Chapter Nine
Catherine's party had lightened the mood of the Night Shift staff, but as the days went by, and actual Holidays were approaching, things began to tense up again. Jim and Sofia had been involved in a huge shoot out and it was found that Jim Brass had been the one to fire the fatal bullet that took out a fellow officer. Thanksgiving came and went and now Christmas was a few weeks away.
Gil sat at his desk looking over some jewelry catalogs, trying to figure out what he could get Sara for a present. He saw some rings that he considered, but when he turned the page and saw a charm bracelet, he knew he had found what he had been looking for. He started to jot down the page number and catalog number when he was startled by a voice standing in front of his desk.
"So, shopping for someone special?"
"Hodges! Don't sneak up on me like that again! Ever!" Grissom closed the book and took of his glasses, rubbing his eyes in frustration.
"Sorry, Gil. I saw you were concentrating and didn't want to disturb you."
"Then why did you come in?" Hodges just stared at him with his mouth open. "So, what did you need, David?"
"Oh, uh, I have your results." He handed him a piece of paper.
"Oh, thanks." Grissom put his glasses back on and looked over the report. Hodges still stood there, a smile on his face. "What?" Grissom was getting very annoyed.
"Well, I uh, bought a special someone a bracelet from that company. Well, mom. And she just loved it! They do great work! They will even custom make pieces for you. I had to have them make the bracelet a little bit larger than usual. Mom has large wrists."
Grissom just stared at him, wondering why he always told him things like this unprovoked. He just forced a smile and turned back to his report.
"Well, I will just, uh" Hodges pointed at the door, then quickly made his exit.
Grissom sighed and put the catalog in his desk drawer. Shift was about to start and he had assignments to hand out. He entered the break room and exchanged a glance with Sara and gently smiled.
"Ok, team. We've got a traffic accident, one fatality. Possibly on purpose. So, Warrick, Nick your on that. The rest of us need to finish processing the evidence from the Wilson case. But before you two head out, we need to discuss the Forensic Conference coming up. I know that I have to go because I am presenting a session. We have Davis from Day Shift going and Applegate from Swing. We need some one else from this shift going. Any volunteers?"
Sara looked down at the magazine she was holding, trying not to smile. She knew Gil was hoping no one would want to go, especially since it was in beautiful and cold Ohio in January.
"Well, I for one want to go on this one. Anyone object?" Catherine spoke up.
"Oh, uh. I didn't think anyone WOULD volunteer. I am somewhat surprised." Gil tried not to show his disappointment.
"Well, an old friend of mine is one of the main presenters, and I wanna go this time. If no one objects." She looked around the room. Everyone shook their head or shrugged that is was fine with them.
Nick leaned over to Sara, whispering in her ear, "dodged that bullet, huh?" Sara just smiled at him.
"Oh, Hey! Since we're all here, can I ask something?" Greg stood up next to Grissom. "Oh, sorry. Are you done?"
"Go ahead, Greg." Gil just shook his head and sat down next to Sara at the table.Sara gently ran her hand along his thigh and gave him a weak smile. They were both disappointed.
"Well, I know we had our Holiday party back before Thanksgiving. And it was awesome! But I think maybe we should just have a small get together, you know, breakfast out and a gift exchange. We can all draw a name and just bring one gift."
"Sounds good to me." Nick chimed in.
"Yeah, Greg. That's a great idea." Sara was all smiles.
The rest of the team agreed.
"Ok, Nick, lets roll, man." Warrick got up, grabbing the assignment slip from Grissom.
After a long shift, Gil sat on Sara's sofa, sipping his coffee. Sara was making some toaster waffles for them in her small kitchen.
"So, today didn't turn out exactly as planned." Sara leaned against the counter waiting for the toaster to pop.
"Yeah. Guess we underestimated dear old Catherine." Gil chuckled. "Perhaps she will change her mind or get sick. Not that I want her to be sick."
"Yeah, well..." The waffles popped up and Sara placed them on the plates, dumping syrup on them and heading to the sofa to join Gil.
Just as Sara sat down and took a bite of her waffle, there was a knock at the door. Gil jumped up and looked around nervously.
"Who could that be?" He whispered.
"I don't know. Ummm, just in case. Bedroom." She whispered and got up to get the door. She waited until Gil had closed the bedroom door and she opened it to a smiling Nick, holding two cups of coffee.
"Hey, Nick! What a surprise!"
"What? You invited me over for breakfast, remember?" He walked in and headed for the sofa and put the coffees down. He noticed two plates of waffles, one with a bite from it and one was untouched. "You are such a tease, Sara. How did you know I LOVE blueberry waffles?"
"Oh, uh...lucky guess." She smiled at him. WHEW! How could I be so stupid? She remembered now when they were in the layout room going over evidence and Nick mentioned they never did anything anymore. She had told him he should stop by after shift for some breakfast.
"Nick, uh, could you excuse me for a moment? Go ahead and eat while its warm." Sara went into her bedroom. Gil was sitting on her bed smiling. She held her finger up to her mouth for him to remain quiet. She mouthed "NICK" to him and he nodded. She went over and gave him a quick kiss. She whispered in his ear. "It may be a while." He nodded and kissed her again, smiling.
Sara went back into the living room. Nick had finished his waffles and was sipping his coffee. She sat down next to him and smiled.
"Everything ok?" Nick asked her.
"Yeah. Just had to take care of something."
"Ah." He sipped his coffee again. "Did you draw my name for the gift exchange?"
"I. Am not telling."
"Yeah, right. Maybe I should just go in there and see what it is you had to hide." He chuckled.
