Chapter 2

Sara woke abruptly three hours later, at first not knowing where she was. She sat up quickly and felt the room spin. Cursing, she closed her eyes until the dizziness passed and by then realized she was on the couch. Then she remembered why she was on the couch and felt anger flood through her. What could Grissom have been thinking? Showing up here after everything he had put her through? Nearly saying he still loved her. Sometimes she wondered if he had a sadistic streak that encouraged him to pour salt on open wounds.

Sara leaned back on the couch, pulling a pillow into her lap and rubbing a hand over her tired face. She had suffered more at the hands of this man, her now ex-husband, than anyone else in her life. God. At least the Miniature Killer had only wanted her dead! Grissom seemed hell bent on breaking her heart and her spirit and she did not understand why. A small voice in the back of her mind suggested she talk to him. Ask him those very questions. Another voice argued against asking questions she may not want to hear the answers to.

She had never met anyone more suited to her than Gil Grissom. All of her relationships, few though they were, had failed. Rarely had she been terribly upset after any of the break-ups but she had often wondered if there was something wrong with her. Was she too difficult to get along with? Was she not pretty enough? Not sexy enough? She was most certainly smart enough, but was she too smart? There seemed to be many possibilities and not enough real answers. Once she and Grissom had finally become involved she had thought finally she could be happy and in love and she would spend the rest of her life trying to make him as happy as he made her.

As is usually the case, reality intervened on their happiness. Sara leaving the lab and then the country. She had been prepared then for her relationship with Grissom to end but he had surprised her and come to Costa Rica. Giving up everything he knew, he took a chance on their future. Then when Catherine had needed help at the lab and Sara had been between projects it had seemed right to go back to Las Vegas and help out while Grissom was doing his research. Weeks turned into months and months into years. And this time Grissom had not come after her. Instead they talked less and less until it seemed they hardly knew each other anymore and finally he asked for a divorce.

Sara had not asked any questions. She really did not want to know if he had met another woman or had already become involved with someone else. She could not bear the thought that he did not love her anymore. She did not want confirmation that she was to blame for their failing relationship. And she certainly was not going to beg him to stay with her. If he wanted a divorce, that is what he would get. She had not spoken to him since the day he had told her it was over between them, aside from the brief conversation on that disaster of a birthday last year. Everything from then on had been done through lawyers and email. There was no explanations, no goodbyes, and no closure. Maybe that is what he had come to Vegas for; closure.

However, she did not want closure yet. Sara wanted to hang on to her anger a while longer because once she had no reason to be angry the pain would become unbearable. The hurt of their separation nearly overshadowed her memory of how happy and in love they had once been. It was difficult to remember the good times and she often found herself thinking instead about how different choices may have given her a happier life. She found her thoughts drifting again to Greg.

Greg Sanders had always been very good for her ego, constantly flirting with her and asking her out. She had been so focused on Grissom that she had paid little attention and had not taken him seriously at all. Sara worried now that she may have inadvertently hurt him just as Grissom had hurt her with thoughtless rejections but Greg had never seemed to take her refusals to heart. Instead it seemed to make him more determined to flirt outrageously with her. It was just a bonus that their flirtation seemed to be a constant irritation to Grissom, she thought with a smile.

Sara shook her head, wondering why she had been thinking of Greg so much. He was her best friend and she had never seriously considered him as a romantic interest. She supposed it was because he was really the only man who had shown more than a passing interest in her beside Hank. Laughing quietly to herself, Sara stood and stretched the kinks out of her body. Sleeping on the couch was not as comfortable as it used to be. Looking around her, Sara decided what she really needed was to clear her mind. Stop thinking about Grissom, Greg, work, everything – for a while.

The best way to clear her head would be a nice, long run. She started for the bedroom, undressing as she walked. Within twenty minutes she had pulled her hair back, changed into her running clothes and was slipping her key and small billfold into the zipper pocket of her shorts. Sara grabbed her sun glasses off of the counter and opened the front door where she stopped in her tracks.

Sitting on her patio with his feet up on another chair was Gil Grissom. At the sound of the door opening his head came up and he looked right at her. His hair was rumpled as though he had been running his hands through it repeatedly but otherwise looked relaxed and infuriatingly patient. Sara slumped against the door frame, energy leaving her in a rush. "Gil."

She could have kicked herself for using his first name as he smiled slightly at her slip. It sounded petty but she wanted to hurt his feelings in some small way. Straightening, she stepped outside and pulled the door closed behind her.

"What are you still doing here?"

"I wanted to see you. And I would like for us to talk. I decided to wait until you were ready to come out. I didn't expect it to take three hours though," his lips twitched in humor and she nearly smiled before catching herself. She would not smile at him! Not when she was so angry with him.

"Well, I guess that's what happens when you don't call ahead," she said flippantly.

"If I had called would you have agreed to see me?" he countered.

Between gritted teeth she answered, "Probably not."

"Then I guess it's a good thing I just came over." And damn him if he didn't grin at her. Sara shook her head in amazed confusion and sat in the porch chair opposite him.

"I don't understand why you came at all. We haven't spoken in months since you asked for a divorce. You got what you wanted! What could there possibly be to talk about?" Sara could not help but hold her breath while she waited for him to answer.

"That is just the problem, Sara. I didn't get what I wanted. Not even close."

TBC…..