Another Woman

Author: Moggie

Pairing: G/S

Rating: PG-13

Category: Angst/Angst

Summary: [GSR] It was safer, but was it the right thing to do?

Spoilers: Blood Lust -onwards

Disclaimer: I do not under any circumstances own CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Fic Notes: We've seen fanfics about Sara and another man, but what about Grissom and another woman? Hmmm, good question huh?

Author's Notes: These new ideas of mine are a number of my friends fault. I want to place blame, but thank at the same time: Stumpycat and Cherie for helping me through my rants about anything and nothing other the past months. Taletha for sending me season 4 episodes that haven't aired in the UK yet and for giving me the motivation to write a batch of stories to thank her. And Xanti for keeping me sane. This is all good blame and it's a huge thank you too. Thanks for being online when I need you guys. I'm going to start writing more fics soon with you all in mind.

[Now, due to POPULAR demand, I give you - 'Another Woman']

Chapter 1

"I-I-I'm sorry," She swallowed back the lump in her throat and forced the tears into submission. "I didn't mean to interrupt anything." She turned and started walking down the steps. Her mind cursed her for even being here. She had no idea why she was standing on his doorstep in the first place, other than she was concerned, but now she wished she was miles away from this place.

The door opened in a hurry and she could hear footsteps following her in a rush and soon a voice joined the panic.

"Sara!" Grissom shouted as he rushed after her. "Sara-"

Of all the things she thought a cold was, was now flooding her mind with why she once played hooky in school to stay home with her new boyfriend. She had told her teacher she had a cold and she believed the lie.

She pushed away every emotion, with great effort, from her face before turning and forcing a tight lipped smile.

"Sara, please-it's not what it looks like." He hurriedly and hesitantly tried to explain.

Why was he trying to explain anyway? It wasn't like he was doing anything wrong. He was moving on, or had moved on a long time ago. No wonder he wasn't showing an interest in her anymore. He'd gotten himself a life outside work and he seemed happy. He had colour and his face looked so young. He'd obviously been working out.

With that thought, Sara's heart sank. Working out was what he had been doing when he was supposed to be sick.

She finally gave in and shrugged, taking short steps backwards towards her car. "Hey, Grissom. I-I just came to see if you were ok, you know?" She paused and swallowed hard. "I-I was told you were off sick... I thought you might-" She sighed sadly, knowing it was no use babbling, and turned away.

He watched her drive off into the darkness of the night. Dropping his shoulders, he headed back towards his house. As he got closer to the door, he noticed a small paper cup with a top on it, perched on the windowsill. He retrieved the cartoon and immediately realised what it was.

"Soup, that's nice." Anna commented as she leaned back against the open door.

Grissom looked up from the cup to catch Anna's eyes before his lingered on what she was wearing. She was wrapped in the bed sheet that was previous covering his bed, but she was using it as a wrap to keep out the chill. This was how she answered the door, half naked, hair ruffled and pinked from a day and night of lovemaking.

"It's cold out here Ann; you should put on something warmer before you catch your death." He suggested, moving through the door.

Anna smiled. "I'll be in the shower."

He nodded and kissed her briefly as he closed the door to shut out the cool night air. His eyes watched as she retreated to the bathroom.

She stuck her head around the bathroom door and looked at him with a teasing smile. "You coming?"

Grissom looked up and nodded, offering her a small smile in return before placing the chicken soup into the fridge.

Chicken? Sara brought him chicken, that's meat, something she can't stand to touch.

Sara sat in her car outside her apartment building with tears streaming down her face. She had been confused by his behaviour, but now she understood with pure clarity why he had been so happy at work lately.

He had come in one night and immediately started joking with Nick and Warrick, teasing Catherine and even laughing and lightening up with the rest of the staff.

It was confusing at first, but then he started working with her again. He showed an interest in their once strong relationship. He'd even gone to the effort of buying her breakfast a few times to make up for his behaviour and this made Sara think he was actually giving 'them' a try.

But she couldn't have been more wrong.

All the time they had spent together, all the time they had worked together in the past 3 months… It was all false hope. She really thought he was going to make a move. Now she knew why he wasn't taking that next step and why he hadn't in a long time. He was seeing someone and that someone made him happy.

Sara should have noticed, but his attention was blinding her to what was actually happening. Now she remembered that he was leaving shift on time and getting into work on time. The early starts and the late stays were almost non-existent anymore and Sara was the first to notice this, but she never, never thought it was another woman. She couldn't allow herself to think he could be with someone else after all they had been through.

TBC