Miles to Go Before She Sleeps

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI, its characters, or anything else associated with the show other than the DVDs… although if I did, Sara and Grissom would've gotten together a long time ago, Ecklie would've been killed, and Warrick would be mine. :-D

Spoilers: Come on, does it really matter? We've seen all the episodes by now, haven't we?

Summary: GSR, cause that's how it should be. Sara takes a break, and Grissom and Catherine have to investigate the aftermath.

A/N: Yes, I know… This is another story about Sara getting hurt, but you know as well as I do that it takes a tragedy for Grissom to realize just how much he cares about something. The possibility of losing Sara always stirs him into action. I know it's predictable, but it's fun to explore possibilities.

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Chapter 1

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Another long night on shift done with, Grissom headed toward his office. All that was left to do was drop off some files, pick up his jacket and keys, and then go home to his townhouse for some sleep… He needed it after such a strange night. With so many cases, you'd think all of Vegas had a death wish…

Going by the Chem. and DNA labs, he looked around to see the day shift techs preparing their stations for the hard work ahead. But he was stopped when he came upon a familiar sight: Sara was once again sitting in the computer lab with her eyes glued to the screen, coffee in hand, as she skimmed through one of the databases. Leaning against the doorframe and watching her for a moment, he sighed as he thought back to the many cases that had prompted her to do the same thing. Finally, he tried to get her attention.

"Sara, shift is over. Aren't you going home?"

Her head jerked up as if startled, but she plastered a smile on her face as she realized that he knew what she was doing. "Sure, I'm almost done. All I have to do is log off."

He sighed again and came closer. "That's what you said while you were on the Pamela Adler case, too."

She looked back down at the screen and kept scrolling. "Grissom, don't. This isn't like that."

"Isn't it, Sara?"

She looked up to meet his sad stare, but was shocked at the emotion behind his grey-blue eyes. She knew that he was worried about her, but she couldn't help it that she could identify with the victims. Tearing her gaze from his, she turned back to the screen and logged off the database.

"There, I'm done. Are you happy now?"

Getting up, she started to walk past him, but he grabbed her hand and stopped her. Holding it for a moment, he tried to figure out exactly what was going through her head at that moment.

"Come on," he pleaded. "Let me get my keys and I'll walk you to your car."

"I don't need to be escorted," she said coldly, tearing her hand away. "I know my way out."

Realizing how much the case must be affecting her, he called out. "Sara…"

Hearing his voice, she stopped in her tracks. Though every bone in her body told her to walk away, she couldn't seem to make herself move from that spot. The touch of his skin against hers was warm and soft, everything she'd ever imagined it to be, and before she could pull herself to her senses, she found herself whispering,

"Okay."

Giving a small smile, Grissom turned and left the room, heading down the hall toward his office. As Sara followed, she cursed herself for her inability to resist his requests. Even after everything that had happened between them, she couldn't let him go… and she hated herself for it. Why couldn't she accept that he was never going to care for her in the way that she craved, in the way that she needed?

"Sara, did you hear me?"

"What?" She was pulled out of her thoughts as he called out to her from inside his office. Looking around and realizing that she was still standing out in the hall, she stepped inside and leaned against one of his standing shelves.

Grissom sighed and, setting his keys down on the desk, sat down on the corner. Looking at her, his brows furrowed as he searched for the words. "Sara, is there something going on that you need to talk about?"

"No, why?"

"You've been dragging lately, and once again tonight, I found you staring at that computer screen scanning over the names of victims…"

She shook her head vigorously. "I'm fine. It's just this last case… It took a lot of overtime, and it wore a lot of us out. I just need a few hours of sleep, and I'll be fresh and ready for tomorrow."

He stood and came toward her. "You can't keep doing this to yourself. If you keep this up, you're going to burn out."

"No, I won't, Grissom. I told you, I'm fine," she said emphatically, standing up straight and looking him dead in the eye. "All I need is a few hours sleep."

"What you need is a vacation. You work yourself to the bone… I bet you can't even remember the last vacation you took."

She glared at him. "That's not true. It was three years ago. I took a day off, and you called me in anyway and put me on the cannibalized cheerleader case."

"Sara, that was not the point of this conversation. I'm giving you the next week off."

Her jaw dropped. She began to protest, but he interrupted.

"No excuses. One week, and I want you to rest. No reading forensic journals, no watching case file shows on TV, and absolutely NO listening to the scanner."

"Grissom, that's not fair! The solitude alone would kill me, and you know it! I'll take the day off tomorrow and come back on Friday," she began to barter.

He shook his head. "If it was just that you were tired, then I would say that'd be fine, but it's more than that, Sara... Five days."

She looked at him hard. "Two, and coming from me, that's generous."

"Three. That's my final offer, or it's back to a week."

For a moment, it would've seemed to any passers-by that a staring contest had ensued between the two of them as they locked eyes in silent battle. Sara fought his concerned stare, a battle of her own raging in her mind. She couldn't give in... That would mean that he was right, that she really did need the rest... that she was weak. But if she didn't, what would he think of her? She mentally shook herself. Did he know how much he affected her? Could he possibly realize the hold he had on her heart? As hard as she tried, she couldn't outrun his presence in her life, and it was at times like this that she both loved and hated him the most, when she knew he cared but he was afraid to show it.

Finally she gave in. "Alright," she said, extending her hand. "Three it is. But after that, I'm back on the job, no questions asked."

Grissom took her hand and shook. "No questions asked."

She tried to pull her hand back, but for a moment, his hand lingered as if he were trying to savor every touch, every moment with her. Feeling a little awkward, she turned to leave, but not before stopping in the doorway to say goodnight as she always did.

It took a few minutes for Grissom to fully comprehend what had just taken place. Sara Sidle had just agreed to take a vacation… It was a strange night indeed. Shaking his head, he grabbed his keys and jacket, and after locking his office, followed her out wondering what the next day would bring.

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A/N: Please review! This is my first story that I haven't completely written before posting, other than Federal Involvement, and that was just because I had writer's block... This story is based off of an idea I had a long time ago that I ran across recently and decided to try my hand at. Besides, I need something to do now that Federal Involvement is finished... ;-) PLEASE REVIEW!

Teaser: Grissom stared at the victim laying face down on the hard concrete, dark brown curls covering her face. There was something eerily familiar about the young woman, bearing a painful resemblance that he couldn't even think about without feeling his heart beat wildly out of control. ... As Catherine shone theflashlightover her pale and lifeless looking body, the light passed over the face and her eyes contracted. "God, Gil... She's alive!"