Chapter 31

"I guess you really never know what's going on in your office."

Sara's words, spoken just a few weeks earlier, played over and over in Wendy's head. Sara had, of course, been referring to a herpes outbreak at some office, but the words rang true about their office as well. At the time, Wendy's mind had wandered to Hodges and his claims that Grissom confided in him about cases. So, she questioned Sara, trying to figure it out.

"Is it true the miniature cases have been keeping Grissom up at night?" Wendy had asked in curiosity, hoping Sara could help her figure it all out.

"How would I know?" Sara Sidle seemed defensive. Wendy just smiled and continued with her thoughts on Hodges and Grissom, which Sara immediately shot down as truth. But, now, as Wendy sat in the security room at The Gold Mine Casino, she figured out why Sara had been so defensive. On the 20" monitor in front of her, Sara Sidle stood at a slot machine with the arms of one Supervisor Gil Grissom wrapped around her.

"What? Did you see someone cheating?" Thomas Sanchez, security supervisor, her date this evening, questioned her.

"No. But I do see my Supervisor and he's uh...." Wendy had no words.

"He's what?" He was looking intently at the screen, pausing the camera to hold in its position on the couple at the slot machine. "They aren't doing anything wrong, are they?"

"Well, the woman he is with. That is one of his employees."

"Oh." Thomas sat back in his seat, looking at her in question. "So? What's the big deal?"

"Well, the big deal is. He is her Supervisor. A big no-no in the LVPD. And....no one knows they are a couple. Which I am assuming they are by the way they are acting.......and now....kissing." Wendy's eyes grew wide as she watched Grissom nuzzle and kiss Sara on her neck. She gasped in shock when Sara turned in Grissom's arms and proceeded to basically make out with him there in the casino for all the world to see.

"They don't seem to be worried about being caught." Thomas chuckled.

"I know. I am really surprised!" Wendy shook her head in disbelief. "I mean, I kinda knew they both had a past history. I worked in the San Francisco lab where Sara had worked, but that was after Sara had already moved here. The rumor going around the lab, said she came here to be with him. And then there were rumors here, but I thought they were just that. Rumors."

"Well, looks like you have some information you can put in your back pocket to use for later."

Sara and Gil rarely went out together in public for non-work related reasons. But tonight they decided to go to an out of the way casino, knowing no one they worked with would be there. Sara had downed three beers in a short amount of time and was now exuberantly pulling the handle of a slot machine. The bells dinged in her ears as she took another spin, doubling her winnings.

Grissom stood behind Sara, watching her hips move and her ass wiggle as she pulled on the handle of the slot machine. God he loved to just watch her. She had consumed a few beers already and was letting her inhibitions run free. He wrapped his arms around her, closing his hands together on her stomach. She continued to play, ignoring his lips on the side of her neck. She giggled and turned to him when he squeezed her mid section. She smashed her lips to his and totally devoured him, right there in the middle of the casino. He didn't care. No one they knew was in sight. He had made sure, so he enjoyed the impromptu make out session.

"Wow! I like kissing you in public." Sara smirked at him and turned back to her slot machine. Grissom took the seat next to her and watched as she cashed out her winnings. She was grinning like a kid at Christmas as they watched each coin drop noisily into the tray. Sara scooped up the quarters and placed them in a cup someone had left next to the slot machine.

"Dinners on me!" She proclaimed in triumph, holding the cup up above her head as she made her way towards the restaurant. Grissom got up and followed her, a huge smile on his face.

Several days later, Sara walked into the break room to get a cup of coffee. Wendy and Hodges were sitting at the table and got uncharacteristically quiet when she entered the room. Sara poured her cup and added some cream, watching the lab rats from the corner of her eye. Something was definitely up. They were too quiet.

Sara took a seat at the table and smiled at the twosome. "So, what's going on?"

"Whatever do you mean, Sara?" Hodges words dripped with sarcasm that couldn't be missed.

"Were you just talking about me?" Sara looked at Wendy in disbelief.

"Sara, we were NOT talking about you. It's not what you think."

"Wendy" Hodges growled out her name in warning.

"Look, its no big deal." Wendy stated, looking at Hodges.

"What?" Sara sipped her coffee. "If you have a problem with me, lets discuss it."

Hodges got up abruptly declaring he "had no issue" and "had work to do." He pulled at Wendy to follow.

"You go do your work, Dave. I need to talk to Sara." Wendy stared at Hodges. After a few moments, he turned and headed back to his lab.

"What was THAT all about?" Sara was now curious as to what she could have done to piss him off so badly.

"He has issues. But that's a WHOLE other conversation." Wendy smiled at Sara. "Look, there is a rumor going around about you."

"OH? Where am I stripping at this time?" Sara chuckled and continued to drink her coffee.

"No, nothing like that. Well, not this time." Wendy smiled sympathetically at Sara. "This time the rumor has to do with you and Grissom."

OH SHIT! Here it comes. What do I say. We discussed what to say. Why can't I remember?

"Oh, what version of this is it? That we have a love child kept in secret somewhere. That we were married years ago. Or OH! This is my favorite..."

"Sara! Stop!" Wendy cut her off. "I get it. Rumors are rumors." She smiled weakly at Sara. Sara seemed to be a bit more agitated than normal. Wendy decided to press the matter. "But this one has to do with someone seeing the two of you together outside of work."

