Title: Work Ethic
Author: IrishDachsie
Rating: More than likely NC17
Pairing:
Grissom/Sara
Disclaimer: What do I own? The basic idea...that’s
it...this is what happens when I’m driving to work at 5:50 am listening to
Elton John...*shrug*
Chapter Six
He smiled to himself as he
waited semi-patiently for her return. His fingers tapped nervously against the
steering wheel. His eyes remained on the door of Mather
Hall, but quickly began to lose their focus.
Gil, tell me you know what you’re doing…
I know what I’m doing.
Okay…so…what ARE you doing?
I asked her to stay with me for a few days.
Why? Why would you risk…
I’m not risking anything. So…please…
You ARE risking something. A very BIG something.
Be quiet…
Do you love this girl?
She’s hardly a girl…
Yeah…and you’re hardly twenty-two…
Age isn’t a problem for us…that’s been discussed. Let it go now please…
Do you love this…young woman?
Have you noticed how she holds a cigarette? So
delicately. Her fingers…they just…
You’re changing the subject, Gil.
I’m trying…you’re not cooperating…
I’m not SUPPOSED to cooperate…think about it. I’m your con…
Don’t say it. I hate that.
Would you prefer to just say you’re talking to yourself?
I’d prefer it if you would just…go…away.
Oh? And let you think things are just going to turn out perfect for you
and Miss Sidle? Come on Gil…you know me better than that.
An optimist you’re not…
A realist I am…
You want to know what’s real?
I’m so intrigued Professor…please…tell me…
He sighed heavily and muttered
an obscenity. He shook a cigarette from the pack and with a trembling hand slid
his thumb over the metal wheel of the Zippo, quickly igniting the wick. He
stared at the flame for a moment before lighting the tobacco and inhaling
deeply.
He exhaled slowly, the smoke
billowing around him before escaping out the open window. He closed his eyes as
the nicotine surged through his system. He could feel himself calming.
Doesn’t really make sense if you think about it. Nicotine
is a stimulant...
Gil...what’s real?
Huh? Oh...yeah...reality...
He took another drag of the
Marlboro and smiled.
Reality is the way her eyes sparkle when she looks at me. The way my
heart races when she smiles. The way her fingers dance over my skin. The way her body trembles under my touch. The
sound of her voice calling out my name. The sensation
of waking up with her warm body in my arms, her head resting on my chest.
That, my friend, is reality...
Are you falling in love with her? You know you can’t...you can’t allow
yourself to do that...she’s your student, you’re leaving soon...you
just...can’t...
He shrugged his shoulders
lightly and flicked the butt out the window. He watched it bounce across the
asphalt before rolling to a stop against the curb.
So what if I am? She makes me happy...that is
what’s important...right?
You can’t...
His thoughts were broken as
the passenger door opened. He turned his head towards the young brunette
sliding into the seat next to him and smiled.
“Sorry I took so long...the roomie was asking questions...”
He fought the urge to lean
over and entice her with a soft kiss. Instead, his smile widened and he gave
her a wink.
“It’s okay...you weren’t
very long...”
She looked at him, confusion
etched across her features. “Griss, I was gone for forty-five
minutes...”
He glanced at the clock and
chuckled. “Forty-seven, actually...but...you’re here now. And that’s what
matters...”
She gasped lightly at the
tug in her heart, telling herself not to fall in love with him. But, wondering if it was already too late…
Her eyes focused on his
lips. With slight horror, she realized he was speaking. “Huh?”
Placing his hand on her
knee, he gave her a sweet smile. “I said...are you okay?”
“Oh...uh...yeah, yeah I’m
fine...”
“You
sure? Because...well...you looked
a little...”
She covered his hand with
her own and squeezed gently. “A little what?”
His fingers began to trace
small circles against the denim covering her leg. “I don’t know...lost in
thought?”
Her eyes closed slowly at
the sensation his fingers were giving her. “Maybe...”
His hand moved slowly,
sliding up her inner thigh. “Maybe? Come on,
honey...tell me what you were thinking...”
“I was thinking…” Her
voice trailed off as his hand gently caressed the inside of her thigh.
“Thinking…what?”
His tone was low, almost hypnotic.
Her
eyelids slowly parted as she turned her head towards him, revealing irises
black with lust. “Can we just…go back to the hotel?”
His
hand trembled with the urge to slide around her neck and pull her into a
passionate kiss. Giving her thigh one last gentle squeeze, he removed his hand
and threw the transmission into reverse.
He
cleared his throat lightly as he pulled out of the parking lot. “So…how did you
rate getting a room in one of the River Houses?”
She
shrugged her shoulders and a light chuckle escaped her lips. “Just…lucky, I
guess…”
Giving
her a quick glance, he grinned at the redness beginning to tint her cheeks.
~
~ ~ ~
~ ~
He
nodded at the young blonde at the front desk as he carefully guided Sara
through the sudden swarm of people in the lobby. They made their way to the
elevator as quickly as possible.