Sara's eyes grew wide and she forced a laugh. When she had finished her waffle, Nick helped her wash the plates as they chatted about their latest case and their co-workers. It had been a good hour and Sara was beginning to worry about Gil. Maybe he would just go to sleep. They sat back down on the sofa and chatted about Greg and his latest antics and laughed.
"What's that noise?" Nick suddenly asked.
"What noise." Sara listened and heard a cell phone ringing. SHIT! GRISSOM'S PHONE!
"Sounds like a cell phone. Do you have another phone? Your cell is on your belt and its not mine." Nick said as he pointed to her phone.
SHIT SHIT SHIT!! Think, Sidle. Think!
"Oh, uh yeah. Be right back!" She ran to her room slamming the door behind her. Gil sat with a horrified expression on his face. He had turned of the cell, but before he did he saw it was Ecklie calling.
"Ecklie" he whispered. "Get rid of Nick."
Sara sighed and exited the bedroom. "Sorry about that. I have another cell I keep for family to call me on. That was ummm, my mom calling."
"Oh! I thought you didn't have any family. You never mention them."
"Yeah, well. We only talk a few times a year, and I guess with the Holidays, she wanted to call. But I can call her back later, after you leave." She smiled at him, knowing that would get him.
"Sara, family is number one. You should call her back. She might worry about you!" He got up and headed to the door. "Besides, I am beat. I need some sleep. But thanks for the waffles."
Sara followed him to the door. "See you tonight, Nick."
"Bye, Sara" She shut the door, locking it and waited a moment then called to Gil. "You can come out now."
Nick was halfway down the hall when he heard Sara faintly say "you can come out now." Did she have someone in the bedroom while he was there? She did act surprised. And the waffles were already made. And a cell phone rang. DUH, Stokes! She had a guy in there! But why wouldn't she just tell me? This needed some investigating. Maybe Greg knew something.
The next night, Grissom sat at his desk going over some forms when Nick knocked on his door. He waved for him to come in as he finished writing something. Nick sat down and waited for him to finish.
"So, what can I do for you, Nick?"
"Well, Griss, I have a concern. This is not really work related, but you know how we are all kinda one big family."
"Yeah?" Grissom took of his glasses and leaned forward to listen.
"Well, I am concerned about Sara." Gil tried to not look surprised. "I think she's seeing someone, and for some reason she is keeping him a secret from us. I talked to Greg, and he says he thinks it has been going on for a while now."
"Well, she has a right to her own life, Nick." Wow! I actually sound convincing?
"Yeah, I know. But why be so secretive?"
"I don't know, Nick. But do you tell Sara everything? About ALL the women you date?" Good one, Gil! Quick thinking.
"Gee, don't make me sound like a pimp, Griss. I don't date THAT many women!" He smiled at Grissom. "But I see your point."
"Good." Grissom put his glasses back on and went back to his paperwork.
"Uh, Griss?"
"Yes, Nick?" He looked up at him, a bit annoyed.
"Look. I know you and Sara use to, you know, so, maybe you can talk to her and just make sure she's ok. Maybe she's just afraid you, uh, WE would all be jealous or overprotective."
"Well, that may be, Nick. But I would bet I am the last person she would talk to about that sort of thing. And there was no, 'you know', just for the record."
Nick wasn't convinced. Grissom knew he needed to say SOMETHING to get Nick to stop worrying. "Look. Sara is a strong woman. I am sure she wouldn't be in an unhealthy relationship. When the time comes, she will tell you about him."
"Well, Grissom, I hope you are right." He got up and headed to the door, then stopped. "You know. Maybe I should just talk to her about this."
Gil wanted to say something, but nothing came out. Before he could even say "NO!" Nick was gone. Grissom sighed and put his head in his hands. Great! Sara's gonna love that discussion! I better give her a heads up.
Grissom headed out into the hallway in search of Sara. When he found her, she was in the garage with Nick and Greg. GREAT! So much for a heads up! He stood there for a moment, considering whether or not he should barge in and interrupt. He decided to let Sara handle it and deal with her anger later.
"Nick. I am NOT having this discussion with you!" Sara was trying to keep her cool.
"Greggo, back me up here, man! Tell her how concerned we are!"
"You two are impossible!" Sara got back to work lifting fibers from the trunk of the car they were processing.
"Sara, I know you said there was some guy, Tony. And then there must have been someone else, someone local who you were going to hook up with that time I heard you on your phone. And now Nick says someone was in your apartment and you hid him!"
"Greg." She said his name as a pleading sigh. "Why are you two so overprotective?"
"We care about you." Nick shrugged his shoulders.
"I do appreciate that. Really. But I can take care of myself, guys. Maybe soon you can meet him. I will definitely discuss it with him. OK?"
"All right" "If you say so." They both left her alone and began processing the car. A few hours later, they finished and headed to the locker room. Sara entered first and Grissom was standing there at his locker. He looked up and smiled. "You look really..." he wanted to say SEXY, but Nick and Greg entered the door a few steps behind. So he lamely finished "...dirty."
Sara smiled, trying not to laugh. She knew Gil and his coverall fetish. "Yeah, uh, just got done processing that car. I tore the engine apart, but I found the bullet!" Sara smiled at him.
"Oh, good. Hopefully Bobby can match it to the gun we found on the suspect." Gil closed his locker. "Well, see you all next shift." He exited the locker room, glancing at Sara on the way out. She smiled at him and nodded slightly in the affirmative. Gil smiled, knowing she would be there in his arms and in his bed within the hour. He felt like the luckiest man in the world.
A/N: Please leave a review!! I have a few more ideas where this is going, but any suggestions are welcome. Feel free to email me your suggestions!