Disclaimer: Absolutely nothing, still! (if your confused see previous chapters!)
A/N: Yes, I'm back from my cousins! London was great, but back to the daily grind again. It may be a couple of weeks again until the next post, as I've just started a new job - and I have a feeling things are going to get a bit crazy comming up to Christmas, but I'll try to get it up as soon as possible. Also, have just started watching season 7 on DVD (I don't have a tv so hadn't seen it yet) and loving the comments between Griss and Sara!
Chapter Four
Grissom made both Sara and himself a cup of hot chocolate drink each to help them settle, while Sara dug out some spare bedding for Grissom to use on the couch. Truth be told she'd rather be sleeping in his embrace again than him sleeping on the couch, even though she'd told him she wasn't asking him to sleep with her.
'Deal with in Sara' She though 'isn't as if you haven't had to sleep by yourself, day full of nightmares on this date for the last 6 years - get over it!'
Sara deposited the bedding at the end of her couch , just as Grissom walked thru from her kitchen area and hander her a steaming mug of hot chocolate.
"Thanks" she smiled as they sat down together sipping their drinks, close but not touching for fear of the other reaction.
Eventually, when only a small amount of liquid was left in her mug, the night/day seemed to be taking its toll on Sara and Grissom could see her starting to drift to sleep where she was sitting. Gently Grissom eased the mug out of Sara's hand and set in on her coffee table. He gently shook her shoulder until her eyes opened a fraction.
"Come on honey," Grissom said "Time for bed", as he helped her stand and slowly walked with her through to her bedroom. He guided her over to her bed and let her sit down.
"Do you need anything?" He asked.
"Ah…um…no. Thanks Gil" Sara answered as Grissom smiled at her and turned to leave her room.
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In just the short time in there, Grissom was amazed. Yes, the room was so definitely Sara's, but there still seemed to be touches of the both of them, and their previously shared life - albeit shared between two cities and many miles.
There were lots of photos of the two of them in San Francisco, and a few knickknacks and books etc, that he now remembered were his, but had forgotten that he'd ever had.
'Mind you' He thought 'if I dug through some of the clutter in my dresser I'd probably find stuff of Sara's…only for the fact that my rooms a complete mess, total opposite of Sara's.' With Sara, the stuff was obviously intentional.
However, just seeing her room brought a pang of guilt to Grissom's heart. It was yet another "in your face wake up call" to him about how much he was hurting Sara (and himself to if he'd only admit it) by limiting their relationship to being strictly professional only.
He decided to get some sleep himself and lay on the couch, covering himself with the duvet Sara had brought out. However he could feel it was going to be a day of insomnia as he tossed and turned, his mind churning.
He thought of his and Sara's previous life, Julie-Ann, bringing Sara to Vegas, all but ignoring her after he did, telling the team about Julie-Ann, the sheriffs order, Sara's mood swings, Sara's room, and finally mulling over whether it would be possible to be involved with Sara again - and whether she'd still want him, although by seeing her room it was obviously still a possibility.
To be lovers once more, as well as friends and colleges.
He had always worried about the future. Not really about his career as Sara might think - he'd got as far as he wanted to go, into the political world of the police hierarchy - but of Sara's. He knew she had ambitions, and he didn't want her held back because of being in a relationship with him, especially seen as Ecklie was now in charge of the lab.
However the reactions of everyone (minus Ecklie) this morning had made him wonder if it was possible for them to be together again. Even the Sheriff had told them to spend personal time together, and after all he held higher rank than Conrad Ecklie.
Ok, he said 'personal', which could be interpreted as just friends also, but that was what Grissom himself had called their previous relationship, so even still. Mind, if it'd been up to Jim, he'd have probably told Grissom to get his head out from up his ass, get into bed with her and go for it like bunnies.
'Ok, stop it' Gil though 'definitely don't need that though right now, especially with the state Sara's been in…I know, maybe I'll ask her if she wants to go out for dinner tonight…take her some place fancy, take her mind of things…'
And with that he started to drift into sleep himself.
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What seemed like only minutes later Grissom was awakened by a scream from Sara's room. Nightmares, he knew instantly. He quickly got himself up and glanced at Sara's living room clock as he passed. 1300. They both must have got some sleep after all. He hurried on to Sara's room and found it still in darkness (from the thick curtains only, given the time of day) so to speak. The occupant was clearly still asleep and seemed still lost in whatever horrific dream she was having. She was moaning and sniffing and grasping tightly to the blankets with her hands, all the while kicking them off with her feet.
