~*^*Chapter 8*^*~
[Spoilers: Bully for you]
When Sara woke in the morning, she felt comfortable, too comfortable in fact. She could feel Grissom's body wrapped around hers from behind. He was holding her, still holding her. Last night, she had sobbed her heart out about her nightmares, but had also managed to keep a huge chunk hidden from him. She didn't want to make this case any more complicated than it already was.
Taking a deep breath, she pulled her hand free from his and slipped out of bed before he could tighten his hold on her. She watched him turned onto his back and sigh in his sleep. -God, I wish I could stay in his arms- She'd never felt so safe before.
~*^*^*~
Grissom stood in the living room with a coffee in one hand while the other rest against the wall as he looked out at the city. For some reason, Vegas looked different from a hotel window. It was like he hadn't been living in this big city for over a decade and that he had only been staying a few days. Although they hadn't been outside the boundaries of the hotel, they were bound to leave at some point to follow the suspect, or to keep up appearances with their new friends.
Friends? Had they really become friends? It certainly looked like it and it felt good. He could talk to someone who looked at his and Sara's charade as reality. But in his heart, it felt so much more than a charade, but it wasn't quite up there with reality either. It was stuck between.
Waking with her in his arms, had given him a sense of hope and the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to wake up with her every morning. When she pulled away from him, he knew he'd be waiting a long time to feel her against him again. He just hoped it wasn't another nightmare.
-I never knew she had so many demons. How could she work with all that going through her mind?- He wondered sadly.
~*^*^*~
Sara opened the bathroom door and visibly jumped at the sight of Grissom standing by the window. Recovering before he turned, she gave him a weak smile. "Hey."
"Morning." He smiled and proceeded to pour some more coffee. "Sleep alright?"
"Yeah." She walked across the room and took the cup from him as he held it out. Neither really registering that both were barely dressed. Grissom stood in only some sweat pants and Sara was wrapped in a large white fluffy towel.
"Thanks." Sara said softly, looking at him. -You have no idea how much last night meant to me-
Grissom's smile grew. "For what?"
"Last night. I suppose," She shrugged, taking a sip of her coffee. "I needed to talk to someone. I'm sorry it was you... I mean," She faltered as his smile faded and something flickered in his eyes. "I mean, I didn't want my problems being a burden. It wasn't appropriate. We're on a case and I should have left my personal life at home."
"Sara-" He sighed, cutting himself off quickly. Looking back at her, he finally said what he wanted to. "I'm here if you ever want to talk. I know we've had our problems and haven't exactly been on talking terms for a while, but I'm still here for you."
She nodded and smiled. "Thank you." She looked down at her attire and laughed lightly. "I think I should get dressed."
Grissom chuckled. "Yeah, me too. You go ahead and I'll grab a shower."
~*^*^*~
-What am I doing here?- Grissom pondered as the hot Las Vegas sun beat down on the water they were sitting close to. Everyone knew that he only felt at home when he was in the lab, with his trusty bug library. He had never been much for hanging out by the pool. -Although, this place has it's up sides- He thought, hearing Sara call him out of his daydream.
"Grissom. I mean, Gil," She corrected. It would be kind of weird calling out her own last name, Sara Grissom, to those listening. She hadn't thought about that yet. "Sean and Allison are coming over, be nice." She joked.
-What does she mean, be nice? I'm always nice-
"Hey guys." Sara called to them.
"Gil, Sara, mind if we join you?" Sean asked, sounding perky as always.
Sara was about to answer, but thought she better check with Grissom and gave him a sideways glance. He caught it out of the corner of his eye and gave her one his rare but heart melting smiles to say it was okay.
"Sure, grab a seat."
"So, are you guys having a good time?"
"Yeah. We love being able to relax, don't we Gil?' She directed the question at him as he had lapsed into his own little world again. -He's so sweet when he does that- Sara thought, but it's so hard to talk to him when he does.
"Oh, yes, it's great." He lied. -I'd rather be doing real work- He thought, but being here with Sara is a once in a lifetime opportunity. When we go back, this ends.
"Not missing work then?" Allison joked.
-Hell yes!!!- Sara thought. -Working in a lab is a million times easier than this- "I don't even want to think about work. I'm on my honeymoon." She said, keeping up the façade, but startling Grissom who was unable to be so easy with that word. It sounded so real when she said it, but deep down he knew the truth and this was the first time he wished it hadn't.
"Fair enough," Sean replied, "So, what are you guys planning on doing today, Gil?"
"We were going to take a look around, get to know the area."
Sara couldn't help but smile at this, as he made it sound so innocent. What he really meant was, we're going to snoop around and see what we can find out about a possible suspect. She was surprised at how easily he lied, it made her wonder if he had ever lied to her, but she then dismissed the thought, concluding that he wouldn't be like that.
