December 2006
"You look like a kid who just found the prize at the bottom of a cracker jack box."
Sara entered the layout room to see Grissom pulling an object out of the latest miniature.
"Definitely some kind of doll."
She leaned in close to him to take a look, "Sure is."
"Three different views of the same dead doll." They turned to look at the layout room wall, covered in photos from the other miniatures. Sara stared at the images of the dolls. He watched her for a moment.
"I haven't seen you in a while."
She turned back to look at him and shrugged. "Some cases get the best of us." She smiled softly, showing her understanding and turned back to look at the wall.
"Maybe this is more than a signature. Maybe there's something that these victims have in common."
Sara rattled off age, race, sex, social stature not seeing any obvious connection.
They turned back to the layout table and discussed the phone records as sara looked over some of the images. She then opened the case file.
"Mannleigh Chickens?"
"What about it?"
She took the case file and started to walk out the door, "I'll let you know." She turned back about to see his slightly bewildered face, "See how it feels?" She fought back a smile and walked off. Grissom was left alone in the layout room shaking his head.
Sara could then be found in the AV room watching a documentary staring Izzy Delancey. She found what she was looking for.
She took out her phone and texted Grissom, "Come to AV room 3." Just a few short minutes later Grissom appeared in the doorway.
"Ready to share?" He asked amused as he sat down in a stool next to her. She didn't say a word, just hit play. Filling the screen was Izzy Delancey sitting in front of a chicken coop, discussing how he changed his ways and no longer harmed animals. He also sited Mannleigh Chickens as wrong doer in the world of animal cruelty.
"Where did you find this?"
"I—like animals, and after the Delancey murder I brushed up on my history. As it turns out, three years ago Izzy Delancey had a mid-life awakening and became an animal rights activist. He started and financed the PSA targeting Mannleigh Chickens as the epitome of everything that is wrong in the slaughtering industry.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Grissom and Sara turned there attention to the door to see someone from janitorial standing there, mop in hand. "I thought this room was vacant. I'll come back later."
"No, you're fine. We were just leaving." Grissom picked up the case file and stood. He lead sara out of the room with a gentle hand on the small of her back.
Catherine sat across from Grissom at his desk laughing,
"Im sorry," She made out between laughs, "It's funny but it's horrible. It's really funny... but it's horrible."
She composed herself enough to stifle her laughs and then took in his grim appearance.
"Are you okay?"
He shrugged, "A guy kills two people before breakfast that he had no intention of killing when he woke up that morning. By all accounts he's lead a meager life—An unnoticed life. And then all the sudden, in a flash, its over. And now for him, the real suffering begins."
"You're tired." Cather spoke bluntly. She realized in that moment that she hadn't seen her colleague this grim in nearly two years.
"Yeah." His face was sad.
Just then Sara entered the room speedily, "Guess what!?"
"Mankind has reached a new evolutionary plateau and starting tomorrow no one will rape, murder or maim again."
"Um—no..." She looked between him and Catherine.
"Too bad."
Sara tried not to stare at him but his appearance and body language was screaming loud. He was tired, sad. Had he been confining in Catherine before she entered the room? She wondered. Had she interrupted something?
"But I did catch a break on that disposable cell phone number." She pursed her lips together in a smile, hoping a lead in the miniature cases would bring him some peace.
"Raymundo Suarez called it as well?" He said, as if he readily knew the answer. To his surprise, he was wrong:
"No, he didn't" She smiled, "But according to the carrier, additional minutes were just purchased with a credit card belonging to Ernie Dell. Brass is already on it. There picking up up." She smiled again, "We've got the miniature killer." Her voice was excited but as she looked at Grissom while she spoke, she realized he wasn't so convinced. That, or the miniature cases weren't what was keeping him up and this would not bring the relief she had thought it would.
Catherine watched the way Sara was looking at Grissom, with sympathetic eyes. She sighed internally feeling bad for her female colleague who clearly never got over her feelings for their supervisor. Catherine had known since Sara's first year in Vegas that she viewed Grissom as more than just a supervisor. But from where Catherine sat, it was clear to her that the feelings were one-sided. She had known Grissom for so many years at this point, and knew that he could never care for another person the way he cared for his job. He would never let anyone in.
She looked back at Grissom taking in his appearance once again, Maybe he should. Maybe it's time he opens his heart.
Grissom walked in the front door to find Sara sitting on the couch reading a book. Shift had ended five hours ago but he just couldn't bring himself to go home. She looked up from her seated position.
"Hey." She spoke softly and watched as he pealed off his coat and hung it up.
"You didn't have to wait up." His speech was monotone, sad.
She closed her book and laid it on coffee table. "I knew you had a rough night." She paused, "The video.. of Dell... Brass told me."
He nodded recalling having seen a man commit suicide on a special broadcast feed meant just for him.
"You okay?"
"I don't know." He answered honestly. He made his way to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water.
"Maybe you should take some time off. You've got plenty of vacation time saved up. See your mother?"
"Oh." he looked back at her. His slumped shoulders began to tense up. "I—um. I..." She stood and walked toward the kitchen to hear him better. He continued, "I am, taking some time off."
