A/N: I got several reviews of Chapter 1, asking me to continue this story. And I have.
This is more of a transition chapter than anything so bear with me!
Sara and Catherine were sitting in silence in the breakroom. Sara was sipping a cup of tea and flicking through a forensics journal that she'd already read. Catherine was absently running a finger around the rim of an empty coffee cup, her mind on a case.
Both jumped a little when Grissom burst in, grinning inanely.
"What's got you so happy?" Catherine asked, swinging one leg over the other.
"I've booked the hotel in San Francisco," he announced, still grinning.
Sara looked up, slightly alarmed. This was the first time Grissom had mentioned San Francisco since their breakfast almost a week ago. She hadn't wanted to mention it to him in case he had changed his mind and that he'd realised asking her to go with him was a mistake. His words weren't implying that he was taking anyone to San Francisco with him, but then again, the grin on his face seemed out of place for someone who had done nothing more than book a hotel room.
"That's great Gil," Catherine said uncertainly, "But, uh, it's just a hotel, right? Why the grin?"
Grissom smiled smugly. He went over to the coffee pot and poured himself half a cup of coffee. "Who used all the coffee up?" he demanded.
"That would be me," Catherine admitted with a shrug.
Grissom seemed unconcerned by this. He sat down on the couch and took a sip of coffee. His grin was gone but there was still a happy sparkle in his eyes.
"So – " Catherine prompted.
Grissom feigned confusion. Catherine rolled her eyes. "Your grin, Gil, come on."
He was about to reply when Nick and Warrick barged in. They were both dressed in suits and were slapping palms about something.
"We got him!" Warrick said triumphantly.
"The Belson case?" Grissom checked.
Nick nodded. "Yup. Got him like that." He clicked his fingers. "Jury was out less than an hour."
"Nice work." Grissom nodded approvingly.
Warrick and Nick sat down on the couch. Catherine turned her attention back to Grissom, but she didn't get a chance to question him again.
"Sara and I are going to San Francisco," he declared.
Catherine, Nick and Warrick exchanged bemused glances. "Yeah?"
Sara stared intently at an article in the forensics journal as Catherine twisted around in her seat to face Sara. She looked up casually. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, we're going to San Francisco." Her words sounded awkward and she knew it. So did the other CSIs in the room. They turned back to Grissom.
"I've been invited to do a seminar there and I asked Sara to come with me," he explained calmly.
Catherine coughed disbelievingly. "Wait, what? You're going to San Francisco and you invited Sara to go with you?"
"Yes."
An awkward silence fell over the room. Sara cleared her throat and got to her feet. "I, uh, I'm going to go and find Greg," she muttered.
Once she was gone, Grissom noticed Catherine staring at him inquisitively. He blinked at her. "What?"
Catherine blinked back. "What?" she repeated.
Nick got up and moved towards the door. "I'm going to go and … yeah, you coming Warrick?"
"Ohh yeah." The two of them vanished out into the corridor.
"Do you have some kind of problem with Sara and I going to San Francisco together?" Grissom inquired, leaving the couch and sitting on the seat opposite Catherine.
"No. No." Catherine shook her head. "It's just that – well, Gil, you and Sara? Is that really such a good idea?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh don't play dumb with me, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I'm talking about her crush on you and you leading her on."
Grissom seemed genuinely hurt by this accusation. Catherine laughed gently. "Gil, really. I'm just saying; if that girl comes back from San Francisco with a broken heart, you're going to have a lot to answer for. And a lot of people to answer to."
She got up and left the room. Grissom stared after her. His expression was unreadable.
Sara was leaving ballistics and was heading towards Grissom's office to report her findings when Greg appeared by her side.
"What's this I hear about Grissom taking you to San Francisco with him?" he demanded, "How come he's taking you and not me?"
"I, uh, I'm not sure Greg," Sara replied evasively. "Maybe you should ask him yourself."
"It's not fair!" Greg pouted.
Sara laughed and placed a hand on Greg's shoulder. "I'm sure he'll take you somewhere else with him if you ask nicely."
Greg veered off, muttering something under his breath. Sara smiled to herself and shook her head as she entered Grissom's office.
"What are you smiling at?" Grissom asked, slipping off his glasses.
"Greg being Greg," Sara shrugged. She handed him the manila folder. "Details from ballistics."
Grissom nodded but he placed the folder on his desk. He signalled for Sara to take a seat. Trying to fight back her nerves, Sara sat down. He was going to talk about San Francisco; she knew it. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to go any more. It wasn't that she didn't want to go on vacation with Grissom and spend three days with him, without the interruptions of their job between them, but the thought of the awkward situations that could arise between the two of them made her wonder if the trip was such a good idea.
