I don't know the names of any parks in Vegas…so bear with me.
Massaging the back of her neck with her fingers. Sara fell onto her bed, more than ready to drop dead.
She'd spent the last four days packing boxes, cleaning house…what little bit of cleaning there was, signing paperwork, and taking trips to the new house to make sure everything was to her liking. All in all very tiring.
She felt a headache coming on when she looked over at the phone, a sadness collecting in the put of her stomach. Grissom hadn't called her in three days.
Not a 'Hi, how are you?'…nothing.
She decided maybe he was so busy working he couldn't take the time to call her…or…she didn't even want to think of what other problem there could be.
He's pulling away again, I just know it. He can't even take having a friendly relationship with me. It's that damn hard for him?
Sara closed her eyes tried to think of what she might have done wrong…or said wrong.
You know what. Stop it. You didn't do anything, its him acting like some weird, happy go lucky teenager….and really, what the hell is all that about. That's not the Grissom I know…I mean..he used to joke, and it'd be smart and funny, but now…it's getting sickening…well it was, until he stopped calling me. I'd almost be willing to hear one of his retarded jokes again just to know he wasn't mad at me.
Just then the phone rang. "Speak of the devil…maybe"
"Sidle"
"Sara…hey, it's Catherine."
Catherine!
"Yeah…uh, hi, what's up?"
"Have you talked to Gil lately?"
"Nope…I think I pissed him off again or something."
"Naa…I don't think its that. He's just been acting kinda funny lately."
Sara rolled her eyes, knowing there was no point to the question, but she went on.
"How so Cath?"
"Oh…I don't know. He jokes and acts like an ass all the time. It's driving us nuts."
"Oh…yeah…that. Making me sick too."
"So you have been around him?"
"Three days ago. That's the last time I saw him."
"Uh..huh. Well…he's been here. He's handed out assignments, then day before yesterday he started disappearing…giving us all our own cases. But by the time shift is over when any of us go to find him, the lights off, door shut."
"Yeah. Not the norm for Grissom."
"I think he must be going through some mid-life crisis."
"Oh God, I hope so."
"Though….I thought when he came back from that vacation with the beard that he was having a mid-life crisis then….and think its only just happened now."
What is this….Cath and I don't talk like this. This is entirely too weird. Maybe I'm asleep…wishing I knew something about him.
Sara pinched herself. Nope…not dreaming.
"Sara? Are you there?"
"Yeeah…hey um…I guess I'll just go out and look for him."
"Yeah…maybe you should…shifts not starting for another hour or two, but the rest of us are all busy."
"Yeah Cath…okay…well…I'll go see if I can find him."
"Thanks Sara…hope your having a good vacation."
"Yeah…great. Thanks Cath…talk to you later."
The line went dead and Sara set the phone back on the cradle.
Closing her eyes she let out a breath.
"Damnnnnn" She hissed as she sat up, rubbing her eyes.
"Off on another damn wild goose chase."
She stood and went out of the room, grabbed her keys and wallet off the table and walked out to her car. Throwing her stuff into the passenger seat, she started the car and drove out of the parking lot.
"Where the hell am I supposed to look?"
Sara drove to his townhouse first, no Tahoe in the driveway.
After that she had no idea.
She drove around Vegas, hoping she might see him drive by or his car parked somewhere.
After a half hour passed, and all her ideas had ran out, she decided to head back home, and hope that there was a message on her answering machine.
Yeah….right
Stopping at the light, at the crossing of Ramsland Park, on a whim, she looked out over the parking lot.
As her eyes scanned the empty lot, it fell onto the site of one lone, black Tahoe.
She smiled to herself and looked around for any traffic, and when she saw none, she changed lanes and pulled into the driveway of the park.
Parking next to his Tahoe, and checking the plate just to make sure, she opened the middle passenger door and grabbed her jacket and scarf, put them on and walked towards the park grounds, locking the car and dropping the keys into her coat pocket.
Sara walked the path, hoping the park would be empty enough that he'd easily be seen.
About five minutes later she rounded a corner and smirked when she saw him sitting by himself on a park bench, legs laying out in front of him, as if he was bored out of his skull.
As she neared, she noticed his head was down, but his eyes open. She came up quietly, and stopped directly in front of him, five feet away.
"Why you hiding stranger?" Sara said quietly, hoping she wouldn't startle him.
He suddenly looked up and saw it was her, then pulled himself up to sit.
"Not hiding. Thinking."
Sara stepped forward and walked to the bench and sat down beside him, making sure she was a few inches away, as to give him space.
His head was in his hands, resting on his knees.
After another five minutes passed, Sara couldn't fight her curiosity and lightly touched his shoulder.
He didn't flinch, That's a good sign but he still didn't move.
"Grissom what's wrong?"
"Sara, just…..let me think."
"Grissom….everyone is worried about you. Catherine called me to check on you."
Sara heard a small, gravelly laugh. She didn't like it one bit.
What the hell is up with him?
Starting to grow angry, she touched his shoulder again, but this time Grissom pulled away standing up.
Now very angry, Sara sat back and looked up at him, waiting for his explanation.
Grissom paced back and forth in front of the bench.
After a few moments, Sara couldn't stand it anymore and snapped, "What the hell is up Grissom?"
Grissom stopped and looked at her a moment, then his face turned grim.
"Why are you here? I'm trying to think and no one will leave me alone."
Sara had, had about enough and quickly stood, her hands drawing into fists at her sides.
"Dammit Grissom. You selfish bastard. I am so damn tired of this. I'm going home, and when you've gotten over yourself, maybe you could try giving me a call."
Sara pushed past him and walked back to her car, holding her fists at her sides.
She jumped in and slammed the door. She put the keys in the ignition, and screeched out of the lot.
