A/N: All right then... This is a really bi-polar chapter. It couldn't decide whether it wanted to be sad and lovesick or if it wanted to be slightly revealing or if it wanted to be a little bit on the comical side. Blame it on a woman's monthly friend people, sorry. But on a brighter note, I loved the responses to last chapter! It was just like, WHA-BAM! Oh yeah, and Ash Reily, you are one dedicated reader. That's what you call "Speedy Updating". It was one right after the other. Thanks, you fed my review hunger because I just found out I'm a review-lover-holic. Hehe... Well, here's the 9th chapter, however it may suit you!

Disclaimer: ... Nothing... And I don't own the song or the radio station either. Though my cousin does work at the radio station on some weekends.

Chapter 9: Love Bites

Sara's POV

It was back to work again, and I was off to the usual spot I went when I first arrived. Break room.

Instead of the normally dead silent or lightly chattering that occupied the room, halfway down the hall, I could already hear their excited and anxious chatter.

Ugh, what could've happened now? Don't tell me Ecklie's acting up again. I thought miserably to myself as I entered. "Hey! Guys? What's going on? I could you hear you guys like a mile away."

"It figures you'd forget already." Greg announced from the couch. "The Annual Police Ball, Miss Cinderella? Did you already forget about it? Ecklie made the announcement about two or three weeks ago!"

Oh damn. I thought to myself.

Determined to push the dreadful thought of the social gathering out of my mind, I walked over to the fridge and removed a water bottle, knowing the coffee would set me in an even worse mood. I couldn't believe that was already here. And with remembering that, I remembered Warrick and Nick's promise to me last year, which I had missed. They told me, "If you miss this one, you're going to the next year's one for sure." Joy.

"Oh no. She didn't forget. She just thought that if she didn't mention it, that Nick and I wouldn't remember our little promise we made to her last year." Warrick said with a cool voice. "But we didn't Sara."

I felt someone approach me as I stood against the refrigerator. Instantly, an arm was slung over my shoulders and hugged me tightly. Nick had the largest grin on his face, which opposed my distasteful scowl. I knew there was no way of getting out of this one unless I faked my own death.

"C'mon Sara! It won't be that bad! Don't be more stubborn than Grissom! I heard he's going with a 'mysterious lady'." Nick said as he announced the latest rumor of the Gossip Mill. "And if Grissom's going, you shouldn't be nearly as stubborn about going. Grissom's never gone to one of these things, and you've gone about two times."

All thoughts of the Ball forgotten, the only part out of all that Nick said were the parts concerning Grissom. Misery was replaced with hurt and jealousy once more, but I turn down the thought of letting it over take me. The "mysterious lady" had to be Lady Heather. There was no other person that popped into my mind. On first thought of the Ball, knowing Grissom was going, or so it was heard, with Lady Heather, I declined the thought indefinitely, but something else came into mind shortly afterward.

Brooke's plan.

If I told Brooke, she would see the opportune moment to execute the plan like I just did. But it would be in front of all those people! And not just any people, but police officers and everyone else that worked in or with the PD. Sure, she held no shame in the embarrassing things she did in public, but I did.

But instead of declining like my mind was screaming to do, the opposite came out. "All right then. I suppose it couldn't hurt to go one more time. When is it?"

"Tomorrow night." Was the reply I got from everyone.

In my mind, I was throwing a childish temper tantrum, but I left my exterior expression expressionless. Just wonderful. Just like Greg's earlier comment, I was Cinderella. No clothes to dress up in to wear to the ball. Nothing to impress the Prince with. As the story would go, "What a pity."

Brooke... I'm half afraid to let her come to the ball, but there was no other way. I have to call and let her know tonight. I told myself and made a mental note. "Hey, where's Grissom anyways? He's late with assignments." I heard Greg ask as he made a note of the time.

"I'll go look for him in his office." I said subconsciously, slipping out of Nick's embrace and left the room. What did I just say?

Before I could have a sensible thought pass through my mind, an obviously blank thought train, Grissom's office was already in sight. Standing outside the silent room, door closed for the second time in two days, I tapped the frame lightly with my knuckles and awaited a reply.