"Really?" The surprise in her voice was evident. While she suggested he take time off, he never really expected she'd do it.
"Yes. Well, it's not so much as time of as a sabbatical."
Her brows furrowed. He knew immediately that he had done something wrong that he should have told her sooner, perhaps even asked her her thoughts on the matter.
"A sabbatical?" She questioned, "For how long?"
"Five weeks. I'm teaching a graduate seminar in Massachusetts."
"Oh." And there it was, confirmation that he had hurt her. But he was so tired, so burned out, that he really couldn't have thought a better way to tell her. His mind was too preoccupied.
"When are you leaving?" She finally asked.
"Next week."
"And you were planning to tell me..." She was trying hard to mask the hurt but it wasn't working. They shared a home together. Did he expect to just not return one day next week and let her figure out why on her own?
"I hadn't thought about it..." His voice trailed off.
"And the team?"
"I haven't told anyone yet. Except Ecklie to approve the leave."
She nodded knowingly. "Okay." She returned to the couch, opened her book and began to read once more.
January 2007
Grissom tentatively unwrapped a gift Hodges just handed to him. Inside was a sweatshirt with the words "Williams College" sprawled across it.
"How did you know about this?"
"I saw the approved sabbatical form on Ecklie's desk." He admitted. "Don't worry, I didn't say anything to anyone else. Did you think you were going to teach at my alma mater in the dead of winter without warm clothes?"
Grissom hadn't even realized Hodges had gone to school there.
"I thought you went to college in San Diego?"
"Graduate school" Hodges corrected.
"You got a minute?" Catherine appeared in his doorway.
"He's busy." Hodges bud in and received dirty looks from both Catherine Grissom. Taking the hint, he excused himself.
Catherine caught Grissom up on the case at hand.
"Why are we talking about this? Finch was set free."
"I don't buy it. I need to go to Larkston."
"You can't."
She rolled her eyes, "Look I want a second shot at this guy. I want to get him before he kills again."
"I'm going on sabbatical. You're going to be the acting supervisor while I'm gone."
Catherine now wore a similar face to the one Sara wore when he told her. Disappointment, anger, hurt.
"When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow night."
She shook her head, typical "I'll be back before then." She turned back before exiting, "How long have you known about this?"
Grissom's dumbfounded look left her angrier as she stormed off. He sighed heavily as he slumped down further. He was feeling so low and couldn't seem to resurface.
Nick and Catherine sat in the car driving out of Las Vegas.
"Why didn't he tell the rest of the team?"
"He's leaving me in charge and didn't even tell me until today. Heck, if I hadn't told him I was leaving town he may have never told me."
Nick though a moment, "You know, sabbaticals are usually a euphemism for sienara. I don't think Grissom's coming back."
"Why wouldn't he?"
"I don't know. He shaved his beard, he's lost a little weight, he's been leaving when shift is over. I think he actually took off last week."
"Maybe he's got himself a girlfriend."
"That's what I'm saying."
"You know I thought that you were going to leave a few months ago."
"Why 'cause I shaved my beard?"
"You're really not worried that he's not coming back?" Nick looked back at Catherine noting her calm disposition.
"Nah, he'll be back. His life is this lab. But I do think he's got a girlfriend. You're right he has lost a lot of weight. He looks younger and healthier..." Her voice trailed off. "Maybe Lady Heather's back."
Nick laughed whole heartedly, "Yeah.. right. Grissom and Lady Heather."
Catherine lifted an eyebrow, "Hey, you never know."
Sara walked back to her locker and got ready to go home for the night. She sighed heavily, feeling a weight on her chest that she couldn't quite describe. Last night she watched as Grissom quickly packed a bag.
"Massachusetts winters can be brutal." She warned him as he through a few t-shirts in the bag.
"Oh. You're right." He sighed, "My head is all over the place" He took the t-shirts out and replaced them with more appropriate attire.
"I can see that." She smirked but he wouldn't know it. He couldn't make eye contact with her.
They hadn't spoken much since then.
"Hey."
She lifted her head to see Grissom in the doorway. "My cab's here."
"So you're going?" She tried her best at a smile but the sadness shown through.
"Yeah."
"I'll see you when you get back." She turned her attention back to her locker and finished hanging up her coat. But he was still in the doorway and she could feel his eyes on her. He couldn't walk away, he couldn't stop looking at her. His heart felt heavy.
He looked both ways down the hallway to make sure they were alone. He stepped in and hesitantly placed his finger tips together, taking a deep breath in. He caught her eye once more and she turned to him.
"I'll miss you." His words were barely a whisper but she could hear them. His face turned sad and confused before he scurried off, leaving her there alone. She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly feeling cold.
Grissom got into the cab and made his way for the airport. He had never had to worry about anyone missing him when he was gone, nor did he ever have to worry about missing anyone himself. She had burrowed her way into his heart, and he realized that she was there to stay. Regardless of what their future held, he knew that she would always hold his heart in her hands. He took in a deep breath, just to prove to himself he could still breath. Her image in his head, her sad features as they parted.
He wanted desperately to hold her. But he couldn't. He already missed her and he was only gone for 20 minutes.