Story: Better memories
Disclaimer: ehh..no, they're not mine. Seriously, why do I keep writing these things. Is there anybody out there stupid enough to believe that they are?
Note: Thank you all so much for reviewing this story! I love it and I want more! More! Keep them coming, people! On with the story.
The argumentSara woke up feeling rested for the first time in a long time. She had slept well, feeling comfortable in her own bed. It also helped that she didn't have to hear the hospital sounds at night any more. She got up and took a bad, relaxing in the hot water. She cursed when she heard the doorbell ring. She got out of the tub, wrapped a towel around herself and opened the door to find Warrick on her doorstep. Eyebrows raised, an amused look in his eyes.
"Do you always open the door looking like that, Sidle?"
She shrugged, stepping aside to let him in.
"I wouldn't know," she paused to wink at him. "I would for you though."
He just grinned and leaned against her wall, looking at her expectantly.
"What?" she said. Getting slightly uncomfortable with him staring at her like that.
"Get dressed, Sara. I don't mind seeing you like this but Greg would have a field day."
It was her turn to stare at him.
"What are you talking about?"
He walked over to her fridge, pouring himself a glass of juice.
"I wanna show you the lab this morning. My shift just ended but Griss, Cath and Nicky are pulling a double. I figured you would like it, maybe it even stirs up some memories."
He turned around to face her.
"You up for it?"
She nodded before she teasingly asked him.
"Are you?"
His eyes darkened and she was fascinated while looking at them.
"Get dressed, Sara," he said. His voice a little husky. "Now."
She turned around, not noticing him staring at her when she walked away. When she was out of sight Warrick sat down on the couch. Calming himself down.
"She doesn't need this, just help her," he whispered to himself. He kept repeating it over and over in his head, like a mantra.
A couple of minutes later she was dressed and ready to go. She found him on the couch, lost in thoughts.
"Warrick, what are you doing?"
He stood up quickly, an almost guilty expression on his face.
"Me? Nothing, I'm doing nothing." He changed the subject. "Have you had breakfast yet?"
She shook her head and they left the house.
"We'll stop for breakfast on the way to the lab," he said, promising himself to stop flirting with her.
A couple of minutes later they entered their favorite diner and she immediately walked over to the table in the corner, seeing him smile a bit. She raised her eyebrows.
"What?"
"That's your favorite table, you always sit there," he simply said.
She beamed, looking around to see if she could remember anything.
"Really?"
He sat down and picked up the menu.
"Really, Sidle."
The waitress came to take their order and Sara noticed the woman staring at Warrick, who didn't seem to notice since he had trouble deciding whether he wanted some bacon and eggs or pancakes. He finally decided to have both and the waitress turned to Sara, a surprisingly less friendly expression on her face.
"What do you want?"
Sara gave the woman a fake smile.
"A little service," she said. "And I would also like some black coffee and toast with scrambled eggs." She turned to Warrick, batting her eyelashes at him while grabbing his hand. "Honey, are you sure you don't want any coffee. You've been up all night."
She turned back to the waitress, an innocent expression on her face.
"He always keeps me up at night, I tell him to stop but the man is like a machine."
Warrick just blinked, watching the scene before him in dumbfounded silence. The waitress narrowed her eyes and stalked off, leaving Sara with a satisfied grin on her face.
"I loved every part of that," she said.
Warrick found his voice again.
"What the hell was that?"
She shrugged.
"She was giving you the eye and me some attitude. I just wanted her to stop."
"With the attitude?"
She shook her head, still following the waitress out of the corner of her eyes.
"With both."
Warrick didn't know how to respond to that. Hearing her say that made him feel all warm inside but at the same time he was scared to dead. She had become too attached to him and he wondered how he would handle it once she would get her memory back and everything would be back to normal again.
"Sara," he said, trying to talk some sense into her. "It's not your job to protect me from woman flirting with me. I'm a big boy, I can handle myself."
She finally focused her attention on him, letting the waitress be.
"You're right, I'm sorry. That was kinda stupid, it's just..it bugged me. Seeing her looking at you like that."