"Come in." I heard his voice resonate from within.

Taking a deep breath, as if the room beyond this door were oxygen deprived, I opened the door and stood in the threshold, my usual spot in his office. Not quite inside, yet not quite out. The story of our demented relationship, it seemed.

"You planning on giving us our assignments any time soon Griss?" I called out to him softly, seeing him obliviously occupied with his paperwork.

His eyes shot up and met mine in an instant. They locked for a second, which to me was an eternity, but his was the one to falter all too hastily. I never found myself staring away from his blue orbs whenever they crossed paths on my own. I usually had to tell myself to look away to avoid any further embarrassment I would land myself in.

Turning my head away from him, I softly cleared my voice to myself as I shifted uncomfortably in my place from the tension. I was tired of this tension we had together. Even if we made no advancements, I wanted the tension to at least go. At least when I first moved here, things were always awkward between us until I made it awkward.

With my head still down, contemplating over our positions right now, I didn't notice him standing from his seat and retreating out of the office. A man on a mission, he didn't consider once telling me to step aside to let him pass through effortlessly. That was the cause of our bodies coming into physical contact with each other as he slid across the opening. With the loss of mass in front of me now, I felt my breath of air leave with him out the door. For a moment I just sat there and reveled in that smell I had come to associate with Grissom for the longest time; clean, fresh, and tempting.

Not wanting to appear lost, I shut off the lights in his office with the switch on the wall just behind me and walked out, closing the door behind me. I followed after him to the break room and came in behind him just as he started to settle the keyed up group of investigators.

"Can we please concentrate on this now? Crime calls our names loud and clear." He spoke to the team as they quieted down. "All right, Warrick? Greg? You two have a B&E in Summerlin. Nick? You've got a solo DB in the forest just a little ways from Greg and Nick's crime scene. Make sure to compare notes to see if they're related in any way, shape or form. Sara, Catherine? Are you two anywhere close to wrapping up your case yet?" Grissom seemed to ignore me completely and look at Catherine.

"The girlfriend is down at PD, ready to be interrogated. We have strong enough evidence to suggest that she did it all, and it was premeditated." Catherine answered promptly.

"Good. Well, that's all. I have a case of my own to tend to, so if you need to contact me, my cellphone and pager as usual." He announced as he turned to leave, eyes quickly locking with mine for a short time. Just as he was about to leave completely, and the chattering was starting up softly, he called over his shoulder. "And don't let the Police Ball excite you too much. You still have work to do." And with that, he was gone.

Catherine walked up to my side and stared at Grissom's back as he proceeded down the hallway and made a quick left for the main lobby.

"He is a strange one..." Catherine mumbled to herself under her breath. "Care to join me in the interrogation?"

"Would you mind if I didn't this time?" I asked as I glanced questioningly over to her.

"Not at all. More glory for me to have." Catherine gave me a large, toothy smile as she went down the hall, her heels marking her leave.

Case solved. I told myself. Great... Now I'm stuck with nothing to do.

After some quick thinking, the thought of catching up with Grissom before he left to offer help with his case came to mind. Setting off at a jog, I made my way for the main lobby and then parking lot. Looking around for his car, I saw him standing in the middle of the parking lot staring with fascination, but I couldn't figure what. Continuing to jog up to him, I slowed down when I was only a few feet behind him.

"Grissom!" I exclaimed out as I sauntered up to him now.

"Sara? Do you know who owns that car? The Lamborghini?" He asked as he pointed over to my new car.

"Mine." I said shortly, not thinking of the consequences of my action. How was I going to explain how I got the car?

"Yours?" Grissom said with astonishment in his voice and expressions. "Sara, I don't even make $20,000 a year, and that car looks well over $20,000. When you make less than I do, how do you manage to afford a car like that?"

"I told a friend about my previous car dilemma, and she offered to help." I shrugged, not wanting IA to be involved with this and having to ask senseless questions about Brooke and my life. Might as well be honest with someone that can back me up.

"And they could afford a car like that?" Disbelief still marked his face.

