A/N: Hey kiddos! I'm back after a short hiatus for the muse. I have to let things simmer, ponder the scene, etc. before I put pen to paper such as it is. This is a loose continuation of the story I started in chapter 1 of "The Unburdening," called Nina Simone Sets the Stage. It looks like this is going to be a long-ish story, and I have most of it mapped out, albeit vaguely. I know what the last chapter will be, and I know (mostly) how the plot's going to proceed. Warning! Angst will ensue. There will be some graphic scenes, physical and emotional pain, some tears, but also some laughter, some friendship, some justice, and some love. I think of this as the dark, evil, trollish, ugly twin of the fabulous "Ducks in a Row" series by singingstarrynights, which I am plugging shamelessly, and without permission from the author herself. If you need to grin like a fool, seriously, read that series. So, enjoy the next two or three chapters, lovelies, because things are going to go downhill for our dynamic duo right quick.
Chapter 2: The Pink Elephant (Or Gil Grissom's impeccable timing)
Grissom's office door opened, and Sara backed in without looking up from her file, all the while waving a vague hand at Archie, saying, "All right, all right, Jean-Luc whatever, just get me an analysis of the gas station footage. I need it, like, yesterday. Geek," she muttered, finally looking up at Grissom. She shrugged in a sort of helpless way, and let out a long-suffering sigh. "He won't shut up about some Star Trek experience thing that just opened up. Seriously, if I ever show up dressed like Spock, please, please get me some help." She paused to take a breath. "You said you needed me for something?"
Grissom, although somewhat taken aback at Hurricane Sara, remained as stoic as ever. He didn't think the upcoming conversation would be one that he was going to enjoy. Putting his magnifying glass down, and shoving the prints from the Silverston case aside for the moment, he replied, "Yeah, close the door and have a seat."
"Uh oh," she replied. "This can't be good. Nothing good ever ensues from statements like that, at least with you." Her tone was serious and her mouth was firm, but her eyes still twinkled.
"Relax, Sara. This is good in a way. I promise."
She leaned back in her chair and gazed at him with that steady, somewhat amused expression she had taken on recently. The past few months, the past year really, she had assumed a softer appearance, become less defined around the edges. She laughed more, scowled less, and played well with others. At times, he had found her with a distracted, almost dream-like look about her. Although she always responded in the affirmative when he asked after her, he could tell she was thinking about something.
Grissom was disturbed not just by her, but by the calm that had settled after the storm that was the split shift and Nick's abduction. Now, when he had had time to assimilate Warrick's marriage, Greg's elevation to CSI status, Catherine's new position as his co-supervisor, Nick's confusing behavior in his search for resolution, Sofia's transfer to detective and Brass's subsequent accidental shooting of a fellow officer, and finally Sara's collegial attitude towards him- he found himself in the uncomfortable position of not understanding any of his colleagues. Things had been so certain before last year, almost stale and rigid. The dynamic had radically changed, and Gil could no longer fathom where he fit.
He glanced up from his musing, his blue eyes meeting Sara's brown. "I noticed that you've been a level 2 for six years now, Sara."
She snorted. "Glad to know my boss is on top of things. Isn't it your job to know stuff like that?"
"Well, yeah. You may have noticed I'm not the best at the administrative minutiae."
"I wouldn't call my promotion and subsequent pay raise administrative minutiae, Grissom." She was annoyed now, he could tell. Perhaps not without reason. Why was he so damn bad at this?
"You're right. I'm sorry. That was a poor choice of words. What I meant to say was that maybe- maybe I haven't been the best boss in fighting for rewards that are justly yours."
She was now the one to be taken aback at his honesty. "Okay, where's the Grissom I know? What brought on this sudden bout of conscience?"
"Actually, that's the reason I called you in here. The Washington field office of the F.B.I. has started a search for a new level 4 investigator. I know you wanted to seek out work with the Feds a few years ago. Still interested?"
Sara had stiffened in her chair, but said in a light tone, "trying to get rid of me Grissom?" She smiled her widest, fakest smile.
Undeterred, Grissom replied, "No. I would hate to lose one of the best investigators I've ever had the pleasure of working with. Be that as it may, the lab budget has no room for promotions right now, nor in the foreseeable future. You're not wasting your talents here, to be certain, but you can do better elsewhere. You'd be working on some of the hottest domestic terrorism cases, as well as federally important violent crimes. I thought it was your dream job." He shrugged. "I already recommended you to the lab director over there. I think you're ready."
She laughed, lighthearted, and not in the least bitter. "God, Grissom. Why is your timing always so amazingly shitty? No offense."
