Dominion of the Butterfly

Chapter 4:

(A/N: For those of you wondering, what the heck is this story, since it's been so long since I've updated, here is a summary. Dr. Lurie is wreaking havoc at the Dominion. Sara poses as Debbie Marlin and goes undercover at the Dominion. The ruse works, and now Sara has to move into the Dominion for her own safety. Grissom still less than thrilled)

Sara stretched in the lounge chair by the pool and reflected on the past four days she spent at the Dominion. Recollecting her frosty welcome to the CSI Lab, she marveled at the kindness of the inhabitants of Lady Heather's place.

Lady Heather put her into her daughter's room, explaining that her daughter was in Europe for a Study Abroad program with Harvard. After Sara told Lady Heather that she was an alumna, they had a lovely lunch and talked about their favorite places to visit, with Lady Heather making Sara promise that she would come out to Cambridge for parent's weekend with her. Sara was introduced to the staff, and explained that she was a specialist with the crime lab. Sara had been nervous about the explanation, but Lady Heather assured her that these were people who kept secrets for a living and not to worry.

Monroe, a baby faced man in his mid 20's, who was one of the best dominators, took Sara under his wing and introduced her to the joys of Days of Our Lives and All My Children, and the trials of Bo and Hope and Erica Kane. There were some heated discussions about missing Scammi, and when Sara looked confused, the group got excited and began pulling out the taped episodes to catch her up. They also asked her lots of questions about her jobs, and the submissives that were used as bathroom equipment were excited to hear about the neutralizing powers of fresh lemons.

Grissom came to visit her each day, and brought her a great gift of Debbie's journals. Through them, Sara learned that she and Debbie had more than looks in common. Like Sara, Debbie had come from an abusive past, but her mom had run away and taken Debbie with her. Like Sara, Debbie had relationship issues, but unlike Sara hers involved trusting too much, where Sara trusted too little.

Her almost daily sessions with Lurie had taken on a new dimension, as Sara now had information about Debbie to throw into the conversation. She settled into a dreamy reverie as she replayed last night's session.

She and Lurie had played Scrabble. The night before it was Monopoly. Lurie had mentioned how he liked playing games with her, it was cozy. So they played Scrabble and chatted about Lurie's day at the Hospital, stuff on the news, and Lurie asked a loaded question. "You know Debbie, why did you become a nurse?"

Sara had been tempted to use some 'liking to help people' generic answer that she usually gave when people asked her why forensics, but decided to test Lurie and knock him out of his comfort zone. Looking him right in the eye she told him, "I became a nurse because I spent so much time in the emergency room as a child after my dad got drunk that I figured I should start getting paid for it."

Lurie was stunned by her response. In truth Sara was too. She had kept her past secret partly out of shame, and partly because she did not want to be pitied. Sometimes, though especially when she visited a battered family, she desperately wanted to tell them about her, to use her past as a cautionary tale. Sometimes she wanted to tell her friends, to help them understand why she was so driven, why certain cases made her so emotional, but she couldn't bring herself to say the words.

Lurie realizing that the silence was getting uncomfortable finally uttered. "My god, Debbie, I'm sorry. I didn't know." He shook his head. The look of pity on his face reinforced every instinct Sara had to keep her secret to herself. But knowing that she was expected to keep up her end of the conversation, she went on. "Don't worry about it baby. I shouldn't have spat it out like that. It's just, there is so much you don't know about me, and if we are going to have this, then we need to know." Vincent smiled. "How about I tell you one of my secrets?" Sara beamed, "How about we each have a round and the person at the end of each round who has a lower score, has to tell a secret?"

Lurie nodded in agreement, and the two of them traded words and secrets, Lurie about his life, and Sara about Debbie's for another two hours before the session ended.

Her reverie was broken a deep voice. "Sara, you need to turn over, you are starting to get a little pink." Sara looked up to see Patrick, her companion and guardian smiling at her, holding a tube of sunscreen. Patrick was an interesting component of her stay at the Dominion. Lady Heather had given Patrick to her as a 'companion' when she got to the Dominion to stay. Patrick was in his very late 20's, six feet tall with curly light brown hair and blue eyes. He looked like he could be Grissom's son. Patrick was muscular, and lightly tanned. He was a former Navy Seal, who was working at the Dominion for the summer before returning to Cal Tech for a degree in physics. He accompanied Sara on her runs, and taught her some of the self defense moves he had learned in the military, and generally took care of her. It would take a woman much stronger than Sara to not enjoy the attentions of this handsome, intelligent man. Sara flipped over on her stomach and Patrick began to massage sunscreen into her shoulders and back. Sara felt herself beginning to doze when she heard a throat clearing above her. It was Grissom.