"Yes. She got lucky at a casino." I didn't truly believe Brooke's statement, but used it anyways.

"And what's this friend's name?" He continued to interrogate me, now facing me completely.

I had to stop myself from saying, 'What's it to you?'. Instead, I spoke with an even voice. "Brooke... Brooke Waters." Knowing he wouldn't be satisfied with just a first name, I offered her last name as well.

Putting me under his scrutiny much like he would a piece of evidence, he tried to determine if I was being truthful or not. Internally, that had me feeling slightly taken aback. Since when didn't Grissom trust me or my honesty?

"Was there something you wanted Sara?" Grissom quickly changed the subject.

Recalling my original intentions for seeking him out before the questionnaire about my car, I shifted my weight onto my other foot and immediately became slightly shy. "I was wondering if you needed assistance on your solo case. Catherine's wrapping up the case at PD in the interrogation, and I have nothing else to do." I explained.

"No." He said perhaps a little too quickly. "I mean, I'm sorry, but this is a case that I must handle alone, Sara." He said apologetically for his snap. "Why don't you take the night off? Let yourself off for the night and enjoy yourself for once."

I wanted to insist upon helping him, but the fact that he didn't want help stuck with me. When was there ever a case that you couldn't invite another CSI in on unless it was personal, which you shouldn't even be on because of Conflict of Interest? I watched him silently as the enigma of a man walked to his car and got in before promptly taking off, leaving me behind like usual, both physically and metaphorically.

Wondering feverishly about what his case could be about, I opted to just get into my car and drive around until I found something to do, before unprofessional thoughts such as searching his office for hints of where he was or followed him to his "crime scene".

Making a quick entrance of my new car, now conscious of who was watching, I drove off just as quickly and silently, not wanting anyone else to be suspicious of my new car, or how much it cost.

While on my pointless drive, I contemplated more than once calling Brooke and seeing what she was doing, but decided against it in the end. She was probably at her job, whatever that might be. There was no other person that I knew and deemed a friend that wasn't in the PD and worked any other shift other than night. Not that there were many of them to begin with, but still. I even went so far as to consider calling Catherine after I figured she had wrapped up the interrogation and case and see if she wanted to go out to look for clothes for the Ball tomorrow, even as much horror it would put me through. But I figured also, that Catherine would much rather spend time with her daughter who she just didn't seem to see enough of lately. She wouldn't pass up that time, precious time to her, for me, a person she was just starting to stand as a colleague and partial friend. It just didn't seem logical.

Driving under the Las Vegas lights on the Strip, I looked at the multiple buildings that stood together as if they were leaning on each other for support to stand. It was as if they were mocking me by saying that they had something standing beside them while I was both physically and mentally alone. Scowling unintentionally at the building, I drove on, determined to not let inanimate objects get to my head, despite the fact that there was a small part of me that agreed with the elaborate buildings.

Brooke's POV

Kissing Roxas lightly on the forehead, along with Alex and Kylie, I turned to Jen and gave her my serious face. "Don't let that... Just don't let him in this time. Don't even let him get five feet from the door."

"I promise I won't let him get to the kids, ever." Jen said now that she was feeling slightly better.

"You need to take care of you too, Jen. How can you take care of someone else when you're not even healthy?" I asked not seeking an answer, but got an ashamed expression across Jen's face. Pulling her into a sisterly embrace, I tried to hug the shame and pain away. "Please, if he comes back this time, forget about the repercussions. Just call the police if he comes home like last time again. I don't want to lose you or anyone else in this house because of that prick." I whispered in her ear so the children wouldn't hear my foul language.

"Brooke..." Jen let out an exasperated sigh.

"Promise me, or else I won't be able to work tonight without worrying." I pulled back to stare her in the eyes.

"Fine... I promise I'll consider it." She said without any sarcasm or joke. I needed more than a promise to consider from her. This was my baby's life too.

"Then, I'm not leaving you guys tonight." I said steadily, already shedding my jacket from my body and resting on the chair in the living room.

"Fine Brooke, I will call the cops if worst comes to worse." Jen said abruptly.

"If the worse comes at all, you will, you mean." I corrected her, never removing myself from the seat.

