Title: Love Lies Bleeding
Author: IrishDachsie

Pairing: Grissom/Sara
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: The author does not own CSI. No profit is being made from this story.

He was sitting in a chair in the surgical unit’s waiting room. It was obvious to anyone who saw him…he was in shock. He sat still, unmoving, watching the blood on his hands slowly dry.

He looked at his once-white shirt…now turning maroon. A handprint in blood clearly was seen on his face…the blood smearing down his neck from where her hand was pulled from his face as she was put into the ambulance.

"Grissom!"

He didn’t look up. He didn’t hear her. Catherine quietly sat down beside him and put her arm around him.

"Grissom?"

He looked up at her slowly, his eyes red and stinging from the tears. "Catherine…"

"Have you heard anything?"

Grissom slowly shook his head. She had never seen him like this, and it was more than a little unnerving. "She’s still in surgery."

He had called Catherine immediately on the way to the hospital. Though he remembered very little about the conversation.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Catherine, it’s Gil. Sara’s been hurt. He’s dead…I shot him."

"Grissom! Where are you?"

"I don’t know…on the way to the hospital. I’ve gotta go."

They had been investigating a homicide. Apparently, the perpetrator had forgotten something because he came back. They were dusting for prints. He heard a gunshot.

As he turned around, he saw Sara fall and the man walking over to her, ready to let another shot off. Quickly he pulled his own gun. The man saw him and turned the gun towards him. Grissom waited no longer and squeezed three shots off. The man hit the floor…dead with 2 shots to the head and one in the chest.

He ran to Sara. She had been shot in the back. He applied as much pressure as he possibly could, but she was losing a massive amount of blood. He cradled her in his arms.

"Sara, don’t leave me. Hang on."

She opened her eyes slowly and looked at him. She tried to say something, but he stopped her. She needed her strength. He helped the paramedics load her onto the stretcher. She reached up and touched his face.

He looked into her eyes and saw fear. "You’ll be okay. Just hang on. I’m right behind you."

He remembered nothing of the quick drive to the hospital, following the ambulance closely. His thoughts were consumed with Sara.

"She can’t leave me…not now. Please, don’t take her from me."

And now, here he sat…waiting to hear from the doctor.

Catherine placed her hand on his shoulder, stunned by his sudden show of emotion as the tears start falling down his face again. "Come on."

"I’m not leaving…not until she leaves."

"We’re not leaving, I just want to get you cleaned up a little."

"I’m not leaving this spot!" He looked at her, and she knew he would not get up.

"Okay, Griss…calm down. It’s going to be okay." Catherine spotted a nurse and got her attention.

"Yes, ma’am?"

"Could I get a washcloth, soap, and some water?"

The nurse glanced at a blood-soaked Grissom. "Of course, I’ll be right back."

True to her word, the nurse came back quickly with a cart carrying the needed supplies. As Catherine began to wash the blood from Grissom’s hands, she realized that he was in shock. He was trembling violently, his sobs becoming uncontrollable.

"I can’t lose her! I can’t!"

Catherine put the cloth down and held Grissom, trying to calm him in any way she could. "Griss…she’s going to be alright…I promise."

She lifted his face up to hers and that when she saw it. The bloody handprint on the side of his face. Carefully, she began to wipe the blood away, her own eyes filling with tears. If his reaction wasn’t enough, the handprint was. She had caressed his face before she was loaded into the ambulance.

There wasn’t much she could do for the shirt. It was a lost cause. But, she was able to get the blood from his hands, face, and neck. They sat without speaking, her hand gently rubbing his head as he cried silently.

After what seemed like an eternity, the doors opened and the doctor walked into the room. Slowly, Grissom looked up and Catherine took hold of his hand.

"She made it through surgery. There was a complication though."

A look of fear shone in Grissom’s eyes. His eyes searched the doctor’s for an explanation. "Ms. Sidle was pregnant…we were unable to save the baby."

Grissom was at a loss for words…he hadn’t known. He couldn’t speak. Catherine could. "How far along was she?"

"Seven weeks max…it’s possible she didn’t even know she was pregnant. We need to find the father. Do either of you know him?"

Grissom slowly began to nod his head. "Me." It was all he could muster at that point. His head fell to his hands and the emotions took over.

Catherine pulled him to her and wrapped her arms around him. "Gil, I’m so sorry" she whispered.

Trying to regain his composure, he looked at the doctor. "I need to see her. I need to be there with her when she wakes up."

