Chapter 27

Mile High Club

"That's the third couple I've seen heading for the bathroom in the last two hours."

Sara turned to see what Gil was saying, he nodded in the direction of a very obvious couple slipping away to the airplane lavatory to make love.

"You're counting…" Sara raised an eyebrow. "You're actually counting."

"It's just an observation," Gil had been trying to focus on the book he'd brought along with him but couldn't help raise his eyes every time someone happened to pass. He felt uneasy with this.

People are having sex…in the lavatory…leaving…all kinds of…trace DNA behind them, he thought frowning.

Sara shook her head at him but smiled and went back to reading a magazine she'd bought at the airport.

Why does it bother you? Gil thought at himself, he glanced towards Sara and looked away again, he took a deep breath. Obvious. You've been avoiding the thought of sex for over a month now, and now you're going to be alone with Sara for a week, where plenty of opportunities will come and go. It bothers you because if you weren't as goddamn shy that could be you joining the Mile High Club instead of the young couple who just passed by…

He shook his head as if he thought he could rid the thoughts of his head this way.

"So…" Sara closed her magazine, "you said you'd tell me about Catherine's secret admirer. We've been in the air for two hours now and you've still not brought it up, so tell me, who was sending the notes."

"Take a guess," Gil offered, he took his glasses off to inspect a smudge on the left lens.

"I'd rather just hear who was behind it," Sara turned around in her seat a little to face him.

"Warrick," Gil finally said, he breathed on the lens and polished it with the bottom hem of his shirt.

"How did you know?"

"Apart from finding then pen," he reminded, "it was what you told me he had said to Nick. About dating someone from work…"

"So it wasn't us they were talking about…it was about Warrick and Cath…Nick obviously knew about this whole time…"

"Yes. Anyway, I had my suspicions but…until I saw the pen and had the proof I needed…I couldn't really be sure."

"Warrick and Catherine…that really is a crazy match," Sara confessed.

"Some would say the same about us," Gil pointed out, he put his glasses back on, "except from Greg."

"What do you mean?" Sara asked.

Gil paused, he was trying to find the place on the page he'd been reading in his book, he'd lost it when he'd noticed the third couple go by. "Well…" he began, "it was Valentines day and I caught Greg making the card…and somehow we got into the discussion of who was the perfect man for you," he cleared his throat a little, "Greg seemed to be convinced the only person good enough for you was, uh…me."

"No way…" Sara said, half in laughter and half with a snort of disbelief. "You're kidding, right?"

"I kid you not," Gil said honestly, "he said that to me. "maybe he remembered that you inadvertently told him how you felt about me…" he shrugged.

"What are you talking about?" Sara asked.

"Waiting in line to get into the nightclub…you told him he was 'no Gil Grissom'," Gil reminded.

Sara avoided answering the question altogether, instead, she nudged Gil's arm and pointed out the couple who had passed by to go to the airplane lavatory together, "hey, Genius, I guess you made the wrong observation," she nodded to acknowledge the fact the young woman of the couple was in fact blind, and her companion had been leading her.

"Ah, well…" Gil turned and looked to Sara and smirked, "I'm sorry, I'm not as experienced in the mile high club as you are," he reminded.

Sara suppressed a smile and looked away, "I'm going to pretend you didn't say that," she folded her arms in mock insolence.

"What was it you said when I asked if you brought anything to do on the plane?" Gil asked feigning innocence, "oh yes, that's it. 'That's what you're there for'."

"I was kidding," Sara nudged him playfully.

"I know," Gil said, he merely smiled.

"Notice how…how being so far away from work is…I don't know…relaxing…?" Sara asked.

"I know…finally we can…just be together without worrying about people seeing us and getting the wrong idea…"

"You're less tense than usual," Sara admitted, she placed her hand on his arm and gave an affectionate squeeze.

Only on the outside, he thought. Inside, you don't know the crazy images even joking about the mile high clubs brings into my head.

"Are you okay?" Sara asked, "you look a little hot."

"I'm fine, it's warm in here is all…" he shrugged.

