"Grissom."
"Hey, Grissom. It's Dave. Dave Crow, from the San Fransisco Lab."
"Crow." Grissom's voice perked in a bit of shock. He hadn't thought about or spoken to Dave in several years.
"What can I do for you, Dave?" Grissom looked down the hall to the bedroom to see if Sara was in view. But he soon heard the shower turn on and the bathroom door close.
"How's Sara?"
"She's doing well…" His voice trailed off in confusion, "Do you need her number again?"
"No, no. We've been in touch. She actually called me earlier this evening."
"Oh?" Grissom was surprised to hear this. Unsure when she would have had the time with the six showgirls case having just wrapped earlier that evening.
"We were catching up. She let me know that I'm no longer her next of kin or power of attorney for medical decisions. That she updated it recently."
This was the first Grissom had heard of it. "I see."
"Look, Dr. Grissom. I really have no business medaling around in her life." Dave paused before continuing, "But it's come to my attention that perhaps you are more then a boss to her. Perhaps you share a… more intimate relationship these days."
"Dave… I don't know—"
"I'm not calling to cause any trouble here for you. I understand, you're her supervisor. I'm certain you two are being careful about who knows…" Grissom was surprised at how spot on Dave's reading of the situation was. "And she didn't say as much, but… I know her very well. She can't lie to me. I just wanted to hear from you, that I don't have to worry about her. That she's in good hands."
Grissom breathed out, "She is. She's in good hands."
"Okay then." Dave breathed out as well. "Thanks for taking the call."
"Of course." The men hung up their respective phones. Grissom furrowed his brows, surprised Sara hadn't mentioned any of this to him. Was she as uncommunicative as him? Did he just not realize it. Grissom decided not to mention the call to Sara. He knew she'd feel embarrassed, or perhaps betrayed by Crow. But hey laid in bed that night thinking about the call. Glad that Sara had someone else in her life as dedicated to her well being as he was.
Sara stirred awake to find herself alone in bed. The empty side where Grissom should be was cold. He'd been gone for a while. She rubbed at her eyes, trying to focus them through the tired haze. Jingling. She heard the jingling and then… trotting? She looked toward the door as it creaked open.
Grissom appeared there and stood in the doorway as a brown and black object suddenly leaped toward her, pounced on top of her and began licking her face.
Sara let out a deep laugh. "Gil! What is this!?" She managed through her laughter.
He stood there in the doorway, arms folded, wearing a big grin as the dog continued to lick her face and wag its tail.
"You remember Hank?"
"Your old neighbor's dog!?" The dog laid down, continuing to wag his tail. "Boy, Hank! You got big."
"Last time you saw him he was probably only a few months old." Grissom started, "Peter is deploying to Iraq tomorrow. He asked if we could keep hank for a while. A year or two at most."
"Oh, wow." Sara scratched behind Hank's hears, causing him to roll over and expose his belly.
"That okay?"
She looked up at him, "That's just fine." She returned her attention back to the pup. Grissom was overcome with happiness as he watched her glow.
"Dorthy next door said she'll take him when we caught up at the lab." He looked at his watch, "Speaking of which, I need to head in for a meeting with the sheriff. I'll see you there at shift."
"See you there." She spoke, not taking her eyes off the dog.
Grissom and Sara drove out to a brothel where they were dispatched for a DB.
"Feels like bath water." She spoke taking her hand out of the pool, "It's got to be 90 degrees." She and Grissom were alone at the scene for now. "There 's no way we're going to get an accurate TOD."
"Places like this always keep their pools warm. It encourages the girls to swim topless. It's good for business." Sara shot him a questioning look as he shared his knowledge, "So they tell me.." He added quickly.
"Mmmhmm." She flashed a smile his way.
The two processed the scene for several more hours. Now the sun was in the sky, beating down bright and hot. The pair walked side by side from the main property building to an annex.
"25 people here last night and nobody sees anything?" Grissom's straw hat sat perched on his head to shield him from the hot Nevada sun. He'd started wearing it more after he and Sara moved in together. He'd been going through his things to pack up when he'd found the hat at the back of his closet with other item's he used regularly decades ago when he traveled through the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt during his PHD program.
"Nice hat, honey." Two girls called after him as they passed by. He turned to look at them. To any other woman walking beside him, they would have read the behavior as sexual. But Sara knew he was looking at the women's footwear to see if they'd be a match for some shoe prints found near Happy's body. She enjoyed knowing him so well.
"So.." Sara began, wanting to know him even better, unable to let this thought go, "You've—uh—been to a place like this before?"
"I worked a murder-suicide at the Naughty Kitty once." He offered.
"No, no. Come on. You know what I mean." She pushed a bit, glancing his way as she spoke.
"As a customer!?" The shock in his voice was evident. "No." He scoffed.
"You've never paid for sex?"
"I have not. I find the whole idea very…bleak."
"Really? How come?" The genuine curiosity slid through her tone. It was one of the things he loved most about her. She never came to the conversation ready to judge.
"Sex should provide the opportunity for human connection. But paid sex does the opposite of that. To me… sex without love is pointless. It makes you sad…" He gave her intermittent glances as they continued to walk on. His voice softening more as his words carried on.
