Catherine sat across from Grissom at his desk, laughing. "I'm sorry." She managed 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. Then, she took in his appearance. Grim. "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 of a sudden, in a flash, it's over. And now for him, the real suffering begins."
She looked over his features, "You're tired." Catherine spoke bluntly. She realized now that she hadn't seen him this deflated in years.
"I am." He agreed.
"Guess what?" Sara walked into the office with an energy that the moment between Grissom and Catherine lacked.
"Mankind has reached a new evolutionary plateau and starting tomorrow no one will rape, murder or maim again?"
"Um… No…" Sara looked between Grissom and Catherine, trying to read the situation.
"Too bad."
Sara tried not to stare at him but his appearance and body language were screaming his exhaustion. He looked tired and sad. Had he been confining in Catherine before she entered the room? She wondered, Had she interrupted something? She moved past her thoughts and continued to relay her findings, "But I did catch a break on that disposable cell number."
"Raymundo Suarez called it as well?" He finished her thought but was surprised to find he was wrong,
"No, he didn't." She smiled, "But according to the carrier, additional minutes were just purchased with a credit card belong to Ernie Dell. Brass is already on his way there. They're picking him up." She smiled again, "We've got him. We've got the miniature killer." Her voice was excited but as she looked at Grissom, she realized he wasn't so convinced. That, or the miniature cases weren't what was keeping him up and this would not bring him the relief she had thought it would.
Catherine watched the way Sara was looking at Grissom. Sympathetic eyes boring into him. Catherine sighed internally as she read the situation. She'd been pretty certain of Sara's infatuation for Grissom since she first arrived in Vegas. She thought her unrequited love would have faded by now. But here she looked at Sara, and the way she looked at Grissom, and realized all that care was still there.
Catherine thought about these two for a moment. About her friend who was so closed off to the world that he probably never even noticed Sara's desire for him. She thought about Sara moving to Vegas when Grissom asked her to and wondered what Sara had hoped for when she did. Most of all, she thought about how Grissom was too far down his microscope to ever let anyone in.
She looked at him again now, his tired eyes and sad features and she wished he would open his heart to someone.
Grissom walked in the front door to find Sara sitting on the couch reading a book. Shift had ended two hours ago but he couldn't bring himself to leave the lab. 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 the book and laid it on the coffee table, "I know you had a rough night…" She paused, "The video of Dell… Brass told me."
He simply nodded and moved to sit on the couch next to her.
"You okay?"
"I don't know." He answered honestly.
"Maybe you should take some time off? Even if it's just a few days. Go visit your mother?"
"Oh." Came his simple response. He hesitated, touching the tips of his fingers together.
"What is it?"
"I—um.. Well… I am taking some time off...soon actually. Well, a sabbatical."
Her bros furrowed in confusion, "A sabbatical?"
"I'm going to teach a graduate seminar for five weeks…" He paused briefly, "In Massachusetts."
"I see." He could tell he'd done something wrong by her response. Her energy shifting cooler. She continued, "When do you leave?"
"Next week."
She gave him a small smile, pushing past the very Grissom way in which he may have never mentioned he was leaving, "Sounds like a good opportunity to rest and reset."
He nodded, thankful for her understanding but disappointed in himself for not thinking to tell her, to bring her in on the decision. He'd hurt her. He knew that. But he was too tired to give it much more thought.
"Catherine will take over in your absence?" He simply nodded without speaking, "Have you told her?" He shook his head causing her to touch his shoulder, "You should... sooner than later."
"Right." He spoke softly.
"C'mon. Let's get washed up."
Grissom unwrapped a box Hodges just handed 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" Hodges admitted, "Don't worry I didn't say anything to anyone else."
"You got a minute?" Catherine walked in.
"He's busy." Hodges budded in and received dirty looks from both Catherine and Grissom. Taking the hint, he excused himself.
Catherine caught Grissom up on the Finch case.
"Why are we talking about this? Finch got off."
"I don't buy it. I need to go to Larkston."
"You can't."
She rolled her eyes, "Look I want a second short 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 last week. Surprise, disappointment, hurt.
