Grissom and Sara stood there under the hot Costa Rican sun staring into each others eyes. Each unable to believe that they'd finally have the other there with them.
"God I've missed you." He breathed through a wide smile.
She moved her hand from his cheek up behind his head, weaving her long fingers through his curls.
"Sara!" A voice called from the distance, but neither heard it immediately until the voice grew louder, growing closer, "Sara! Have you seen the—" The voice cut off at the sight of the new visitor. "Oh, I'm sorry." The man walked over to them, now having their attention. "I didn't mean to intrude." The man wore a big goofy grin and stuck out his hand. "You must be Dr. Grissom."
Sara furrowed her brows, "You two know each other?"
He ignored Sara, "I'm Charlie, the one you've been emailing with."
"Ah yes. It's nice to finally meet you." They shook hands.
"Well. Let's get you set up, shall we?" Charlie turned around headed back to the tented area, assuming they'd follow—and they did, slowly.
"You've been emailing Charlie?" Sara glanced in Grissom's direction with a curious smirk.
"I couldn't just show up here." He smiled, "I had to make sure they could use another hand."
She nodded knowingly, "Did he tell you that we'll only be up here for another week?"
"Yes." Grissom readjusted his pack that was now once more on his back, "And then we're headed back to the research station in the village?"
Sara nodded to confirm.
"Alright. So we've got our boys tent and girls tent, but, uh—since Sara was the only girl on this trek she's got her own tent. You can bunk in either I guess."
"He'll stay with me." Sara smiled, knowing that Charlie was only trying to make her uncomfortable.
"I'll let you two get settled. Feel free to grab your cot from our tent whenever." Charlie turned to leave, leaving Sara and Grissom alone in her small tented space.
Grissom dropped his back to the floor and rubbed at his neck. "You must be exhausted." She moved toward him, taking in his appearance.
"A little." He spoke truthfully. But he couldn't stop staring at her. It felt like an eternity since he'd been with her. Especially considering their lack of communication over this last period of absence. "I'd love a shower." He smiled, knowing he'd be hard pressed to find one out here.
"There's a cool stream just north of here. I'll take you." Sara grabbed a small bucket of toiletries and lead him fifteen minutes off base camp. She sat by the edge of the stream as he wadded in the water, dunking his head in and letting the cool current crash into him. Her feet dangling at the side as she watched him.
"I can't believe you're here." She paused, "It's cheesy, I know."
He looked back and smiled softly, "Me either, honestly." He squeezed some of the shampoo Sara had brought for him into his hand hand lathered it through his hair, then quickly rinsed.
"When do you have to head back?"
He simply shook his head, not saying a word.
"I don't understand."
"Im—um... well, there's no time that I need to be back because—" He raised his eyebrows in his quirky boyish manner, "Well, because I resigned."
"Grissom." Sara's face fell in shock. "Grissom, I never asked you to do that."
"It was time." He nodded as he finished washing off some body wash and dried off, sitting next to Sara now at the edge of the steam. "After Warrick died." He swallowed a lump in his through, saying those words were still difficult, "I was lost. Confused. Hurt. I said somethings that I don't think I really meant and, when I received your video—" He gazed up into her eyes, "When I received your video I realized just how far gone I really was. I was a shell of the person I once was. A shell of the person I am when I'm with you. It was the right time for me to go. And the team is in good hands."
Sara nodded, trying to process this all, "The team. How'd they take it?"
"They'll be just fine. Greg sends his regards though."
She smiled at this, thinking of her friend. She then rested her head against Grissom's shoulder, staring mindlessly out at the water's current, splashing against a rock. They sat there like that peaceful, quiet. Just enjoying the other's presence back in their lives.
An hour or so later she, Grissom and the other four researchers out on this campsite came together for dinner, sitting around a campfire, discussing the daily research results and getting to know their new team member a bit more.
"So Gil," Charlie started, "You won't believe the luck we had when you informed us of your background. We've got this project we're working on down at the main station. It's for a different grant, but we'd love your eyes on it. It's about the rainforest's indigenous insect specious and their change in breeding habits. Our hypothisis is the change is due to climate change as well as human impact as far as deforestation. Any interest in joining that research crew?"
"Absolutely." Grissom glowed, "Sounds interesting. Before coming out here I was actually studying colony collapse disorder among worker bees."
Sara smiled, thinking about that day in the bee keeper outfits. She absent-mindedly touched her chest where the ring used to hang. Rubbing at the skin there softly. A movement not unnoticed by Grissom.
Grissom thought about the bees for a moment longer. That study had been so exciting to him when he'd first found the nest at the crime scene. But after Sara left, he found it impossible to step foot into the tented area. He ended up passing over the bee's to a young, eager day shift CSI who'd been interested in the experiment. He hadn't returned since.
"Great." Charlie spoke through bitefulls, pulling both Grissom and Sara out of their separate thoughts.
The group spent the rest of the night exchanging stories, laughs and theories. Grissom smiled as he watched Sara effortless challenge her fellow field researchers, some of which had been on the Sea Shepard with her. Grissom learned that quite a few of Sara's fellow crew members from the Sea Shepard ended up stationing in Costa Rica along with her to continue field research below the equator.
One by one the team seemed to have disapered back into their respective tents, turning in for the night until just Grissom and Sara remained. Sara stared ahead at the fire, crackling and dancing as in burned lower and lower, sending black smoke up into the night air.
He watched as she touched her chest again, feeling the absent space where the ring once hung like a pendant.
"Missing something?" She turned to face him as he spoke, cocking her head to the side in confusion.
