I Forgot To Tell You
Chapter Ten-Completion
Author's Notes: Wow. The end of a very long learning experience. Thanks: To each and every supporter there's been along the way! Meg, for taking the time to beta my stuff even when you didn't have the time (if that makes sense). Amber, for rocking, Allison, for reading my stuff through, Tash, Z-Heidi, Adina, Devanie, Andi, and anyone else who's listened to me jabbering on endlessly about this fan fic. I really had quite a time writing it. Ah, but all fun things must come to an end.
The sun rose in the sky that day as usual, a glowing ball of swirling colours, turning on the world with its light. Cars and houses and streets were slowly illuminated as night turned to day. Cold dampness was soaked up by the scorching heat of another morning in Las Vegas, and slowly movement began in the city.
Sara exited her apartment building and squinted as the sun hit her eyes. She took off the jacket she wore and flung it over her arm, realizing that she didn't need it, and made her way to the supermarket. She kept her eyes on the ground as she walked, watching her feet shuffle across the grey cement of the sidewalk.
She was up way too early, she knew. Four hours of sleep wasn't nearly enough, but it wasn't much less than what was normal for her, so she wasn't terribly tired. Grissom had told her to act as if today was just another day, and that's exactly what she intended to do.
Pushing open the door of the small grocery store, she surveyed her surroundings with a shadow in her eyes. The regular cashiers were there, waiting to serve her, and she forced a smile as one of them walked up to her.
"Hey Sara. What can I do for you today?"
She didn't know whether or not it was a good thing that they knew her by name. She shook her head at him, noticing how his green apron was dirty already, even at this hour. "I'm fine, David. I just came to get a newspaper." He motioned toward the stack of newspapers as if she didn't already know where they were, and she gave him her second forced smile of the day. "Thanks."
She found a copy of a paper she actually liked, paid for it, and made her way out of the store as if that had been all she had intended to buy when she entered. The grocery list in her pocket was forgotten. She just needed to get out of there, away from the smell of the food she couldn't eat on a day like this. Trying desperately to shake herself of the sadness that clung to her, she added a bounce to her step. That didn't help, so she stopped walking altogether and just watched the world around her.
There wasn't a cloud in sight as she stared at the sky. Bright, golden flashes of light shone down and made dancing patterns on the ground. The crisp freshness of the air made her inhale deeply and close her eyes, loving the feel of the warm oxygen as it filled her lungs.
"Beautiful sky today," she heard from behind her. She recognized his voice instantly.
She turned to face him and offered a small smile. "You couldn't sleep, either?"
Grissom shook his head, watching her carefully. "You look better than I thought you would," he commented softly.
"I try."
He put a hand on her waist, guiding her off of the busy sidewalk and into the front of a small coffee shop. She had been too busy staring at the concerned look on his face to pay attention to how much busier the streets had gotten in the past few minutes.
"I'm sorry that today means what it does," he said, putting a hand on her face and rubbing his thumb across her cheekbone.
"You told me that already before I left for work this morning." She caught the sympathy in his eyes and softened her tone. "I know you are. I'm sorry, too." She looked at him closer. "I didn't think it was going to be this hard."
"Neither did I," he commented, pulling her closer to him and putting his forehead against hers. His breath was warm and smelled like the air around them. She wrapped her arms around him and put her head against his shoulder. He inhaled deeply and smoothed down her hair.
"I loved her," Sara breathed into him. "I really did."
"I know," he whispered. "It doesn't seem right to think it's been a year without her."
She just murmured into the softness of his cotton shirt, rubbing her cheek into it and letting the tears fall slowly, painfully, until there were none left to cry.
"Sara, I love you," he said huskily. "And I am so sorry about Michelle."
She pulled at the back of his sweater, bunching it in her hands. "I love you, too. And I'm sorry, too. But Harry got what he deserved."
"It doesn't feel like it was enough. Why does it never feel like it's enough?" he asked.
She shrugged, pulling herself away from him and making eye contact. "It's time to let it go, Grissom," she said, and began to cry again. "I really wish I could let it go."
Noticing the stares they were getting from the few other people in the coffee shop, he grabbed her hand and lead her outside to his car, opening the door for her and watching her as she climbed in. "I'm driving you home," he said simply, leaning on the open car door, "I'll make you some breakfast at my house and we can talk some more."
She smiled softly, resting her head against the seat. "I don't know if I can eat."
He closed the door and walked over to the other side of the car, getting into the driver's seat and starting up the engine. She put a hand on his arm and looked him in the eye.
"Thanks, Gil."
"For what?" he asked, slightly confused.
"For just...being here when I needed you. Being here today." She leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips. "Thank you so much."
"You're welcome," he said softly, and maneuvered the car onto the busy Las Vegas street.
