Chapter Thirty Eight
The Crime Lab waited for their heroes to return.
Sara knew that no matter what her biology said, this was her family. These people truly cared for her to support her in every way. She was a Sidle by a random fate, but she was a CSI by choice and in heart.
Greg had his arms open wide to hug both her and Catherine. Sara ruffled her fingers through his starched hair and heard him laughing and crying at the same time. Nick wasn't far behind, as he formed the second half of the envelope surrounding the girls.
"Guys, guys, are you planning to suffocate us?" Catherine chuckled.
"If it were possible, we'd stay like this, around you, all the time." Nick teased.
"Then, we are lucky that it's not possible." Sara gave him a playful punch.
Warrick walked slowly towards them. Catherine looked up into his crystal, green eyes and saw the emotions brimming through it. He was so overwhelmed with joy that he was afraid he might collapse just by the force of it. She placed her hand on his shoulder.
"Cath… I…" He broke off, swallowing hard. "I wish I could have done something to help you. I-I failed you."
"War, you didn't fail me. In fact, I probably didn't know how much all of you cared for me until now." Catherine let out a knowing smile. "You guys are the best friends I've ever had."
Warrick patted her cheek. "You are a remarkable woman, you know that?"
She covered his hands with her own.
"Damn Warrick, don't I get a hug?" Sara teased. "Where's the love?"
He chortled as he stretched his other hand around the brunette.
Grissom stood at some distance from the group. He wasn't feeling any less emotion than any of them. He just didn't know how to convey it. As far as he was concerned, there was no human facial expression that could correctly state what he was feeling.
He was supposed to be their boss. He was supposed to look out for them, sure, but also keep a detached stance from them. How – or when – did his team members become more than just that, he wasn't sure. Over the years, he had come perilously close to losing some of them and he had been more seriously affected than he cared to admit. But he was Gil Grissom, the man who didn't look back and ruminate over what he felt. However, even he wasn't immune to when feelings overpowered restraint.
Sara and Catherine both turned at the same time to look at the man who headed their team.
He gave them a meaningful smile. "Glad to have you both back."
"It's nice to be back, Gil." Catherine glowed at her friend.
"The lab's not been the same since you were gone. I never got the chance tell you that."
"You know how I keep complaining that I don't get enough vacations?" Catherine laughed dryly. "I never realized I'll miss this place so much."
"And this place missed you." He leant to give her a brief hug and then he turned towards the other woman. "And you, Sara, you are due for some serious repercussions. What the hell were you thinking?"
She rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "Not you too. I already got a long lecture from Brass."
"That's just going to be the beginning." But he was smiling.
Sofia quietly walked away from the team. She had been a CSI once, a supervisor briefly, and yet she had never had such a rapport with any of her colleagues. She felt a slight tinge of envy at the close ties they shared. Over the years, she had gotten more close to them, after she was demoted to a detective. But she still felt like an outsider sometimes, especially at such times.
She hopped into her car and slid it out of the underground garage. She felt like a loner. She hardly had any friends. She hardly ever dated. And her family was way too busy with their own lives to hear her pour her heart out. Much of her life, she had been so busy achieving honors that she had never stopped to cultivate relationships. She wasn't cold. She was far from frigid. She was good with diplomacy, excellent in socializing. Despite that, she wondered, why she was all alone.
She had been barely aware of her destination until she saw the brick structure of Desert Palms looming ahead of her. She eased her vehicle in an empty parking space.
Her phone rang at that instant. She picked it up and saw S-A-N-D-E-R-S flashing on the display.
"Greg." She greeted.
"Hey Sofia, where are you? I didn't see you at the PD." Greg sounded slightly nervous.
"Yeah, I took off early."
"So, you know, I was thinking if, well, you know…" He was mumbling. She found it cute, in a teddy bear kind of way.
"No, I don't know, Greg."
"Well, if you are not doing anything, then we could maybe hit the bar, celebrate a little?"
She hesitated. She enjoyed Greg's company, more than enjoyed it in fact. He was funny, sweet and really smart. Beneath that goofy exterior was a caring and sensitive guy. He made her laugh. He made her forget the dismal cases of the day. And she knew that he was harboring somewhat of a crush on her. She did like him, but she knew it could never be more. It would be fair to let him know that early in the game. Knowing Greg, he would get over it and find a new pair of legs to fawn over. But she didn't want him to keep any hopes of them being anything more than friends.
"Greg, I don't think so."
"Oh." The disappointment was unmistakable in his voice. "You got someplace else you have to be?"
She smiled at the gossip-monger in him. "Yeah, I have to meet someone."
"A date, Sofia? Damn, I didn't know you were seeing anyone." He sighed dramatically. "What's he got that I ain't got?"
Sofia laughed. "Well, gorgeous looks and a really sexy foreign accent."
"Hey, I got gorgeous looks." He complained. "But yeah, can't do much about the accent, though."
