A/N: Well, another update! My vacation was...let's say...not that good. Went to a family vacation parc and the facilities there were so bad that sometimes we wished we had stayed home. So I'm really glad to be back. Babbling again :-) It's Friday, so as promised... here's the next chapter.

Chapter 24

Since my breakfast with Grissom my mood improved a bit, so he thought we should do it more often. As in … on regular basis. At first I thought it was a no can do, but I didn't really have a choice in the matter, eventually it turned out to be very nice to have my old friend back. We talked like we did when he was teaching in Frisco. We joked around, shared new information we had learned through magazines or seminars, went dancing and talked for hours about everything and nothing. I even started to talk more and more about Catherine and the things I did with her, but I still kept my feelings to myself.

I noticed more things about Grissom, for instance I noticed he was lonely. Everyone assumes he doesn't do personal, that he is incapable of having any feelings at all. In a way he does, but he's also human. Being supervisor consumed a lot of his free time, which made it almost impossible for him to have a life outside the lab. He always acts like he doesn't need anyone to be happy, but I think he's lying to himself. I heard some rumors about him and lady Heather and I think he could have been really happy with her.

Some of the lab techs think I have a thing for Grissom or the other way around, I see the looks on their faces whenever Grissom and I pass their labs. It's quite funny actually because I still think it wouldn't work between us. We are great together as friends, but that's as far as it goes. We're both closed off from the rest of the world most of the time, we really need someone who's the complete opposite. Grissom found his opposite in lady Heather, mine is …

Speaking about her, it's been a while since we worked together and I miss her a lot. The cases and Lindsey are really taking their toll on her, she looks more tired each day. We don't get to spend any time outside the lab these days and inside the lab we don't seem to find any time at all to talk. It looks like she's avoiding me, but I don't like to think that's true so I blame work. Anyway I'm babbling again, where was I … right Grissom. The lab techs could be right, he really needs someone to make him happy, maybe I could make him happy or at least happier, less lonely.

It's like when you put 1 and 1 together, we're both lonely and incapable of being with the one who completes us. So in a way we complete each other… maybe I should just ask him out, see what happens, maybe nothing happens which is just as good. Can't blame a girl for trying, right?

I'm thinking about changing something between me and Grissom when he walks past my lab, I decide to follow him. A part of me is screaming that this is a bad idea and another part is urging me to do the right thing. What is the right thing exactly? What are the facts… 1) He's my best friend and the one that knows me longest 2) I love him 3) We understand each other without verbalizing our feelings 4) We share the same interests 5) We both love our jobs (this can come in handy you can't blame the other for working too much) 6) Being with Grissom is easy. See, a lot of pro's, I'm smiling to myself. I'm still following Grissom, it's like everyone needs him right now. People leave him alone, I'm going to improve his life! You are only making it worse!

After a couple of minutes walking almost through the entire lab I decide to give up, there's always another time. I walk past Greg's lab and smell something funny, something like… A bright light prevents me from seeing anything, I don't know what's happening but I'm knocked into the wall and fall to the ground hard. Glass flies everywhere, I look up and see Greg lying a couple of feet away from me, he lifts his head up. Good, he's alright. But he looses consciousness quickly. No no no no!!!

Outside the lab everything is pretty chaotic, everywhere are lab techs with bleeding wounds, EMT's are running in and out the lab, firemen, police officers … I'm sitting on the curb, holding my hand, I have a pretty deep cut but nobody really notices me. Good, I don't want to go to the hospital. I really hope Greg's okay, I'm worried about him.

Someone is coming my way, I don't want to talk to anyone right now, I have a strange feeling in my stomach...

It's Grissom, he looks worried, he notes the wound and calls for an EMT to look at it. It's not that bad, why doesn't anyone listen to me!

Maybe because it really wasn't looking good, it needed a couple of stitches.

I'm on my way to the hospital, I'm going to see how Greg's doing. Actually my motivation is a bit selfish, I really need to talk to him. What was I thinking when I asked Grissom out? Why do I always do this? Take the easy way out…but making everything more complicated in the process. Being with Grissom would have been so easy, no complications, no fighting for his attention or love, no need to come out to my friends, no nothing, … But it wouldn't have worked. Sidle, stop this! Stop being a chickenshit and tell Catherine how you feel, ask her out, it's her you wanted to ask out in the first place!

I pull up in the parking lot of the hospital and step out of my car. I sigh, I really hope Greg is alright. I walk to his room and want to enter but a familiar voice inside stops me from opening the door. It's Catherine, she's talking to him. I know eavesdropping is bad, but I can't help it. She's telling him who's responsible for the explosion. Oh my god! She is! For a split second I'm angry at her, she's the reason I have been acting like a fool. You can't really blame her! I drop my head and knock at the door.

'It's open…' I hear Greg chuckle faintly.

