TITLE: Never Too Late 1?
AUTHOR: VanillaBug
RATING:PG/T but as Chapters go on the rating works its way to NC-17/M
CATEGORY: G/S Romance
DISCLAIMER: Don't own anything!
SPOILERS: Anything up to the end of Season 3 consider it fair game
SUMMARY: This is a response to a challenge set by Onyx NYC
1. Grissom convinces Sara to accompany him to an entomology event
2. Grissom gets stung and it has a strange effect on him
3. Include pink champagne and grape soda
4. A famous actor comes to the lab
5. minimum of 5 Smut or Fluff scenes (You can mix and match)
6. Skinny dipping
7. an amusement park at night, Grissom gets exclusive rights
8. dance contest
9. Include the line "What else can you do with cucumbers?"
10. End with the line "Vlassic has nothing on that thing"
Never To Late 1?
"Catherine please? We have known each other for years. I am asking you this as a personal favor. Please, I really don't wanna go alone," Grissom pleaded.
"No way Griss! Bugs are your thing! They creep me out. Hell, being in this office these days creeps me out!" she replied looking around.
Over the years Gil Grissom's office had become more and more like a museum to all things creepy. It actually was beginning to look a lot like Dr. Frankenstein's office. Butterflies framed on the wall, pig fetuses in jars, and who knows what other kind of weird experiments he had sitting on his shelves.
"You won't have to go to the lectures," he smiled.
"Then why is it so important that I go with you?" she asked.
Grissom sighed. She was going to find out sooner or later.
"At the end of the weekend, they hold a dance contest and every year I sit at the bar drinking with a buddy of mine. Now this year he went and got himself married and he is bringing her to the conference."
"And ... I still don't see why I have to go."
"Well, his wife likes to play matchmaker and two weeks ago, she calls me and tells me Mike told her about our yearly ritual. So, she says she has the perfect person she can bring so I wouldn't be left out this year. And like an idiot, I told her that it wasn't necessary cause I was bringing someone with me. So, here I am, a week away from the conference and no one to go with," he finished.
"Yeah ... well I guess you're pretty screwed then aren't ya ?"
"Oh, come on Catherine! I'm begging you!"
"I'm sorry Grissom, but I seriously have plans this weekend. Why don't you ask Sara? She has got a thing for bugs. She would actually enjoy going," she offered.
"Sara and I are not really on the greatest of terms right now. I really don't think I can ask her."
"Why? What did you do now?" she asked.
Flashback
SARA: We got the guy.
GRISSOM: Is that all you have to say?
SARA: Would you like to have dinner with me?
GRISSOM: No.
SARA: Why not? Let's ... let's have dinner. Let's see what happens.
GRISSOM: Sara ...I don't know what to do about this.
SARA: I do. You know, by the time you figure it out, you really could be too late.
End Flashback
"You said no? Why the hell did you do that?" she replied after Grissom told her what happened.
"She just surprised me that's all. I can't even tell you how much I wanted to go with her. If could rewind time, I would trust me" he sighed.
"I'm sure if you just ask her she will go with you. You might have to explain some things to her, but trust me Gil , she would say yes."
"I don't think so Catherine. It will take a lot of groveling to get her to go."
"If you are really serious about this … about her … I have an idea," she smiled.
"What ya got Cath?" he replied.
Meanwhile somewhere in the lab...
"You're not serious Greg!" Sara said
"Well, what else can you do with cucumbers?"
"Eat them! For one thing!" she exclaimed.
"Gross! Sara, you may be into rabbit food, but the rest of us prefer carnage. Vlasic is offering a $5,000 prize for the biggest homemade one! Besides it's not at the lab, its at my house. Sara, you don't honestly think I would do that kind of experiment here? Sorry, contrary to popular belief, I like my job!" Greg said
"And I thought what Hodges did in his spare time was weird," Nick added.
"What's going on in here?" Grissom said as he entered the DNA Lab.
"Nothing, just waiting for DNA results on the Anderson homicide," Nick said quietly.
"Well, I'm sure Greg can page you guys when they're ready" he paused and looked at Sara, "Sara, can I see you in my office for a minute please?" he said.
"Um ... yeah ... I'll be there in a minute," she said.
"Now please," he said leaving the room.
Sara rolled her eyes and followed him into his office. For some reason his office provided her with a sense of ease even after all they had been through the past few weeks.
"Have a seat," he said taking his behind his desk.
She sat down across from him feeling the tension in the air.
"What's up Grissom?" she finally said breaking the silence.
"I wanted to talk to you about what happened a couple of weeks ago."
"Look, Grissom, It's okay. It was out of line and inappropriate.," she said looking at her hands.
"Is it to late?" he said barely above a whisper.
"What did you say?" she asked eyes darting up to meet his.
"You told me by the time I figured it out it would be to late. Is it to late?" he said eyes never leaving hers.
She was speechless. Was this really happening? Did he really say what she thinks he just said? Was he serious?
"Sara? Sara, did you hear what I just said?" he asked after a few moments of silence.
"Hmmm ... um ... yeah ... I heard you," she managed to get out.
Grissom stood from his chair moving to kneel in front of her. He took her hands in his and looked into her eyes.
"Am I to late?" he whispered
"No. No, Grissom ... you're not to late." she said smiling
"Good. We both have tomorrow night off and I want to take you somewhere. Will you go with me?"
"Of course. Where are we going to go?" she asked.
"Oh ... I can't tell you that. But dress casual, it's a jeans and T-Shirt kinda place okay?" he replied.
"Yeah, "she said still stunned.
He kissed her hands as he helped her out of her chair and walked her to the door. He let go of one of her hands and traced the side of her cheek before he placed a kiss just in front of her ear.
"I'll pick you up at seven okay?"
"Seven" she stated.
He kissed her hand one last time before she walked out the door. As he watched her walk down the hall, he saw her place a hand on the cheek he just touched. He could tell she was in shock. Hell, he was still in shock. For once in his life, things seemed to finally be going right. He shut the door and made a phone call.
"This is Chuck."
"Hey Chuck, it's Grissom."
"Grissom! How the hell are ya man!"
"Doing good, but I'll be doing great if you could help me out."
"Anything to the only man who solved my Jessica's case."
"You doing anything tomorrow night?"
"Yeah man, hooking you up. What do ya need?"