Title: A Day in the Life

Author: Spike Speigel

E-mail:

Rating: PG

Classification: Grissom/Sara

Disclaimer: As usual, these characters don't belong to me. Just taking them for a joyride.

Spoilers: Everything before and including Bloodlines.

Summary: Grissom and Sara begin the day with a routine DB. Will the night be routine as well?

Status: Finished

It was just another routine 419. As far as Grissom was concerned, he and Brass were the only ones that were needed on the scene. It was only a matter of chance that Sara returned from her B and E and happened to walk by Grissom's office, asking him what he was working on. Routine, really. Happened almost every day in the lab. So much so, that it never occurred to either that routine doesn't stay routine for very long.

The black Tahoe pulled up to the front of the house where the shots were reported coming from. Grissom and Sara poured out of the vehicle, Sara remaining behind to get her kit from the back seat. Grissom made his way up the walkway where Brass was waiting patiently, a hint of fatigue in his posture. While Grissom fished a pair of latex gloves from his kit, Brass joined in stride as both men began walking toward the house.

"So, what's the story?"

"Neighbor next door heard the shots, got freaked and called 911. Patrol car shows ten minutes later to find the front door open and Mrs. Martinez laying in a pool of blood in the living room. Already questioned the neighbors. No one saw anything suspicious. She's all yours now."

Grissom shot Brass a look of understanding, beginning to work a glove onto his left hand. He turned back to the body that lay face down on the white tile, kneeling down for a closer view. "Residue on the body. I see at least three entry wounds leading me to believe this wasn't premeditated. Whereabouts of Mr. Martinez?"

"On his way. He works over at Nevada Power. Been there since this morning. Workaholic. Remind you of anyone you know?"

A smile graced the corner of Grissom's lips, continuing his examination of the body. He shifted slightly as he felt Sara near his back. Resting her kit next to Grissom's, she began to speak. "Checked the door. No signs of forced entry. So, whoever did this either had a key or our DB left the door unlocked."

Brass scoffed softly before speaking. "In this day and age? Not likely. Arriving officers swept the house. Nothing. I've got them outside checking the back. I'm gonna check the front for anything they might have missed. You guys okay by yourself?"

Sara smirked at Brass, lifting the side of her jacket to reveal her handgun in the holster. "We'll be okay. We'll shout if we need anything, how's that?"

"Works for me. Have fun. I'll send one of the officers out back to keep you company." And with that, Brass walked outside, leaving Grissom and Sara to the task at hand. Sara began to look at the body with more scrutiny, Grissom beginning to gather fibers.

"God, it's like the assailant didn't know when to stop. She would have been dead after the first shot." Grissom raised his eyebrow slightly to her comment. "I know, not supposed to sympathize. But it's still hard seeing her like that."

"You've seen bodies worse than this, Sara."

"Doesn't mean I ever get used to it." Grissom turned to Sara, the words catching him off guard. "I'm gonna start checking for prints on the frame." Before Grissom had a chance to respond to Sara's comment, she was already making her way to the front door. That's when they heard the sound. Both CSIs turned their gaze toward the kitchen, Sara's hand reaching for her gun. Grissom followed suit, removing his gun from its holster. Both gave each other a quick look as they made their way into the kitchen. Sara remained close to Grissom, both criminalists slowly turning at the wall that separated the kitchen from the living room. However, before either one knew what was happening, a kitchen cabinet flew open, slamming against Grissom's legs. Grissom stumbled backward in pain, knocking Sara off balance and back into the living room. Her gun hit the tile, sliding out of her hand as it did so, doing its best imitation of spin the bottle. Sara quickly scrambled to recover her gun only to feel her hair being pulled back, a knee now resting squarely between her shoulder blades.

"Gonna hurt you good, bitch! Gonna hurt you real good!" Sara could see the glint of the barrel from the periphery of her vision. She began to struggle to get free, but ceased once the muzzle pressed roughly flush against her temple. "Goddamn whore!" Sara closed her eyes instinctively, tears beginning to well up. Then the loud rapport.

