Privacy by SLynn

Disclaimer: It's all mine, because yeah, this is what I'd do with my free time if I actually owned these characters.

Chapter 24: Confessional

Sunday morning came quickly. Greg and Nick learned little more then that both Angela Thomas and Jason Warner had prescriptions to valium before they'd been called off on another case. The best news of the night for Greg came when Amy matched the blood on the knife in the Mitchell warehouse murder to Sean Jamison their suspect. It had meant another trip with Ortega to bring him in, but this time he got to be apart of the interrogation and even managed a few questions himself. They got an arrest and a fairly solid one. It was a great feeling.

Sara and Greg both had that night off. They didn't have big plans, but were going to go out for dinner and maybe a movie. Sara was going to spend the early part of the afternoon with Amy shopping for furniture. Despite her fear of Greg's things, she had accepted one of the two extra dining tables they had gladly. She already had enough to buy without getting a new one of those.

The day had gone by easily enough. They'd each taken quick naps and had lunch together before Amy arrived. He had a few errands he wanted to run before Sara got back, but before he could get into the shower the doorbell rang.

"Hi Betty," he said pulling it open, "Jaime."

Betty said nothing as she stood behind her daughter gently pushing her forward.

"Mr. Sanders," Jaime began, "I'm really sorry I took your things."

She put a box in his hands, everything they'd been missing aside from the computers, and fidgeted as she spoke.

"It won't happen again and…"

"And?" Betty prodded.

"And," Jaime continued, looking at her feet, "I hope you and Ms. Sidle can please forgive me."

Greg would have laughed if she hadn't been so serious. She sounded like she'd practiced it even. Recollecting what he knew of Betty, she probably had in front of the whole family.

"Jaime," Greg said, "it's alright. Really. Don't think any more of it and just promise me you won't do anything like it again."

He gave her a smile which she just returned. After that Betty sent her away and she hurried back across the street.

"She really is a good girl," Betty said sounding the most sincere he'd ever heard, "She is. She's just going through… well, she's been moody lately."

"She's what, fifteen? They're all moody at that age."

Betty smiled at him, seemingly relieved.

"And thank you both so much," Betty continued, "for not pressing charges. Really, Howard and I would have understood…"

"No," Greg cut her off, "there was no harm done. No reason too."

"Okay then," she smile, turning to go.

Greg watched her cross the street before shutting the door. He got half way to the shower when his phone rang. He considered not answering it but knew that wasn't smart.

"Sanders," he said into it as he flipped it open.

"Hey Greg."

"Warrick, what's up?" he asked.

"Just wanted to let you know what was happening with Anderson."

Greg smiled despite the subject. Technically he probably wasn't supposed to be getting this information. Catherine had held Nick and him off half the night, but he knew that Warrick wouldn't leave him hanging.

"Shoot."

"He had a lot of stuff on you. Articles from the Fenton case, surveillance photos, videos; you name it he had it."

"Legally?"

"Looks that way. You can photograph anyone in this country as long as you're still on public property."

Greg bit his lip, frustrated.

"He also had some audio tapes," Warrick continued, "those were definitely not legal but he claims to have gotten them from a source."

"And let me guess, he isn't saying who."

"Immediately started talking about his first amendment rights."

Greg had expected that.

"Anything else?" he asked.

"Yeah," Warrick said, "I think I have a good idea what the next article is going to be about and it will probably be soon."

"Really, what?"

Warrick took in a breath; he'd been dreading this part but it was really the entire reason he'd called. He wanted Greg to be prepared for it.

"I think he's written a piece about you and Sara."

Greg let out a sigh. It wasn't entirely unexpected.

"You might want to tell her," Warrick suggested.

"Yeah, I will," Greg agreed.

"Oh, before I forget. We did get a name and number off of a post it on top off his little research folder on you. The number isn't local, we think it's from the bay area, but Catherine did want me to ask you if you knew the name. It's an Erika Rosenbaum. Does it ring any bells?"

"Shit," Greg muttered and grew lost in thought.

"Greg?" Warrick asked, growing concerned.

"Yes, I know her. I haven't talked to her in years; I don't know what she could have to say about me."

Warrick didn't believe that. Not given Greg's initial reaction or his tone of voice. It had the odd quality to it he'd used when they'd first told him about the Anderson articles.

"Well if you think of anything…"

"I'll let you know. Thanks man."

"No problem," Warrick returned before hanging up.

Greg put down the phone and rubbed his head in frustration. He had hoped tonight would be a little special. They hadn't had a chance to go out together in quite awhile. Now it was ruined. He'd have to tell her about the article, and what's worse, he'd have to tell her everything he hadn't about Erika before she read all about it.

Amy and Sara were gone a good part of the day, returning around four. Amy didn't stay long after that and Greg almost wished she had.

