Dominion of the Butterfly-Chapter 6

Sara bid good night to Lurie and thought about the evening they had. For a house of pain and broken sexual boundaries, what they did must seem ridiculously tame. They played Jenga tonight, and Lurie told her stories of the summer he spent biking in Italy. When Sara had mentioned that she had always wanted to go, Lurie seemed almost eager to plan a trip, Sara demurred, saying that he couldn't go to such an expense for a friend, and made a note to herself to look into maybe using some of that vacation time on herself, and finally getting a passport and having some use for it.

She was glad that Lurie did not want her to participate in any of the usual activities of the Dominion. While she tried her best not to be judgmental, she could not understand how people could use pain to express their love for each other. She always had felt that while relationships often came with pain, that it was usually emotional and not inflicted intentionally.

With that thought, Sara grabbed a quick shower and went to sleep, knowing that Patrick was going to show her some judo moves later in the day in the gym.

On her way to the gym, Sara ended up in the Dominion Boutique. Remembering her earlier joke with Grissom about the Dominion having a Gift Shop, she half-jokingly checked the place for 'Wish You Were Here' postcards. She did stop at a display of dildos noting one that would fit over the hand, or could be strapped on, but had a very long shaft, made of a nubby plastic, with a place to add lubricant that would come out of the dildo. It was labeled "Limited Edition-Only 1000 made". Personally, Sara thought that looked pretty uncomfortable, and with a shake of her head, went to the gym to meet with Patrick.

Sara and Patrick were working hard in the gym. He was showing her a complex motion that involved using a nerve pinching technique to disable the attacker and then be able to remove his weapon and throw the attacker to the ground. Sara thought she had finally gotten the move, when Patrick surprised her with an ankle swipe and landed on top of her. With Sara's luck being what it was, she was prone on the ground with Patrick on top of her when Grissom came in to talk to her about the dancing rapist/murder case.

Grissom took a deep breath when he saw the two of them, and instead of following his instinct to lift Patrick up and throw him into the wall, he simply cleared his throat.

Sara turned her head, and blushed as red as the crimson workout tank she had favored that day. She gave Patrick a push and he lifted himself off of her at a leisurely pace. Patrick gave Grissom a cat-like smile and excused himself from the room, reminding Sara about the bottled water in the gym refrigerator.

Sara looked at Grissom. He did not look pleased with her at the moment. Part of her was longing to jump into explanations, but the part of her schooled by Lady Heather shot that thought right out of her head. After all, Grissom never explained his dinner with Sofia, or exactly how well he knows Lady Heather, so she was not about to give herself away.

Smiling, she asked Grissom to pull the folder from the case, and after holding out a bottle of water to Grissom, took a long pull from another bottle to prevent her from saying anything further.

Grissom was taken aback. The Sara from a month ago, even two weeks ago would have stammered excuses and babbled. This Sara was cool, cooled than the ice water that sent a drop of condensation, from the bottle rolling from the bottom onto her collarbone and down her chest. Grissom deeply envied that water right now. He was puzzled and aroused by this new Sara. People always assumed that he was a control freak, but that was because he so rarely encountered his equal, someone who could take and cede control as the situation required. Ever the entomologist, Grissom craved symmetry in people as much as the bugs that he studied, and was feeling that the symmetry between him and Sara was finally fitting together.

Sara looked at the photos with him, and Grissom told how it was interesting that each victim had the DNA of the subsequent victims inside of them, and how a transvaginal probe showed that the victims had a Goosebumps pattern on their vaginal walls, instead of a smooth pattern, and how the victims died of poisoning but there was no trace in their mouth or any injection point.

At that last detail Sara's head snapped towards Grissom. "Goose bump, pattern, almost nubbly?"

Grissom nodded. Sara excused herself for a moment and ran to the boutique, bringing back the toy that had caught her eye earlier. She eagerly handed the item to Grissom, who literally looked as if he did not know what to do. This was a rare look for Grissom and Sara decided to savor it.

"Sara, where did you get this?" Sara smiled, "I noticed it in the gift shop."

Grissom smirked, "Gift shop?"

Sara laughed, but Grissom could see the wheels in her head turning.

"Grissom, this is what I think happens.". Sara dimmed the lights and set the disco ball off and found the CD with the Black Eyed Peas "My Humps" which she blasted... Sara got behind Grissom and began to do a grinding dance. Grissom backed off looking nervous. Sara raised her eyebrow in challenge and shouted, "Grissom, do you want to do the re-enactment or not? If you're not comfortable with this, I can call Patrick." Grissom flushed, and leaned closer to Sara, they began to dance; while they were dancing Sara slipped the dildo over her hand with ease and goosed Grissom with it. Shocked, Grissom turned around.