"Well… I'm pretty sure I don't make you sad." She flashed a smile his way.
"No." He said simply and held her gaze, "You make me happy."
His heart fluttered as he spoke the words. Had he never told her that he loved her? Did she really not know? He watched as a glow washed over her features and he became ashamed that he hadn't made that known to her. But it was as close as he could get to saying the words. His nervous system spiked every time he got close. It was a phenomenon he couldn't understand. He knew what he felt, why couldn't he just tell her? He decided he would leave his letter for her to find. The letter he wrote but never sent from his time in Massachusetts.
May 2007
They were between shifts now, still mid case. An old version of each Grissom and Sara would have worked the case through until solved without break. Those people left barely a trace.
Grissom pulled a sweatshirt on and sat next to Sara, leaning against the headboard to be shoulder to shoulder with her.
"What do you think so far?" Grissom asked as he settled in. He had convinced Sara to watch the original 1954 Godzilla after she revealed she'd never seen it.
"It reminds me of The east from 20,000 Fathoms." Seeing the surprise on Grissom's face caused her to add, "Greg… made me watch it a couple years ago."
He gave a small approving nod, "Actually, it's modeled after that and King Kong." He handed her a cup of yogurt, "You haven't eaten."
She took it and the spoon that followed and laid her head on his shoulder, "Thank you."
A little while later Grissom left to walk Hank. He returned and sat on the edge of the bed to see where in the film she was. Godzilla was just destroying a third building.
"You know, I always feel bad for the monster." A statement more revealing than either gave it time to assess.
"Then you better turn it off before they use the oxygen destroyer on him." Grissom shot a smirk her way.
"That's a good idea, Dr. Serizawa." Grissom shot her a look, "The… reclusive, brilliant scientist." She gestured to him, "who invented the oxygen destroyer."
Delighted, he flashed a boyish grin her way as he got up and left the room to go work on his miniature. He'd been working on it for a few week's now and it proved to be a fantastic way of getting to know the local miniature hobbits community. It wasn't lost on him that he grew to enjoy the process a great deal and that the killer he was in search of may have a personality not far off from his own.
But again, Sara didn't judge.
After he left the room, Sara took his advice to turn off the film. She put down the yogurt cup and reached for the remote. As she replaced the remote to the night stand she noticed for the first time that Grissom's rather large book of Shakespeare Sonnets was on her night stand. It hadn't been there when she left for shift…
She observed the book a bit closer when she noticed the envelope sticking out of it, the first few letters her name easily legible. It almost looked, staged? She glanced toward the door to see that she was alone, then hesitantly opened it.
Sara,
Our parting was awkward. I don't know why I still find it so difficult to express my feelings to you. To show you my truth. Even though we are far apart now, I can see you as clearly as if you were hear with me. I said I'll miss you, and I do.
Sara began to realize that this was written while he was on sabbatical. She read on with invigorated interest.
What ever our souls are made of, yours and mine, are the same. Intertwined and interconnected like the earth to the sun, the clouds to the rain. The mountains to the valleys. I am, but only with you. On my pumpkin I sit, alone. Beautiful solitude with only the quiet whispers of the wind to join the chorus of thoughts. All of which are you.
As Shakespeare more ably wrote my sentiment in Sonnet #47:
"Betwixt mine eye and heart a league is took, And each doth good turns now onto the other
When that mine eye is famished for a look, Or heart in move with sighs himself doth smother.
With my love's picture then my eye doth feast. And to the painted banquet bids by heart; Another time mine eye is my heart's guest. And his thoughts of love doth share a part.
So either by thy picture or my love, Thyself away art resent still with me.
For thou not farther than my thoughts canst move. And I am still within them and they with thee.
Or, if they sleep, thy picture in my sight. Awakes my heart, to heart's and eye's delight."
My heart longs for you, Sara. And as I long for you, my mind produces your image. Your smile, your eyes, so clear and vivid I convince myself you are truly here with me. And as I look at you in my mind's eye, my heart is nourished and begins to long for you more fervently. This cycle sustains me in our separation. The only comfort I can provide myself. That and knowing that I will return to you soon.
Affectionately,
Gil
Sara looked up toward the door once more. Her heart beat faster as she thumbed over the words on the page. Feeling the grooves and ink of his handwriting. Five months had passed since his sabbatical. She wondered why he chose to share this with her now. Had something charged this action? Over the two years they'd been together now, he'd never done anything like this. Leaving clues for her to find. She wondered what it meant.
She carefully folded the letter and placed it back in its envelope. Rather than returning it to the book, she placed it in her nightstand drawer. She then stood, scooped up the Sonnet book and placed it on his side of the bed. Two could play at this. She smiled to herself.
An hour later and the pair were getting into bed to get some sleep before they needed to report for the next shift. Grissom had noticed the book on his nightstand immediately upon entering the room.
They turned out the lights and got comfortable.
"Hey Griss." She spoke softly as she laid on her side, looking into his eyes. "I, uh… I love you too, you know."
She could see the smallest smile quiver at the edge of his lips. He placed his hand on the side of her face, pushing her hair back as he did.
"I'm sorry I never sent it."
She leaned in and softly took his lips In hers.