Title: Little Clues
Author: Urabadinfluence
Rating: T maybe turning into M later
Summary: It's the little clues that you should follow to see what is right in front of you. The night shift family compare notes on how they knew that Sara and Grissom were together.
A/N: I don't own much of anything. If I did, I would love to own CSI, but, I don't. I don't even know any of them. I would LOVE to know Billy Peterson though. But, of course, if I ever saw him, I would probably become a blundering idiot, tripping on every word in my mouth.
.A/N: I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your reviews. I really appreciate them. I usually like to try to answer them all, but, I really couldn't right now, so please, consider yourself thanked, appreciated, and deeply cared for. Once again, thank you, and may you have peace and love in your life.
"You ready to hear more Sara?"
As Sara nodded yes, Nick started to remember the day that he figured out that his "little sis" was in a relationship with their boss.
Nick started, "Well, the first time I suspected something was goin' on was right in the lab. Like Warrick said, it was just little things, but then I was almost sure, but not positive when I saw them one day in layout room 4. I remember it like it was yesterday, even though it was about a year and a half ago."
"A YEAR AND A HALF!" yelled Catherine, "How the hell long have you two been together?"
Grissom and Sara looked at each other and grinned. Sara closed her eyes saying, "You know, I think now is a good time to close my eyes and just listen. My eyes are getting sore."
Catherine let out a "Hmmm" as her gaze shifted to Grissom, who simply shrugged, raised an eyebrow, and grinned. "As you were saying Nick?"
Grumbling, Catherine settled back into her chair, mumbling something about Grissom, torture, and what kind of incompetent CSI's they must be.
At that moment, all heads turned toward the door as the doctors came into Sara's room.
Smiling, Sara's surgeon greeted everyone, telling them that they were there to make one more check on Sara before they left for a few hours.
Grissom quickly stood and shook both men's hands and greeted them, and once again thanked them for taking care of Sara.
Sara's primary doctor smiled and said, "Your welcome and thank you for keeping the visiting down low. Although, we just heard some yelling out of here, is there a problem?" Now sitting slightly up with her eyes open, Sara replied, "No, there is no problem, see these are our co workers. Well, more like our family, and they just found out that Gil and I have been dating for quite some time. I think they are all kind of feeling a bit stupid right now."
"So, this is your family? I bet they are going to be here quite a bit the next few days. Gil, how about you introduce us?"
Grissom looked embarrassed and said, "Of course, where are my manners, I am so sorry. Everyone, this is Doctors Peters and Shabeeb, Dr Peters is Sara's primary doctor, and Dr. Shabeeb is Sara's surgeon." While extending his hand to each person as he introduced them, Grissom said, "Doctors, this is Jim Brass, he is a Captain with the LVPD. This is Nick Stokes, a CSI 3 like Sara, as is Warrick Brown. Catherine Willows here is my right hand at CSI. She is a Supervisor, and this is Greg Sanders, he is a CSI 2."
When all handshakes were done, Grissom sat back down and looked at the doctors expectantly. "So Docs, what do you think? Is Sara doing OK?"
They both nodded their heads in the affirmative, but only Dr. Peters spoke up. "So, let me get this strait, these people ALL are CSIs with exception of Capt. Brass, right?"
"Yes, you are correct." replied Grissom.
"And NONE of them knew about you two? I even knew that the first time I saw you two. Do you think I should be a CSI?" he joked. Everyone in the room laughed at the doctor's comment until Grissom sat forward again, and gently patted the blood off of Sara's lips.
Gesturing towards Grissom and Sara and the display of tenderness, he said, "How could you guys not see that? Anyways, I will have a nurse bring in a prescription lip balm to help your lips heal. That is from the wind, sun, and dehydration. Just keep on applying it as you need it. The ache from the windburn and sunburn will probably hit you tomorrow, so be prepared, but this stuff will help. I will also send over some creme for your face and arms and drops for your eyes. It will help quite a bit. Now, have a good time with your "party" here, but remember, keep it to a minimal roar, and if Sara starts to get tired, please, let her rest. Gil, you can stay, I told the nurses that you requested to stay, so they will be bringing you a roll-away cot shortly." With that, the doctors turned and left the room. They all laughed when they heard Dr. Peters whisper, "And they call themselves CSIs. I may have found my second calling."
