Nick walked a few steps behind Greg down the middle of the highway, placing cones after Greg snapped photos of evidence.
"So you knew about the two of them?" Nick spoke after a lengthy silence. Grissom was half a football field away up the road with the decapitated body in the go-cart.
"Yeah…"
"For how long?"
Greg simply shrugged in response.
"Who told you? Sara?"
"Not in so many words." He was keeping what he knew close to his chest. While the information was more or less out, he knew how deeply Sara valued her privacy, let alone Grissom, and wanted to do his best to respect that. Even if the temptation to discuss it was prevalent among the team.
"Catherine called it."
"She knew?" Greg spoke unconvinced.
"Not about Sara. But she called it two years ago that he was dating someone. I wonder how that all started. Do you know?"
"All I know is that they've been close since before she moved here."
Nick simply nodded, "I do remember when Grissom brought her here he said she was someone he trusted. And I guess that should have been our biggest clue, hu? How many people does Grissom really trust?"
"Well he's not dating you, and I think he trusts you." Greg joked and created a bit more distance between them, "I've got tire treads, from what looks like a semi truck."
Later that shift Grissom was sat behind his desk in his office. Judy was instructed to let Ecklie know immediately when Grissom was back and once that information was relayed, he wasted no time cornering the supervisor.
"You've been dodging me. It's time to talk." Ecklie walked in at full force, scowl and irritation etched over his features. Whatever gentleness he displayed with Sara was long gone. "No one wants to hear about your love life less than I do but since you didn't handle this right, I need to take a formal statement."
Ecklie took up the seat opposite Grissom. He didn't even bother closing the office door before he did. With pen and folder in hand he got started.
"It should have been a conversation between friends." His tone soften a subtle amount, "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 an eyebrow, almost tauntingly. Grissom also, wasn't going to make this a simple conversation. His deflection defenses clearly even high built then Sara's was.
"Who initiated the romantic relationship?"
He thought a moment, "Sara did."
Ecklie marked the papers in his folders, first question, first discrepancy from Sara's responses.
"Did you ever use your position as her supervisor to initiate advances?"
"No." He scoffed.
"You never put yourself on a case with her alone to spend time together? Never changed schedules to give yourselves advantageous time off?"
Grissom didn't respond at first. He supposed he should technically reply yes. Because he did. But never at the disservice of the rest of the team or the lab.
"No."
"So the third Saturday of every month just magically lined up for you two?" Grissom forgot what a decent investigator Ecklie could be. But Ecklie didn't even give Grissom time to respond before moving on to the next question. "Have you ever engaged in a romantic relationship with any other member of the lab or PD? Including peripheral staff?"
"No, Conrad."
"Not Sophia?" Ecklie watched the shock on his face and made another note in his folder.
"No."
"How about with anyone associated with a case? Heather Kessler?"
"She's a friend."
"It shows a pattern." Ecklie responded shortly. "Who did you tell about your relationship?"
"No one."
"Your mother?" Ecklie signed. It wasn't clear if it was out of respect or mockery.
"Well, yes. My Mother knows."
"So it's serious?" He was taking a slightly different interrogative approach with Grissom.
"Sure." Grissom was getting more uncomfortable. More desperate to escape the conversation. How has his phone yet to ring? It's always ringing.
"You live together."
Grissom nodded.
"For how long?"
"Over a year now."
"A new place or into one of your existing apartments?"
"A new place."
Ecklie nodded again, "Why are your address' different on your files?"
"Sara's mail comes to our home. Mine goes to a P.O. Box."
"Why?" Ecklie waited a moment as Grissom sat silent, "Because you knew you were doing something in violation of lab policy?"
Grissom raised a brow and looked at Ecklie more sternly, "What are you getting at Conrad?"
"Come on Gil." He leaned in a bit, "The lab needs to be safe from lawsuits here. Not just you and Sara but any cases you two worked together could come into question."
"Our cases are completely clean."
"I'm sure they are. But you know we can't just assume that. This is the process. So…"
"You know this is why I dodged you." Grissom said part-smug part-jest.
The mood lightened a touch between the two men. "So," Ecklie continued, "When did you two, you know." Ecklie gestured with his hand to imply get together, commence, start sleeping together…
A smile slid through to the corners of his mouth as the memory of her filled his mind's eye. Walking toward the front of the lecture hall. Half that talk he had been noticing her. She kept catching his eye with her furious note taking and unbreaking attention. He'd thought himself beyond lucky when while shuffling his papers and references back from the podium into his briefcase, he looked up to see her. Her ponytail bounced back and forth as she made her way to him.
