a/n: woot, chapter eleven...i couldn't resist putting Grissom in a suit...sorry, it had to happen!
"Lookin' good, Doc."

Grissom jumped as he heard the sultry voice from the shadows. He turned in time to see Sara in the doorway of his office.

Was that a wink? He thought, straightening his tie. Sara gave him the once (or maybe twice) over and stepped into the dim lighting of his office. She had to admit, he did look good.

What? The man looks good in a suit! Sara tried to calm herself. The way his eyes burned into hers, and how good he looked in that suit…She shivered.

"I like the suit," She commented.

"I thought you liked was my eyes," Grissom flirted back, pretending to be hurt, "And my eyebrows, and my lips…"

"Hey, I did say everything…" Sara said, stepping even closer to fix his tie. He watched her fiddle with it, enjoying having her close again. He'd missed it. She smiled and stepped back, having fixed his tie. She decided that she liked him better in a tux and bowtie.

"And here was me thinking you got all dressed up for me…" Sara said, shaking her head and lifting a hand in a half shrug, letting in drop to her thigh.

"Aw, shucks, ya caught me." Grissom said dryly, but in a nice way, "I'm testifying at the Charlotte Connors' murder trial tonight."

She froze for a moment, afraid that Grissom might do something irrational. He touched her arm lightly, his steady gaze unmoving from her face.

"I'll be fine, don't worry. I just want to get this guy behind bars," He said softly, watching as her perfect eyelashes beat like a butterfly's wings. He somehow found the courage inside to ask her what he had practiced in his mirror at least five times before he got to work.

"Umm…Well, – you know, since I'm all dressed up – the trial should end at about 9:00…D'you think maybe you'd be, uhh…interested in a social outing of some sort?"

Sara couldn't help but smile at his flustered attempt at asking her out.

"Grissom, are you asking me out after the trial?" She laughed.

Shit, is that good or bad? She's laughing at me!

"Grissom, how come you're having so much trouble asking me out when just two nights ago, you were in my bed?" She said, an amused smile playing around her lips, "Anyway, in that suit, how could I say no?"

He smiled and placed a quick kiss on her cheek.

"Pick you up at 9:30?" He said, grabbing his briefcase and moving toward the door. She smiled her classic gap-tooth smile and left, leaving Sara smiling wickedly and thinking…

if I can wait 'til then…


It turns out she couldn't. Having finished up on her simple B&E case, she changed into the pair of nice clothes in her locker (always there; just in case) and headed over to the courthouse.

Any chance to ogle Grissom in that nice suit…She thought as she slipped in un-noticed into the large room. She slipped into a seat, immediately spotting Grissom as he made his way up to the witness stand. She smiled as he recited the required speech without prompting or help. That's what experience does for you.

"This is the People vs. Heath Michaels," The judge announced. Heath Michaels' lawyer approached the witness stand.

"Dr. Grissom, you were head supervisor of the case at hand, am I right?" The defense attorney asked, pacing the floor, his palms together.

"Yes, I experienced the scene first hand, analyzed evidence, and read all reports done by my trusted fellow CSIs," Grissom replied.

"And you, being a senior CSI and experienced man of the law, can prove that my client is guilty of murdering Charlotte Connors?" he asked.

Grissom launched into his spiel, explaining the evidence and its meaning in a smooth, practiced way that made perfect sense. Sara couldn't help but marvel at him. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't really register that Grissom had finished his presentation of the evidence and the defense attorney was asking him questions about the case.

"Can you explain why my client would kill his ex-girlfriend when he is scheduled to be married in less than a month?" The lawyer demanded, slapping his hands on the Michaels' table. Grissom's eyes narrowed as he watched the water on the table slop out of the glass. After a moment, he launched into his answer.

"It is my understanding that Mr. Michaels is intending to be married in the Catholic Church. It is also my understanding that Mr. Michaels engaged in activities with Charlotte Connors which would compromise his chances of being married within the Church," Grissom said calmly, "He was in love with his fiancée, Laura, and did not want anything to compromise his chances of being with her…that 'anything' being Charlotte Connors."

Grissom stared at his hands in front of his as silence engulfed the air around the courtroom.

"Having been in love myself, I can say that if was put in the sort of situation where my life with someone I love is being negotiated; I would take action, but not the kind of action that Mr. Michaels initiated. He confessed that raped and killed Charlotte Connors, and I have it on tape."

Sara sat in the back row of the courtroom, staring at Grissom.

Did he just admit that he loves me?

Grissom sat in the witness stand, having finished his speech; he looked up just in time to see someone slipping out the door. Immediately, he recognized the tall brunette with the legs that seemed to go on forever. His eyes opened in surprise. She'd heard him.

Again.


"Hey, Griss. I was finished early, so I came here instead of you having to come get me," Sara said as she caught Grissom coming out of the courtroom. He looked at her for what seemed like a long moment. Would she acknowledge what she'd heard?

"So…we gonna get going?" Sara asked the spaced-out Grissom. He nodded.

Apparently, not yet.

"Yeah…you look nice," He said, surveying her outfit of a black wraparound skirt and a black-gold sheen sleeveless top, which set off her eyes nicely. She smiled and they walked to his car together.

Sara had never been in Grissom's personal car before. It was a silver Audi, probably a 2003 model, seeing as he'd had it for a while. It had a nice interior, and was pretty damn clean for a single guy.

"Like the car too, Griss," She commented.

"I used to have a Mercedes, but I sold it to Ecklie," He said smirking.

"What was wrong with it? The brakes don't work?" She laughed. He smiled.

"I don't think we'd be that lucky…"

Grissom drove them to a restaurant just outside of the downtown core. It wasn't too touristy, and it wasn't too cheap. Actually, it looked quite expensive. They sat down to eat, talking about work and such things. They talked about travel, college, old times at CSI…but the conversation seemed a little terse, likely due to the fact that what Grissom had said in the courtroom was the proverbial 'pink elephant' in the room.


"Grissom?" Sara said when they were exiting the restaurant. He slipped his hand around hers as they walked to the car. He was hoping that she wouldn't mention it yet – it wasn't the time, nor the place. And he wasn't quite ready to tell her yet.

"I'm glad you pulled your head out of your ass."

He smirked.

"I'm glad you showed me it was in there," Grissom said, opening her door for her.

How sweet, Sara thought to herself. Grissom slid himself into the driver side and closed the door, staring at her for a moment with that gaze that Sara could never quite meet without looking away.

"I know it's late…but would you like to come over for a glass of wine or something?" He asked. His arm stretched behind her headrest in that funny manly way that guys have.

"Sure...thanks for dinner, Grissom." She said. His mouth twitched into a little smile and his tongue snaked out to wet his lips. He was glad she hadn't chosen to mention it so far. Sara leaned in slowly as Grissom did the same, their eyes flicking from the other's eyes to their lips. Then Grissom's hand found a place between her jaw line and her neck and he gently pulled her into a slow, tentative kiss.

After a moment, he pulled away, smiling at her and looking at her lips. They just watched each other happily for a moment, and then he started the car.

"Let's get going."


a/n: woot woot. some more g/s alone time. heh heh. whats going to happen? any suggestions?