#when grissom met sara

[hollygl125]

CSI | Sara Sidle + Gil Grissom | Season 01 Insp.

[thinkingaboutbetterdays]

scars of the past. ( warrick brown x reader )

gif belongs to me

You were co-workers, and friends then after a particularly gruelling case that ended with Warrick taking you home, made the leap to lovers. The perks of being friends first were you had confided in each other in the last three years, seeing first-hand the emotional baggage you carried around.

Warrick knew you weren't the type to say "I love you" lightly, and when you were cuddling on the sofa in the early hours of the morning, too tired to make it to the bedroom after a long challenging case, he said those words, not expecting you to say them back. And he was fine with that. When you tensed up in his arms, he stated that he just wanted you to know how he felt.

Two weeks later you were working on an experiment and when Warrick gave you advice on how to adapt the usual method, making it a success, in an outburst of emotion you said the three words he longed to hear.

Your relationship seemed to be growing stronger until suddenly it wasn't. You were stunned when Sara suggested over breakfast with the team that you and Warrick should move in together and Warrick had looked at you across the table.

"What do you think?"

It was not how you intended the conversation to happen, and it also awakened another fear inside you. So you dodged the question, "I should get going, I could use a shower."

Warrick glared at Greg when he muttered, "Ouch."

He pursed his lips, glancing over his shoulder to find you practically fleeing the diner, and shook his head as he continued eating. Catherine knew there would be tension after that day and sure enough, in the next few days, more cracks began to appear as Warrick tried to talk to you about moving in together and you always replied that you were too busy to think about it.

Warrick grew more and more frustrated when you refused to discuss your future as a couple amidst Catherine's reminders that your last relationship hadn't ended well. Calling it a disaster wasn't enough.

You entered Grissom's office a week later, the tension between you and Warrick balanced precariously on the tipping point, ready to erupt at any moment. Catherine had tried to talk to you about your aversion to moving in with Warrick and you had brushed off her attempts, taking the blonde back with your feisty manner as you told her not to talk to you while you were working unless it had something to do with a case because she was distracting you.

You inwardly sighed when you saw Warrick sitting in front of Gil's desk and occupying the seat beside him. Warrick sat half-turned in his chair, his elbow resting on the back of the chair, glancing at you now and then as Gil assigned you both to a new case, requesting you hand over any reports for the current case you were working. Although you felt his glances, sitting rigidly in your chair as if it pained you to be near him, you never glanced in his direction.

Noticing the tension between you both Gil raised an eyebrow, looking at Warrick and then at you. "Can you work together?"

"Well, I don't have a problem." Warrick replied.

"Of course." You chimed in at the same time, finally glaring at Warrick when you realized what he said, before looking at Grissom who was sceptical, as he held out the case file.

"I want you to head out there as soon as you hand over your reports."

You nodded, reaching out to take the case file before Warrick could and headed out of the office. Gil looked at Warrick when he stood up with a sigh.

"Are you able to work together?"

"I'll talk to her."

Gil nodded, lowering his gaze to the case file he had been reviewing on his desk before he called the meeting, and Warrick left his office. Twenty minutes later you met each other at the car and Warrick opened the driver's side door, keys in hand, as he asked rhetorically, "Mind if I drive?"

You took a deep breath, muttering, "Not at all," as you climbed into the passenger side.

The drive was spent in contemplative silence. Warrick stole glances at you now and then as he pondered the best way to approach the subject that had created a rift in your relationship, while you kept your eyes on the case file Gil had given you.

There was not much to go on, but the body had been taken and identified.

"Are we just going to -"

"The body isn't there." You spoke up, and Warrick pursed his lips in annoyance. "How can we get a full view of the crime scene without seeing the body for ourselves?"

"It was a botch up. It happens from time to time. The body is the Docs job, ours is to figure out how he died, why and the sequence of events leading up to it."

Warrick parked on the street, and you both took notice of the fancy ride parked in the driveway. "You see that?"

You nodded as you searched for the license while getting out of the car. Warrick held the tape up for you to duck under as you carried your bag and tried to carry the heavy weight of your gear as you scrolled through the details of the man who owned the red Ferrari.

Warrick walked around the car and you turned to look at him when he whistled. "It's a sweet ride."

You held up your cell phone, "It's stolen." Warrick raised an eyebrow at you, and you slowly nodded. "It's a sweet ride." He smirked when you headed inside, following after you.

You took out your flashlight and shined it around the entryway where plants and the sideboard had been knocked to the floor, and the contents of the drawers spilled onto the floor. You found the living room was very much the same, and looked around while Warrick knelt down and opened his gear.

"Someone tore this place apart." You voiced as you entered the kitchen where all the cupboards and drawers had been emptied out, food covering the floor.

You re-joined Warrick in the living room, "Someone was looking for something." You stated. "There's a Ferrari parked outside in the driveway that doesn't fit in with the house. Does this place tell you that he had the kind of money to be buying fancy cars?"

"Maybe he was a drug dealer. Or a gambler." Warrick replied dryly, and you pursed your lips in annoyance, hoping that you could've set your personal issues aside for one case.

"If he's driving a Ferrari, I think he'd live in a nicer house." You set your bag down and began to gear up.

"Maybe he asked his girlfriend to move in with him and she made it look like a robbery."

You glared at Warrick who sighed, before your attention was drawn upstairs when you heard a door closing.

"I'm sorry that was -"

You waved your hand as you stood up. Warrick glanced at the doorway then at you, "What is it?"

"I thought I heard something. I'm going to take a look upstairs."

Warrick stood up and considered following you, but decided against it, believing you needed space right now. He was bagging a bullet he had dug out from the wall when he heard the sound of you calling out, and raced into the hallway, finding you at the bottom of the stairs and the front door open.

Warrick knelt beside you, holding your cheek as you rested your back against the wall, frowning when he saw the blood on your forehead.

"Go after him!" You pushed him into action and Warrick chased after the man who had pushed you down the stairs in an attempt to flee the scene. The red Ferrari was down the street when he made it to the end of the driveway and Warrick sighed as he turned to the house. He returned to help you off the ground, and you winced from the pain in your ribs as he explained that the car was gone.

"Oh, Grissom is going to love this."

Warrick shook his head, "Forget about that. You need to go to the hospital."

"I'm fine."

"You're going to a hospital," Warrick argued. "I'll call Grissom and tell him to send someone over."

You knew there was no point in arguing with him when he was so determined and lowered yourself onto the stairs, wincing in pain as Warrick took out his cell phone.

You looked up at the CSI you admired long before you got together. Your feelings for Warrick began when you were still in a relationship, and although you trusted him more than anyone else, you could never tell him the truth about your ex-boyfriend. But now you felt it was time to explain why you dodged his attempts to ask you to move in with him.

"I don't want to move in with you." You spoke up and he turned to you, shaking his head.

"We don't need to hash this out now -"

"I want to." You took a deep breath, "When my ex and I first moved in together everything changed. He wasn't always like that, but after living together for a couple of weeks he began to change. He was more aggressive, the way he looked at me - it was as if he hated me so deeply it sickened him." You blinked away the tears forming in your eyes, "I couldn't survive something like that a second time. I couldn't stand to watch you start to hate me so much that it destroys you."