"Nine years ago." The nostalgia was thickly laced in his tone and a slightly dopey look in his eye. But that spell was broken nearly immediately with Ecklie's punch of a response.
"You know what. You two need to get your stories straight." His tone walked back to strict and serious. Any lightness between the two that had just been garnered was lost.
His brow shot up in shock, "What did she say?"
Ecklie simply rolled his eyes and stood. "Get back to me when you have some clear answers."
Grissom was alone in his office now, feeling a bit dumbfounded. A feeling he was never settled with. Within moments Nick came in to tell him the experiment in the garage was ready so he relegated these thoughts to the back of his mind.
Grissom parked the car. It had been a comfortably silent ride to the go kart facility. So when he turned toward her she was surprised to hear him speak.
"When did you tell Ecklie we got involved?"
She could hear the curiosity in his tone. This was a fact finding mission.
"Two years ago." She simply stated looking his way. His shock caused her to immediately add, "Why? What did you tell him?"
"Nine years ago." His spoke as if that were the only logical answer to the question. He watched as her head turned away from him and toward the dashboard. A big grin spread across her features like watercolor to paper, lighting up every corner.
"The Forensic Academy Conference?" She began to laugh despite her ribs. And in that moment Grissom realized a heartbreaking reality, this is the first time he'd heard her laugh since before everything happened.
He listened to each note of her laugh, like a symphony it captivated him. Her laughter naturally petered out as she looked back to him now.
"Laugh at the night, at the day, at the moon. Laugh at the twisted streets of the island, laugh at this clumsy boy who loves you. But when I open my eyes and close them, when my steps go, when my steps return. Deny me bread, air, light, spring, but never your laughter for I would die."
She leaned the side of her head against the headrest and looked lovingly into his eyes, silently. After a moment he added, "Pueblo Neruda." She continued to gaze into his eyes without a word. She loved him so deeply.
"You had too many questions about anthropology for some reason." He mimicked her posture, turning himself sideways, resting the side of his face against the headrest to look back at her.
"Well," She began a bit flirtatiously, "I was stalling." Her lips pursed back a smile, "I was trying to get the nerve to ask you to dinner."
"You had a ponytail." He recalled fondly, remembering how at 27 nearly 28, she seemed so young when they first met.
"You should have kissed me that night." His mouth went a bit gape at her bluntness. "Being that you apparently considered us together." She mocked a bit as she added the last bit.
"I was scared."
"And now?"
"Not so scared." He leaned in a kissed her lips softly.
Once he pulled back she spoke her next word finally, unsure how to tell him. "I'm going to move to swing."
"We talked about this."
"I know you said that you'd do it but I don't want to do that to the time. It'll be easier on everyone if I go. Besides," She worked hard to justify it to herself even, but she continued to try, "I'm sure I can use a bit more daylight in my life."
He felt the pang of sadness hit his chest. Things were changing and he wasn't comfortable with it. He missed the version of themselves from earlier this year. Private and safe.
"I can still work on Ecklie to get Catherine to do your evals so you can stay on the team."
"Ecklie was pretty clear with me." She stated sadly. "That ship has sailed."
"Ishmael would be heartbroken." He evoked Moby-Dick in hopes of levity. Unable to bring himself to fully engage with the emotion behind these changes.
"Me too." She smiled despite her words.
"Sara…" But his words paused. He couldn't get out what he wanted to say, something he'd thought he'd gotten so much better at with some practice. But still, the words dammed up in this throat, unable to cross the threshold of his lips.
"We should go." She moved to save him from himself.
"Hey, Sar—" Nick parked his go kart and jogged over to her, helmet now tucked under his arm. "I've missed having you around. No one is keeping Warrick in check."
"I know you're being serious."
Nick laughed easily, "I am." He looked her over for a moment, "How are you doing?"
"I'm good, really." She added already knowing he'd push back.
"I've been there, Sar—twice." He referred to being stalked as well as buried alive. "Remember?"
Oh, she remembered. Thinking about Nick's abduction was one of the memories that gave her strength to persevere when trapped under the car. It was also what lead Grissom to her door finally. She would be eternally conflicted with that memory.
"You talking to someone?" He asked and received a one shoulder shrug, "How's sleep?" A knowing look was her only response. "Yeah, it took me a long time to feel safe to sleep again." He hesitantly added, "But I was sleeping alone."
She shot him a look and smile, "Yeah. Yeah."
"It's weird."
"It is not." They bantered like siblings in rivalry—like they once used to in younger days. "I'm really okay." She added after a lengthy silence.