He
punched the button and took a step back, allowing his hand to fall from the
small of her back. She sighed lightly at the loss of contact. He smiled as the
elevator doors opened and quickly ushered her inside.
As
the doors slid shut, he moved behind her and pulled her back against his chest.
She could feel his growing arousal pressed against her. He groaned lightly as
she shifted in his arms, effectively brushing her denim-covered ass against his
semi-hard cock.
Pushing
her hair to the side, his lips nipped at the exposed flesh of her neck. She
turned in his arms suddenly. Grinning at the surprise in his eyes, she quickly
pushed him against the wall.
“Sara…”
She
silenced his protests by covering his mouth with her own, and slipping her
tongue between his lips. His hands came to a rest on her hips and against his
better judgment, he used his hands to pull her lower
body against his.
With
a soft moan, he broke the kiss and released his death grip on her hips.
A
breathless voice somehow managed to form a question. “What’s…wrong?”
He
glanced around their surroundings nervously. “We…uh…we should wait…not here…”
“Haven’t
you ever…uh…had sex…in an elevator?”
He
blushed heavily and shook his head in disbelief. “I didn’t say that, Sara…I
just said…we should wait…”
“So…you
have?”
The
red hue darkened as he chuckled nervously. “I…uh…I didn’t say that either…”
She
tilted her head slightly as she licked her lips seductively. “So…which is it,
Dr. Grissom?”
He
breathed a sigh of relief as the elevator doors slid open. “Uh…our floor…”
She
leaned into him slightly, her sultry voice low. “Our floor…your room…come on, Griss…have a stamp collection to show me?”
She
pressed her lips to his cheek before she backed out, motioning for him to
follow her to his room. He exhaled a deep breath and muttered quietly to
himself as he exited the elevator.
“I
collect insects…”
She
grinned as her head quickly turned towards him. “So…show me your bug
collection?”
He
licked his dry lips as he followed her down the hall to his room. Their room for the next few days…at least.
He barely had the door
closed before Sara attacked him. He responded to her touches, pulling her body
against his as her teeth nipped at his neck. He leaned his head back, resting
it on the wooden door behind him. His hands quickly undid the buttons of her
shirt and pushed the garment from her shoulders.
Her mouth clamped down on his neck and sucked hungrily
as his fingers teased her nipples. He groaned as she pulled his flesh into her
mouth and increased her suction. Her
hands quickly unbuckled his belt, unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. Sliding
her hand inside of his boxers, she grasped his erection and squeezed gently.
His eyes snapped open as her teeth scraped against his skin. He moved
his hands to her shoulders and pushed her back slightly. Pulling her mouth from
his neck, she looked into his eyes and smiled.
“Sorry…”
His fingers slid under the
straps of her bra. “It’s…okay.”
He took a couple of steps
forward, smiling as she took a couple of steps back. He quickly rid himself of
his shirt and dropped it to the floor. His eyes studied her carefully as she
pulled her bra free from her body and tossed it onto the chair. He licked his
lips when he saw her hands slide down her stomach only to stop when she reached
the button on her jeans.
She ran one finger down his
chest as she unfastened her Levi’s. The blood rushing in his head muffled the
sound of the zipper being pulled down. Pulling her hand away from his aching
body, she pushed her jeans down and stepped out of them, leaving herself
standing naked before him.
The thoughts racing
through his head came to a screeching halt as he moved to her and wrapped his
arms around her, dipping his head to suckle on her neck as she had his earlier.
She tilted her head back as his hungry lips moved to her throat, his tongue
teasing her flesh before allowing his teeth to graze across her skin.
Hearing her moan lightly, he
smiled as he pulled away from her. She opened her eyes, silently questioning
him. Her body trembled as she felt his hand glide over her hip. She watched him
as he knelt in front of her. His hands gripped her hips tightly as she started
to move to the floor with him.
Looking up at her, he
grinned and shook his head. “No…stand there…”
“Griss…”
“Shhh…”
He maintained eye contact
with her as his hand gently covered her mound. Her eyes closed and she gasped
as his fingers parted her lips. His heart began to race when he encountered the
moisture there. His finger slid easily into her warmth. Moving closer to her,
he blew a warm puff of air over her clit. Feeling her body tense, he slid
another finger inside as his mouth closed over her hardened nub.
Her left hand gripped his
shoulder as the fingers of her right hand tightened in his dark curls,
effectively holding him in place. He felt her body shudder as his tongue
circled her clit.
“God…Griss…”
He sucked her clit into his mouth,
holding it gently between his teeth while his tongue flicked against it. He
moaned against her when he felt her slick walls begin to tighten around his
fingers.
He smiled inwardly as he
released her clit from his mouth and abruptly pulled his fingers from her. She
groaned loudly.