Warrick knelt in front of you when you looked down at your hands that were resting on your lap. "Hey, look at me." You met his gaze when he placed a hand over your hands. "I could never hate you."

"What if you do? What if I ruin what we have and -"

Warrick held both your hands in his and gave them a squeeze, lifting his right hand to wipe away the tears that fell down your cheeks. "Your ex was a dick. And every time I think of him putting his hands on you, my blood boils, and I want to kill him. And I swear I could go through with it. Nothing he did was because of you, that was all him. You are a wonderful," a smirk formed on his lips, "sexy, smart woman. And I'd love to spend the rest of my life loving you. I want you to be the last thing I see when I fall asleep and the first thing I see when I wake up. I'd ask you to marry me if I thought I'd get a definite yes." He held your gaze as he continued, "I love you. And I'm sorry for reacting the way I did, behaving the way I have been."

You smiled softly, placing a hand on the curve of his neck. "I love you too."

Warrick heard the sounds of a car pulling up outside. He kissed your forehead before standing up to greet Catherine and Sara who entered the house.

"Are you okay?" Catherine asked, following Warrick to where you were sitting.

"I think I'll live." You sent her a smile. "I traced the license plate but the car was reported stolen three months ago."

Sara asked what the man who attacked you looked like and your brow furrowed in thought, and you grimaced as you tried to give as much detail as possible. Warrick held a hand out to you and you accepted his help to get to your feet.

"I'm going to take her to the hospital."

"Don't worry, we'll handle everything here," Catherine replied. "Let me know what happens."

Warrick nodded and you held onto his arm as he guided you to the car, opening and closing the door for you. When he was behind the wheel, he looked over at you, signs of drowsiness beginning to show from your head wound.

"Can you talk to me?" You asked softly, blinking the spots away from your eyes, your head resting on the headrest.

"What do you want to talk about?" He reached over to hold your hand and you covered your joined hands with your right hand.

"Tell me what a morning waking up with you would be like." You smiled as you looked over at the CSI whose head turned several times, eyes flickering from the road to you.

Warrick chuckled, a smile forming on his lips. "Alright,"

You listened with a smile as he began to list the many benefits of living together and you closed your eyes as you pictured the moments he described. You knew it was time to let go of the past and look into a future with the man you loved more than anyone. He was protective but not smothering, every touch was tender and every kiss was filled with passion. A cheeky wink in the hallway would make your knees feel weak and the smirk that followed, seeing the reaction, made your heart race.

"I'll have to clear out a few things." You spoke quietly as you opened your eyes to meet his surprised gaze.

"I'll take a few days off to help." He replied with a smile.

You mirrored his smile as he brought your hand to his lips, seeing the head wound was making you tired. "Don't go to sleep. We'll be there soon." He turned on the siren and the lights and you observed him as he drove, the lights flickering across his features as he determinedly made his way through the streets, cutting the time in half.

Warrick carried you inside and remained by your side throughout your examination, listening intently when the doctor explained how often you would require pain medication and limited activity until your ribs healed.

He stepped out as the doctor administered the first dose to answer a call from Grissom asking for an update on the state of your condition and when he returned minutes later he knew the pills were working from your goofy grin that made him chuckle.

Warrick guided you back to the car once you were cleared to go and you looked at the sky pensively as he opened the door.

"Limited activity...does that include sex?"

Warrick laughed as you climbed into the car, a pout on your lips. He shook his head as he helped you fasten your seatbelt. "I'm sure we can think of something."

You placed a hand on his cheek, closing the small gap between you, and pressing your lips to his. "I love you."

"I love you too."

When you returned to the lab, walking through the hallways hand in hand before briefly parting while Warrick spoke to Gil and you went to collect your things from your locker, you realized you weren't ready to part with him. Warrick entered the locker room to empty his locker and you looked up at him when he took the bag from your hands.

He held the two bags effortlessly over his shoulder, holding your hand in his left hand and you rested your head on his shoulder as you made your way out of the lab.

"Can I stay with you tonight?"

Warrick smiled down at you, seeing you yawn into your hand.

"You read my mind."

You smiled when he kissed your forehead as you headed to the car. "When we move in together, whose bed are we sleeping in?"

"Yours is much better than mine."

"And bigger." You agreed. "But I still want snuggles."

Warrick chuckled as he raised an eyebrow at your term. The next few days were going to be filled with moments like this, the pain meds lowering your guard a little. "Of course." He held the car door open for you as you got inside. "I can't resist your snuggles."

You sent him a goofy grin after buckling your seatbelt and he chuckled as he closed the door, placing the bags in the trunk of the car before getting behind the wheel.

For the next three days, you were off active duty and when he wasn't out working a case, Warrick was by your side in the lab, or finding reasons to walk by where you were working and wink at you.

Catherine witnessed such a moment when you were working on an experiment together and looked at Warrick then at you as you smiled into your microscope.

"Things seem to be going great between you two."

"I've decided to move in with him. He's coming over this weekend to help move some boxes over." You replied, lifting your head to meet her gaze with a small smile.

Catherine smiled as she touched your arm affectionately. "I'm glad you worked things out. You both deserve to be happy."

You looked out the glass to see Warrick walking with Nick and raised an eyebrow. He pointed down the hallway he had walked down moments before, silently conveying he had come this way just to see you. You shook your head with a smile and from Nick's smirk he intended to tease Warrick.

"We are."

You had finally let go of scars from the past, and Warrick had ridden himself of a few demons of his own. And without it, your relationship flourished. As she watched you leave the lab together that night Catherine swore she could hear wedding bells.

[addictedtostorytelling]

Hi, aj!

Hope you are having an amazing weekend!

I was meaning to ask you, and it is a sad question, how do you think that Grissom actually asked Sara for the divorce? I mean, in my head I really hope they met after his phone call, because my heart can't believe he just ended their marriage over the phone...

hi, anon!

i have a couple of old posts that conjecture on the conversations surrounding the divorce here and here, if you're interested.

as for the issue of whether or not grissom and sara ever see each other in person during the divorce process after that initial phone call, honestly, for as much as i hate the idea of their marriage ending sans any in-person contact between them beyond just hating the idea of their marriage ending in itself, i have to say: i think that if they were to see each other at any point prior to the legal papers being finalized, they ultimately wouldn't be able to go through with finalizing them.

for one thing, the whole reason why they divorce in the first place is because they're both too afraid to even stand in each other's presence after a few months spent incommunicado.

that so, if either party were brave enough to go to where the other party was in person, i have to imagine they probably never would have gotten to the point of divorce to begin with.

the whole situation is a product of a very specific "i can't stand to look him/her in the eyes and possibly see loathing where there used to be love" kind of cowardice.

to my mind, that fear wouldn't abate once the divorce proceedings began; it would only intensify.

for another thing, even supposing that grissom were somehow to muster the courage to come home to the states to see the proceedings out in person, i have to believe that the moment he recognized the look of absolute heartache in sara's big, brown eyes, he would have second-guessed his whole "i have to 'set her free' for her own good" assumption and said or done something to show sara he still loved her, tipping his hand, so to speak.

he has never been able to stand idly by when sara is sad. it activates his "white knight" instinct like nothing else does.

and had sara seen some sign or gesture from grissom demonstrating he still loved her, then i have to believe she would have been willing to put her heart on the line and try to talk things through with him.

and once they both realized they were still in love with each other and both wanted to be together, they wouldn't have wanted to pursue the divorce anymore. either sara would have left vegas to go live with grissom abroad or he would have moved back to the states to live with her at home. the whole crisis would have been averted if they just could have seen each other in person and gotten a read on each other's body language and expressions.

the distance was always the problem; never a true lack of love.

that so.

if we accept the bullshit premise of the divorce itself (which of course, i personally don't), then the only way it conceivably happens is with them having a barrier of several thousand miles and multiple time zones between them, with all of their communication happening via phone and email.

grissom can't cross that threshold to "come home," even temporarily, or else the whole scenario unravels.

the whole thing has to be predicated on them being physically and relationally far enough away from each other that they just continuously misread each other's signals.

