Blue Blazes

TEASER: Sara has vacation plans. Response to the 8-15-05 Unbound Improv Challenge and sequel to "Red Hot".

RATING: M for sexual content.

SPOILERS: Through Season 5.

DISCLAIMERS: Not mine. No matter how hard I wish or pray, they never will be. So I'm just playing with them for fun without profit. All of that goes to Bruckheimer, et al.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: You'll get more from this story if you read "Red Hot" first. Reviews appreciated, archived at my site, and the keepers of the second week in August HATE me, though to my knowledge, I've never done anything to them. First and last lines given, 1000 word limit for the story itself; according to MS Word 2003, I made it with 26 words to spare.

CSI CSI CSI

"When are you leaving?" He had forgotten that Sara had actually planned a vacation this year. The realization that he would wake up in an empty bed for a week hit him hard, and that after only three days with her since Catherine's early birthday party for him.

"My flight leaves Friday afternoon," she said without looking up from the microscope.

"And when in the blue blazes do you get back?"

She turned her head and smiled at him, somewhat enigmatically. "The following Saturday afternoon."

"Where are you going?"

"You can't wait for the postcard?"

A piece of a puzzle he didn't know was incomplete slammed into place in his head. "No wonder Catherine planned an early birthday party for me. She knew you were going to be away."

This time, Sara stood up. "God, I never thought of that. I just figured initially she did it so she wouldn't have to put on a party the weekend she got back from her mom's."

"Initially?"

That smile again. "She didn't tell me until the morning of, and that was only because she needed me to do certain things that I wouldn't do without an explanation."

"Like get a pedicure and a manicure with polish that matched the scarlet dress." Three days later, her toes still set him on fire, though in the interest of decorum she had taken the polish off her fingernails before they came into work Sunday night. He couldn't risk thinking of her in the dress at work. "And in answer to your question, I'd prefer not to wait for the postcard."

"I'll leave an itinerary for you to find." She bent back over the microscope and changed the slide.

"I think I'm pouting now." He crossed his arms and turned his lips down, widening his eyes as much as he could.

Sara turned her head again. She burst out laughing and had to back away from the microscope, blindly landing on a lab stool with only a little grace.

"What?"

"Grissom," she managed between heaving giggles, "pouting does not become you at all. Maybe without the beard . . ."

"You want me to shave? The beard's gone."

She stopped laughing and spoke in a whisper. "Then you'll be sleeping alone until it grows back."

"So no pouting?"

She nodded. "No pouting. Only an hour till shift is over. If you let me get back to work, I can leave on time, assuming that slave-driving supervisor of mine is satisfied with my night's work."

Grissom grinned as he felt his blood rise. He dropped his voice as low as it could go. "I have it on good authority that you slave-driving supervisor is more concerned with you being satisfied with his day's play."

He was rewarded with a bright flush that swept up Sara's neck and face. He wanted to kiss its path then and there, but knew it would have to wait. He winked at her and turned away, wanting to be ready to leave with her promptly at the end of their shift.

CSI CSI CSI

Grissom's cell phone rang at 10:20 Friday morning. He was still in the office, buried under a load of paperwork that needed to be done before the end of the month. He figured with Sara out, he could get it all finished without missing time with her.

"Sara, I promised I'd be-"

"Gil, stop working and come home now." Her voice had that languid, heated quality that turned him on so quickly and thoroughly, even over a lousy cell phone connection.

He sighed. "Sara, I really shouldn't-"

"Gil, I expected you to be here when I got here. Eight days and nights. I need a goodbye fix."

"I'll be right there."

He didn't even bother to put the forms he had in front of him back in the folder. He made it home in 20 minutes and was unbuttoning his shirt as he walked in the door.

Sara's ardor continued to amaze him. She had him naked and on fire in seconds just by dropping the short silk robe from her shoulders, revealing her perfect nude form to him as he kicked off his shoes. She needed a goodbye fix? He was sure he would suffer the DTs in her absence.

They made love in three rooms in an hour before they fell, exhausted and sweaty, onto his bed. "What time do we need to leave for the airport?" he managed through heavy breaths.

"Two fifteen." She reached over him to the nightstand and picked up an envelope, holding it in front of his eyes. "The better question is how long will it take you to pack for a week of following the blue blazes along the Columbia River Gorge?"

He gaped at her, more surprised by this than by her presence at Catherine's house a week ago. "How . . ."

"Warrick and Nick were more than happy to volunteer to cover for us when I told them that your mother really wanted to celebrate your birthday with you this year. I even showed them the ticket to Burbank, which by the way is full-fare changeable and your mother wants you to call her when we get back."

"Uh . . ."

"Ecklie had his suspicions, but your mother was great on the TTY. She seemed quite offended at the notion that you might be having an illicit affair with one of your employees."

"My mom . . ." His lips kept moving but no sound came out.

"Your mom says, quote, to have fun and be careful while you enjoy your illicit affair with one of your employees. Unquote."

He choked.

Sara laughed at him and kissed him for a long time. Then he really couldn't string a sentence together.

Her eyes twinkled as she said, "What, no witty retort?"

--FIN--