Thanks again, and here is the next chapter. I have tried to include some GS angst, so tell me what you think! There will be more GS angst in later chapters!
Sara got to the lab and got out of her car. She walked into the lab and she felt everyone's eyes on her- even the secretary's, who normally paid no attention whatsoever to her. She just put on a weak smile as she turned the corner and headed to the break room.
"Ah, you don't know squat, Stokes!" came Warrick's cheerful voice.
"Ah, 'Rick, man, you gotta give me some credit!" This was Nick in between chuckles.
Catherine laughed. "Calm down, boys. Grissom will go nuts if he sees you two like this."
Sara walked in and quietly went to the coffee. She poured herself a cup while smiling to herself as she took a seat and sipped the coffee. Her blissful state even made the cold motor-oil coffee of the break room taste like a fine wine.
"Sara?"
Sara looked up at Nick. "Hmm?"
"What happened to you?"
Sara shrugged. Greg ran into the room and his eyes widened when he saw Sara.
"Whoo! Dang Sara- I didn't know you were a Jim Morrison fan."
She smiled as she continued to sip her coffee. Catherine took a seat by her and leaned closer to her ear.
"Those aren't your clothes, are they?" she whispered.
Sara giggled. "What do you think?"
Catherine wanted to shoo all of the guys out of the room, but Grissom came in and quickly handed out assignments.
"Nick, Warrick- 419 down the Strip."
He handed them their files, not even looking up.
"Greg- you're at the lab today."
Greg moaned as he walked out of the room.
"Sara, Catherine--"
He was about to finish when he looked up and his eyes widened. There sat Sara in the most casual attire he had ever seen her in- was that really her?
Catherine watched him and a smile crossed her face. She cleared her throat. "Ahem."
He shook his head. "Ah, sorry...you're with me on the robbery case."
He walked out quickly. Soon it was only Catherine and Sara in the break room.
"So?"
Sara got up and walked to the locker room. Catherine trailed behind her.
"Sooo?" she prompted.
"What?" Sara asked.
"Details!" Catherine laughed.
Sara smiled as she sat down on the bench in the locker room and opened up her locker.
"Don't make me beg- how'd it go?"
Sara flashed her a genuine smile. "Great."
Catherine sat down beside her. "So...are you going to go out again?"
She nodded. "He's picking me up at 5:30 tonight."
Catherine smiled. "That's great, Sara. I'm happy for you."
Sara smiled as she fixed the lace on her shoe. "Thanks, Cath."
Catherine gave her another friendly squeeze on the shoulder and walked off. Sara smiled to herself in her quiet dance of glee.
"Alright, we found no prints at the scene. No fibers, no hairs, no shoeprints."
Sara sat across the table from Grissom in the layout room as he went over the case with both her and Catherine.
"Guy's clean- think maybe he shaves or cleans the scene?" Catherine asked.
Grissom nodded. "It's possible."
Sara just listened- she didn't want to get into the conversation for reasons of her own.
"So," Grissom sighed holding stacks of photos in his hands. "We have nothing. We'll just have to wait until he slips up."
"If he slips up," Sara added, now partaking in the conversation.
Grissom rose a brow, but they were interrupted by the secretary's voice.
"Ms. Sidle, there's something for you at the front desk."
Sara rose a brow. "Uh...thanks, Judy."
Catherine looked at her with a smile on her face. Grissom looked at her confused and she got up and walked off toward the front desk.
"Oh my god."
There at the front desk sat a large bouquet of white roses with a small white card on them. Sara read the card and smiled.
"Soft and pure, innocent and true. Just like you."
- Pete
She felt her heart flutter around in her chest before Catherine came up behind her and made her jump.
"Holy! Wow!" Catherine said. "Are these from your boyfriend?"
Sara blushed and turned to face Catherine.
"He is your boyfriend, right?"
Sara thought about it for a minute- was he?
Sara grabbed Catherine's arm and pulled her into the locker room.
"What is it?" Catherine asked.
"Cath...I need help."
"What?"
"This guy...I really like him...but..."
"What, Sara?"
"...I'm not good with people."
