"The Underdog"
Couples: Sara/Warrick and a little bit of Grissom/Catherine
Rating: It depends on your part. But now KSummary: 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.
The Underdog. Chapter Nine ( Lemonjelly )
There was a painting in Warrick Brown's living room that Sara had never noticed before. An Edward Hopper print framed against the cream walls. It hung beside the bookcase and fell into her line of sight when she opened her eyes and found herself staring over his shoulder.
"Sara..?"
It was curious, she thought, that he had that painting. In the weekend when she decided to let Grissom go, when he'd told her to get a life – and she'd tried, she'd come across another print of that painting in the hotel she'd stayed at. And she couldn't take her eyes away from it: a late evening scene of a man and his wife in their own living room. He sat at their walnut table, reading his newspaper with cold indifference as his wife, all dressed up, sat at the piano at the other edge of the painting – one tentative finger on a key.
Something in it had stuck Sara then just as it struck her now; the quiet desperation for attention in the woman's red dress, begging to be loved, and the oblivious male, not knowing how hard she tried. She'd identified far too much with the woman's shadowed face – so hidden, it might have been her. And she'd recognised their aching silence, a thousand-mile silence, as her own. And it had hurt then, just as much as it hurt now.
Strange, though, that Warrick should have that painting, of all things. Perhaps, she wondered, perhaps he really did know how she felt. She was reminded of Warrick once again as his lips touched her neck briefly and she felt his arms around her waist again.
"You won't look at me." he noted, his own hurt tangible in his voice.
Sara knew. She couldn't look at him.
Warrick's arms dropped heavily down to his sides and he stepped back from her. Sara's eyes didn't flicker his way, but looked down at the floor – her face shadowed and her eyes stinging.
"You won't look at me." he repeated again, in a pained disbelief. And he had been so sure of what they had. "Then maybe you should go. You were right and I'm sorry."
"No, I'm sorry," she told him. "I'm so sorry, Warrick. I just don't know what I feel."
"It's okay," he cut her off quickly – though it wasn't. "It's really okay." He didn't want to hear her try and explain herself; after all, he thinks, there were only so many times you could take getting hurt – watching Sara turn away. "Listen," he said firmly. "Listen, just forget about what happened today. Go home and forget you ever came here. Forget these past few crazy weeks and everything I did. Forget this whole stupid plan, even."
Sara nodded dumbly, still staring at her feet. To forget – that would be easier said than done. Still, she turned away and headed for the front door.
"It just got out of control, that's all," she murmured, finding her voice as her hand found the door handle. "That's all it was."
"Yes." Warrick agreed, without feeling it. "That was all."
He ventured a glance over towards his front door despite himself. He didn't want to watch her leave, most of all, he didn't want to see that. But she didn't go out. Sara hesitated in the doorway, hand on the doorknob and watching her immobile feet.
"The thing is, though," she began tentatively. "The thing is is that this whole Grissom thing – Grissom and Catherine – it hurt. It really did. And I know that you felt it too or you'd never have gone along with that insane plan."
"I know." Warrick told her. "I did." He paused and then followed her to where she stood, still in the doorway.
"And everybody knows – falling in love with your co-workers is never a viable plan. Christ, we – of all people – should know that better than anyone." she gave a short and bitter laugh. "It's just that – I felt so sure that we could've beaten those odds."
"Who? Grissom and you?" Warrick asked her.
"Yes. And I was wrong," she said. "I just don't know...I don't know if I want to do the same thing all over again."
"With me." Warrick uttered finally. He hadn't wanted to hear it.
"With you." And Sara chanced looking at him – for the first time since she'd fixed her eyes on the damn painting.
And she saw that he'd meant it – every word of what he'd said. And he understood her, too. And hurt just as she did, with the same eyes that burned with every broken heart yet still hoped for more.
But this was what she'd hoped for – this was more.
"So I guess you'd better leave then," he relented. Just let her go; it'll be easier for the both of you.
"I can't." she answered shortly. "No – I don't want to leave this and forget."
Warrick blinked a couple of times and then moved a sheepish hand to rub the back of his neck.
"Jesus Christ, Sara," he muttered. "Make up your mind."
A brief smile flickered onto her face.
"Just one last moment of indecisiveness, please." she returned and leant into him, pressing her lips back to his again. And he thought, pulling her in tighter, he reckoned he could allow one last moment, just this once.
-
The next time Sara woke up was to the intrusive ringing over her cell phone. She grabbed it quickly and flipped it open, rubbing her eyes awake as she held it to her ear.
"Hello?" her voice croaked.
"Hi Sara – sorry did I wake you up?" Grissom started up briskly. "I tried your house phone but got the machine."
"I – uh – just missed it, I guess," Sara found herself telling him.
"Oh," Grissom said. "Well, there's been a triple homicide in Henderson and I need to get the whole team on this one."
Sara frowns to herself, wondering when her heart had stopped leaping up at the sound of his voice. "Okay," she answered calmly and sat up in bed. "Okay, that's fine."
"Thanks," he said. "Now I've just gotta get Greg and Warrick down."
"Uh – you call Greg; I'll tell Warrick to, y'know, save time." Sara told him.
"Good idea," Grissom's voice came down the receiver. "See you later."
Sara can't even remember if she'd said goodbye, it was so early – she just flipped the cell phone shut again and tried again to rub her face awake. A month ago, maybe – maybe two, she would've made sure she'd said goodbye. It was funny really, how these things turn out.
"Warrick...?"
She turned to him now and whispered his name as she lay across the mattress, resting on her elbows. "Warrick – gotta get up..." She kissed his bare shoulder and looked at him, waiting for a response.
And she'd been wrong, she realised. She'd been wrong in thinking that falling in love would bring the same feelings, the same consequences. It would be them, now, stealing private moments and covering for themselves, lying on the phone. This wasn't a public performance anymore – it stopped being that some time ago, descending instead into small steps and secrecy. Just two people trying to beat the odds together. That was all.
And I hate to write that, but it's THE END !
Thanks for all your reviews guys, it's so good to read them from old great SaraWarrick writters or new fans of that pairing.
And if you want to write a new story with me, please send me an e mail : I need 1, or 2 persons...Megara1