a/n: I had a fair amount of block heading into this chapter, throw in my kids' exams, and my friends' kids' graduations, killer work week, oh well, excuses, excuses. I think the chapter could be better, but at this point, I think it's as good as I can do right now. Hope it reads well as it's so important to the story. I plan to post once more to wrap up this ramble. Thanks for reading, and I really appreciate the reviews.....
Arriving to the lab finding the team waiting in the break room for assignments, Catherine was rushed to get things organized, but as always, she got everyone where they needed to be. As Sara headed out in the field with Greg, Catherine studied her exit in light of everything she had revealed. She and Greg had such rapport, they were clearly very happy to get an assignment together, and yet, for the better part of a year, Sara was unable to deliver a simple 'hi' to him amidst her odyssey to find her way out of Vegas. And, now look at her, at them, what a journey she's been on.
Greg was thrilled to get assigned with Sara, that pairing had been rare since her return. He and Nick were now the back bone of the grave team and often worked alone since the team was still short handed. Sara was frequently assigned to Dr. Ray; his progress was stunning, but he still lacked experience, and Sara was the perfect mentor. Tonight, there was an especially detailed scene that needed some collective expertise, and, with new insight, Catherine knew that Sara and Greg's was a friendship with a short time left to enjoy the simple act of sharing the challenge of working a scene together.
Greg wasted no time in trying to pry the dinner conversation out of Sara. Jumping into the Denali, before he was even out of the parking lot, "So, how was your dinner with Catherine?"
"Very nice, thank you."
"Well, what'd you tell her, you know," he shrugged, "how long do we get to keep you?"
She laughed, "I'm week to week for a while."
He blew out a deep sigh in response.
"Greg, you must know Grissom and I don't intend to live like this indefinitely."
"To be honest, Sara, I have no idea what to think, you don't share much."
"I'm so sorry, Greg," she shook her head, "It's a bit complicated. Let's just say, right now we're each doing what we need to in order to prepare for the next phase of our lives."
"If you say so," came the sarcastic reply.
Now it was Sara's turn to sigh, "Grissom is off making contacts with entomologists outside of the forensic field so that he can pursue new avenues of research, and I'm, well," she looked out the window, "I'm reuniting with friends I've missed terribly, I'm making money which I really needed to do," she laughed, "and," she looked back at him with a very serious tone, "I'm proving to myself that I really can be a CSI without falling apart or coming unglued."
Greg was now smiling as he glanced at her, she returned the look and the smile, "So, we're ok?"
"Yeah," nodding, "Yeah, we're good." With his attention back on the road, "So what is the next phase, that research project in Costa Rica?"
"Yes," she beamed, "I can't wait to get back there!" Sara turned to face him, "Greg, you must come visit us there. You can't believe how gorgeous and alive that place is. We're so happy when we're there."
"I'd like that," he replied as they pulled into the knot of police cars and EMT's at their scene, "But, um, Grissom would be ok with a visit from me?"
"Of course he would," she added, "He's not your supervisor anymore, ya' know."
The scene was just as Catherine had predicted, very detailed, requiring extremely meticulous and even tedious processing. Greg and Sara approached it with their years of seamless cooperation and their expeditious methods of processing. They managed to exchange lighthearted kidding back and forth between sharing their observations of the scene. Securing the evidence collected into the Denali they headed back to the lab to start logging it all in.
Greg noticed Sara rubbing the back of her neck while stretching, "Hey, Sara, you look tired," Greg offered, "why don't you clock out early and let me finish up here."
"Wow, Greg, you read my mind." She straightened up, "You sure it's ok?"
"You've done it for me more times than I can say, but," he grinned and shrugged, "I'll miss you."
Sara gave Greg a tight hug and flashed a wide Sara smile in return; she couldn't wait to get back to Grissom. On her way out she stuck her head in Catherine's office, "Hey boss," she said mockingly, "Ok if I leave Greg to log in and I clock out early?"
Catherine laughed out loud, "Um, no way, I have some paperwork I need help with." Sara's jaw dropped, but Catherine quickly went over to Sara, softly, so as not to be overheard, "Go home to your husband, and…" she paused, "let him know, when he's ready, I would love to say 'hi'."
"I will be happy to pass that along, but, truthfully," she grimaced, "he's not going to be happy I told you he was here. You have to keep that between us," she pleaded.
"Of course," she reassured Sara, "And don't worry, I do get it, the longer I think on it. I really do."
Sara let out a deep sigh, "You have a gift of understanding people, there is no doubt, and," she laughted, "your capacity for understanding people is more than Grissom and I possess combined."
Catherine couldn't help but smile in response, and Sara continued, "Judging from the texts I'm getting, I'm looking at a major debriefing when I get back, he's going to want to know every tidbit from dinner conversation!"
Catherine softly laughed while Sara started heading down the hall, "Thanks again, Catherine," she called back.
"One more thing," Catherine called out, "I'm overstaffed next shift, so don't bother coming in."
"What?" Sara exclaimed, surprise in her voice, "Are you sure?"
"I better not see you, am I clear? Ecklie's on me for your overtime. I mean it!"
Sara's grin grew impossibly brighter, "Yes, ma'am." She mouthed the words, 'thank you', and turned again to leave.
Catherine smiled and nodded, happy to see Sara get out early for a change given who was waiting at home for her.
She entered their townhouse to find Grissom amidst mountains of paper stacks, glasses perched on his nose, thumbing intently through a file. "What's the name of the hurricane that blew through here?"
He looked up in surprise; he had been concentrating on the file so hard he hadn't heard the door open. "Oh, my! You got off early," he rose to greet her, "How'd you pull that off?" as he pulled her into a warm embrace.
"Greg offered to finish up, and I took him up on it."
"That's nice, but I had plans to clean this up before you got home."
