DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters from 'CSI'. They're not my property.


"You're serious?" The short brunette looked at her colleague. "An hour?"

"Yeah. Steve, you know from reception? He heard it from someone that was at that motel. The supervisor Grissom went in there and like a few minutes later comes Sara Sidle…"

"Oh my god… Sidle? Sara? Wasn't she the one that almost quit 'cause of him?"

The dirty-blonde woman next to her shrugged. "They must've patched things up, 'cause shortly, like, after she came inside, they closed the door!"

Kristy gasped. "Why?"

"No one knows. But apparently there was um… how are they called, you know those vibrating beds?"

"Magic fingers?"

"Yeah, yeah, something like that."

"Oh, you don't think they were actually… I mean, at the crime scene?"

"No, that Grissom doesn't seem the type to me."

Kristy snorted. "Yeah, I agree. When was the last time that guy got laid?"

"Before Sara, you mean?"

Kristy nodded. The two women seemed oblivious to their male colleague behind them.

"Who knows? Apart from this, no one really knows much about his love life. But I wouldn't mind giving it a shot." Chelsea giggled.

"With him? Ok, he's cute, but… isn't he old enough to be your dad or something?"

Chelsea leaned closer to Kristy's ear. "You know men in high positions turn me on." She then leaned back with an interesting smile.

Kristy snorted again. "Good luck getting through that man."

"You think I was gonna try anything long-term? Get real."

"I thought that…"

Chelsea burst laughing. "I wanted to screw the guy, not date him!"

"So, why you're still here?"

"He's taken. I don't wanna get my fingers in hot water if you know what I mean. Anyway, we were talking about those two!"

"What else did you hear?"

"Well, you know two weeks ago when Sara went to his office and, again closed the door, then came out like… I don't know, three hours later!"

"Yeah."

"Her hair was a mess! She was still adjusting her clothing." Chelsea shook her head. "That was not a quickie!"

"They must've talked first."

"Yeah, maybe."

"They're strange though. Grissom and Sara… I mean, they're damn good at hiding their affair."

"I agree. They kinda look nice together… and I don't even like Sara."

"Yeah."

After the eavesdropping was done, Nick cleared his throat and called over to the two women. "Uh, excuse me." With that he managed to get their attention as Kristy and Chelsea turned around to look at him. "All the sugar's gone here, you ladies happen to have any with you?"

"Oh, yes." Kristy smiled and grabbed the sugar in front of her before handing it over to Nick.

"Thank you." Nick smiled and quickly put some of the white sweetener in the coffee. He then turned around and just as quickly exited the break room. Too much gossip….


The suspect's car had been discovered just outside of the city, or more precisely in the desert, a few hours ago. Grissom and Sara went over to the scene to scan the area for any valuable clues before the car was to be taken.

Having found some red fibers on the driver's seat, Sara placed the evidence in the correct baggie and was writing down the found contents on the surface of the paper. The hot sun had practically fried the top layers of her skin, leaving Sara to curse at herself for wearing the wrong type of shirt. Then slowly, the yellowy heat started to be gently pushed away by a cooler shade, covering her back like a silky cloak, chilling her sweetly. Sara smiled and even exhaled quietly. That felt good.

"Found anything else?" Grissom asked her.

"Damn," Sara thought. "Yeah," she replied. "This!" and handed him the new piece of evidence without looking at him. Frankly, his shadow was God-sent for her now.

"Hair?"

"Probably." Sara pulled her cap down and stood up, but felt reluctant to move. If it were physically possible, Sara wanted to steal Grissom's shadow and cover herself with it. It would at least provide good protection for her skin.

"Let's check the trunk," Grissom proposed and moved away from her, forcing a childish but unnoticeable wince from Sara.

Knowing that a run would give her the image of a puppy running after its owner, Sara took casual steps while following Grissom to the back of the vehicle. They soon stopped in front of the trunk, with Sara's right arm almost colliding with Grissom's left one. What would he make of her reason for this nearness anyway? Something to amuse himself with, no doubt.

Opening the trunk, the heat with temperature matching that of the outside quickly escaped the confiding space and straight towards the two people in front of it. The sudden blow carried some unpleasant smell, forcing a slight gag and cough from both Grissom and Sara.

"Did someone urinate in here?" was the first question asked.

"I hope not," was Grissom's response.

"Hopefully we're wrong."

Grissom's left lip curled due to her sentence. "Let us hope that. But, hey, it could've been worse. He could've sh-…"

Sara interrupted him. "Hey, uh… No need to add other possibilities."

Sara's rejection set off a silent chuckle out of the man as he took the camera to photograph the evidence. "Has anyone told you what joy it is to work with you?" He knew the look even before he received it from Sara.

"Has anyone told you you're unbearable at times?"

"Thank you," his lips kept the smile as he replied. "But why, if I may ask?"

"You may not."

"Sorry?" He looked at her.

"You may not ask."

"Secrecy again?"

"Aha."

"Sometimes it's not that good to be so secretive."

Sara smirked. "You should talk." She shook her head and began documenting the evidence.

Sara's response drew in Grissom's gaze upon her. He sighed. What secrets he kept, at least the majority, were something that he felt unsure that Sara should know about so soon. Her signs of withdrawal from him did not seem apparent, leaving Grissom to only hope that she would continue to be patient with him, and that he would grab sooner rather than later to let some of those secrets out in her presence.

After gathering the rest of the evidence, and leaving themselves with the task of returning to the lab, they started heading back to their cars. Sara's eyes rushed curiously over to the surface of Grissom's jacket and made her wonder how well as a protection that material must serve. She should have taken a jacket of her own. The deep blue color and her thoughts unconsciously snatched the scorching reality for a few moments, perhaps because she wished that the soft material could magically melt, flow away from Grissom, and finally touch the surface of the dry ground where it would transform itself into a small, cool pool where Sara could take a long, relaxing dip in. "Rock." She heard Grissom say.

"Um?" Sara snapped away and looked at him.

"Rock!" he repeated and nodded in front of them.

Quickly turning her face in front, her feet immediately cemented themselves to the ground after her eyes spotted a taller rock only a few inches in front of her. Had she stopped any quicker, her movements would have given her a real cartoon-like reminder with her hands spinning franticly to help her achieve balance in time, while her toes being the only parts of the body keeping her attached to earth. Looking at the height and density of the rock, the crash would've left a nasty bump on her head. "Oh, thanks," she said and took a quick step to the right, allowing her to circle the structure to her left, leaving Grissom on the other side.

"Someone let a daydream take over?"

"What? Oh, that… ye-… no, I was just thinking about the case," she said.

"Anything to share?" he asked with his hands in his pockets.

"As soon as I come up with something concrete, yeah." She exhaled. "Way too hot today," and said.

Grissom smiled "You'll be breathing recycled air again pretty soon," he said and opened the door of his car while keeping an eye on her.

"I can hardly wait," Sara responded and sat on the passenger seat next to him.