—or at least that's how i view things.

ymmv, of course.

thanks for the question! please feel welcome to send another any time.

[mimisempai]

Absolute trust

Summary

After the summer vacations, it's nearly time for school to start again and Hob is preparing for it. Trimming his beard is part of it and unexpectedly, his lover will be of a precious help.

Notes

Shameless use of one of the most beautiful lines between Sara Sidle and Gil Grissom from CSI.

On AO3

Rating G - 771 words

Dream heard Hob sigh from the bedroom.

Looking worried, he walked to the bathroom and, leaning against the doorframe, watched Hob examine himself in the mirror and sigh again. Dream asked softly, "What's wrong?"

Hob shrugged, "It's the start of school tomorrow and I need to shave my beard. Or at least trim it. I took it easy during his vacation."

Dream felt a small hint of nostalgia. Of course he loved Hob no matter what he looked like, but in the last few weeks he had enjoyed seeing the look of their first meeting again. With his long hair and full beard.

He said gently, "Although I think it's a shame, I understand why you want to do it."

Hob chuckled, "I can't look like a lumberjack to teach my classes."

Dream came to stand behind his lover, wrapping his arms around Hob's waist and resting his chin on his shoulder. They exchanged a fond look in the mirror as Hob leaned against Dream. 

Dream's gaze fell on the shaving material Hob had prepared on the sink. He whispered in Hob's ear, "How about I do it?"

Hob turned his head toward him and asked, looking surprised, but also with a kind of longing, "You would do that for me?"

Dream gently kissed Hob's cheek near his lip and replied, "Of course I would. More than gladly, actually."

Hob turned in his arms and nodded, "All right."

Dream slid his arms along Hob's and grabbing his lover's hands, he guided him to sit on a stool that was near the bathtub.

He went back to the sink, soaked a towel with hot water and returned to Hob, then grabbing his chin, he dabbed Hob's lower face with the towel before placing it next to him. He returned with the shaving cream and applied it wherever Hob's beard needed to be shaved.

Then returning to put away the cream, he washed his hands and picked up the razor before positioning himself in front of Hob. Grabbing his chin with one hand, the razor in the other, he looked his lover in the eye and asked softly, "Do you trust me?"

Hob, not looking away, replied with a steady voice, "Intimately."

Dream smiled and pressed a light kiss to Hob's forehead before setting to work.

Hob watched him as he brought the blade against his skin and passed it with a careful gesture over the left side of his beard. After the second pass, Hob closed his eyes, trusting his lover completely.

There was no other sound than the scraping of the razor on the skin and sometimes the humming of Dream. After about ten minutes, the lord of dreams made a satisfied sound and Hob opened his eyes to see him return to the sink with the towel that he soaked again with hot water. He went back to Hob and delicately wiped the remains of shaving cream. Then grabbing Hob's chin, he motioned him back and forth to observe the result and with a slight smile on his lips, he said softly, "Perfect."  

Never had Hob felt so well taken care of.

As usual when the feeling became overwhelming, he sought to deflect and murmured, "I don't deserve this much attention."

Dream put down the towel and grasping Hob's face between his hands, he said softly but firmly against his lips, "It's not about deserving anything. It's just me enjoying taking care of my beloved. You wouldn't want to deprive me of that, would you?"

Dream didn't let him answer and captured his lips in a tender, lingering kiss. Hob didn't think of denying anything when their tongues met and turned the kiss from tender to passionate. He surrendered to his lover's attention, tying his hands around his neck. 

When they parted to catch their breaths, they both smiled and Dream couldn't resist running his fingers through the much shorter beard before running his thumb over the lips swollen by their kiss.

He said, a teasing smile on his lips, "There you go Professor Gadling, you're ready to go back to class."

Hob grabbed Dream's hand, kissed his palm and then without letting go of his hand, he headed for the bedroom. He turned his head to his lover and his teasing smile matching Dream's, he said playfully, "My classes don't start until tomorrow, so how about we take advantage of the time I have left!"

Judging by the laughter, sighs, and moans that echoed through the room for the next few hours, it was certain that Professor Gadling would make his return to school quite relaxed the next day. 

_________

Still not beta'd

Still not my native language

Still hoping you'll enjoy this story  🥰

Still thanking you for bearing with me 😝

Dreamling Masterlist here

[mystery-meat-with-cheese]

On Sara Sidle and Autism**

*Gif originally posted by @panchostokes

**Based upon diagnostic criteria and as an actually autistic AFAB person myself

Subtleties of expression // unchanging facial expressions

Sara often keeps a neutral expression, very rarely showing a smile, but often showing a grimace when met with something unpleasant or when dealing with someone she deems immoral

When she experiences difficult emotions it is overwhelming for her

Any time Sara has a display of complex emotion, she has what could be described as a minor meltdown, often losing control of her body or becoming extremely irritable and unstable

Sensory Overload

In s3e22, an explosion in the lab injures Sara. Later, when she passes the lab under extreme duress, she has severe sensory overload due to the lighting. It's actually the best portrayal of sensory overload I have ever experienced.

Accessibility tools

Sara often wears extremely dark tinted sunglasses in most semblances of natural lighting, possibly to avoid sensory overload from photosensitivity

Sameness and social withdrawal

Prior to her getting out of bad habits, she admits that a victim's home is much like hers: stacks of the same takeout food out of repetition and avoidance of social encounters

Black & white thinking + a strong moral compass

Any time where Sara has a suspect who is very clearly some form of criminal or abuser she becomes disgusted by them, often confronting them and getting herself into danger.

Relationships

The only relationship maintained outside of workmates is with Grissom, someone who she's known for several years and always clicked with because he felt familiar to her (being heavily implied in canon as autistic). They work well together because of a mutual understanding of each other and how their brains work.

[mrbensonmum]

TV Shows - CSI: Las Vegas VI

The third season starts with two interesting encounters. First, we see Doug Jones at the poker table, who is not only very successful in Star Trek: Discovery but also plays Abe Sapien in the Hellboy movies (plus several other characters). He is the person in Hollywood you call when you need someone to portray a character in a full-body costume that needs to express a lot through their performance. Listing everything here would be crazy, but his IMDB list is more than noteworthy. We also see a relatively young Carmine Giovinazzo, who plays a relatively insignificant role here. He will later play Danny Messer from 2004 to 2013 in CSI: New York.

The episode where the entire team is scrutinized by Grissom was also one that got my blood pressure up. Yes, Grissom has communication problems, but the way Catherine snaps at him without knowing his motives and doesn't even think to ask about them is just rude. But well, that's Catherine for you.

