Chapter 19
Selina wandered out of the bedroom and was surprised to find a fully clothed Gil snoring softly on the sofa. She sat on the coffee table and watched him sleep for a moment, studying his face for ways that time might have been unkind to him, but finding none. Reaching out she stroked her fingers through the hair at his temples and then across his forehead.
"What?" He jumped awake, unsettled at being touched in his sleep.
"Sorry, I couldn't resist. How long have you been home?" she tried to steady her nerves. It had been forever, but it felt like it was yesterday he had been hers to touch at will.
He checked his watch, "Less than an hour." He shook his head to clear it and patted the sofa next to him. In his head he pushed away his mothers voice 'Tables are not for sitting.'
"You could have come to bed. I hate the thought of you coming home so tired and sleeping out here."
"I do this all the time." He thought for a moment then added, "Whenever I CAN sleep after a shift, I usually fall asleep here first."
"Some things never change. You always fell asleep on the couch after a long shift, or when you were conflicted." She smiled at the memory of bringing the afghan from their bed and covering him on their worn couch, too short for his legs.
"How's Kerry?"
"She's okay, more interested in how WE are than in what's going on with herself. They're keeping her a few more days, I'm going in today to have a family session with one of the therapists." She stood, unable to get comfortable. "Do you want some breakfast?"
His head went back slightly, his face puzzled, "Breakfast?" Remembering her, the world's, time schedule, "Oh, no. I ate lunch with Sara."
"Oh."
"You should go ahead, there's plenty in the kitchen."
"Never mind. I'll get something at the hospital. I should take a shower and head out."
He smiled at her, "Are you sure? I can make you something while you get ready if you like?"
"I don't want to keep you up. You look like you had a rough night, don' t worry, I'll manage. Call me later, maybe we can have…whatever you eat when you wake up."
He flipped on the tv, leaving the Discovery Channel for the History one before the phone rang. The conversation was brief but he was ready to walk out the door when Selina stuck her head out of his room. "Where are you going?"
She could have sworn that was annoyance that crossed his face so quickly.
"Work. Have a good day, I'll call you." He grabbed his keys.
"You just got home. You should get some sleep."
"No time. We'll talk later." And he was gone.
XXX
Even with the changes and new construction Selina found she still remembered short cuts through Vegas. Stopped at a light next to a cheap motel way off the strip she noticed an SUV like Gil's parked by the office door. As the light turned she saw two people exit the office and blinked in disbelief. U-Turning she faced the parking lot in time to see Grissom open the door to one of the rooms and step back, allowing Sara to enter before him.
XXX
"Guess Mrs. Rastively wasn't his one and only." Sara held up a photo of Bart Rastively, their vic from the sheets earlier, standing with his arms around a woman who was not his wife.
Grissom passed a glance over the photo with a non-plussed face. "Could have been friendly." He shrugged.
"Bed in the background…that blanket look familiar?" she flashed the photo toward Grissom again.
"Bag it."
He processed the bedroom, she the bath. David came, claimed the body of Mrs. Rastively from the room and went. Light in the room moved from east to west and soon the heat was stifling. Sara peeled off her sweater and set it on her kit.
She missed Grissom, watching her reflection in the mirror over the dresser he was dusting.
When they had collected everything they could for the time being he walked her to her car. "Thanks for coming out. I'll put in the overtime slip when I get to the lab so I don't forget again."
"Thanks." She smiled and threw her kit and sweater into her trunk.
"I'm going back now, if you want me to take the evidence you collected." He prompted before she slammed the back shut.
"Oh, ah, I was gonna go over and sign it in but…"
He half smiled, "Go home, get some rest, I've got it."
"Thanks." She said again, handing him her bindles and bags. "See you tonight."
She got into her car and he walked to her open window. She watched his face as he struggled for what he wanted to say.
"I." He stopped frustrated, licked his lips, began again, "I never thought you were broken."
Her chest constricted. Was it possible that he knew the things she said in her sessions? Noting the panic in her face he elaborated.
"Earlier, when you were talking about therapy. You said you weren't fixed yet," Her elbow was out her window, he touched her arm, "I just wanted you to know, when I insisted on your therapy as a condition of taking you off leave, it wasn't because I thought you needed to be fixed. I just," here he took a beat, "missed your smile."
With that he turned and walked to his truck leaving behind a dumbfounded Sara.