CSI: JUST ONE NIGHT
CSI: JUST ONE NIGHT
Author: Christiangirl177
Disclaimer: See Chapter One
Summary: Dr. Gilbert Aaron Grissom finds out oh, so quickly that just one night with one Sara Sidle wouldn't be enough.
Author's Note: This is an A/U fic and I have Grissom's father still living. If you find any typos, please let me know, and I'll update this chapter. Thanx so very mcuh for your reviews.
Chapter Two: Just One Night
In Las Vegas, the team was shocked when Conrad Ecklie, the lab's assistant director and not Gil Grissom greeted them.
"I know you all are wondering why I am here and not Gil," Ecklie began in explanation. Just then, Catherine spoke up, trying to lighten the mood that had descended on the team.
"Did Gil finally decide to take some of that vacation time he had stored up?" Catherine asked, trying to relieve the suffocating atmosphere that seemed to prevail in the break room. "I mean, he has at least 30 weeks of vacation time stored up, perhaps even more. He is after all, a workaholic."
"Gil had decided to take some time off." Ecklie began, not fully sure what was really going on with the quirky entomologist, as he got it second hand from Dr. Robert Carvallo, the lab's director. "Gil has submitted a leave of absence request form to Dr. Carvallo for 6 months to indefinite."
There was a collective gasp amongst the CSIs. They were totally shocked to learn of Grissom's decision to take a leave of absence from the Las Vegas Crime Lab. The person who was affected the most by this news was Sara Sidle. She began to remember the night that she and Grissom decided to spend one last night together. Actually, it had been Sara's decision. She wanted to move on with her life, but Grissom had other plans. He wanted them to try for a relationship, but Sara had grown tired of Grissom's one step forward, two steps back game. She had given up on ever having a romantic relationship with Grissom.
A Few Nights Ago
A few nights ago, Grissom had given himself a decomp in the desert. According to David's preliminary findings, he put victim's time of death at about two to three weeks, give or take a few days.
As Grissom came entered the locker room, he heard someone's voice off in the background. It sounded like Sara's beautiful voice.
"Eww, it smells like someone had a decomp tonight," Sara began, assuming that she was speaking to Greg, the newest CSI. Greg tended to drive Grissom up the wall at times. "What did you do to piss Grissom off?"
Grissom's blood turned to ice when he heard Sara's words. 'Am I really that bad?' Grissom asked himself in thought. 'What have I done?' Grissom decided to show himself to Sara at that precise moment. When Grissom and Sara's eyes met, they were slightly embarrassed. A very uncomfortable silence then descended on the locker room, which was very thick. Grissom decided to be the first to break the oppressive silence.
"Um, Sara, um," Grissom began as he stumbled over his words. "I didn't realize I was that bad to you and the others. Um. I apologize."
"No, Griss, I'm the one that should apologize," Sara began apologetically. "It was a very bad joke, sorry."
"Sara, you have absolutely nothing to apologize for." Grissom replied, attempting to his thoughts together, as Sara had a power over him that just seem to overwhelm him at times. "You've been the absolute picture of professionalism. Thanks for putting up with me and my sometimes sour moods."
"You're welcome, Griss." Sara replied softly. 'Oh, by the way, you reek!"
"Gee, thanks," Grissom began offering Sara a small smile that she hadn't seen on Grissom's face for many months.
"Lemons." Sara replied, then she dashed from the locker room.
"Thanks, Sara!" Grissom yelled out to make sure Sara heard him.
In the lab parking lot, Grissom approached Sara, as she talked with Judy and Nick about their plans for their days off.
"Sara, might I have a word with you?" Grissom asked softly.
"Sure, Griss," Sara replied. "What's up?"
"I was wondering, um, I mean, um, I," Grissom began stumbling over his words. 'I can do this,' Grissom began in thought, 'I can quote Shakespeare, I can surely ask a girl out on a date.'
"What were you wondering, Griss?" Sara asked trying to stifle a chuckle that she barely contained.
'Here goes nothing,' Grissom began to himself.
"I was wondering if you'd like to go out to dinner with me?" Grissom asked. 'There, I said it. I wonder if she would consider dating me.'