Little did she know that he had been lying about his hearing for months?
"I'm going for a swim, Sara, wanna come?" Allison inquired
"You know what, I should probably call Catherine." Sara said to no-one in particular.
"Catherine?" Sean asked.
"My sister." Sara lied. "It's her birthday. I'll say hi for you Gil." She leaned down to kiss him on the cheek. "You boys have fun."
Sean didn't know it, but he was lucky. He was experiencing a rare moment in time, a time when Gil Grissom was confused. -Why is she calling Catherine?-
* * *
As Sara walked past the phone, she felt guilty for lying. She wasn't going to call Catherine and she knew it. She was going to the suspects room. Just to look outside though, she knew that anything she found without a warrant would be inadmissible in court.
Walking towards the elevators, she sees Jenkins sitting with a young couple. They seemed to be alone in the room. Before she took advantage of the suspect being away from his room, an argument breaks out and the man starts shouting at Jenkins.
-That doesn't look good- She mused, watching the couple storm out of the room. Better watch what he does now. He could grab the couple or something and she would have breaking evidence. -It would be a miracle to catch a killer like this, in the act- When Jenkins made no move to stand, she sighed and entered the elevator as the doors opened.
As she headed up to their own floor, she suddenly thought about the fact that they were sharing the same floor as the suspect. -How lovely. He can murder us in our sleep if he wanted to- What a grim thought that was.
Standing in front of the suspects door, she groaned. -How the hell as I going to get into his room anyway?-
Just as she was thinking of leaving and coming back later, a hand grasped her shoulder and she swivelled around at the speed of sound, to stare right into Grissom's eyes. -Man! When he said he was a ghost, he wasn't wrong-
"Jesus, are you trying to frighten me to death, what are you doing here?" She gasped, clutching her chest with one hand and grasping his shirt with the other.
"That's what I was about to ask you, Sara. What are you doing, if you get caught here."
"I'll be just another nosy tourist." She interrupted as usual. "Don't worry, I didn't go in. I couldn't find a crow bar."
"Sara, you didn't." Grissom gasped.
Sara's face broke out into an amused grin. "Relax, it was a joke. I'm not completely brain dead you know."
"Damn it Sara, you can't just go off like that. You have to tell me about these things, I'm your supervisor." -And I get worried- He added in his mind.
"Tell me about it," She replied, "You're my supervisor and I'm the little rookie that doesn't have a clue what she's doing. Trust me, I know." She added sarcastically. "I'm not a child Grissom."
"Then stop acting like it." He let slip before realising it. -Did I say that? I sound like a kid myself-
"I'm not." Sara retaliated. "I just want you to trust me to do something without constant supervision. Ever since we've been here, you won't let me do anything by myself."
"I do trust you and it's not that I'm supervising you, I just want to help."
"Really?" she said with a smirk.
"What?" Grissom asked, wondering what was funny.
"It's just, I'm remembering something you once said about trust."
"And what's that."
"The only person you can trust in a case is the dead one', do you still think that?"
"Look, Sara, I'm sorry if I act like I don't trust you, I do. It's just, I'm not good with people, live ones anyway, but I'll try harder okay?" He pleaded, giving her a smile, trying to break the ice.
"Okay." She answered, "Well, we better get back, they'll wonder what we've been doing for so long."
"I don't think so, they seemed pretty occupied in each other when I left, if you know what I mean?" He explained with a smirk.
"Oh, I see... hey does that mean you left because you were uncomfortable?" She asked teasingly.
"Yeah, why?"
"Well, here was me thinking it was because you were worried about me, guess I was wrong." She dropped her eyes from his suddenly.
Grissom's face fell at the idea that he had done something else wrong, that was until he saw the cheeky grin come across her face.
"I was kidding." She grinned.
"Oh," He chuckled, catching onto the joke. "And just to set the record straight, I was worried. I had no idea where you were and what had happened. It didn't make it any better when I called Catherine and she said she hadn't heard from you."
The grin left her face at the realisation that she had really made him worry and that he did really care about her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry. I didn't think. I won't lie again." She promised sincerely.
"Its okay." He reassured her. "Come on, the elevator's here. Let's go back down."
As they stepped into elevator he could only wish that this elevator ride was better than the last. Thinking about the argument and Sara's promise not to lie, made him feel terrible because he still had a secret to share. He just hoped he got to do it in his own time and that Catherine wouldn't let it slip. Sara hadn't said to him that she knew, but he was pretty sure she'd figured it out.
