Disclaimer: Not mine and that sucks. We all know that Green Eggs and Ham belongs to Dr. Seuss too. I don't get anything.
A/N: Apparently I write more when stuck in airports for an interminable amount of time. Thanks for everybody who is reading and hasn't given up hope.
The Long Road
Chapter 6
Sara opened the door letting Jonathan run across the threshold before stepping inside and closing it behind her. His excited squeals told her Grissom was awake. She paused in the doorway to the kitchen, a smile lighting her face, watching the two men in her life say hello. It always warmed her heart to see them together; Jonathan nestled in Grissom's strong arms, his tiny hands waving wildly as he chattered about what he had done at daycare.
Catching sight of Sara, Grissom mouthed, "Hello."
She waved and pointed toward the bedroom. At his nod, she went in search of a shower and her pajamas. When she emerged, half an hour later, Grissom was working on dinner and Jonathan was reading to him from Green Eggs and Ham, the sweet sounds of gibberish filling the air. Again, Sara was struck by a warm wave of emotion. Blinking the moisture from her eyes, she strode forward and wrapped her arms around Grissom's waist, laying her head between his shoulder blades and pressing her body tightly against his strong back. Placing a kiss on the back of his neck she released him and asked, "Anything I can do?"
Glancing over his shoulder he said, "Kiss me." Sara obliged and they broke apart when Jonathan's banging on the table began demanding their attention. They were both a little breathless and Grissom whispered, "We'll finish this later," sealing his promise with a wink.
Over dinner, Sara told Grissom about the case she had been on that day. When she got to the part about the gum wrapped around the DB's private parts Grissom choked on the food in his mouth. When he could breathe again, he said, "Please warn me before you tell me things like that. I could have died and there's no gum in sight."
With that, the giggle that Sara had been holding in turned into a full blown laugh. At the sound of his mother's mirth, Jonathan began to giggle and smack his hands on the high chair tray. Soon Grissom joined in. As often happened, the conversation never made it back to work and Sara forgot to mention that Catherine had worked the case with her.
Dinner had been eaten, the dishes done and Jonathan put to bed, when Grissom, true to his word, finished what had been started in the kitchen. Nestled against his side, both of them sated, his hand rubbing over her belly in a soothing gesture, Sara groaned when her cell phone rang.
"Sidle," she said.
"Sara, it's Lindsay," the girl whispered.
"Linds, is everything okay?"
"Yeah, everything's fine."
"Then why are you whispering?" At Grissom's questioning look, Sara nodded to indicate that everything was good.
"Cause I don't want mom to hear me talking to you. It'd just piss her off." Lindsay paused before continuing, "I'm not supposed to be on the phone."
"Why? What did you do? And don't think I'm gonna cover for you young lady."
"I, uh, I said something I shouldn't have. And now I'm not supposed to be on the phone." Lindsay rushed to add, "And I wouldn't be except I need your help."
"Help with what? Are you having trouble in math again?" Sara asked gently.
"No. It's not school. I need help with mom."
A surprised laugh escaped Sara's lips. "And you think I can do something because…?" Sara let her voice trail off, her confusion obvious.
"I don't know. I just need somebody to help me fix her mess." Lindsay huffed in exasperation.
"What mess would that be? The mess with Warrick?"
"That's why I need you. You already know what I'm talking about."
"Actually, I don't. I know something went wrong but I don't know what that is." Sara shifted to a more comfortable position when Grissom left the bed to take a shower. "Why don't you tell me what happened?"
When Lindsay had explained everything, Sara asked, "What do you think we can do about this? Linds, honey, they're both adults. They need to work this out for themselves."
"Sara," she pleaded, "Do you know how stubborn my mother can be? I can't let her blow this. I know she loves him. And I think he loves her too."
Sara sighed, torn between helping the worried teen and staying out of her friends private lives. When Lindsay whispered a strangled 'please', Sara found herself nodding. "Okay," she said reluctantly. "Let me think about this. I'll try to come up with something."
Suddenly she heard a voice in the background and then Lindsay said, "Mom, I called Sara for help with math." After a mumbled reply, she heard, "If you don't believe me, ask her yourself." Then Lindsay was saying, "Thanks Sara. See you Saturday. Mom wants to talk to you."
Sara was still trying to formulate a reply when Catherine's voice shot over the line. "Sara, is this really you?"
That answer was easy, and honest, enough. "Hey Cath. It's me."
"Oh, um, well, good. Sorry for snapping. Lindsay's just not supposed to be on the phone. I figured you must be Blake."
"That's okay. I imagine I have a few of those days in my future."
"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks for helping her."
"Catherine," Sara stalled, "can I ask you a question?"
"Only if I don't have to answer."
With a huff of laughter, she asked, "Why were you in the field today? You slipped away before you could tell me."
Catherine was silent for so long, Sara was beginning to think she had hung up. Finally, she said, "I'd really rather not talk about it right now. Suffice it to say, I did something stupid and now I don't think I can fix it."
"Cath, the only stupid thing, is to let whatever this is stand in the way of your happiness. Anything can be fixed. Look and Grissom and me. We are poster children for how NOT to start a relationship." Hearing a chuckle come over the line, she continued, "Stop fighting it. Tell him how you feel. He may not be as patient as I was."
