Chapter Thirteen

Sara froze and Grissom groaned, dropping his head onto her chest for a moment, then quickly moving to get off the bed.

"Gil?"

"Yes," Grissom answered loudly as he started buttoning his shirt and moving toward the door. "I'll be right there."

Sara lifted herself up onto her elbows as she watched him open and close the door so quickly that he seemed to disappeared before her very eyes. It didn't take long to realize he was leaving with Sophia as she listened to their voices becoming more distant. Sara jumped off the bed and ran to the window, peeping out in time to see Grissom with his hand on the small of Sophia's back as he escorted her to the office where he put some money in the soda machine then handed whatever choice she made to her. She watched as he tilted his head toward the blonde's and shared some kind of joke as they both laughed. In an instant, Sara was redressed and slipping out the door just as quietly and quickly as Grissom had done before her. She was stuffing her blouse into her slacks as she watched Grissom and Sophia moseying back toward the truck where she was now standing.

"Hello, Sara," Sophia crooned as she stood so close to Grissom that Sara considered getting a crowbar out of the truck to separate them. "I didn't see you come out of your room. Is it next to Grissom's?"

"Uh—Sara, why don't you take Sophia up to the sheriff's office and go over the new collections. You can fill her in while I gather my samples from my room."

"That's alright, Grissom," Sophia told him. "I can go in and help you with your samples then we can go to the sheriff's after that. I'm sure you've worked Sara to the bone while she's been here. She looks tired. She could use a nap."

"I look tired?" Sara asked, feeling the hair standing erect on the back of her neck.

"I'd rather clean up in there before you come in, Sophia. I'm afraid I've got everything scattered all over."

"You know I don't mind that, Gil." Sophia smiled a knowing smile at Grissom and Sara could have shoved that grin down her damned throat. "I know your apartment isn't always in order. It has never bothered me."

"Just the same, I think Sara needs to bring you up to par and fill you in." He turned and looked her. "Sara."

"Fine," she said sarcastically as she gave him a faux smile. "I'll fill her in—then you can show her around your room."

"Thank you."

Sara started toward the back of the truck but noticed that Sophia wasn't accompanying her so she paused and looked back to find her leaning so close to Grissom's face that she expected her to shove her tongue down his throat at any second. The fact that he wasn't exactly pushing her away didn't pass her, either. Finally, with a smile, he put his hand on her elbow, then with his other, he gestured for her to follow Sara.

The trip to the sheriff's office was done quickly and efficiently and she couldn't help but notice how overly friendly Sophia was being toward her. She reminded herself to watch her back—or watch Grissom's front—either way, the blonde was out to do something that would put her in Grissom's good graces. By the time they were walking back to the motel she found Grissom standing outside their room with his hands shoved in his pockets. Upon sight of them, he pulled something shiny up for Sara to take.

"Sara, you dropped your key. You should be more careful."

Sara took the object in question and looked at the number on it, and as Sophia had suggested over an hour before, her room was on the other side of the motel.

"You're right," Sara said coldly. "I should be more careful. I'll make sure that I am in the future."

"It's a shame Conrad felt it essential to send you all the way out here to recover our spare evidence. We could have just as easily brought it back ourselves in the morning." Grissom turned toward Sophia. "You must be very tired after such a long drive this time of night."

"Oh, I'm "very" tired. I could definitely use a bed right now." Sophia eyed Grissom as if she could devour him.

He put his hand on her back again and started walking with her, but when he didn't go in the direction of his room, she looked at him questioningly. Instead of answering her silent inquisition, he turned and looked at Sara. She got the hint that he intended to take Sophia to "her" room, so she moved up and walked ahead of them.

"You might want to go over the photos Sara has." Grissom entered the room behind the women.

Sara looked around, noting that he had put all her things away, as if she had been staying in the room all along. He even went so far as to rumple the blankets on the bed so Sophia would presume that was where she had slept the last few nights.

"Sara?" Sophia asked as she waited by the small table near the entrance to the room. "Photos?"

"Yeah, photos."

Sara moved to the envelope of prints she had received that afternoon and started placing them out on the table for the blonde woman's inspection. She heard her cell going off, but before she could turn to grab it, Grissom picked it up and took it into the bathroom. Since he didn't return right away with her call, she figured it must be Catherine and he was filling her in on their progress, so she went back to showing the photos to Sophia. After a few more minutes she looked up as Grissom returned to the room. She watched as he approached her with the cell in his hand and noticed that it was closed. Whomever it was ended the call already. She looked up at him in question and noticed the indifference he was showing toward her as he pushed it into her hands before turning his attention back to Sophia.

