JULY AND DECEMBER

Drama, romance

Through the years, two months brought changes into GG and SS's lives.

Spoiler: The accused is entitled.

Chapter two: DECEMBER 1998

Their friendship grew strong over the next months.

They talked on the phone whenever she needed to discuss something immediate, like a case; but they left the less urgent stuff for their Sunday morning chats. It was a cozy time for them; they simply logged on and it was like being on a hassle-free date. They talked about books and about their jobs, and sometimes one or the other would recount some film they had seen that week.

Usually, Grissom had already seen the movie she was talking about, but he didn't tell her. Reading her description of a film made him feel as if... as if they were watching the movie together. It was a little fantasy of his; as he read her words, he imagined that they were sitting side by side, sharing a bucket of popcorn and whispering their comments.

And yes, he knew that it wasn't the same; he knew that chatting on line about a movie wasn't like having her by his side; he couldn't put his arm around her shoulders, after all.

But in his opinion, this was good too. Maybe better since, unlike some of the real-life couples that he observed at the movie halls, he and Sara never had to endure uncomfortable silences or misunderstandings; he and Sara might agree or not over a book or a movie, but at the end of their chat, their friendship was intact.

They had the best of relationships.

Not that he had completely forgotten his little infatuation. Sometimes, after one of their chats, he would stare ahead for a while, thinking how much he'd like to see her. Or he would come across the bookmark –despite his putting it in a drawer he rarely used- and then he would forget the document he'd been looking for, and he would stare at the little package and wonder what it might have been.

But not for long. Telling himself that he had no regrets, he always ended up putting the little package back in the drawer. He knew he had to find a better hiding place for that bookmark, but he always forgot.

Then on December, just a week before Christmas, Sara called him with news that were unexpected and thrilling.

"I'm in Vegas!" she said cheerfully. "I'm on my way to Florida, and the plane made a detour. They're not saying what for, but apparently we're picking up some Senator. I have two hours to spare, Dr. Grissom; I was wondering if I could see you-"

"Sure!" He said, ignoring the pile of documents waiting for his attention, and reaching for his car keys, "It'll take me an hour, to get there, ok? Traffic's brutal at this time of the day."

He drove as fast as he could. He hoped they'd have time for a nice, friendly chat-

'Cause that's what we are, he thought. Friends; the best of them-

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When he saw her, he forgot all about being friends, and chatting seemed the last thing in his mind. Just looking at her put a goofy smile on his face, and he knew it.

They eagerly walked towards each other, but once they were face to face, they just couldn't find anything to say.

"Sara." He managed at last.

"Dr. Grissom." She said.

"Call me Grissom." He said.

"Oh. Ok."

They didn't shake hands. He knew –oh, he was sure- that if he touched her hand, he wouldn't be able to stop; he knew he would pull her into his arms and who knows what else he'd do.

He wisely kept his hands at his sides; but he stared at her, absorbing every detail. Her hair was shorter and curlier, and he liked the way it framed her lovely face. He also liked the creamy texture of her skin. It looked so soft and inviting, so, so-

A female voice interrupted his reverie.

"Dr. Grissom," it said, "Hello."

Grissom turned and saw a petite redhead he vaguely recognized.

"Hello -" he frowned, "It's Thompson, isn't it?" he said tentatively.

"Yes." She nodded with a smile, "I didn't think you'd recognize me. I wasn't your best student at the Seminar after all."

"Well, I do remember the grade I gave you." he said humorously. He looked from her to Sara, "You are both on vacation then?"

"Yeah," Thompson nodded, "Though this isn't just a vacation," she added, "At least, not for Sara-"

"Sandy," Sara interrupted.

"She's moving to Florida." Thompson finished.

"Oh." Grissom said, trying to keep a blank expression. "Are you, Sara?"

"I still haven't decided-" She said evasively.

"Oh, Sara, you know you will." Thompson turned to Grissom, "Her boyfriend moved there a couple of months ago,"

Grissom glanced at Sara, who was blushing and eyeing Thompson as if she'd love to stuff something in her friend's mouth.

Thompson didn't notice.

"Sara might be moving in with him soon." She was saying it deliberately, making him aware of the facts.