Clearing his throat, Nick stared, "So, now, where was I? Oh yeah, Sara and Grissom. OK. Well, anyways, one day, I was walking towards the layout room, looking for Sara. Well, what I saw made me a bit suspicious. Sara was standing at the layout table, looking down at some clothes she was processing, and Grissom was leaning on the table, facing Sara. Now, y'all know that there is nothing suspicious with that, but, what I did notice was how Griss was standing. You know, a little too close. His foot and leg were completely behind Sara, like he was straddling her leg, and his hand was on her back. At first I thought he was hugging her, but, then I glanced closer, and he wasn't, they were standing there talking, looking at the evidence. They were just too comfortable like that."
Nick looked over at his supervisor, who, at the time was looking at Sara, smirking and rolling his eyes. "Is that all you got Nicky, because you can't base anything on that observation." quipped Grissom.
"Well Griss, actually no, that isn't all I have. Actually I have a VERY damning story, but I was trying to spare you some embarrassment. But, now that I am thinking about it, I will spill."
Sara's eyes got wide as she looked at Grissom, "Gil, why did you open your mouth? Couldn't just let it go could you?" Grissom just blushed and said "Sorry dear, I forgot myself, I was kinda getting into these stories. It is nice remembering."
Nick, knowing that Sara was just joking around with Grissom continued, "Do you all remember the case we worked with that fantasy guy Caprice?"
While everyone claimed that they did remember, Grissom and Sara both groaned and shook their heads. "Nicky, dear Nicky, PLEASE don't tell that story. PLEASE." Pleaded Sara.
"Nope, your BOYFRIEND blew that one. The ship has sailed. I am telling ALL. Blame him." Nick said, cocking a thumb at Grissom.
"OK, now where was I?" Nick said, scratching his chin, drawing out the torture as much as he could. "Ohhhh yeah, the Caprice case. Well, no one knows this, not even Griss and Sara, but that Caprice guy called CSI a few days after the case was wrapped. I just happen to be the only one on station that was connected to the case, so Judy transferred the call to me. The guy was really nice. He just called us to thank us for taking care of everything so quietly and quickly. He appreciated our discretion. Well, anyways, as we were about to hang up, I asked him a bit about his business, how he can read people so well. He said that it was a God given talent that he has always been able to read people and their personalities and desires and such since he was little. I was floored when he gave me an example. He said, 'For instance, your Mr. Grissom, he was a bit harder to read, but not much. How long have he and Miss Sidle been together? He has loved her for a long time.' " Nick chuckled nervously and continued. "All I could do was laugh and tell him how wrong he was for once, and he claimed that he wasn't wrong. He has never been wrong, and that he could see it in Sara too."
"So, I decided that I would test Mr. Caprice a bit, and called Sara, asking her to go out for drinks that night, as a celebration for closing the case, and I told her that I was going to ask Griss to go too. I really didn't think I was going to get him to go, but when I mentioned that Sara was going, he agreed to go for ONE drink."
Sara shifted uncomfortably in her bed, and Grissom was quick to ask if she was alright. "I am fine Gil, just a bit sore." She looked at her friends, realizing how fortunate she was to have them all, even Nick, who right now was going to embarrass her terribly. "Go on Nicky, just do it quick and painlessly. Like ripping off a band-aid."
"Oh, my darlin' Sara, you know the story I am going to tell them, don't you?" Nick teased.
"Of course I do Nick." she replied, as she looked over to Grissom and slipped back to the day that Nick was revealing to their friends.
She was just walking in the door of their townhouse when Nick phoned her. She looked up as she closed the door and what she saw took her breath away. Grissom stood at the breakfast bar with his back to her, sipping a cup of coffee and reading the paper. He had already gotten out of his work clothes and had slipped on a old pair of tight, faded jeans. It was warm in the house, so he hadn't put on a shirt. His hair was still wet from the shower that she figured he just had finished. Sara stood just inside of the townhouse, staring at Grissom's ass, amazed at how she could get so distracted by him just doing his every day routine. Realizing that she was still on the phone with Nick, she shook her head and tried to listen to him. Wanting to get off the phone quickly, she listened to Nick and hurriedly agreed to join him for celebratory drinks that evening.
Sara smirked from her bed and looked over at Grissom, who was listening to Nick, watching him as he told his story. Quietly sitting there with a smirk on his face and occasionally nodding his head.
"Sara, are you OK? You seem a bit flushed." Nick asked. Grinning slightly, Sara replied, "I am fine Nick, I am just remembering that night too."
