringed at how poorly that had come out.
As Sara was about to reply, her phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Sara?" Lurie tried to sound innocent as a babe.
"Vincent! I just got your flowers. They're amazing, but you really didn't have to do that."
"Well, it's the least I could do. I'm glad you got them. I didn't realize it was your day off. When I called to make sure I sent them to the right place they told me you were on vacation."
"Oh, well, my supervisor just dropped them off." Sara was smiling despite everything.
Grissom took this as his cue to leave. He waved, and pointed to the door. She nodded again, and waved back. Grissom could feel a hard lump forming in the back of his throat. He was too late. She was moving on. She was healing, but without him. He wasn't going to be the one to make everything better. Someone else was filling that role. Someone who sent flowers that would wilt and die. Grissom couldn't help the bitterness that filed into his mind. He sighed heavily again as he exited the building into the afternoon sun.
'That's right. Move along.' Lurie thought as he held the phone tight against his cheek.
"Would you like to have dinner with me tonight? I know it's short notice. I hope it's not too forward of me."
"That sounds really nice." Sara sat down on her bed. She looked across her studio apartment at the roses. She couldn't remember the last time anyone had sent her roses. Grissom had sent her a plant, but it was sent as an apology of sorts, not a romantic gesture, or so Sara now thought.
"Where do you want to meet?" Sara asked as she played with the edge of her sheets nervously.
"How about I pick you up around six? Anyplace in town you are particularly fond of?"
Sara was caught off guard. He wanted to come here? Pick her up at her place? Alarms should have been going off, but Sara refused to let her usual over-cautious attitude talk her out of a nice date.
"Six is great. I don't' really have a favorite. Maybe you could surprise me." She cringed at how cheesy that sounded.
"I'm sure I could. I'll see you at six." Lurie almost hung up before Sara stopped him.
"Um, Vincent?" Sara laughed. "Don't you need directions?"
"Directions? Oh! Yes! I do. Let me get a pen." Lurie smacked his forehead. Stupid!
Sara asked where he was coming from, gave him very detailed instructions which he, of course, had no need for, and said goodbye. She flopped back on her bed. She was going to do this. She was going to have a nice, normal go at this relationship. At least until her vacation ended when she'd have to figure out how to explain her crazy work schedule. Aw, well, she'd worry about that when the time came.
Lurie pulled out of Sara's apartment complex, and made his way home to shower and change for their date.
A/N: Spoilers? Yup! Mostly from Season 4's "Butterflied."
CH.5:
"Tony's Florist. How can I help you?" The overly cheery voice sang across the lines.
"I'd like to send a dozen red roses." Lurie smiled. Old school charm was still the best method, he wagered. "Please have them sent to a Miss Sara Sidle at the Las Vegas Crime Labs." Vincent Lurie was absolutely gleeful at the thought of his nemesis hearing of his object of desire being wooed by another. He couldn't, but Vincent Lurie certainly could. Why not rub it in? There was no need for him to know that Lurie was the sender. He couldn't resist this little stab at the man who thought he was so smart. For all the investigator's gadgets, Lurie was a free man. More now than ever before.
====
Grissom adjusted his glasses as he sat in his office looking over the files of the Coombs brothers Rape case. It had been a harrowing, yet fascinating case. He wondered how Sara was taking it. If he knew her, she was probably still blaming herself on some level for the death of Linley Parker. Catherine was still stinging from it as well. He sighed deeply. There was no way they could have seen that one coming. Still, for once the evidence worked against him. Gil Grissom found that very unsettling. He looked up at his clock. It was already noontime, and he'd yet to see the outside of the building. Placing the files safely back in their folder, he gathered his keys and coat, and headed down the halls.
"Mr. Grisoom?" Tammy from days came up to him with a large vase of flowers. "Uh, these are for Sara. I was just wondering where to put them."
Grissom eyed the flowers curiously.
"Here. Thanks." He took the flowers from her, and headed towards the exit. The card was poking him in the chest as he walked. It almost begged him to open it. His curiosity was killing him, but he tried to remain cool about it. He respected Sara's privacy. Still, the envelope wasn't sealed.
Grissom waited until he was in the sanctity of his car before slipping the card carefully from its sheath.
'Dear Sara,
Thank you for a lovely evening of conversation with a beautiful new acquaintance.