As he looked over at Sara, the only thought left in his mind was, -What am I going to do?-
~*^*TBC*^*~
[Spoilers: Bully for you]
When Sara woke in the morning, she felt comfortable, too comfortable in fact. She could feel Grissom's body wrapped around hers from behind. He was holding her, still holding her. Last night, she had sobbed her heart out about her nightmares, but had also managed to keep a huge chunk hidden from him. She didn't want to make this case any more complicated than it already was.
Taking a deep breath, she pulled her hand free from his and slipped out of bed before he could tighten his hold on her. She watched him turned onto his back and sigh in his sleep. -God, I wish I could stay in his arms- She'd never felt so safe before.
~*^*^*~
Grissom stood in the living room with a coffee in one hand while the other rest against the wall as he looked out at the city. For some reason, Vegas looked different from a hotel window. It was like he hadn't been living in this big city for over a decade and that he had only been staying a few days. Although they hadn't been outside the boundaries of the hotel, they were bound to leave at some point to follow the suspect, or to keep up appearances with their new friends.
Friends? Had they really become friends? It certainly looked like it and it felt good. He could talk to someone who looked at his and Sara's charade as reality. But in his heart, it felt so much more than a charade, but it wasn't quite up there with reality either. It was stuck between.
Waking with her in his arms, had given him a sense of hope and the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to wake up with her every morning. When she pulled away from him, he knew he'd be waiting a long time to feel her against him again. He just hoped it wasn't another nightmare.
-I never knew she had so many demons. How could she work with all that going through her mind?- He wondered sadly.
~*^*^*~
Sara opened the bathroom door and visibly jumped at the sight of Grissom standing by the window. Recovering before he turned, she gave him a weak smile. "Hey."
"Morning." He smiled and proceeded to pour some more coffee. "Sleep alright?"
"Yeah." She walked across the room and took the cup from him as he held it out. Neither really registering that both were barely dressed. Grissom stood in only some sweat pants and Sara was wrapped in a large white fluffy towel.
"Thanks." Sara said softly, looking at him. -You have no idea how much last night meant to me-
Grissom's smile grew. "For what?"
"Last night. I suppose," She shrugged, taking a sip of her coffee. "I needed to talk to someone. I'm sorry it was you... I mean," She faltered as his smile faded and something flickered in his eyes. "I mean, I didn't want my problems being a burden. It wasn't appropriate. We're on a case and I should have left my personal life at home."
"Sara-" He sighed, cutting himself off quickly. Looking back at her, he finally said what he wanted to. "I'm here if you ever want to talk. I know we've had our problems and haven't exactly been on talking terms for a while, but I'm still here for you."
She nodded and smiled. "Thank you." She looked down at her attire and laughed lightly. "I think I should get dressed."
Grissom chuckled. "Yeah, me too. You go ahead and I'll grab a shower."
~*^*^*~
-What am I doing here?- Grissom pondered as the hot Las Vegas sun beat down on the water they were sitting close to. Everyone knew that he only felt at home when he was in the lab, with his trusty bug library. He had never been much for hanging out by the pool. -Although, this place has it's up sides- He thought, hearing Sara call him out of his daydream.
"Grissom. I mean, Gil," She corrected. It would be kind of weird calling out her own last name, Sara Grissom, to those listening. She hadn't thought about that yet. "Sean and Allison are coming over, be nice." She joked.
-What does she mean, be nice? I'm always nice-
"Hey guys." Sara called to them.
"Gil, Sara, mind if we join you?" Sean asked, sounding perky as always.
Sara was about to answer, but thought she better check with Grissom and gave him a sideways glance. He caught it out of the corner of his eye and gave her one his rare but heart melting smiles to say it was okay.
"Sure, grab a seat."
"So, are you guys having a good time?"
"Yeah. We love being able to relax, don't we Gil?' She directed the question at him as he had lapsed into his own little world again. -He's so sweet when he does that- Sara thought, but it's so hard to talk to him when he does.
"Oh, yes, it's great." He lied. -I'd rather be doing real work- He thought, but being here with Sara is a once in a lifetime opportunity. When we go back, this ends.
"Not missing work then?" Allison joked.
-Hell yes!!!- Sara thought. -Working in a lab is a million times easier than this- "I don't even want to think about work. I'm on my honeymoon." She said, keeping up the façade, but startling Grissom who was unable to be so easy with that word. It sounded so real when she said it, but deep down he knew the truth and this was the first time he wished it hadn't.
"Fair enough," Sean replied, "So, what are you guys planning on doing today, Gil?"
"We were going to take a look around, get to know the area."
Sara couldn't help but smile at this, as he made it sound so innocent. What he really meant was, we're going to snoop around and see what we can find out about a possible suspect. She was surprised at how easily he lied, it made her wonder if he had ever lied to her, but she then dismissed the thought, concluding that he wouldn't be like that.
