October 2007
Sara's recovery was well along its way. Grissom was had been going back to work for a few nights at this point. But he was rushing home at the end of each shift, he refused to put in overtime and he wasn't pulling doubles. In a lot of ways, the team was now short two members for the time being.
His cell phone began to buzz against his desk, the caller ID displayed "Ecklie." He sighed and silenced the phone fro the second time that night. The last thing he felt like doing right then was talking to Ecklie about his relationship with Sara, or anyone for that mater. He decided to go help Nick and Greg out in the field to avoid a drop by meeting from the lab director.
Meanwhile, Sara had just hung up the phone having spoken to Judy. She explained how Sara could not be reinstated until having her meeting with Ecklie, begrudgingly Sara agreed to come in later that night.
Sara walked through the lab halls for the first time since her abduction. She could feel the eyes on her. The sympathetic and curious eyes of her onlooking coworkers. Two taps on the door frame and she was waved in by Ecklie.
"Hey Gil—message number three. Call me back." Ecklie hung up the phone and took in Sara's appearance. "How's the arm."
"Fractured in two places."
"Feeling better?"
"Yeah." She softly smiled as she took a seat on his couch. Ecklie moved to close his office door.
"So you must know where he is."
"Actually I don't."
"Look, Sara, I don't want to do this as much as you don't... so lets just get this over with as painlessly as possible."
Ecklie now occupied the chair opposite his couch. He flipped open his folder.
"Okay then, uh—this is an administrative inquiry. You and Supervisor Gil Grissom were in direct violation of lab policy—"
"Are." She corrected him, a smug grin daring to escape thin lips.
"Are in direct violation of lab policy," he amended " Which states that members of the same forensic team may not engage in a romantic relationship... So when did you and supervisor Grissom begin your relationship?"
"Well, we've always had a relationship" She knew it was stupid to pick at particulars and beat around the bush, but in an odd way- it felt nice to see Ecklie so uncomfortable.
He paused, " I mean—When did you become... intimate?" He knew she would not make this easy.
She took a second before answering, remembering the exact moment it began, when he showed up at her doorstep looking like a mess. When he pressed her body against his own and kissed her with seven years of built up passion. When she woke up the next morning with her head on his chest, listening to his heart rhythmically beat for the first time.
"Two years ago- I think it was a Sunday." Ecklie's softening eyes bore into her, she continued, "It was after Nick was found..."
"Two years." Ecklie's surprise was written all over his face and laced in his tone. "Okay," He took a breath, "Obviously I will check and look into this deeper, but do you feel your performance reviews were... in any way, tainted if you will, by your 'relationship'?"
"No."
"Of course, I wouldn't expect any different of an answer" he noted a few things in the folder, then looked back at her, "And how... serious, would you say this relationship is?"
"Serious."
"Could you be a little clearer please?"
"How so?"
"Well—In most relationships, they have milestones, like keeping a toothbrush at your spouses home, or exchanging keys, things like that..."
"We live together."
Ecklie probably would have fallen of his chair had he not steadied himself. Clearing his throat he spoke, "Live together?" she nodded, "For how long?" his eyebrows furrowed with expression.
"Just over a year."
"And who knew, about this..."
"I think most of the lab knows by now."
"I mean before you were... abducted,"
"No one" but that was a lie. Brass knew, and even though Ecklie had no authority over him as lab director, she still did not want to bring his name into the mix.
"How did you two manage that?"
"By not telling people,"
"Didn't you want to tell everyone you were dating someone?"
"No, not really."
"mhmm." he looked down at his paper,
"Is that all?"
"For now—I suppose. If you get a hold of Gil, tell him that dodging me will only make this worse."
Greg and Nick trailed behind Grissom as they marked blood trails down a desert highway.
"Has he mentioned anything about what's going on with Sara?" Greg kept his voice down as he spoke to nick who simply shook his head in response.
"Has anyone seen her since she left the hospital?"
Nick again shook his head, "No. Have you?"
"I tried last week, but she declined my invite to come over. Said she was tired."