"I gotta go, Greg." Her smile faded. Foreign accent? Where did that come from?
"Hey, tell him I said hi and also tell him to treat my woman good."
She shoved her phone in her jacket as she walked across the squeaky tiled floors to where Carmel was.
She was surprised to find her hands go clammy all of a sudden. She lost her nerve and would have turned and ran back had it not been for the nurse who recognized her.
"Detective Curtis, isn't it?" The woman gave a cheery smile.
"Y-yes." Sofia stuttered.
"Well, strange coincidence, the patient was just asking about you."
"She was?"
"Yeah, she just asked if you've been around. I told her that you were probably busy catching the bad guys." The nurse winked. "Nothing impresses a woman more than a hero."
"Huh?" Sofia blinked, confused, but the nurse was already walking away.
The detective gulped down her edginess and walked into the ward.
Carmel looked up from the magazine she was reading. Her face broke into the sunniest of grins when she saw who her visitor was.
Gil Grissom - that too on his knees with a single red rose in his hand - was the last person Lady Heather expected to find on her front door. She stared speechless at him for a few seconds.
"What the hell do you think you are doing?" She asked incredulously, after she recovered from her shock.
"I just wanted to ask if you'd like to have dinner with me tonight."
"Dinner?" She doubled back. "Did you just ask me out for dinner?"
"Yes, I did." He winced as he leant forward to present the flower to her. "These stones outside your house are really uncomfortable."
She shook her head, not quite believing what she was seeing. "Well, this is really unexpected."
"Lady Heather." He exhaled, trying to calm his rising pulse. "I know you don't like me a lot right now and I understand that I am at fault. But can you give me a second chance?"
"A second chance?" She lifted an eyebrow. "How do I know you won't break my trust again? You are a CSI, above all, and everything else gets a distant priority after that. While it's an admirable quality in some sense, I don't think it can sustain a relationship."
"I admit my work has my utmost importance, but that's probably because I don't have much experience with relationships." He muttered, uneasily. "I am who I am and it is a little late to change that, but," Grissom's eyes darkened with intensity. "I like you… a lot. And I, uh, don't want to lose you."
She looked down. "After Zoe, I don't know if I'm able to emotionally connect anyone. She'll always be this void in me."
He tentatively took her hand in his. "I'm not asking you to forget Zoe. All I'm asking is for you to share her pain with me."
She let herself feel his touch. She had been with many men, both out of desire and compulsion, but she had yet to find that one man who could affect her. While Grissom was in many ways a very private man, she also knew he was a rare man with integrity. She despised him for hurting her. But the very fact that he had managed to hurt her proved that he had been more than just another man to her.
"It'll take time, Mr. Grissom, and a lot of effort."
He cleared his throat and brushed his lips against her fingers.
"Well, that was a start." She tried to hide her smile.
When he blushed, Lady Heather found it one of the most endearing things she had ever seen.
Wendy had stayed after her shift to clean off the lab benches. With the rush of the explosion case, there hadn't been enough time to scrub off the stains from her workplace. The janitors mopped the floors, but kept a safe distance from the main area that housed potentially dangerous chemicals.
She was just making her way out of the Crime Lab when she jerked to a stop as a car halted right in front of her.
"What the hell, Nick?" She gasped, catching her breath.
"Wendy, I know you are going to say no and I know I'll end up looking like an idiot." He tilted his head. "But I also know this great place where I'd like us to have some beer and a dance."
A gust of laughter slipped out from her.
Nick frowned. "What's so funny?"
"Took you long enough, Stokes." She gave him a lopsided grin.
Brass unlocked his front door and trudged into his living room. The almost back-to-back plane journey and the loads of paperwork mercilessly waiting for his return had worn him out. He collapsed on his settee, not bothering to make it all the way to his bedroom. It didn't make a difference, he thought. He lived all alone and there was no one to grumble.
As he was about to close his eyes, his glance strayed to the calendar. September the 27th, he saw. For a moment, his mind tried to battle through the foggy weariness to come up with why that date was significant to him.
And then it struck him.
Immediately straightening, he reached for his phone. He dialed the number he knew by heart but never had the courage to use. After five rings, the answering machine picked up.
"This is Ellie. Leave a message."
"Ellie, hi, this is Dad." Brass rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I just wanted to wish you a very happy birthday. Well, err, yeah, I guess that was all. Have a nice day, El. Um, bye."
"Dad?"
He almost dropped the device in surprise. "Ellie, you there?"
A brief hesitation and then, "Yeah, I'm here. Thanks Dad… for…for calling. I didn't think you remembered."
He smiled. Occasionally, he got a chance to have a proper conversation with his daughter, one that lasted more than a minute. When he did, he considered it extremely precious.
"So, you doing anything special for today?" He asked eagerly.
Warrick lovingly caressed his wife's only slightly swollen belly as they watched the ultrasound together.
The gynecologist checked the charts and beamed at them. "Well, fetal movements are fine. Your baby seems healthy."
