Chapter 21

Spoilers: SDD

Though it was getting rather steamy inside the elevator, once they stepped onto their floor and the cool air hit them, they were reminded that they only had two days left to get information that the FBI could use to get their suspect and only two days left to be alone.

The thought was sobering enough to get the case work out of the way so they could spend the last night alone.

-Well, that's my plan anyway- Grissom mused as he watched Sara going over the case file once again, her hair tied back showing off her long slender neck, sitting in her sweats and t-shirt.

"Ah, coffee. The sweet nectar of life." Nick sighed, heading straight for the pot before he collapsed from exhaustion.

"Tough night, man?" Warrick asked, knowing that he must be desperate if he had resigned to drinking that sludge.

"Oh yeah. And if I'm going to put up with Greg any longer, I need serious quantities of caffeine." he joked.

"What's Greg done now?" Catherine inquired from behind her magazine.

"Nothing. He's just too damn perky for his own good." Nick explained.

"Yeah, I noticed that." Warrick agreed. "He's totally hyped about Sara coming back tomorrow. He's missed her."

"We all have." Nick smiled. "You think they'll have sorted things out when they get back?"

"I hope so! The last thing we need is them being at each other's throats again." Catherine said, putting her magazine down.

"I don't think that's going to happen." Brass chirped as he entered the room. "I haven't seen them myself, but I just got off the phone with the feds and they were described as getting along nicely. Now, I don't know what that mean in fed speak, but I like the sound of it."

"Excellent!" Nick grinned, giving up on his coffee. "Man, this stuff is bad. I'm gonna go suck up to Greg, since he's in such a great mood. Maybe I can persuade him to let me have some of his. Later."

Warrick smirked. "It's going to be so weird if they are together though. I mean, I don't care. I'm happy if they are, but you know Ecklie is going to have something to say."

"Doesn't he always?" Catherine asked, not bothering to hide her dislike of the dayshift supervisor. "But as long as they're happy, what else matters? I wonder who made the first move. I doubt it was Gil, but Sara isn't very pro-active when it comes to them either. I can't believe they finally got together!"

"Hey, don't let Grissom hear you talking like that." Brass laughed. "You know how he feels about jumping to conclusions." he added at the puzzled looks on their faces. "We don't know anything for sure yet."

"Well, we will soon." Catherine continued, not letting this truth get her down. "They'll be back tomorrow and we'll know all we need to know."

"Even if they are together, do you really think either one will admit it to us? You know how private they are." Warrick questioned.

"They won't need to admit. If they are, we'll know. They won't be at each others throats anymore. Well, not in that sense anyway." Catherine laughed. "And Greg, David and practically every other male on this shift will be heartbroken."

"Oh well," Warrick smiled, raising his coffee cup. "I propose a toast. To Grissom and Sara, may they be happy and stop taking their frustrations out on us."

"Here, here!" Catherine and Brass said together as the three friends contemplated the future.

"It's not here, I'm telling you straight." Sara argued, shuffling through papers.

Grissom sighed and pulled of his glasses to rub his eyes. "It has to be. Sheridan is adamant that tonight is the night and Jenkins is responsible for the disappearances. The evidence is here, somewhere."

Sara shook her head as she searched through piles of paper and files. "It's not." She stated firmly, slamming down the file she held.

Reaching out to steady the file on the table as it balanced precariously on the edge, Grissom ran his other hand down her spine, from neck to waistline. "Let's take a break."

She sighed. "We don't have time."

"We'll make time." He consoled, pushing the papers a little further away from them before sitting back. "I'll order some coffee and ring Brass. Maybe he can shed some light on this evidence we're supposed to have."

Sara nodded and slumped into the corner of the couch. "We still don't have a single shred of proof Jenkins had anything to do with the kidnappings."

"They were all his patients." He reminded as he stood.

"Yeah, but there hasn't been any contact. No ransoms, no phone calls, no letters." She sighed impatiently, running her hand through her hair to come to rest on her neck. "This is starting to look like a wild goose chase."

"Who's the goose?" Grissom asked, picking up the phone.

Sara stared out across the room. -Goose?- She thought, mentally going through all the physical evidence they had seen and all the paper evidence they had acquired. Neither was telling them much and the pressure from the Feds was starting to piss her off.

"Hi, can I order some coffee and a snack please." Grissom asked into the phone as he looked down at the coffee table.

Listening to his voice calmed Sara and soon she was snuggled into the couch and her eyes were closed. "I still think they don't want to be found." She murmured.

Grissom set the phone down and looked at her. -Wild goose chase? Who's the goose I wonder? What if this whole case was just some hoax?- He sighed and shook his head. It's not like the FBI would pull all the stops for some runaway couples.

"I'll give Brass a call. He might have something."

"Ok." She nodded.

