Illusions

Author: Jess

A/N: Thanks for all of the kind reviews. I'm glad that you all are responding positively to the story. A big thank you to Rouch for all her insights and help and CSI4nsicAce for making sure my grammar is correct.

Disclaimer: I still do not own CSI.

Chapter Fourteen

"Good evening, Ms. Sidle," Greg said as Sara Sidle entered the break room.

She laughed at his down trodden expression and pulled up a seat next to him. "Oh, come on, Greggo," she said and nudged him playfully. "Surely, you aren't mad at me."

"You failed us," Greg replied and looked into his cup of coffee. "You were supposed to be helping Nick and I, we were a team, united in defeating Warrick. But alas, you turned to the dark side." He ended dramatically.

Sara stifled another laugh and fought hard to put on a serious expression. She couldn't help herself and laughed again at his pitiful expression. "You were the one who invited me if I recall," she said once her laughing ceased. "And I did call to wake you up so you wouldn't be late for work."

Greg nodded. "I suppose," he acquiesced, and switched gears. "Where did you run off to anyway?"

"Grissom called," Sara started.

"Oh," he said and raised his eyes suggestively.

Sara punched his arm and rolled her eyes. "There was another body," she finished.

Greg massaged his arm. "Oh," he said. "Same MO?"

"Yeah," Sara nodded.

"So, it's a serial now?" Greg asked.

Sara nodded in reply, and opened her mouth to continue but was interrupted by the entrance of Sofia. "Good evening," Sofia greeted and sat in one of the remaining seats. "Gil's getting the assignments."

Sara forced a smile, stood, and turned her attention to the coffee machine. Greg tapped her lightly and shook his head vigorously. "I wouldn't," he stated, pointed to the coffee, and made a face.

Grissom's entrance squashed any reply she had as she sat back down, and they all turned their attention to him. "Sofia, you have a sexual assault. The victim is currently at the hospital," Grissom said and handed her a slip. "Greg you have a burglary at a residence in Henderson. Sara, you can start logging in the SPCA names."

Sara raised an eyebrow. He still had two assignment slips in his hand. She frowned as Greg and Sofia left the room. "What about those?" she asked and pointed to the remaining slips.

"I have them covered," Grissom stated.

"You're going to cover two assignments while I stay behind in the lab?" she asked, her frown intensifying. "How does that make sense?"

"I think you'll be more useful in the lab tonight, Sara," he informed her.

She rolled her eyes and before he had time to react, grabbed one of the slips from his hand. "There's another burglary in North Las Vegas," she read. "And what's that one?"

He didn't answer immediately and Sara's eyes narrowed angrily. "Hit and run," Grissom sighed.

"And you were going to go to both?" she asked.

Grissom didn't answer. Instead he took the paper back from her. Sara leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms. For a couple of seconds, neither of them moved from their positions. Finally, Sara shook her head. "This is stupid," she remarked and motioned at him. "You can't keep me locked away in the lab forever, Grissom. Eventually, I will leave and go back to my own apartment, alone."

This time it was Grissom's eyes that narrowed. "I believe I'm the supervisor, Sara," he stated. "You're in the lab tonight."

He handed her the list of names they had compiled and left the room.

'I cannot believe he used the supervisor card,' she thought angrily as she rose from her seat. Skulking through the hallways she silently cursing his name with each step. She caught herself from cursing aloud as she collided with Catherine.

"Sorry," Sara bit out as she picked the papers up from the floor.

"You okay?" Catherine asked and handed her some papers.

"Just dandy," Sara said and placed the papers Catherine handed her on the top of her stack. "Thanks."

Catherine shrugged. "Why aren't you in the field?"

"Ask my supervisor," Sara retorted. "I'm sure he'll be able to tell you."

With that said, Sara walked away, leaving a confused Catherine in her wake.


"What did you do?" Catherine asked as she closed the office door behind her.

Grissom looked up from the evidence jar and sighed. "Hello, Catherine," he responded and removed one of the larvae.

Catherine shook her head and sat down. "I will repeat this one more time, what did you do?" she asked again.

"I'm afraid I do not know what you are referring to," Grissom said as he measured the insect.

Catherine made a frustrated noise before replying, "Sara. What did you do to her?"

Grissom looked up from writing down the measurement. "I told her she is assigned to the lab tonight," he responded and went back to recording.

Catherine shook her head in amusement. Talking with Grissom was a lot like pulling teeth. "Why?" she prodded.

"Because I believe her services will be better used here tonight," Grissom stated.

"Gil," she started.

"I don't see why this is any of your concern, Catherine," Grissom interrupted.

"Sara's a good CSI, Gil," Catherine said.

"Yes, she is," he said. "That's something you lost sight of a few weeks ago."