Author's Notes: Wow. The end of a very long learning experience. Thanks: To each and every supporter there's been along the way! Meg, for taking the time to beta my stuff even when you didn't have the time (if that makes sense). Amber, for rocking, Allison, for reading my stuff through, Tash, Z-Heidi, Adina, Devanie, Andi, and anyone else who's listened to me jabbering on endlessly about this fan fic. I really had quite a time writing it. Ah, but all fun things must come to an end.
The sun rose in the sky that day as usual, a glowing ball of swirling colours, turning on the world with its light. Cars and houses and streets were slowly illuminated as night turned to day. Cold dampness was soaked up by the scorching heat of another morning in Las Vegas, and slowly movement began in the city.
Sara exited her apartment building and squinted as the sun hit her eyes. She took off the jacket she wore and flung it over her arm, realizing that she didn't need it, and made her way to the supermarket. She kept her eyes on the ground as she walked, watching her feet shuffle across the grey cement of the sidewalk.
She was up way too early, she knew. Four hours of sleep wasn't nearly enough, but it wasn't much less than what was normal for her, so she wasn't terribly tired. Grissom had told her to act as if today was just another day, and that's exactly what she intended to do.
Pushing open the door of the small grocery store, she surveyed her surroundings with a shadow in her eyes. The regular cashiers were there, waiting to serve her, and she forced a smile as one of them walked up to her.
"Hey Sara. What can I do for you today?"
She didn't know whether or not it was a good thing that they knew her by name. She shook her head at him, noticing how his green apron was dirty already, even at this hour. "I'm fine, David. I just came to get a newspaper." He motioned toward the stack of newspapers as if she didn't already know where they were, and she gave him her second forced smile of the day. "Thanks."
She found a copy of a paper she actually liked, paid for it, and made her way out of the store as if that had been all she had intended to buy when she entered. The grocery list in her pocket was forgotten. She just needed to get out of there, away from the smell of the food she couldn't eat on a day like this. Trying desperately to shake herself of the sadness that clung to her, she added a bounce to her step. That didn't help, so she stopped walking altogether and just watched the world around her.
There wasn't a cloud in sight as she stared at the sky. Bright, golden flashes of light shone down and made dancing patterns on the ground. The crisp freshness of the air made her inhale deeply and close her eyes, loving the feel of the warm oxygen as it filled her lungs.
"Beautiful sky today," she heard from behind her. She recognized his voice instantly.
She turned to face him and offered a small smile. "You couldn't sleep, either?"
Grissom shook his head, watching her carefully. "You look better than I thought you would," he commented softly.
"I try."
He put a hand on her waist, guiding her off of the busy sidewalk and into the front of a small coffee shop. She had been too busy staring at the concerned look on his face to pay attention to how much busier the streets had gotten in the past few minutes.
"I'm sorry that today means what it does," he said, putting a hand on her face and rubbing his thumb across her cheekbone.
"You told me that already before I left for work this morning." She caught the sympathy in his eyes and softened her tone. "I know you are. I'm sorry, too." She looked at him closer. "I didn't think it was going to be this hard."
"Neither did I," he commented, pulling her closer to him and putting his forehead against hers. His breath was warm and smelled like the air around them. She wrapped her arms around him and put her head against his shoulder. He inhaled deeply and smoothed down her hair.
"I loved her," Sara breathed into him. "I really did."
"I know," he whispered. "It doesn't seem right to think it's been a year without her."
She just murmured into the softness of his cotton shirt, rubbing her cheek into it and letting the tears fall slowly, painfully, until there were none left to cry.
"Sara, I love you," he said huskily. "And I am so sorry about Michelle."
She pulled at the back of his sweater, bunching it in her hands. "I love you, too. And I'm sorry, too. But Harry got what he deserved."
"It doesn't feel like it was enough. Why does it never feel like it's enough?" he asked.
She shrugged, pulling herself away from him and making eye contact. "It's time to let it go, Grissom," she said, and began to cry again. "I really wish I could let it go."
Noticing the stares they were getting from the few other people in the coffee shop, he grabbed her hand and lead her outside to his car, opening the door for her and watching her as she climbed in. "I'm driving you home," he said simply, leaning on the open car door, "I'll make you some breakfast at my house and we can talk some more."
She smiled softly, resting her head against the seat. "I don't know if I can eat."
He closed the door and walked over to the other side of the car, getting into the driver's seat and starting up the engine. She put a hand on his arm and looked him in the eye.
"Thanks, Gil."
"For what?" he asked, slightly confused.
"For just...being here when I needed you. Being here today." She leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips. "Thank you so much."
"You're welcome," he said softly, and maneuvered the car onto the busy Las Vegas street.