"We're leaving a week Sunday," Grissom informed her. "The seminar begins on Monday morning."
"How are we getting there?" Sara asked.
"We'll drive. We can take it in turns," Grissom added, giving Sara 'her' smile.
Sara attempted to smile back but there were so many thoughts swirling around in her head that she gave up. She leant back in the seat. "Are you sure about this?"
Grissom frowned slightly. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"I don't know," Sara admitted, avoiding his gaze. She got to her feet. "Let me know when you want me to pay you for my hotel room." Without giving Grissom an opportunity to reply, she left his office.
For the rest of the shift, Sara found herself avoiding Grissom. She wasn't doing it on purpose and she would have spoken to him if it was necessary, but it wasn't so she stayed out of his way. When she finally got home, she had a message on her answering machine. She hit play.
"Sara, it's Grissom. I've got a few more details about the trip. We'll – uh, call me and I'll tell you them."
Sara rolled her eyes. He would make it so that she had to call him, wouldn't he? Why couldn't he just have told her the details in the message like a normal human being?
Snatching up the phone, Sara hit the speed dial button for Grissom's number. After only one ring, the phone was answered.
"Grissom."
"Hey. It's Sara."
"I take it that you got my message then?"
Sara mentally rolled her eyes. "Yes Grissom, I got your message."
"Good." He fell silent for a moment. "Do you want to know where we're staying?"
"Sure."
"A little B&B called Golden Gate Bed & Breakfast."
Sara smirked. "That's an imaginative name for a B&B, don't you think?"
There was a slight awkward pause on the other end of the line and Sara wondered if she had said something wrong. "But I'm sure it's great," she added hastily.
Grissom murmured vaguely. Sara frowned. "Grissom?"
"Yes?"
"Are you okay?"
"Yes," came his curt reply. Sensing that he may have sounded a little too brisk, he continued more gently, "I'm fine. I – uh, I'll let you get back to whatever you were doing."
"Okay," Sara said cautiously. "Is there anything else about the trip that you need to tell me?"
"Not at the moment. If I think of anything else, I'll let you know. Bye." With that, he hung up, leaving Sara gazing at the receiver with a somewhat confused expression on her face. Grissom had seemed so excited about the hotel earlier that day. He had even sounded enthusiastic when he told her the name. But somewhere in their brief phone conversation, that enthusiasm had gone.
Sara hung up the phone and shrugged it off. It was probably just Grissom being Grissom.
The week passed by uneventfully and before Sara knew where she was, it was Friday. She hadn't spoken to Grissom about their trip to San Francisco since their phone conversation but she knew that she had to say something to him now. Finishing up in the layout room, she ambled towards Grissom's office. As she passed the DNA lab, she spotted him inside, listening with a raised eyebrow to something that Greg was telling him. Sara poked her head around the door.
"Grissom?"
Grissom looked up and Greg turned around.
"You got a minute?"
Grissom glanced at Greg then shrugged. "Wait in my office."
Sara obediently went to Grissom's office and flopped into the seat in front of the desk. A minute later, Grissom entered. He shut the door behind him before sitting down behind the desk.
"What can I do for you?" he asked her.
Sara had to resist the urge to give an innuendo-laden response. Instead she said, "San Francisco, Grissom. We're supposed to be leaving in two days."
Grissom nodded thoughtfully. "Yes. We are."
When he said nothing more, Sara sighed in frustration, causing Grissom to meet her gaze with a frown.
"Do you expect me to somehow know where and when we're meeting or do you plan on telling me?"
A light seemed to flicker on in Grissom's mind and he smiled weakly. "Ah, yes. I'll pick you up on Sunday morning, at around eight. In the morning. We need to get an early start."
"Okay." Sara nodded slowly. She couldn't think of anything else so she got to her feet. "I guess I'll see you on Sunday morning then." She opened the door and was about to leave when Grissom said her name. She turned to face him.
"I – uh, hope that you're okay with this," he said awkwardly.
Sara raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "Okay with what?"
Grissom used his right index finger to indicate Sara and then himself. "Us. You and me. Going to San Francisco like this."
Sara fought hard to keep a blush from rising onto her cheeks. "I'm fine with it, Grissom. Don't worry." With that, she was gone. It was only once she was outside the lab and in the fresh air that she let out the breath that she didn't even realise she'd been holding. Warmth flooded her cheeks. It had seemed like such a good idea at the time, going on a mini vacation with Grissom. Now she wasn't so sure if her heart could take it.
To be continued ... (ooh!)