Division

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Geekfiction has a Secret Santa-esque event called a Fic-A-Thon going on right now, and I am posting this story that was especially written for Teenwitch77, who asked for a story including angst, some form of GSR, and conflict in the lab.

"Sara, I need you off of your case. You've been dedicating too much time, and you're not getting anywhere. You've got a homicide; take Greg," Catherine instructed, handing out assignments to the team in the break room.

Sara looked at Catherine in awe. "A couple more hours could be all this case needs. I can talk to the parents again and try to get more information as to who killed Danielle," Sara reasoned.

Everyone's attention gravitated to Sara, recognizing that she had referred to a victim on a first name basis yet again. "What?" Sara stated, put off by their glares, "I should be able to find her killer."

"Sara, you're done," Catherine asserted her power, "Take Greg and go to this homicide. We can't dedicate all of our time to impossible feats."

Nick, Warrick, and Greg sat on the sidelines of the room, watching the two women argue. They all wanted to butt in and break up the spat, but they figured that some tension should be released between the women, and none of them knew what to say. They noticed heads turning outside of the room, focusing on the argument within.

Sara stood from her chair, wanting to be able to match and beat Catherine's height. "It's not impossible," Sara countered, "You get engulfed in a case, and you get full leeway. You traipse around this lab, throwing around your power like you're the queen bee. If cases are put down too soon, a lot more criminals will be wandering the streets, and a lot more victims will not get the justice they deserve."

"Well, I'm not Grissom, and the pace needs to be picked up around here. He keeps giving everyone free rein, and the cases are piling up. I'd like to at least get the obviously guilty processed so they aren't out on the streets anymore. And if we solve some of the tougher, high-profile cases, we'll be in business. This lab is a money pit; too many man hours, not enough cases solved."

"Do you even look at the numbers? We have a very impressive solve rate. Quality should not be sacrificed for speed. The lab's integrity could be lost on sloppiness. Do not forget who is in charge here. Grissom does a fine job around here, and just because he is away for a week, I will not allow you to undermine his status or authority here. I'm finishing my case."

Sara stepped out of the room and turned to walk toward the locker room. Talking to her back, Catherine commanded, "Right now, I'm in charge, and I say you're done. Sometimes you need to step back from your relationship with Grissom and consider the things that you have been getting away with around here. If you're going to get so far gone on every case, maybe Ecklie's right, maybe you should be split up. Just because you didn't get justice doesn't mean you have to expend lab resources and burn yourself out every time there is a victim you can't help."

Sara's jaw tensed and her brow furrowed further. She stopped and flipped around, looking Catherine straight in the eye. "I can't believe you. You know what; you want your kill shot; I'm done. I'm not going to sacrifice my integrity for your drive-thru criminalistics."

Turning and rushing down the hallway with determination, Sara left three shocked colleagues in her wake. Although things had gotten heated between Sara and Catherine before, they didn't think things were going to get this bad. "Get to your cases," Catherine instructed the three of them, quickly reverting back to the immediate matters at hand. "Greg, I'll be with you, meet me outside."

"What was she talking about?" Greg asked as soon as Catherine left the room.

"I have no idea, man," Warrick replied, looking between Nick and Greg.

"I'm going to find her," Nick announced. "She won't want to be bombarded, but I want to make sure she's okay. Things are just too on edge around here for me."

Warrick and Greg slightly nodded in agreement. "Grissom needs to come back," Warrick stated, voicing all of their opinions.

"I need to get outside; I don't want to face Catherine's wrath as well," Greg stated.

The three parted ways, Warrick heading for his scene, Greg going to meet Catherine, and Nick going to find Sara.

Nick caught up to Sara in the locker room as she pulled a few things hastily from her locker. Sara slammed her locker closed and looked up to see Nick standing just inside the room. "I can't talk to you now," Sara stated, some of her anger departing, leaving raw pain in its wake.

"Where do you think you're going?" Nick asked, knowing she would try to flee the lab as quickly as possible.

"Home. I'll stay there. I just can't be here. If I can't trust who I'm working with, then I can't work right now."

"Sara, you should stay."

"And do what, Nick? Deal with someone attacking me some more and no one defending me?"

Sara shook her head and walked out the door. "What was she talking about?"

"I can't get justice for every victim; I know that," Sara stated, telling a believable fabrication instead of the unbearable truth.

Nick shook his head and looked at the floor. "I've got to go, Nick," Sara stated, rushing for the exit of the lab.

As soon as Sara arrived home and locked herself inside of the house, she dialed Grissom's cell phone. Getting put straight to voice mail like she expected, Sara left a brief message. "Gil, I need you...I...need to talk to you. Please call me; I'm home."

After ending the call, Sara headed to the kitchen to pour herself a stiff drink. Following that one up with a few more, Sara fell asleep on the couch, unshed tears stuck to the corners of her eyes.

Waking up at six o'clock, Sara found ten messages on her cell phone. Deciding not to sort through them, Sara retrieved some Tylenol from her purse, swallowed the pills with a few sips of water, and sat down at the kitchen table. Dialing Grissom's number again, Sara waited to see if he would pick up. When she was directed to voice mail once again, she left another message. "Gil, it's me; I really need to talk to you. Please give me a call."