There was also a nice moment between Sara and Grissom, I think also in the third season, where she asks him when he started paying attention to beauty. Without even thinking, he replies that he has been doing that since he met her.

A nearly equally beautiful moment is shared by Nick and Warrick, but already in the second season. Warrick pushes Nick away, but Nick doesn't let it affect him. When they both sit at the blackjack table, it's really emotional. Those are true bros!! And I like Warrick's hairstyle at the beginning of the third season!!

In "A Little Murder" S3E4, we not only see Mr. Johnny Cash himself (Linden Ashby) from the Mortal Kombat movie, but we also see an interesting murder weapon. I don't remember exactly what it was called in the episode, something with Z, but it was definitely a Nintendo GameCube that was released about a year earlier in Japan and the USA! How do you manage to include a current game console in a series without securing the rights? Like this!

In "Fight Night" S3E7, I was very excited about the beginning and that it breaks some expectations here. Because Grissom arrives at the ring, takes a quick look around, the music for the intro starts, and suddenly BANG the pager goes off, and it's off to the next scene! Plus Nick's first solo case, what a night?!

We've now also seen the complete redesign of the set, including all the glass fronts and the changed offices and interrogation rooms. In addition, Grissom keeps giving these one-liners that are sometimes really atrocious but also really good because of that!!

[buildinggsr]

Hello, I would like to know your opinion in the scene of Snakes 5x12 Sara tells him that he is more than a boss and that is why she left S.F... her motives are clear, but what about him? . In the 4x12 final speach, Grissom makes it clear that he can't risk everything so why does he want her in LV? It was clear to her that they couldn't go beyond being coworkers and that hurt both of them (promotion with Nick, Hank3x02...) Harming her not only professionally too personally.

Dear @floryugum,

thank you for your question.

Let's just begin by saying that in the inception of Sara Sidle’s character that Jorja Fox received when she auditioned was mentioned that Sara had a love interest for Grissom. This fact has to be complemented with William Petersen saying in an interview that “(w)hatever happened then it’s still a secret between Sara and Grissom”.

I point out that, as usual, I have an "unusual" opinion about this, in the sense that I think that before Sara arrived in Las Vegas nothing too "compromising" happened between her and Grissom. I think there was only a sincere and deep friendship, made more fertile by a mutual physical and intellectual attraction (this does not detract from the fact that they had already fallen in love).

Now, it happens sometimes that the bond of friendship turns out to be firmer and more sincere than that in a romantically united couple (especially when one element or both of the couple have already realized they are in love). In my opinion, it was this kind of relationship that set everything in motion.

Superficially, Grissom's trust in Sara was the reason that led him to ask her to join him in Las Vegas and entrust her with a very delicate task in the situation the lab was in at the time: after Holly Gribbs' death, to investigate what failings there had been on Warrick's part. This task is generally given institutionally to the Internal Affairs section, but Grissom decides not to involve them. So much of his personality, and even some of his refractory behavior toward Sara, can be inferred from this early behavior as the new supervisor of the forensic night shift team.

For as much as he is (or appears to be) always adherent to the rules, he feels that they can be broken in certain instances. This is especially the case when people close to him are involved/in danger: we see it with Warrick in 1x02, by his calling Sara instead of involving Internal Affairs and evidenced also by his decision not to fire him; we see it in 5x24, when during Nick's kidnapping he decides to take the ransom money to the kidnapper; we see it with Catherine in 4x15, when he sets aside the fact that she used the lab to establish a family connection of her own; finally, we see it in a more striking way in 5x13, when Sara risks being fired. The same is true in 7.23 when Grissom spends the night at Lady Heather's place. That he is able to do this only because of himself or because of the support he has among judges or other elements of the system is made more clear in episode 8x12, when District Attorney Madeline Klein tells him "If it weren't for me, you'd have no team".

Whatever the case, no matter how much Grissom denies it (to people around him and to himself), the feelings binding him to people play an important role in his life. He doesn’t know to what extent, though. Or perhaps he tries not to think about it.

And here we come to the point. Once the issue of Warrick has been solved, it is to be assumed that Grissom asks Sara to stay and continue working with Las Vegas’ team. He asked her to come to work in Las Vegas spurred by his "survival instinct": finding himself lost in a time of trouble, he clings to what he considers firm and reliable (Sara). He doesn't ask himself why he considers her "something firm and reliable," he just knows that she is. The relationship grown between them since they met has shown him that it is so. Thus, he suddenly finds this person whom he esteems and trusts (and whom, of course, he also finds attractive) moving closely around him everyday. This creates a short circuit in his mind, as Sara's continual closeness makes it increasingly clear where the roots of his trust in her go for nourishment - his heart and the love that unexpectedly sprouted the first time he met her at the Academy Conference. Since then, in a shadowy area of his mind, this feeling has continued to grow. When in episode 3x22 Sara asks him out to dinner, in fact, he says, "I don't know what to do about this": he knows very well that there is something between them, and he also knows what it is - love. In the shadows, that “something that has sprouted” time before has become a rose plant, full of beautiful fragrant flowers, but also many thorns.

The thorns protecting the beautiful flowers, the problems stopping him in the face of this dilemma, are various, but I think they could be roughly summarized in two points, which I would call: the sluice against the flood and the sheepdog instinct.

Regarding the first point, the sluice against the flood, one must consider the age difference. However much it may not be felt in certain circumstances, Sara still remains younger than him by almost twenty years. She is much younger than he is. Indeed, we see that Grissom has no problem approaching women closer to his generation - the lab technician in 1x01, Terri Miller, Lady Heather. The fact of youth is immediately brought to surface in Grissom's monologue that you mention, at the end of episode 4x12, in which he refers to "somebody young and beautiful." Grissom's tendency to want to keep everything under control, everything pigeonholed, leads him to realize the variables that come into play in establishing a relationship with someone younger, of which the main one is: what if I give in to this feeling and then she changes her mind? The same concept is presented by the culprit's words at the end of episode 9x02: "She promised me everything...and then she took it all away."

All these years Grissom has protected himself from this eventuality, keeping himself at a distance from everything and everyone. What could happen, then, if he opened the floodgates to the course of the deepest of feelings, letting it invade him, and then, instead of a nice placid stream full of little fish, the stream turned out to be a raging torrent? At work he sees it every day how destructive human passions can be. Also because of this, in episode 3x14 he says he doesn’t trust people. People are very moody, you know? Science is not. So, what would become of him if his relationship with Sara did not go as planned and she, once she knew all his weaknesses, left him? He would certainly come out of it with broken bones. As Grissom again says in the monologue at the end of 4x12, "and she showed you a wonderful life, didn't she? But then she took it away and gave it to somebody else."

By the phrase "we have to risk everything we've worked for in order to have her" is meant not just a career, but one's whole person. It refers to the work that each of us does on ourselves to improve, to mitigate or come to terms with our weaknesses, to be able to cultivate our passions, continuing to be excited by them. The work each of us do in order to become a stable person, able to stand against the winds of life. Establishing a romantic relationship with Sara, for Grissom, means laying all this bare with her. And this is risky.

