Pictures tell more than words
By Dany
Summary: The guys in the lab discover something strange, but with a grain of truth in it.
A/N: This is a response to the Unbound Improv Challenge. There was no beta for this story, so every mistake is mine.
Disclaimer: CSI does not belong to me.
xxxxx
"Any chance this is a drug-induced hallucination?" Greg turned away from the scene in front of him towards Nick, whose mouth had dropped to the ground.
"The drugs must be pretty good if we're both seeing Sara with a baby belly."
Indeed, there was Sara Sidle, standing in one of the labs, looking like she had swallowed a bowling ball. Next to her, Grissom was preparing something, but they couldn't tell what.
Warrick came up behind the two young men and cleared his throat loudly, making everyone look up, including the two CSIs in the lab.
When Sara saw the audience, she blushed at first, but then her look darkened.
Greg flinched, but Nick and Warrick stood their ground. They had worked with Sara long enough to know that if they kept their distance they were not yet in danger. Warrick was the bravest of the trio and spoke up, "Dare I ask…"
Sara glared again while Grissom looked confused. For him it was obvious what they were doing…just not to anyone else.
"Experiment," Sara ground out between her clenched teeth.
"I can see that. But what kind of experiment?" Warrick was feeling brave. Maybe it was because Sara looked too…pregnant to be running after him.
"Man found dead in his living room. Cause of death: Blunt force trauma to the head, cracked skull. Wife claims, she was in bed and didn't hear anything. Now we want to know if she could have had enough strength and range of motion to hit him hard enough." Grissom was in his element, reciting the facts of another tragic end of a life.
"And she is pregnant?"
"Last trimester. Man, this sucks." Sara was still being grumpy, tugging at the shoulder pads of the fake baby belly.
"This is really heavy." This time she shot Grissom a dark look, putting her hands on her hip for good measure, but he didn't even seem to notice. Ignorance can come pretty handy sometimes.
"If I see one camera here, you'll be very sorry!"
At the threatening tone of her voice all men except Grissom took a step back, all bravado gone. They did not doubt that Sara would exert her revenge and it would not be pretty.
Unbeknownst to them, someone else was not as easily impressed. A couple of clicks later, everything was captured on film and the unseen observer had retreated again.
When Grissom handed Sara the rolling pin, Greg, Nick and Warrick made a hasty exit. Sara angry, with a potentially deadly weapon was never a good combination. Not even the promise of some good scenes when Sara struggled to land the blows could make them take the risk.
xxxxx
The next shift did not begin well for Grissom.
He had just settled in when Sara stormed into his office. "I don't believe it. I'm going to hunt them down and show them what revenge means."
She was fuming, and Grissom wished he had never left his bed. Everything had been so perfect then.
She marched over to his desk and smacked a photo down on the pile of files right in front of him. It showed Sara glaring at Grissom. One hand rested under the artificial belly and the other waved in the air as if to keep her from going at Grissom, who was staring up at her from a bending position as he picked something up.
He took in the scene and couldn't help but smile.
"Oh, don't you dare."
He bit his lip, trying to obey her, but it was useless. Sara threw her hands up and plopped down in the chair in front of Grissom's desk. "Gris, what are we gonna do when this becomes reality?"
Hearing the genuine fear in her voice, he stood up and went around the desk to sit down beside her. He took her hand and stroked the back of it with his thumb. "Sara, this was a joke, but they won't react the same way when we tell them. They are our friends."
She looked down, not wanting him to see the onset of tears. "What if I will be that fat? I won't be able to work and you…"
She refused to let the tears fall.
"I will still think you are the most beautiful woman in the world."
It lightened the weight on her heart to hear him say that. She needed the confirmation of what she – in her logic mind – already knew.
"It will be okay. I promise. We'll tell the others today and you'll see, everything will be fine."
That brought a small smile back on her face. She believed him, no matter what happened he would be there for her.
"I love you." He leaned over and lifted her head so that he could reach her lips.
The softness of her lips made him forget where they were…
Until they heard someone yelp from the door, "Oh no!"
They broke apart in shock, seeing Greg standing in the doorway, eyes wide, mouth dropping to the floor. This seemed to be his new look.
Before they could even try to explain, Greg rushed back out the door and slammed it shut. Not good. Her previously lifted spirit crashed back down.
Grissom recovered first. "Friends," was the only thing he said.
Slowly she nodded, hope returning. It would not be so bad if Grissom was with her.
Greg would get over it.
Sara stared off into space, wondering which one of them would be the first to pretend this never happened.
The End