"You see, in a dark crowded club, with the victims in miniskirts and thong underwear, the perp could slip this on and use it without anyone noticing." She shouted.

Grissom nodded. "Well, it's a start," He also shouted.

Sara turned the music off, "Now all you have to do is see where of these are made and sold. This particular model is a limited edition, only 1000 were made and sold total, so you can probably get it down to a couple of hundred people. The club scans in Driver's Licenses, so you could cross reference the purchases with the licenses, provided a credit card was used and you can find the scumbag. I'm sure that Heather will be able to tell you if she sold any."

Grissom smiled. Sara gave him a kind look. "Griss, I'm sorry if the dancing made you uncomfortable."

Grissom looked at Sara. "Its not that it was uncomfortable, it's just not my kind of dancing."

Sara retorted, "And your kind of dancing would be…?

"Ballroom."

Sara was surprised. "You like ballroom dancing?"

Grissom continued, "Yes, my mother sent me to ballroom dance classes for years to help me out of my shell."

Sara laughed. "I don't understand what is so funny about that." Grissom said quietly.

Sara smiled at Grissom. "My mother was a competitive dancer before she had me and my brother, and she used to teach classes in the basement of the B&B for extra money. She would make my brother and me practice together, but I haven't in years."

Grissom went to the stereo and found a station that specialized in soft rock. "I've always been partial to waltzing myself."

He took Sara in his arms as Billy Joel's Shameless began to play."

I'm shameless when it comes to loving you,

I'd do anything you want me to

I'd do anything at all.

Slowly they waltzed together until Sara felt something against her hip. She began to smile smugly at what she was sure was a sign of Grissom's arousal, until she felt the buzzing. It was Grissom's pager buzzing against her hip. Cursing, Grissom answered the phone.

After a curt conversation, he apologetically turned to Sara. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. He's struck again."

Sara nodded and stood quietly as Grissom left her on the dance floor, taking the apparatus with him.

Aroused and disappointed, Sara wandered upstairs to the living quarters. She saw that Lady Heather's door was ajar, so she knocked. Lady Heather let her in. She was in a bathrobe putting the finishing touches on her hair before getting made up and dressed for the evening.

Heather smiled at Sara. "So, how did it go?"

Sara shook her head, "We started dancing, and then his pager went off and he left. I do think I found some clues. Grissom did take the special dildo in your display case for comparison to the vics. I am sure there is some way you can bill the City for that.

Lady Heather smirked, "Wouldn't be the first time". She looked at Sara who obviously needed some company. "Why don't you stay and keep me company?"

Sara nodded and sat on the edge of Lady Heather's feather bed. Lady Heather's room was very cozy, with Laura Ashley prints and family photos. Watching Heather in the mirror, Sara was surprised to find that she had blue eyes, and covered them up with Green contact lenses. Heather noticed her noticing and smiled. "Everyone wears a mask Sara, some are just more subtle."

Heather continued talking as she made herself up. She began telling Sara how she was a love child before love children were fashionable. "My father was on vacation from his family when he met my mother. His wife was ill, losing her hearing, and he couldn't take the mood swings or pressure. He stayed with us on and off until I was two and then went back to his other family. A few years later he died, and it was just my mother and me. She was destroyed by that man.; I learned that everything has a dark side including love."

Lady Heather continued "When I was in college, I became pregnant with my daughter, after she was born; I became a paralegal. My boss liked me to be stern with him, as long as it was private. After a few months we began dating. He brought me here, and I realized that this was my talent. I quit my office job, and learned the ways of the dominion, saving my fees and buying the place when my mentor here, Lady Miranda, retired. It's been a good life, I do good work, but I missed out on many things. It's hard to find a companion that does not judge. Once you find that person, you need to hold on."

Sara sat quietly as the facial transformation from Heather to Lady Heather was happening. Suddenly shy, Sara turned her head as Lady Heather began to take off her robe. Lady Heather also felt shy, and went to her closet to change. When she emerged, the transformation was complete, and Lady Heather had arrived.

Sara turned to Heather again. "I'm almost done here, and I wanted to say thank you…for everything."

Lady Heather smiled, and placed her cool hand on Sara's still warm cheek. "Invite me to the wedding darling, and then I'll know it was a job well done.

Lady Heather walked out ready to begin the evening, and Sara sat on the edge of the bed, still puzzled and aroused.

A/N: At last an update. I have a million excuses, but I don't want to bore you. If you wish to review, please do so, unless you feel I have been naughty and I need to be punished. I will doing some rewrites and posting on chappie 7 as quickly as possible, as I am 10 days from my due date, and I think the contractions are shifting from practice ones to the real thing.