So, on the one hand there is this sense of self-protection, but on the other hand the mirror of the same feeling, the sheepdog instinct, can also be brought into play: he cares about Sara, wants to protect her, and does not want to hurt her. Approaching more mature women also means, in a sense, establishing relationships where the feelings involved may be less deep. Grissom knows that with Sara, instead, there is an important feeling at stake (on both sides), so why risk giving her hopes that he may not be able to honor? In 13x15 Sara informs DB and Nick of the end of her marriage to Grissom and when asked by Nick what the reasons for the separation are, she replies, "Ask him--I'm sure he had my best interests in mind." In this regard, for the sake of clarity, let me quote a passage from the "rollercoaster fic" (I'm almost done, I'm checking the third-to-last chapter) in which I deal with this stage of their relationship:

In the first phase of their romantic relationship, Grissom had touched Sara's heart, seeing it clearly, and deduced that she was a resource that had to be protected at all costs. Finding himself alone again, therefore, he decided to close his eyes and act as if he had not attained any knowledge up to that point. Survival instinct acted for him, throwing blind fists at the air and pushing him to leave the land, to drown himself in the immensity of the ocean, keeping away anything precious that could be broken. Only in this way would she be protected.

Sara is something precious to Grissom, and we have already mentioned that he has a tendency to defend what is precious to him, be it insects or people. And this inclination is exceptionally exaggerated in regard to Sara. His stepping aside therefore is a wanting to shelter her from harm that he might do. Perhaps, he also thinks that by remaining detached from her just a little bit, he would be able to protect her better from others.

Another reason that might prevent him from throwing himself heart and soul into the relationship with Sara is the fact that the two of them are colleagues and should not establish a romantic relationship. However, we have already mentioned that when something important is involved, Grissom doesn't give a damn about the rules, so this point doesn't matter.

So what is it that ultimately makes Grissom decide to let go of his moorings aside from Sara's being persuasive?

Not one thing, not the other, but a third secret thing.

There's a passage I heard recently in the movie "In the mood for love" that I think nicely renders the feeling that moved Grissom:

Feelings can creep up just like that. l thought l was in control. But l hate to think of your husband coming home. l wish he'd stay away!

Simply put, Grissom realizes that he needs her. Yes, he told her so, but saying it is one thing, accepting it is another. At some point, he realizes that he doesn’t like she to be too far from him, he doesn’t like other men being around her too closely, that Sara is so precious to him to such an extent that he just decides to try the thing, leaving aside all the doubts and fears. The process of arriving at the complete setting of the relationship, in my opinion, took some time. Let me quote another piece of mine, “As simple as an idea”:

So he faked it. He faked it until he made it. He faked needing her for a case, when he could have easily done without her. He faked that he happened to somehow be in the same place as her by chance, in order to show her something special. He faked that she had something in her hair, in order to touch it. He faked feeling like going home, in order to convince her to do the same. He faked that a flower was evidence for a case, in order to give it to her. He faked losing his balance, in order to put an arm around her shoulders. He faked having to say something to her while sitting in the audience in a courtroom, in order to get close to her ear. He faked a bravado he didn't feel in order to kiss her. And he prayed, he prayed, that she would give him a second chance.

That’s it. I hope I was able to explain my unrefined point of view and I hope you enjoyed the typos. Keep in mind that this is just my personal opinion. For more comprehensive and technically detailed answers, you might want to check/ask the GSR-biblist @addictedtostorytelling. There you’ll surely find answers to questions you didn't even think you had.

Take care and be safe.  Best, L

[sushisempai]

This is a scene that I am 100% certain is canon in the CSI universe and takes place somewhere between "It Was a Very Good Year" and "Ghosts of the Past." I feel like this explains all the subtle interactions and makes them better.

Open the cut for an adorable Morganders/Grody moment that is living rent free in my brain. Yes, I know I'm late to the party. Don't care!

"It's no Frank's but it's not bad." She said quietly. She wasn't sure she was ready to go home and go to bed yet. The sun was well and truly up and it didn't feel like sleep was coming.

Morgan followed Nick out of the dinner and exchanged pleasantries as he headed to his car, a literal doggie bag in his hand. She stopped at the curb and felt, more than saw Greg step out behind her.

"Yeah." Greg mumbled a response. She turned and looked at him. he had one hand in his pocket, the other on the back of his neck and his eyes were on his shoes. He glanced up quickly then back down as he said. "Morgan... the other day you said..." He looked up to watch Nick pulling away with a wave.

"The best is yet to come?" She finished. His eyes came back to her.

"Yeah, that. Do you know the rest of that song?"

"I do." She smiled to herself and nodded.

He huffed a nervous laugh, somewhere between excitement and fear. "I did not realize how much I wanted you to say that and at the same time..." His eyes went on his toes again as he engaged in a nervous little dance.

She was fairly certain he was incapable of being still when he wasn't holding scientific instruments.

"At the same time?" There was something she wasn't saying.

"At the same time... I don't want to mess this up." He gestured between the two of them.

"So don't? If it doesn't work out I promise to still be your friend." She gave him a flirty smile that barely hid her growing anxiety.

"You weren't here when Grissom and Sara... When Ecklie... when he found out they were together he was pissed and said Sara couldn't be supervised by Gris. The thing is by then they had been together for months and they kept it quiet. It only came out because this psycho serial Gris was chasing took Sara. She would have drowned if he hadn't been on the case." He paused a moment and then said more quietly "Though them dating was the reason she was taken... I guess it's a chicken and egg thing... But the point is, I don't want them to split us up. I love working with you. You're my partner. I want to have your back."

"Greg, that is really sweet, and a little macho, but I get it." Her head swayed as she though a bit. "First, you're not my boss, so we'd could be find on the same shift. But I don't want a different partner either. So we go on a date or something; that's no one's business but ours. Let's worry about anything else if and when we need to."

"You couldn't tell your Dad. I don't want to ask that of you." Even as his words were discouraging there was a cautious hope in his tone and their eyes met.

Before she could stop herself she blurted "My sex life is not my father's business." in a mildly irritated tone. Greg smirked and raised an eyebrow as she felt her face turned heat. "I mean, that is also a problem for another day. Aren't you putting the cart before the horse. Nothing has even happened yet."

His smile grew. "Yet?"

She thought she might be on fire her face was so warm. She chewed her lower lip thoughtfully then smiled and raised and eyebrow as she stepped a little bit closer to him. "Yet."

Her advance seemed to be the permission he needed and he pulled her close and kissed her as hard as she kissed him back. His arms found their way around her waist and she looped hers around his neck pulling him down to her.

Cue the song "This Kiss" by Faith Hill as they share a clearly very passionate kiss for a good 30 seconds or so.

A wolf whistle was followed by Finn's voice "Get a room!" Greg and Morgan flew apart both red faced and breathless. "You guys forgot I went to the restroom didn't you. It's about time."

"Could you maybe not tell anyone about..." Greg trailed off, his eyes flicked to Morgan as if worried she'd be angry at his statement but she just laughed a little breathlessly.

"Of course! Well, actually, can I tell Nick? He owes me so much money." she paused thoughtfully. "And Henry. He had next week in the pool." They stared at her for a moment before she laughed. "Just kidding. About Henry at least. But don't worry. Your secrets safe with me, kids." She winked at Morgan and headed for her car.

Morgan started laughed more and Greg met her eyes with a grin and a chuckle. "So, I don't know about you, but I'm not going to get any sleep for a while now." She chuckled and shook her head. "Someone gave me this great Sinatra album recently. Could I interest you in some coffee and music."

