DISCLAIMER : I don't own CSI nor it's characters. Everything belongs to the brains behind this wonderful show. Props go out to them. :D

AUTHOR'S NOTE : Set Post-Butterflied. Still unsure as to how this story is going to unfold and I like it that way. I could surprise the readers and myself. :D

The title may also change.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

CHAPTER III

"Hey Gil!" Brass' voice cut through Grissom's thoughts. He had been on the way to his car when he heard his friend calling for him.

"Jim," Grissom stopped in his tracks and turned to the captain.

"Uh..." Brass momentarily fidgeted before continuing, "I don't how to tell you this but while you were in there in the interrogation room with ... uhmm ... a confession of your own, Sara was behind the mirror."

If it had been possible, Grissom's eyes would have surely popped out of their sockets what with the absurd look of shock his face took to Brass' news. Grissom's mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.

"Yah, she almost ran into me just after Lurie left. She ... uhh... didn't look too good." Brass felt stupid saying that. He couldn't imagine how Sara was feeling at the moment. He would surely feel like shit if he ever heard the person he loved speak of their relationship that way. It still befuddled Brass how Grissom could push the younger CSI away when it was clear as day that they had a thing going on for each other.

Grissom slowly turned around and continued his trek to his vehicle, not responding to Brass' statement that is until he heard his friend calling him again.

"Gil, I ... I don't want to be nosey and all, but I think you need to talk about what happened in there ... with Sara." Jim Brass hoped fervently that Grissom would take his advice.

"Thanks Jim, I'm going to have to think that over and right now, what I need is sleep." Grissom replied, hoping to divert the topic off something so sensitive.

"Oh, right. Catherine told me you've pulled a triple..." Brass let his words trail and an awkward silence fell between them. Unable to bear the silence, Brass broke into it with a "Well, you go along now. Get some rest."

Grissom nodded wordlessly and left his friend standing in the parking lot looking worriedly at him.

Getting into this car feeling strangely detached from all his actions, Grissom took a moment to process Brass' news. Sara had been there. She had been right behind that mirror, listening to every single word he'd said.

A shudder ran through his tired body. He didn't know exactly why he said those words, and to a total stranger for that matter. Was it easier to say it because the man didn't know his history with Sara?

Excuses wouldn't save his skin now. Maybe the reason why he had been brave enough to admit those things to Lurie was because he knew that Sara would never find out. She would never find out how strongly the case had hit him, or how his body shivered every single time he remembered Debbie, or how he didn't go to sleep afraid that he'd be tormented by nightmares of Sara being in Debbie's place.

He had been pushing Sara at arms length that it almost broke him working this case. Many a times he had wanted to go back to the lab, go up to Sara and just hug her as tightly as he could; to thank whatever god looked after him that Sara was still here with him. To stay on his resolve he had avoided any contact with her and worked his triple shift straight.

It had been a long time since he last saw Sara and it gnawed on him that she had to witness his moment of weakness and he couldn't explain what he meant. He wanted to drive up to her apartment and try to explain things but in his current state, he doubted coherence would be on his side.

Sleep deprivation accompanied Grissom on his lonely drive to his townhouse. Climbing down from the car and walking sluggishly up his door barely having the strength to carry all of his things into the living room. Dropping all things just after entering his door, he literally had to drag himself to his bedroom.

He no longer wanted to think. Too many images of Debbie's pale face haunted his waking senses and the uncertainty as to how Sara reacted to his confession bothered him.

He knew that he should be talking to Sara about it, but his body disagreed with him at the moment.

Figuring that he could once again put off the inevitable conversation, Grissom started peeling his clothes off and fell on his bed directly off to sleep. Fatigue had finally caught up with him.

Just like he feared, his dreams were filled with images of Sara blended in with Debbie and the case. Grissom kept on calling out to her but there she stood, with an unreadable expression on her face.

His dream ended with Sara slowly turning and walking away no matter how hard he screamed for her to stay. Sitting up on his bed, feeling totally not rested the first thought that ran through Grissom's mind was, "Don't walk away Sara. Don't walk away."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N : Once again, thank you for the wonderful reviews. I've got to be honest, I'm writing the story as it comes so it's also exciting for me and to get such good reviews, well, it totally makes my day. :D