The doctor nodded with understanding. "Come with me Mr. Grissom."

He slowly rose from his chair and looked at Catherine. "Thank you."

He didn’t give her a chance to say anything, just turned and staggered towards the recovery room.

Her own tears falling down her cheeks, Catherine quietly whispered "You’re welcome."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He never left her side. She woke up three days later.

Opening her eyes, she looked around. Everything was blurry. She saw someone sitting in the chair next to the bed. Letting her eyes focus on the image, she realized it was him…sleeping quietly in the chair next to her. Looking down at her hand, she saw his fingers entwined with hers. She carried so much love for this man.

He felt something in his sleep. Was someone rubbing his hand? Slowly he opened his eyes to see her smiling at him. He quickly sat up, realizing she was awake.

Finally, she was awake.

"Hey…are you in pain?"

"No…how long have I been here?"

Glancing at the clock, he quickly figured it. "Three days, 4 hours, and 32 minutes."

She smiled…he was always so precise.

"Have you been here the whole time?"

"Never left. Not even to change clothes." He smiled at her.

Oh, how she loved his smile. Looking at the clothes he had on, she quickly said "That’s not what you were wearing…" and grinned at him.

"Catherine has been bringing a change of clothes each day for me." He brushed the hair away from her eyes. She had such beautiful eyes. "I couldn’t leave. I didn’t want you to wake up and me not here. I love you Sara."

"I love you too. I’m sorry."

"For what?"

"Ruining your clothes."

He laughed…the one thing he was not worried about was his clothes.

"Gil?"

"What is it, honey?"

"Does Catherine know? I mean…about us?"

Grissom smiled at her, his blue eyes shining brightly. "Yeah…she couldn’t help but figure it out the other night."

"Is she okay with it?"

Grissom had a slightly confused look on his face. "Of course…she says we’re perfect for each other."

"We are, you know? Perfect for each other."

He ran his fingers through her hair, leaned over, and gently kissed her lips. "Yes...we are, Sara."

"Gil…there’s something we need to talk about. Considering you haven’t mentioned it, I think I know the answer."

Gil just looked at her with that puzzled look in his eyes. She loved that look, even though she knew it was a fake-puzzled look this time.

She took a deep breath and quietly said…"the baby."

He closed his eyes and tilted his head down. She knew…she knew she was pregnant. "When did you find out?"

"I took a pregnancy test about 10 minutes after you left for work that night. I wanted to be sure before I said anything to you. I was going to tell you after work."

He looked at her and saw the tears running down the side of her face. "He’s gone, isn’t he? I lost our baby, didn’t I?"

Grissom gently wiped her tears away as his own were falling. "You didn’t lose the baby…he was taken from us. It’s not your fault."

He put his arms around her as gently as possible, being very careful not to hit any of the IV’s attached to her. She gingerly wrapped her arms around his neck, sobbing. He could feel her tears on his skin. It was breaking his heart to see her this upset.

"Sara, we’ll try again…as soon as the doctor says it’s safe." He didn’t know what else to say.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Well, look who’s awake!"

Sara looked towards the door and smiled. "Hi Catherine."

Catherine walked over to the bed and kissed Sara on the forehead. "You had us scared, kid! Especially that one over there." She gestured to Grissom.

Grissom blushed slightly. "I’m going to let you two talk. I’ll be back in a few minutes." He leaned down and placed a tender kiss on Sara’s lips.

As she watched him walk to the door, Sara had an urge to tell him something. "Gil?"

He turned to look at her. "I love you."

"I love you too Sara. I’ll be back in a minute." He blew her a kiss and walked out of the room.

Catherine was smiling when Sara turned back to her. "You know, that’s the first time he’s stepped more than 4 feet away from your bed since you’ve been here."

"Thank you Catherine."

"For what?"

"For taking care of him that night. He was so scared."

"All of us were scared…but Grissom took it extremely hard. He loves you so much Sara."

"I know…and I love him as much."

The room fell silent for a few minutes. Not an uncomfortable silence, but the silence that friends can enjoy. "When are they releasing you?"

"Um…within the next couple of days I think. They want to make sure that everything is healing the way it’s supposed to." She got that thoughtful look in her eye again. "Cat?"

"Yeah?"

"How did he take the news of the baby?"

Catherine was stunned. "You knew about the baby?"

"Yeah, I found out I was pregnant that night before work. I was going to tell him at breakfast." Then quietly she said, more to herself than Catherine, "I guess he found out sooner than that."