Grissom would always be proud of the way he handled the situation. He simply smiled, successfully masking his true feelings.

"It's a big decision, Sara." He said simply. "Will you still be working as a CSI?"

"Steve says he'll get her a job." Thompson said, and then she added. "Do you remember Steve Morris?"

Ah, Steve, Grissom silently scoffed; the moron who was holding Sara that night. Sure, he remembered the guy. Not the brightest student at the Seminar... not the worst either.

Just not good enough for Sara-

He abandoned that line of thought.

"Well, Sara-" he smiled, "Call me if you need a recommendation." He said helpfully.

"Steve says she can get any job she wants-" said Thompson, finally getting on Grissom's nerves.

"What about you, Thompson?" he said, "Are you also interested in a job there or are you just tagging along… as a third wheel?"

"As a concerned friend," she muttered, but she realized she wasn't welcome anymore, "I'll go get a magazine."

When Thompson left, Grissom turned to Sara.

"That's some big news." He said calmly.

"I haven't decided anything yet." She repeated.

"Well, think it over." He said quietly, "It's always good to establish a reputation before moving to another city."

"Yes," she nodded.

They looked at each other.

"Dr. Grissom," she said, "I -"

"Call me Grissom." He interrupted.

"Grissom." She said. "I… hum." She hesitated, "I'd like you to know that-"

"Sara," he interrupted, although he didn't say anything for a moment, "Look," he said at last, "no matter where you live, we'll always be friends. Ok?" he paused. "I mean, I hope so."

"Yes," she said eagerly, "Yes, Grissom, always."

They barely talked until her flight was announced. Then they shook hands and said goodbye.

A couple of days later, he got an e-mail from her: She was thinking of breaking up with Steve.

Grissom stared at the screen with mixed feelings. He was glad that she was breaking with that guy, but at the same time he didn't know how to deal with this. Personal stuff was just outside his… his jurisdiction, so to speak. Anything he said or didn't say would matter to her, probably more than it should-

But something else bothered him. Their encounter at the airport had taught him that his infatuation wasn't as one-sided as he had thought at first. Even Thompson had realized this; she had clearly tried to sabotage their encounter.

Sara had a crush on him.

Grissom stared at the words on the screen. He tentatively wrote,

'Dear Sara: If you're not happy with this guy, then maybe -'

Maybe, what? Maybe you'd like to be with an older man like me?

He shook his head.

He wasn't up to his. What the hell did he know about romance and love? Sara deserved a nice, normal relationship; with Steve –well no, not with Steve; but there would always be someone else out there.

What he and Sara had was perfect. They admired each other, they had affection for each other… Why would he exchange her admiration for the disappointment that his clumsy attempts at romance would bring? Even Thompson knew that her friend shouldn't be chasing after an older guy.

He deleted his first response, and instead he wrote,

'Dear Sara: Relationships are hard to keep in our line of work. If you find someone who tolerates the bad hours and the stigma of working at CSI, then you shouldn't let go so easily.

Me, I've just given up on relationships. I've come to realize that friendships are more rewarding and more deserving of nurturing. I wouldn't exchange a good friendship for anything else. '

He felt he'd been clear enough.

When she wrote back, she told him that she had broken up with her boyfriend, and that she wanted to concentrate on her career in San Francisco. And as a P.S., she asked him to give her a chance if there ever was an opening in Las Vegas.

He said he would.

And eventually, he did.

He'd had initial misgivings, but in time he warmed up to the idea of bringing her to Las Vegas. He'd watch over her, help her grow as an investigator. And her presence would be comforting.

Friendship, simple and perfect.

Over the years, whenever Grissom had a bad date -and all of them were bad- he would always think, 'wow, at least it wasn't Sara.' The thought of seeing Sara walking away from him in anger or disappointment over a failed romance, was too devastating to contemplate.

In his mind, their unspoken no-romance agreement was the best they had done for each other.

At least, until he found out about her affair with Hank Pedigrew. Grissom momentarily reacted as if she had betrayed him. It really took him a while to realize that he had no claims over her, but it was clear that their perfect friendship would never be the same. The tenuous balance that had kept them at a safe distance had been broken.

TBC