A/N: Sorry if I don't have characters personal lives right. For example, I don't know how old Sara was when he Mom stabbed her Dad to death, so I'm just going to assume that it hasn't happened yet. R&R. Thanks to everyone who has read this so far, you guys are the best!
I do not own any of the CSI characters… but I dream and pray. That's all one can do!
Catnip: Thank you! It was baseball, by the way, lol.
Ur sista: Okay…. Love you!
Jamie L.: I know… that's why I'm mad at Grissom, for breaking Sara's heart so many times!
Enjoy!
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"Look, we've only got about and hour left before nine, and that's when I need to head home, so why don't we stop now and we can continue this tomorrow after school? Then Warrick can come along if he wants to pick something, we can do my thing, Greg and Veronica will pick something and last we'll do Sara's, is that okay with everyone?" Everyone nodded and went their separate ways. Nick kissed Catherine goodbye, leaving her with a dreamy smile on her face as she walked home. Greg and Veronica followed suit. Grissom and Sara stood awkwardly watching as they had all night. Soon, they were left standing alone by a movie theatre.
"Do you have to be home anytime soon, Griss?" Sara asked, eying the posters of what movies were playing. Grissom shook his head and Sara took a deep breath. I'm just going to trust what my heart is telling me, she decided.
"Would you like to see a movie?" Grissom looked at her, shocked.
"Sara… I don't think we should do this."
"Why not Grissom? Let's have a great end to a great night."
"Sara."
"Grissom- it's just a movie. It's not a life-changing experience to see Must Love Dogs or Dark Water. Just a movie. As friends," she promised. She would be satisfied to spend any time with Grissom, as friends or as a couple. Truthfully, Sara had been thinking of what it would be like to kiss Grissom after watching the other four in the group doing so all night. She could see Grissom was thinking it over and she decided to stay quiet and wait.
"Alright. Which one do you want to see?"
Smiling at each other, they decided to see Dark Water. Sara felt her spirits rise. Dark Water was the scariest movie playing, a perfect opportunity to need some handholding. However, she didn't want to take advantage of this, so she continued to ask Grissom if he really wanted to see that movie.
"Sara. It's fine." Smiling, she walked into the theatre. Okay, Grissom. You asked for it!
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Two hours and two extra large popcorns later, Sara and Grissom walked out the theatre together. Sara hadn't really been scared, so she didn't want to hold Grissom's hand without reason, especially if they were going as friends, but Grissom had reached out and grabbed her hand at one point. Shocked, she had just stared at their entwined fingers for a moment, and then squeezed his hand comfortingly. Realizing what he had done, Grissom quickly pulled away and didn't look at Sara for the rest of the movie. Sara smiled inside when she remembered this. Asking him to the movie gave Sara a feeling of strength that she had never felt.
"Will you walk me home?" She asked Grissom. Grissom smiled a little at this request and nodded. They walked slowly through a park together. It was around 11:00, so there were only a few people out. Many of them were sitting on park benches holding each other close. Sara watched them, her heart aching. Soon they were close to Sara's house. Not wanting to get cold feet, Sara turned to Grissom and stared into his eyes.
"Grissom- please listen to me. We just met today, I know… but don't you feel a connection between us?" Grissom searched her face, looking for a hint of a joke. No one had ever been friendly towards him until today, much less liked him the way Sara seemed to be implying she did. "Don't you?" She seemed to be pleading.
"Sara… we're just friends." He seemed to say this with ease. Sara felt her eyes fill with tears.
"Oh my gosh, Grissom, I am so sorry. I must be just imagining that I feel the way I do about you."
"Sara, please. It wouldn't be smart.
"You're right, Grissom. Please, just forget I said anything." She smiled sadly at him, then turned on her heel and ran towards her house. Grissom stood and watched her leave. She had tried to run as quickly as she could, but Grissom could still hear her sobs in his mind as he watched her disappear into her house.
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Grissom stood alone in the park, horrified at what had just happened. It had been the hardest thing he had ever done to reject Sara. All the emotions pile up between them scared him more than words could say. If he did become romantically involved with Sara, she could hurt him so easily. Even with the friendships he had developed that day could hurt him. Grissom panicked, realizing that if he couldn't act natural with Sara the next day at school, she might hate him. He didn't have to worry about that when he got to school the next morning though, for Sara was absent from all her classes, he learned from Warrick. Worried and confused, at lunch Grissom went to the only person who he thought could help him now.
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"Hi, Mrs. Sidle. I'm Catherine Willows, a friend of Sara's. Can I come up?
"Sure. Sara's in bed. She's not feeling well." Catherine walked up the stairs and heard someone gasping for breath. "Sara?" She called. The noise stopped. Catherine waited and soon a door opened to show a puffy-eyes Sara.
"Catherine? Why aren't you in school?" She opened the door wider and Catherine walked in. The walls were a light pink and everything in Sara's room looked comfortable. Catherine sat on the bed and Sara sat next to her. After a moment, Sara's body began to shake with sobs again.
"Oh, Sara," Catherine cried, hugging her crying friend. Sara pulled away to talk to Catherine.
"How did you know?"
"It's lunch break and Grissom came to me. He seemed to be freaked out about something." Sara laughed a little. "He's sorry as hell, Sara. He may not have said it, but he cared enough to tell me what happened and send me over." Sara looked up, wiping her tears.
"I just don't understand, Catherine. I don't remember ever feeling this way about anyone. I've only known him a day, and I just feel so confused. He won't even give us a chance. He pushes my emotions away and tries to pretend they don't exist. And I think that's what hurts the most. He knows how I feel. He just doesn't care." Catherine took Sara by the shoulders.
