I don't own CSI or any of the characters. I borrowed them to play with and I do own this story
Screams
Grissom looked at the clock, Had it only been 5 minutes? The doorbell continued to ring incessantly. Grissom threw back the covers and grabbed his new robe. He padded barefoot out of the bedroom and to the door. If this was Catherine, he was going to kill her. What was so important that it couldn't wait till next shift.
As he neared the door, he heard a voice call, "Dr. Grissom. Dr. Grissom are you in there? Las Vegas Police."
Grissom ran a hand over his hair as he peered through the peephole. He recognized at least one of the detectives from day shift. Grissom swung the door open.
"Yes"
"Dr. Grissom?" said one the detective that Grissom recognized. "I'm Al Casey. I don't know if you remember me. We worked together a little on the Darby case together."
"Yes. Yes. Um did someone page me? Did I miss a call?"
"No. Dr. Grissom this is not about work. We got a call about a disturbance. Your neighbors say they heard screams.
Grissom's face flooded with color. Without even realizing it he glanced over his shoulder to look down the hall to the door towards the close bedroom door.
"Dr. Grissom, can we please come in?" It was then that Grissom noticed the tall red head that stood next to Casey.
"In?" Grissom looked back down the hallway of his townhouse. "Um well..."
The red headed women looked at him skeptically and with a hint of disapproval.
"I'm fine. Really. There were some, um... noises but everything is fine now."
"Dr. Grissom your neighbor said that at least one of the screams was that of a woman," the red head raised one eyebrow. "In these kinds of cases we really need to come in."
Grissom sighed and stepped out the Detectives' way. He exhaled sharply.
"Dr. Grissom where is your female companion?" Casey asked as they stood in the entryway of the townhouse.
"Companion? Oh Sara. She's asleep."
"We'll need to see her."
Grissom stared at the younger man. He did not want this man seeing his Sara in such a vulnerable state.
The woman cop read his mind and said. "Sara Sidle? I know Sara. Maybe you could just let me check on her?" She gave her partner a warning glance.
They had heard that Dr. Grissom was an odd duck and often difficult to deal with. They didn't want one of the country's leading crimanalist upset with them if this was just a mistake, the Chief would never forgive. Whatever was going on, Dr. Grissom did not want Casey anywhere near Sara Sidle in the women's current state and what she understood he was not a man to be trifled with.
Grissom abruptly turned on his heels and lead the Detective to the rear of the townhouse. When they reached the closed door he stopped her with a warning gaze.
"I'll get Sara", he said and disappeared through the doorway leaving the woman staring at a closed door.
Sara appeared to not have moved. The cotton sheets and comforter were pulled close to her body. She wasn't so much sleeping as she was passed out from their last round of lovemaking. As he continued to study Sara closely he realized that there were tiny bruises on her neck and jaw line.
He touched her shoulder.
"Sweetheart. Sweetheart." He pulled the sheet back and kissed one shoulder.
Sara stirred. "Gil Grissom. I can't believe you. You're insatiable."
Grissom smiled.
"Honey. The police are here and want to see you."
Sara's opened her eyes,. "Why? Did we get called in?"
"Yeah we got called in alright. The neighbors heard screams."
"Screams?" Sara face colored, "Oh screams."
"They want to make sure you are okay so put some clothes on. There is some red headed detective that wants to see you."
"It must be Jill Shaw. We worked a case together. Hand me my robe."
Grissom reached for the silk black robe that was puddle on the floor by the bed.
Sara winced as she stood up. She was sore. She was tired and she wanted to go back to bed wrapped in Gil's arms.
The sheet dropped from her shoulders and fell away from her breast. Grissom eyes fell to her enflamed nipples. He reached out to gently touch them.
"Oh honey. I am so sorry. I am going to shave today."
Sara took his hand and kissed the inside of his palm. "There will be no beard shaving mister."
Just then Jill knocked on the door. "Sara, are you alright? Please come to the door."
"Jill" Sara called. "I'll meet you in the kitchen okay."
Sara looked at Grissom. "OK?"
Grissom surveyed the scant robe as she headed to the door. He looked skeptical. "Sara.."
Sara opened the door "The sooner I talk to Jill, the sooner she can leave."
Gil had followed Sara closely down the hall. She was trying not to wince as she walked. He hadn't had the opportunity to tell her that Jill was not alone.
