Strange Bedfellows

Chapter 6: The Cat is Out Of The Bag

A/N: Sorry about the delay. That term 'morning sickness' is a freakin misnomer. But never underestimate the power of a cheese and sausage calzone and some peanut m&m's.

Sara got to work an hour before shift started. She nervously walked to Grissom's office, hoping he wasn't there. Breathing a sigh of relief that the office was empty, she laid the Change of Address Form on his desk. She then went to the staff room and began her assignment. It was a B&E and she was able to have everything cracked by the end of shift. After shift, Sara went on to the break room, where it was empty with the exception of Warrick, who was clutching his cup of coffee like it was a lifeline, which after a double shift it probably was. After seeing Sara come in, Warrick eagerly poured her a cup of coffee and added the cream and sugar she always drank it with. After handing it to Sara, he looked at her expectantly. "So….."

Sara smiled. "He wasn't in his office, so I left it on his chair."

Warrick grinned and elbowed her in the ribs. "Chicken."

Sara gave Warrick a friendly swat, "Warrick I am not chicken."

Warrick laughed. "Yes you are baby, chicken, 'bawk, Chicken bawk, bawk, Chicken" Warrick began to walk around the break room making chicken noises when Grissom walked in. "Warrick, don't torment Sara about chicken, you know how she feels about meat." Warrick smiled. Grissom returned the smile, when he saw that Sara was smiling as well. Grissom turned to Sara. "I signed your Change of Address and sent it to Personnel before it became permanently missing on my desk. Congratulations. We should go out for a team breakfast to celebrate."

Sara and Warrick exchanged confused looks. They were not expecting Grissom to be happy about this. Sara recovered first. "Thanks, Grissom, I wasn't sure you would be happy about it."

It was now Grissom's turn to look puzzled. "Why wouldn't I be happy that you've finally decided to buy instead of rent? It means you are staying in the area. And frankly, I was always surprised that a smart girl like you would rent and not buy. Renting is like throwing money away."

Sara and Warrick exchanged looks. Grissom thought Sara was moving, but had no idea who she was moving in with. They were about to interrupt when Grissom continued. "Are you moving soon Sara? I am sure the guys will be more than willing to help you with your move?"

At that moment, Catherine, Nick and Greg walked in. "Where and when are you moving Sara?" Although the two women had been getting along better, part of Catherine still wished that Sara would take her mile long legs and her gap toothed smile and haul it back to California. Sara smiled. "I am moving this weekend and I'm moving…" Sara was nervous. This was not how she intended to break this news. She caught Nick's understanding gaze and started again, "I'm moving…." And was interrupted by Catherine. "Jeez Sara, you can't finish a sentence and shift hasn't started yet." Sara blushed, and Warrick caught the blush and was angry at Catherine for making her uncomfortable. Both had hoped to bring the topic up to their supervisors privately, but Warrick realized that there was no shot in hell of that happening. Warrick wrapped his arm around Sara's waist and announced, "Sara is moving to my house. She is moving in with me." Warrick made this statement in a tone that defied anyone to object.

The group stood there in shocked silence. Finally Greg spoke. "I think that's great…Getting a roommate is a great way to save money, I just wish I had thought to ask first." Warrick shook his head. Greg was really in denial now. Sara put her hand on Greg's arm and spoke softly. "Greg, Warrick and I are not roommates. We're together." The blush on Sara's face said the words that she was too shy to say. Greg sighed and left the room. He had thought that if he waited, Sara would get over her thing with Grissom and then he could ask her out. He had never imagined that someone else would swoop down and steal her heart.

Catherine was not one to sigh and disappear. She had been hoping to have a fling with Warrick, and was not happy with this development. She looked at Sara and hissed. "You are really something else aren't you Sidle? You spend five years pining after Grissom and then after he asks someone else out, you climb into bed with the first person willing to take you. Let me guess, you guys got together after Nicky. Well enjoy your fun now, but you two will just crash and burn, like you did with Hank, except maybe this time you'll be the wronged girlfriend instead of the 'side dish'."

Grissom spoke up. "Catherine, that's enough. If you can't be civil then leave."

Catherine whipped her head around. "And you Grissom, how can you be so calm about this. I told you to get your head out of the microscope…but no you had to be Grissom the Monk…" Before Catherine could say more, Grissom cut her off.

"Catherine, stop now. Maybe I don't get out much, because every time I need to pull my 'head out of the microscope' it is so I can once again, save your ass." Catherine flushed and stomped out of the office. Sara motioned at Warrick for him to follow her, which he did.

Warrick caught up to Catherine. "What's the matter with you? It's not like we were dating or anything?"

Catherine looked at Warrick. "Excuse me?" She said in a voice that could freeze the sun.

Warrick looked at her calmly. "Yes Catherine, we flirted, we had dinner, there was definitely an attraction there, but would it ever have gone further. Would you have wanted to marry me, have children with me?"

Catherine had to admit that she did not. She did have one question, "Why Sara?"