I take a deep breath and walk in. Catherine watches me closely with an apologetic look in her eyes. 'Sara, I'm the one… I'm …' she struggles to find the right words.

'Forget it, I'm fine. We all worked too hard lately, anyone could have done the same.' I smile at her which puts her at ease. We lock eyes and just stare at each other. I have missed her so hard…

'So… did you come to check how I'm doing or… did you come to check out my visitor?' his voice is weak but he manages to sound amused. His comment makes us blush.

I drop my gaze to the floor, I pull myself together rather quickly and look at Greg 'By the sound of it, you are just fine so I don't need to ask anymore.' I smirk.

'Ouch, that hurts even more than my burned back.' He smiles and attempts to wink at me, but flinches. 'Damn, I think my painkillers have lost their power.'

Catherine has been too quiet and now looks hurt, she stands up and leaves the room without saying anything. She's acting rather strange so I give Greg a questioning look and he tries to shrug.

'Don't mind her, she's feeling pretty bad. She blames herself, but personally I think knowing you are responsible is punishment enough. Of course the 'big chief' had to suspend her, image of the lab and so on…' he's almost out of breath, I can't help but feel sorry for him. Then it dawns upon me what he said.

'What?! She's suspended? How…'

'5 days no less.'

'You've got to be kid…' I don't get a chance to finish my sentence, Catherine walks back into the room. Apparently she hadn't left, she just got a nurse to check up on Greg and give him more painkillers.

'Don't Sara, I could really use the extra time off, it will do me good. Actually… isn't it your night off tomorrow? Maybe we…' she's looking me straight in the eye.

Without giving it any thought I practically blurt out 'I would love to!' I lock eyes with her. My breathing becomes a bit erratic, I want to kiss her so badly. I could be kidding myself, but it looks like she's blushing. Instinctively I move closer to her, our bodies are like magnets, I could swear she moved a bit in my direction too. Her eyes are growing darker, this time I'm definitely not mistaking, I see desire in them.

Greg coughs, effectively interrupting our magic moment. 'Ladies, if I wasn't confined to this bed, I would have loved to give you two a moment but…' he stops midsentence and thinks 'actually sorry to interrupt go on.' He has this big shit eating grin on his face, I would love to slap him.

He is clearly enjoying himself, while we just stand there mouth agape and flushed. Catherine looks at me and smirks 'Well, actually if you would be so kind, we could really use a bed for the things I have in mind.' She did not just say that… My jaw really hits the floor this time and Greg's did too, he looks a whole lot better than he did before. I really hope she meant what she said, but then again what does that mean? That she would like to have sex with me again, I still don't know if she wants more…

I try to come up with a comment, a word even, anything at all but my mind is blank except for the very vivid images of a naked dancing Catherine. First close your mouth, second start to breath and then say something, don't just stand there. The first two things are harder than I had imagined, but I manage… I open my mouth to say something, but no sound comes out so I close it again.

I shake my head, I must have been far off because I see and hear Greg and Catherine chuckle, clearly I missed out on a conversation. 'What's so funny?' Thank you vocal cords!

'You.' They say in unison and start to laugh their heads off. I turn beat red, I'm soooo embarrassed right now. 'Oh…' Really smart retort, Sara I couldn't have come up with a better one.

'You know you are really really adorable when you look so flustered.' She smiles at me 'I think Greg here agrees, don't you?' she turns her attention to Greg and I follow her gaze, Greg is practically beaming. Did she just say that she finds me adorable. If they want me to talk ever again, they will have to stop laughing at me and she has to stop saying things like that. My body is reacting loud and clear, but the logical part of my brain is numb and my vocal cords refuse to vibrate and produce sound.

'Maybe we have to speak slower because it seems her mind is working overtime…' Greg chirps. They start to laugh again, I can't let them go through with this, that's just mean.

I pull myself together 'Well, as a matter of fact it is… I have all this very vivid images dancing around in my mind… ' I look at Catherine and she looks away 'Would you like to know what I'm seeing, Greg?' This earns me a death glare from Catherine, she is challenging me with her eyes. Oooh, I like this. Greg of course really want me to share 'Tell me tell me' he sounds like a kid.

'Well not so long ago I visited this strip club and a really indescribable beautiful and sexy as hell woman was dancing on stage, taking her clothes off agonizingly painful… the sight of it was enough to cause me to cli…' I'm cut off midsentence by none other than said stripper.

'Sara, it's late I think we should go now and let Greg rest.' Her voice is husky and low. She's also not looking directly at me. Greg on the other hand doesn't look like he needs rest and he is practically begging me to tell more. But the whole point was to get back at Catherine and I did, so I leave the rest for his imagination.

'You're right, let's go.' We say goodbye to Greg and leave the hospital.

Do you feel the electricty in the air??? Wow, would they finally come to their senses??? You can read it all in the next chapter!!! LOL! Thanks for reading.