Little did she know that he had been lying about his hearing for months?
"I'm going for a swim, Sara, wanna come?" Allison inquired
"You know what, I should probably call Catherine." Sara said to no-one in particular.
"Catherine?" Sean asked.
"My sister." Sara lied. "It's her birthday. I'll say hi for you Gil." She leaned down to kiss him on the cheek. "You boys have fun."
Sean didn't know it, but he was lucky. He was experiencing a rare moment in time, a time when Gil Grissom was confused. -Why is she calling Catherine?-
* * *
As Sara walked past the phone, she felt guilty for lying. She wasn't going to call Catherine and she knew it. She was going to the suspects room. Just to look outside though, she knew that anything she found without a warrant would be inadmissible in court.
Walking towards the elevators, she sees Jenkins sitting with a young couple. They seemed to be alone in the room. Before she took advantage of the suspect being away from his room, an argument breaks out and the man starts shouting at Jenkins.
-That doesn't look good- She mused, watching the couple storm out of the room. Better watch what he does now. He could grab the couple or something and she would have breaking evidence. -It would be a miracle to catch a killer like this, in the act- When Jenkins made no move to stand, she sighed and entered the elevator as the doors opened.
As she headed up to their own floor, she suddenly thought about the fact that they were sharing the same floor as the suspect. -How lovely. He can murder us in our sleep if he wanted to- What a grim thought that was.
Standing in front of the suspects door, she groaned. -How the hell as I going to get into his room anyway?-
Just as she was thinking of leaving and coming back later, a hand grasped her shoulder and she swivelled around at the speed of sound, to stare right into Grissom's eyes. -Man! When he said he was a ghost, he wasn't wrong-
"Jesus, are you trying to frighten me to death, what are you doing here?" She gasped, clutching her chest with one hand and grasping his shirt with the other.
"That's what I was about to ask you, Sara. What are you doing, if you get caught here."
"I'll be just another nosy tourist." She interrupted as usual. "Don't worry, I didn't go in. I couldn't find a crow bar."
"Sara, you didn't." Grissom gasped.
Sara's face broke out into an amused grin. "Relax, it was a joke. I'm not completely brain dead you know."
"Damn it Sara, you can't just go off like that. You have to tell me about these things, I'm your supervisor." -And I get worried- He added in his mind.
"Tell me about it," She replied, "You're my supervisor and I'm the little rookie that doesn't have a clue what she's doing. Trust me, I know." She added sarcastically. "I'm not a child Grissom."
"Then stop acting like it." He let slip before realising it. -Did I say that? I sound like a kid myself-
"I'm not." Sara retaliated. "I just want you to trust me to do something without constant supervision. Ever since we've been here, you won't let me do anything by myself."
"I do trust you and it's not that I'm supervising you, I just want to help."
"Really?" she said with a smirk.
"What?" Grissom asked, wondering what was funny.
"It's just, I'm remembering something you once said about trust."
"And what's that."
"The only person you can trust in a case is the dead one', do you still think that?"
"Look, Sara, I'm sorry if I act like I don't trust you, I do. It's just, I'm not good with people, live ones anyway, but I'll try harder okay?" He pleaded, giving her a smile, trying to break the ice.
"Okay." She answered, "Well, we better get back, they'll wonder what we've been doing for so long."
"I don't think so, they seemed pretty occupied in each other when I left, if you know what I mean?" He explained with a smirk.
"Oh, I see... hey does that mean you left because you were uncomfortable?" She asked teasingly.
"Yeah, why?"
"Well, here was me thinking it was because you were worried about me, guess I was wrong." She dropped her eyes from his suddenly.
Grissom's face fell at the idea that he had done something else wrong, that was until he saw the cheeky grin come across her face.
"I was kidding." She grinned.
"Oh," He chuckled, catching onto the joke. "And just to set the record straight, I was worried. I had no idea where you were and what had happened. It didn't make it any better when I called Catherine and she said she hadn't heard from you."
The grin left her face at the realisation that she had really made him worry and that he did really care about her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry. I didn't think. I won't lie again." She promised sincerely.
"Its okay." He reassured her. "Come on, the elevator's here. Let's go back down."
As they stepped into elevator he could only wish that this elevator ride was better than the last. Thinking about the argument and Sara's promise not to lie, made him feel terrible because he still had a secret to share. He just hoped he got to do it in his own time and that Catherine wouldn't let it slip. Sara hadn't said to him that she knew, but he was pretty sure she'd figured it out.
As he looked over at Sara, the only thought left in his mind was, -What am I going to do?-
~*^*TBC*^*~