A genuine laugh escaped Catherine at that. "Thanks, Sara, see you tomorrow," she said quietly before breaking the connection.
Sara turned to see Grissom coming out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. She let her eyes drag slowly up his body, until she reached the smirk on his lips and the slightly raised eyebrow. "What?" she asked. "I'm just enjoying the view." When he snorted a laugh at her lascivious stare, she managed to say, "Drop that towel and I'll enjoy it even more," before bursting into peals of laughter.
With a shake of his head, and a proud smile playing around his lips, Grissom began pulling out clothes to wear to work. "What did Lindsay want?" he asked when Sara's laughter began to taper off.
As he moved around the room, pulling on underwear, pants and socks, Sara explained her conversation with both Willows women. When she had finished, he said, "Sara, this is not our business."
"I know, Griss. Honestly," she said at his skeptical look. "I'm just concerned."
He moved to sit on the bed beside her and said, "You know, from experience, outside interference doesn't work. They have to work it out for themselves."
Sara nodded, and said, "Oh believe me, I know it would never have worked for us. But they aren't us. What if they miss this chance? Don't they deserve to be happy?"
Grissom's lips lifted in a smile and he ran a finger down her cheek. "Maybe if I had listened to everybody else I wouldn't have wasted so much time." He leaned forward and placed a lingering kiss on her full mouth. "I have to go to work. And I'll check on Warrick."
He made to stand but Sara placed a hand on his thigh, holding him in place. Leaning over, she kissed him, letting her tongue tangle with his for a brief instant. "I love you," she whispered against his mouth. "Be careful out there."
He pulled back, his gaze hot, and said, "I love you too. See you in the morning."
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
When Grissom handed out assignments he paired himself with Warrick. Their case was the latest in a series of robberies in an upscale neighborhood. It seemed that someone was taking advantage of the residents' vacation time to help themselves to some high-end electronics and other expensive items. The problem was the perp, who left fingerprints at every scene, wasn't in the system. Of course, if they ever caught him, they had enough evidence to tie all the crimes together.
Not wanting to cause any strain between them while they were working a scene, Grissom wisely waited until they were headed back to the lab before saying anything personal to Warrick.
Glancing at the younger man, noting his tired eyes and clenched jaw, Grissom asked, "Hey, is everything okay?"
Surprised, Warrick turned to stare at his boss. "Yeah. Why?"
"You just don't seem like yourself," Grissom replied with a shrug. "I just thought…um…you know, if you wanted to talk…well…"
As his voice trailed off Warrick asked, "Did Catherine put you up to this?" When Grissom responded with a no, he turned to stare out the window and said, "I don't think you really want to hear about my troubles."
"Warrick," Grissom chided, "I am your boss but, I hope, I am also your friend. If something is bothering you I do want to hear it."
Warrick heaved a sigh and shook his head. "You know, I might be pissed at you for prying into my personal life if I didn't know what it cost you to do it." Smiling at Grissom's discomfort he said, "I'll give you the short version. We went out. Had a good time. We had dinner at her house. She blew me off. That's it."
Grissom sat quietly, thinking about what Warrick had said. Finally, he asked, "Did she say why?" When Warrick gaped at him in disbelief, he shrugged and said, "I've blown off a woman or twoin my time. There has to be a reason."
Laughing at his boss' confession, Warrick said, "She says that she doesn't want Lindsay to get hurt if we get close and then break up. I personally think that's bullshit."
Grissom nodded. "What do you think the problem really is?"
Warrick shrugged. "She told me one time that the best part of a fantasy is the possibility that it could come true. Maybe she's afraid that it won't measure up. Maybe she's afraid to risk getting hurt if I'm only in it for sex."
"And are you only in it for sex?" At Warrick's glare, Grissom said, "Just asking. It seemed like the obvious question."
"Hell no. I'm in it for more than sex." Warrick scrubbed his hands over his face and continued, "Even when I was married, I thought about Cath. I wonder sometimes if Tina and I even had a fighting chance with my mind always on someone else." Warrick glanced at Grissom, catching the man's nod of understanding, before turning to stare out the window. "I've been attracted to women before but this is something else. More than wanting her, I wonder what it would be like to wake up next to her when I have some crazy nightmare. I wonder how it would be to live with a woman who challenges me, makes me think and feel, a woman who excites me, mind and body."
"I know how you feel," Grissom said quietly. "That's why I married Sara." Pausing to gather his thoughts, Grissom asked, "Do you love her?"
"I don't know. I know that I'm mad as hell that she would treat me like nothing more than an itch to be scratched. I know that it's killing me to stay away from her and that I want to make it right so that I can see her again. Is that love? Because if it is then…yeah I love her."
Grissom took a moment to absorb that information. With a slight twist of his lips, he said, "Take it from somebody who was almost too late; swallow your pride. Tell her how you feel. You might be pleasantly surprised."
With a slow nod, Warrick studied Grissom's profile. "Thanks," he said. Receiving a nod, he turned to study the lights of the strip as they flashed by.
