First Chapter, and Yet the Last Chapter ;
Sara walked into the break room and was greeted by Catherine, Nick, Warrick, Greg, Sofia and Ecklie. They had been called to the break room by Grissom, he wasn't there yet. It had to be something important because Ecklie was there.
Sara looked over at Ecklie, he was smiling. Why is he so happy? Sara walked over to Catherine, who was standing beside Nick. Sara tucked some of her hair behind her ear.
"Catherine, do you know why we're here?" Sara asked, looking around at everyone.
"Well, it's not for assignments, Nick and I are already on a case. So I don't know." Catherine said. Sara nodded and leaned against the wall. No one spoke, it was deadly silent.
A few minutes later, Grissom came into the room. He had a look of guilt on his face. Sara wondered what was wrong with him, Gil never showed emotion. Barely ever anyway.
"Hi guys." Gil started. He didn't have to say it to get everyone's attention, everyone was already looking at him. "I've been informed that... well I've known for a while, I just didn't know how to tell everyone."
"Some of us have a job to do, could you hurry this up?" Ecklie said rudely.
"I have to retire, in two weeks. Unfortunately I don't have a choice." Grissom finally spit it out. "I was told two months ago, but I got caught up in work."
"Is that all?" Ecklie asked. Gil nodded, and Ecklie and Sofia left.
After a while of awkward stares, Grissom left the break room and went into his office. No one spoke. It was hard to believe that Grissom was leaving. Catherine and Nick left to work on their case. Sara left the break room and went into Gil's office.
Grissom was sitting in a chair where visitors usually sat, he wasn't facing the door and didn't notice that Sara came in. Sara sat in the other chair, which was next to him. Gil looked at Sara, and wondered desperately what she was thinking. Her expression was un-readable. She looked hurt, surprised, depressed, and so much more.
"Hi Sara." Gil said finally.
"Hi Griss." Sara replied. "So you're really leaving?"
"I guess." Grissom answered. "There's not much I can do."
"If only you could stop time."
Grissom looked at Sara, he was being given a why-do-you-hide-it stare. He knew what she meant by it too.
"Unfortunately love can't stop time." Gil said, the words slipped out before he could stop them. Sara looked into Grissom's eyes. Gil tried to avoid Sara's gaze, but he ended up looking at her. He stared into her solemn eyes. They had been through so much. "I wish I didn't have to leave."
"I wish you didn't have to go either." Sara said quietly. Grissom felt relieved that Sara felt the same way. Grissom hugged her, which surprised Sara. She hadn't expected this.
A few moments later, Grissom released Sara from his arms. He leaned back in his chair, and awkwardness filled the room. Sara sighed, but didn't speak. Grissom didn't speak either. They just sat in the quiet room, a moment neither of them would ever forget.
"Sara, I don't... I don't know what to do." Grissom said.
"About what, Grissom. About what?" Sara practically yelled. She said it cold and hard.
"Everything."
"Grissom? Why can't you just say what's wrong?" Sara yelled. Grissom looked at her with a confused look, he wondered where her anger had come from.
"What?" Grissom asked, taken aback.
"Just tell me what you don't know what to do! You come back with everything." Sara yelled.
"Sara, I... why are you so angry?" Gil was going to say something else, but he wanted to know why she was yelling. Sara paused before answering, she was almost in tears now.
"Because I might not get the chance to yell at you again." Sara yelled back, tears fell down her cheeks. Grissom wiped one of her tears away with his hand. Sara pulled away, she didn't want to be pawed, she didn't want to settle down. "Don't touch me."
"Sara, what is this about?" Gil asked, his voice was worried and concerned. Sara stared at him, it was obvious that she didn't want to answer.
"Us." Sara answered as more tears fell down her cheeks.
"Sara...I-"
"Grissom! Just spit it out!" Sara yelled, she was getting frustrated.
"Sara, our age, it's-"
"Does it look like I care about the age thing, Gil?" Sara yelled, cutting him off. "Do you care about our age difference?"
"No, I don't" Gil answered.
"Do you not love me?" Sara asked, she had stopped crying now.
"Sara, I-"
"Fine. I figured as much, but remember that in two weeks, you'll be gone." Sara said, cutting him off again. Then, she left Gil's office. Sara ran into the locker room, she was relieved when she saw that no one was there. Sara leaned against her locker and let the tears fall down her face.
Grissom came into the room and saw Sara sitting on the bench. He sat beside her, and Sara turned away. Gil grabbed her arm and turned Sara towards him, so that she was facing him.
"Sara, I'm sorry!" Gil said. Sara looked at him coldly.
"I don't care. At least you were being truthful." Sara said quietly.
"I was trying to be, but you cut me off every time I tried to get a word in." Gil said. "Sara, I love you more than anything else in the world. Your smiled makes me smile, your eyes are prettier than the most expensive gold necklace. If I could, I'd but you the world. I'd change your past to give you a better present. I never wish I was someone else, because then I wouldn't know you. Never doubt that I love you, the thought of it isn't possible. Sara, how much I love you will never be able to be put into words."
Sara just stared at him, she couldn't believe what he had just said. Tears itched the back of her eyes. Sara tried to keep them back, but it was no use. Her tears came out anyway. They fell down her cheeks, but her expression didn't change.
"Then why have you pushed me away for six years?" Sara managed to say.
"It overwhelmed me." Grissom said.
"What?" Sara asked.
"Student becomes co-worker becomes friend becomes lover." Grissom explained.
"By the time you figured it out, it was too late." Sara said, looking at the floor. She paused. "You're leaving in two weeks." Grissom looked at her, it was too late? He thought that they would share their lives with each other. He had thought wrong.
"So this is goodbye?" Gil asked. Sara finally made eye contact with Gil. She leaned in, and kissed him. He kissed her back. The moment lasted only a few seconds, but it was the happiest few seconds of both Gil and Sara's lives. Sara pulled away from him, ending the moment.
"Yeah. I guess this is goodbye." Sara said, tears came to her eyes. Sara got up and walked out of the locker room. Her world fell apart as she walked out of CSI HQ.