SYNOPSIS: Grissom is made to face the fact that he needs a friend and that Sara has deep feelings for him, all during a personal crisis. this starts out G/OC only to become GSR.
"You know she loves you. Can't you see that, " Angela reminded him of the one thing he chose to ignore. He looked upon her as a father would a daughter, mostly as a fellow worker whose abilities to do the job were way above most. Yet his heart, which no one else knew, belonged to another.
Gil Grissom had two loves. The one everyone got to see, the work that always seemed to consume his every waking moment, and the second one, that was really the all consuming factor in his life. He was afraid to share the second one, for he wanted to be the only one to feast upon her beauty.
Angela snuggled up next to him, wanting to share his warmth.
He smiled happy to take her in his loving embrace. "Can we not talk about that? I'd rather just enjoy you," he peered into her blue-green eyes only to see her concern emblazoned there.
"I see, if you ignore it long enough, it will go away. Is that your theory, Gil," she had no intention of dropping the subject. "You've done that for four years now, and her feelings haven't changed. You're not that blind."
"I see, one of us is still talking about this. Okay, I choose to ignore her advances, for so many reasons," there was no anger in his tone, just a mild annoyance that she wouldn't let it go. "Do you know what it would cost her if I acknowledged her feelings?"
"I know that you have enough basis for a sexual harassment suit," spoken like a true lawyer, even though she was a criminal lawyer not a civil one.
"I would never do that, she's a valued member of my team," he had tried to be Sara's friend, and once he was her mentor. Somewhere along the line their friendship had got lost.
"Listen to yourself, Gil. I thought she was a friend not just a co-worker," Angela had a knack for pointing out the obvious.
He gazed upon her lovingly, knowing she was right, but still not wanting to hear it.
Angela had become his rock, when things got really tough she was right there to lighten his load, and give the love he had grown to crave. Yet he chose to keep his beautiful lady love a secret.
Grissom had met Angela when he first came to Vegas, after a particularly brutal case, where he had to testify for the first time. He was immediately drawn to her beauty, but, soon after that he discovered her intelligence rivaled his, this intrigued him.
The court case had drug on for a month, when it was finally over he asked her out. Pulling out all the stops, he wined and dined her for the next month, in a style that he felt her beauty and grace deserved, being the consummate gentleman, he got to know her, to make sure it was much more than an infatuation.
Finally sure it was a deeply intense love, he asked her to spend his day off with him. Remembering that particular day, was one of several sweet memories they shared.
"Angela, I love you. I don't know what's happened to the friendship I once had with Sara, but, it may just be her way of coping with the job," he did care for Sara. Only because of the friends they once were, he would protect her or defend her like she was his daughter or little sister, and that's as far as his feelings for her went.
"It's her way of dealing with a love that's not returned. Gil, ignore it, deny it, all you want, she loves you. I'm not telling you to jump her bones, you could at the very least, try to be her friend again. She's at a point where her feelings have become fragile, she could break if you don't throw her a lifeline," Angela had always managed to make him face those things he would normally choose not to deal with.
"Would it make you happy, if I try to be her friend again," he only cared about her happiness, and if rebuilding the friendship with Sara would do that he would try.
"It's not about my happiness, it's about Sara's wellbeing. Darlin', I see her about to fall apart and you may be the only person who can prevent that from happening," she didn't even know Sara, but, she could see a woman on the brink of a complete breakdown.
"I don't know if I can prevent that, but, I promise I will try, okay." he didn't want to lose a friend and he knew Angela was right. He had never lost eye contact with her, caressing the soft skin of her cheek, he tried to convey the fact that the subject was closed to further deliberation. He truly loved the way she responded to his touch, even after all the years they had been together, yet he kept his love for her a secret from the rest of the world.
Angela leaned her head into his warm caress, she knew he had got the message. "Uhm...Gil," she returned his caress with a stroke of his soft beard. She knew where this was leading, and she was putty in his big strong hands.
Every time they made love it was sweeter that the last, they never seemed to be able to get enough of each other. He always left her satisfied, and looking forward to their next indulgence. He was, after all the best lover she had ever had, and she hadn't had very many.
When their lips met, the depth of their kiss was as exciting as their first deep kiss. The love they shared had grown stronger over the years, he only had eyes for her.
Grissom woke up with her in his arms and another wonderful memory to make him smile. He tried to pull away from her, needing to get ready for work. She wouldn't let go, not wanting to lose the warmth of his embrace.
He knew his smile was about to get bigger before his work shift started. She never ceased to amaze him.
When he walked into his office at the lab, he still wore the smile no one could quite explain.
"You sure look happy tonight," Sara observed, looking like she crawled out of the seventh level of hell. Her downcast demeanor drove home the topic of conversation he had dismissed earlier in the day.
"Sara, sit please," he gestured toward the chair in front of his desk. "What's bothering you, are you alright?"
"Since when do you care if I'm alright," she got defensive, unsure what he expected.
"We were friends once, and friends show concern for each other," he was keeping the promise he made. He had to admit, Sara, did look as fragile as a piece of fine crystal.
"We haven't been friends for a long time, Grissom, why now," she wanted so much more from him, but, was no longer willing to risk her heart. She was in too much pain to let him crush her anymore.
"I still want to be your friend, I do care about you," he tried to break through this wall she was hiding behind.
"It would be nice to be friends again," her reserved tone was evident.
"So how have you been, Sara," he took the first step to fix a friendship that he had almost lost.
Her eyes pierced through him like two lasers, " I'm fine, I find it difficult to believe that you really care."
His phone picked that moment to ring, annoyed by the interruption, he answered, "Grissom."
It was Brass, whatever he said drained all the color out of Grissom's face. "We'll be right there."
"We have an accident scene to go to, you drive," he shoved past her still pale, hands deep in his pockets unable to look up, moving quickly.
Sara caught up, scared for him, unsure what could possibly be wrong. As they climbed into the SUV he gave her the location so quietly she barely heard him.
TBC