“What…I…so close…” Her
breathing heavy, she looked down to see him smiling brightly at her. “Griss…”
Sliding his hands up her
thighs to her hips, he grasped her and tapped his fingers lightly against her
quivering skin. “Come here…”
“I…you…why did you…”
“Shhh…come
here…”
When she didn’t move, he
grinned and ran his tongue up her inner thigh. Gasping as her knees buckled,
she was semi-aware of the fact that he had caught her before she hit the floor.
“Gil…”
“I told you to come here…”
His devilish grin danced in his eyes.
After laying her down on the
floor, he stood quickly and removed his pants and boxers before kneeling down
between her legs. The hard shaft of his cock pressed against her clitoris as he
leaned over her and plunged his tongue into her mouth.
Feeling her hands on his
back, he broke the kiss and looked into her eyes. “Tell me…”
“Tell you what?” She pushed her
hips up, gasping lightly at the friction her movement created.
He shifted his body
slightly, closing his eyes as the head of his cock nudged against her clit.
“What you want…tell me…what you want…”
Her nails raked across his
back as she wrapped her legs around him in an attempt to pull him closer.
“You…please…”
“Me? That’s…a vague answer,
Sara. What do you want?” His voice was unbelievably steady. He couldn’t even
believe that there wasn’t a trace of a wobble in it. He smiled as her eyes
snapped open.
“What?”
“Talk to me…tell me what you want…what do you want me to do?”
“I…” She shifted her hips
again in an attempt to pull his raging erection inside of her.
He chuckled lightly as he
slowly shook his head. “Not going to work, honey…tell
me…”
“God…Griss…inside…”
Her eyes locked with his. “Fuck me…”
His eyes widened slightly.
“Fuck you?”
“Yes…oh god, yes…”
He ground his cock against
her clit, relishing her moans. “Are you sure?”
“Would…you quit…asking
that?”
He grinned as he shifted his
hips and eased the head of his erection inside of her. He groaned as she
tightened her legs around him, pulling him in deeper. After having fully
entered her, he stopped and looked down at her. Smiling sweetly at her, he
removed her left hand from his body and placed it beside of her head, lacing
his fingers with hers.
Lowering his head, he began
placing soft kisses on her neck and collarbone as he slowly moved within her.
Her fingers tightened around his as she pushed her hips against him, urging him
to thrust deeper…harder.
He gave her a lopsided smile
as he continued his easy pace. “Patience…”
She gave a slight whimper as
her glazed eyes stared into his. He stopped his movement and released her hand.
Stroking her cheek with his finger, he leaned down kissed her softly.
“Sara…”
He didn’t give her a chance
to reply to her name as he pulled his cock back slowly, only allowing the glans
to remain wedged in her folds. Pushing himself up to his knees, he gripped her
hips firmly and slowly pulled her towards him.
“Please…” Her voice was
nothing more than a ragged whisper.
His fingers traced circular
patterns against her skin as he contemplated his impending actions. His heart
melted as looked into her eyes and saw the love shining in them. She gave him a
brief smile and nodded her head, silently assuring him that she was completely
sure of what she wanted.
Taking a deep breath, his
fingers grasped her hips tightly as he slammed into her. He pulled back slowly,
only to quickly thrust into her again. And again. And…again.
Hearing her moans, feeling
her nails scrape across his chest, feeling her fluid build up around his hard
cock...it all told him that this was what she wanted, indeed. He maintained his
quick pace, plunging deeply into her with each thrust.
He slowed his movement as he
felt her inner walls begin to clench down on him. Seeing the confusion in her
eyes, he smiled as he leaned back over her. Her fingers tangled in his wet
curls as his tongue probed her mouth gently.
Her left hand slid across
his back, unable to grip his skin through the layer of sweat that had coated
his body, as she moaned into his mouth. Feeling her warm juices smother him was
just too much for him to handle. He supposed it would be too hard for any man
to handle…not necessarily ‘it’, but…just Sara Sidle in general.
He buried his face in
the crook of her neck and moaned her name as he emptied his semen deep inside
of her. She held him tightly against her as her hands ran through his hair. He
placed a tender kiss on her neck and rolled them onto their sides.
She sighed lightly as his
softening cock slid from her.
Both of them too tired to
move, he pulled her into his arms and smiled as she snuggled against him. She
yawned as she curled her body into his.
“I…need a cigarette…”
He chuckled lightly. “I’ll
get you one in a minute. Just…lay here with me for a while?”
“Mmm…”
He stroked her back gently
as they lay there. It wasn’t long before they were both sleeping peacefully in
one another’s arms.
He winced as he rolled over,
the muscles in his back screaming their protest at movement of any sort. Taking
a deep breath, he caught a whiff of smoke. His eyes opened quickly and took in
his surroundings.
He pushed himself up slowly,
compromising with his back as he moved.
“Hey…”
His head turned towards the
cheerful voice. Meeting her eyes, he grinned as she took another drag from her
cigarette.
“Hey…how long have you been
up?”
She ran her long fingers
through her damp hair. “Not very…long enough to take a shower and light a
cigarette…”
“Can I have one?”
