Chapter Fifteen:

Its 5am, with everyone out in the field Sara finds herself alone in the lab. Sprawled out across the layout room table with her evidence spread in front of her. Shards of glass pieced together with red tape, a brick below the shattered pieces. A blood stained set of keys. A handwritten note in a clear evidence bag, the seal bearing the initials SS along with a bloody fingerprint at the bottom right corner. Cataloguing the evidence, she picks up the note and flips it over, holding it up to the light, noticing a company motif embedded in the paper grain. Unknown to Sara, Grissom has snuck into the room behind her, watching her tilt her head under the light.

'What you got?' Startling her into a jump she drops the evidence on the table, her hands going to the tables edge. His hands instinctively fall to her hips to hold her steady.

'JESUS… God sake Griss, you scared the hell outta me.' She knocks his hands away with her own, stepping out of his hold and turning on the spot.

'Sorry.' He drops his hands into his pockets. 'Find anything?' Regaining her composure, she turns back to the table to the discarded evidence. Picking up the note again and holding it into the light, he moves closer, closer than required for her to show him the find.

'Company logo, embossed into the paper grain. That's a start, the blood is with Wendy, just waiting on results for the fingerprint. What about you?'

'Nothing.' He shrugs, looking over the table. She rolls her eyes, always the informative Grissom when sharing, placing the note into a white evidence box at her feet along with the other pieces. 'You nearly finished?'

'Yeah, I just need to speak to Brass before we head out, why?' She tucks some hair behind her ear, looking up from her perch over the box on the floor.

'I was thinking… Breakfast, maybe some other stuff?'

'Other stuff? You need to be a bit more specific I'm afraid.' She smirks, pursing her lips, she knows exactly what the other stuff could be, she just wants to see if and or what he is willing to reveal in the workplace. After all, it is just them here. He takes a step closer, sliding his hand around her wrist in the shadowy privacy the big layout table frame creates for them.

'Well, what about we…' Brass bounds into the room cutting him off. His hand snaps back as if he has been burnt.

'Hey Sara! Gil… We have a lead. You coming?' He leans back out of the room, hand on the door frame.

'Rain check?' She directs at Grissom, he nods and smiles in understanding.

'Yeah, you go. I'll put the rest away.' She smiles and tugs her gloves off, throwing them into the trash as she walks past him. Watching her walk out of the room he smiles to himself. Its been a few weeks now since the Adam Trent incident and things are good. Really good. They spend most of their time at his place now, makes sense, its bigger, more room and his garage offers privacy from any unannounced visitors so that Sara's car is not noticed. Sara stayed at her apartment last night, laundry and watering the plants taking priority for a change. He lifts the evidence bag with the blood stain keys, turning it over in his hands before placing it in the box. Fixing the lid on the box and sealing with red tape, Grissom walks it over to the evidence locker, booking it back in he signs his name under Sara's. Pausing to take in her scrawl on the page. Leaving the evidence locker he heads straight to his office, flipping open his cell he fires a quick message to Sara.

Got a few things to sort on my way home, meet me there?

Yeah, see you soon.

She replies quickly. Obviously Brass in the driver's seat this time round. Closing his laptop, he turns off the lights in his office and locks the door, heading to his car, taking the key for his apartment off his keychain. He slips into the driver's seat and heads to the locksmiths not far from his condo. The door to the building chimes when he walks in, alerting the owner to a customer. He walks around a corner, rubbing his hands on his overalls. Trust Vegas to have a 24 hour locksmiths.

'Morning, what can I do you for today Dr Grissom?'

'Morning Guy. I need a key cutting please.' He slides the key over the counter. Guy picks it up, holding it to the light, inspecting its quality, its groves, and lines.

'Yep, coming up. Any specifics or just good old brass?' Grissom looks passed him to the wall of varying key colours and patterns. Scanning his eyes across the rows and rows, his eyes are drawn to a deep purple blank.

'Actually, that purple one should do the trick.' Guy turns, runs his finger across the colours until he stops on the chosen key, pulling it from the hook, he turns it in his fingers.

'Ah, purple, hoping she'll find it at the bottom of her handbag easier?' Guy questions, his eyebrows raising inquisitively. Grissom squints, smiling at the man, grossly incorrect but not one to be rude, he nods and agrees before moving around the room to survey the different machines and pictures on the walls. 'Give me five minutes and she's all yours.' He walks away, rounds the corner leaving him alone. After a few minutes or so, Grissom's cell phone chirps. Without looking at the screen he answers in his usual manner.

'Grissom.'

'Hi. Lead was a bust, heading back to the lab now.'

'Already? Ok, I'm just running a few errands. I'll errr meet you back at my place in about...' Before he can finish his sentence, Guy rounds the corner.

'Here you go Dr G, all cut and ready to go, that'll be ten bucks.' He stands behind the register.

'Err, give me half an hour ok?' He balances his cell between his shoulder and cheek, fishing in his pocket for his wallet.

'Ok, see you there.' Sara hangs up, he pulls some notes from his wallet, drops a ten-dollar bill on the counter and picks up both keys.

'Thanks. See you soon Guy.' He pockets both keys and heads home.

Some hours later, after a hearty meal, showering and settling down on the sofa to watch some tv, Grissom walks from the kitchen to meet Sara on the sofa.

'I got you something today.' He sits down next to her on the sofa, lifting her feet up into his lap, pulling the little box from his pocket. She bookmarks her page, lowers her book and sits up straighter to look at him, her back resting on the arm of the sofa.

'Really?' She puts her book down a the side of her legs trapping it between the back of the sofa and herself, peering over her knees to look at his hands.

'Open it.' He hands her the little black box. Dropping his hands down, he rubs her feet slightly. She turns the box over, pulling at the lid, she peeks inside, her face curious but also guarded. 'It's not going to bite.' He throws an arm over the back of the sofa, fingers tapping the leather cushions behind them. She pulls the lid off quickly, moving the tissue paper aside, her fingers touch something cold and metal. Looking up at him, he smiles as she pulls the purple key from the box, adorned with a green leaf keychain.

'Is.. This… For…'

'I want you to come and go as you please. To meet me here? To leave after me? I want you to feel comfortable in my home.' She twists the key in her long slim fingers.

'Thank you.' Placing the key back into the box and onto the back of the sofa, she pulls her feet from his lap and kneels at his side to lean in and kiss him on the lips. He raises his hand from the back of the sofa to caress her neck and pulls her in closer.