Followed by the weight on her back falling away from her. Sara quickly turned around, her breathing still frantic to see Grissom pointing his gun toward her general vicinity, sitting on the ground while his knees remained bent, smoke trailing upward from the barrel. Both locked their gaze on the other, both refusing to look away. Grissom's legs finally gave way, both stretching out onto the floor. But his arms remained level, the gun still tense in his hands. Grissom flinched upon seeing movement at the front door, but quickly lowered his piece once Brass and another officer came running. Brass looked at Grissom, a hint of concern on his face.

"What…?"

Grissom answered his question before he had a chance to finish. "Suspect never left."

The reality of the situation finally becoming evident to Sara, she scrambled toward Grissom, pushing her assailant away from her in the process. "Oh God. Are you okay, Gil?"

Grissom's free hand flew from his side, quickly moving through Sara's hair. "Are you bleeding? Did I hit you?" Sara didn't understand what he was talking about until he saw the blood on Grissom's glove.

"It's not mine. I don't think…"

"She needs medical attention. Now!"

"No, I'm okay…"

Before Sara could object, Brass pulled her up to her feet, helping her outside. The other officer assisted Grissom up from the ground, Grissom grimacing in pain as he placed weight on his right leg. If he was lucky, it was just a sprain. However, that didn't matter at the moment. He never took his eyes off Sara. Neither did Sara as she was escorted to the ambulance waiting outside.

Grissom still wasn't back yet. While the medics on the scene had determined that the blood had indeed come from the assailant, Grissom wasn't as fortunate. There was definitely swelling and discoloration in his right leg. So, while Sara remained with Brass at the crime scene, Grissom was taken to the nearest hospital for treatment. She had desperately wanted to go with him, but with one CSI already out of commission, it was up to Sara to collect the necessary evidence as well as give a detailed account to Brass as to what transpired to ensure a clean shooting for Grissom.

An hour and a half later, Sara was back in the lab with no sign of Grissom in sight. Her shift was almost over, so she decided to get a jump on leaving, getting her stuff from her locker. As she began to pack her necessities, Warrick stepped into the locker room, obviously knowing what transpired earlier based on the look on his face.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little sore."

Warrick nodded slowly, worry still lacing his words. "And Grissom?"

"Still at the hospital. I'm about to head over there to find out the extent."

"You want me to come along?"

She appreciated her friend's concern, but the only thing she needed at that moment was to find out whether Grissom was okay or not. Her mind kept on replaying the incident in her mind, the moment when their eyes met and both knew. In a moment, things had changed drastically between the two without a word being spoken. Right now, she just wanted to be with him. "Nah, it's okay. You know how Grissom is about emotional gestures. He'll just feel uncomfortable."

Another understanding nod. "Alright. But give me a call if you need anything, okay?"

"Okay."

"I mean it, Sara."

Sara chuckled softly. "I got it, Warrick. Thanks."

"Okay then. Night."

"Night." Sara waved at Warrick as he disappeared down the hallway and continued gathering her clothing into her bag. That's when her cellular chimed. Text message, by the sound of it. Sara fished the phone from her back pocket, flipping it open. And there, on the LCD was the message.

Meet me at Tony's ASAP. We need to talk. G.

She checked the number attached to the message. Grissom's cell phone. Well, that answered one question. He was okay. Or, at the very least, out of the hospital. Sara could feel the butterflies churning around in her stomach, fighting their way to escape. He wanted to talk. He had initiated the conversation, even though it was by means of text message. So very him, Sara thought to herself. But, she needed to talk to him as well. Things were definitely different. And she needed to get everything out in the open.

Grissom was sitting in a window seat of the quaint eatery. It was just a few blocks from the lab, and they had usually had breakfast there earlier in their tenure. But, those were few and far between now. Now, it was all about the work. However, seeing Grissom sitting in the diner fiddling with his fork brought a smile to Sara's face. She always expected Grissom to be an impatient person, given the right circumstances. And seeing Grissom twirling the fork between his thumb and forefinger all but confirmed it.