"Important call?" Sophia asked.

"Important to Sara, evidently." He turned and looked at her. "It seems Dective Cavaliere would like a repeat of Saturday night. He said something about hoping I don't keep you out here too long so you can spend this Saturday night at his place as well."

"Ah," Sophia giggled. "It looks like romance is in the air for our little Sara."

"I don't know how romantic it was, but evidently he thought it was good enough for a repeat." Grissom grumbled, then started looking more closely at the photos as he sat at the table.

Sara recalled the night he was talking about, but it wasn't in the same context that he was putting it. She had been out with Nick and Greg when they ran into Chris and moved their little party to Cavaliere's apartment where the four of them proceeded to play poker until three in the morning. The most romantic event was when Greg won fifty bucks and planted a sloppy kiss on the stack of ones he scooped up.

"We played. . ." Sara began and Sophia spoke up again.

"Detective Cavaliere? Who would have suspected he was interested in. . . Well, it's nice to know you're getting out more, Sara." Sophia took the seat that was so close to Grissom's that their thighs were touching.

"Yes, well, Sara needs to find something to get her mind off of work," Grissom said without looking up at her.

"Speaking of getting your mind off of work—I reserved the back booth at Resignos for this weekend. I think that would be just the ticket to get "my" mind off of the job." She leaned closer to Grissom and Sara wondered if she was actually going to climb onto his lap in front of her. "We had such a pleasant time the last time we. . ."

"Ya know what?" Sara broke in, tired of not only hearing Sophia's blatant attempts to practically consume the curly-haired man next to her, but watching how he seemed to be eating the attention up as well. "I really think you've got this case under control, Grissom. And now that you've got Sophia here to help you—there's more than enough manpower to cover what's left. If you both will excuse me, I think I'm going to head back to town. I've got some things I need to attend to."

Grissom finally lifted his head and looked at her and his expression was anything but pleasant. "I don't recall telling you that I didn't need you to help finish out the case."

"I think it's a good idea," Sophia spoke up. "You can get ready for your night with Chris. Like I said, you really look like you could use a good night's sleep."

"Thank you for your concern," Sara spoke dully. "I'll make sure I get that sleep once I'm back in bed—in Vegas."

"Excuse me, ladies, but as far as I'm aware, I'm still in charge here and the only bed you're going to be occupying tonight is right here in this room. You "are" still under m supervision."

"Fine!" Sara moved to the bed nearest the wall and flopped down with her back against the headboard and her arms resting on her knees. "I'll sleep where you order me to sleep—tonight. But if I'm in such desperate need of sleep—then I think you both should leave and allow me to get some."

"Alright," Sophia got to her feet and started collecting the photos.

"I think we've gone over enough for tonight. Sophia, it looks like you get the bed nearest the door. I'll see you both in the morning." Grissom started for the door, leaving a stunned Sophia behind him.

"But—I thought. . ."

"Goodnight."

Both women watched the door close behind him and within fifteen seconds, Sophia was on her cell, mumbling something into the phone that she evidently didn't want Sara to hear. Within another minute, she was handing the phone to her.

"Sara—Conrad would like to speak to you."

Sara glared at Sophia then took the phone. "Sidle."

"Sara, Sophia tells me that you requested to leave the case."

"There didn't seem to be any point in all three of us being here. We've gathered everything we need. It's just a matter of formality that we close up shop and head home anyway."

"That's what Sophia told me. So, if you want to head back tonight, we could get started on the evidence you bring back with you. I'm sure Sophia is too tired to drive back after driving all the way there. When can the lab expect you?"

Sara looked at the clock and saw that it was 11:30. "By the time I get everything put in the truck, I'll probably be back around four."

"Good. I'll alert Catherine that you're on your way."

"But Grissom said. . ."

"I'm overriding Grissom on this one. The sooner we get those collections, the better."

Sara gave the phone back to a rather smug-looking Sophia, then went about gathering her things. She didn't know what she expected when she initiated this eventful time with Grissom—but she certainly didn't expect Sophia to show up and have Grissom handed to her on a silver platter—or the fact that Grissom, himself, would climb up onto that platter and present himself to her as a prized offering. Who was she kidding? He got rid of any evidence of her so quickly that it's a wonder he didn't pull a muscle. He made it abundantly clear that he wanted Sophia to know nothing about what had transpired between the two of them. Just as he made it clear that he was still in a relationship with the blonde woman and wasn't going to jeopardize it by admitting he had stooped so low as to do the dirty deed with Sara Sidle. Fine, Sara thought as she jammed her bags into the truck then moved around and started it. "If he's so concerned about protecting Sophia's feelings—she can have him!"