Chapter 9

Settling in their seats and waiting for the plane to take off, the whole cabin was taken through emergency procedures in case of an emergency and the captain gave an introduction to the flight and its destination, just in case some sorry soul was on the wrong flight.

Their seats were on the left side next to the window, which gave a great view as the plane took off. Sara sat in the window seat while Grissom sat in the aisle seat beside her. The middle seat was empty, which gave them both room to spread out for the slightly long flight.

Sara had a copy of Grissom's notes and was alternating from reading them again and staring out the window. It had been a long time since she was inside a plane and so high up. After the explosion she didn't think she'd be in much shape to travel, but with only burns and her nightmares bothering her, she was otherwise in perfect health and one lucky person.

"What are you thinking?" Grissom's gentle voice broke through the silence between them just twenty minutes into the flight.

Shifting the file on her small table, she shrugged. His concern was concerning her. The thought that he was doing this all for some closure for his loss, worried her more than she liked. She looked at him and noticed he wanted more than a shrug. She sighed. "The explosion."

He watched her turn back to stare out the window. "What about it?"

Sara watched the clouds and the blue sky mingle together. "That I'm lucky to be alive."

Silence followed.

The stewardess served them drinks and light snacks after the flight was underway. Most the passengers entertained themselves with puzzle books, newspapers, laptops, cell phones, while other's watched the in-flight movie.

The chime of the attention bell woke Sara up abruptly, her nightmare fading quickly into the clouded sky outside.

"This is the captain speaking. Please fasten your seat belts. We are now landing at Colorado Springs Municipal Airport. Thank you for flying Airtours."

Grissom had been watching her sleep for the past hour and a half. He had taken the open file from her so she didn't drop any of his copied notes when she moved to a more comfortable position. Since the explosion, he knew she was still tiring easily. It was a good sign really; it meant her body was healing.

What wasn't a good sign was how she was closing in on herself and locking him out. He had to think fast to try and pry the doors open before she let the explosion, her nightmares, her injuries and her fears, consume her before he got the chance, and the courage, to face them with her.

Once the plane landed, they collected their bags and waited for their rental car to pull up. All the time Sara was fidgeting while Grissom was growing more concerned. He was going to develop an ulcer with all this caring and emotional restraint if he wasn't careful.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

Sara stuffed her right hand into her pocket. "Nothing."

Grissom didn't by it and moved closer. "Sara, I know something's wrong, what is it?"

She stared into his blue eyes for a moment before moving them to look over his shoulder, occasionally glancing back at him as she explained. It was no use ignoring it and he would more than likely notice later.

"It itches." She sighed and struggled to say any more. Embarrassment would be an understatement right now. Just admitting something was wrong didn't boost her confidence. She was scared of everyone's reaction to her if they even saw her healing scars. Seeing the surprised looks on peoples facing after coming out of the hospital gave her the answer she was asking herself all the time now.

Would I even be normal again?

Placing his bags on the ground by their feet, he took her right elbow in one hand and pulled her arm up with the other. "Rub, don't scratch." He advised, gently rubbing her fingers, palm and wrist before she started to get frustrated and did it herself and rubbed at her forearm, trying to turn and hide from him. "Slowly Sara. You don't want it to hurt."

She bit her bottom lip in deepened embarrassment and as soon as the rental car arrived, she pulled away and helped load their bags into the back.

They had arrived at the hotel in time to get settled in their rooms and get dinner before finding Grissom's friend.

"Ok, two rooms, adjoining." The bell boy unlocked one door and pushed it open to place Sara's bag inside the door. "Sir is in the next room." He moved down the hall to the next door and unlocked it. He handed the key card to Grissom before leaving them both to get settled.

Sara closed her door and moved her holdall onto the double bed. She unzipped her bag and started unpacking the essentials for a shower and change of clothes. Just when she was taking off her long sleeved shirt, a knock on the adjoining room door startled her. She quickly pulled her shirt back on and intently checked to make sure every part of her was near enough covered.

"Sara." Grissom called through the door.

"Hold on Grissom." She moved to the door and paused to take a deep breath before unlocking and opening it. "Hey." And then she witnessed something she'd never seen him do in her presence.

He chuckled. "Hi."

Quickly thinking, she glanced around her room, the back at him. "Guess you want to get going?" She asked, letting herself smile a little. It was nice to hear him emit a sound other than his normal distant distance tone or his professional attitude.

"No," He shrugged. "Just checking on you. Want to meet me in half an hour?"

Sara nodded. "Sure. In the lobby?"

"Yeah. I'm just going to make a few phone calls." He smirked, again, something he rarely did. "And check in with the lab."

"Ok." She leaned against the door. "Say hi for me."

He hesitated a moment, not wanting to move anywhere. Just being away from Vegas seemed to bring back some of the old Sara. The Sara from years ago. He'd missed her smile, even though it made his heart ache.