Grissom debated letting the dream conclude or waking her up, but he knew from previous experience that the latter was the better option. Moving over, he sat on the edge of her bed, turned up towards her and gripped both her shoulders in his hands.
"Sara, honey, wake up" he said, gently shaking her.
He repeated himself a few times, getting gradually loader with each, until her eyes sprung open and she looked up at him with a mixture of fear, shame and hope.
"It's ok honey, its just a dream" Grissom said gently as he helped her sit up and took her in his arms.
"I know" Sara replied softly "and even when I was having it I knew, but I couldn't find anyway to wake up and get out of it."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Grissom asked, although he already had a far idea what her answer would be.
"No" She shook her head "It'd only make it more real and make me remember more".
"Ok" Grissom said, knowing it was pointless to argue. "Is there anything else I can get you or do for you? It's only 1300hrs, so we should try to get another couple of hours sleep."
Sara looked up at him scared, and he could tell she was trying to get up the courage to ask him something.
"Griss…Gil…"She started hesitantly "Could you come in here and lie with me for a little while?"
Grissom smiled back at her with his trademark half-smirk that was reserved for her alone.
"That I can do. Just let me go and get that pillow and I'll be right back to join you, ok?"
Sara nodded and lay back down waiting for him to return.
When he came back to her room, he crawled in beside her and wrapped his arms around her as she moved her head to rest on his shoulder, using him as a human pillow. Comfortable again in each others arms they fell instantly into a restful sleep.
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Sometime later, Sara awoke to an insistent beeping coming from her living area. She felt a strong arm wrapped around her and instinctively stiffened. She soon relaxed however when she remembered who it was that held her.
Little did Grissom know it yet, but no other man's arms had held her in the 6 long years she'd been in Vegas. She hadn't been lying when she told Griss her and Hank were just friends - and at that point that was all she'd wanted. Sure, she'd started thinking of Hank as a boyfriend just to make Gil jealous, but after all as she'd found out, Hank had had another - a real - girlfriend to sleep with.
It finally clicked to her what the beeping sound was and she reached up and shook Gil's shoulder, trying to wake him also.
"Huh ump" he mumbled at her
"Gil, did you set the alarm on your cell phone by any chance?" Sara asked.
"Yeah. So?" He replied in his drowsy state.
"So…its beeping its head off - go and switch it off will you!"
"Hang on" Grissom said, fully awake now "If the alarms going of, that means we really should get up - its 4pm"
"No way Gil" Sara said as Grissom started to get up "There's absolutely no way I've slept for that long."
Grissom disappeared out her bedroom door, and a few moments later the beeping stopped. Sara sat up and shook her head - even counting the nightmare she couldn't remember when she'd last slept that long.
Grissom returned and sat next to her on the edge of her bed.
"So, seen as we have the night off" Grissom said "Would you like to go out somewhere nice for dinner?"
Sara hesitated, and Grissom was sure she was going to say no. And who could blame her? After all he'd turned down her invitation three long years ago, and they were only just starting to get their friendship back on track.
"I'd really like that" Sara finally answered, surprising both herself and Grissom.
"Great" said Grissom. "I'm going to head home and sort out some stuff…as well as shower and change etc. So, I'll come back and pick you up around seven thirty?"
"Um…yeah, that'd be great" Sara answered, in a way disappointed that he had to leave, even if it was only for a few hours.
"Call me if you need anything ok" Grissom said "I mean it, anything at all"
"Ok" Sara replied, then saw him to the door. She didn't follow him out seen as she was still in her pyjamas.
She shut her door with a smile on her face. Grissom had finally asked her out to dinner for the first time since she'd been in Vegas - he was obviously ready for more than just a 'professional' relationship again.
'Argh!' She thought suddenly 'I'm going out with Gil and I've only got less than three hours to get ready…Somebody help me!!!'
TBC
Ok, so I don't normally ask for reviews - but when over 30 people have your story on alert, but you only have 18 reviews for 3 chapters, you know pepole are reading the story, but havn't reviewed. Please tell me what you think so far?!?
Thanks, KaS