"I promise." Jen said with a hidden shudder in her voice.

Detaching myself from the chair I stood up once more and slipped my jacket back on, pulling Jen into another hug in the process. "Thank you." I said sincerely. "I promise I won't be long, but if something comes up or if Roxas is crying too much, call me. I'll be here on a moment's notice."

"All right. I've got it under control." She said as she stood in place with her hands on her hips as I walked out the door.

"Later!" I called as I jogged out and got into my awaiting ride. Sliding into the passenger seat of the Porsche, I slapped hands with my partner for the night, Taj. "Hey... Ready for tonight?"

"Couldn't be anymore." He said slyly as he took off.

A silent car ride later, Taj and I appeared at the rendezvous point. While in the car, I wired Taj with the recorder around his necklace and the hearing piece, incognito as an earring, in his ear. After making sure that everything was in order, I gave him a silent nod. Unexpected to him, I embraced him just before he exited the car, showing any kind of affection to anyone I worked with for the first time ever.

"Wish me luck." He whispered as he pulled back.

"Luck." I whispered back when I watched him get out and walk into the building.

Getting my own equipment together, compliments of "The Man", I placed my hearing piece into my ear and my speaking piece onto the collar of my jacket. Grabbing the binoculars from the glove compartment, I cautiously got out and made sure of my surroundings. Looking a little ways down the street, I saw the black hummer with Manny, our back-up driver and body guard, parked lifelessly. I gave him a small wave to get him to acknowledge the operation was in session now. He nodded back slowly as he lit up another cigarette, a whole sea of cigarette butts sitting below his window. He'd obviously been here a while and was nervous.

Hiding behind a nearby patch of bushes, I set up my base and pointed the binoculars up at the room that they were meeting in. It took several moments for me to find him, but soon I saw Taj joining a group of men at a table, shaking hands with a few of them.

Since when is Taj proper and polite to other guys? I thought silently to myself.

"Okay... Let's get this meeting started before something goes wrong." A strangely distorted voice said within the room Taj was in.

"Where's this D.I.S. person?" Taj asked to the entire room.

"We've never met him... He refuses to let us know his real name or where he is. He just contacts us through that computer, and doesn't even show up on the video. It just keeps black the entire time." Someone next to Taj whispered to him. "It's a real mystery, but we don't bother to question it. He's our boss regardless." Now that sounded familiar.

Ample time passed and I listened in on the entire conversation. Most of it didn't pertain to the information I needed to get, so I spent most of my time just ignoring it but still listening. Finally when it got to the part that we were there for, it had my undivided attention.

"Yeah... That's it. Bust his ass. Get that dirt on him." I mumbled under my breath as I watched from my hiding spot when the dirt was being turned up on our enemies. Now all that remained was to get Taj out of there alive.

"This weekend at the Red room, Rai, you're taking Blaze. If all goes well, then all is well. But if you lose, make sure you rematch him in a secluded area and win. Is that clear?" The man known as D.I.S. called the plans as I listened through the ear piece.

Blaze? What do they want Blaze for? God, "The Man" isn't gonna like this. I told myself as I made a mental note on my findings.

If I ever thought I was oblivious to something before, like someone calling out my name in a crowd, that time was a mere pittance to the unawareness that I had now. Unknown to me, a detective had been creeping up behind me and now just choose to make his presence publicly known to me.

"HEY whatcha up to?" He emphasized the beginning as a detective's badge flew in front of my binoculars.

Jumping back, I fought against the impulsive urge to sucker punch the older and balding detective in the stomach and run. "Shit man! Do you always come up on people like that!" I seethed.

"Yeah, I'm trying to break the habit." He said with a sarcastic tongue. "So, what are you doing out at this time of night? Shouldn't you be in your dorm studying for a college test coming up soon or something?" He asked nonchalantly.

"I'm almost thirty-years-old, sir... And I never had the money to go to college." I scoffed as I was now sweating bullets as I was cornered by this cop.

"Whatta pity. But that still doesn't explain what you're doing out here." He shoved it back onto the topic I didn't want open for discussion right now.