"Grissom," Sara began, using Grissom's full name, meaning that he may not like the response Sara would giving him. "I don't think we should dateā¦" Sara would have continued, but Grissom interrupted her.
"Let's go out to dinner and see what happens, okay?" Grissom asked the same question Sara posed to him a few years ago.
"Grissom," Sara began in mild exasperation, "I asked you the same question a few years ago. Do you remember what I said after you turned me down? How I said by the time you figure this out, you really could be too late? Well, guess what, you're too late." As Sara turned to leave, Grissom grabbed her gently by her arm, in an attempt to halt her hasty exit. When Sara glared at him, he quickly let her arm go, but he blocked her path, effectively hedging her in.
"Please, Sara," Grissom began in desperation, "give me another chance. I know I haven't been the friend you needed me to be. I had issues with my hearing, and I just didn't handle it well.." Grissom would have continued, but Sara interrupted him, attempting to keep her tears at bay.
"Look, Gil," Sara began sadly, "we've been through all of this already. There's no reason to re-hash this all over again."
"Look, Sara." Grissom began to plead his case. But, once again, Sara interrupted him.
"No, you look, Grissom," Sara began firmly, "you chose not to tell me about your hearing problems, what's even worse, you kept me in the dark about your surgery. I had to hear it second hand from Catherine. You couldn't come to me yourself and tell me about your surgery. That's what friends do, but I guess I didn't rank high in your sight as a friend."
"I only told Catherine, because I had to," Grissom began, once again pleading his case before the woman he loved more than life itself.
"You had to tell Catherine?" Sara asked incredulously. "Why is that Grissom?"
"She had to fill in for me as the night supervisor." Grissom replied.
"Okay, Grissom." Sara replied too tired to carry on this conversation with Grissom. "I'm through with this non-relationship thing we've got going on. We need to part ways, that's all there is to it. I've heard that Terri Miller has gotten a divorce. Perhaps you and she can get back together. Or, you can finally go back to Lady Heather, since you're free and she's no longer a suspect in any of our cases." That last comment was added to hurt Grissom, as Sara was still bitter about Grissom's treatment of her after he found out about her relationship with Hank Peddigrew, that wasn't a relationship at first, but Grissom chose to believe Dr. Philip Gerard over her. Grissom then gave his blessing to this non-relationship that she and Hank had going on. Well, at least he wasn't a suspect in an active case.
"Sara, I realize I've made many mistakes in the past," Grissom began in desperation, "but falling in love with you was NOT a mistake."
"You're in love with me?" Sara asked. "Your words sound so beautiful, but I've had enough of your hot one minute and cold the next."
"Give me one more chance, please Sara?" Grissom pleaded with the woman he loved more than anything else in the world.
"No, Grissom." Sara replied, and then added, "Since I'm not worth risking your career for, I guess I'll just be about my business."
"What did you just say?" Grissom replied completely mortified that Sara was in the observation room while he and Captain Jim Brass interrogated Dr. Vincent Lurie regarding the death of Sara's 'doppelganger', Nurse Debbie Marlin.
"You heard me, Grissom," Sara began losing her temper, "now get out of my way."
"Please, Sara, hear me out," Grissom pleaded with pain in his eyes
"Okay, okay," Sara responded, throwing up her hand in surrender. Sara decided to give Grissom a few, albeit, short minutes of her time.
"Just give me one night, Baby," Grissom was desperate, "that's all I need." Grissom reasoned with himself, 'It's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.'
Sara stood there with her mouth opened in shock. She couldn't believe this was the same man that said he couldn't risk his career for her just a few short months ago.
"Sara, c'mon, Congress doesn't deliberate this long," Grissom attempted to lighten the mood that descended on them by joking with Sara. This was no laughing matter, Grissom's romantic life was hanging in the balance.
"Just one night with no strings attached?" Sara asked to get clarity on the situation.
"Yes," Grissom sighed sadly, disappointed that Sara seemed happy just to have a one-night stand with him.
"Okay, let's do it." Sara replied, relieved to be finally getting one Dr. Gilbert Aaron Grissom out of her system.
Grissom and Sara set their plan in motion, but little did they know that the best laid out plans don't always work out the way they were planned.
TBC