Catherine laughed as she put a hand on her shoulder. "Sara..." she smiled. "You're doing fine. He's crazy about you, isn't he?"
Sara shrugged and Catherine pulled the card out of her hand and read it. "I think he's head over heels for you, girl."
Sara smiled. "You really think so?"
Catherine nodded. "Yes, of course! So, tell me about this guy."
Sara laughed a little as she closed her eyes. "He has clean-cut brown hair, some of the most beautiful eyes in the world...he's tall and strong-built...and he's the most beautiful man in the world..."
Catherine smiled as she continued.
"And his voice is heavenly."
Catherine smiled again. "Do you believe in angels?"
Sara smiled. "I do now."
Catherine led her out of the locker room to find Grissom inspecting the flowers closely. He had out his torch and was reaching for a pair of latex gloves, when...
"Grissom!"
Grissom jumped and saw Sara and Catherine looking at him befuddled.
"I was...inspecting the flowers."
"Yes, thank you, Mr. Holmes," Sara said rolling her eyes.
"But, they have no card, I just thought-"
Sara held the card up between her fingers sighing.
Grissom turned off his torch, embarrassed. "Oh."
Is she seeing someone?
Sara walked off and Catherine walked over to Grissom.
"Grissom! Why did you do that?"
"I...I just thought, maybe-"
"Grissom, you have no idea what's going on with her, so just leave her alone, alright? She's happy!"
Grissom swallowed hard. "Then what is going on with her, Catherine?"
Catherine rolled her eyes. "Go ask her yourself!"
She walked off and he considered this for a moment.
What if she is seeing someone? I should be happy for her, but...why is it that I feel slightly jealous?
Grissom walked through the halls to find Sara going over some suveillance tapes.
"Sara?"
She looked up to face him. "Come to inspect the card as well?" She handed him the card. "Knock yourself out."
He pushed the card aside. "Sara..." he sighed. "I'm sorry."
She rose a brow. "What's going on?"
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't of done that..."
She smiled. "It's okay, it's what you do. You're Grissom, after all."
His stomach dropped. "Uh...I...are you seeing someone?" the answer just squeezed out.
She rose a brow. "Yes...why?"
He swallowed. "I...uh...no reason."
She nodded and looked at the clock above the bookcase- 4:30.
He noticed this. "Going somewhere?"
She turned to him. "Maybe."
He rose a brow. "When, where?"
She was getting irritated. "Why do I have to tell you?"
"Why will you not?"
"Grissom, my personal life is none of your business."
This stopped him dead in his tracks. She stood up and turned to him. "Get lost in your own life, not someone else's."
His eyes widened as he watched her walk off and he sighed.
Have I lost her?
Sara walked into the locker room to find Catherine changing shoes. "Hey Sara."
Sara sighed as she sat down on the bench and leaned her head up against the cold metal of her locker.
"What's up?" Catherine asked.
She moaned. "Grissom."
"Is Grissom being Grissom again?"
She nodded.
Catherine smiled as she walked over to her. "Don't worry about it, Sara. He's just concerned about you."
Sara sighed. "He asked me all sorts of questions- where I was going tonight and when and such. It's none of his business."
Catherine nodded- she had always known there was something between the two. She put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it."
Sara nodded as Catherine walked out.
Just forget about it, in 45 minutes, you'll be with Pete.
She groaned- 45 minutes seemed like 45 years.
"Hey, Sar!"
She turned to see Nick walk into the room with a friendly smile on his face.
"Hey Nicky."
He smiled as he took a seat next to her. "Sup?"
She smiled. "Nothing much."
"What's with the different attire?" he asked, tugging on a loose part of the sleeve on her t-shirt. "Looks like Greg loaned you clothes."
She giggled. "I will tell you one thing- they aren't mine."
He rose a brow. "So who's the lucky guy?"
She smiled. "I'm not saying, Stokes."
He frowned. "Come on, that's not fair."
She smiled as she closed her locker and walked out. "Life's not fair, Nicky. Life's not fair."