Sara could only laugh, "I think I would have to work a triple for that to happen."
He playfully frowned, "Is that any way to talk to your breakfast chef?"
"Breakfast?" she echoed optimistically.
"How do blueberry pancakes sound?"
Her face lit up as she planted a passionate kiss on his lips, "Whoa," he exclaimed as she broke off the kiss, "How lucky am I to have a woman I can turn on with the flip of a spatula," he quipped, "Now," delivering his own kiss, "Why don't you get a shower while I fire up the skillet."
"Gladly," she couldn't help herself from nibbling a bit on his neck before turning to the bedroom to get cleaned up.
The shower was as refreshing as ever, but this was one shower she didn't want to linger in too long. She didn't even dry her hair, letting her curls frame her face, and grabbing up her robe, she entered the kitchen to find the mountains of papers had been cleared, the table was now set for breakfast, and a heaping plate of pancakes was being set in her place there.
"Impeccable timing my dear," Grissom spoke with a sparkle in his eye.
"I can't believe you're really here," she sighed, "It's just so wonderful."
"It is wonderful to be together for once, but," he shrugged, "I still get an odd feeling here." He reached over to take her hand, "I see why you couldn't stay with me here even after you left the lab."
She nodded, "I can't believe how patient you were with me through all of that."
"I trusted you," he said matter of factly. "And, I knew you loved me."
Sara nodded. She didn't want to talk about those times; they were dark, uncertain times for the couple. Looking back, it was a miracle they stayed together through all of it. Wanting to change the subject, "So, um, how long can you stay?"
"I have to be back in Paris Monday, so I'm flying out Sunday on the red eye."
"I can't wait until we get back to Costa Rica," she blew out, as she piled up a blueberry filled bite on her fork.
"I think about it every day," he replied. "I think that was the most alive I've felt in so many years," his voice trailed off as his mind was clearly wandering to another place and time.
Sara smiled a contented smile while savoring her breakfast, and especially savoring her time with Grissom. Even the simple act of eating a meal together was something to cherish. Becoming that much more special over the recent years that were filled with separations. Even marriage couldn't prevent another unavoidable span of time apart. They were accustomed to being apart over their lives together. Whether they were apart because of a job that prevented them from getting involved in the first place, or being apart because of a job that tore them into pieces as individuals, it was always the job's fault. The job that first brought them together almost destroyed everything they had. They were now ready to put the job behind them and settle into a new life. They were almost there.
Grissom's focus returned, "So, how'd dinner go," he asked innocently.
Sara rolled her eyes, "We covered a lot, it was good, really good. In fact, it was probably long overdue."
"Why the eye roll?" he inquired, a bit suspiciously now.
"Oh, well, I mentioned to her about my family, kinda trying to explain some of my actions in the past."
Grissom stiffened; he had never lied to Sara about anything, but feared how she might interpret his hint to Catherine, and wondered if Catherine admitted knowing already, "How did she react?"
Sara shrugged, "She just thanked me for telling her, and said that now she understood me better."
Grissom breathed easier, "So you really covered a lot more than how long you plan to stay in the job."
"Oh, yeah," laughing, "But, like I said it was all good, except," now it was Sara who stiffened, she would just as soon not bring this up, but she felt she needed to own up, "I slipped up a little bit."
His eyebrows went up, "Oh?"
"I let it slip that you are here."
"What?" Shaking his head, "How could you do that? I always protected you when you came back and couldn't visit the team." He was visibly upset, "So I guess she wants to see me?"
Sara sighed, "Yes, but, I explained everything, and she gets it, she understands, she'll see you when the time is right."
"How could she possibly understand that?" he spit out as he left the table.
"You know," she laughed, "I'm not sure. I mean, she didn't get it at first, but then after shift, she told me she thought on everything, and she does get it now." She rose to stand with him, "I could see it in her face, she really does get it."
He took a deep breath, nodded slightly, and slipping his arm around her waist, "I'm so sorry I jumped on you, I just know how desperate the team was to see you, and it was so hard to honor your request to visit me and not let them even know about it, much less to visit them too."
"Now I know how hard that was on you, but back then I was drowning in my own pain and frailties so that I couldn't see it." She groaned, "So, now that it's me in that exact same position, how do I do? I screw it up, royally," she said with a grimace and a head slap.
Grissom had to laugh, tightening his hold on her. It was clear she got caught up with the sharing or was caught off guard, and it just slipped out. At least it was Catherine; someone who was able to understood things that he couldn't remotely fathom, it happened all the time, especially when it concerned the human condition.
"I'll call her later," he kissed her, "It will be fine."
She gazed into his gloriously deep blue eyes, seeing that he was truly fine with it, and so relieved she was that she didn't hide from the truth, she put it out there, and that he had forgiven her. There was really nothing they couldn't share at this point in their relationship. He closed his eyes as he leaned in for a sensual, soft kiss, and continued down her jaw line, to her neck. His hands meanwhile, were wandering underneath the robe, and breakfast was officially over.
They stumbled in between gropes and nibbles to their bedroom, to savor yet another splendid moment together. Not only was their relationship strong enough to survive long separations, but it flourished and grew in their eventual reunion. Even a simple occasion, breakfast, was something to cherish after their long separation, so making love, well, that was something that was renewed all over again, allowing them to feel their love more intensely than either could have ever dreamed. Sara and Gil were a couple who grew stronger in their love when forced to be apart, almost as if it was their destiny somehow.
Expressing that love, with stomachs quite full after feasting on decadent pancakes, left them quite spent, and drifting off to sleep before Sara could tell Grissom that he would not have the privacy of their townhouse the next night; she would be there to distract him, which could not have happened if it had not been for her slip up with Catherine.
Just more proof that what looks like adversity, usually has a bright side after all.
tbc……