Title: That Special Spark, chapter 2
Time: Post-"Committed"
A few weeks after Greg's arson case, Sara and Grissom were investigating a murder at the Desert State Psychiatric Hospital. During the course of the murder investigation, Sara had been taken hostage by one of the patients in the nurse's station. He had locked the door behind him, grabbed Sara and held a sharp ceramic shard to her throat. Grissom had gone to find someone with keys to open a filing cabinet. When he returned, he saw Sara on the floor, held down by her assailant, with the sharp object at her throat. He pleaded with the security guard to quickly open the door. Finally the door was opened and Sara escaped to safety, running down a short corridor to a barred window, which she grabbed and held onto for dear life. She needed to hold on to something, someone. Grissom tried, but all he could offer was the opportunity to take herself off the case and get some rest. He didn't understand the physical comfort she needed at that moment.
Sara returned to the lab to process the evidence. She had several items of bloody clothing laid out on the table. As Sara was processing the evidence, Greg walked in.
"Sara, thank God you're okay," he said shakily, reaching out to hug her. Sara was surprised by the embrace. It caught her off guard at first, but gradually she melted in the warmth of Greg's arms.
"Thanks...Greg. I'm okay, Sweetie," she stammered.
"You must have been so scared. How could Grissom have left you alone like that?" Greg whispered, his voice betraying the tears that were coming.
"He went to find someone to get a set of keys. He had no reason to fear for my safety, we had been there for hours with no incident. No one could have known that Trent would snap like that," Sara said softly. She reached up and touched Greg's hair, sensing the emotion in his voice.
"Those places scare me. How can anyone assume they're safe in a building full of violent and insane criminals? He never should have left you alone," Greg said, becoming more agitated, looking into Sara's eyes. Sara placed her hand on Greg's cheek.
"He was doing his job," Sara explained.
Greg couldn't find any more words to say. He just looked into Sara's eyes, tears brimming his own. Sara stroked his cheek and brushed the bangs from his forehead.
"I'm okay. Really I am," she said. She hugged him tightly again. "And I appreciate the hug, I really needed this. I feel so safe and warm right now," she said, laying her head on his shoulder. She could feel Greg trembling as he succumbed to the tears. She reached up once again, running her fingers through his hair, whispering over and over that everything was okay.
"I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to you," Greg sobbed.
Sara squeezed him tightly. "Don't you worry, I'm not going anywhere," she whispered. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Grissom ambling down the hall towards his office. She saw him pause briefly in front of the door, taking in the scene. Sara closed her eyes and wished Grissom would just walk away, leaving her and Greg alone for a moment. She opened her eyes and saw that he was no longer there, and breathed a sigh of relief. She held Greg until she felt his sobs easing away. Then she touched his cheek again, gazing into his eyes.
"I need to process this evidence now. Maybe we can grab some dinner later?" Sara said. Greg nodded. She tousled his hair and sent him on his way. Now she realized she was torn. She had harbored feelings for Grissom for years now. He was the reason she came to Vegas. But he was such a tough egg to crack. Then she met Greg, who was everything Grissom wasn't-- Spontaneous, unafraid to express how he felt, affectionate, vulnerable, all with a wicked sense of humor and an adorable, endearing charm. Sara sensed that Grissom cared about her in his own way, but with Greg there was no doubt, no second-guessing. Sara knew exactly where she stood with Greg, she wasn't so sure with Grissom. Sara began to question what she really needed, a father figure she could never please or someone she could nurture and be nurtured by in return. She sighed and shook her head, attempting to clear out the cobwebs. "That will have to wait until another day," she thought to herself.