Title: Not Quite Myself
Author: Roxanne Kowalchuk
Feedback: roxettemts.net
Category: Romance/Humor
Pairing: S/G (Sara/Grissom)
Disclaimer: I don't owe anyone.
Spoilers: IE. Just the Job.
Summary: Sara is having a bad day.
Notes: I gotta stop writing while on a sugar rush. Gotta love Hallowe'en
candy. :)
An Extra Big Thank You: To Kelly, my beta reader.
Archived: Yes, please!
Feedback is welcomed.
...................

Walking into the lab, Brass was on his way to see Grissom when something
caught his eye. Stopping he backed up and peered into the lab. Moving to the
door, he opened it and spoke. "Greg."

Greg was sitting in his usual chair, sideways, leaning his elbow on the back
of the chair with his head resting on his hand. "What?"

"It's me Brass, Greg," he announced.

Lifting his head, Greg looked over at him. It was Brass. Returning to lean
his head on his hand, Greg spoke. "Sorry Brass."

Brass picked up on Greg's mood even before he entered the room. "Problems Greg?"

"Do you believe that Grissom told me I have to apologize to him," Greg
explained as he dropped his elbow off the back of the chair and turned to
Brass. "Me? I have to apologize to him. He thinks he's innocent. Which is a
bunch of bullshit."

Brass knew it was. "Calm down, Greg. I'm on your side on this one. I heard
what Sara said."

Letting his shoulders slump, Greg apologized. "Sorry Brass."

"Stop apologizing," Brass told him. "Listen, are you going to see Sara later
today?"

"Probably, why?"

"Her doctor said we could bring her some food. Bring her a salad or
something," Brass explained to Greg. "Can you do that?"

"Ya, of course," Greg replied.

"Good, now I have to go see Grissom," Brass announced as he turned and left the room.

Greg didn't even bother replying.
..........

After leaving Greg, Brass found Grissom in his office sitting behind his
desk. He was there to talk to him, but he figured he'd do most of the
talking. "Gil."

Looking up, Grissom saw Brass. "Tell me you found him."

"Not yet."

"Great," Grissom mumbled as Brass sat down. "What can I do for you?"

"We need to talk," Brass answered.

"About?" Grissom had no clue.

"The way you are treating your staff," Brass clued him in.

"You mean Sara?" Grissom questioned.

"Yes."

"I found out we all yelled at her that night," Grissom admitted. "I tried
apologizing to her, but she's still mad."

"You saw her?"

"I had too."

Shaking his head, Brass spoke. "You do realize that she isn't ready to see
you or anyone else for that matter."

"Yes I know that. She only wants to see you, Greg and Billy. That deputy."

Rolling his eyes, Brass had to inform Grissom of something. "Billy, Deputy
Jones has a wife, Gil."

"Oh."

He would of told him that he has nothing to worry about, but he hadn't gone
there to talk about that to him. "So you saw her?"

"Yes."

"Do you realize that she was just shot and has stitches and if she pops any
of those stitches, she'll blame you," Brass tried.

Grissom was noticing something. "You're on her side!"

Brass ignored the comment for now. "Don't see her again, Gil. Not until
she's ready."

"You are on her side."

Rubbing his eyes, Brass spoke. "Act your age Gil."

Grissom glared at him.

"It's not only Sara."

"What?" Grissom was still baffled.

"You're treating Greg like shit," Brass pointed out.

"I am not. He's slacking in his work. He owes me an apology," Grissom
explained.

"Actually he doesn't," Brass corrected. "If you think about it, you've given
him the cold shoulder ever since Sara asked for him and not for you. I bet
to get the case going faster; you all dropped all the evidence on him at
once and told him to have it to you in an hour."

It was starting to make sense.

"And I bet Greg's been arguing back," Brass continued on. "So, you owe him the apology not the other way around!"

Brass was right. "I think I just received a failing grade for being their
boss."

"You said it, I didn't."

Shaking his head, Grissom spoke. "Thanks Jim. I needed that."

Getting up, Brass knew his job there was done. "Your welcome, Gil. Next
time, I kick the shit out of you instead of talking."