Sara scrambled to sit up. Grissom stood there not knowing what to think. One on hand, Sara in a bikini looking relaxed was a treat, and he was the one who told her to treat this time as a paid vacation. However, seeing her lying there, practically naked being caressed by a young man was almost more than Grissom could take and part of him could understand Lurie's motives.

Sara regained her composure and asked Grissom to have a seat. Grissom sat at the table next to the lounge chairs. Sara looked up at Patrick, who nodded and left the two of them together. Sara got up and sat at the table with Grissom. Grissom and Sara began chatting about some cases Grissom was working on. A few moments later, Patrick came by with a tray holding a pitcher of iced tea and some sandwiches, as well as a wrap for Sara. Patrick helped Sara into her wrap while Grissom gave a small scowl at the thought of her being all covered up. Sara smiled her thanks and Grissom smirked. After Patrick left Grissom looked at Sara. "So, life at the Dominion is agreeing with you?" Sara gave Grissom a look. "Well Grissom I decided to make the best of it, but everyone here has been incredibly nice, and Heather is making sure that I am being taken care of." Grissom quirked an eyebrow, "Heather?" Sara blushed, "Well she said that when it was just us, I didn't need to be so formal." Looking at Grissom, Sara realized that she was about to begin over talking. She decided to gain control of the situation. "Grissom, do you play gin?" Grissom nodded, looking curious. "If you don't have any more work to talk about, why don't we relax and have a game?" Grissom looked at Sara in an oddly. "You want to relax, and not talk about work?" Sara smiled, and decided to be direct. "Grissom, I know you do not need to come hear every day to discuss work, or check on me, which can easily be done by email or a phone call. Why can't we have a social visit between friends?" Sara quirked her eyebrow at Grissom, "Unless you think that would be too difficult for you?" Grissom shook his head. Sara was beginning to mentally congratulate herself for controlling the situation when Grissom asked her, "Are we playing for money?" Sara looked at him evenly, and then joked "Don't you think you have had enough of people gambling in your department?" Grissom smiled. "Well I thought that if we were going to play, we might as well have some stakes." Sara laughed, "Fine Grissom, we can gamble, but not for money. I want something else." Grissom paled. Was she going to suggest strip Gin? Only if there truly was a benevolent God. Sara continued. "Information. About you. I have known you for years and there is so little I know about you. The winner of each hand has to ask the loser a question. The loser gets to pass on two questions only." Grissom nodded. It was hard for him to let others know him, but he wanted to please Sara and was also positive that his card playing abilities that he could beat Sara. However Grissom did not know three things. One, was during a stakeout, Warrick taught Sara how to count cards. Two, while he knew Sara was exceptionally bright, he was not aware that she possessed a near photogenic memory. Three, Sara spent seven of the best months of her foster care career living with an old lady who regularly scammed bingo halls and card games for supplemental income.

Sara won the first hand. Grissom looked surprised, but Sara demurred stating that she only had beginners luck. She decided to get Grissom off guard and asked him what his least favorite vegetable was. She was surprised when Grissom told her that he did not like peas. "But Grissom, peas are so innocuous." Grissom grimaced. "I know, they're tiny, they're harmless, but to me, they are just slimy little buggers." Sara laughed. They played some more hands, which Sara had the good grace to throw so Grissom learned that her favorite color was lilac, that she secret vice was a love of deep fried Oreos a la mode and that yes occasionally she still craved a burger.

Grissom lost the next hand, and asked Grissom how he knew sign language. Grissom told her about his mother. Then surprising himself, he told her about the problems with his own hearing. Sara was shocked and embarrassed that for someone that watched Grissom so closely that she would miss something so important. Sara mused, "I guess its true then?" Grissom looked puzzled. "You can see someone every day, but not really see them for months." Grissom nodded; pleased she remembered their exchange a few years ago. Grissom in a confessional mood, continued. "The day after the explosion, when you asked me to dinner, I had just decided to get the surgery and was about to call the doctor. That was why I rejected you so abruptly. I have always been sorry about that."

Sara looked at him. "Sorry that you rejected me, or that it was abrupt."

Grissom smiled, "You will have to win another hand to get the answer to that." He continued smiling as he dealt the cards. Sara picked up the cards, looked at them, placed her hand on the table and announced "Gin". Then she gave Grissom a wicked smile.

Grissom swallowed. "Both. I regret both. Maybe when this craziness is done, you and I can have that dinner."

Sara smiled and nodded. In the A/V room of the Dominion, Lady Heather smiled and nodded as well.

TBC

(A/N: I hope you are all enjoying. I am downgrading from Angst to Drama. Trying to come up with Angst is giving me plot bunnies and slowing me down with the updates. And yes, Virginia, there really is such a thing as deep fried oreos.)