Not wanting to leave the house in case Grissom did call, Sara ventured to the bedroom, changed into shorts and a t-shirt, and crawled into bed. Bringing Grissom's pillow to her chest, she clung to it, wishing he would call so she could confide in him and let her feelings escape. After dueling with her thoughts for a while, Sara succumbed to sleep.

"Hello, please leave a message."

"Sara, Sara, are you there? I tried your cell phone and you didn't answer. Honey, pick up. Sara," Grissom's nasally voice stated frantically into the answering machine.

Sara turned over in bed, hearing the racket. Realizing that it was the phone that had been ringing and that someone was leaving a message, Sara picked up the handset from the nightstand. "Hello," she answered groggily, still plagued by the remnants of sleep.

"I just got your messages; what's going on?" Grissom asked, relieved that she had picked up.

"You sound horrible; quite worse," Sara noted.

"I thought it was just a cold, but now I've got this awful cough as well. Don't change the subject; what's going on?"

Hearing Grissom sneeze a few times and blow his nose, Sara waited to relay the news. "Gil...I...I..." Sara started, not really knowing what she should tell him.

"Sara, just come out with it. What is bothering you so much?"

"Catherine knows," Sara stated quite vaguely.

"Catherine knows what? You're speaking in riddles."

"About my parents," she said, her voice breaking.

Grissom stiffened, knowing that it could not possibly be a good situation. When he spoke, his voice was more strained. "How?"

"Case files, articles, I don't know. It's all a matter of public record. She said something rather vague in front of the entire team, but I diffused the situation a bit, so they don't really know what happened."

Grissom sighed and scratched his forehead. "Honey, I'm coming home. I thought I was going to find some answers here while I took care of all of the arrangements, but I haven't. You definitely shouldn't be alone. I'll be on the first plane out of here."

She was comforted by the fact that Grissom knew what she needed but didn't want to ask for for fear she would be pressuring him while he was deep in his own personal battles. "Thank you."

"Sara, did you get suspended?" Grissom asked, suspecting that that was the reason why she was at home.

"I assume so; I haven't checked any of my messages because I don't want to deal with that right now. I don't want to deal with anything right now. I've never felt so humiliated. I walked out of the lab."

"I'll be home as soon as possible. Please, don't…self-destruct. Watch a movie, read, do something until I get there. I'll call you back as soon as I book my flight. Can I call someone to come sit with you until I get there?"

"No, I'll manage by myself. Please just get here."

"I'll call you back as soon as I get a ticket out of here. Please take care of yourself; I'll be there soon. I love you; keep that in your mind."

"I love you too," Sara whispered, feeling her strong front start to break somewhat, "Bye."

"Goodbye."

Sara hung up the phone and turned her face back into Grissom's pillow. Willing herself to keep her tears at bay, she squeezed the pillow tightly and tried to calm herself down while waiting for his call.

After receiving another call from Grissom informing her that his flight would arrive at two in the afternoon, Sara decided to get up and make some coffee. Halfway through her first cup, Sara heard knocking at the door. Looking through the peephole, she saw Nick standing outside. "Nick, I'm not interested; go home," Sara stated, leaving the door closed.

"Sara, let me come in and talk."

"No, go home."

"Sara, we're all worried."

"But you weren't worried then, were you. Just leave," Sara said, fuming with anger once again.

"Sara," he stated her name again, hoping he would be able to eventually get past her stubborn barricade, "I've tried calling you multiple times. Things are not good. Catherine has suspended you indefinitely. You could lose your job."

"Great, just great. Nick, please, go home."

"Don't do anything stupid, Sara. Stop screening your calls," Nick stated, turning his back to the house and walking back to his car.

Grabbing another cup of coffee from the kitchen, Sara sat on the couch in the living room and turned on the television to watch a movie.

Unlocking the door and letting himself into the house, Grissom glanced around, listening for signs of where Sara might be. Finding her asleep on the couch with the television on, Grissom turned off the television and set his jacket beside the couch. Sitting on the edge of the couch, Grissom leaned over, kissed Sara's forehead, and caressed the side of her face.

Sara shifted and opened her eyes, realizing that Grissom was home. She sat up and wrapped her arms around him, finally letting some of her suffocating emotions escape. "You're here," Sara whispered through her tears.

"Yes," Grissom replied, returning her embrace.

Grissom lifted her off of the couch and carried her to the bedroom where they would have more space. Keeping their arms wrapped around each other, they laid on the bed. With tears just welling in her eyes rather than pouring down her face, Sara started to speak. "They're all curious about what happened, and I don't want to tell them. I don't want to see the faces; I don't want any sympathy. Those things will just constantly remind me of what happened, and I don't need to relive that anymore. She screwed me over; I don't know what to do. She's trying to fire me."

"Unbelievable," Grissom stated, taking his turn to get angry.

"She accused me of overworking cases, and I accused her of trying to expedite things too much. She was on a power trip, and she implied that you've been too lax at your job, and you're letting me get away with murder. Right now I'm out indefinitely."