Massaging the back of her neck with her fingers. Sara fell onto her bed, more than ready to drop dead.
She'd spent the last four days packing boxes, cleaning house…what little bit of cleaning there was, signing paperwork, and taking trips to the new house to make sure everything was to her liking. All in all very tiring.
She felt a headache coming on when she looked over at the phone, a sadness collecting in the put of her stomach. Grissom hadn't called her in three days.
Not a 'Hi, how are you?'…nothing.
She decided maybe he was so busy working he couldn't take the time to call her…or…she didn't even want to think of what other problem there could be.
He's pulling away again, I just know it. He can't even take having a friendly relationship with me. It's that damn hard for him?
Sara closed her eyes tried to think of what she might have done wrong…or said wrong.
You know what. Stop it. You didn't do anything, its him acting like some weird, happy go lucky teenager….and really, what the hell is all that about. That's not the Grissom I know…I mean..he used to joke, and it'd be smart and funny, but now…it's getting sickening…well it was, until he stopped calling me. I'd almost be willing to hear one of his retarded jokes again just to know he wasn't mad at me.
Just then the phone rang. "Speak of the devil…maybe"
"Sidle"
"Sara…hey, it's Catherine."
Catherine!
"Yeah…uh, hi, what's up?"
"Have you talked to Gil lately?"
"Nope…I think I pissed him off again or something."
"Naa…I don't think its that. He's just been acting kinda funny lately."
Sara rolled her eyes, knowing there was no point to the question, but she went on.
"How so Cath?"
"Oh…I don't know. He jokes and acts like an ass all the time. It's driving us nuts."
"Oh…yeah…that. Making me sick too."
"So you have been around him?"
"Three days ago. That's the last time I saw him."
"Uh..huh. Well…he's been here. He's handed out assignments, then day before yesterday he started disappearing…giving us all our own cases. But by the time shift is over when any of us go to find him, the lights off, door shut."
"Yeah. Not the norm for Grissom."
"I think he must be going through some mid-life crisis."
"Oh God, I hope so."
"Though….I thought when he came back from that vacation with the beard that he was having a mid-life crisis then….and think its only just happened now."
What is this….Cath and I don't talk like this. This is entirely too weird. Maybe I'm asleep…wishing I knew something about him.
Sara pinched herself. Nope…not dreaming.
"Sara? Are you there?"
"Yeeah…hey um…I guess I'll just go out and look for him."
"Yeah…maybe you should…shifts not starting for another hour or two, but the rest of us are all busy."
"Yeah Cath…okay…well…I'll go see if I can find him."
"Thanks Sara…hope your having a good vacation."
"Yeah…great. Thanks Cath…talk to you later."
The line went dead and Sara set the phone back on the cradle.
Closing her eyes she let out a breath.
"Damnnnnn" She hissed as she sat up, rubbing her eyes.
"Off on another damn wild goose chase."
She stood and went out of the room, grabbed her keys and wallet off the table and walked out to her car. Throwing her stuff into the passenger seat, she started the car and drove out of the parking lot.
"Where the hell am I supposed to look?"
Sara drove to his townhouse first, no Tahoe in the driveway.
After that she had no idea.
She drove around Vegas, hoping she might see him drive by or his car parked somewhere.
After a half hour passed, and all her ideas had ran out, she decided to head back home, and hope that there was a message on her answering machine.
Yeah….right
Stopping at the light, at the crossing of Ramsland Park, on a whim, she looked out over the parking lot.
As her eyes scanned the empty lot, it fell onto the site of one lone, black Tahoe.
She smiled to herself and looked around for any traffic, and when she saw none, she changed lanes and pulled into the driveway of the park.
Parking next to his Tahoe, and checking the plate just to make sure, she opened the middle passenger door and grabbed her jacket and scarf, put them on and walked towards the park grounds, locking the car and dropping the keys into her coat pocket.
Sara walked the path, hoping the park would be empty enough that he'd easily be seen.
About five minutes later she rounded a corner and smirked when she saw him sitting by himself on a park bench, legs laying out in front of him, as if he was bored out of his skull.
As she neared, she noticed his head was down, but his eyes open. She came up quietly, and stopped directly in front of him, five feet away.
"Why you hiding stranger?" Sara said quietly, hoping she wouldn't startle him.
He suddenly looked up and saw it was her, then pulled himself up to sit.
"Not hiding. Thinking."
Sara stepped forward and walked to the bench and sat down beside him, making sure she was a few inches away, as to give him space.
His head was in his hands, resting on his knees.
After another five minutes passed, Sara couldn't fight her curiosity and lightly touched his shoulder.
He didn't flinch, That's a good sign but he still didn't move.
"Grissom what's wrong?"
"Sara, just…..let me think."
"Grissom….everyone is worried about you. Catherine called me to check on you."
Sara heard a small, gravelly laugh. She didn't like it one bit.
What the hell is up with him?
Starting to grow angry, she touched his shoulder again, but this time Grissom pulled away standing up.
Now very angry, Sara sat back and looked up at him, waiting for his explanation.
Grissom paced back and forth in front of the bench.
After a few moments, Sara couldn't stand it anymore and snapped, "What the hell is up Grissom?"
Grissom stopped and looked at her a moment, then his face turned grim.
"Why are you here? I'm trying to think and no one will leave me alone."
Sara had, had about enough and quickly stood, her hands drawing into fists at her sides.
"Dammit Grissom. You selfish bastard. I am so damn tired of this. I'm going home, and when you've gotten over yourself, maybe you could try giving me a call."
Sara pushed past him and walked back to her car, holding her fists at her sides.
She jumped in and slammed the door. She put the keys in the ignition, and screeched out of the lot.