"Sara, in all honesty, I’ve never seen Grissom in that kind of shape. In all the years I’ve known him, I’ve never seen him that out of control. And…quite frankly…I hope I never see it again. It was very frightening."

"He killed him, didn’t he?"

"Who? The guy who shot you?" Looking in Sara’s eyes, she knew that was the person she was referring to. "Yes, he did. Three shots—two in the head, one in the chest."

"Is he handling that okay?"

"You know, Sara, he’s never mentioned it. Except when he called me on the way to the hospital. I don’t think he’s given it a second thought. The guy hurt you and then turned towards Grissom. His only thought was getting to you and the guy was in his way. Nothing is going to stand in his way when it comes to you."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Grissom came back into the room just as Catherine was getting ready to leave.

"She looks good Griss. Thank God, you were there!"

Looking over Catherine’s shoulder to see a very sleepy Sara yawn, he smiled. "Yeah…I’m glad I was there too. I don’t know what I’d do without her."

Giving Grissom a big hug and a kiss on the cheek, Catherine quietly left the two of them together. Grissom looked over at Sara as he quickly made his way to the bed.

"You sleepy?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Okay, you go on and close those beautiful eyes and I’ll be right here when you wake up."

"Gil? Will you lay with me? I miss having your arms around me as I sleep."

With a sheepish grin, he quietly answered her. "Well, I don’t know that the doctors would like that very much."

She carefully scooted over a bit to make room for him, and then reached for him. "Screw the doctors. Come here."

Gingerly, he made his way into the bed, taking extra precaution not to hurt her or to disturb the IV’s. He carefully draped one arm across her and kissed her. "I’ve missed holding you."

He noticed her breathing pattern had changed and examining her face, he realized she had fallen asleep. "Sleep well, Sara."

He, himself, was asleep as well in a matter of minutes.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A couple of hours later, he was awakened by a gentle tap on the shoulder. He heard a voice whisper "Mr. Grissom?"

Slowly he opened his eyes and after his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he was able to make out the nurse standing beside the bed smiling at him. "I need to check her blood pressure."

Grissom started to make his way out of the bed. "No, Mr. Grissom…you don’t have to get up. I just need you to move your arm so I can get to hers. She hasn’t slept this peacefully since she’s been here."

Grissom smiled and moved his arm, watching Sara shift closer to him in her sleep. "Are you sure it’s okay if I lay here with her?"

The nurse grinned. "I won’t say anything if you won’t. Just make sure to be careful around the IV’s. She should be able to go home in the next day or two. She’s lucky to have someone there to take care of her."

Grissom said nothing, just lowered his head back to the pillow, and gently pulled her closer to him. It didn’t take long for him to fall back asleep.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sara was sitting in the chair, slipping on her shoes, and talking to Catherine, who was sitting on the bed. "I’m so glad to be going home. Maybe Gil will actually get some rest then."

It still took Catherine by surprise to hear her refer to Grissom as ‘Gil’. She smiled and said "I’m sure both of you will get some rest when you get home."

"What’s taking him so long?"

"Well, you know him…he has to ask a million questions. And when you’re concerned, he’ll ask a million more."

Sara grinned. "Just for him taking so long, I think I’ll have a little fun with him." She winked at Catherine just as Grissom bounced through the door.

"Anyone in here ready to go home?" He had the most beautiful grin on his face and the light was sparkling in his eyes.

"Yep, I am…but did you ask the doctor everything?"

"Of course I did…."

"When can we make love again?"

Grissom’s face began to turn red. "Huh?"

"You didn’t ask him about sex?"

"I...well...um...I was…it’s…"

Catherine was having a hard time holding back her laughter as Grissom was trying to stammer his way through this conversation.

"I…uh…I figured that…well…you’d know…. um…"

"Gil?"

"Huh?" His face was reddening even more.

"I DO know."

"Oh…uh…" Looking into her eyes, he understood. "Oh…now? You’re ready now?"

Catherine couldn’t hold the laughter back any longer…and Sara joined in.

"Well…yeah, I’m ready now…but I’d rather wait until we got home."

Grissom shook his head, slowly joining in the laughter. "Well, I suppose I’d better get you home then."

He picked up her bags, and began to push the wheelchair down the hall…towards the exit…towards the car…towards home. Their home.

"Sara? I love you."

She looked up at him and saw the sparkle in his eyes shine brighter. "I love you too Gil. Let’s go home."

~ End

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