There were packing boxes everywhere.
All of her picture frames were leaning against each other in the corner of the room. A box sat on the kitchen counter with bubble wrap next to it. Looks like she was working on the dishes.
"Didn't you move in 6 months ago?" he asked her with his eyebrows furrowed scanning the room.
"Yeah."
"I thought I heard Greg talking about helping you get moved in?"
"You listen to Greg now?" She smirked
He lifted the right side of his mouth. Unamused and slightly annoyed she was dodging his questions.
She pursed her lips and raised her eyebrow. A small celebration for giving him a taste of his own medicine.
"Anyway… yes. He did help me move in. But uhh, I'm moving out. Again."
"Oh? Found a better place?"
"Depends on how you look at it. But yeah, I guess so. I'm moving back to San Fransisco."
If one could feel a legitimate rock in their throat, it was him in this moment. His mind racing to process what that meant. It felt like eternity as they stood there staring at each other.
Was Warrick right? Did the case affect her that badly?
He looked down searching the ground finding a way to process the emotions. He was angry, sad, hurt, relieved.
No no, relieved can't be right. Jesus, Gil.
He had so many questions, so much to unpack from her last sentence. All of the words rushing to his lips at once, begging to be released and get their answers. He swallowed them, hard. Finding that none were helping. Only one question really mattered.
"Why?"
It was deeper than he intended More anger than the sadness he was really feeling.
Sara shrugged her shoulders as she looked at him straight away.
"There's nothing left for me here."
The words hitting Grissom's ears sending a sharp pain to the heart. He squinted his eyebrows confused. Just days ago being ready to say he was not ready to pursue the relationship with her, but this was different. To not see her every day, to not have her a part of his life. That was too much to deal.
Say something Gil. She's waiting. Don't keep her waiting…
His mouth opened, his tongue tied, busy pushing against the back of his lower teeth.
"I don't understand, Sara. Why now? Why so quickly? Is it because of your mom? Is she okay?"
"Don't make this about her. You and I both know it has nothing to do with her."
"Then why? This team has become your family. You are our family. Were you just going to walk away and say nothing? Just pack up and go without saying goodbye?"
"There are labs all across the country Grissom. I could get a job at any of them."
"You and I both know that's not the point, Sara."
"Grissom…" She paused, took a deep breath and crossed her arms across her chest. He could see her chest move with the weight of her next words.
"…why do you think I moved to Vegas?"
Grissom thinking carefully before speaking. He couldn't mess this up.
"Because…in not so many words, I asked you to."
She nodded in agreement, and he continued.
"We had the Gribbs case, I needed your help with Warrick, and then I needed help with the lab. I was in a new role with the ability to bring you along. I wanted your help. I wanted to work with you."
"But why do you think I said yes? To drop everything I already had?"
He hated this part. The part of their history where he knew he took advantage of her feelings for him. Knowing she would have moved across the country had he asked her.
He swallowed the lump that had built in his throat.
"Sara, I know it wasn't fair."
"I've kept my hope, Grissom. For a very long time. But now…"
"Sarah, I just ….I can't."
She was tired of hearing those words. She'd heard them for years. A frustrating ending to almost every perfect moment they had together.
"It's always Sara, I can't! Ever since day one. And you know what? I'm tired. I'm tired of trying. I'm tired of waiting for when you decide that you can. I can't wait anymore. It's my turn to say I can't. I should've listened to my gut from the beginning."
