Disclaimer: Not mine
Summery: Post Living Doll. The team searches for Sara with the help of our favorite NCIS Team. Because you've got to love a good crossover. GSR
Desert Palms Hospital
Sara Sidle's Room
The Following Day
Apart from a broken left arm, Sara was remarkably healthy. The doctor said that she could probably leave the following day. The team was elated and took the first opportunity to pile into Sara's room.
Catherine and Nick started to cry the moment they saw her. Warrick followed, eventually crying too. She hugged them all awkwardly with her arm in a cast. Greg hung back at first, shy. It was only after Sara opened her arms in a welcoming hug that he came closer, crying briefly in her arms. Brass watched the scene, hands in his pockets. After a moment, Catherine realized that nobody had introduced the NCIS team, and she took it upon herself to do so.
"Sara, this is Tony DiNozzo, Tim McGee, Ziva David from NCIS. You already know Abby."
"Jethro's team." Sara smiled, shaking there hands with her good arm. "Thank you, everyone." Sara looked around the room, her eyes falling on Grissom, who hadn't left her side for a moment. She smiled at him and he returned her. The nurse only allowed everyone to stay for a few minutes, making sure the visit was too short to be over whelming
Grissom only consented to leaving Sara alone in order walk Bruno and take a shower when Catherine told him that Sara would not be left alone until he returned. Gibbs arrived shortly after allowing Catherine to pick up Lindsey, who was dying to see Sara. Gibbs watched in wonder as Sara read Abby's Masters thesis.
"I can't believe that Abby was right."
"Jethro." Answered Sara, putting down the journal and giving Gibbs the hundred watt smile he used to spend hours contemplating. "What is she right about?"
"She said you would want to read that when you woke up." He explained.
"She has some interesting theories" Sara said, "And besides it wasn't the first thing I did when I woke up. I also got poked and prodded by four different doctors. I was allowed to eat ice chips. I saw the team. I met your team. And only after all of that did I start reading Abby's thesis.
"You always over did it." Gibbs laughed
"This coming from the man who went back to work three hours after being shot."
"I was in the middle of a case. And it was just a flesh wound."
""I was at the emergency room Jethro, the doctor told you take at least a week off."
"Let's not reprise a ten year old argument." Said Brass, standing in the doorway
"Brass!" Said Sara gleefully.
"How did you know that was a ten year old argument." Asked Gibbs
"If there's anything I recognize in this world it the rehashing of old arguments." Answered Brass. He and Gibbs looked at each other and nodded solemnly. Sara laughed suddenly. They looked at her strangely
"Sorry." She said, laughing hysterically, "It's really not funny. You too are just a lot alike and I never realized it till just now."
"Thanks." Answered Gibbs and Brass sarcastically.
"I have to go help Abby run an errand." Said Gibbs. He shook Brass's hand, kissed Sara's cheek and left.
"I'll see you later" Said Sara, calling out the door."
"You sure can pick em honey." Brass kissed her cheek and looked at her fondly.
"How did everyone take it when Grissom brought in another team?" Asked Sara, curious.
"They did what they had to do." Brass answered, "We found you and that's what matters."
"So, I heard Grissom let it spill to the entire team." She said, "I'm gone for a few hours and he tell the team the secret we've been keeping for over two years."
"You weren't there Sara." Brass sat down, "I've never seen him like that. He wasn't himself. Would the Grissom you know ask the feds for help?"
"The Grissom I know wouldn't ask Jethro Gibbs for a damn thing." Sara sighed, looking at Brass.
"We did what we had to do to find you."
"What do I do now?" Her eyes where wide, fearful of the future.
"You let us take care of you for a while." He held her hand.
"I'm tired Brass." Sara closed her eyes.
"You should sleep if your tired." He answered in a fatherly tone.
"Don't leave." She whispered, "I don't want to be alone."
"I won't." He answered settling for the long haul.
An Hour Later
Brass was several pages into Abby's surprisingly interesting masters thesis, when Grissom walked into Sara's room with freshly washed hair and a bag of Sara's things.
"You could have gotten some sleep." said Brass, Getting up, "I'm comfortable."
"I didn't even like leaving to walk Bruno." admitted Grissom, "It's like..."
"You can't let her out of your sight." said Brass, "I know the feeling."
"How long has she been sleeping?" asked Grissom.
"Half hour. It's good sleep, healthy sleep." Brass said determinedly. They spoke in low tones, determined not to wake Sara. Grissom sat down and pulled out a crossword puzzle. Brass returned to Abby's thesis. Both men keeping watch of Sara's sleeping form.
Five Hours Later
Sara woke up hungry. Something in the air smell deliciouses and she opened her eyes to find Abby opening up take out containers holding food from Sara's favorite vegetarian restaurant in DC. She had discovered it in graduate school and had loved it long before she had sworn off meat.