"Sinatra, huh? I heard you make good coffee." She said taking his arm and turning them both towards the parking lot. She hummed quietly the tune of the best is yet to come...

Greg finished the words softly. "come the day you're mine..."

[space-helen]

Back to Vegas - Chapter 6

Words: 2330

Pairing: Nick Stokes x Reader

A/N: Warning for Suicide and Violence. Low key inspired by the ending of Prisoners (2012)

CH1     CH2      CH3     CH4    CH5   CH6   CH7  CH8

_______________________________

Your lungs heaved as you made it into the breakout room. Standing by the door you gave Greg a smile as Nick came in behind you. The two of you had run slightly late and it was a miracle that you’d come in in time.

“Now that everyone’s here.” Greg clapped his hands together “We should get a move on. We have a Warrant for Hannah’s property and Sara and I went in there yesterday. We found some stuff that definitely connects her to the case. Grissom and Catherine started to make stronger connections with what we found and Nick and Y/N really helped look at the evidence all again objectively.” he paused “We’re pretty confident Hannah did this, we have a lead which says she’s been hiring a warehouse just outside of Vegas so we’ll be going there. Nick, Catherine and Sara you come with me to the warehouse. Grissom and Y/N hold down the fort here and start processing some more of the stuff we pulled from Hannah’s house.”

“This isn’t very like Hannah. We all should be extra careful.” Sara spoke up “She’s usually very clever in what she does but it looks like she’s gotten lazy. There has to be a reason for that.”

Greg agreed “Keep your eyes peeled. Alright, those coming with me lets go.” He was soon leaving the room and everyone on his team for the outing soon followed. Nick wrapped his arm around you for a very brief embrace as he left the room and pecked you on the forehead.

“I’d offer you a coffee but if the others are starting right now we should too.”

You smiled at Grissom “That’s fine by me. Lead the way.”

The man smirked and led you to the room he and Catherine had been working in.

The two of you began to work and it didn’t take long for Grissom to get a call. Excusing himself from the room you continued to fingerprint the case of vials found at Hannah’s place as you waited for his return.

“How do you fancy getting away from the lab for a little bit?”

“Sure.” you smiled as you stood up.

“Greg and Sara want you to do another quick sweep of the property to look for anything else, they also want you to pick up Sara’s kit because she left it there. One of them will come over to help you after the warehouse. I’ll stay here and continue processing this” he gestured at the items in front of him

You nodded and took down the address from Grissom. “I’ve printed the vials. They just need to be run through the system now.” 

“Have fun.”

“I will.” you smiled as you made your way out to one of the work vehicles.

The drive wasn’t bad and actually went by quickly. You’d never been to this part of Vegas yet and it didn’t look half bad. The neighbourhood looked friendly yet sparse. Hopping out of your vehicle nothing seemed out of the ordinary, it was quiet and no one was around. The door was locked and had tape over to show that no one had entered. 

You brought out your knife and cut down the tape to let yourself in. Spotting Sara’s kit you picked it up and left the door open as you returned it to the trunk of your vehicle.

Entering the house again you slowly took steps inside and felt the eeriness around you. It was deadly silent yet you felt like you could hear static and like you weren’t alone. “Hello?” you called out into the space.

You felt your phone vibrate in your pocket so you slipped it out to read the text, you smiled when you saw it was from Nick. ‘She wasn’t at the warehouse. Greg, Sara and Cath are going to process here and I’ll be over with you soon x’

‘How can Sara process without a kit?’ you replied quickly.

‘Sharing is caring… we had a backup one in the trunk.’

You laughed ‘See you soon. Love you x’

You put your phone away and continued to walk around the house. Placing your kit down in the living room doorway you walked through to the next room which was an open plan kitchen and dining room. It was sparse but a camera on a tripod connected to a laptop caught your eye. There were items strewn across the table including a kit similar to the one you’d just processed for fingerprints back at the lab.

Moving in front of the camera to look at the laptop screen you noticed an exact reflection of what was in front of the camera, a live feed. You turned and looked away from the laptop screen around the room. That’s when the alarm bells rung, this stuff must not have been here when Greg and Sara processed the scene otherwise it would be at the lab. Slowly reaching for your gun you felt a stabbing sensation in your neck. 

The gun was knocked from your grasp across the room and you struggled against the person who’d come behind you.

“Just give in to it. Give in. You won’t be able to stand much longer. Do yourself a favour.” a woman’s voice came

You continued to struggle and managed to break yourself away briefly to see the woman’s face but it was blurry and your vision was swimming. Whatever she’d injected into you was already taking effect.

“Hannah? What did you?” you brought your hand up to your neck “Potassium?” you were feeling tired and like your tongue was heavy,

“Yes I am and no. It’s a nice little drug cocktail I mustered up when I heard you open the front door.”

You looked at your gun on the floor and tried to dive for it but that was a big mistake, your vision was spotting and Hannah kicked the gun away from your hand and stood on it, before giving you a kick to the stomach which rolled you over. “You really had to ruin my afternoon arrangements huh?”

She walked over to the table “It was supposed to be a nice little recording session to explain everything and finally end it all and be re-united with my brother. But no.” she turned around with another syringe. “You had to ruin it and take the peace away.”

You tried to crawl away on the floor and sit up to get away but she was soon back over at your side pushing you down and moving your hair out of the way. “But what’s one more casualty?” She forcefully pushed your head down to the ground, pain emitted there instantly. “Unfortunately I have nothing here that’ll kill you quickly besides the gun and that’s well that’s really not my style.”

Nick’s voice calling your name made her stop for a second. You tried your best to scream his but you had no clue what ever came out, the first dose of whatever she’d injected in your system already wreaking havoc on you.

You tried to struggle against her and push her away but it was too later, the needle had broken your skin and you could feel her injecting the concoction. She leaned down close to your ear and continued to inject the solutions as she whispered “Pitty I didn’t get to do this to anyone that actually worked on my cases before, that would have been more satisfying.”

Nick had entered the room to see her over you and saw her pulling the needle out of you and your body going limp. “Put your hands up.” he drew his gun and sent an alert out on his walkie subtly.

“I said put your hands up.”

Hannah eventually moved away from you and stood. “You don’t have long. The clock’s ticking for her already.”

“What did you inject!” he shouted.

She gestured to the table “Your guess is as good as mine, a little bit of everything.”

Nick peered at you to see your eyes fluttering open and closed as your head rolled on the ground.

“Step away.” he called to Hannah. 

“I don’t think I will.” she approached the table and picked up another vial. “You know I was saving this for me but I don’t think that’d do the trick quick enough. You wouldn’t let me have the satisfaction of dying that way.” 

She turned away from Nick as he took a step forward towards you as Hannah was slowly creeping away from you. Before he could really react he saw Hannah dive for something on the floor and stand upright again.

She held your gun to her head “Tell her I said thanks for the gun, but then again I might get the chance before you if she doesn’t make it.”

“No!” Nick shouted as he began to move towards Hannah for the gun. A bang had Nick freezing freezing, she’d shot herself.

Nick turned away in shock and shouted down his walkie talkie before coming to you with tears in his eyes. “Y/N.” he shook you “Y/N. Wake up please.”

He could see your eyes rolling in your head and you tried to open them. “Nicky.” you mumbled.