Gil breathed s sigh of relief as he found Detective Shaw was the only one in the kitchen. He pulled out a stool for Sara to sit on, After he made sure that Sara was seated comfortably, he went to the cabinet and pulled down a large crystal tumbler. He filled it with organic apple juice from a bottle in the refrigerator and gave Sara the glass along with three ibuprofen he produced from somewhere.... "Stop hovering," Sara said under her breath.
Grissom remained silent.
After she had swallowed them down, Gil retreated from to the living room.
In the living room Gill was about to offer the other detective some coffee when the doorbell rang. Gill swore under his breath and went to the door for the second time that morning. He swung the door open to find Jim Brass standing in the glow of the morning sun.
"Jim?" Grissom looked down his friend still wearing his gun and badge. "What are you doing hear. Is THIS about a case?"
"No, I heard your address on the radio. There was some kind of disturbance. They said there were screams coming from your house. Everything okay?" he looked back at the unmarked parked along the curb, "Is that Casey and Shaw's unmarked."
Gil sighed, "Everything is fine Jim. Casey and Shaw are here. They are going to be gone in a few minutes. Everything is fine Jim. Thanks for stopping by."
Jim starred back unmoving. "I would feel better, as your friend, if you would let me come in."
Gil opened the door and let Jim pass to join Casey in the living room. This was all new to him. In the last few years he had acquired good friends, a life partner and an extended family of sorts. He didn't know how to react when people were concerned for his safety and well being wellbeing. Gil Grissom was used to protecting himself and taking care of himself and now he had all these people who cared about him.
Jim and the other cop were sitting down by the time that Gil had returned and handed them each a cup of coffee.
Jim said, "Shaw says there is someone named Sara here,", Jim smirked as he took a sip of the hot brew.
Jill didn't know what to think. The other woman had some bruises but they could have come from anything, even lovemaking, and Sara did not strike her as a woman who would let herself be abused, but you just never knew. The department was really cracking down on domestic abuse especially on department staff.
And then there was that Dr. Grissom hovering over her but not in a frightening or threatening way like some abusers.
"So I don't get a seat?" Jill said as she walked closer to the other woman bridging the distance between them.
Sara blushed, "Gil can be kind of one track. He's just, you know, not used to a lot of people around."
Jill waved off the other woman's explanation and said, "So you and Dr. Grissom."
"Yeah"
"So what is this about screaming?"
"Um well see," Sara tried to put it delicately. She knew how Grissom was about their privacy. "We have known each other for a very long time but we have only been together for a short time and we waited for so long......... things have sort have been out of hand."
"So the screaming?" Jill said with a raised eyebrow.
"I was screaming..." Sara ducked her head down and tucked her hair behind her ear.
"But not from pain."
"No, not from pain."
"So he's not hitting you and he has never hit you and everything is okay."
"No, he is not hitting me or abusing me in any way,"
"Okay."
"Okay." Sara stood to escort the other woman from the house.
Sara was surprised to see Jim sitting in the living room with Gil and Casey. She had forgotten that she only wore a robe and pulled the sash tighter.
"Brass, what are you doing here?"
"I heard the call on the sanner. I wanted to make sure everything was okay," Jim stood and crossed the room towards Sara.
He lowered his voice so that only Sara could hear him. "The call said they heard a women scream? You okay?"
"Brass I'm fine."
Brass looked at Sara's neck and cheek skeptically.
Sara opened her mouth to say something but was stopped by the sound of the doorbell.
"Who the hell is that? We have the entire Las Vega Police Department hear already." Grissom left the room and looked through the peephole once again. It was Catherine and Warrick. Catherine was looking through his windows.
Gil yanked the door open. "What!"
"Whoa... Griss we were on our way to breakfast and we heard the call on the radio. We called dispatch and they said Brass was on his way. Something about screams."
For the third time that morning, Gil started to explain. He shook his head and opened the door for his friends and colleagues.
They followed a livid Grissom to the living room which only held the Shaw and Casey.
Grissom looked around. "Where are Sara and Jim?"
"Brass wanted to talk to her in the kitchen," Casey said as he stood to shake hands with Catherine and Warrick. At the sound of Sara's name Cath and Warrick looked at and both silently mouthed "oh".
The thought of Brass in the kitchen with a barely clothed Sara was enough to send Grissom over the edge. He stormed out of the living room in search of Sara.
Brass eyed Sara cautiously, "Look, you know that Gil is my friend, who would have ever thought I would be saying that," Brass rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "That being said. If he is any way hurting you or if something is wrong in any way you know I will run him in."