Grissom reached into his pocket and took out the manilla envelope, shaking the ring out into his other hand. He held it out to her.
"Gil." She breathed softly with surprise and a hint of shame.
"I wanted to bring it back to its rightful owner." He pulled out a simple necklace chain from his other pocket, slipped the ring through it and moved closer to Sara. He brushed her hair to the side, letting his fingertips gently graze the back of her neck as he clasped the chain together. "I'm sorry that I gave you the impression that you needed to leave this behind." Grissom spoke smally, honestly.
His words were met with a big grin from Sara. "I have it now." She spoke as her hand moved to feel the ring against her chest, "I have everything I need now." Her deep brown orbs pierced through him, causing his breath to catch. After all this time, he was still amazed at how the slightest gesture or look from her could cause his body to react in such a manner.
They lay on the cot together, legs intertwined, her head on his bare chest. Her arm lazily draped over his abdomen. His hand roaming in her soft hair. This is what he had missed most, just laying with her, being able to feel her against him, having her scent invade his senses. His chest rose and fell steadily with each content breath as she traced small circles with her finger tips.
"You're going to love the research crew at the main base." Sara spoke softly as she readjusted herself on the not-so-comfortable cot. "There's so much life here. You can just feel the stark difference in energy."
She could feel Grissom nod absently, "I can already feel it." He smiled, pulling her closer.
Catherine stood in the large now empty office that once occupied specimen jars, framed bugs and endless piles of backlogged paperwork. But now, all that was left was the eerie quiet space and a few boxes Grissom had left behind.
A few of the boxes were addressed to the research station in Costa Rica that he'd asked her to send to him. She handed off the boxes to the currier one by one. As she went to hand him the last box, she noticed it was not addressed. Instead, "Catherine." Was scrawled across it in his handwriting.
"This one's staying here." She said a bit absently as she watched the currier leave with the addressed packages. She thumbed over the flaps of the cardboard box before opening it. She opened the box and took it's contents out one by one: Piggy (his prized fetal pig), a framed butterfly and a few textbooks took up the space inside. As she opened the entomology textbook, an envelope fell out. Her name once again scrawled across it. She opened the flap and took out the letter, bracing herself against the edge of the desk as she read:
Catherine:
You have been the only constant in my life for a very long time. Your friendship, support and compassion has meant more to me than words can offer. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone for, all I know where I'm going. I have every confidence in your success in leading the team from here on.
Be well. I'll miss you dearly.
Best,
Gil
Catherine smiled sadly, already missing her dear friend and mentor. In truth, Grissom had been the only man in her life to always be there for her. She was happy that he'd taken this step in his life, but she couldn't help but to feel sad at his departure. She took a deep breath to clear her head and returned the letter back to its envelope and tucked it into the entomology textbook.
January 2009
The field team trekked back to the small village in Costa Rica where the lab was stationed after having spent a few weeks in the rain forrest. Sara introduced him around to the other ten scientists and researchers around the facility.
"Oliver!" She called down a hallway, seeing the back of his head. He spun on the heels of his feet.
"You're back." He spoke happily as he approached her. "I've missed my diving buddy."
Sara grinned, "I want you to meet someone. Oliver, this is Gil. Gil, this is the marine biologist I'd told you about, Oliver."
"Ah, the infamous Gilbert Grissom." The man smiled and shook his hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
"Were you also on the Sea Shepard?"
"I was." Oliver glanced over to Sara before continuing, "Your girl's a natural diver."
"Oliver." A voice called from a room just off the hallway, "Those water samples are back."
Oliver gestured his head in the room's direction, "I better tend to that. Let's catch up later. I want to hear and the forrest trek." Oliver smiled at Sara and nodded politely toward Grissom before ducking into the room.
"Diving?" Grissom raised an eyebrow quizzically. Sara's only response was a soft laugh and smile.
Costa Rica proved to be a wonderful new start for Grissom and Sara. Their days were filled with science, research and treks with other likeminded persons. They'd explore the small string of villages in the area together, go for short hikes and canoe excursions through the rivers. Canoeing had become a favorite pass time of theirs as they explored the terrain, documenting species and insects along the way.
It was on one of these very canoe trips, as the sat still letting the water slowly take them further down the river that Grissom turned to Sara,
"Pierre offered me a position guest lecturing at the Sorbonne in France..." His voice trailed off tentatively. Pierre was another researcher stationed in Costa Rica, who had joined the crew during his teaching off season. Pierre, Grissom learned, was an esteemed professor of botany at the Sobonne.
"Wow." Sara looked up at him now, "That's wonderful. What did you say?" Sara liked Pierre a lot. He was a kind man in his early to mid sixties with thick white hair and a lanky build. He reminded her of what Grissom's father would have been like, especially considering is botany background.
"That'd I'd get back to him after discussing with you."
Sara smiled. This was a new Grissom. Never before, would she expect him to think to talk with her first. For him to communicate so easily.
"Let's do it." She grinned from ear to ear, "Let's move to Paris."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." She leaned over and kissed his lips softly.
Without skipping a beat in his next breath he blurted, "We should get married."
Sara looked up in surprise at the out-of-the-blue sentiment. "What?"
"Do you still want to? You know—"
"Yes." She smiled widely, cutting him off. Feeling overwhelmed suddenly.
"Maybe we should do that here, before making arrangements for Paris."
She nodded, thinking about that for a moment, "Okay."
He flashed her a boyish grin as he picked up the oars and continued to row a few more strides. "Okay." He echoed.