"And what did Hodges claim to see?" Sara asked in a sarcastic tone.

"Its not what he saw.....It's what I saw."

"What?" Sara was confused. What could she had seen?

"I, uh was at the Gold Mine Casino two nights ago." Sara's eyes grew wide in shock. She stood speechless. Wendy continued her story. "I, uh, was on a date with the security supervisor. We were in the security booth. I saw you and, uh, Grissom."

"So, lots of people get together outside of work. No rumor there." Sara tried to act casual.

"Sara." Wendy took a step closer. "I saw you. You were making out with him right there on the casino floor."

"Oh." Sara looked away. She had no idea what to say.

"I didn't tell Hodges about the making out part." Wendy cleared her throat. "I was going to, but when he had an emotional reaction to just me seeing you WITH Grissom outside of work, I decided against it."

"What? Why would he care who I hang out with?"

"It's not so much YOU as it is Grissom. He thinks that he and GIL are good friends. His feelings were hurt because Grissom had turned him down to go to a lecture with him a few days ago."

"Ah. So, he's jealous. Because GRISSOM spent time with someone other than him?" Sara chuckled.

"Yeah, I know. Kinda pathetic. But he means well. I think he was sheltered as a child. He still lives with his mom." Wendy snickered out the last sentence. Both women were laughing now.

"What's so funny?" Grissom appeared in the doorway. He was smiling at the two women.

"Oh, just an inside joke." Sara remarked. "I need to get out of here. See you later, Wendy."

"Oh, Sara." Wendy called out as Sara was exiting. "I, uh, won't say anything to Hodges. So, don't worry about it, ok?"

"Sure, thanks." Sara and Grissom walked out of the break room and to his office.

"What was that all about?" Grissom asked as he took one of the two seats in front of his desk. Sara sat down in the remaining seat and smiled sweetly at him.

"You have an admirer." She stated simply.

"What? Wendy?"

"NO! No. Nothing like that." Sara chuckled. "It seems that Hodges has a man crush on you."

"Oh, that. Is that all?" Grissom began to go through some mail on his desk.

"What? You KNOW about this?"

"Well, yeah. He thinks we are best friends or something. He took my course at Williams online!"

"Really? Hmmm. I just might have to keep an eye on you two." Sara smiled, trying not to laugh.

"Very funny." Grissom got up and went around to the other side of his desk.

"Oh, did I hurt your feelings?"

"Sara......" Grissom warned her.

"Fine. I have work to do anyway." Sara got up to leave.

"No. Wait! You never told me what you why you were discussing this with Wendy."

"Oh, so now you DO want to discuss it?" Sara pursed her lips, trying not to laugh.

"Sara, please. Just tell me."

"Well, actually, this is kinda serious." Sara looked to the doorway to make sure no one was around. She leaned across the desk towards Grissom. "Wendy saw us at the casino."

"What? How?" Grissom's eyes were now wide and fixed on Sara. "Did she see you...?"

"ME? Did she see me what, Gil?" Sara crossed her arms across her chest and waited for his reply.

"Well, you attacked me." He was teasing her.

"Only after you had a problem keeping your hands to yourself!"

"What? I did not!" Grissom leaned across the desk closer to Sara. There faces were mere inches apart. They each had a knowing smile on their lips. Suddenly Sara stood up and leaned a hip on the edge of the desk. Sara lowered her voice and let out a deep breath. "Maybe we should discuss this at a more appropriate time."

Sara gave a sideways nod towards the door. Grissom looked out and noticed Hodges walking by in the hallway had turn toward them as he passed.

"Crap." Grissom said under his breath.

"Yeah. Let's just be careful, ok. We can discuss this later." With that statement Sara smiled at him and turned towards the door and exited Grissom's office.

"You know, Wendy, I think there might be something going on with those two." David Hodges stated as he walked into the DNA lab.

"What two?" Wendy feigned ignorance to his line of questioning.

"You know who. Gil and Sara." Hodges leaned back against the table where Wendy was working.

"Hodges. You seriously need to get over your crush!" Wendy was laughing.

"I don't have a crush on Sara."

"Oh, I know you don't have a crush on Sara." Wendy smiled at him.

"You are not making any sense. If you know I don't have a crush on Sara then why did you say that I need to get over my crush?" He was genuinely confused.

"Well, we were talking about Sara AND Grissom." Wendy started to work on a slide, trying to distract herself so she wouldn't lose it and throw herself on the floor in a fit of laughter.

"Yeah. And I don't have a crush on Sara......." A lightbulb went off and he stared at Wendy, a somewhat angry look on his face. "I don't have a crush on Gil."

Wendy just chuckled at the look on his face. "Well, Hodges, as Grissom says: The evidence never lies."

A/N: Well, I hope you enjoyed. I wanted to do a chapter with Wendy and Hodges just makes it more fun. I always thought that Wendy figured it out after Sara made her defensive "HOW WOULD I KNOW" comment. I think the lab rats knew more than they let on. Well, please R&R! Only a few more chapters here, I think. I am working on a Christmas fic, not related to the series of stories I have written so far, so keep a look out for that post later today. Wendy