Warrick sighed, "I love her Catherine. Believe me, four months ago if you had told me that Sara and I would be in love and moving in together, I would have checked your purse for coke when you weren't looking, but…things change. Sara and I are right for each other. We provide balance. She understands me, and she forgives me for things that I have trouble forgiving myself for. The two of them stood silently. Catherine had always said that her motto was 'no regrets, no looking back', but the truth was she had many regrets. She knew that what had attracted her to Warrick, to Eddie, and to many of the men she had dated was that she considered herself to be a sinner, and was only felt worthy of other sinners. But she could see that Warrick had found an absolution in being with Sara, and a peace that she could only begin to try to grasp at. Catherine looked quietly at Warrick. "Warrick, I guess I owe you and Sara an apology." Warrick smiled. "No worries Catherine, although I wish you and Sara could get along better. She admires you, and always regrets that she couldn't do more for you when Eddie died. Catherine nodded. "I'll talk to Sara later, but now, I'm so tired and I need to go home and rest now." Warrick kissed Catherine on top of her head. Spotting Brass, he motioned over and asked Brass to give Catherine a ride home. Brass, ever the gentleman agreed, and Catherine went to the locker room to get her bag.

Brass took Warrick for a little walk in the hall. "Look, I heard about you and Cookie. Take good care of her. You two are not the only ones who can hide a body." The men shook on it, and Brass walked to the locker room to get Catherine.

While all this was going on, Grissom smiled, and invited Sara to go to his office to talk. Curious as to what he would have to say about everything, Sara followed.

Once they got to the office, Grissom closed the door. He sat down in one of his guest chairs and motioned for Sara to sit in the other. He surprised Sara by taking her hand. "Sara, I am really happy for the two of you." To say that Sara looked surprised at that comment was a massive understatement. Grissom continued, "Why do you look so surprised at that?"

Sara sighed, "Well you did not exactly take it well the last time I tried dating." Grissom nodded. "I can't argue with that, but it's not the reason you may think."

Sara smirked, "With you Grissom, I never know what to think."

Grissom laughed, he knew he deserved that. "I didn't like you dating Hank because he was not worthy of you. Warrick is." Grissom continued, "Sara I know our relationship has always been…complicated." Sara snorted at that understatement. "I brought you to Vegas not only because you had the potential to be an excellent CSI, but because you intrigued me. I won't deny the attraction we felt, but I knew that it would never work, that despite the 'mind meld' and the similarities of our being workaholics, that we did not compliment each other. We both need to be with someone that would bring us out of our shells, and force us to enjoy life, and we are not that to each other." Sara interrupted.

"Grissom, you are wrong. We could have been very good for each other."

"For a while Sara, but we would have crashed and burned, and the ending would have been ugly, and I was afraid of the ugliness. I would rather have you here and still love you, but not have you. Don't get me wrong Sara, I love you but…"

Sara said quietly, so quietly that he almost didn't hear "But I am not worth the risk."

Grissom knelt in front of Sara. "You heard that." It wasn't a question. Sara nodded. "I did, I heard everything you told Lurie, and that is when I began to give up on 'us'. It was hard, being in love with someone, and then finding out it was never going to happen, and then try to give up the habit of loving the person. It made me start to lose myself. But I managed to find myself, and was able to make myself whole. Without that, I would never have been able to stay in Vegas, or be with Warrick."

Grissom nodded. "Sara, I am sorry I wasn't honest with you from the start, but part of me was afraid if I told you the truth, you would leave, and I wasn't ready to take the risk of your leaving."

Sara looked at Grissom with quiet eyes, a look that many a suspect feared more than a raging Brass or Catherine. "It's always about fear with you?"

Grissom sighed. "Unfortunately, yes. I was afraid that if I let myself explore 'us', I would never let go, I was afraid of having my heart irrevocably broken."

Sara smiled at the thought of a broken hearted Grissom moping around the office, Grissom returned the smile. Wanting to keep the mood light, Sara asked, "I would have thought that as a scientist, you would have wanted to verify the statement, 'It's better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all'".

Grissom smiled, "You know Sara, every nine years and thirty four days I share something personal, and every seven years or so, I decide to simply follow my instincts." Grissom stood up and opened the door of his private refrigerator and took out a split of champagne.

Sara quirked an eyebrow, "Champagne Grissom?"

Grissom smiled, "I was saving it for the day I knew that you told me that you were truly happy, and not because of me, that you were happy on your own."

Sara blushed at the gesture. She had never known that Grissom cared so much. It was truly a pity that it had taken so long for him to show it. Grissom expertly opened the bottle and poured some champagne into two coffee mugs. Clicking glasses, Grissom toasted, "To new understandings and an agape love." Sara toasted as well, "To a good friend and a great man. I love you Grissom." Grissom nodded. They drank their champagne and Sara, feeling a little giddy that things went so well, leaned over to kiss Grissom on the cheek. Not realizing what happened, he turned his head and their lips met. Surprised they broke apart and then kissed again. It was a sweet kiss of farewell, a chaste kiss of friends, and a kiss that forever sealed the 'what if' between them. They knew it would not mean anything, or ever happen again. Sara went to say so and Grissom stopped her. "I will kiss you again Sara Sidle." Sara looked perplexed and almost angry. Grissom laughed. "On your wedding day, after you become the Sara Sidle Brown." The two laughed, and as if a dark spell was broken, the years of tension melted away, and they became two very good friends, sharing a glass of champagne.

A/N: So the cat is out of the bag! I have one chapter left, and then I will be starting work on my next W/S story, and updating Dominion of the Butterfly.