She tilted her head slightly
and grinned. “A shower, or…a cigarette?”
Standing up, he modestly
wrapped the blanket around him as he walked over to sit beside of her on the
sofa. “Actually…I was talking about a cigarette. The shower can wait for a
minute…”
Nodding, she picked up her
pack from the table and began to shake one out for him. Her heart started to
race as he took hold of her wrist and pulled her hand towards his mouth. She
watched him carefully as he twisted her hand slightly so that he could take a
puff from her own Marlboro.
He inhaled deeply, allowing
the smoke to swirl in his lungs before softly exhaling. “Mm…better…”
“How’s your back?”
He stretched gently,
grimacing as the vertebrae cracked loudly. “Stiff…but…okay now…”
Silence filled the room as
he lit his own cigarette and relaxed on the couch beside of her. She glanced at
him as she ground the remainder of her cigarette into the ashtray.
“Griss?”
“Yeah?”
“What are we doing?”
His heart lurched in his
chest. “What are we doing? Um…what
exactly do you mean, Sara?”
She motioned slowly between
their bodies. “This…what is this?”
“Sara…”
She stood up quickly,
shaking her head. “Oh God…I shouldn’t have asked that. I’m sorry…just forget
that I said anything, okay?”
“Why?”
She stopped halfway across
the room, but didn’t turn to look at him. “Because…I…I know what this is for
you…”
“Sara…look
at me…please…”
Taking a deep breath, she
slowly granted his request. She was more than a little surprised to see a smile
on his face.
“What do you think this is
for me?”
“You know…sex…it’s a sex
thing…”
He gently tapped the filter
of the Marlboro with his thumb and shook his head. “If sex were what I cared
about…I would’ve picked up that blonde at the front desk downstairs…”
He placed the cigarette in
the ashtray and stood. Walking slowly towards her, he smiled as he noticed the
slight tremble of her body. “This isn’t just about sex, Sara…”
“Then…what…”
“I think…I’m beginning to
have some…unethical feelings…towards you…”
Her eyes closed as his
fingers gently caressed her cheek. “Feelings?”
His hands moved lower,
carefully pushing her robe away from her soft skin. He placed a soft kiss on
her neck before moving his lips to nibble lightly on her earlobe. “Mm-hm…feelings…”
Her hands roamed across his
bare back as his lips found her neck again, teasingly nipping at her sensitive
flesh. “Gil…”
“I…I want to make love with
you, Sara…”
Placing her hands on his
chest, she pushed herself back a few inches. Catching his eyes with her own,
she smiled nervously at him. “What…did you say?”
His fingers traced her jawline before dancing lightly down her neck. Pulling her
closer to him, his eyes remained locked with hers. “I said…I want to make love
with you…” He took a deep breath and continued slowly. “I…I don’t want to have
sex with you…I don’t want to…fuck you…”
“Gil…what about…”
Her question was cut short
as his mouth closed over hers. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she allowed
him to lift her into his arms and carry her into the bedroom.
~ ~
~ ~ ~
~
After carefully laying her
in his bed, he climbed in beside of her. Her muscles quivered at his gentle
touch. She smiled inwardly at his words spoken just a few minutes before. I
want to make love with you…
She gasped as he touched
her, his fingers trailing across her skin. She moaned into his mouth as his
tongue sought out her own. Her mind attempted to catalogue each minute
difference it could detect in the way he touched her, kissed her, looked at
her…compared to their previous encounters.
She lost count fairly
quickly. Everything was different this time. This wasn’t just another sexual
encounter…he was going to make love with her.
He gazed down at her,
silently wondering what was going on in her head. “Sara?”
Her eyes fluttered open at
the sound of her whispered name from his lips. “Hm?”
He brushed back a strand of
hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. “What are you thinking about?”
“I…this is…well, it’s
different…”
His heart issued a brief
warning of panic. “What?”
Her fingers outlined his
lips before pulling his face closer to hers. “It’s different…good…wonderfully
different…”
“So…uh…”
“Gil…make
love to me.”
~ ~
~ ~ ~
~
“Hey, Griss…have
you seen Brass?”
His eyes snapped up to his
blonde co-worker. “Huh? Uh…no Catherine…no…I haven’t…”
“You okay? You seem kind
of…out of it…”
“Sure…yeah, I’m fine…any
news on Holly yet?”
Catherine’s amused
expression fell from her face. “No…”
Grissom sighed heavily as
the sheriff walked into the breakroom. “Grissom.”
“Mobley…”
“Can you come into my
office? I…have something to discuss with you.”
Giving a quick glance
towards Catherine and shrugging his shoulders lightly, he followed the sheriff
down the hall.
~ ~
~ ~ ~
~
“What?”
“Gil…come
on…you know that you’re the best qualified for the position.”
“What about Jim? HE’S the
supervisor…not me…”
“Not anymore. Simple as that. The job is yours now. Brass is being…taken
care of.”