"I'll go have a talk with the sheriff later and see what we can come up with. I left Catherine in charge because she has seniority, knowing that everyone else would have to deal with a lot more complaining if I left someone else in charge. I don't know what has changed so much with her; it's like she's been a totally different person for a while now."

"I'll tell you what the change is - power. After being put back on graveyard she didn't have anyone to control, but with you being gone, she went to town."

"Well, I'm back now. This has been enough. It's time that someone takes action."

Sara smoothed her hand over his chest and started unbuttoning his shirt so he would be more comfortable. "Did you get everything taken care of with the property?" Sara questioned, curious as to how he made out in Washington.

"The realtor is supposed to be sending over a few more papers for me to sign. Everything should be taken care of within the next couple of weeks, and all of the money generated from sale will go straight to charity. He walked out on us; I don't want any part of him. It was selfish enough for him to lay all of this on me."

"You decided to go because you thought you might be able to answer some of your questions while clearing out the place. Did you get any closure at all?"

"Not really. I just missed you, thought about my mother, and ended up irritable and sick. I'd rather not waste any more energy talking about someone who will never mean anything to me."

Grissom shrugged out of his shirt and tossed it to the floor. Breaking contact with Sara momentarily, he shed his shoes, socks, and pants. Pulling her body back to his, they slid under the covers and lay content in each other's arms.

Heading into the sheriff's office that evening, Grissom already had a plan in mind. Sara waited outside where she could be called if needed, but where she wouldn't be drawn into anything further if it was unnecessary. "Sheriff, I have heard that Ms. Willows has taken actions to fire Ms. Sidle. If that is approved and followed through with, I'm afraid that it will be time for me to retire and offer my services elsewhere."

"Dr. Grissom, I'm afraid that that sort of action would be rather extreme. I assure you, Ms. Sidle is not going anywhere, and you should not start looking for new prospective employers. Your work is taken very highly here, yours and Ms. Sidle's, and while I am unsure as to what sort of solution would be acceptable for the night shift, you will not be losing your jobs."

"Thank you, sir."

"I know the team cannot continue to function the way it is currently operating. There are some imbalances with shift numbers and incessant conflict. With you back, that frees up Ms. Willows. I'd like to move her into a position where she can grow and further benefit the lab. She had put in for the supervisory position on dayshift, and I'd like to move her there now. That will alleviate some of your current pressures, I believe. That will also balance out the shifts a little bit better."

Grissom just nodded his head in understanding. "Grissom, I've also come to understand that you and Ms. Sidle have tested the waters a bit."

When Grissom didn't confirm or deny the insinuation, the sheriff continued. "There aren't any specific regulations regarding this, and you and Ms. Sidle work together so well that I don't see any reason to break you up for now. Keep things very professional in the workplace, and I won't have any problem with your romancing. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sheriff. Can Ms. Sidle report back to work?"

"You still have vacation through the weekend, and I'm still going to suspend Sidle until next week due to her disparaging contact with a superior. Enjoy your time off, and come in next week refreshed. By then, I will have already talked to Ms. Willows, and I'll have all of the shifts straightened out. Who should be put in charge of night shift until you return?"

"Warrick Brown."

"Thank you, Mr. Grissom; that'll be all."

Grissom left the office and collected Sara before they headed for home. Grissom explained the situation during their ride. "You mean he's just moving Catherine to days?" Sara questioned, rather shocked.

"Yes. It's a promotion for her, and she did put in for the job. It ends up working out for everyone. She'll have more time with Lindsey, and we'll have more time without her."

"I can't believe you said that," Sara stated, laughing, "That's so not you. She's not going to see it as a good thing to begin with. She'll just think that she was beaten by not getting what she wants."

Grissom furrowed his brow in puzzlement. "Isn't this what she wants?"

"She'll see the promotion as a way to diffuse the entire situation. She'll get to do what she wants, but it's not really on her own terms."

"Ah, okay."

After arriving home and finishing their dinner, Grissom and Sara laid on the couch while watching a movie. "Are you going to say anything to the team?" Grissom asked.

"No, it'd be better not to. By the time all of this blows over, it won't really be forefront in their minds. If it ever gets brought up in a formal capacity where I have to say what really happened, I guess I'll have to, but for now I'm not going to say anything."

Sara entwined her hand in Grissom's, rubbing her thumb across the back of it. "Do you think I spend too much time on single cases?" Sara questioned.

"I think you are very thorough. Sometimes you get a little bit too connected, but your boss is there to pull you in or redirect you."

"Thanks, I guess I need that sometimes. I didn't need that this time though."

"Ummhmm," Grissom mumbled against her shoulder.

Comfortable on the couch, they continued to watch the movie in silence.

"Congratulations on your new position," Grissom announced, stepping into Catherine's office at the end of his shift.

"What, no pig?" Catherine joked.

"You've always wanted a position of power, and now you've finally got a permanent one. I knew there would be a point where we'd break into two different directions, and it has come. Goodbye, Catherine; see to it that you spend more time with your daughter. At one time I let the lab consume me; don't let your position consume you."

Leaving Catherine behind in her office, Grissom headed to return home to Sara.

The End