“Yeah Honey?”

“I love you.” it came out thickly “Remember that.” your voice sounded tired.

“I know Baby I know.” tears were threatening now “I love you too. Just stay with me ok?” We’re going to get you to the hospital.” he brought his fingers to your neck to try and feel your pulse.

He knew he’s asked for medical assistance and an emergency team but he couldn’t wait around. He knew it would be quicker to drive you. Picking you up he moved as fast as he could with you out to the car he’d arrived in, placing you across the back seats he hopped in the driver's seat and drove as fast as he could towards the nearest hospital.

“Y/N. Talk to me Sweetheart.” he begged as he drove.

“Please” he looked in the rearview mirror to try and see you but he could only see you lying still with limp arms. “Please speak to me. Please” he pleaded, tears very much collecting in his eyes. “We’re nearly there Honey. Nearly there, stay with me now. You’re going to be ok.”

He pulled up right outside the emergency room of the hospital and called for help as loud as he could while he moved you out of the back. Carrying you inside he was met by a team of people rushing towards him with a bed. He lay you down gently and kept brushing your hair out of your face and taking in your features as he rolled off what had happened to the staff. 

“Please just save her.” he sobbed, the tears finally falling.

“We’ll try our best Mr Stokes but you’re going to have to wait here.” A tall nurse spoke

“You don’t understand. She means everything to me.”

“We understand. Please just sit down and call someone.” the Nurse tried to push him back from the moving bed.

Nick took your hand and placed a kiss on it as the tears streamed down his face and the team around you started prodding your skin with different needles to draw blood and inject other solutions into your system.

He entirely froze in place when he let go of your hand and it felt like his world came crashing down around him as you turned the corner and were out of his sight. 

Flopping in a chair he opened his phone to see missed calls from Greg and Grissom. Pressing some buttons with no real aim he realised he was dialling Greg, bringing his cellphone to his ear he heard the man calling his name.

“Greg?”

“Nick, what the hell is going on? It does not look good over here.”

“I’m at the hospital with Y/N.”

“I guessed as much. Is everything ok? The EMT’s arrived at the same time Sara, Catherine and I did.”

“She might not make it.” Nick tried to hold back his tears but the hurt and sadness was very much still in his voice. “Hannah-” he was cut off by some tears falling and he tried to compose himself to continue to Greg “Hannah attacked Y/N and injected her with God only knows what. I couldn’t wait.”

“Alright. Alright.” Greg’s tone had softened now and was less urgent. “You keep your mind on Y/N we’ll sort this out. I think Grissom was on his way to you. Look after her ok?”

“Yeah” his voice was wobbly and he brought his hand up to his eyes “I’ll keep you updated.”

Hanging up he leant all the way forward, crossed his arms over his lap and rested his head there and let out some more sobs. The uncertainty was killing him. He couldn’t bear to lose you.

He looked up when he heard someone walking down the corridor to him. He was only now realising that he’d picked a really quiet spot to sit down.

Nick was immediately on his feet as soon as he saw who it was, his phone fell on the floor but he didn’t care. He took a couple of steps forward and opened his arms to embrace the older man who had been a father figure to him for many years. 

“Pancho.” Grissom spoke sadly as he cradled Nick’s head and allowed him to cry.

“I can’t lose her.” Nick choked out.

“I know Nick, I know.” the man gently pulled away to see Nicks red eyes and tear tracks down his face. “Let's get you some water.”

Nick picked up his phone from the floor and allowed Grissom to lead the way. Grissom knew how much you meant to him and all he could do right now was be a shoulder to cry on because no one knew what the future held.

Next Chapter

Tag List: (open)

Nick Stokes: @wanniiieeee  @pumpkinfriend

CSI:

[coping-via-clint-eastwood]

Fake Dating AU (kinda...not really...) - 10 Days of GSR ficmas day 1

(A/N: Dedicated to @addictedtostorytelling for teaching me that even though I'm writing out signed speech, I should follow vocalised speech anyway, since that's how it's supposed to be written {it was actually a much longer process than you think, so, thank you, my friend}.

Okay so in this AU it's okay for Gil and Sara to be romantically involved. Like, there's nothing in the lab policy stating that a superior-subordinate relationship can't happen.  And, we are going to pretend that Betty is happy with Sara being with Gil {as in, pre the ending of 11x03} because Sara's parents are unavailable altogether.)

"Why don't you have a girlfriend yet?  Why didn't you stick with Julia?"

"I've told you:  it didn't work out between us."

That was a conversation that took place between Betty Grissom and her son every Christmas (with Hank present too). Fortunately, she did not bring up the matter at any other time of the year and only checked in with him annually.

But that did not make it any less annoying. Which is why Grissom found himself jogging a little to catch up to Sara as she was walking along one of the hallways of the lab. "Hey, Sara," he said when he was near enough to not have to raise his volume about a normal level.

"Yeah?" she enquired, briefly turning her head to face him and acknowledge him before looking ahead again.

"May I ask you for a favour?"

"Sure."

"Could you be my date this Christmas? My mother asks every year, and I don't don't wanna hear it again this twenty-fifth."

That made Sara stop in her tracks.  Grissom had to take her by the arm and silently remind her to continue walking.  They went to the safety and privacy of his office.  The walk had allowed Sara to clear her head, and she spoke, "Why'd you ask me? Is this- is this your way of finally doing something about this?"

Gil looked off to one side slightly and shrugged. "I just...I want a date so my mother won't question me about it is all. Just for one day."

Sara closed the office door and took a step closer to him. "But why did you ask me, and not anyone else? You could've asked Catherine, or-or detective Curtis."

He hung his head.  "I...I didn't want to ask them."

"Why not?"  She shifted her weight onto one foot.  Her questioning was gentle, but remained firm.

"...I don't know."  Both he and Sara knew that was a blatant lie.  But Sara also knew that that was the most that Grissom would give her, so she did not pursue her inquiries anymore.

"Alright. I'll go with you to your mother's place on Christmas."

He looked up at her. "...thank you."  She smiled kindly at him and left the office, knowing that he would like to be alone to gather himself.

And so it was that on the morning of the 25th of December after shift, Sara Sidle went to Betty Grissom's house for the first time, following Gil in her car.  Well, before that, they went to Hank's sitter and picked him up. When Betty felt the vibrations from her bell on the floor, she headed to the front door and opened it. Her face immediately took on an expression of shock when she saw Sara there; she had been under the impression that Gil would bring somebody he newly met and not someone he already knew. Sara was holding Hank's leash and the gift she was going to give Betty. Gil was holding how own gift, and the bag with Hank's things was slung on his shoulder.

"She is my date for today," he explained, vocalising it as well so that Sara could understand.  He, Sara and Hank could also smell the food that Betty had prepared.

Betty quickly composed herself. "Merry Christmas," she signed. Gil and Sara responded in kind; he had taught her how to do so, so as to suit the occasion. Betty stood to one side, gesturing for them to enter. They did, and Sara detached Hank's leash from his collar. Betty closed the door and stepped ahead of them. She gestured for Gil and Sara to place the things on the coffee table in the sitting room, and they did. Then Betty gestured for them to follow her into the kitchen. The table had been set for three, and the food had been laid out in the centre.  Grissom had given his mum the heads up to prepare vegan food, and she had, but there was some food more fitting for Hank as well.  Gil put some of that on a plate and placed it on the floor, calling Hank over and asking him to eat.  He then joined Sara and Betty at the table.  "Eat," the latter signed. Sara understood that.