"None taken, I think."
She sprawled back into her chair, looking relaxed for the first time since the beginning of their conversation. "Look, I appreciate the vote of confidence, I really, really do. But-"
"But?"
She leaned back in the chair, and craned her neck to watch Warrick, Nick, and Greg pass by the office on the way to the break room. Warrick and Nick were carrying their kits, obviously just getting back from the field. Greg was wearing a lab coat, but looked to be taking a break to catch up with the guys. He stopped in mid-stride and mimed shooting a three pointer, then celebrated, grinning widely, in front of his imaginary and not-so-imaginary audience. Nick rolled his eyes, and Warrick looked on in cool amusement.
"-can't wait for March madness," Greg was saying. "My money's on UConn going all the way again."
"Man, you are dreaming, because Duke is going to kick some serious a-" and then they were gone down the hall.
Sara sighed and turned back to face Grissom. "I know I told you a year ago that I came to Vegas for you. And that's true, or, at least, back then it was true. I can't take those words back. But, I've realized I have a lot more here than I ever expected." She fiddled with the file in front of her. "I have a job I love, no questions asked. I have friends who've become a surrogate family in a way, almost without my noticing. The family I've never had. I have an opinionated cat who thinks very highly of herself." She grinned. "It's small, I know. But it's more than I had any right to hope for, after everything. I have stability for the first time in my life. I'm not ready to give that up easily." She laughed again, the third time in five minutes Grissom couldn't help but notice.
"Listen to me overtalking again. What is it about you that makes me do that? A simple 'no' would have sufficed."
"I'm a little surprised actually," he said.
"Why? Because I'm acting like a rational adult about all of this? I know it's hard to believe." Her words stung a little, but she smiled to take the edge off.
"It's okay, Sara. I'm glad you've found some happiness," although Grissom was as confused as ever. "I'm sure your counselor is pleased."
"Actually," she responded, "I'm willing to bypass humilty here, and say I did most of the hard work myself. I did want to thank you, though."
"For what?"
"For letting me take over mentoring Greg. You may not have realized what you were doing, but it really was the best thing for me. It got me out of my head, got me to think about what was best for someone else for once. I've had so much fun watching him grow, and he's such an awesome student. He's very easily going to best us all when he gets some more experience under his belt."
"I think so, too. He just needed to do some growing up."
"Not too much I hope," she said with a sigh.
A door slammed, and a phone rang, and all of a sudden the lab was alive around them once again. Her eyes widened, and she sat up, professional demeanor intact. "Was that all?"
"Yeah. I guess I should phone Bill, and tell him not to be expecting your resume. He'll be crushed after the way I talked you up. But," he said reaching for a case off the cold fish board, "since you're still my CSI Level 2, I should find something for you to do. Here, I think this may be related to your DB tonight."
"But I'm just working on a breaking and entering."
"Oh, didn't I tell you," Grissom replied handing her the slip. "DB behind Roxie's Roadhouse. Brass phoned it in about 20 minutes ago."
"What makes you think the two cases are related?"
"Victim profile and signature match on cursory examination, according to Brass. You'll see what I mean when you examine the scene. Take Greg with you."
"Okay." She stood to leave and turned towards the door.
On impulse, Grissom spoke again, nervous. "Sara?"
She turned back towards him.
"I'm working on a beetle time series for bodies exposed to ambient temperatures around twenty five degrees C. Wanna help after shift?"
She wrinkled her nose. "Sorry, Griss, but bugs really aren't my thing. Besides I already told Greg I'd help him with advanced fingerprint analysis and lifting techniques. Maybe some other time?"
Oh how times had changed. He remembered when she used to seek him out to teach her about, well, anything.
"Lunch, sometime then, maybe?"
"Sure. You know where to find me," she said and walked out the door. She ran straight into Greg. "Oh hey, Greg. Good, I don't have to hunt you down. Listen, our coffee date's going to have to wait. We have a case."
"Oooh, tell me more," he replied suggestively after he slung a loose arm around her shoulders.
"First potential victim was a nine year old male-" The rest was lost as they left his hearing range and headed towards the locker room, heads bent close together over the file Grissom had given her.
Grissom sighed, and slumped over the Silverston prints again. His timing really did suck.
A/N: Mwahaha, and so it begins. Reviews make my world go round, and I promise I will get to replying to them within the next day or two. All of these stories, while kind of one shot, belong in the unfolding "Unburdening" universe. They will probably tie more obviously together in later chapters, but I felt like I had to take car of 'the Grissom question' for you Greg-Sara doubters out there.