Sara lay in her hospital bed, thinking about what happened that night and what happened after she and Nick got off the phone.
As she walked slowly towards Grissom, she placed her hands on those tight jeans, running her hands on his rear. "Gil, you know I love these jeans. And I adore it when you walk around with just them on." Sara remembered the look on Grissom's face and the fire in his eye when he replied, "I know. Have I ever told you that you are my fantasy?" He turned around as she slid her arms all the way around him. Dipping his head gently towards her, he softly kissed her lips. Just as he was going to deepen the kiss, his phone rang and he groaned in frustration as he flipped it open and answered it. "Sure Nicky, I'll go for one drink. You say Sara is going too, right? Where do you want to go? Well, Sara's place is on the way from my place to the bar, so I'll pick her up. Want me to just call her and tell her the plans?" After Grissom got the information about what time to meet, they quickly hung up.
Sara fondly remembered the next few hours, as they rested, played, and got ready to meet Nick for a drink.
Her daydreaming was interrupted as a nurse came into the room, taking her pulse and blood pressure. She checked Sara's face and lips and gave her the salve for her skin and the balm for her lips that the doctor had promised. After placing them on the bed side table, the nurse quietly slipped out of the room.
Nick grinned wildly as he continued, "Well, I hope that is the last interruption for awhile, because this is where it gets good. So, here I am sitting at the bar, waiting for Griss and Sara to get there, and I started to talk to the bartender. She is a really cute girl that I had met before there, and I told her that I was conducting an experiment. I told her a bit about what my suspicions were, and what that Caprice guy had said, and then, I employed her help. She told me that she was a hopeless romantic, so she would help in any way. I told her that I wanted to keep the drinks flowing, that I needed to get these two slightly drunk. I didn't want to get them terribly drunk, just drunk enough to let down their guard and slip up a little. She gave me a few suggestions on what to have them drink and agreed to keep them coming at a slow, steady pace. When Griss and Sara walked in, I was in complete shock, you should have seen it, Griss was wearing jeans! I have never seen him in jeans. They were cool lookin' ones too, not old man jeans. And Sara was wearin' a leather skirt. DAMN that girl has legs. It was kinda creepy."
Catherine snickered and Jim outright laughed at Nick and his exuberance.
Sara raised her eyebrow at Nick and chuckled.
Grissom sat back in his chair and smirked, remembering that leather skirt.
He remembered very well the clothing that took Nick by surprise. That skirt, wow. It was a short, snug item that was black. The top that she wore was equally as enchanting as he recalled, a burgundy soft flowing garment that was low cut, and boy, did he like that aspect of it. Grissom felt himself flush as he felt a chill go up his spine while remembering how that top and skirt felt under his fingertips.
Jim noticed that Grissom was drifting off, so he kicked Gil's leg slightly, breaking him out of his trance. Whispering, Jim said, "Come on Gil, was she THAT hot, or is he exaggerating a bit?"
Grissom grinned, saying in a low voice, "Oh yeah, definitely that hot, and more."
Grissom turned his attention to Nick who was just finishing telling them about Sara and her outfit. "I'm telling you, that top, it looked like it was so soft that it was like butter."
Sara decided to give them a little jolt by saying, "Yeah, it was that soft, at least Gil told me that he thought it was."
They all had a little laugh with that comment as Sara drifted off, thinking about what Grissom had on that night. He had kept the jeans on that he was wearing when she got home from work. He let Sara pick out a shirt for him and started to complain when she pulled a black, soft, microfiber button up shirt for him. He stopped complaining when Sara started buttoning up his shirt for him, running her hands up his chest, claiming that she was going to have a hard time keeping her hands off of him that night. She left the top three buttons undone, and when he reached up to button them, she smacked his hands away claiming that he needed to keep it open so she could catch a peek now and then. Blushing, he slipped on his loafers with no socks, and headed for the door, pulling Sara with him. Grissom knew that if they didn't leave right then, they would not go at all, and he didn't want to stand up Nick.
Sara glanced over to Grissom, who had just slipped off his shoes and put his feet up on her bed, trying to look calm and relaxed, but she knew better, they both knew the rest of the story was going to be very uncomfortable.
Looking towards Nick, she pleaded with her eyes for him to stop there. Nick glanced her way and continued his story.