"Did Sara ever mention anything to you about her and Grissom?"
"Not in so many words."
"So you knew?"
"Yeah." Greg spoke as if it were obvious... but in truth he hadn't really known. He had a hunch that she was dating someone. He even had an idea that the man was work related, but he had though it was another EMT or Coroner. He hadn't suspected it be Grissom.
Nick threw up his hands in an 'I can't believe this' kind of motion. Feeling completely out of the loop.
Grissom sat behind his desk later that day to catch up on his paper work. He thought at this time of night he'd be safe from a drop by by Ecklie. He was wrong.
Ecklie walked into his office with full force, a scowl etched over his features.
"You've been dodging me it's time to talk." He spoke sternly, causing Grissom to look up. "No one wants to hear about your love life less than I do but since you didn't handle this right I have to take a formal statement."
Ecklie sat in a chair across Grissom's desk now.
"It should have been a conversation between friends," He continued, his tone softening just slightly, "I mean we could have found some way around this. Catherine could have done Sara's evaluations. Why didn't you just tell me?"
"We didn't want you to know"
"Don't most women like the world to know they're dating someone?"
"Where do you get your information about women, Conrad?" He lifted one eyebrow, almost tauntingly. Grissom also, wasn't going to make this easy for him.
"Okay, so. When did you two... you know."
Grissom took a moment to think back to the moment. When he first saw her walking toward him. Her pony tail bouncing with each step. Her pursed lipped smile. Her endless questions. The way it felt to touch her hand that evening as they parted ways.
"Nine years ago." His voice laced with nostalgia.
"You know what. You two need to get your stories straight."
Grissom furrowed his brows in confusion. "What did she say?" He wondered out loud.
"I can't tell you that. Now as far as moving forward here."
"I'd like to move to swing. I know Mike just gave his two week notice last week."
"We've already filled that position."
"Move your new hire to Grave."
"It'd be much easier to have Sara moved to swing."
Grissom shook his head. "She should be with the team."
Ecklie rolled his eyes, feeling annoyed that this conversation needed to take place at all, "Just you two figure it out and let me know." Ecklie stood and left.
Later that shift, when the cases were wrapped, Grissom drove to meet the team at the go cart place. Sara sat quietly in the passenger seat, feeling a little apprehensive about seeing the team again.
He parked the car and turned to her. "When did you tell Ecklie we got involved?"
"Two years ago." The shock on his face caused her to furrow her brows, "Why? What did you tell him?"
"Nine years ago." He spoke as if that was the only logical answer. Sara turned to face forward, laughing hard through a big grin.
"The Forensic Academy Conference?" He continued to laugh.
"Yeah." It felt good to hear her laugh again, even if it was at his expense, "You, uh, had too many questions about anthropology for some reason."
She turned back to face him, "Well I was stalling. I was trying to get the nerve to ask you to dinner." She pursed her lips.
He nodded smally, "You had a pony tail." His voice was soft as he watched her turn to face forward once more. A smile danced on her lips.
She took a long pause before speaking, "I'm going to move to swing."
"We talked about this."
"I know that you said that you'd do it, but I don't want to do that to the team. Besides, I am sure I can use a bit more daylight in my life." She smiled a toothless grin his way to convince him.
He felt sad suddenly. Realizing that things would never be the way they once were.
"We should go."
"Yeah."
He got out of the car and walked around to the other side to let her out. Helping her by guiding her good arm. They walked inside to see the team already racing with their go carts. Sara and Grissom stood by the fenced area as Nick sped up to them.
"Come on! Want to ride?"
"Wish I could." She gestured to her casted arm.
"What about you Ricky Bobby?"
"No thanks, I like to watch."
"You should go!"
"Yeah?"
"Yeah! You should go."
A boyish grin appeared on his face, "Okay."
She watched as he strapped on a helmet and sped of in a cart. She watched as the team did laps around each other. Laughing and smiling. But she couldn't feel it. The feeling suddenly felt very foreign to her. She felt cold and lonely and distant.