"Oh you know... I'm just checking up on my boyfriend. I think he has a thing for the secretary, so I've just gotta check for myself." I made up the fastest lie I could think of, subconsciously trying to hide my receiving and responding devices.

"Hm, spouses. Can't trust them these days, can ya?" He asked as he slowly took my binoculars away from me.

Much rather than resist and look suspicious, I allowed him to take them and try and see what I was seeing. Trying to distract him, I answered back. "Huh, can trust him just about as far as I can throw him. And he a big guy."

"Huh, you know that's funny... I can't see him." I tried not to swallow the lump too loud.

"You can't? He's right up there to the left in the corner." I led him in the opposite direction from the actual window.

"Still nothing... Y'know? I think you should go home and get some rest. Maybe call him up tomorrow and ask him about it." I noticed the binoculars stuck in one place for a second more than I was comfortable with and then lowered them and looked back at me.

"All right then... Can I have my shit back then?" I asked, holding out my expectant hand.

Thankfully, the binoculars were as cheap as could be and weren't mine as the cop purposely dropped the binoculars, hitting the ground noisily. "Whoops." He said sarcastically.

Running out of nerve, I impulsively leaned over the bushes and alerted everyone that was on alert with a scream. "Five-oh! Five-oh!" Shortly followed by my announcement, I heard Manny peel out of the place.

Just as I began to yell it out, the cop roughly grabbed me by the left arm and subdued me like every cop does. Hand behind the back, except this guy just went the extra mile as he dragged and shoved me over to his unmarked car. Whether it was intentional or unintentional, he slammed me against the hood of his car and frisked me for any weapons. I knew this procedure all too well for it to be considered healthy. But every experience was different with the different cops. Some liked to be civil about it and ask you to do things kindly, while guys like this one forcefully slammed you and yanked at your arms like you were Harry Houdini. My face made a pancake against his car and I was sure that anymore press applied to my jaw would break it.

Thankfully, I wasn't the only one that witnessed this unneeded police brutality. Through the reflection of the hood, I saw a blonde Caucasian woman walking by with her dog glaring daggers at the detective. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

"It's all right Miss. I'm a cop." The cop responded as I heard him retrieving his handcuffs.

"Since when do cops make it all right?" The blonde shot him another question, disgust evident in her voice.

"Yeah man! Since when do cops make everything just peachy?" I repeated through a garbled speech as my jaw was now apart of the hood. The cop applied more force to keep me quiet as he cuffed my subdued arm. "Ey, ey man!" With a scoff, I heard and watched the woman walk off with her dog. And so didn't my last hope. "Hey! Wait! Don't leave! He's gonna try and stick a plunger up my ass!" I screamed out as I felt the cop let me go slightly but to my fear, he handcuffed me to the grill of his car.

"Now be good and sit tight." He commanded sarcastically as he walked off to the building Taj was in, radioing in.

"Yeah! Let's see if you have this shit when you get back!" I yelled after him as I began to kick at his grill to try and detach it as he entered the building.

Taking my free hand, I used it to reset up the pieces properly. With haste, and silence, I warned Taj. "Taj! You have to get out of there, now! A cop is coming up now, and he just radioed in for help. Get out of there!"

"Ahem... Excuse me, but do you know where I could find the bathroom?" Taj used the cover up.

Without another thought, one of the men replied. "Take a right down this hall and the room on the left at the very end. Door's right next to the fire escape."

Well, that's convenient. I thought as I continued to kick and wriggle the grill off, already having half of it disconnected.

"Thank you." Taj said as sounded like he stood up and began walking.

There was a sound of the door shutting and then there was a silent but rushed running. "Damn Brooke... Why didn't you let me know earlier?" He asked in panic.

"Sorry, but I was only getting yet another taste of police brutality out here! Manny high-tailed it outta here, so we're on our own." I told him as I heard another door, the fire escape door, open and shut.

"Okay, we got what we need to know, so let's just get outta here." Taj said as he rushed down the wire fire escape.

"Yeah, you better help me! I'm attached to this guy's grill! He handcuffed me to the grill!" I told him as I heard him running both through the piece and through my actually hearing down the alley toward me.