"So, anyways, here we are, about an hour later and two drinks and a shot under our belts, when this woman comes up to Sara. She was a nice looking woman who had come to the bar with a bunch of her friends. I thought at first that she knew Sara, but quickly found out differently. She introduced herself to Sara and ignored Griss and I. Well, Sara in turn introduced her to us, and all seemed fine. I think she said her name was Val. Anyways, Val told Sara that her friend had seen her across the bar and was interested in her." Nick looked uncomfortably at Grissom and looked around the room at his friends, who were all leaning forward, waiting for him to continue.
"So, Sara stands up on her tippy toes, playing along, trying to see who it is that Val was talking about. Sara asks if it is the tall guy with the short brown hair, or the blond guy that was standing next to him. Griss and I both had our jaws draggin' the floor when Val grinned and said, 'No, it is the blond hot chick in front of them.' Well, let me tell you, Griss' eyes got HUGE and so did Sara's. Sara stammered on claiming that she was a 'dick chick' and that she didn't fly that way but she was very polite about it, and said she was very flattered but no thanks."
Nick paused in his story so that everyone could stop laughing. Brass and Greg both had to take a tissue to wipe their eyes. They had both been laughing so hard that they were crying.
Nick continued, "But, that isn't even where it ended, as the night went on, Val kept on coming up to Sara asking her if she was sure she wasn't interested. She really wouldn't leave Sara alone. The kicker was when this girl who was interested in Sara got the nerve up to approach her. Now remember, we had been drinking a bit, and my experiment was going quite well, I was confident that they were tipsy enough now to start trying to get them to slip up. Well, I didn't have to try at all when this girl came up to Sara and asked her to come home with her, and she started to tell her and us what she wanted to do to Sara. Griss and I just sat there and laughed, not really helping Sara out at all until Sara finally spoke up and told the girl, 'You know I really am flattered but, you see, I have a problem with that whole situation, see, I love men just WAY too much. See, I am here with my husband AND my boyfriend. Let me tell you guys, that got Griss and I to shut up REALLY quick. The girl just turned on her heels and left off in a huff. I knew that I had to razz Sara a bit, so I closed my eyes, stretched out my arms, and looked upwards. Griss couldn't resist and asked, 'Nicky what the hell are you doing? ' Let me tell ya all, it was hard to keep a straight face when I told him that I was trying to burn the thought of Sara and another woman in my head so I could dream about it later."
Everyone struggled to keep their laughter down, but weren't very successful, especially when Greg fell off of his chair exclaiming, "Damn, I wish I was there. What a dream." Receiving a withering glare from Grissom and a smack to the head from Warrick, Greg quickly got back into his chair and pleaded, "Go on Nick."
Nick cleared his throat and didn't hold any information back when he continued, "I was just going to get asking questions and making some sly remarks when the girl actually came back up to Sara and asked her which one of us was her husband and which was her boyfriend. Unknowingly, she helped me conclude my experiment. Sara was a bit miffed because we kept on teasing her, so she decided to get us back a bit. Sara grabbed Griss and I and wrapped an arm around each of us and looked into my eyes and then Griss'. Then, she told the girl, 'you tell me' and then Sara proceeded to kiss Grissom right there. I am not talking a little peck either, a full, on the lips, tongue and all kiss. Right there I knew. It was too comfortable for them both. Neither hesitated at all. If she would have kissed me, I couldn't have done it, I would have started laughing or been so hesitant, that there is no way that she could have slipped me the tongue. Man, that kiss went on for about 4 or 5 minutes too. I was positive then. The girl didn't even say anything, she just walked away. I felt like I was intruding. I tried to act like it was nothing to see them like that, but let me tell you, it was hot, her hands were everywhere on him and I mean EVERYWHERE. So guys, I think my story has all of yours beat."
The team looked towards Grissom and Sara who had both turned a bright shade of red which just made them all laugh harder. Grissom couldn't look anyone in the eye as he told them, why don't you guys go down to the cafeteria and get some dinner while I help Sara with her salve and make her rest for a half hour."
They all agreed and asked Grissom if he wanted them to bring anything back for him. He asked them for a cup of coffee and nothing else as they started to leave the room. Catherine stopped in the middle of the doorway, trapping the rest of the night shift in the room as she turned around and said, "OK we will go for now Gil, but just remember, when we get back, I am telling MY story." And with that, they all went into the hallway, leaving Grissom and Sara to rest.
A/N: Yes, another note. This scenario that Nick tells really did happen. It happened to me. I tried to recall it all just right, but it was about 8 years ago, so it wasn't too clear. I hope you enjoy.