"I knew that would wake you up." Said Abby, smiling brightly.
"You were right." Said Greg, grinning at Sara, unable to keep from hugging her which led Abby to hug her and Greg to hug Abby.
"So do you think we could actually eat some of that food." said Sara, eying the food, hungrily. Greg and Abby made a plate for Sara before sitting down to eat.
"The nurse put a cot in here for Grissom when they realized he wasn't going to leave." Said Greg pointing to Grissom, who slept on a cot less than ten feet away from Sara's bed.
"At first we tried to be quiet, but than we realized that he's so tired, nothings going to wake him up." said Abby. Sara looked at Grissom fondly. Watching him sleep made Sara long to go home, where they could sleep side by side, in there own bed. She shook herself from her thoughts, turning her attention to the food in front of her.
"How do you remember something I told you one time a year ago." Sara marveled.
"Because I go there all the time now." Abby said setting up a plate in front of Sara, "I ordered pretty light things. The doctor says it should be fine."
"Excellent." Sara dug in hungrily. She was starting to feel more normal.
"You've got yourself quite a man." said Abby smiling. "The doctor finally talked him into going to sleep an hour ago. And he only agreed after they talked about sedating him."
"I'm glad." said Sara, "He doesn't always take care of himself." She noticed Greg blushing at her talking about Grissom the way a girlfriend would. She smiled at him, before changing the subject, "How long do you get the stay in Vegas?"
"The director has us on a flight tomorrow morning." Answered Abby, crossly. "I wanted to wait until you got out of the hospital so we could hang."
"I'm sure Gil and I will get to DC sometime in the next few months answered Sara.
"You better." Answered Abby. They stopped talking in order to eat. Lindsey ran into the room.
"You're ok." Said Lindsey, hugging Sara quickly, "Mom said you were but I had to see for myself.
"I'm alright.
"I heard uncle Gil let your little secret spill?" Lindsey giggled.
"You knew? Catherine said, shocked
"Uncle Jim and I were buying your birthday present a few months ago and we saw them on a date." The girl confessed quickly. "I wanted to tell you."
"Brass knew?" Said Greg, surprised.
"I asked her not to tell you." said Sara,
"More like begged." Said Lindsey.
"I figured out Grissom loved Sara before he did." Said Brass, standing in the doorway.
"How can Grissom sleep through all of this?" Asked Nick standing behind Brass.
"He can't." Said Grissom, groggily from his cot.
"Good you're up." Said Gibbs. "Warrick and I brought you some real food."
"And I'm never letting this man drive me anywhere, ever again." Warrick looked surprisingly pale as he handed Grissom a container of food.
"You've obviously never driven with Ziva." Said Catherine. Abby and Gibbs nodded in agreement. "Your team is asleep in the waiting room, didn't your director spring for hotel rooms?"
"They've learned to sleep where they can, when they can." Said Gibbs, "I'll wake them up before we go to the hotel. I want to keep DiNozzo out of the Casinos for as long as possible."
"What has Sara done to you?" Asked Nick as he watched Grissom add large pile of tofu next to his burger and begin to eat the two with equal enthusiasm.
"It good, you should try it. Grissom offered a container to Nick, who made a face. Sara moved over to the side of her bed and Grissom sat down next to her. Catherine watched the interaction with interest. They were defiantly a couple. They seemed to be unable to keep there hands off of each other. Subtle, little touches, full of meaning. He gazed at her, watching her move. They obviously very much in love and Catherine wondered what had taken her so long to notice. Maybe it was because they had obviously been in love with each other for so long it was difficult to notice the shift between before and after.
"Catherine." Said Grissom, looking at Sara, who nodded at him, smiling and briefly touching his face, "
Ask the questions you're dying to ask before your head explodes." Sara laughed as Grissom put his arm around her, and kissed her cheek.
"Oh I don't know if I'm ready for so much PDA." joked Greg.
"How long?
"Two and a half years." Answered Sara. The team looked shocked. Not one of them suspected that it had been going on for so long.
"Or ten depending on how you look at it." Said Grissom. Sara looked at Gibbs cautiously wondering if he was doing the math. Ten years ago, she had been in the middle of a year long relationship with the Gibbs. But Grissom was right, the seed for their relationship had been planted all those years ago. Grissom continued, unaware of the interaction going on next to him, "I fell in love with her than, it just took me a long time to figure out what to do about this." Grissom finished, he and Sara laughed at the inside joke and kissed.
Over the next hour, Sara and Grissom gave the team the long version of there life together. Including the story of finding Bruno and moving in together. Eventually, Sara and Grissom began to doze in her bed. The team took the hint and left quickly, cleaning up the left over food as they went. Abby covered them with a blanket from the cot and followed Gibbs out, shutting off the light.