Jared Collins, a teaching professor at Colorado Springs, waited for Grissom to get off his cell phone. As he waited, he ordered fresh beers. They were sitting in the bar discussing old times and talking about the seminar. It was going to be a long two days.

"So," Jared started as soon as he had his friend's undivided attention. "Two days, four parts. You sure you're up for this Gil?"

Grissom rolled his eyes and shook his head knowingly as he reached for his beer. "You know as well as I do Jared that I wouldn't give up on an opportunity to teach."

"And your CSI?" Jared questioned curiously.

Sensing his friend's questioning tone, Grissom swallowed down some beer and sat back, absently wiping his mouth with his thumb. "Sara's my best CSI and she's also my friend," He paused briefly before continuing. "You could say, my best friend." He eyed Jared suspiciously. "I taught her forensics eight years ago Jared. She knows her profession as much as I know it. Sara lives and breathes forensics."

Jared smiled at his friend, noting the dark rings under his eyes. He knew about the circumstances that his friend was here under and didn't want to dwell on it much, for his sake and for Grissom's. "I hear some admiration in your tone, Gil."

Grissom nodded slowly. "Yes." He left it at that and turned to the bar to finish his drink.

A few minutes later, Sara appeared in the doorway to the bar. She nervously looked around. Though she was supposed to be meeting Grissom in the lobby, not a few feet away, she figured that he must already be around some place as he wasn't in his room.

Feeling slightly out of place with scientists of an older generation, she strayed back into the lobby and waited for Grissom. She'd seen his talking to someone at the bar and didn't want to interrupt. She didn't know these people, so she was wary on what she was supposed to do. She wasn't a teacher, professor or a scientist of their stature, so she wasn't sure what they would think if she entered a bar that hosted mostly men talking about anything forensics and education, plus she didn't feel well enough to stand amongst a large crowd.

Too many eyes.

As she watched and waited a few minutes, she decided to wait. It was nearly the time they had agreed to meet, so she didn't want to interrupt anything.

Grissom looked away from Jared's continuous babbling about his fund raisers and spied Sara leaving the room. Sliding off his stool, he glanced at his friend. "Hold that thought Jared." He left his friend staring after him.

Sara was waiting by the gift shop nervously. Why wouldn't her nerves settle down? She felt as though she might just explode. Was it the room? She didn't know she was claustrophobic. That couldn't be it, could it?

She jumped when a hand snaked out from some place and squeezed her good shoulder. She spun around and jumped again. When she realised it was Grissom, looking rather concerned all of a sudden, she tried to smile and laugh off her nervousness and jumpiness.

"Sorry, you just startled me." She smiled and looked down at her hands.

"Why didn't you come in?" He asked, motioning to the bar.

Sara looked past his shoulder, swallowing convulsively, still trying to catch her breath. "You had company; I didn't want to barge in."

Grissom's concern didn't fade, but tripled slightly when he noticed she was shaking. "I didn't mean to scare you, Sara." He quickly looked around before lightly grasping her left elbow and guiding her towards the lobby waiting area where dozens of comfy chairs were set out. "Here, sit for a minute."

Sara sat down and sighed, rubbing her face. "I guess things just got to me, you know."

He nodded, but wanted to hear it from her. "Things like?"

She looked at him as he sat beside her. "I-I," She shook her head, unsure what to tell him. This side of him was new to her. "I don't understand what goes on sometimes. Just now, I was thinking…" Her eyes narrowed in concentration. "How can a room get so small all of a sudden?"

"Claustrophobia?" His eyes darkened with worry. "You never used to be. At least, not before the explosion." He thought carefully about this and sudden unwanted images invaded his mind. Was this going to compromise her work? Would it be too much for her? And the last thought that twisted his gut was, would she leave?

Not liking any of the many answers to those questions, he took her hand and squeezed reassuringly. "It could be nothing Sara, a part of the healing process."

Sara nodded and looked past Grissom to see the friend he had been talking to at the bar. "Your friend's waiting." She looked at the back of Grissom's head as he turned. "You still want to eat?" She asked, suddenly wanting to spend some time with him, but she knew what was going to happen next.

He turned back to her with a tired sigh. "I need to talk to Jared about the preparations. The three days plan was reduced to two days." He squeezed her hand again and held her eyes. "Why don't you order in, get some rest and we'll eat together at breakfast? First seminar isn't until the afternoon, so we'll have plenty of time to go over things."

"Sure." Sara shrugged and nodded unsurely. Though she wanted to talk to him and spend time with him, she knew she was asking too much of him. He shouldn't have to put things on hold because of her. She knew how important this time away was for him. She just hoped she didn't mess up like she knew was eventually going to do.

She watched him leave. The two professors talking amicably as they walked back towards the bar.