“Look…”
“No…YOU look. You are the
supervisor. These are YOUR CSI’s. This is YOUR shift. YOU need to find a way to
deal with Brown.”
“What? Warrick?”
“I want a full investigation
on him, Gil. And…I really don’t care how you do it. Just do it.”
“Brian…”
“You’re excused, Grissom.”
Grissom stared wide-eyed at
the sheriff for a few brief moments before standing and walking towards the
door. Turning around, he narrowed his eyes slightly. “Do you know what you’re
doing, Brian?”
“Get whoever you need to
help you with the internal investigation.”
With a heavy sigh, Grissom
slowly walked back towards his office.
~ ~
~ ~ ~
~
His fingers hovered over the
numbers on his cellphone. Hesitantly, he punched the
number he knew so well and lifted the phone to his ear.
“Sidle.”
“Hi…”
Her voice immediately softened.
“Hey…I was just getting ready to email you…how are you?”
“I…Sara, I don’t know…”
“What’s wrong, Griss?”
“I...uh…I was just promoted
to Supervisor…”
“Griss! That’s
wonderful!”
He shook his head sadly.
“No…no, Sara…it’s not…”
“What happened?”
She listened intently as he
went through the entire scenario…and as many details as he personally knew. She
sighed heavily, her heart aching for the man on the other end of the line.
“And…now they want ME to do
an internal investigation on Warrick. Sara…how am I
supposed to do that?”
“You get someone else
in…someone you trust to do the best job possible…someone you can rely on.
That’s what you do. Let that person you bring in deal with it…you’re too close
to the situation…you know that.”
“Someone I trust? Someone I
can rely on?”
“Yeah…”
“Sara?”
“Yeah, Griss?”
“How do you feel about
Vegas?”
She smiled brightly as she
shifted the phone to her other ear. “Vegas has some
nice qualities…”
“Yeah?”
“Mm-hm…”
“Can you…um…will you…help
me, Sara?”
“I’ll be there in the
morning…”
“Thank you.”
“You know all you have to do
is ask.”
A smile appeared on his
lips. “I’ve missed you…”
“Me too…I’ll see you in a
few hours, okay?”
“Okay…” Sensing she was
getting ready to hang up the phone, he quickly uttered her name.
“Yeah, Griss?”
“I…I love you.”
“I love you too, Gil…be
there soon.”
His smile widened briefly as
he hung up the phone. Then, he realized he had to inform the night shift of the
changes. Exhaling slowly, he stood and walked through his doorway and into the
hall…in search of his team.
Chapter Nine
The morning found him
standing on the sidewalk in the bright sun, watching forensic dummies seemingly
fall from the sky. He studied the mannequins carefully, logging the results of
each landing.
“
“Wouldn’t you if you were
married to Mrs. Roper?”
He couldn’t stop the smile
from forming on his face as Sara’s voice spoke to him through the crowd.
However, he was able to stop himself from pulling her into his arms as soon as
he turned around to see her standing behind him.
My God…she gets more
beautiful each time I see her…
Gil…she’s here to
investigate one of your CSI’s…
I know why she’s here…
Why?
“I have so many unanswered
whys…”
“Well…the only why I’m
interested in is finding out why Warrick Brown left
the scene…”
“Sara…”
She raised her eyes from one
of the fallen dummies to his face. “Yeah?”
“Uh…are you hungry? I can
fill you in on what I know over breakfast…”
His heart skipped a beat as
she flashed him the gap-toothed smile he had fallen in love with all of those
years ago. “I could definitely eat. You paying?”
He chuckled at her and gave
her a discreet wink. Motioning towards the mannequins on the ground, he called
out to the young man walking towards them.
“Hey,
Nicky? Could you take the results
of this…experiment…back to the lab along with the dummies for me? I need to
discuss the details of Sara’s assignment with her…”
Nick gave the brunette a
cursory glance before looking back at Grissom. “Yeah…sure, okay…” He shook his
head slowly as he watched the two walk towards the black Tahoe sitting at the
curb.
~ ~
~ ~ ~
~
He slowly pulled the Tahoe
from the curb and looked over at her. “How are you?”
“I’m good. Really, I am…”
“And…
“Basically sucks…I like my
job though…”
“You know…you can get employment as a CSI somewhere
other than
“You offering?”
She flashed him a bright grin.
“Yeah, actually…I am…”
“Let me think about it for a
while?”
“Of course…I would expect
nothing less from you…” He resisted the urge to touch her, instead allowing a
deep sigh to escape. “It’s been too long, Sara…”
She turned her head and
gazed out the window. “Yeah…it has…”
“I’m sorry.”
She turned her head sharply
back towards him. “For?”
“For…what I said on the phone
yesterday…”
“Griss…quit
stalling and just tell me what you’re sorry for…”
“Um…for saying…’I love
you’…it just kind of came out.”
