2.
A long night, a long morning and more evidence than they could transport in one car to the lab. It was almost four in the afternoon when Sara came back to the lab, knowing not all of their evidence was here. It was enough work for another couple of hours at the scene, but she couldn't work any longer. After eighteen hours at work, she needed a few hours of sleep. Years ago Grissom said, she was a person, who could stay awake and work for three days, if that ever was true, those days were long gone. Nowadays Sara Sidle needed her sleep. At least a few hours.
"Two shifts work on this case and I doubt we'll get through the evidence any time soon." Greg said. He looked as tired as she felt.
"We can start, but it will take ages until we get through everything We could use some help."
"Definitely. As far as I know DB tries to organize something. You should go home, you look tired."
"Ditto."
"I've got a few more bags in my car I've to get in here. After the experience with Nick's car, I don't want evidence in my car for a minute longer, than it has to be in there."
"Right." Sara remembered the case of the dead mother-in-law, a real dragon and how she, Greg and Nick had breakfast in their favorite diner and out of the blue Nick's car was gone and with it the whole evidence. The Sheriff wasn't impressed, not even when they managed to close the case anyway.
"The best man hit on you…you flirted."
"He flirted, I tried to get a statement." She corrected like she had done back then. At this time she and Grissom had been involved, but their colleagues had no idea about it.
"What did Grissom say about it? You were a couple and you flirted with a stranger. Not to mention, the scene was a huge wedding."
"My husband knows me."
"Back then you weren't married."
"Doesn't change anything about being trustful, does it? When you're in a relationship, you don't cheat on your spouse, don't flirt with other people, right?" Was she looking out for some reassurance from her best friend? Did she need it? After her husband wasn't here, was not available on the phone, she needed somebody who told her, even when you weren't together, the other one was still there, still loved you. You don't stop loving each other just because you haven't seen each for...a few…weeks. Really weeks? What happened to, they were supposed to see each other once a month?
"You tell me, you're the happily married one. I'm the lonely single."
"In my perfect fantasy people don't cheat."
"And in reality?"
"They do." She sighed. They both came across a lot of people, who cheated on their partner during the years. Some killed their spouse, some killed the one they cheated with, some were killed by the partner. It was seldom they met a happy family.
"Only the idiots cheat and only a big idiot cheats on you." Greg got his arm around Sara. "This Hank guy, he was a really big idiot."
Yes Hank. He cheated on her. Or cheated with her on his girlfriend. However you wanted to see it, he lied to her and hurt her.
"You told me in the hallway, a real man doesn't mind when I smell like death. He did. I should have listen to you, even all you wanted was me for yourself."
"Maybe it was my intention, but one thing is for sure, I had never cheated on you. You would have broken my heart when you left me for Grissom, but I'm sure, none of us had been not faithful."
"No." She placed a quick kiss on his cheek, something she usually never did at work. "Go and get your evidence so you can go home. We both need some sleep."
"I'd offer you my arms for a good day sleep, but I'm afraid your husband would misunderstood this."
"Probably." Not that he'd ever know because he was somewhere, didn't answer his phone and didn't call her. "What will you come back?"
He checked his watch. "Between midnight and one."
"Care to meet for a coffee before? Say midnight and come here together?"
"We're having a date. Don't tell your hubby." He blinked at her.
"I won't." She couldn't. Grissom wasn't available for her. Was he available for anybody? And for how long was she supposed to put up with this? The very least thing he could do was call and explain to her, why he was never available and never called back. Or did she ask for too much?
A little bit after midnight Sara and Greg met at the diner. With a big mug of coffee in front of them, they sat down on their favorite table.
"So, how is Grissom? I haven't seen him for a while."
"Welcome to the club." These words slipped out of Sara's mouth, she didn't plan to say them out loud.
"I thought you meet once a month."
"That's the plan."
"How is reality?"
"Reality…is always different than the plan."
"Where is he?"
"Somewhere in Bolivia; I think."
"You think? He doesn't tell you?"
"To be honest, I haven't talked to him in three weeks. Whenever I call his cell phone, I go to voicemail, ask him to call me and he doesn't call back. I tried SMS, didn't get an answer neither. You're a man Greg, what does it take to get an answer? Not a novel, only a short text or a quick call about how he is, where he is and when he comes back."
"You forgot the most important part. Tell you he loves you." Greg took her hand. "I've no idea how Grissom thinks about these things, I believe, you should talk to your wife or girlfriend every day. For me it's impossible to be in love and not in contact. I can't imagine being apart from the one I love, live in another country. It would drive me crazy."
"Why is there no woman in your life?"
"There is a woman in my life, since thirteen years. The problem is, she married my boss."
Sara laughed a little bit. "You know what I mean. What about you and Morgan?"
"She has dates with Hodges, his mother and her father. Apparently they're all dating."
"Morgan and Hodges? I can't see them together."
"I don't want to see them together." He stopped, aware of what he just said. "I mean…"
"It's okay." She put her hand on his. "She's cute and you and her would make a nice couple. Maybe it works out. Did you ask her out?"
"We had a few beer together."
"And?"
"And…since she and Hodges have these double dates we don't really meet anymore."
"A real man doesn't mind when his woman stinks smells like death, he also fights for the woman he wants."
"It's hard to be a real man."
"No man in Vegas is more a man than you are, Greggo."
"A real man also lets his buddy know when his wife is unhappy. I'll get in touch with your hubby and kick his ass for not calling you. Somehow I'll reach him."
"Good luck with that." Great, she was at a point, where she didn't mind Greg interfering with her marriage. Maybe he had more luck, maybe Grissom called after he heard, there were more people wondering what happened. And maybe he became a little bit jealous, when Greg told him, he spent a lot of time with Sara. Husbands don't want their wives seeing other men, right? So when a man called you and told you, your wife was unhappy, he had to comfort her, wouldn't you come back home ASAP and make sure, your wife was still your wife? Did she have to make Grissom jealous? Maybe it was a way to get his attention, but she couldn't use Greg for this. He was her best friend, using him like this made her feel bad. If was wanted to do this, she had to find somebody else. Somebody, who would really make Grissom jealous.