She crossed the street, eventually entering the diner. She pretended to look around as though she had no idea where Grissom was. When Grissom waved his hand, Sara waved back, making her way toward him. As she got closer to the booth, she could see the small cast about his right ankle. She slid into the seat opposite Grissom, concern in her voice.

"What happened?"

"Just twisted my ankle when I fell down. Nothing major. And you? You're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Sara didn't realize she was rubbing the back of her neck until she caught Grissom's eyes falling onto her shoulder. "Just sore. Really, I'm fine."

"Look, we can talk later. You should go home and get some rest. It can wait."

Sara didn't realize it until it was too late, but her hand was now resting on his, gently squeezing. She had gone that far, what would it hurt to go a little farther? "Grissom, you called me down here. You wanted to talk. So let's talk."

She could see the hesitation in his eyes, the uncertainty. As though he'd realized he'd just made a terrible error in judgment. "It's nothing. Really."

"You're lying."

"Says Sara Sidle, human lie detector?" He was trying to use humor to get out of the situation, but she wasn't going to let him go. Not this time. Not after what almost happened.

"We need to talk about tonight."

"Look, we can do this later. I think…"

"One second later and I'd be lying next to Mrs. Martinez."

Grissom's gaze dropped to their entwined hands, Grissom letting out a frustrated sigh. "God, Sara. I'm so sorry. I messed up. I should have waited for Brass. I should have…"

"You didn't do anything wrong. Another officer was on his way inside. It was just bad timing."

"Bad timing? You almost…" Grissom couldn't bring himself to finish the thought. However, Sara knew what he meant. She always knew when it came to him.

"I know. But I'm here. We're here. So, let's make the most of it, huh?" Grissom brought his gaze back up to her, seeing the sincerity in her face. "I know things have been strained between us lately, but after tonight, I have some things I need to tell you."

"Sara…"

"No, I'm not going to let you rationalize this away like you always do." Sara's hands squeezed tighter, as though the grip would convey her sentiment. "You know how I feel about you. I've felt this way ever since I came to Las Vegas, maybe even before then. But, I can't deny it. You're occupying a large part of me, and try as I might, I can't let you go." She paused, waiting for Grissom to attempt to stop her again. However, this time, he just listened intently, his gaze never wavering with hers. "I know you've tried to dissuade me from pursuing this, but after tonight, I just…" Her voice was wavering, but she'd come this far. There was no way she was going to turn back now. "I wanted you to know that those feelings are still there. I might have tried telling myself that it was just a phase, a stupid crush or whatever. But, I can't deny what I feel." Now, the part of the speech where she'd tell him that she didn't expect anything of him. She just needed to let him know, is all. "But…"

"How can you say I dissuaded you?"

That was the last thing she expected to come from his mouth. "What…?"

"You think I don't care about you?"

She answered honestly. "I know you care about me, Grissom. But, just not like I…care…about you. You know what I mean? God, I'm not saying this right." She felt his grip go slack as he pulled his hand away from hers. She thought she had utterly ruined their relationship by opening her mouth, but instead was surprised when his hand reached across the table, gently grasping her escaping one.

"I care. It's just…it's complicated for me."

"Why? You mean work?"

"One among many factors." Grissom's hand began to ease away from Sara's, but she quickly captured it with her own, holding it steadfast. "I've…I have trouble dealing with people."

Sara grinned slightly. "That, I already know. So, what else you got?" Grissom began to look away, but Sara wanted him to look at her. She needed him to look at her. "Hey, look at me. I'm not asking you for anything. I just wanted you to know, just in case something happens. I don't think I could live with myself if I lost you without ever telling you the truth."

They looked at one another for what felt like an eternity, Grissom trying desperately to look away but found that he couldn't. Instead, he began to welcome Sara's sincerity. That is, until the doubt came rushing back like a dam in the middle of a monsoon.

