Was there anything better than a dream about re-living a sensuous night? Sara didn't think so. She lay on her side snugly under the covers, dreamily staring off into space, with her hands tucked beneath her face. The dream had been very vivid, as if she'd been there. Her smile grew. Well, of course I was, she thought. The dream had been a bit more erotic, but it was very close to the real thing.
As she stretched languidly, a hand grasped her hip and pulled her closer, turning her onto her back. A low chuckle emerged from her throat as lips descended upon hers. Mumbling, she muttered, "Good morning to you too."
"Did you know you talk in your sleep?" he teased, whispering softly as he snuggled against her neck, the sound of sleep still in his voice. The stubble from his unshaven face tickled her nerve endings. It made her heart skip a beat to realize that he'd remained until the morning with her, not skipping out at the first chance he got. He pulled back to look her in the eye when she remained silent.
Seeing his worried look, she quickly replied, "Umm, no, I didn't." Licking her lips as he bent closer to her, she asked, "What, umm, what did I say?"
A grin appeared on his face, "My name… repeatedly." His fingers found her sides and he dug in.
She let out a yelp as he tickled her until she couldn't breathe and she gasped, "Stop, stop!" Her laughter died as she drew in a lung full of air. When she thought she'd recovered enough, he took her breath away again by laying another kiss on her. It began slowly, almost teasingly. With increased pressure, her mouth opened for him and his tongue tasted her sweetness. They broke the kiss shortly after, staring into each other's eyes. Her hand reached up and tangled amongst the long strands of his hair. The look in his eyes was tender, almost reverent. This past night was not a fleeting thing for him. She knew deep down, that within the next few weeks, he would be by her side nearly at every turn. But it was much too early for such deep ponderings; she'd only known him a few days.
With a saucy grin and a quick flick of the sheet, she threw it off and toppled him over onto his back so she could straddle his stomach. She sat up, flipping her hair back and placing her hands on his chest, the muscles beneath her fingertips rippling from her touch. His body, already responding to hers, raised parallel to her. His mouth tasted the flesh just above her breast then trailed lower to capture her nipple tenderly between his lips. He teased it with his tongue until the softened tip became a hardened pebble and then he suckled it.
Her hands cradled his head as her eyes watched him. Before long, her head fell back and a groan escaped, turning into a gasp as his mouth left her, but then she hummed in delight as he descended on the other; giving it the attention it was due. The heat between her thighs built into a raging fire and she squirmed against him for release.
As if on cue, he lifted her, positioning her over his hardened flesh and reveling in the feel of her warm center surrounding him. His breath caught in his throat and his head fell against her chest, relishing the feel of her. Suddenly, Sara flipped her head back up, grasping his head with her hands before taking his lips with her own in a crushing kiss and grinding into him with wild abandonment.
She knew it wouldn't be long. Every reach and each grasp brought her that much closer. Her breathing became ragged as a blinding light filled the back of her eyes. With a whimper, she withdrew from the kiss, his thrusts making it hard to think of anything else. She arched her back, while his hands supported her firmly.
His eyes traveled down to their joining, and the sight aroused him even more. With another thrust, purposefully hard, he groaned his release as her inner muscles spasmed around him.
They fell back on the pillows together, his arms wrapped around her body that was still lying atop of his. It was with a deep sigh from them both that they found sleep again.
HOURS LATER, Aeric woke her with a soft kiss. Her eyes fluttered open and took in his appearance. He'd showered and dressed, and was sitting beside her on the edge of the bed. "Going somewhere?" she muttered.
He nodded. "I have to meet with the park administrator in a half hour." He reached forward and tucked her hair behind her ear –the gentleness of his touch was not lost on her. "Would you like to meet me tonight for dinner?"
She sat up on her side, leaning on her elbow. "Hmm, I'd like that. Where were you thinking?"
He grinned mischievously as he glanced around the room. "I was thinking of here."
I was hoping he would say that, she thought. "I think that would be best, don't you?"
With a quick flash of a grin, he swooped down and captured her lips, pressing her firmly back into the mattress. And just as quickly, he pulled away and stood. "I'll see you at seven."
She sat up to say something, but before she could, he was gone. Touching her fingers to her lips, she smiled warmly, and then fell back again, pulling the sheets up over her bare chest. She'd never expected this turn of events when she set out on her vacation.
The thought of why she'd even been on vacation, now pressed heavily upon her. She'd gone the entire night without one thought of Grissom or the team. The smile turned into a frown as she considered the differences between Aeric and Grissom. For a fleeting moment, she felt as if she were cheating. Her heart ached and tightness formed in her chest. She wasn't about to let past regrets ruin the memory of her night or the pleasant memories she was making here in India.
When she'd decided to take her lengthy vacation, it had been over much intense self debate. Leaving Las Vegas wasn't what she wanted; however, time away was a constant thought as she worked long hours, day after day.
She'd left the vacation request on Grissom's desk and after one extremely long shift, she approached him about his answer.
