Title: Boundaries
Chapter: 3
Author: Evidence
Rating: PG
Author's Notes: Thanks to D and to all of you for the reviews.
"Okay, boy, time to get out," Grissom said to the dog when they reached their destination. The dog didn't budge he continued to whine and Grissom resorted to tugging on his brown collar. "Come on, come." Grissom's words were meaningless.
The fiasco went for a few minutes before Grissom took out his cell. He needed to get back to the lab but he couldn't leave the dog in the Tahoe all night. He dialed the number.
"Hello, Sidle."
"Sara, it's me. I...I am having problems with Bailey. Where are you?"
"I just got to the lab, I'm walking up the front steps, I'm beginning to open the door..."
"Sara." He could hear the amusement in her voice, a happy sign seeing just a while before she was unhappy with him. "Could you come to my condo and help me get the dog situated. Then we could head back to the lab together."
Together. The word made her stop in her tracks although he didn't mean it in a romantic sense. But still it held meaning for her. "Sure, I'm on my way."
"Do you remember where I live? It was a few years ago when you were here with Nick, Warrick and Catherine for the strip strangler case."
"Of course I remember." With that she hung up.
Grissom bent down next to the rearview mirror and took a quick glance at his reflection. He may not have looked as young as Chris Van Huesan but he was still handsome.
Sara arrived at the scene barely a few minutes later. She nearly jumped out of her Tahoe. "Hey Bailey!"
The dog immediately began wagging its tail.
Sara opened the back door and out came the large dog bounding after her.
"That was easy," Grissom said assumed.
"Someone has to got to fall head over heals for me," she said looking at Grissom and looking away.
"I think that probably happens to every guy when you enter a room."
She looked at him now and he was the one to turn away. He had revealed too much with one sentence.
Bailey walked, unleashed, up to Grissom's condo on the third floor of his still unfinished apartment complex. Grissom opened the door and led Sara and the dog in. His heart skipped a beat- for the first time in his life he was walking into his home like he had a family- a wife and a dog.
"Do you have any large bowls?" Sara asked walking in and looking around.
"Third cabinet, top shelf," Grissom instructed.
Sara removed two bowls- a stainless stain for water and a red large one for food. "We have to remember to buy him dog food."
"Right," Grissom said cringing as the dog got on his leather sofa. "We" she said as if they were a team in all of this.
A popping sound emitted from the sofa.
Sara turned with the water in hand. "Oh, Grissom. He shouldn't be on there."
"It's okay."
"No, you won't have a sofa left!" Sara went over quickly and shoed Bailey off- three holes were visible. "Grissom, I'm sorry."
"I needed a new one anyways. The springs aren't like they use to be."
Sara raised an eyebrow. "Really. Use the sofa often?"
"Of course, all the time," Grissom responded not getting what she was implying.
"Alone?" She asked with a grin.
A Huh? expression appeared on his face.
"Damn it Grissom you're hard to tease. I was kidding you that you had some female company on the sofa with you and your activities ruined the springs." She picked up the water dish, Bailey had already emptied it, and refilled.
"Oh," Grissom said willing to play her game, "I didn't think of that. It's been a few days since Tina was here."
Sara promptly dropped the water dish on the floor splashing herself and the kitchen island.
"Just teasing," He said with a smirk.
"Not funny," Sara replied but there was laughter in her voice. "Look at me I'm soaked and the floor needs to be wiped.
"I'll clean the floor seeing it was my fault you dropped the dish." He grabbed paper towels printed with grapes and bent down to mop up the mess.
"Got enough paper towels to dry me?" Sara asked.
"If you really can't stand being a little wet I have slacks in the other room." Grissom said it without thinking,
Sara paused from observing the damage to her attire. "I'll ...I'll be fine thanks."
Grissom went back to scooping up the remaining water with his paper towels repeating to himself how there were boundaries one couldn't cross.
Bailey scratched at the front door kicking off some flacks of wood. He let off a bark.
"I think Bailey needs to be let out," Sara said shrugging her shoulders.
I'll bring him. Can you look and see if there is anything in the fridge he can eat?" Grissom asked getting up quickly and standing a mere few inches form Sara. He swallowed.
"Sure," Sara said slowly, staring more at his eyes and feeling the heat from his body.
Bailey barked again.
"Coming," Grissom called tearing himself away from the moment.
Sara sighed when he left with the now leashed dog. Opening the door of the silver-plated appliance she found not much food at all. There was an open half and half liter of milk, catsup, an unopened peanut jar, stale looking bread, a package of cold meat and his migraine medicine. Sara removed the cold meat- turkey- smelled it and ripped it into pieces for Bailey.
Grissom returned with Bailey. "He's set. Maybe we should get going. I think he'll be fine."
"Yeah, he's all set now," Sara, said watching him munch on the cold meat. She thought of the lack of food in the fridge. "He makes me hungry. Hey want to grab something to eat on our way into work?"
Grissom smiled. "Yes, that would be good. Where can you eat?"
Sara felt suddenly elated, happy that he remembered she was a vegetarian. "Do you know Pilano's? They have veggie wraps that are delicious."
"No I haven't heard of them. Where are they located?"
Bailey licked Sara's hand. "Hey boy. On Cover Drive."
Grissom bit his lip. "I don't know where that is."
"Oh well if you don't mind I can drive us there and then to the lab."
Grissom's mind was whirling. "You would drop me off back home after shift?"
"Yeah," Sara said.
"That sounds like a plan," Grissom said smiling. "Maybe on the way home we can pick up some dog food."
Home. We. "Sure," Sara said with a smile and a flip of her heart.
Bailey watched them leave wagging his tale at the two CSIs.
To be continued...