"Sara, believe me, he cares about you." Sara smiled. "Look, you don't have to come to the rest of school, but meet us at the park-" seeing Sara's expression, Catherine winced. "Sorry, that was stupid. Anywhere but the park. Okay, meet us right outside of school at 3:00 so we can continue our group date." She stood and walked towards the door. "By they way- Grissom said he wanted to thank you for asking him to a movie. He had a great time." She walked out of the room. Sara watched her walk towards the school from her window. Catherine turned, saw her in the window and grinned at her. Pressing her hand against the glass, Sara smiled back. Sitting on her bed, Sara sighed and looked around. A wad of soaked tissues was in a pile at the foot of her bed and her pillow was tear-stained. Laughing softly at herself, Sara began to clean up.
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Grissom stood outside school, looking around anxiously for Sara. Nick was sitting cross-legged on the ground, stroking Catherine's hair as she rested her head in his lap. Warrick and Greg stood next to each other, Warrick reading "Pride and Prejudice", Greg reading "Chess Masters of Our Time". Grissom noted all these things to distract himself.
"Hey Gil," Catherine called. Grissom looked back to her. She smiled at him and pointed down the street. He turned to see Sara walking towards him, smiling. She had a flowing black shirt on and a simple pair of jeans, but Grissom thought she looked angelic with the sun giving her figure a silhouette look from Grissom's perspective. Grissom walked to her. She was still smiling.
"You look stunning, Sara," Grissom allowed himself to say. Sara laughed.
"You look good too, Gil." They walked to the rest of the group. Veronica had now joined them, still in her school's uniform. They all walked towards the town.
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"So, Warrick, what do you want to do?"
"Hey, I'm just along for the ride," Warrick laughed, walking beside Catherine.
"Alright then, Veronica and Greg?" They grinned wickedly at each other.
"Well, we had a brilliant idea," Greg started.
"It was pretty much Greg's idea, wasn't it baby?" Greg wiggled his eyebrows.
"Veronica, be careful not to bloat his head more than needed," Sara warned, her spirits high.
"Well, we're going to an amusement park for an hour!" Everyone exclaimed in delight, except Grissom, who looked pale.
"What's wrong Grissom?" Sara asked, noticing right away that something was up.
"I've never been to an amusement park either," he admitted to Sara in a quiet voice. Sara laughed like she had the day before at Greg and Nick and Grissom felt his heart beat faster. I like making her laugh he realized.
"I won't tell anyone," Sara promised. Grissom smiled thankfully.
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Soon, they reached the amusement park. Greg and Veronica's eyes lit up as they saw all the rides. Running in after paying, the laughed and clasped hands, headed for the nearest roller coaster. Grissom could hear the people screaming already and closed his eyes, feeling queasy. Sara hesitated, not wanting to repeat the night before, and then rubbed his back softly. Grissom sighed, not really in the moment and not fully aware of what was happening.
"It's okay, Grissom," Sara whispered in his ear, squeezing his shoulders. She could feel him loosen up under her touch. Taking a risk, she moved her hands upwards and let her fingertips gently rub his head as her fingers dragged through his curly hair. Grissom sighed again, completely relaxed. Sara stepped away, watching as his eyes fluttered open.
"Let's go," Sara suggested before Grissom could make a comment. Nodding and still smiling, Grissom stepped up to the ticket booth with her. They purchased their tickets and walked in. Warrick, Catherine and Nick were already riding with Greg and Veronica. They walked around for a while, looking for their friends. They spotted Catherine and Nick coming out the end of the tunnel of love, Catherine's arms draped around Nick's shoulders. They all joined up and found Warrick observing the booths that were selling souvenirs. They dragged him away to find Greg and Veronica screaming their heads off, mostly for the fun of screaming, on the Ring of Fire. The ride stopped.
"Come on, guys!" Sara screamed up.
"You have to go on this first!" They screamed back, laughed and huggin eachother.
"What the hell, let's try it," Nick laughed. Sara looked at Grissom.
"Griss- I really want to ride this, but if you don't want to, I'll sit it out with you," she offered. Grissom sighed.
"I can't have you sitting out all night. Let's go."
"Yes!" Sara exclaimed, pumping her arm into the air.
"Hurry, before I chicken out." They rushed forward. The seats were in couples, so Greg and Veronica sat next to each other, Catherine and Nick sat next to each other, Sara was sitting next to Grissom for morale support, and Warrick sat down next to a smiling girl from their school. A man came around and strapped them all in. Grissom already felt the fear rising in his chest. Sara looked over and held out her hand. Grissom took it without a second thought and the ride started. The cars crept slowly up… then backed up a little bit… crept forward more…. Soon they whole car was going upside down and backwards. Grissom still wasn't scared. He even felt a bit… relieved. The roller coaster reminded him of his own emotions. It seemed to relax him. He found himself laughing. Sara looked over in surprise and Grissom turned to her, still laughing. He had such an insane look on his face that Sara laughed as well. They both looked forward again, still laughing. Grissom thrust his hands into the air, still holding Sara's. Sara was a little shocked that he hadn't let go, but she put her other hand into the air and screamed happily.
"Nicky, look," Catherine screamed against the clanking of the ride and the rushing of the wind. Looking up, Nick saw Sara's and Grissom's hands clasping each other's in the air. Catherine sighed. "I knew they'd work it out." Nick smiled and kissed the top of her head.
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A/N: So romantic! I just had to have Sara make some moves here, or she and Griss would NEVER hook up! Tell me what you think please! The sooner you review, the sooner I write more!