She chuckled sarcastically
and adjusted her sunglasses. “If I remember correctly, I said it back…”
“Yes. But…we both agreed…”
She stopped him suddenly.
“It doesn’t mean that I don’t love you…our agreement was based on what was best
at the time…”
“And…what’s best now? At this
time…”
She stared through the windshield,
a small smile tugging at her lips. “Breakfast…that’s best right now…”
~ ~
~ ~ ~
~
She watched him as he paid
for their breakfast, the simple act taking her back suddenly 10 years in time
to the Black Goose. She shook her head to dislodge the memories and visions.
He had explained in great
detail why she was here right now. Warrick Brown was
supposed to be shadowing Holly Gribbs. For some
reason, Holly was alone at the scene. The fact that it was a scene with an
officer present, and all Holly needed to do was print and photograph…well, that
fact didn’t help matters much. Holly was still injured…and not expected to
live.
Why? Why had he
decided on his own that she would be okay alone at a scene…on her first night
at work? Where did he go? What was so important that couldn’t wait? And…why did
he think he was authorized to make such a decision…he was a CSI Level II…given
orders from the Supervisor to shadow the rookie…and yet…he didn’t.
“Sara?”
She turned towards the soft
voice and smiled lightly. “Yeah?”
“You okay?”
“Yeah…just
thinking…the ‘whys’ are hitting, you know?”
They walked side by side
back to the Tahoe, their arms brushing against each other every couple of
steps. “So…uh…where are you staying?”
She stopped walking and
looked at him, questioning him silently.
“I…uh…I was just asking
because…well, I do have a spare bedroom…and…I thought maybe it would…you
know…just give us a chance to talk…”
“About?”
He gave her an exasperated
sigh and shifted his eyes to watch the traffic speeding by. “Where did I go
wrong, Sara?”
She touched his arm softly,
causing him to look back at her. “It wasn’t just you, Griss…”
He glanced down at her
fingers on his arm and fought the shudder threatening to course through his body.
“Do…do you regret it? Us?”
She eyed their surroundings
slowly. “Griss…we really probably shouldn’t talk
about this here…”
He nodded and guided her to
the passenger side of the Tahoe. “I have a new display of Monarchs…if you’d
like to see them…”
She smiled and laughed
lightly. “You and your bugs…”
He shrugged as he opened the
door for her, the smile reaching his eyes as he watched her climb in. “I’m an
Entomologist…what do you expect?”
~ ~
~ ~ ~
~
She walked through his
living room, inspecting his specimens on the wall. “God, has it really been two
years since I’ve been here?”
“Uh…yeah, I guess so. I
would’ve thought it was longer…but…yeah, two years…”
She smiled at his
nervousness and pointed towards a glass case on the wall. “Isn’t that the one
you were looking for in
He grinned proudly as he
walked up behind her. “Yeah, it is. I’m surprised you remember that…”
“I haven’t stopped looking
for one. I guess I can now…”
He shoved his hands in his
pockets in an attempt to keep himself from wrapping his arms around her. Taking
a few steps back into the living room, he sat down on the sofa and removed his
glasses.
She watched his movements carefully,
a dull ache spreading throughout her heart. “Griss?”
“Do you?”
“Do I…what?” She moved
across the room and took a seat next to him. She tried to ignore the heat
building in her body.
“Regret…”
She sighed heavily as she
leaned her head against the back of the couch. “I regret how it ended…”
She grabbed his arm quickly
as he started to stand. “I don’t regret us, Griss…”
“Sara…”
“We both made mistakes, Gil.
And…you know as well as I do…long distance relationships just don’t work if
there’s no effort to physically close that distance…”
“I should have married you…”
The statement came out as a soft whisper, almost too quiet for her to even
hear. Almost.
“We…we weren’t ready for
marriage…”
He closed his eyes and took
a deep breath. “Obviously…”
A sad smile appeared on her
face as she gave into the urge to lay her head on his shoulder. “At least we
didn’t…cheat on each other…”
“I’m sorry for hurting you,
Sara.” He allowed his arm to slide between her back and the couch.
“You know…it’s
funny…”
He tilted his head in a
silent gesture for her to continue.
“We were…regular lovers for four
years…occasional lovers for three…and…situational lovers for the last year we
were together…”
“What’s so funny about
that?”
She smiled at his confused expression.
“We were friends throughout it all…and…for the last two years,
our friendship has been the strongest it’s ever been…”
He cleared his throat softly
and looked into her eyes. “Um…is that what your ‘I love you’ meant yesterday?”
“Not exactly…” She relaxed
against him as his arm tightened around her. “I’ve always loved you…but…”
Her hand moved to his chest
as he tried once again to get up. “Sara…please…let me up…”
“No…you’re going to listen…”
“Listen to what? ‘I’ve
always loved you, but it would’ve never worked out’? I’m sorry, Sara…but…I
really can’t hear that right now…”
“Grissom…I’ve always loved
you…but the distance, the physical distance, between us…it was too hard. Lying
in bed and wishing your arms were holding me…waking up in the morning and
hoping you were in the kitchen making breakfast…only to realize that wasn’t
happening…it was too hard…”
He slowly began to relax his
body.