Sara expelled a breath. This was getting out hand. Gil would never physically hurt anyone and the emotional pain he had inflicted had long since been resolved.
"Brass. Do you know what you are saying? This is Grissom we are talking about. This is your friend. What are you thinking?"
"Hey. I'm a cop from Jersey. I have seen it all. I didn't even know you two were..." Brass cleared his throat, "Until this morning."
Sara leaned again the counter. She was exhausted. She needed Gill. She couldn't do this by herself.
Just then Gill stomped into the kitchen. He looked at the exhaustion on Sara's face. He went to her pulled her to him. Sara buried her face in his neck. Grissom ran a hand over her tousled hair. "It's okay baby."
His hand stroked ran the length of her back. He spoke over her head.
"Brass the living room," Gil said through clinched teeth. Brass started to protest then looked at Grissom's steel blue eyes. He left the kitchen.
"Warrick and Catherine are here"
"What?"
"They heard the call and stopped by to check on me. They know you are here and I am afraid that if they don't all see that you are in one piece. I will never get rid of them," Grissom eyed Sara.
"I want you to go put on some more clothes and then I want you to come to the living room."
Sara started to argue but saw the look on Gil's face. She left through the side kitchen door.
As Grissom escorted the Detectives to the door he met Nick.
"Hey. I was on the way home and they....", Nicky was taken off guard as Gil stood aside and ushered him into the living room.
Nick was surprised to seek Catherine and Warrick sitting on Grissom's couch. Catherine's hand was resting languidly on Warwick's knee.
Nick sat on a small love seat just opposite them.
Grissom called out. "Honey, are you dressed?"
Sara entered the room in a pair of worn jeans and one of Gil's shirts. Her feet were still bare. Grissom positioned Sara behind him as she looped her arm through his. She rested her face on the back of his shoulder.
Almost imperceptibly Grissom leaned his head back and muttered softly into Sara's hair, "I am going to fix it. Promise."
He looked at his friends and colleagues.
"First of all, I want to thank you all being concerned for my safety and well being however everything is fine. Sara is fine and I am fine. No one was hurt. We are tired and we want to go to sleep. If you would like we can all go out to breakfast after shift tonight but right now I am afraid I am going to have to ask you to go home."
Cath said "Humph" to no one in particular. "So that's all we get. No explanation. We hear that there is some kind of major disturbance and we all rush over hear to make sure you are all right and that's all we get. What was all the screaming about? What the hell is going on here Gil.....," the red head trailed as Warrick looked at her and said, "Cath..."
Realization flooded her eyes, "I see."
She and Warrick stood. Warrick motioned to Nick. Brass still looked skeptical. He had seen the bruises that were now hidden and he also knew that Grissom had a terrible temper that he worked very hard to keep under control.
Catherine and Warrick stood up. Warrick motioned to Nick who also stood.
Brass stared at Gil skeptically.
Grissom's mouth was set in hard line.
Catherine squeezed Warrick's elbow. He crossed the room and stood between the two men.
Brass stood and circled around Warrick so that he could look at Sara directly.
Gil continued to seethe.
"Boss" " Warrick said in a low whisper. Nick edged closer to the two men. Catherine held her breath.
"Sara?" Brass said gently. "Are you okay? Cause if you aren't. Now's time to tell us."
Sara's eyes had been closed. She almost appeared to sleeping.
Grissom peered over his shoulder to keep the other man in the sight. Sara pressed her hand into his arm reassuringly.
She smiled at Jim Brass. She had become very found of the older man over the years they had worked together.
Grissom's fists were clenched.
"I am fine. We are fine. Everything is fine," she looked over Grissom's shoulder at her friends. "Everybody go home," She said sleepily. Come back here after shift. We'll have breakfast and we'll talk. Gil will make you omelets and I'll make the pancakes
Catherine watched Gil tense. He did not like having people in his house. Sara leaned over and whispered something in his ear. He smiled and relaxed. Would miracles never cease!
Sara reached out one hand to Brass and looked him directly in the eye, "It's okay."
Brass looked into her eyes and saw no fear. He knew what fear looked like.
He nodded and directed his attention to Gil, "I'm sorry."
Gil grunted an acceptance of his apology.
The quartet left in flurry of whispers and while they shouted back orders for after shift breakfast.
Later when they were dozing off Sara whispered, "Where Catherine and Warrick in the same car?"