Yours,
Vincent'
Grissom felt a cold sweat forming on his brow. He slipped the card back into place, and headed towards Sara's apartment. Who was Vincent? Whoever he was, Gil Grissom did not like him one bit. An evening of conversation? Since when did Sara converse for hours with strangers? Strangers of the male persuasion who sent roses? Grissom mentally kicked himself. He was acting jealous when he had no right to. Sara was a grown woman. She didn't belong to him. He had no claim to her. . .still, she was his Sara. The thought that she might not always just be a page away from him sent chills down his back. He drove faster.
Lurie spotted the other Mercedes pulling into Sara's apartment complex as he sipped his iced coffee. He nearly choked when he recognized the driver. His eyes steeled at the site of his red roses in the investigator's front seat. What was he doing delivering them? That hadn't been part of his plan. Still. . .this could still go well for Vincent if the emotionally handicapped man before him put his foot in his mouth for jealousy's sake. Lurie grinned, and took a long sip of his coffee. He felt alive. He was the star of this production. Everyone else was mere puppets for him to direct. Sara was his to direct, and please, and hold. He knew that now. She was his. He pulled out his cell phone, and waited patiently.
Grissom climbed the stairs with the cumbersome flowers slapping him in the face, and poking him in the chest. He stood before her door, and hesitantly knocked. A few moments seemed to pass before he heard her unfastening the latch.
"Grissom?" She eyed the roses, and her heart leapt. She smiled broadly with surprise.
"I, uh, these came for you at the lab. I figured you'd want them here, and wasn't sure when you'd be stopping in." He registered the sorrow on her face at his words, and wasn't sure if it gave him hope or broke his heart.
"Thanks." Her tone was flat as she took the vase, and motioned for Grissom to enter. "You want something to drink?" Sara placed the vase on her counter overlooking her living room, and picked up the small card that was sticking up amongst them.
Grissom studied her face as she read it. His heart sank to his stomach as a broad smile crossed her face. She shook her head, and stuck the note up on her fridge next to what looked like a business card. Grissom, always the curious, read the card carefully. 'Vincent Mathers – Bio-TRCcam Engineers'. Grissom felt almost guilty, but he was merely curious.
"Those are nice." He pointed to the flowers.
"Yeah." She nodded and smiled shyly. Why should she be feeling guilty? If Grissom felt jealous it served him right.
"I, uh, should be going. I hope your time off is nice." Grissom cringed at how poorly that had come out.
As Sara was about to reply, her phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Sara?" Lurie tried to sound innocent as a babe.
"Vincent! I just got your flowers. They're amazing, but you really didn't have to do that."
"Well, it's the least I could do. I'm glad you got them. I didn't realize it was your day off. When I called to make sure I sent them to the right place they told me you were on vacation."
"Oh, well, my supervisor just dropped them off." Sara was smiling despite everything.
Grissom took this as his cue to leave. He waved, and pointed to the door. She nodded again, and waved back. Grissom could feel a hard lump forming in the back of his throat. He was too late. She was moving on. She was healing, but without him. He wasn't going to be the one to make everything better. Someone else was filling that role. Someone who sent flowers that would wilt and die. Grissom couldn't help the bitterness that filed into his mind. He sighed heavily again as he exited the building into the afternoon sun.
'That's right. Move along.' Lurie thought as he held the phone tight against his cheek.
"Would you like to have dinner with me tonight? I know it's short notice. I hope it's not too forward of me."
"That sounds really nice." Sara sat down on her bed. She looked across her studio apartment at the roses. She couldn't remember the last time anyone had sent her roses. Grissom had sent her a plant, but it was sent as an apology of sorts, not a romantic gesture, or so Sara now thought.
"Where do you want to meet?" Sara asked as she played with the edge of her sheets nervously.
"How about I pick you up around six? Anyplace in town you are particularly fond of?"
Sara was caught off guard. He wanted to come here? Pick her up at her place? Alarms should have been going off, but Sara refused to let her usual over-cautious attitude talk her out of a nice date.
"Six is great. I don't' really have a favorite. Maybe you could surprise me." She cringed at how cheesy that sounded.
"I'm sure I could. I'll see you at six." Lurie almost hung up before Sara stopped him.
"Um, Vincent?" Sara laughed. "Don't you need directions?"
"Directions? Oh! Yes! I do. Let me get a pen." Lurie smacked his forehead. Stupid!
Sara asked where he was coming from, gave him very detailed instructions which he, of course, had no need for, and said goodbye. She flopped back on her bed. She was going to do this. She was going to have a nice, normal go at this relationship. At least until her vacation ended when she'd have to figure out how to explain her crazy work schedule. Aw, well, she'd worry about that when the time came.
Lurie pulled out of Sara's apartment complex, and made his way home to shower and change for their date.