CHAPTER FIVE: DO YOU HAVE TO PACK SO MANY CLOTHES?

"Grissom," Sara sighed in exasperation. It was the night before they were due to start their road trip of California, and Grissom was having a hard time trying to pack his suitcase. Sara, being the organised and enterprising type, had packed her case the night before, leaving out only the things she would need in the meantime, such as toiletries and towels.

"What?" Grissom was not in the best of moods, and Sara quickly recognised it.

She approached Grissom, who was hunched over the bed trying to stuff neatly folded clothes into a suitcase, and rubbed his shoulders. "Gil, you're trying to put too much stuff in. You don't need that many clothes."

"Well, perhaps you can explain to me how to pack a suitcase properly then," he muttered angrily.

Sara wasn't fazed. "Sure thing honey," she replied sweetly. "We're going for fourteen days, so we can take seven lots of everything. All you have to do is wear a t-shirt twice," she added, seeing the disdainful look on his face. "It's a holiday, not a business trip. "Seven t-shirts, plus, say, two for emergency. Three pairs of shorts and four pairs of long pants, plus two as spare. Two pairs of swim trunks, you won't need any more than that. Seven pairs of socks and underpants, with a couple of spare pairs should suffice. Take a couple of sweaters to keep you warm. Don't forget, you can always travel to and from California in the same clothes." It occurred to Sara that she sounded like a long-suffering wife.

Grissom nodded and felt his heartbeat slow again, as he felt less stressed. "Two towels, one set of nightwear. I think I get it. Thank you honey," he added.

Sara raised an eyebrow. "Who said you'd need nightwear?"

"Well, I take it after the way I was just now, I'm not exactly in your good books."

Sara laughed. "Just because you were a bit grouchy? No, you really have to piss me off in order to warrant something as drastic as no rewards." She looked at her watch. "It's eight now, and we have to be at Brass's for nine in the morning. That's a half hour drive, and we're best to be there fifteen minutes early. Should take us about two hours to be ready, just to be safe, so that's ..."

"Say we're up at half six," Grissom replied without missing a beat. "What time would you like to go to bed?" He asked.

"I can go to bed now, but I'm not talking about sleeping," Sara remarked, winking.

Grissom tried not to smile. "Any other night apart from tonight. We're not used to the transition from nights to days yet. We could do with as much sleep as possible," Grissom told her.

Sara frowned. "Spoilsport," she muttered.

"No one said anything about not getting a kiss, though," Grissom said, trying to console her.

Her face brightened up, and she wrapped her arms round him. "That almost makes up for it then, I guess." She let go slightly, allowing Grissom to tilt her chin towards him. They shared the kiss, but Grissom pulled away pretty soon.

"What's wrong?" Sara asked worriedly, afraid she'd done something wrong.

"Nothing," Grissom answered, reading her face and rubbing her neck in consolation. "I just don't want to start something I know we won't be able to finish tonight."

"It's frustrating you though, isn't it?"

Grissom shrugged, trying not to look bothered. "It'll make it all the worth while when we get to California."

"I guess so," Sara replied gently. She kissed his lips one last time, and turned to heave the now-packed and closed suitcase on the bed. "Night, honey," she said sleepily.

"Yeah, night to you too. Love you," Grissom answered.

"Love you too," Sara returned, without really registering it. 'He loves me,' she thought blissfully before her head hit the pillow and she went out like a light.

Grissom gazed in proud wonder at the sleeping figure. 'She loves me,' he thought before he too dropped into bed and slept soundly.

TBC