He grabbed her hand and squeezed it and she smiled at him.
"It bugs me too when men look at you in a funny way," he confessed. Even though a small part of his brain was screaming at him to shut up.
For a while neither of them said anything, they just sat there. Holding hands. With Sara wondering if she ever felt so strongly about a man before and him wondering if it was to late already. He promised himself that he wouldn't get hurt, that he would get out of this ok but he wasn't so sure anymore. They were interrupted by the waitress slamming their food on the table and disappearing again.
"You just lost your tip, missy!" Sara yelled after her. Pausing to add. "Oh no, wait, here's a tip. Learn some freakin' manners and maybe, just maybe, you'll find yourself a man!"
When she was done yelling she noticed the other people in the diner looking at her and she waved at them, more then embarrassed, before she quickly looked down at the table. When she finally looked up she saw that Warrick was shaking with laughter.
"That was brilliant, Sidle. Remind me to never take you out to breakfast again. Ever."
She laughed too and they ate their breakfast, fast. Wanting to get out of there as soon as possible. When they were done Warrick paid the bill and they left. The other customers in the diner still staring at them.
"Ok, I think I'm banned from this place now," Warrick said. Shaking his head and looking at Sara in a exaggerated sad way.
"That was my favorite place to eat and now you've ruined it for me."
She rolled her eyes, getting in the car.
"Drive, and don't be such a big baby."
He already drove of the parking lot when something suddenly occured to her and she turned to him, a wicked grin on her face.
"So, did you just tell me you're a big boy?"
If she didn't know better she could swear she could see him blush but he didn't say anything. Though she did notice him grabbing the steering wheel a little tighter. She looked out of the window the rest of the way. A smile on her face that she couldn't seem to shake of, even if she tried.
A couple of minutes later Warrick pulled up in front of the CSI-building. He watched her sitting next to him, she was looking at the building intensively and he could swear he saw some recognition on her face. It was gone however when she turned to him, a nervous smile on her face.
"Ok, let's do this," she said.
He got out of the car and she grabbed his hand when they walked into the building, needing something safe to hold onto to. This had been the place she dreaded seeing the most, according to everybody she had spoken to her job had been her life and she was terrified that she wouldn't be able to remember a thing. Rounding the corner they bumped into Nick, who raised his eyebrows when he saw that they were holding hands. He said nothing though, seeing the look of warning Warrick send his way.
"I'm showing Sara the lab," Warrick said, glancing at Sara who was busy looking around.
"Hey War?" Sara said, "Grissom's office is that way, isn't it?"
Both men turned to her.
"You remember?" Nick asked.
She nodded.
"You know, I think I do. Not real memories but I definitely know this place."
Warrick slung his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to him in a short hug.
"Way to go, Sidle."
The gesture was not lost on Nick and neither was the fact that Sara seemed to glow when Warrick touched her. He managed to get their attention.
"Gotta go, guys. Big case, lot's of evidence. Good luck, Sara."
He disappeared as quickly as he came, leaving Warrick and Sara standing in the hallway.
"So, where do you wanna go?" he asked her.
He thought that he already knew the answer but she surprised him by pointing in a direction that was nowhere near Grissom's office.
"I want to go there, I don't why but something tells me I had a lot of fun in that lab."
"Oh, there's something funny over there alright," Warrick said grinning. "We're heading towards Sanders."
They heard Greg talking before they even saw him.
"You know, if you want to have a good time you should come over to my place tonight. We could have fun. Lot's of fun."
They rounded the corner where Sara saw a young guy talking to a female lab tech. He was leaning in the doorway of the DNA-lab and was grinning at the woman in a seductive way. Or at least, a way Greg Sanders thought was seductive. Warrick rolled his eyes.
"Sanders, give the poor girl a break. She doesn't need those couple of minutes of fun you're offering her."
The woman gave Warrick a thankful glance and hightailed away from the DNA-annalist. Leaving Greg with an enraged expression on his face.
"Do you mind, Brown. It's bad enough that woman swarm around you like bees smelling honey but now you're ruining my action. I think that's..."
He stopped talking when he noticed Sara.
