Chapter Eighteen: Peeping Grissom

Note: Yes! Another chapter! I am so happy. I'm struggling to see because I took my contacts out and I lost my glasses so, here it goes. I hope you are all enjoying my story. I am trying to post it up as fast as I write it. Lots of love my loyal reviewers. Thank you, o' so very much.

Ded. Note: Catherine, if you're reading this now, just know when I said about Grissom 'bending that way," I meant it as a joke. Chill, lady. Hope you keep reading even though you want Sara and Greg to get together. Ick.

He sat by himself outside on the porch. He was in emotional tyranny at the moment. Everything was beginning to crash around him. And before Gil Grissom knew it, another day would be gone, another day, to find out where he belonged in life.

He was leaning against the column outside when Catherine burst through the front door. "What the hell did you do Grissom?" She bounded.

"Nothing."

"Nothing? Gil, there is a woman upstairs crying her dear little heart out for you. What the hell did YOU do?"

Grissom's mouth was agape. But he soon closed it and sat down in a rocking chair. Catherine took the chair next to him. "I..." he trailed off, not finding the words that he so wanted to catch with his bare hands.

"You and I do need to talk." She whispered. He nodded.

"Can you at least show her SOME affection Gil?" She literally pleaded. He opened his mouth to respond but closed it soon after. "You need to figure out where you stand in this. You're losing her Gil. You really, are. That woman is upstairs crying because she is thinking that you are not in love with her, when all she wants is to be loved by you. She cries and cries, and every tear is breaking her apart. All she wants is some romance. Now, why don't you go up there and tell her that you love her?" She stopped and let out a ragged breath.

"Because, I'm not sure I love her." He confessed. She sighed. "Gil," She began. " I'm not telling you to go up there and make love to her. I'm telling you to show her some affection. Even if it's a teenie, tiny amount, you can see if you like it. If you both like the affection that you're showing each other, go with it. Take her on a walk. Kiss her. Hug her. Love her for God's sake Gil.

He seemed as if he'd been crying. Catherine's eyes watered and she rested a hand on Gil Grissom's shoulder. "Poor baby." She whispered.

"I'm alright." He said.

"Not YOU! Sara. I guess I should make her tea. She's laying up on her bed and she has the window opened."

Catherine collected herself and rubbed her shoulders as she started to walk into the house. "God, it's freezing out here." She rested her case and walked into the cozy, toasty house.

Grissom rubbed his shoulders as well and began a walk up above the house into Lily Oaks Wood. He heard a rustle nearby and with that he became hesitant. The shouts of something like, "Has anyone seen her?" Came from the house, but Grissom ignored them. He was much to busy playing a Christmas tune in his head...

He was amazed at the amount of tea roses that were hanging from the trees above. The temperature had to be in the mid thirties to the high twenties.

He was freezing now. "La La La...Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..."

Someone was humming. Grissom pushed back vines of roses until he came to a thick shrub.

"Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..la...la..." This tune was soft and it played something familiar in Gil Grissom's head. What was that familiar tune...?

Water. He could hear it, and not to far away. Pushing back one last vine, he saw something that made his heart skip a beat...thump, thump, thump...thump, thump, thump...

There at the edge of a steaming pool, was Sara. She was dancing around the pool like a young child. She had to be delirious. No way would Sara ever go prancing around a pool of water. But she didn't seem to care that someone might be watching.

Despite the freezing temperatures, Sara Sidle did the unthinkable. It was her thick windbreaker first. She tore it off and placed it on a rock. Then her sweater, her gloves and shirt...HER SHIRT?

Grissom squinted trying to see if he was seeing right. He was correct. Down below by the pool of steaming water, Sara was stripped of everything but her pants, shoes and bra. After stripping of other parcels of clothing, she dipped her foot into the water and then dove in! Grissom was stunned.

What am I doing? I'm watching my coworker, my NAKED coworker bathing in a pond...IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER! Need I say more?

Grissom was preparing himself for a rescue mission when Sara's head emerged from the water. She gasped for breath, and didn't seem at all cold.

It must be a hot spring, he thought. Grissom jumped at the thunder that pounded his eardrums from above. It was storming.

Gil Grissom was scared at first, what would his coworker think? He was after all, barging in when she was bathing. Again.

A freezing rain pelted down on him without another thought.

"Sara!" He yelled running down the small hill toward her. She was already clambering out of the steam bath and struggling to put her clothes on when she scooped her up with one swift stroke. She was halfway dressed at the moment. They wouldn't have time for her to dress completely, because the freezing rain was slowly making them hypothermic...

When Grissom placed Sara in her bed, she was shivering like he'd never seen before. He body was blue and her lips were pale white. Catherine rushed to her side shooing Grissom out as she eased Sara's freezing body into some thick, warm, clothes.

When Catherine finished, Grissom was allowed in. Taking the moment, Catherine shut the door behind the two.

He sat beside her shivering body, running his hands through her hair. "Poor baby." He whispered. She turned toward him, not being able to control her shivering. "I...am...free...zing..." she said to him.

He replied with a single whisper,"Slide over..."