"Take your shirt off, then," Sara went back to reading her magazine.

Gil let out a slow uneven breath, just that comment alone made him feel very uneasy, another rush of rather graphic images flashed into his head. Okay, not so relaxed anymore.

When they arrived at London Heathrow Airport, they were both thoroughly exhausted, the journey had been draining, and jetlag had already begun to settle in. Gil was feeling ever so slightly off balance, and Sara had a headache. They both felt so incredibly off colour that they did not take notice of any of the surroundings during the cab ride to a small hotel where they would be staying.

Arriving at the hotel, they had not been prepared to find out they'd be sharing a room. Gil had already arranged all this and insisted on separate rooms but now the hotel staff were admitting to a slight technical error in the booking.

Flustered, he'd tried to calmly argue with the staff at reception, but found himself growing more and more irritable, although managing to refrain from insulting comments about incompetence which were running so furiously through his head. He was getting so angry he was stammering, and finding it hard to continue with the conversation. The hotel was booked up completely, and as exhausted as Gil was, he didn't want to go look for another hotel. He wasn't sure why this bothered him so much.

Finally, it was Sara who pulled him aside to calm him down, "Gil…calm down…" she said softly, she took him by the arm and led him across the lobby.

"I'm sorry, I just…god…" he threw a look in disgust over to the reception staff.

"Look, it's fine," Sara had assured, "it's twin beds, we can deal with this…" she said, "it's not like we're being thrown into a double bed together."

"I know," Gil said, "I just..."

"It's for one night," Sara shrugged, "and we're mature adults…and…we are involved…this is a perfectly okay situation…"

It didn't feel like a perfectly situation, and he felt as relaxed as he'd felt earlier, he was going to be feeling very awkward from here on out.

"Sara…I don't think this is a good idea," Gil said, "I know it's only for one night, but—" he tried to explain, he could feel his temperature soar with frustration. He couldn't finish his sentence. Sara moved over and pressed her lips against his to silence him.

Gil wasn't prepared for how much the kiss would soothe him, and suddenly he didn't care about the other guests at the hotel or the reception staff who might be watching.

Sara moved back a moment later, and she smiled, "we'll be fine," she touched his face tenderly.

"Okay…" he nodded, finally calming down, he nodded to her to indicate he was fine now. He smiled and swallowed his feelings. Sara went to deal at the reception for him.

Ten minutes later, they were in the hotel room, Gil wandered over to the large windows to gaze over London in the broad daylight. He stood there for some moments, taking the view in, he heard Sara step behind him and he felt her wrap her arms around his waist from behind, he felt her chin upon his shoulder.

"I'm sorry I got mad down there, I don't know what got into me," he said, he placed his hands over hers, holding her arms tighter around her, the comfort she brought to him was like nothing he'd ever felt.

"Jetlag makes people irritable…and we had a long flight," Sara reminded.

"We need to get some sleep," Gil sighed, "we don't have long before we have to catch our flight to Glasgow…"

"Five hours," Sara said, she glanced to the clock on the wall, she left a small affectionate kiss on his neck and then let go of him, "I'll get changed in the bathroom."

Gil felt a cold chill sweep over him as her warmth left him. He turned to watch her leave into the bathroom. He still found his thoughts turning to how he would live through this whole trip without wanting to be with her intimately. It felt like it might be a very uphill battle.

While Sara was in the bathroom, he sat down on the nearest bed for one moment. He didn't expect that as he leaned back against the pillows, he might drift into sleep. He was only very dully aware of the feel of Sara plant a kiss upon his forehead before he completely fell into the blackness of slumber.

Don't ask me to try and calculate their trip exactly, because I can't figure it out, I'm shitty with stuff like that. I wouldn't focus too much on how long it took them to get to London or what time it is in london when they left at midnight in Vegas, etc. I failed math. Anyway...

I won't mention the reviewers over 3lines long right now (but I will in next chapter).

I know some people will be pissed that the chapter title is very misleading, but, hey, that's what's fun about writing, lol.

SS