Catherine cringed when she realized he was alluding to her silence over Ecklie's punishment handed out in response to Sara's behavior towards her during the mail order bride case. "This isn't about my relationship with Sara, Gil," Catherine said. "This is about your relationship with her."

Grissom opened his mouth to respond but she cut him off. "Look, I don't know your reasoning behind having her in the lab tonight, but she is pissed," Catherine said.

She watched him frown and could sense he was struggling to answer her. "He likes her," Grissom finally said.

"Who?" Catherine asked puzzled.

"Dr. Doyle," he said, frowning.

"The mayor's nephew?" she asked.

"Our only suspect," Grissom stated.

Catherine nodded. "And you're afraid he might target her next?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"She fits the victim profile to a T, Catherine," Grissom responded.

"She's a big girl, Gil," Catherine replied. "How long are you planning on assigning her to the lab? Just today? A week? Until you have enough evidence to arrest him?"

Grissom didn't respond and Catherine sighed. "You have to trust Sara, Gil," she said.

She stood up. "Warrick and Nick will still work the burglary and the hit and run, but you need to talk with Sara," Catherine continued. "Even Rapunzel had to leave that ivory tower at some point," she said and left the room, leaving Grissom alone with his thoughts.


'Gil Grissom is an insect-loving, commitment phobic, manipulative bastard,' Sara thought as she punched another name into the computer. She watched the computer screen, her eyes narrowed, and caught herself biting her bottom lip. She ceased the movement and frowned. Biting her lip let her know she was mad, really mad. Screw it, she didn't care, she continued to bit her lip. 'And Socially inept,' she added and jabbed another key.

She blew out a long sigh and looked down at the list of names. She had been doing this for an hour and had been able to eliminate seven of the names based on hair color and age. She had processed almost half of the sixty names she had compiled with Grissom and her anger hadn't dissipated in the slightest. 'Coward,' she thought as she typed in another name.

Sara waited for the computer to find the correct record and tapped her fingers on the keyboard. Deep down she acknowledged that he was trying in his own way to keep her safe, but at this moment to her it seemed as though he didn't trust her. 'Does he honestly think I'll willing put myself in a dangerous situation?' she wondered as she scratched off another name. 'How long am I going to be assigned to lab duty?'

She shrugged and typed in another name. A movement behind her placed her senses on high alert. Archie had left the computer lab in a hurry after she had entered and she doubted he would return until she left the lab. She waited patiently and frowned when Grissom sat down beside her. She didn't look at him, didn't acknowledge his presence in any manner.

She could feel him waiting for her to take the first step, to be the first to break the silence between them. 'Not this time,' she thought vehemently as she scratched off another name harshly.

"Sara," he started.

"Yeah?" she asked, her focus still on the computer screen.

Silence passed between them again and Sara knew what would follow, the three basic steps of the Grissom-Sara interaction. 'One, he'll bring it back to the case. Two, I'll make a smartass remark. Three, he'll say, "Good job. Keep me informed" or some variance and then leave without anything further. And the awkwardness will continue to grow.'

"How many have you eliminated?" he finally asked.

'Step one complete.' She almost smiled to herself as she completed step two, "The sheets are right there, Grissom."

He reached over her and took hold of the two sheets. Biting her lip, she waited impatiently for him to complete the third step. "Good job," he replied. "Keep me informed of your progress."

She nodded and waited for him to leave. After a few minutes she finally looked up at him. He hadn't left. "I'm not going to process the list faster with you sitting there," she bit out and looked back at the screen.

She heard him let out a sigh. "Sara," he said.

She looked back at the computer screen and closed her eyes. She loved the way he said her name, always had. "Grissom," she returned and looked back at him.

"I trust you," he stated punctuating each word.

She raised an eyebrow. "You have a funny way of showing it," she replied.

Grissom frowned before repeating, "I trust you."

Sara shrugged and looked back at the screen. "Okay, Grissom," she said.

His hand on her shoulder forced her to look back at him. "I do," he said, his eyes boring into hers. "I don't trust him. At all."

She nodded, waiting for him to continue but not expecting him to.

"I don't want to see you lying naked, covered in lilies, with your arms cut open," Grissom continued exasperatedly. "I don't want you to be another case I have to solve."

"Believe it or not, that isn't one of my nightly fantasies either," Sara replied dryly.

He glared at her and she glared right back. He looked away from her and frowned. She could see him silently counting before he looked back at her. "Look, I…" he stopped and his frown intensified.

She watched him struggle for something to say. She opened her mouth to reply but the look he shot her caused her to close it quickly. "There are no new cases right now," he said. "But, when you finish here, I could use some help processing the insects."

'As close to an apology as I'll get.' Sara smiled, and nodded slightly.

Grissom looked relieved as he exited the room. She turned back to the computer and continued processing the list, her anger at Grissom slowly beginning to melt away.