He wasn't surprised when she didn't come over. She hadn't come over yesterday either, still he waited and hoped. Hank whined and looked towards the door, it had only been a couple of weeks but he'd got used to Sara coming over. Hank liked Sara and the fuss she gave him, he was a part of the pack as far as Hank was concerned and it agitated him that she was missing. "Sorry buddy." Grissom scratched the ears of the dog "Looks like it's just us this morning." He stood and grabbed the leash and whistled for the dog to follow him. It was a subdued walk and not even Hank's favourite brown poodle perked him up, Grissom offered a sad smile at the old woman who owned her. She just glared back and eventually Grissom took the despondent Hank home and tried not to retch as he boiled and mashed some chicken breast (as per Curtis' instructions) for the dog's breakfast. Hank whined louder at his pitiful meal and Grissom didn't even try and stop him when the dog followed him and curled up at the foot of the bed.

Across town Sara hadn't fared much better. She picked at the muffin she'd selected for her own breakfast, eaten barely half of it before she gave up and went to bed. It had been a stupid argument that ended up spiralling out of control until both of them were angry and unwilling to concede or apologise. So she left and went back to her apartment. He hadn't tried to stop her and hadn't called her when she didn't follow him home the next day. It had become a thing, she went to his place after work, sometimes she'd stop at her own apartment and water her plants but she always came over. She wasn't surprised when he hadn't called her the first morning she didn't show up and she wasn't surprised he hadn't called her today either.

It carried on that way for another couple of days. They were professional at work but it was clear to everyone that they were in the early stages of another Grissom & Sara cold war. "What did you do?" Catherine asks during their hand over meeting at the start of his shift and end of hers.

"Why do you assume I did anything?" His voice lacks any emotion and this frustrates Catherine even more.

"Fine." She stares at him. "What did Sara do?" He doesn't respond and she's about ready to launch her phone at his head. "Is she seeing someone again?"

"Why do you say that?" Grissom asks quickly and Catherine has to hide the smirk, if there was one way to get a reaction out of him it was imply that Sara was dating someone that wasn't him.

"I heard you're not talking again. Normally this only happens when you're pissed at each other." Grissom doesn't say anything in response to this so Catherine continues. "If you've not done anything and you won't tell me what she's done I can only assume."

Grissom glances at his watch "When you assume you…"

"Yeah yeah" She gathers her files "Make an ass out of you and me. I know that." She goes to walk out of the door but stops "You know something Gil?" He looks up at her. "When you two fight you make an ass out of you as well." With that she sweeps out of his office.

He pondered her words for a few more minutes before heading to the break room to hand out assignments. He paired Greg with Sara and himself with Sofia and then at the end of the shift went to his office and closed the door so he wouldn't have to see her before he left. Was it juvenile? Yes. Was it making things worse? Also yes. Should he just go and talk to his wife? Yes and that's just what he decides to do, he stands and packs his things and heads out to his car to drive first to his place to sort the dog out before heading to Sara's apartment.

… … … … … …

"Hey Sara?" Greg called as he hurried to catch her on the way out of the lab. She stops and looks at him "Are things ok with you and…" He trails off and looks behind him, his meaning clear to Sara.

"It's…" She stops unwilling to lie to Greg on this one. "I could use a beer."

He smiles "Well luckily for you, the fridge at Casa Sanders is fully stocked." He falters for a second "I can't promise Curtis won't be there." Sara shrugs and mumbles that Curtis isn't that bad. "Well then. In that case, do you want a ride? I'll drive you home or to work later?" Sara nods and follows Greg to his car.

They arrive at Greg's who immediately goes about preparing them a truly unhealthy breakfast including chocolate and banana pancakes, shaped like Mickey Mouse because Greg wanted to see if he could make Sara laugh (he did). Of course the more beer they consumed the less like Mickey the pancakes looked since Greg was free-hand pouring them into the pan. Sara can't help but smile until Greg asks "So what's going on with you and Grissom?"

"We had a fight."

"Really?" He can't even be bothered to try and hide his sarcasm.

"It was stupid and then it wasn't."

Flashback

"Seriously Gil!" She grumbles as she slams the door to the fridge shut.

"What did the fridge do to you?" He'd just come back in from walking the dog and looked at her.

"It's what you've got in the fridge."

"I took the experiments out." He defends trying to rack his brain to remember if he left something in there. "It's just meat and that weird veggie stuff you eat instead of meat."

"Tofu." She asks. "It's Tofu Gil and the meat is the problem."

"Look, I know you're a vegetarian but…"

"Do you?" She cuts him off. "Do you know that I'm a vegetarian?"

"Of course I do." He defends not sure why she's mad at him, she just shakes her head and walks off, he looks in the fridge and sees what upset her. He'd thrown his bacon back into the fridge after cooking them breakfast the previous morning and it had fallen out of the packet and landed on her tofu. "I'll buy more." Apparently this was the wrong thing to say.