Finally, it was 5:30. Sara clocked out and practically ran out of the building- she was suffocating in that lab. She looked around and her face lit up when she saw a maroon-colored Mercedes with Peter standing outside near the passenger door. She ran over to him and he caught her in a tight hug.
"Hey, girl," he said planting a kiss on her neck.
"Hey, you," she said. "I've been waiting for this all day."
He smiled as he pulled away to look at her. "Tough day?"
She smiled as she dug her face into his chest. "Sort of."
He ran a hand through her hair. "Come on, I've got a surprise for you."
She looked at him and raised a brow. "Surprise?"
He nodded.
"I don't like surprises."
He smiled as he opened the passenger door. "Can you make an exception for this man?"
She smiled as she leaned closer to him. "I think I can try."
She pressed her lips against his and they kissed for a second before she got into the car and he went around and got inside the driver's side. They kissed once again before he started the car up and drove out of the parking lot.
"How did you know I wanted to come here?" Sara asked with a smile on her face as they entered the restaurant.
He smiled as he wrapped an arm around her waist. "I just guessed."
She smiled as they took a small table for two and the waiter quickly came over to take their orders.
"A bottle of white wine, please," Peter said to the waiter. They ordered their food as well and the waiter took the menus before looking Sara up and down. Peter cleared his throat and gave the man his best 'back off' look. The waiter hastily walked off and Sara laughed.
"I didn't want him getting any ideas," Peter said.
She smiled. "I'm glad you care about me."
He smiled. "I've never loved anyone as much as I love you, girl."
He took her hand and engulfed it between his two hands as she smiled. "I love you, Pete."
He picked her hand up and kissed it softly. "I love you too."
The wine came and he held up a glass and poured some into it. He pushed it toward Sara.
She laughed as she shook her head. "Nuh-uh, I can't."
He rose a brow. "Why ever not?"
She laughed. "Believe me- the last thing I need is to come into work with a hangover tomorrow and try to explain it to my boss."
He smiled as he held it closer to her. "I won't let you drink too much."
She smiled as she gave in and took the glass. "Only a little bit."
By the end of the night, they had both had a lot of wine and were both clearly drunk.
"Oh god..." Sara rubbed her head. "We're going to need to call a cab."
He smiled. "Don't worry, I've got it taken care of."
He pulled out his cell phone. "I called one ahead of time."
She rose a brow. "So you knew we would both be drunk."
"I just assumed."
She smiled as he led her out of the restaurant to find the cab waiting for them. "After you," Peter said letting her slide into the cab. He slid in after her.
"Keep the change," Peter said handing the cab driver some money after they arrived at the Lucky Seven. Sara got out of the cab and walked alongside Peter as they made their way inside the building toward the back. He took out his keys and unlocked the door as Sara stepped inside. She tripped and he caught her as she laughed.
"Clumsy moment," she reassured him. He smiled as he lifted her into his arms and carried her inside.
"Look at you Mr. Strong and Handsome," she said giggling as he walked with her in his arms.
He laughed. "Look at you Ms. Clumsy and Beautiful."
She blushed a little as he set her down on the bed. She yawned.
He smiled a bit as he threw her a towel. "Go ahead and take a shower and then you can go to sleep."
She smiled as she took the towel and wrapped her arms around his chest. "I love you."
"I love you too," he whispered in her ear and planted a kiss on her cheek.
She got in the shower and ended up wrapped the towel around her as she stepped out.
"I brought some of your clothes," he said holding up a bag. She smiled.
"Thanks."
"No problem," he said as he changed into one of his white t-shirts. She looked through the bag and found some clothes and changed into them before crawling into the kind-sized bed. He crawled in after her and wrapped his arms around her to keep her warm.
"So how was your day?" he asked.
"Okay I guess," she sighed.
He pulled her closer. "What happened?"
"My boss was just...being his normal self."
He smiled. "I'm guessing that meant your day was crappy."
She laughed. "Yeah, it was pretty crappy."
He planted a kiss on the back of her neck. "How has your day been since I picked you up?"
She smiled as she turned to face him. "Wonderful."
TBC
The heavier GS angst is coming in later chapters!