Lunch turned into dinner and it was time to head down to meet the others. Sara was nervous and Grissom was struggling with his tie.

"I can never get it even." He grumbled, tugging at the silk.

Sara moved away from the window. "I'm still unsure why Brass is insisting on joining us."

Dropping his hands to his sides, he let her sort the tie out. "He thinks that if he's close, then he can make sure we're safe."

"He is also under suspicion by Ally and Sean. They think you're in trouble with the police."

Grissom chuckled.

"I'm serious." She insisted, sliding the knot up and straightening the tie as she brushed her hand over it.

"Honey, we work for the police." He took her hand and held it to his chest. "And I know it seems odd seeing your husband with a police officer on his honeymoon, but there's nothing we can do to change that now."

Sara nodded and squeezed his hand. "Let's go."

Sean and Ian were standing beside their table, chatting to Robert. The conversation shifted from work talk to life experiences. Meanwhile, Allison and Lucy were giggling and surveying the restaurant from their seats at the large table.

Grissom and Sara entered the room one after the other, unconsciously scanning the room for Brass.

"This is silly." Sara commented, moving up to stand by his side. "We can't keep a distance and be husband and wife."

Seeing her point, Grissom sighed. -So much for keeping it a secret from the outside world-

"You aren't backing out on me, are you?" She asked worriedly, watching his eyes dart back and forth between her and the others.

He understood that she wasn't talking about the case, but rather their new relationship. -I've created a worrywart- He chuckled and shook his head, quickly taking her hand in his and pulling her into his side. "Come on honey, people to see, places to go."

Sara sighed with relief, a fresh retort on the tip of her tongue and a smile. "Yes dear."

Robert and Lucy were engaged in a whispered conversation while Ian, Sean and Grissom talked politics, which to Sara was a big surprise. Grissom hated the topic. -The killjoys of being undercover- She mused, but was brought back to reality when Allison swatted her arm playfully.

"No staring."

Sara shook her head and leaned away from Grissom to move closer to Allison. "I'm allowed." She whispered with a wicked grin. "Plus, he's talking about a subject he hates wholeheartedly." She sat back and shrugged.

Allison laughed lightly and nodded. "Yes, politics isn't exactly Sean's favourite topic either." She reached for her glass of wine and sipped it thoughtfully. "Where's this James? You mentioned?"

Looking around the room, Sara shook her head. "I don't know. He was supposed to be here by now." Pulled away from her searching, she felt Grissom's hand cover hers. She turned her head in his direction to find his blue eyes glistening at her. "What is it?"

"I'm going to get another drink. Would you like one?" He asked politely, his thumb caressing her fingers.

Sara smiled and nodded. "Please." She watched him stand, but caught his hand to stop him. "Honey, could you call Jim and make sure he's alright."

"Hmm. It's not like him to be late." Grissom nodded.

"What's a friend doing all the way out here anyways?" Sean asked as Grissom walked away to the bar. "It's your honeymoon."

Allison sighed and rolled her eyes at her husband before turning to Sara. "Ignore him. He won't admit it, but we ran into an old friend this morning. Her name's Jasmine and she lives in Canada. There was no reason to think she'd be all the way out here, but there she was, walking down the strip arms loaded with shopping bags."

Sara laughed and joined in with the light banter between Allison and Sean. Though she had been watching Ian from time to time, she noticed that he was more interested in Allison and Lucy.

-Was he choosing his next victim?- Sara thought with a shudder, the smiling falling away.

Ian looked up and noticed the look on her face, a sudden look of concern covering his own face. He sat forward. "Sara? What's wrong?" He leaned further against the table as Allison, Sean, Lucy and Robert all looked at her. "Are you still unwell?"

The concern of all her new acquaintances was rather shocking. She was working undercover, which was not in her job description, and she was sitting with a possible kidnapper and killer.

-Where's Gil?- She looked around the room to find him, but stopped on another familiar face.

"Hey everybody. I'm sorry I'm late. I got caught in traffic." Jim Brass announced his arrival and moved to take the spare seat on the other side of Sara.

Introductions were exchanged before their attentions turned back to Sara.

"I'm fine. Honest." She smiled to show them that she was fine. Turning to Brass, she sighed, her smile widening. "Hey Jim."

-Jim? It's always nice to hear my name from a beauty such as Sara- He chuckled and nodded. "Hey Sara. I'm sorry about gate crashing your honeymoon."

"Don't be ridiculous." Grissom admonished as he set down his and Sara's drinks. "I very much doubt any of us expected to run into anyone we knew, but it's a small world and here we are."

Sara raised her wine to her lips and smiled her thanks to her husband.

Smirking, Grissom slid into his seat. "Guess you've all been introduced?" He received nods and a wayward glance from Sean.

"I guess it's time to eat." Ian spoke up, clapping his hands together and reaching for a menu.

TBC