Grissom chuckled. "I got it. Where's Greg?"

"Where else would he be?" Brass countered.

"Thanks," Grissom said as he followed Brass out of his office.
.........

Standing outside the door to Greg's lab, Grissom watched Greg work. He
looked tired and was up to his ears in samples. Walking in, he spoke. "Greg,
got a minute?"

Greg clenched his jaw shut. He did not want to talk to Grissom. "I'm a
little busy here."

"We need to talk."

Greg didn't want to talk. "I can't. Not now."

He was beginning to sound like Sara. "Well, you'll just listen then."

He almost felt sticking his fingers in his ears.

"I want to apologize about the way I've been treating you. Your Sara's
friend, I know that. She was mad at, or is mad at me and in a way she knows
how to make me more angrier, talking to you instead of me. I'm glad that's
she talking to some one from the lab and that's she not alone. Maybe one day
she'll forgive me but right now, I want to start by apologizing to you for
the way I've been treating you. I'm sorry Greg," Grissom explained.

It sounded like he meant it. Turning around, Greg questioned him. "You mean it?"

"Yes, I do," Grissom, answered. "Let's just say, I was given a wake up
call."

"I work hard here, Grissom."

"I know." He knew that. Really.

"She's my friend too and I'm worried about her," Greg continued on.
"Whatever you do, don't take your jealously rages out on me, okay?"

About to open his mouth to reply, Grissom closed it.

Greg was right. He had his answer. Grissom was in love with Sara. He already knew Sara was in love with Grissom. "Well?"

"I agree," Grissom finally got out. "I won't yell at you anymore."

"Good, now tell your staff not to either," Greg said.

Shuffling a little closer to him, Grissom stuck his hand out.

Taking Grissom's hand, Greg shook it.

Nodding his head, Grissom turned and walked out of the lab, they had cleared things up and now it was time for his staff to do the same.
..........

Taking his beeper out of his case on his belt, Nick read what it had to say.
"Odd," he mumbled.

"What's odd?" Catherine asked as her own beeper went off.

"Grissom wants to see me back at the lab," Nick explained.

"Me too, Nicky," Catherine replied as she read her own beeper. "We done
here?" Here was a crime scene.

"Almost, a few more pictures and some more evidence to be collected, then
we'll be on our way," Nick told Catherine.
..........

When Warrick got the page, he had actually been in the lab. He had been
working on a 9-1-1 tape with Archie but left him to continue it as he went
to find Grissom.

"You called?" Warrick announced as he entered Grissom's office with a knock.

"Yes. Where's everyone else?"

"Out on a call," Warrick answered.

"Oh ya, well then maybe I'll talk to you first," Grissom said as he saw the
look of nervousness come across Warrick's face. "You haven't done anything wrong, sort of."

"Sort of?" Warrick repeated as he sank down into the chair in front of
Grissom's desk.

"This is about Greg."

"What about Greg?"

"Have you had any run-ins with him?"

"Run-ins?" Warrick had no clue what Grissom was getting too.

"Have you snapped at each other?" He cleared up.

Racking his brain, Warrick answered. "Not that I know of. Why?"

"Well, let's just say we all owe him an apology," Grissom replied.

For some odd reason, Warrick understood. Greg was being treated like a rag
doll. "Gotcha. No problem. I'll go see him now."

"Thank you Warrick."

"No problem," Warrick said as he got up. "Anything else?"

"One person at a time," Grissom answered.

"All right," Warrick said as he left Grissom's office. And he knew what he
had meant.
..........

As he walked to Greg's lab, Warrick was greeted by his co-workers.

"Hey Warrick."

"Nick, Catherine," Warrick greeted.

"Did you get a page from Grissom?" Nick asked.

"Yes," Warrick answered.

"And?" Catherine pried.

"Go see him, let him explain it to you," Warrick said as he continued on to
Greg's lab.

"Okay," Nick said as he and Catherine continued on to Grissom's office.
..........

Knocking on the glass door, Warrick spoke up. "Hey Greg, got a minute?"

Stopping what he was doing, Greg somehow had a feeling that he wasn't going to get any work done on this shift. "Yes Warrick."