"Wow, you lucky bastard. Just getting it from everyone, aren't you?" Taj joked as he came into view.

Taking off the pieces and stuffing them in my pocket, I finally managed to rip the whole grill off and I figured we didn't have time to sever it just yet. Holding the grill in one hand, I indicated Taj's Porsche and we wasted no time in getting in, starting up, and quietly driving off so we didn't attract attention, or leave evidence behind.

"I always knew that you'd be attached to a car one day." Taj smirked as we made it back to "The Usual Spot".

"Oh shut up, you loser. My matchmaker wasn't that pretty either." I scowled as I sat back, grill in my lap.

"Aw, muffin." He said being sarcastically sympathetic.

"I swear that guy was about to stick a plunger up my ass if you hadn't given him something better to do!" I defended, shuddering at the thought.

"Wouldn't that be about the only bed action you'd be getting these days?" He teased me.

"Please boy... I've gotten more action in a year than you'll ever get in your entire life." I teased right back at him, relaxing back now.

"Maybe you could even it out for me." Taj wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh don't even go there, perv. I'm not getting on that subject with you." I scoffed, turning so I stared out the window now. "But you are cute." I stared back over at him and smiled.

"That puts me well above anyone else in the group!" Taj let out a laugh as he continued to drive.

Sara's POV

The driving had turned even more pointless than it was to begin with. But it began to freak me out as I decided to pull over on the side of the road at the most convenient of places. Grissom's Townhouse.

For minutes on end, I thought of how I could end up here without knowing it or intending it. Staring at the empty and dark townhouse, I quickly checked the clock. 4:00 a.m. The sun would be coming up soon, and shift would be over at 7:00.

I considered waiting here until Grissom returned back, and confront him about everything. It was on my list of to-do things. But as I thought of it, for the past six years, it's been on the top of that list, yet I never bothered to. Or at least, I made failed attempts. That's what everything had been in my life as far as the romantic department went. Failed attempts or never attempted at all.

Between my high school years up to this present time, I was by no means, a desirable woman on any level, save for the intelligence. Usually if I got a date in high school, it was so the guy could con me into doing his homework or other school projects while he ran off with other girls. After their needs were fulfilled, they'd then dump me and continue on with their lives. Eventually, I came to accept the facts about who I was, even if it stung slightly like salt on a wound. Then, I stopped the dating scene all together, although I then befriended the feeling of jealousy and loneliness whenever I passed a couple in the hallway. Brooke had always tried to console me and told me that I didn't need them, but as the years went on, I found it more difficult to believe her. But those feelings soon abandoned me once I found work to bury myself in. Before I left my high school and moved onto college, I was a work drone.

While in college, it must've been the party atmosphere of the dorms. I had opened myself up and subjected myself to college dating. No one now used me to do their schoolwork, for everyone there was academically capable of doing it themselves and had the grades to prove it. No, now they just wanted to make their ex jealous. To make them jealous or to just have a one-night fling. I never tolerated the one-night flings and utterly refused against them, while when I learned that I was just a tool to make another person jealous, I dumped them before I got hurt. It was a repeat of high school, and I soon drove myself into solitude with my work my main priority. I attended every lecture from every guest speaker, never missing one. That included all five of Dr. Gilbert Grissom's lectures on Forensic Entomology. And as much as I buried myself in my notes and note taking, at every lecture of his, I couldn't help but get lost within his deep blue eyes and become mesmerized by his voice. In between those dazed moments, I managed to keep track of what he was saying, I had beyond three handfuls of questions, it got to a point where he told me to find him later to ask him my questions in private. It was taking up his entire lecture time. And that's when my association with Dr. Grissom soon became a "friendship" with Grissom. It was always more like a one-sided love to me, and seems to have remained true to this very day. Wasn't that the reason why I was sitting outside his house instead of inside?