"I've been here before, Sara. Long time ago. I thought I figured it all out. But, turned out I had it all wrong. I…I do care for you, Sara. But, I'm not willing to let this go any further. I don't think I'd be able to come back from…I mean, if you…if we…" Sara stared at him, dumfounded at this revelation. Personal information about Gil Grissom. Volunteered information at that. Before she could assuage his fears, Grissom spoke. "This…you and me…it won't work."

"Why?" Sara's hand moved from his face, reuniting with the other tenderly squeezing Grissom's hand. "Just…just give me the why. Is it the age thing? Because I don't care about that, and frankly, I don't think you do either. How about the hierarchy of command? Lots of people date in the lab, Grissom. You know that as well as I do. So, why?"

"I…it just won't. I'm sorry." And with that, Grissom quickly pulled his hand away from Sara's. "This was a mistake." Little did Grissom know, those four little words weren't as innocent as they seemed.

Sara stared at him for a moment, tears threatening to escape. She roughly moved her arms around her waist, as though shielding herself from any more of his words. "Mistake."

"Sara, I didn't…"

She didn't wait for his explanation. At this point, she'd heard just about enough from him. "You're right. This is all a mistake. I can't do this anymore. One step forward, two steps back. You know where that gets you?" Grissom shook his head slightly, not wanting to perturb Sara anymore than she already was. "Not where you want to be. And, right now, I don't want to be here." She got up quickly from the booth, Grissom frantically searching for the right words to make everything better. "So, thanks for saving my life. But, God knows I'd probably be better off dead. At least it wouldn't hurt as much as you make me feel."

Grissom called out to her but Sara kept on walking. Right out the diner and into a cab.

It felt as though the bottle of scotch was screaming at her every time her eyes wandered over it. But, hard as it seemed, she remained curled up on the couch, tears streaming down her cheeks and coalescing at the apex of her chin into tiny droplets. Her heart hurt that it actually caused her physical pain to breathe. She'd put herself out there once again. And once again he'd denied her. Rejected her. Threw her away. She hated herself for acting like this. It was all his fault. But, she hated herself because she knew the reason for her anguish. She still loved him. Even after tonight, she still loved him. She just didn't know how to get rid of it, and that was why she hated herself.

The knock at the door startled her. So much so, that she instinctively pulled the blanket tighter about her body for comfort. She didn't want company right now, so she remained seated, listening for the eventual footfalls moving away from her door. No such luck, however.

"Sara. I know you're there. Please open the door." At first, she was shocked that Grissom was actually on the other side of her door. But, the initial shock eventually wore off, the sadness seeping back in. She'd keep up the charade until he left. "Fine. If you don't want to talk to me, then just listen." He took a deep breath, as though he was readying himself to dive into the ocean depths. He wasn't that far off. "You wanted to know why. So, here it is. I'm a coward. Not the answer you were probably expecting. But, that's the truth. I'm afraid that if I do let you in, you'll see me for the person I really am and you'll finally realize that I'm not that interesting. I'm not the person you thought I was. And then you'll leave. Just like before…" He paused for a moment, Sara unsure if he was done or if he was thinking of his next words. Sara slowly got up from the couch, walking toward the door. As she reached it, Grissom proceeded to speak once more.

"You think I don't care about you. You couldn't be further from the truth. It's been a long while since anyone's been able to work their way into my…" He trailed off, but Sara knew what he meant. "But, the thing that scares me is that… It's like this. Warrick, Catherine, Nicky. No matter what they say, they can't hurt me. But you…you…" She could here the trepidation in his voice, the slight waver. There was no doubt in her mind anymore that he was indeed speaking the truth. "It may seem like I'm not paying attention to you, Sara, but I am. I'm always listening when you've got something to say. I just don't show it because I'm an asshole. An idiot that's too scared to make that next step. Even after what almost happened tonight, I'm still afraid. Because no matter what happens, I'm just gonna…" He sighed, his forehead falling against the wooden door in frustration. "No matter what happens, I'll end up losing you either way."

