Disclaimer: Roses are red, Violets are blue, I don't own them but neither do you!
xxx
A southern plantation house
A bowl of chickpeas
"It makes me feel dizzy."
"The fight was unequal."
xxx
The Next NightAs Sara drove to work the next night she gave herself a mental pep talk. I will not talk to Greg. I will not talk to Greg. I will not talk to Greg.
As Grissom drove to work the next night he gave himself a mental pep talk. I will not imagine Sara in romantic situations while she is stuck in a hole. I will not imagine Sara in romantic situations while she is stuck in a hole. I will not imagine Sara in romantic situations while she is stuck in a hole.
As Greg drove to work the next night he gave himself a mental pep talk. I will not talk to Sara. I will not talk to Sara. I will not talk to Sara.
Needless to say all three ended up at the break room door at exactly 17 minutes until shift started.
xxx
Rubbing her temple carefully Sara inwardly cringed at the disaster her night had already become. You would think that three mature adults could manage to get through a door successfully. But then again you haven't met the Las Vegas Crime Lab. Grissom's voice suddenly cut through her thoughts.
"Catherine, dead body in the desert. Nick, dead body in Lake Mead. Warrick, dead body in a museum. Sara, dead body in a plantation house. Greg"
He paused. Today was a momentous occasion in the young CSIs life.
"You're working a dead body in an amusement park."
The spiky head swiveled to face him. "Really Grissom? I can work it solo?"
With Grissom's nod he jumped out of his chair pumping his arm in the air for joy.
"Yahoo!"
Catherine groaned. A hangover, unrequited sexual needs and an enthusiastic ex-lab rat really did not mix.
"Sit down Greg. All that jumping around, it makes me feel dizzy."
A slightly chastened Greg finally sat down somewhat quietly but his smile could not be contained.
Once Greg was seated he finished the assignments.
"If you need me I will be with a dead body on the roof of the Tangiers.
xxx
Thank god for the fact that she was working alone tonight. Things always seemed to go smother that way. The plantation house was actually an exact replica of one in Georgia and everything had been reproduced beautifully. Some of the paintings she had seen on her walk to the body looked positively stunning. The body however was a different story. Fourteen gun shot wounds and not one the cause of death. She would bet her savings that the fight had been unequal. David promised her that it would be the first priority when it arrived back in the lab. Now all Sara had left to do was swab the scene and fingerprint it. There was a surprising lack of forensics for such a messy scene. No fibers on the body, no fibers around the body, it seemed like the only thing that was there was blood. And lots of it. It coated everything from the walls to the furniture. Swabbing would be a nightmare. But hey there was no time like the present.
I wonder what Sara's doing right now… why was it that wherever he was whether it be the morgue, DNA lab or his shower his thoughts always drifted to her. Like a moth attracted to a flame he was always lured in comfortably naive in the knowledge that he would get burned when he got to close. Once he had even tried to write down what exactly caused her hold over him. Three days later and he was no closer to getting an answer. He could even remember the first time he saw her. He had traveled up to Harvard to meet with a friend of his to help him give a seminar the next day but before work Rodney made sure he had a good time.
Flashback
"Come on Gil its just Broadway. It won't kill you I promise."
He reluctantly allowed himself to be herded into the building.
"This is completely out of my norm here. I really don't think this is necessary."
"Gil since you are being extremely thick headed right now I'm going to forgo my usual politeness in favor of a more direct approach. I don't give a damn about your comfort zone. You're here in beautiful Cambridge Massachusetts and I am not allowing you to spend the whole time in your hotel room."
There really wasn't much he could do to counter that so he decided to quit while he had some dignity left and shut up. Surprisingly the musical RENT would end up becoming one of his favorite shows. The first time she caught his attention was at her first real appearence in the story. The sense of innocence she emitted tempered with the persona of Mimi made his nerves stand on end. When she first started singing he was enraptured.
ROGER
What'd you forget?
MIMI
Got a light?
ROGER
I know you - you're - you're shivering
MIMI
It's nothing they turned off my heat
And I'm just a little weak on my feet
Would you light my candle?
What are you staring at?
Her voice was melodic and rich. Twirling around him. As the time went on he was just drawn farther in. As she bent down looking for her 'stash' he couldn't remove his eyes.
MIMI
They say I have the best ass
Below 14th street. Is it true?
ROGER
What?
MIMI
You're staring again.
ROGER
Oh no.
I mean you do - have a nice -
I mean - you look familiar
MIMI
Like your dead girlfriend?
ROGER
Only when you smile.
But I'm sure I've seen you
Somewhere else -
MIMI
Do you go to the Cat Scratch Club?
That's where I work - I dance
ROGER
Yes! They used to tie you up -
MIMI
It's a living
ROGER
I didn't recognize you,
Without the handcuffs
She moved across the stage, slowly enticing the poor man who plays Roger as well as ever other straight male in the audience.
ROGER
Why don't you forget that stuff
You look like you're sixteen
MIMI
I'm nineteen - but I'm old for my age
I'm just born to be bad
Dear god the way she said these things they were driving him slowly insane.
ROGER
I'm Roger
MIMI
They call me
They call me Mimi
In some aspects he was glad when the song ended but soon he missed the warmth her voice held. His agony was short lived though as she entered from the top of a set of stairs on the stage. Her body was clothed with just a simple short silk robe and somehow as the song started he didn't think it would remain in place long.
MIMI
What's the time
Well it's gotta be close to midnight
My body's talking to me
It says "Time for danger"
He smiled slightly when his fears were confirmed as the cloth was thrown to the side showing off a very revealing dancers outfit. Not that he minded really but he was in a public place so it did create a bit of inconvenience. As she danced around on the stage he noticed a few other males in the audience fidgeting a bit. He attributed that also to her performance. Her moves that incorporated the pole made him think a bit about Catherine but soon he found that his thoughts didn't really matter. All that mattered was that she didn't stop. The song went on, showing off her voice to perfection just as the leather showed off her body.
MIMI
In the evening I've got to roam
Can't sleep in the city of neon and chrome
Feels too damn much like home
When the Spanish babies cry!
So let's find a bar
So dark we forget who we are
Where all the scars from the
Nevers and maybes die
Let's go out tonight uh-huh
I have to go out tonight
You're sweet wanna hit the street?
Wanna wail at the moon like a cat in heat?
Just take me out tonight
Please take me out tonight
Don't forsake me - out tonight
I'll let you make me - out tonight
Tonight - tonight - tonight!
The whole show he as well as about 50 other men sat in varying states of silent agony. He just couldn't seem to get her out of him mind.
END FLASHBACK
Entering the break room he stopped short. She was there sitting at the table with Catherine eating lunch.
"Catherine what are you eating?" Today she had forgone her usual BLT with mustard for something that really didn't look much like anything at all.
Rolling her eyes at him she answered. "If you must know Grissom it's a bowl of chickpeas." She never could understand how a man so smart at his job could not know simple things like what a chickpea was. Warrick even knew what they were… but then again Warrick knew many things she was sure Grissom wasn't aware of.