For the first time since the previous minutes before I arrived outside Grissom's house, I noticed the radio speaking through the sound system. 95.5 WBRE was one of my favorite R&B radio stations only because it was the same station we used to get back in Brooklyn. Compliments of Brooke, I soon was addicted to it and its Friday Night Slow Jams. It was a time where the lovesick people could call up and tell that person on the air that they love them, or whatever else they had to say. The shout-outs were never limited to anything however, where it ranged from lovesick notes to hatred and break up notes to the most bizarre notes to be heard ever.

So, as I listened to the shout-outs that had been left during the break, read off by the host, I paid special attention to the last one that also had a song requested for it as well.

"This one goes out to a Sara Sidle..." The host announced after clearing her voice. "But it doesn't say from who. It says, 'Beauty is not in the face, but a light deep down. Beauty in my eyes for you will always be unconditional.' Phew... That's some heavy stuff... Well, this guy also wanted me to play this song, so Sara, hope you know who this guy is. Must Be Nice by Lyfe Jennings." The host said as the song began to play.

"Must be nice
Having someone who understands the life you live
Must be nice
Having someone who's slow to take and quick to give
Must be nice
Having someone who sticks around when the rough times get thick
someone who's smile is bright enough to make the projects feel like a mansion
Must be nice
Having someone who loves you despite your faults
Must be nice
Having someone who talks the talk but also walks the walk
Must be nice
Having someone who understands that a thug has feelings too
Someone who loves you for sho'
You just remember to never let 'em go." I knew the song all too well, but the thought of it being Grissom just didn't add up right in my mind. For one, this song wasn't even in his genre of music. For two, this radio station isn't up his alley either. And for three, why would he be sending this song out to me when he's already got a girlfriend? If this was Grissom, which seemed like a slim to nothing chance, what was going on with him?

But just as I was about to convince the impossible, who else should park directly in front of the townhouse beside the owner? For a second, I sat there in a complete silence, holding a breath I didn't know I had as I watched him. He had his cellphone closed in one hand while he had his eyes closed in a deep concentration. I immediately turned down my stereo and strained to listen against the crickets that chirped in the early morning dusk. From Grissom's car, I was sure I heard the song continuing on from in there.

"Must be nice
Having someone you can come home to from a long day of work
Must be nice
Having someone you don't have to show they know exactly where it hurts
Must be nice
Having someone who trusts you despite what they've heard
Someone as mighty as a lion but still as gentle as a bluebird." The artist's voice sung out from Grissom's speakers now as I was sure mine were completely off.

Releasing his sigh, he turned off his car and sat back in his car for a few moments as he stared at his ceiling thoughtlessly. Or perhaps it wasn't so thoughtless as it appeared. I wanted to get out and run to him. But seriously, when hadn't I wanted to do that? Even when I was mad at him for whatever reason, that urge never left. I wanted to run to him and run into his life like I've been trying to do sneakily for the past six years. Was that ever too much to ask for? Too much for me to ask for? Not that I was dwelling in self-pity, but just how much did I have to suffer through to get to the good? To something I actually wanted? Was thirty-some odd years not enough as it was?

A car door slammed and heavy footfalls were heard on the concrete. Looking up, I saw Grissom had already made his way back to his townhouse, never recognizing me or my presence. My hand latched onto the door handle without my personal consent, and as I watched him struggling with his keys, my hand wavered from opening it and opposing my heart's wishes. Was this really the time or place? Was there ever going to be a time or place? But just as he finally found the right key and opened the door, I deflated in my seat as he shut the door behind him. Shut out again, and he didn't even know he was doing it.

With all the pent up air being unconfined now, I let my hand slip lazily from the handle, my head drooped down to stare at the floor emptily now. Soon I regained a small bit of life, just barely enough to lift my hand up to put the car into Drive and drive away from the scene. The murder scene where just another small part of me had died, yet again.

TBC

A/N2: What did I tell you? Bi-polar! But I had to write it. I had to post it because I'm hooking myself up to a newer and better computer hopefully tomorrow and I didn't want to wait to post it. I will be very busy. But please, leave reviews and I will certainly be happy! Thanks in advance to those of you that do! You deserve a cookie, except I haven't quite figured out how I'd get them to you. Hmm... I'll find a way, I swear to it. But for now... You know what to do.

Peace out, one love,

MC New York