Sara remained motionless before the door, her tears beginning to subside. Grissom's words continued to echo in her ears. She didn't know if this was real, or just a wonderful, terrible dream. She got her answer when she heard Grissom's footsteps moving away from her apartment. Without thinking, Sara flung open the door, Grissom turning around quickly to see Sara standing in the doorway, her face moist with tears. He was about to apologize to her for placing her in her current state, but Sara stopped him.

"Do you want to come in?"

To say Grissom was confused would be an understatement. However, when Sara stepped away from the doorway and welcomed him in, he graciously accepted. Closing the door behind him, he turned around to see Sara standing directly in front of him, looking up into his eyes. This time, Grissom didn't try to look away.

"Sara, I'm sorry…" Her finger on his lips ceased his try at another apology.

"Thank you."

Grissom looked at her quizzically as he spoke. "For what?"

"For the why." They both smiled slightly, Sara taking Grissom's hand into her own. "C'mon. Let's get you off that bum foot." Grissom didn't resist, instead following her to the couch. Sara attempted to maintain some distance between them as a show that she wasn't in a rush. It'd taken them four years to get this far, she'd take what was being offered and be grateful. So, it came as something of a shock when Grissom pulled her closer to him, both sitting side by side, his arm wrapped about her shoulder. Sara eventually gave in and rested her head upon his shoulder.

She could feel him tense up at the movement, but his body eventually relaxed, both sitting in the dimly lit room in silence. Grissom gently squeezed Sara's shoulder as he spoke. "So, what do we do now?"

Sara made no movement, instead relishing being this close to Grissom. "About what?"

"Us. Are we gonna be okay?"

Sara smiled, her arms wrapping around Grissom's waist. "I think this is a good start."

Grissom chuckled softly, planting a small kiss on top of her head. "I can live with that." And then, as an afterthought. "For now."

She knew she shouldn't have said it, but it just felt right, given the current situation. "You know, if it wasn't for that injury of yours, I'd take you into the bedroom and have my way with you."

"Promises, promises." Both shared a content laugh. "Sara, I know you said you didn't want anything from me, but what if…"

Sara looked up at him, curiosity overcoming her. "What if?"

"What if I said I wanted something more than what we have now?"

"Well, I'd say pinch me because I must be dreaming."

"I'm trying to be serious, Sara."

"I know you are, Griss. But, I don't want you jumping into something just to make me feel better. Take your time. I don't mind. I'm not going anywhere, Grissom. I'll wait until you're ready."

Grissom gently placed a kiss on the top of Sara's head, his body relaxing against Sara's. "What if I'm never ready?"

"If you weren't, you wouldn't be here right now, would you?" She had him there. "I know it took a great deal for you to come over here, let alone say all those things about how you feel about me. So, I'd say you're off to a good start."

Grissom chuckled softly, gently squeezing Sara's shoulder. "Sara Sidle, what am I going to do with you?" She gave him another quizzical look before he spoke. "I never thought I'd be here again, and you come along and ruin everything."

"Ruin?"

"That's right. I had my future all planned out. To the letter. I was going to ride off in the sunset when my time here at the lab was up, probably teach. Get a dog. A white picket fence. But now…"

He had piqued her curiosity. "Now what?"

"Now, I have no idea what the future holds."

"Are you scared?"

He answered truthfully. "Terrified."

"Wanna know a secret?" Grissom nodded. "Me too." They both smiled, Sara returning to Grissom's side.

"And here I thought I was the only one."

"Not a chance. I still think that I'm dreaming and I'm going to wake up alone."

"What can I do to prove otherwise?"

Sara thought about this for a moment before coming to her answer. "Kiss me?" Sara waited for Grissom's answer, but instead he just stared forward as though he was lost in thought. "Grissom?"

A smile graced the corner of Grissom's lips as he spoke. "I'm thinking."

Fin