"When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow night."
Catherine shook her head in disbelief. "I'll be back before then." She walked to exit his office but turned back to look at him before adding, "How long have you known about this?" She didn't bother to wait for his answer. His dumbfounded look said it all.
Sara had mentioned he should tell the team earlier. But he'd been putting it off. The avoidance won out.
Nick and Catherine drove through the long stretch of desolate desert on their way to Larkston to follow up on the Finch Case.
"Why didn't he tell the rest of the team?" Nick questioned from the passenger seat.
He's leaving me in charge and didn't tell me until the day before he leaves. If I hadn't mentioned we're headed north, 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 started, "He's been clean shaven for months, he's lost weight, leaving when shift is actually over. I think he even took a day off last week."
"Maybe he's got himself a girlfriend."
"That's what I'm saying." Nick smiled in agreement. "Maybe the lab isn't his life anymore."
"The leopard doesn't change his spots."
"Shakespeare, Henry IV. Just because we're talking about Grissom doesn't mean you have to evoke him." Nick teased, "But I do think he's seeing someone."
"What other evidence do we have?"
"Beard, weight and time off seem like the holy trinity of Grissom to me."
Catherine seemed to agree, "I wonder who." She thought aloud, "Maybe it's Lady Heather."
Nick laughed, "Yeah, right. Grissom and Lady Heather."
"You never know." Catherine shrugged, "They have some sort of chemistry."
"Eh, I can't picture it." He paused, watching the scenery pass by the window before turning his attention back to Catherine, "Where would he even meet someone? He lives at the lab."
She laughed, "Maybe it's doc Robbins. Or better yet, Super Dave."
Nick joined in on the laugher, "Yeah, let's hope it's not someone in the line of work. What a mess. Hu?"
Sara walked back to her locker after taking her break. She took her jacket off and placed it on the hook. She sighed heavily, feeling a weight pressing on her chest. She could't describe it. She watched as he packed his things yesterday between shifts. That's when this weight started. And she knew already it was because she was sad he was leaving. But it's impact on her, on such a visceral level, was not something she felt like admitting, even to herself.
Grissom walked quickly, almost past the locker room, when he spotted her. He'd been rushing around the lab looking for her for nearly 10 minutes now. Needing desperatly to see her before he departed. He back tracked and stood in the doorway.
"Hey." He spoke, getting her attention. She looked up at him and he could sense her somewhat melancholy demeanor. "My cab's here."
"So you're going?" She tried to mask her sadness with a smile. But she wasn't fooling either of them.
"Yeah." He spoke softly.
"I'll...see you when you get back." Another sad smile crossed her lips as she worked to keep their professional demeanor intact. She turned her attention back to her open locker. He stayed in the doorway and she could feel his eyes on her. She was't sure what to say or do. The hesitation and awkwardness was palpable. He could't take his eyes off of her and he realized now what the heaviness in his heart was.
He looked both ways down the hallway to make sure they were alone, then stepped further into the room, toward her. His finger tips touched together in hesitation. He caught her eyes once more as she turned to him. He wished desperately to have this goodbye in a safer location. Where he could be himself for her.
"I'll miss you." His words were barely a whisper but she heard him. She nodded with the smallest of movements. His eyes unwavering from hers. He wished he could walk up to her, to wrap her up in his arms, feel her heartbeat against his chest, bury his face in her soft hair. Kiss her soft lips. But he couldn't and it killed him. He sighed out and looked down sadly, "a lot." He added. He took her imagine in one last time and when no response came, he turned and left.
She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly feeling cold and lonely, watching as he walked off and out of view.
Grissom got into the cab and made is way for the airport. He never worried about anyone missing him when he was gone, nor did he ever worry about missing anyone himself. She had burrowed her way into his heart, and he realized now that she was there to stay. Regardless of what their future held, he knew she would have a hold over him for the rest of his life.
The ache in his chest grew. He missed her immensely and he'd only been gone for 20 minutes. And only now, in this moment as the cab approached the airport, did he realize how long five weeks would be.