"What?" Sara asked, her voice filled with confusion.
"What what?" Gil replied.
"What the hell did you just say?"
Gil looked around the empty store, his eyes avoiding Sara's.
"I didn't say anything," He gulped and starting packing up his kit.
"I heard you say something. Something about me. Now, what was it?"
Sara was becoming more and more agitated.
"Sara, I did not say anything. Please, can we just go? We need to enter this evidence into the vault."
Sara shook her head angrily.
"Fine. But I will find out what you said, if I have to pry it out of you with my last ounce of strength."
"Whew," Gil sighed. "That was a close one. You'd better watch your tongue, Grissom, or she'll have your ass in a sling."
At The Lab
Sara daintily sipped her coffee as she sat in her chair, waiting for AFIS to finish checking the fingerprints Grissom had collected against old crimes.
"What the hell did he say?" She thought. "Something about me. Something, something, something Sara. This is driving me nuts!"
She stirred in another packet of sugar and continued to try and figure out what he had said.
"How much sugar is in that?" A voice asked from behind her.
Sara spun around in her chair to see Catherine leaning casually up against the door frame.
The strawberry-blond entered and took a seat next to Sara.
"Sara, honey, I really didn't expect to see you here. I thought after what you told me, you might take a vacation."
Sara swallowed.
"I was going to, but Grissom called me and said he was short one person. I would've just been bored hanging around my apartment anyway."
Catherine looked out into the hallway before asking Sara "You didn't tell Grissom what you told me?"
Sara looked down at the worn floor.
"Sara! You have to tell him. He needs to know, and you and I both know that him knowing might help your… relationship."
Sara's cheeks turned crimson. "Cath, Grissom and I do not have a relationship. I swear."
Catherine looked Sara in the eye with a knowing look.
"Okay, so maybe we do. But it's not like we're a 'normal' couple. We've never even been out on date!"
Catherine placed a comforting hand on Sara's shoulder as she said "Sara, you have to tell him. If you don't, I will. And I really do not want him to find out from me."
Sara smiled graciously.
"Thanks, Cath. I'll try. But it took me five years to be able to tell you. Just give me some time."
Catherine stood up and walked out into the hallway, but took a step backward and smiled.
"Sara?"
"Hmm?"
"Please, do not put anymore sugar into that coffee. Okay?"
Sara laughed as Catherine walked away, feeling glad that someone else also knew her secret.
Grissom's Office
Gil sat quietly at his desk, his pet tarantula sitting peacefully in his palm.
He thought about what had escaped his lips in that store; The three words he had been longing to say to Sara ever since he had met her.
With great care, he put the spider back in it's cage just as Sara burst into the room, beaming and holding a piece of paper.
"Grissom! Guess—What the hell are you doing?"
Gil smiled brightly.
"Feeding Harry. Would you like to hold him?"
"No thank you. But I have good news and it's not about me saving money on my car insurance," Sara replied, smiling.
Gil chuckled; "She has a wonderful sense of humor," He thought.
"The prints you collected off of the cash register? They match the prints of an old robbery!"
"Really? That's great!" Grissom replied.
Sara turned to leave his office, but Gil stopped her.
"Sara? Would you like to go to dinner with me?"
She turned around very slowly. "Dinner? No way. I can't. I just can't," She thought.
"I'd love to!"
Grissom smiled as he said "Okay. I'll pick you up at 7."
Sara left Gil's office, silently cursing herself for excepting his offer.
Sara's Apartment
Ding-dong. The sound of the doorbell woke Sara up from her daydream.
"Surely he's not this early," She whispered to herself. Glancing at her watch, she saw it was only going on 4.
She peered through the peephole and was surprised to see that it was Catherine.
"Hey, Cath. What are you doing you?" Sara asked as she motioned for Catherine to enter.
"Oh, nothing. Just wanted to see what you were doing, I suppose."
Sara sat down on the couch.
"Just lying around, waiting for Gri-"
"I knew it! You are going on a date with Grissom! Ha, Nick owes me $30!"
Sara's jaw dropped. "What? Where did you hear that from?"
Catherine joined Sara on the couch.
"I have my sources."
Sara laughed.
"Grissom told you, didn't he?"
Catherine looked around the stylish apartment. "Yep. He asked me where he should take the only woman he ever wanted to impress. I knew it was you."
Sara cocked her head to one side, but didn't say anything. She was confused; "I'm the woman he wants to impress?"
"Oh, don't act so dumb. You knew that before I said it."
"No I didn't! Well, maybe. How did you know?" Sara asked.
Catherine gently sighed.
"The way he acts around you; Always finding some reason to touch your arm or back, brushing against you as he walks by. The look in his eyes when he sees you coming. It's obvious, Sara."
Sara leaned back on the couch; It was obvious. Everyone had seen it. Everyone except her.
"Cath, help me?"
"I thought you'd never ask!"
Sara's Bedroom
"Okay, let's see what you've got!" Catherine exclaimed. She had just agreed to help Sara find the perfect clothes for her date with Grissom.
"Well how about-"
"No. It has to be sexy but sophisticated. Smart but hot. Cute but not 'Hey I'm a little girl'. How about that?"
Catherine eagerly pointed to a black dress she had spotted in the back of Sara's closet.
Sara removed the dress from the closet and held it up to her slender figure. Catherine sucked in a breath.
"Sara, go put it on. I think we found The One."
Sara reluctantly stepped into her bathroom and put the dress on. Nearly 10 minutes later, she let out a shriek.
"NO! I am not wearing this!" She yelled to Catherine.
"Please come out? I want to see it. I bet it would make Grissom faint. Please?" Catherine pleaded. She wanted Sara to know that she was on her side.
Sara slowly opened the bathroom door, exposing an almost new person.
The black dress looked stunning on Sara; It hugged her body in just the right places. Places that made men fall head over heels for women.
"Sara! Oh, wow! Look in the mirror!" Catherine exclaimed.
Sara took 3 giant steps to position herself in front of her mirror; Upon seeing herself, her breath caught in her throat.
"Wow. I- wow. That's just, wow!"
Catherine giggled as she asked "Do you have shoes to go with that?"
Sara nodded, still admiring herself.
"Thanks Cath. Just one more question; Should I tell him tonight? Or wait until we've gone on a few more dates?"
Catherine sat down on Sara's bed. "I'm not sure. You'll have to figure that one out for yourself."
She stood up, glanced one last time at Sara, and left the apartment feeling very accomplished.