"That's it? You'll just buy more?" She asks

"What more do you want?" He's getting angry now, he was going to replace the food he ruined and she was still mad?

"An apology would be nice." She hissed.

"An apology? What do you think me buying more is?" It doesn't occur to him to actually say the words.

She shakes her head in frustration "It would be nice if you took some care with keeping the meat free and meat separate."

"Sure Sara, I'll take care of how I store things in my fridge." It was of course the wrong thing to say. He knew it, they'd always known what to say to hurt each other or to provoke a fight and whilst she was mad about the meat he was mad she still hadn't given him an answer on whether she was moving in or not.

"If you don't want me keeping tofu here that's fine. It's your fridge, my food is just a guest." Sara was not talking about the tofu and they both knew it.

"What are you saying Sara?" Grissom asks not willing to let this conversation play out hidden behind something else.

"If you don't want me here. Then tell me."

"I didn't say that." He huffs defensively. He didn't say he wanted her there either which to Sara is the same thing. "Don't put words in my mouth."

"Someone has to." The words escape her before she can stop them.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He's angry now. "It sounds like you're the one that doesn't want to be here."

"I want to feel like you want me here." How could she not think he wants her there? He wonders and then she keeps talking "It's your fridge. Your home. You've let me in but it's yours and I have my own fridge I could keep tofu in."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He's confused now. He doesn't know where she got this idea that she wasn't wanted from. Until today everything was fine, in fact a few days ago he floated the idea of her moving in with him.

"Let's just say I know what it's like to be invited in but not wanted there." It comes out harshly and Grissom is confused.

"You're doing it again." He groans in frustration. "You're putting the words in my mouth."

"I'm not. I'm just telling you how I feel!" She snaps. "Do you want me here?"

"That doesn't answer my question." He needs to tell her wants her here, but if he's being honest he feels like she's implying something and he's angry that she wont admit to him what she wants.

"It doesn't answer mine either Gil." She tells him sadly.

"You could leave if you don't want to be here." He knows as soon as he says it she'll leave. It's a dismissal even if it's not outright said.

"Do you want me to leave?" She offers him the out. He should take it, he knows it.

"Yes." No. "You don't want to be here anyway so it's for the best."

She nods and then goes about gathering the essentials her phone, keys and wallet. He wants to tell her to stay but he doesn't. "Bye." She tells him as she leaves and Hank goes scampering to the door after her and Grissom regrets not being honest with her.

END FLASHBACK

"We had a fight. He asked me to leave." Sara admits and Greg just cracks another two beers and hands one to Sara.

"Where did you go?" Greg asks.

"Home." She admits.

"You kept your place?" He asks "Is that so none of us realised you were together?"

"I kept my place because we've only been together for four months."

"four months?" He's shocked. "And you're already married? What, did you get drunk in a casino?"

"Something like that." Sara admits. "We got married so we could date without the lab rules being a problem."

"He married you to get around some rules?" Greg raises an eyebrow "It's logical but I don't think that's the whole story."

"Really?" Sara looks at him.

"I think he married you because he loves you." Greg nods and she just looks at him, his eyes are glassy and he's clearly drunk, she is too. This is the most she's ever discussed her relationship with Grissom with someone who isn't being paid to listen to what's happening in her head. "Everyone knows he loves you. He's just really bad at it." He nods as he says it.

Sara doesn't respond and just takes another sip of her beer. "He's got a really bad way of showing it."

"Why did you say yes?" Greg asks, if Sara thinks his idea was stupid then why did she agree.

"Because." She doesn't say anything else but Greg gets it. They both married for the same reason.

… … … … … …

On the other side of town Grissom pulls his car into the small parking lot at Sara's apartment building. He doesn't notice that her car isn't there and goes straight to her apartment door and starts to knock. There's no response. "Sara" He calls, he knows she's a light sleeper, she'd hear him knocking. He waits a few more minutes and tries again.

Perhaps she's still mad. He leaves feeling rejected. He still doesn't notice her car isn't there.

… … … … … …

The feelings of rejection last another few days. He continues to go home alone and continues to avoid speaking to Sara wherever possible. He's miserable as he walks the dog before he's getting ready for work and then his cell rings. He doesn't even look at the name "Grissom…wow Catherine. Slow down…Missing?...I'll be there as soon as I can."

… … … … … …

Sara's cell phone rings and she glances at the name on the phone. He hasn't called in a week. So why he'd call now is a mystery to her, she looks at the clock and realises it's not that long before she's due in work. They must have an early call out. "Sidle"

"Sara." Something sounds off, she can't quite place it

"What do you want Gil?" She sounds broken, he can hear it and he feels bad for what he's about to tell her.

"Nick's been taken."

Whatever Sara had been expecting it wasn't that. "I'm on my way."