"Hey man, if I've snapped at you or done anything to annoy you, I'm sorry,"
Warrick replied as he stuck his hand out for Greg to shake.

Warrick hadn't done anything, truth be told. It really had been Catherine.
Taking it, he shook Warrick's hand. "Thanks for the apology but you didn't
do anything."

"Ya I know. But I want you to know that if there's ever a problem, come talk
to me," Warrick explained.

Greg nodded his head in agreement. "Sure, sounds good."

"All right," Warrick agreed. "I've got work to do, so I'll see ya later."

"Sure, Warrick. Thank you."
..........

"Grissom."

Looking up from his own work, Grissom spoke. "Nick, Catherine. Come in, have a seat."

Sitting down in a chair beside Nick and across from Grissom, Catherine
spoke. "What's wrong, Grissom? Is Sara okay?"

"She's fine," Grissom answered. "This isn't about her. It's about Greg."

"He apologized?" Nick asked.

"No."

"So then?" Catherine pressed on.

"We, well you two, need to apologize to him," Grissom explained. "It was
pointed out to me a little while ago, that we haven't been treating Greg
with the respect and friendship that he deserves."

Catherine silently agreed.

"So, I've apologized and so has Warrick. Now it's up to the two of you,"
Grissom told them.

Nick agreed too. "I guess we've been hard on him."

"We have Nick, but since we were all worried about Sara, we never noticed,"
Grissom replied.

"Greg first, Sara second?" Catherine asked.

"I guess so," Grissom agreed. "Do it before you leave."

"Sure," Catherine said as she got up from the chair. "Come on Nick."

"Right behind you," Nick said as he too got up from his chair. "Thanks
Gris."

"No problem," Grissom replied as he watched his two CSI's leave his office.
..........

Greg wasn't sure if he should start working again. He had this funny feeling
he was about to be interrupted again.

"Greggo."

He was right. "Nick." Turning around, he continued. "Catherine."

"Listen buddy," Nick begun as he walked over to him. "I owe you an apology. Seems like I've snapped at you lately, I didn't mean too and didn't mean anything by it."

He knew everyone was stressed from current cases and from the events
surrounding Sara. "Don't do it again, Nick."

"I won't, and if I do, you have my permission to slap me upside the head,"
Nick joked as they shook hands.

"Cool," Greg replied as Catherine moved closer to him. "Catherine."

"I didn't realize you were so swamped when I asked for my results, so I am
truly sorry for that. And if I snapped at you, I'm truly sorry. We're all so
worried about Sara and catching that guy," Catherine explained to Greg.
"Forgive me?"

This was his chance. Pointing to his cheek, he smiled.

Nick chuckled.

Catherine understood him perfectly. A handshake wouldn't do this time.

"Well?" Greg pressed.

Reaching out, Catherine placed her hands on his face to keep his head
turned. She didn't want him turning his head just as she went to kiss him or
she'd end up kissing him on the lips. Moving in, she kissed him on his
cheek. "There," she said as she let go of his face.

"You are forgiven," Greg said with a smile. "Although, you do it again and I
won't be held reasonable for what I do to you all."

"Greggo, you are the best," Catherine told him.

"I second that," Nick replied.

"So any new evidence for me?" Greg asked as he had known they were out at a crime scene.

"As a matter of fact yes," Nick answered.
.........

After his shift ended, Greg had ended up in Sara's hospital room holding a
brown bag in his hand. "Guess what I have?"

"A paper bag," Sara said. She never did like guessing.

"Funny," Greg replied. "Some one is feeling better."

"I had a good sleep."

"Good to hear," Greg said as he pulled her nightstand over and started to
open the bag. Taking out a container, he opened it and showed it to her. "I
have one egg white, veggie omelet just for you."

"Real food?" Sara asked.

"Yes. You doctor said it would be fine, since you're doing so good," Greg
explained as he gave her a fork.

"Greg, you are the best."

Sticking his chest out, Greg answered her. "Of course I am."

Stabbing a piece of omelet with her fork, she shoved it in Greg's mouth
before he could speak again and laughed.
.........

feedback welcomed! :)