He Ain't Heavy…He's My Grissom

Chapter Two-Bad News and a Trip

The group was gathered in the break room waiting for Grissom to give assignments. The team had been reunited recently and the gang was still feeling frisky. Nick, Greg, and Warrick good-naturedly ribbed Sara about being "Queen of the Geeks", placing a Burger King crown on her head. Sara gave Nick a punch in the arm since he was closest, and Nick pretended to be wounded, but secretly thrilled that Sara was beating the crap out of him, since it meant that everything was almost back to normal. Grissom watched the whole scene bemusedly, feeling ten years younger, and happier than he remembered feeling in a long time. Well at least a long time before last night.

Grissom began handing out assignments. Due to his trip, he was going to stay in the lab and get paperwork done, and was able to resist the urge to keep Sara in the lab with him. As he was hanging out assignments, a cell phone began to ring. The group did the cell phone shuffle, with Sara picking up hers and answering "Sidle". At first she smiled, "Maddie! Oh my god, it's been so long! What time is it out there? Is the baby keeping you awake?" Silence ensued as Sara listened intently to the female on the other line. Suddenly her face fell, and she rushed out of the room, blinking furiously, the way one would when trying to prevent tears. The group heard her murmur, "When?" and "How?" as she left the room.

Grissom let the group stare out the break room door for a moment, as he tried to figure out what to do. Nick got up, as if to head out to find Sara. Grissom motioned for him to sit down, and gave instructions to Catherine to finish giving assignments as he left the room in search of Sara.

Grissom went out into the hall and was a little perplexed when he did not see Sara. He then followed the sound of sniffing, and noticed her sitting on the ground, having the same brave, sad look on her face that she had the afternoon she told him about her family.

Grissom sank to the ground and picked up Sara's hand "What's the matter kiddo?"

Sara looked at him, "Kiddo?"

"You don't like Kiddo?"

"Honey is better."

Grissom sighed, "Ok Honey, what is wrong?"

Sara brushed away a tear with her loose hand. She started by reminding Grissom of the friend she mentioned yesterday. Maddie had been her roommate at Harvard, and Sara had often gone home with Maddie for vacations, and had been 'adopted' into the Mazza clan. Maddie's father, who Sara referred to as 'Poppy' had died a few hours ago of a heart attack at the age of 82. Sara then began talking of the wake and funeral that was to be held on Long Island over the next few days. She began to talk of sending an arrangement when Grissom interrupted her.

"Sara, why don't you go to New York?"

Sara looked at Grissom pensively, "Grissom, I can't just up and leave the lab for a few days. I would have to book a flight, get a hotel, since there will be family coming in from everywhere and I don't want to be a bother…" Sara was about to continue when Grissom interrupted.

"Listen Sara, you can stay with me. Part of the keynote deal is I get a two bedroom suite. I think it's wasteful, but it's some pissing contest thing with the group. You can stay in the other room. Just go home, pack for the funeral, and I will take care of the flight."

Sara looked at Grissom incredulously. "You would go through all of that trouble for me?"

"For you Sara, it is not trouble. It is a pleasure. I just need one favor."

"What Grissom?"

Grissom smiled, "Well Wednesday Night they have a banquet.., would you mind being my date?"

Sara resisted the temptation to kiss Grissom right there in the hallway. Her bright smile gave him both the answer he needed and the reward that he loved. He told Sara to go home, he would explain her absence to the others, and be ready for him at 7:00am.

Sara cleared her throat. "Are you sure its ok for me to miss work Grissom?"

"Sara, how long has it been since you've actually requested a day off?"

"About 932 days?"

"Exactly, now go and pack. I will be there at 7:00am so I have time to caffeinate you before the flight."

Sara left, while Grissom mused that it had actually been 935 days since she asked for a day off, but figured that arguing would not get her home and packing any sooner. Grissom walked into the break room, explained Sara's absence, allowed Catherine to redistribute the teams, and headed to his office to confront the two headed hydra of goverment twaddle and paperwork.

Moments later, while booking Sara's flight, he heard knocking at the doorframe. He looked up to see Catherine. As usual, she did not wait for an invitation, she just sat down.

"So", she purred "You and Sara."

Grissom did not say anything, just matched Catherine's quirked eyebrow and Cheshire grin. Catherine, used to the cryptic silences, simply sat there, watching him. Finally Grissom spoke. "Catherine, this is new, and I'm trying, but I'm not ready to talk. If I talk I will analyze. If I analyze, I will over think. If I over think, I will end up at square one. If I end up at square one, Sara might not be there with me this time."

Catherine nodded, walked up to Grissom and took his face in her hands. She kissed him on the forehead, and while wiping off her lipstick said. "Good for you Gil. I'll take care of everything while you are away. With Sara." Blowing him a kiss, she exited the room, calling over her shoulder, "Bury me in paperwork when you leave, and even Sara won't be able to find your body."