“You didn’t want to leave
Vegas…I didn’t want to live in
“You don’t want to live in
“Maybe it’s time that I
start compromising…and…if I want you in my life…where I can see you every day,
talk to you every day…this is where it starts. In
“Sara…” He swallowed
nervously as she leaned closer to him.
Her lips barely brushed
against his ear as she whispered three short words. “I miss you…”
He turned his head slightly to
the right, his eyes locking with hers. “I…miss you too…”
His words, though few, were
spoken with such emotion that Sara’s eyes began to tear. Lifting her hand, she
gently caressed his cheek before tilting her head and pressing her lips to his.
What was intended to be just
a small kiss to test the waters almost immediately turned into the passion from
those first few weeks in
Her fingers began
unbuttoning his shirt, causing his heart to race. She pulled from the kiss and
smiled seductively. Dipping her head, she pressed her lips against his chest,
relishing his soft gasp as her tongue flicked against his warm skin.
She sat up suddenly and
pulled her shirt over her head. His hands automatically unclasped her bra and
pulled it free from her body. Placing a tender kiss between her breasts, he
held her tightly against him.
He groaned as she ground her
hips against him lightly. His hands held her hips, stilling her movement.
Lifting his head, he met the confusion in her dark brown eyes. He offered her a
small smile and a slow shake of his head.
“No? Gil…”
“Yes…not no.
Just…not here.”
She raised her eyebrow as he
slid forward on the couch and slowly stood with her in his arms. Wrapping her
arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, she allowed herself to be
carried down the hall.
Laying her
down on the bed, he saw the confusion still swimming in her eyes. He gently climbed on the bed beside of her and
kissed her softly.
“What’s wrong, Sara?”
“I just…what was wrong with
the couch?”
He chuckled lightly and gave
his hand permission to travel down her torso. “Honey…it’s been two years since we…uh…”
“Had sex?”
His hand stopped on her flat
stomach. She didn’t fail to notice the slight tremble against her skin. She
smiled at the faint tint of red spreading across his face.
“Uh…yeah…and…well, I just
thought that maybe we could make love in bed…”
He saw the same look in her
eyes that he saw the first time he told her that he wanted to make love with
her. His eyes darkened as he leaned over her, pushing his tongue into her mouth
as his fingers deftly worked on removing her jeans.
She sucked his tongue
hungrily as she lifted her hips to help him rid her of her remaining clothing.
Her hands gripped his back as he shifted his body between her legs.
He reluctantly broke the
kiss and pushed himself to a kneeling position. Licking his lips, his hands
roamed over her tingling flesh. “Sara…are you sure
about this?”
She grinned at him and
reached for his belt. “Would you quit asking that?”
He returned her grin as he
heard his belt hit the floor. He quickly removed his pants and leaned over her
once more. She groaned as his erection made contact with her clitoris.
He was more than slightly
surprised that he still aroused her after all of these years. His tongue danced
across her collarbone before he pulled the sensitive skin into his mouth and
nibbled lightly. He smiled against her flesh as her hips bucked involuntarily
against him.
“Patience, Sara…” The words
were whispered into her ear, eliciting a soft moan from her throat.
“What is it…with you…telling
me…to be…patient?”
He grinned at her breathless
question and gently pushed the glans into her folds. His grin faded slightly as
he felt her warmth envelop him…pulling him in deeper. He watched her as she
took her right hand and pulled his left to her lips. He moaned as she gently
suckled each of his digits before lacing her fingers with his, placing their
hands next to her head.
Grissom gently rocked his
hips against her, revelling in her delighted moans.
“Sara…”
“Uh...”
“Please…open
your…eyes…please…”
She granted his request, her
heart immediately recognizing the love in his eyes. “Griss…”
“Shhh…”
He continued his slow pace,
releasing her hand only when she gently tugged it from his grasp. His eyes
closed as her fingers ran through his graying curls.
Pulling his head down, her lips grazed his. His hips thrust harder against her.
“Sara…”
“Griss…make
me…come…”
He groaned loudly and buried
his face in the crook of her neck, his lips devouring the salty skin he found
there. Sara wrapped her legs around him, pulling him deeper as she met each of
his thrusts with her own.
“Griss…so
close…so…oh god…come with me…”
His body tensed as he felt
her slick walls closing down on him. Her body began the violent shudder he was
all too familiar with as he thrust one last time, emptying his semen deep
within her.
“I love you…”
They both chuckled as the
words left their lips simultaneously. He rolled to his side and allowed her to
snuggle up next to his sweaty skin. His fingers traced small circles on her hip
as she relaxed into his embrace.
“Gil?”
“Hm?”
“So…what does your work
ethic say about fraternizing with subordinates at work?”
