"The Underdog"

Couples: Sara/Warrick and a little bit of Grissom/Catherine

Rating: It depends on your part. But now K

Summary: Sara and Warrick discover Catherine and Grissom are together but, in trying to make them jealous, they slowly fall in love. Set after Season 5 with the team back together again.

Chap 8 ( Joyce )

Sara stood in front of her apartment, her conversation with Warrick still on her mind. It had surprised her that he had been so open about his feelings, laying it all out for the world to see. He had taken a chance and showed her how he felt and suddenly that thought infuriated her. How could he do that to her after all she had been through? She had just lost Grissom to Catherine and was struggling to overcome that fact and she didn't need new complications in her life. Sara acted on impulse, turned around and quickly drove off. She found herself standing in front of his house half an hour later. She started pounding on his door and a couple of seconds later he was leaning in the door frame, clearly curious to see who was making all the noise at this hour in the day. He didn't have the time to reflect on it long because she shoved him aside and stormed into his house, yelling.

"How could you do that me?" she demanded to know, getting even more upset by the way he was watching her, with a mixture of amusement and genuine surprise.

She went on, needing to let it all out.
"I'm not ready for this, for you and me and the idea of an us. I'm not ready, do you get that!"

She stopped to catch her breath, fully prepared to scream some more when he walked over to her and placed his hand on her mouth, effectively silencing her.
"I get that," he said to her. "You just told me. Twice."

She made some weird squeaking sounds behind the palm of his hand and he laughed, removing his hand because he wanted to hear what she had to say.
"Stop being so damn understanding!" she screamed, clearly frustrated.

"That's me," Warrick said, smirking a little. "I'm mister understanding."

"Well, stop it," Sara told him, her voice back to a normal level but he could still hear the confusion behind it.

"Why are you so mad, Sara?" he asked her and she avoided his eyes. Something that amused him even more, he was getting to her even if she wasn't willing to admit it. It was the reason she was so mad. He didn't say anything though and waited patiently for her to reach the same conclusion.

"I'm not mad," she mumbled, looking at the piano that was standing in his living room and she realized yet again how much she didn't know about him.

"Oh, really?" Warrick questioned. "So you storming in here and yelling at me is an indication that you're what? A happy camper?"

That got a little smile out of her and she turned to look at him, the fury gone.
"Why did you say that I could hurt you?"

"Because you can, Sidle," Warrick answered simply.

There was something in his eyes when he spoke and she looked away again, afraid of the intensity of the feelings she saw in them. She was afraid of everything really; of him and his confident way of letting her know that there was something between them, of the fact that she hadn't thought much about Grissom lately but mostly she was scared to death by the feelings she felt whenever she was around him. He made her feel angry and happy at the same time but most of all her made her feel alive and she had no idea how to fix that.

"How?" she whispered. "How could I ever hurt you?"

He sighed and she saw a small crack in his easy going attitude, a first sign that maybe he was just as scared as she was.
"This charade we set up felt way to real to me. I wanted to get out before we were in way over our heads. But we already are, Sidle."

His admission shocked her, he could see that.
"Are you starting to have feelings for me?" she asked him and when he shook his head she didn't know if she felt relieved or sad.

"I already have feelings for you, Sara," he told her honestly. "And not in the friendly kind of way."

She sat down on his couch, silent, and he took a seat next to her.
"I didn't plan this, Sar." She gave no indication that she heard him and he slowly reached out to grab her hand, seeing her shudder once he touched her.
"I'm sorry," he said to her, not knowing what else to do.

She looked at him then, repeating her earlier words.
"I'm not ready for this."

There was no anger in her voice this time, she just sounded scared and confused and he sighed. Acting on impulse he pulled her towards him, feeling her struggling against him.
"Hey," he said to her. "I'm not trying anything here, I just wanted to comfort you. You looked like you needed it."

Sara smiled at him and she relaxed somewhat, letting him hold her.
"I'm sorry," he felt her whisper against his chest. "I know you would never do anything to hurt me."

He just shook his head, content to hold her for now and he felt the tension slowly draining from her body until she was just letting him hold her while listening to his heartbeat.

"You feel it too, Sara. I know you do," he finally said to her and he wondered where he found the courage to tell her that especially when she leaped up from the couch and out of his arms. She started to pace the room, the fury back and stronger then ever.

"I do not feel it!" she yelled and he could see her inner struggle, could almost hear her trying to convince herself.

"Then why are you so mad?" he asked her again.

She stopped and looked at him, answering his question with one of her own.
"Why can't you just leave me alone?"

He raised both his eyebrows.
"You're in my home, Sidle. You came to me," he clarified for her. "I'm not trying to force myself into to your life. I'm just telling you that I have feelings for you but if you tell me that you don't feel the same then I'll back off."

Again there was silence, she just stood there with big eyes and he slowly approached her.
"You can't tell me that, can you?"

She started crying.
"I hate you, you know that," she said to him and he almost believed her if it hadn't been for the fact hat her entire being was telling him something else.

He wrapped both his arms around her, shaking his head.
"Who you kidding?" he joked, remembering a time when he had told Nick the same thing. "You love me," he finished and his heart was pounding loudly in his ears, afraid that he had gone to far.

She didn't move out of his arms but looked up at him and he took a chance.
His lips slowly approaching hers but she still didn't move out of his arms and then he was kissing her. Not for the world to see or to make Catherine and Grissom jealous. He kissed her because it felt right to him, he only hoped she felt the same.

Tbc...

So guys, just one chapter and it's the end !

So, see you next week end ! And don't forget to review !