"What's wrong?" Sara asked, sensing it rather then seeing it on his face.

"Warrick called. He has a good idea Anderson's next article is going to feature the both of us."

Sara nodded. Like him, she'd been expecting that as well. It was only a matter of time before he'd gone there.

"And?" she asked.

"And," he said sitting down at the table, "Warrick said it looked like he'd been trying to get a hold of people from my past."

Sara sat down now as well. She'd been trying to place the look on his face and she just did. He was worried.

"Who'd he talk to?"

"Warrick thinks it was Erika, the one I told you about."

Sara nodded and remained silent. Greg wanted to tell her something, it was obvious.

"There are some things you should hear from me before… well, before everyone knows," Greg said and she nodded once more for him to continue thinking it couldn't possibly be as bad as he thought it was.

"Okay," he started, "I told you Erika was the only person I've told about, well, you know."

"Yeah," Sara said as encouragingly as she could.

"She was also the first person I'd ever told about the leukemia. We started seeing each other when I was a sophomore at Berkley and we went out for about three years."

Sara couldn't help but look surprised. She hadn't thought it had been a long term relationship, not after hearing how this Erika had reacted to the news Greg had given her.

"I'm not very proud of any of this, I can only plead youth and stupidity, and for the life of me I can't believe she'd talk about it either. Maybe she hasn't."

"Greg, you're not making any sense."

"I know," he granted, "I will. I'll try."

Greg took let out a sigh before continuing.

"I met Erika in my English class. She was an undergrad working on her masters and taught most of them."

Now it was making sense to her, why someone like Anderson would class Sara and her together. She'd been his training supervisor not long before they'd begun dating. No one knew that their relationship had actually legitimately started when she'd been his supervisor and now it looks like Greg has been in a similar situation before. Undergrads weren't supposed to date the students the same way professors weren't supposed to date the students. Especially ones they were in a position to pass or fail. It happened, but it wasn't supposed too.

"How much older was she?" Sara asked, curious.

Her voice was playful, but Greg didn't feel the same.

"Seven years."

"So she was like twenty-six and you were nineteen?" she asked.

Greg just nodded and looked down. He even blushed.

"So I still don't get why this is such a big deal. Lots of people date…"

"No," Greg cut her off, "there's more. I didn't know it when it started but about six months into our relationship I found out she was married."

Sara had never been more shocked. She didn't know what to say.

"I know, it's bad."

"But you kept seeing her," Sara said astonished.

"Yeah," Greg confirmed. "Like I said, young and stupid. She told me she wasn't happy with him, that she was leaving him, all kinds of crap that I bought."

"You stayed with her for three years?"

Sara still didn't believe it. Greg looked her in the eyes, trying to figure out how bad it was.

"I'm not judging you," Sara said seeing how hurt he looked, "It's just hard to get. Greg, what did you think was going to happen?"

"Honestly," he answered, "I thought she would leave him. I wanted to marry her, I thought it was love. I'd never been in love before, I didn't know better. When I started telling her all of this, really pushing her to commit is when she got distant, when she called it off. It wasn't just about the leukemia and the infertility but it did play a part. She'd told me that she and I were after different things and that had been that."

Sara stayed quiet for a minute, letting it sink in.

"You hate me, don't you?" Greg asked.

She thought he was kidding but one look at him convinced her likewise.

"Of course I don't. Greg, you were young. Yeah, you probably shouldn't have kept seeing her but what was she doing with you? She's more too blame then you are. She took advantage of you."

"Yeah, well I've never felt that way."

She understood that as well and left it alone.

"I'm glad you told me."

"I thought I should. I didn't want you reading about it in the break room with everyone else."

Sara smiled at him and took his hands in hers, squeezing them once to prove her point.

"Does anyone else know?" she asked out of curiosity.

"Nick does. We got drunk one night and I started spilling most of my better kept secrets."

Sara laughed. She'd had a feeling that this was the type of thing he'd confide in Nick for.

"You're really not mad," Greg said sounding relieved.

"No," Sara said again, "Why should I be? It's not like we were together then. It's not like we even knew each other then. Greg, it's in the past. You wouldn't do it now would you?"

"No," he answered with real feeling.

She smiled again.

"That's enough for me."

It was his turn to squeeze her hands and her smile got bigger.

"Feel better?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered and it was true. "Much, much better."

"Good," she said standing up, "because you're still taking me out."

He stood up, smiling again, and pulled her into his arms. Greg didn't let go of her immediately, just kept her close to him as she rubbed her hands up and down his back.

"You're not a bad person Greg," she whispered in his ear.

It was exactly what he needed to hear from her. Exactly, but not easy to believe.

"I love you so much," she continued on.

She wouldn't let him pull away just yet. Wanted to hold him to her all night if necessary. Until he believed every word she said.

"I love you too."