It had been five years since Sara Sidle, the greatest woman I ever loved, left me with good reason.
My life since then had been more than hard and complicated. Telling the team that Sara had left was one of the hardest things I had ever been prevailed upon to do. Telling the team that Catherine and I were engaged a year later was even worse.
"Grissom, we've got a 419 out in the desert. Nick's been put on the case too, but he already left in the Denali. Meet you in the Tahoe in five?" Catherine appeared at my office door.
"Yeah, see you there in five…tell Judy that we're out in the field on a case." Catherine nodded and then left.
I sighed gathering my paper work and getting ready to head out. Five years ago today…she walked right out my life without a second glance…never looking back.
I wasn't the only one who knew what today was. Nick Warrick, Greg, and even Brass I noticed seemed to be a little more pissed at me than normal.
I grabbed my field kit and then walked out of my office ready to head out when I heard Warrick talking.
"I'm glad to hear you got the promotion, you deserved it girl." Warrick said happily.
I knew he wasn't talking to anyone in the lab and when I turned the corner I saw he was talking on his cell phone with a Texas size smile on his face.
"Alright girl…you behave yourself tonight…tear up the New York party scene…alright you take care of yourself, I miss you…okay will do bye." And the Warrick hung up the phone and looked up to catch my eyes. His smile faded quickly and he forcefully brushed past me on the way to most likely one of the labs.
I gave another sigh; this is how things normally were. The whole lab hated me, but most of all were Nick, Warrick, Greg, and surprisingly Jim. But I suppose it shouldn't have surprised me, Sara was like Jim's daughter…I shouldn't have expected him to react well to me treating her like dirt.
The insubordination that was executed daily and always sent my way was something that I had gotten used to, but never spoke a work of. Warrick, Nick, and Greg all had a right to be furious with me…to hate me…and they did, believe me they did.
I had suspected that the guys including Jim still kept in touch with Sara. I would often walk into the break room to see Jim, Warrick, Greg, and Nick all sitting at the table talking animatedly and happily and I would catch phrases such as 'Yeah Sara sent me that picture too' or 'Yeah Sara told me the she was having trouble with that case' or my favorite 'Yeah Sara said she
liked him a lot, said that maybe they would go to a movie tonight'. But as soon as they saw that I had entered the room, they would grow quite or sometimes even leave the room altogether.
I had frequently thought about trying to contact Sara, but I would always come to the conclusion that it was not a good idea. I figured that if Sara wanted to talk to me (which I knew she didn't) she knew where I was and how to get to me.
I made my way out into the parking garage and saw that Catherine was already sitting in the passenger seat. She smiled at me when she saw me approaching the Tahoe. I smiled back before heading around to the other side to place my kit in the trunk and then go to the driver's seat.
Once inside I started up the truck and rolled out to the highway.
The ride was quite except for one moment when we were halfway to the scene.
"Gil?" Catherine questioned quietly.
"Yeah honey?" I asked my mind elsewhere.
"Are you alright?" Catherine asked, still quiet.
"Of course I am babe." I said, but my mind was still on someone else.
"Gil?" Catherine asked again.
"Yes sweetie?" I answered again thinking of a distant city on the other side of the country.
"I love you." She said before she turned to look out the window.
I sighed inwardly. "I love you too Catherine" I said before I took her hand in mine for the rest of the ride, but it was not Catherine I was thinking of…it was Sara.