"You know I'm always here when you need me."
"Thanks, Nicky." She smiled.
October 2007
Sara's body moved to stretch away the sleepiness. The day had finally come for her to start on swing shift. She turned her head, seeing Grissom asleep next to her. He would't have to wake for shift for another couple of hours.
This was the beginning of the changes. Going to bed separately, waking separately. Not spending time together in the lab either. She wondered when they'd see each other in any meaningful way moving forward and what this new schedule would mean for them. Would they just be ships in the night.
Her feet touched the cool floor. She walked around the room getting ready, careful not to make much noise.
"Sara!" A very enthusiastic voice met her ears. Getting on the schedule for shift was off to a very rough start. It was the equivalent as reporting to work at 4am for most people. And there wasn't enough coffee in the world to help her right now.
"Great to have you on the team! Mike Davis," The man stuck out his hand. "Swing Shift Supervisor. Don't worry, no relation to Natalie." He let out a bellowed laugh but it was clear that Sara was not amused. "Anyway…" He continued, "I heard you did a great job mentoring Sanders on Grave so my first assignment for you is to do the same for our newbie here, Roni Lake. She started last week." He handed Sara a pink assignment slip, "take her to this DB in the alleyway off 112th. She's in the break room."
Babysitting duty was her immediate thought. She didn't mentor Greg because she enjoyed mentoring. She did it because she enjoyed mentoring Greg. Grissom was the teacher among them, not her. She resented the task immediately.
"Roni?" She stuck her head into the break room, "We've got a DB, I'm Sara Sidle." She forced a smile, "You're driving." She tossed key's Roni's way, not being cleared yet to drive.
"Killer." Sara shot the young girl a look, "I mean, great." She tried again.
She had some awareness of the changing tide within her. The shortness she felt toward others, the headache that wouldn't seem to go away. Her body wasn't adjusting to the time change, and her emotional state was fragile. Weather she'd admit as much or not.
Roni, in stark contrast, exuded energy and eagerness. Perhaps even traces of a version of who Sara was once upon a time. Inquisitive and relentless.
"Do you ever wonder why ants don't crawl up the nose and eat the brains? I would. Protein." Roni spoke a mile a minute as the two women processed the body in the alleyway.
"Ants are scavengers. They stay on the surface." Sara offered.
"Do you think dead skin tastes better then brains?" Roni kept firing off more questions as they popped into her head as if Sara hadn't even answered the last.
"They will go for brains later in decomp after all the skin is gone." Sara smiled internally thinking of the more technical terms and processes she'd learned from Grissom over the years.
"Do ants have taste buds?"
"I'm going to need to limit you to 20 questions per case." Sara spoke with a layer of jest but her patience really was wearing thin. She was tired. And she missed working with her people. She thought about a scene she and Warrick had processed together three weeks ago where neither said a word for the first two hours.
"Really?"
"19." Sara smiled to come off more playful but her true feelings were coming across much harsher then she intended.
"Hey! Sara!" Sara looked up to see Brass walking down the alleyway toward them.
"Jim!" She stood to greet him. So happy to see a familiar face.
"So, you enjoying the sunshine?"
"Not really." She spoke honestly.
"We're working a double at the motel just down the street. I'll tell Grissom you say hi." He smiled at her, which she returned. He took in her appearance. She looked better then the last time he saw her, but he could feel the energy shift around her. She was unhappy and tired.
Brass made his way back to his scene and walked into the motel room. "You know, Sara's at a scene just a few alleys south of here."
Grissom didn't even look up as he continued to fingerprint the Bible. Brass and Catherine caught eyes and after a quick head nod, Catherine took the cue and left the two men alone. Brass took another step toward Grissom now.
"How's she doing?"
Grissom now looked up, "Who?"
"Sara."
"Oh. Yeah. She's fine. She's doing well."
"She seems tired."
Grissom furrowed his brows, "Oh you know, coming off of grave shift after all these years. It'll just take some adjusting." Grissom's voice was void of any worry.
"And sad." Brass added but it didn't seem to sway Grissom toward concern or anything adjacent. Brass realized in that moment, that Grissom was so caught up with Sara being safe and alive, that he wasn't observing her unraveling the way everyone else was about to.
On Tuesday, Sara was ready to have her cast removed. A day she'd been counting down to since the moment she'd woken up in the hospital room.
"Sara?" Grissom spoke as he walked in the door and quickly greeted an energetic Hank.
Sara emerged from down the hall, struggling to finish buttoning a shirt with just one hand. "Hey." She paused a moment and looked at the clock, "You're home early."