“It…tends to frown upon that…”
He gently nuzzled her hair before placing a soft kiss on her ear.
“Would you rather me not
stay?” She turned in his arms quickly as she felt his muscles tense. “I
mean…after the investigation is over…”
“I…I want you to stay,
Sara…”
“But…ethically…”
He chuckled lightly as he
realized where she was going with this line of questioning. “Honey…I think that
my ethic tends to take an extended vacation when you’re involved…”
“So…”
He kissed her lips softly as
he caressed her still-warm cheek. “Stay, Sara…stay…here…in Vegas…”
She sighed lightly and
rubbed his chest. “Okay…I’ll stay…”
He smiled brightly at her as
she pushed him onto his back and climbed on top of him. “You really do need to
learn patience, Sara…”
“You think waiting ten years
to work with you doesn’t require patience?”
Their laughter filled the
room momentarily…before her mouth closed over his once again.
~ ~
~ ~ ~
~
He leaned back in his chair,
his hand absently rubbing his beard. He sighed as he let the memories wash over
him.
Why did things get
so…
Bad?
Oh god…it’s you
again.
Look…you KNOW why
things have turned out the way they have…you decided to let no one in to help
you. Thought you could do it all by yourself. Great…now you can hear, but what
do you really have to listen to?
What?
When you wake up…what
do you hear? Do you hear Sara’s voice singing down the hall? Do you hear her
calling your name in passion? What do you hear?
Nothing…
Exactly…now WHY do
you hear nothing?
Because…I’m
an ass…
Besides
that reason. Though,
that really is a good one, Gil.
Fuck you…
Not my job…tell me, why do you hear nothing?
I hurt her…
Intentionally?
NO…of course not.
But…things just got so…complicated.
LIFE is complicated,
Gil…
You are really not
helping.
Okay…I’ll try again…
No, really…you don’t
have to…you can just…go away.
Do you love her?
What?
You heard me. Even if
the surgery hadn’t worked, you would’ve heard me. Do…you…love…her?
I…
Answer the question,
Gilbert.
Don’t call me
Gilbert.
Don’t act like a child. Answer the question…do you love her?
Yes.
Okay, now was that so
hard?
Yes…it was.
Why? You love her.
You’ve loved her for over 13 years…
I’ve also hurt her
continuously for the past year…
Why?
Because…I
didn’t WANT to hurt her.
Um…okay. Let me get this
straight. You hurt her because you didn’t want to hurt her?
I…I was trying to do
what was best for her…
Gil…only SHE knows
what’s best for her. And…what’s best for her is…you.
She asked me to
dinner a couple of months ago…
I know…I was there.
I said ‘No’…
I know…I was there.
I didn’t mean ‘No’.
She caught me off-guard. I was so preoccupied with other…issues…that I just
didn’t think…
If she were to ask
you now…what would you say?
Yes.
So?
Did you not hear what
I just said? I’ve hurt her…over and over. She’s not going to ask me again...
Ask her.
What?
Ask her.
What if…
Ask her, Gil. The
worst she could say is…no.
No…the worst she
could say is…who the hell do you think you are?
And…how would you
answer that?
I don’t know…
Yes, you do…how would
you answer that? I doubt that’s what she’ll say, but I’m curious.
‘A man who wants and
needs another chance at love’…that’s what I’d say…
Go find her…ask her
for dinner…just to see what happens.
He sighed as he stood up and
walked towards his office door. “Third time’s the charm, right?”
He opened the door to find a
smiling Sara Sidle standing on the other side. “Guess what?”
“Uh…what?”
“I’ve decided…”
“Have dinner with me.”
The smile fell from her face
as shock took over. “What?”
“Have dinner with me, Sara.
Just…just to see what happens. Don’t we deserve that much?”
She nodded numbly, her
reason for standing outside of his office forgotten.
“Is that a yes?”
“Uh…yeah…yeah, I guess so…”
He exhaled forcefully and
took her hand in his. “There’s so much I need to explain to you…”
“Uh-huh…yeah, you do…”
“Tonight? At seven? We…uh…we both
have tonight off…”
“Okay…”
He opened his mouth to speak
just as his pager beeped loudly. Closing his eyes, he sighed as he pulled the
offending object from his belt.
“DB…outskirts of Vegas…” He
glanced up and saw the smile in her eyes. “Care to join me?”
Her smile traveled to her lips. “Yeah…I’d love to…”
Grissom returned her smile and
gently ushered her to the Tahoe waiting outside.
“Griss?”
“Yeah?”
“Ethic on
vacation again?”
He turned to see her stifle
her laughter. “Ethic is always on vacation when you’re around…”
As he pulled out of the
parking lot, they shared a bout of genuine laughter for the first time in
months. He was surprised when he placed his hand over hers. He was even more
surprised when she turned her hand palm up…and linked her fingers with his.
“Third time’s the
charm…right, Griss?”
He squeezed her hand gently.
“That’s what I’m thinking…”
~ End