"Sara! You're here, how are you?"
He reached over and hugged her, forcing her to let go of Warrick's hand. She returned the hug a little awkwardly.
"I'm fine," she said. "Greg, is it?"
Greg's smile disappeared.
"You still don't remember anything?"
She just shook her head, grabbing Warrick's hand again. Something that Greg didn't seem to notice.
"Look Sara," the young man said. "I'm sorry that I didn't came to see you in the hospital. I was scared and afraid of doing something stupid. But that doesn't mean I never thought about you. I did, I still do."
She was genially touched, sending a real smile his way.
"Thanks Greg."
Greg nodded, for once really serious and wanted to continue when he noticed Grissom coming their way.
"Oh crap, he wants his DNA results and I'm nowhere finished."
He quickly ran to his seat, appearing very busy once Grissom was close enough to see him. He didn't even look at Greg though. His eyes were glued to the picture of Warrick and Sara standing there, holding hands.
"Hey guys," he said. "What brings you two here? Your shift is over, isn't it, Warrick?"
Warrick felt very uncomfortable all of a sudden.
"Yeah, I thought I'd show Sara around."
Grissom nodded, before he said.
"That's nice, Warrick. But this isn't some show and tell project. We work here. I suggest you go."
Warrick blinked.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me," Grissom said. "Go," he walked past them and disappeared into the DNA-lab.
Warrick turned to Sara.
"Would you wait here for one second, I really need to talk to him."
He followed his boss, different thoughts tumbling trough his head. Not one particularly friendly towards his mentor.
"Are you out of your mind?"
Grissom turned to his protege.
"This discussion is over, Warrick."
"No, it isn't," Warrick said. His voice dangerously calm. Greg decided that maybe, just maybe, it was time to take a coffee break. Meanwhile Grissom said nothing.
"What is wrong with you, Griss?"
He turned around.
"Nothing is wrong, Warrick. I just think you need to let Sara be. She doesn't need you."
Warrick laughed.
"Don't feed me that crab. You were being a jerk out there and you're still being a jerk now. Why? Are you jealous?"
Grissom put down the papers he was reading.
" No, I'm not and don't forget that I'm still your boss."
Warrick just shook his head, not believing that this was happening.
"I thought you were better then this, Griss. This isn't about you or me, it's about Sara. She needs help and you're pissed that she doesn't want your help. That she's turning to me."
"She's clinging to you, Warrick," Grissom said. "That's a whole other matter."
Warrick shrugged.
"Whatever works for her, I just want her to get better."
He shook his head again, for the first time seeing his boss as a human being. One who wasn't flawless by a long shot.
"Do you enjoy this sick game you and Sara have, Griss? You never confess her your love but she's not allowed to be happy with somebody else either?"
Grissom said nothing, surprised by the genuine rage and emotion he saw on the younger man's face.
"I'm going back to Sara," Warrick said. "And I don't care what you say or do. Fire me, whatever. I'm helping her, no matter what."
He didn't even look at Grissom anymore and walked out of the lab. Finding Sara talking to Greg, clearly having a good time. Once she saw Warrick she raised her eyebrows.
"What was that all about?"
Warrick forced a fake smile on his face.
"Nothing, he's probably cranky from pulling a double. Do you mind if we go. I'm kinda beat."
"Sure," she said, saying goodbye to Greg. She followed him out of the building.
"Are you certain that nothing is wrong?"
He gave her a encouraging smile.
"Yeah, c'mon, let's get you home."
Fifteen minutes later they were standing in front of her house and she turned to him.
"Ok, make sure you sleep well and thank you for taking me to the lab and buying me breakfast."
He nodded.
"It was my pleasure. See you tomorow, Sidle."
She surprised him when she leaned over and kissed him and not in a friendly way. When she pulled back he whispered. "You're only making this more complicated, Sara."
"I'm not the one making this complicated," she said, getting out of the car. "I know what I feel."
She left him sitting in the car, watching her get into the house. He was startled by his phone ringing.
"Brown," he said.
"Get over here, Warrick," the voice of Grissom said on the other side of the line. "We need to talk, now."
Tbc...