At 4:00pm Eastern Time Sara and Grissom entered the Penthouse Suite of the beautiful Garden City Hotel, where the conference was to be held. Sara walked around the suite, marveling about its beauty. Grissom, long jaded about hotel rooms, watched Sara with amusement and thought that no room on this earth could match her for beauty.

Sara however was delighted to be in a hotel room this glorious without having to cross under Crime Scene tape and continued to explore. She knew she was over talking but couldn't help it. The events of the past day and a half were overwhelming. The kisses, the promises, the news of the death, and then to have Grissom fly her first class and let her share a beautiful hotel suite like this were almost too much. If it wasn't for the tragedy of the upcoming funeral, Sara would swear that she was dreaming the whole thing.

Grissom interrupted her reverie. "Sara, what time are we expected at the funeral home?"

Sara snapped out of her thoughts, "Grissom, you don't have to go with me."

Grissom shook his head, "Yes Sara I do. These people are important to you, so I want to meet them."

"Grissom, that pleases me to no end, really, it's just that they are kind of loud and very inquisitive… "

"I can deal with inquisitive Sara. I want to go."

Sara nodded, "Well the viewing is from 5:00-7:00, we can get there around 6:00 and be at the funeral home for an hour, and then there will be snacks at the house, so you can drop me off there and get me later…" Grissom shot her a look and shook his head.

Sara continued, "You can come with me to the house, and we can have a nosh with the family."

Grissom smiled and picked up the room service menu. "Well that should give us time to freshen up and have a bite." He was surprised when Sara took the menu out of his hands.

"No dinner Grissom"

Grissom looked surprised. "But Sara, you didn't eat much on the plane and its going to be a couple of hours before we have a snack..." Sara cut him off with a smile and a shake of her head.

"Grissom let me tell you a little story about the Mazza's. I went home with Maddie for the 1st time for Christmas. As we walked in the door, Mama M apologized for not having much of anything ready for us to eat, but could get us a snack. She then gave me a list of choices longer than the all you can eat Sunday brunch at the dorms. A 'snack' to them is what Christmas dinner is to the rest of us."

Grissom smiled, he loved it when Sara got so animated. "So then freshening up?" Sara nodded. Grissom directed her to the bigger of the rooms, saying that he preferred the light in the other one. Normally Sara would have protested, but she decided that for once, she would just let Grissom take care of her and not fight him.

A few moments later, Grissom heard the water for the shower running and heard Sara's voice singing some tune he vaguely remembered hearing on the radio, something about not being able to speak when she talked to people. Smiling, and rather aroused at the thought of a naked, wet, soapy Sara, and desperately envying the washcloth, he stripped off his clothes and headed to a shower of his own. A cool shower.

Later in the evening, Sara pulled into the parking lot of Pollizzi's funeral home in Lynbrook, NY. She cut the ignition and turned to look at Grissom.

"Baby, it's your last chance to get out of this."

Sara noticed Grissom stiffening. "What?"

"I do not want to get out of this Sara. I spent too long trying to get out of this, and I will not do it anymore. Also…" Grissom trailed off, not knowing if he wanted to complete the thought.

As if Sara would let him go with a thought unfinished. "Also what, Grissom?"

Grissom felt like a whiny child, but he continued, "I don't like being called 'baby'. You called him 'baby'."

Sara grinned. She could not believe that Grissom remembered, and that he was still upset that she used endearments about another man. "What should I call you then? Or was that something we were going to work out next week?"

Grissom breathed a sigh of relief, he was glad that Sara was not angry. "You can call me Gil."

Sara kissed him, "How about Gilbug?"

Grissom was reeling from the feel of Sara's lips on hers and he prayed that he would never take that feeling for granted, even if he would be blessed enough to be kissed by Sara every day for the next 50 years. That thought gave him a chuckle, that he could move so fast from doubt, to 50 years, and he kissed her back and pronounced Gilbug a success.

As he got out of the car and helped Sara out, he saw a group of very large men talking by the entrance of the funeral home. He pointed the group out to Sara. "So these are the guys I'm supposed to fear."

"These guys are not so bad; it's the nanas you need to watch out for. They are relelentlessly nosy."

Grissom rested his hand on the small of Sara's back and kissed her on the head. "After 15 years of Catherine, I don't think anyone can scare me. I mean a group of nice older ladies, how bad could they be?"

Sara shook her head knowingly, took Grissom's hand and brought him over to the group.

TBC

A/N: I have everything mapped out. If I can get a solid hour of typing each day, I should be able to update quickly.

A/N: Warning. Get the Peanut Butter and Wonder bread as there is fluff up ahead.