"I am." He walked over to her and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before finishing the rest of her shirt buttons for her. "You're getting your cast off today."
"I am." She smiled with anticipation, "But you didn't need to come home for that."
"I wanted to." He smiled and walked her out the door.
The doctor confirmed what Sara had hoped, she was indeed ready to get rid of the cast for good. A splint would need to take it's place, her wrist was taking a little longer to heal because of the previous injuries to it. She stretched her arm for the first time in months and sighed with such relief which caused Grissom to smile.
"I don't need those." Sara spoke as the doctor moved to write her another scrip for pain killers.
"Then don't take them." The doctor responded while continuing to write the script, "But have them incase you need them. Regrowing bones is hard work. Many people are surprised but some the surges of pain." He handed the script to her and sent them on their way.
"Do you have to head back to the lab?" She asked they approached home. He simply shook his head in response.
"A lot is changing." He parked the car and turned toward her. "We won't have our third Saturdays of the month any longer."
"I know." She was most disappointed about that aspect of her new shift, and their less private comings and goings.
"Would you settle for every Tuesday?" He smiled widely at the surprise on her face, "It was much easier to work out now versus our schedules when we were both on grave." He offered as he exited the car. Sara got out as well and joined him as he keyed open the front door. She leaned in and kissed his cheek.
A lightly surprised look caught Grissom's features as a small, confused smile began to spread. His smile grew a bit more as he looked at her and saw the darkness pooling in her eyes.
He quickly realized that this gesture he'd thought nothing of at all, was so meaningful for Sara. They crossed the threshold and once the door was closed, she turned to him and kissed his lips. Trying desperately to communicate all of the complexities of the feelings she was having as they ran deeply through her, carving the rock-bed as they flowed. But mostly, she just loved him so profoundly.
His hands lifted to her waist as he let himself enjoy every sensation that surged through him.
"Look what I can do." She smirked after breaking their kiss leaving him a bit breathless as he watched her. She proceeded to unbutton her own shirt with her own two hands. No assistance required. She began to take a few steps backward, one with each button.
She lead him back to their bedroom where their clothing began to shed slowly between long, passionate bouts of kissing. He was taking in every taste and tingle that surged through him as he consumed her. Moving from her lips to her jaw, her neck, behind her ear.
He had honestly never considered engaging in sexual activity since she got home. Between her ribs and full arm cast, he was beyond intimidated to hurt her. She seemed… fragile? The thought of which would drive her mad, he mused.
As they lay together now all those thoughts vanished and all he could think about was the feeling of her soft, naked body against him.
"I've missed you." She breathed into his ear.
"I'm right here." He spoke softly in return, but he'd known what she'd meant. And he'd been missing her too.
"Hi, Mom." Grissom signed to his computer. He'd come into work a bit early to take the call. The mother and son had been missing each other's communications for the last two weeks.
"Finally." Betty signed back to her son over Skype. "You're harder to get a hold of sometimes then the president."
Grissom playacted his mother with a forced fake laugh. "How are you?"
"Oh. I'm well."Betty signed in a quick dismissive manner, "How is Sara?"
"She's doing okay. Her cast came off yesterday."
"How are you?"
He thought a moment, not wanting to dismiss his mother too quickly, "I'm good." He watched his mothers eyes. He could always tell what was happening in her mind through her eyes. A skill he learned early in childhood shortly after his father died. "Really." He insisted.
He took a long silent moment. Betty could see him struggling to tell her something, so she gave him the space to find his words, but when he failed to reengage, she came to his aid and signed,
"You should marry her."
His eyes flickered in surprise. Unsure how his mother had known what he was working out in his head.
"I don't know if she wants that."
"Well you won't know unless you ask." Betty quipped back. "You love her. Marry her. It's quite simple."
He smiled at this. His mother had a way of oversimplifying matters of the heart in ways he'd never understood. He nodded, "I've been thinking about that a lot lately."
"When you were here visiting a few years ago, you said you wanted to hang onto Grandma's ring. You knew then."
Grissom opened the top right drawer of his desk and moved around some items to reveal the small velvet box that had been sitting there, waiting. He thumbed over it.
"Yes."
"I'll be in Las Vegas to attend a fundraiser for Gilbert College next month. I want to meet her."
Grissom nodded in agreement, "That would be nice."
Betty watched as his eyes lifted over the camera into the distance.
"You need to go?"
"I do." He confirmed watching his team filter into the break room.
They signed their goodbyes and hung up the video call.
Tuesday. He thought to himself as he put away the velvet box, stood and gathered up assignment slips. I'll ask her on Tuesday.