Standing in the doorway, she waited a few minutes until he noticed her presence and lifted his gaze up from his files. "Sara. Is there something I can do for you?"
"Umm, I thought I'd stop by before heading home to see if you had signed my vacation request." She waited briefly for his answer before walking further into his office. He'd glanced down at the many piles of paper on his desk and then finally pulled one out that had been buried. She noted that it had indeed not been signed. "I know it's a rather long length of time, but it's all accumulated vacation hours."
"I know that. But I have to wonder why you're taking it all at once." His gaze fixed on her and she felt the depth of his scrutiny. "Are you doing this to look for employment elsewhere?"
Her eyebrows lifted. She hadn't thought that he would think that. No, actually she had considered that, since she'd asked for a leave of absence before. "No, it's not. I just wanted to plan a good trip and I do need the time for it."
She could see in his eyes that he didn't believe her. Did he really think she was lying? That she'd use her vacation time as an excuse to go job hunting when she'd just told him she wasn't? If so, then he didn't know her at all.
"Sara, I don't think that we can do without you for four weeks." He handed her the request form back. "Why not just take one or two at a time?"
Her eyes went from his face to the paper, stunned that he was refusing her. She worked her ass off, day after day, week after week. Her work hours were always higher than the others. Nick would be receiving the promotion and yet she was the one that worked hardest. Her blood began to boil. When she looked up from the paper back to Grissom, her eyes squinted and Grissom squirmed in his seat from the piercing gaze. "I was thinking that four weeks was pretty reasonable, but if you don't think so then maybe it might be easier if I just ask for a leave of absence for an additional five months… or maybe I should make that a year."
The belligerence in her voice shocked him. She'd gone from the quiet, respectful Sara he knew to an almost mirror image of a demanding Catherine. The image it gave him scared him to his bones. It then occurred to him that maybe this vacation time was necessary to her well-being. He'd seen the diminishing of her joy in her work over the past year. That wasn't quite it, because her work ethic hadn't changed, just her attitude. Her face and skin were paler, her hair had lost much of its luster and she never smiled anymore. He had to wonder if he wasn't part of the reason why. He could see in her eyes that she wasn't backing down and had meant what she'd suggested. Four weeks wasn't that long of a time compared to the leave of absence. He held out his hand and took the sheet back when she handed it to him.
She watched him quickly sign it and place it in his Out box then left his office without another word.
The two weeks following that exchange were some of the most trying nights she'd ever experienced working at the lab. When her last shift was over, she left in a hurry and didn't give the lab another thought until she was on the plane for India.
Now, lying in this bed and rethinking the night, she knew one thing. She had to move on. And move on she would. Grissom had made his choice, or actually, didn't make his choice. He was too late.
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Grissom sat at his table, silently eating his 'breakfast'. His quiet contemplation was of one subject. And her name was Sara Sidle. Sleep hadn't come to him, so he'd read, and surfed, and cleaned his apartment. No matter what he did though, she always appeared in his thoughts. And whenever she did, the hairs on the back of his neck rose. He couldn't erase the thought that she'd moved on.
"But it's only been a month," he mumbled through a full mouth. Brass had informed him, shortly before Sara left, that she'd heard his little speech while interrogating Dr. Lurie.
At first, he was devastated to know that she'd heard him, but that soon gave way to feelings of relief. Knowing that she'd heard him had given him hope that perhaps she'd force him to look at his decision in a different light somehow. Make him come to terms with why he'd made that decision and that she was there, now, waiting for him.
Now, he wasn't so sure.
Feeling overwhelmingly dejected, he dropped the spoon back into his bowl, the milk sloshing out of it onto the table. His elbows came to rest on the table as his hands cradled his head. Suddenly, his fist came crashing down on the table and he stood with resolution. "No, not yet. I'm not going to give up without a fight." With that, he grabbed his jacket and keys, shut off the lights and headed for the lab.
But, as he approached the lab, his strength of courage waned. He didn't know how to go about 'this'. When he pulled into a parking space, he stared with a heavy mind at the building. Whatever he did, would it be enough? He'd seen her face when she'd been looking at the flowers. The man that sent them to her had driven him from her thoughts and he knew she'd thought about him throughout the remainder of the night. He would have to play this carefully and not move forward without a plan. The thing was… he still needed more time.
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A/N: As promised, here is chapter 3. It's truly amazing that so many are enjoying this fic. There's been such a focus on Grissom and Sara that I really wanted to see what would happen if Sara truly moved on, not just going to the next one in the office or not even trying to live her life. I hope those that are fans of the g/s ship that care for the character of Sara will enjoy this story.
And a huge thank you goes out to Marlou and ACatFiend for their undying support. Without the two of you, I don't know what I would've done the last couple of weeks. Your thoughts and comments about where the story is and where it is heading show some great insight.
Please, after reading this, review. Constructive criticism is always needed and wanted.