His healthy baby – that was all Warrick wanted to hear. It was an all new experience just knowing that he was going to become a father. His entire life, he had been a gambler and a risk-taker, but the very thought that his child would soon make an entrance into the world was more exhilarating than any bet he placed.
Tina squeezed his hand and lifted herself up to kiss his cheek. "I love you, Warrick Brown."
"Ditto, Mrs. Brown." He bent and placed a gentle kiss on her stomach. "And you too, Junior Brown."
"Where are we going?" Sara frowned at the unfamiliar road.
"Child Services." Catherine replied, taking a smooth turn.
"Why?"
"To pick up Lena."
The Denali stopped in front of the rather old, but comfy looking DCFS building.
"I don't follow." Sara shot her a perplexed look.
"Sara, I've spoken to the administrator. You are Lena's next of kin and until Carmel recovers and can submit an adoption plea for her, I thought it's better she stayed with us. I couldn't do the same, unfortunately, for Kyle. Even though your legal partnership with Rachel is recognized in California, you had never formally adopted him."
"So, wait, are you saying we are taking her home with us?"
Catherine nodded, before turning to the receptionist and showing her the appointment slip
"But, Cath, are you… I mean, are you okay with it?"
Catherine gave her a blank look.
"I mean, you don't mind taking up the responsibility for Lena?" Sara waved her hands for emphasis.
"It's just until Carmel is well enough." She replied. "And of course, I don't mind. Besides, Lindsay would probably love the company."
Sara wanted to give her a big hug for her consideration, but she couldn't in full view of everyone. Instead, she satisfied herself by flashing a wide smile that showed she really appreciated the thoughtfulness.
A strict-looking lady emerged from inside, holding Lena behind her.
Sara cupped her chin with both her hands as she watched Lindsay and Lena. Lindsay had been warm and welcoming to their guest and she was graciously showing the awkward Lena how to play some of her old video games.
Sara brought her knees closer and leant against the balustrade of the staircase. She didn't want to disturb the two girls, so she sat down on the steps just to keep a casual watch on them. It was nice, she thought, to finally see everyone smiling around her. She had almost forgotten what a smile looked like in the past few days.
"Alright, ladies, it's time for bed." Catherine announced, as she climbed down.
"Oh, Mom, can't we stay up one more hour?" Lindsay protested. "It's not even a school day tomorrow."
"No, Lindz. Lena's had a long day and she needs to get some good sleep. Right, Lena?"
Lena gave a shy smile.
"If you both brush your teeth and change your clothes in fifteen minutes, then you can have warm milk and cookies."
Lindsay leant conspiratorially towards the younger girl. "She still thinks we are babies."
"You both are babies for me." Catherine clicked her fingers. "Now, c'mon, hurry up."
Lena awkwardly took Lindsay's hand and slowly went up the stairs. When she came close to Sara, the brunette stopped her long enough to kiss her on the forehead.
"Hey, how come I don't get one?" Lindsay pouted.
"You think I'd forget my princess?" Sara grinned and pecked her cheek. "Have a good night, both of you."
"Goodnight." Lena whispered softly.
"Goodnight, Sara!"
As Lindsay and Lena disappeared into the bedroom and the young Willows' enthusiastic babble faded, Catherine moved down and sat one level above where Sara was.
"The curfew includes you too, you know?" She curved her arms around her woman's neck. "Come to bed, Sara."
"Mm, do I get warm milk and cookies too?" Sara lightly kissed her fingers.
"That and more." Catherine ran her lips along her sensitive earlobe.
"Catherine?"
She sensed the sudden tension in Sara's muscles. That immediately caused her guts to wrench. "What, babe?"
"I got a call from San Francisco earlier. Sean made it."
"He's alive?"
"Yeah."
Catherine sat in silence, holding Sara protectively in her arms. This news carried an enormous weight around it. If on one hand she were relieved that Sean could now get some well-deserved justice, on the other hand there was the feeling that he was still very much around in their lives. She couldn't wait to give Sean a piece of her own mind, but it had to wait.
"Sara, honey, you okay?" She stroked the dark hair gently.
"Yeah, I guess. I didn't want him to die, Cath. You know, when I was facing him, talking to him, I just couldn't see the vicious murderer. I only saw my brother and I know that could have cost me dearly. He could have so easily manipulated me and I almost allowed him to. I suppose I am still vulnerable to my family."
"No, Sara, you are not vulnerable. You loved your brother. Except, that brother died inside him a long time ago. He is just a killer now."
"I know." Sara lowered her head and wrapped her own hands around Catherine's. "He deserves to stand trial and be punished. My revenge is not enough for him. Death is not enough for him."
"I still can't believe this is real. I'm so afraid I'll wake up and find myself back in that basement." Catherine shuddered.
She turned around to face those blue eyes, burning bright with love and longing. "I don't know if this is real or not. But I do know that we'll rise again, amidst the ashes of all our burnt dreams."