Gil's eyebrow shot up in surprise. "Don't you want to ask me about her?" he vocalised and signed.

"I do, but you must be hungry. We'll have plenty of time to talk later." Grissom interpreted it for Sara.  He looked at his mother a particular way, squinting just a little and his face hardening in sincerity; that was how he expressed his thanks.  Betty understood, and she gave a small nod in response, her gaze soft and genial.  Sara could not help but smile at their exchange.  They certainly had a much better rapport than she had with her own parents, and she felt blessed that she got to witness it.  Maybe that was another reason Gil had asked her to accompany him.

And so the four of them ate.  Hank finished eating rather quickly, and headed over to Gil and lightly nudged his leg with the front of his snout.  "Alright boy," he acknowledged, ruffling Hank's head.  He stood up and went to get the plastic sheets he had brought for Hank to do his business, placing them in a corner. When Hank was done, Gil tied off the sheets and went to dispose of them in the bin outside the house. He then went back inside and washed his hands thoroughly before continuing to eat. Hank was taking a walk around the house.

After the humans finished eating, Sara went to wait in the sitting room while the host and her son cleaned up.  When that was done, they joined Sara.  Gil sitting next to Sara and Betty sat on a different couch.  "Fire away," Gil smiled.

"Why did you choose to bring her here?"  Her calm, open expression indicated that she meant no aggression.

Gil shrugged before saying in both languages, "She's my best friend."  For the second time in the same hour, Sara could not help but smile, because of Gil.

Betty noticed it and looked pointedly at Gil.  "There's obviously something more going on than just that."

Of course, he chose to play dumb. "What do you mean?"

"Look.  You've been reluctant to get together with anyone, then you suddenly bring her on a date?" Gil was still faithfully translating the signing, and Sara could not hear any emotion in his voice except for the tone he lent to Betty's words.

"It's just for today."

And of course, when Betty noticed the hurt on Sara's face, she pressed, "She obviously has feelings for you. And I know how perceptive you are, and that you're not oblivious to them. You don't entirely reject them, or else you wouldn't have brought her here." Grissom did not know what to say.

Even with Betty, Sara filled in for Gil when he was at a loss for words. "How did you notice how I was feeling?" Gil signed it.

"Being deaf made me more visually perceptive. Besides, you're really expressive."

"Oh..."

"Anyway, how've you been?" Gil asked his mother, changing the topic of conversation. Both women glared at him. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Fortunately, Hank came up to him and put his front paws on his lap, smiling up at him. "Hey buddy!" he greeted as he fondled Hank's head with both hands, exaggerating his cheerfulness to dissipate his discomfort. The ladies looked at each other in mutual annoyance at the man. But since he would not be willingly speaking on the previous subject, Betty and Sara had no choice but to start talking about different things.

After chatting for a while more, the time came to take Hank out and exercise. Gil hoisted the doggy bag up while Sara attached Hank's leash to his collar.  When the four of them stepped out the door, Hank sniffed about; he recalled the route to the nearest park.  He barked excitedly and headed off, the humans happily following the eager canine.  He often stopped to sniff at various spots along the route, some old and familiar and some new since the last time he had walked there. The humans periodically transferred the leash to one another.

Once they reached the field, Hank was let off his leash. He barked and took off running, coursing through and around the field. The humans just made their way to a bench and sat down, waiting. They knew that Hank would race over to them when he wanted them to play with him. Gil sat in between the other two; he and Sara pressed up against each other. Because, despite the lingering tension between them from Gil's unwillingness to talk about his feelings, they were perfectly incapable of any leaving physical distance between them whatsoever. Betty was laughing internally, but did not say anything, preferring to let her son just be with the person he was in love with.

Soon enough, Hank came running in their direction. Gil took Hank's water bowl out of the bag. The bowl was sealed in a plastic bag, so Gil opened it and removed the bowl from it. He stood up and set it on the ground. He got a water bottle out, poured some of it into the bowl, and asked Hank to drink. The boxer eagerly lapped the water up. When his thirst had been quenched, he looked up at Gil expectantly, a smile on his face. The human reached into the bag and took out a red ball, which was just big enough for Hank's jaws to clamp around and hold firmly. You ready boy?" he grinned, waving the ball in front of the dog. Hank jumped from one side to another, dipping his body low everytime he landed to signify that he was eager to play, panting with his excitement. Gil drew his arm back, turning his shoulder so that his arm was behind him, then he thrust his arm forwards, releasing the ball. Hank shot off, barking and chasing the ball. He caught it and brought it back to Gil. His human petted and praised him for his catch, and threw the ball again.

The process repeated a few more times, then Sara asked to have a turn with Hank. Gil tossed the ball to her, and she held the ball up in Hank's view and spoke to him the same way Gil had, ensuring that Hank was aware that she was going to be his thrower. Again, he did his play bow, indicating that he was ready. So Sara started them off and threw the ball.  When it came time for Betty to throw the ball for Hank, she showed him that she was holding the ball without any verbal indication. Of course the dog understood, and was more than happy to have Betty throw the ball and bring it back to her.  Throughout all this, Hank took a drink whenever he needed to, his bowl being refilled when it had to be.

Eventually, the dog began to get tired.  The humans knew this because he walked back with the ball instead of running.  Gil squatted down to Hank's level and fondled his ear. Hank dropped the ball into his other outstretched hand. "Tired, huh? Okay, finish your water then we can go." He waited for Hank to finish drinking, then he took the bowl and the ball to a water faucet and ran water over them. He came back and dried the items with a cloth while Betty put Hank's leash on his collar. As soon as Gil packed the items up and slung the bag on his shoulder, they began the journey back to Betty's house.  Hank still had energy left to stop at certain spots and take in the scents he discovered.

Once they were in the house, Gil asked Sara, "Could you clean Hank while she and I make food?" He signed it as well.

"Sure."  She gave a nod as well to communicate with Betty.

"I'll show you where you can do that."  He still signed so that Betty knew what was going on.

"Okay," she smiled.

Before Gil could walk off however, Betty held his arm and tugged him into the kitchen, out of Sara's view.  Without giving Gil time to speak, she told him, "Do something about this."  And she left it at that, putting her hands down.  Her look told him that she was leaving no room for argument.  Without responding, he stiffly turned away and walked out.  When Sara raised an eyebrow in enquiry, he just shook his head, avoiding her gaze.  Putting it down as something that was meant to be kept between him and his mother, she thought nothing more of it and let Gil take her by the arm and lead her to the bathroom. He silently handed her the bag and then went to help his mother with preparing food which would last them for both lunch and dinner. This time, all the food they made was vegan, since Hank did not have to eat anymore for the day, and he had his snacks in the doggy bag.

Sara took a different cloth than he one Gil had used out of the bag and dampened it with tap water.  She wiped Hank down; he was glad for the cool water after his rigorous activities.  She made sure to clean his ears and feet as well.  Once Hank was clean, she sent him on his way and rinsed both cloths, then hung them up to dry.  She or Gil could collect them later before they left.  For the time being, Sara put Hank's bag on the coffee table and then popped in the kitchen. "Anything I can do?"

Gil briefly glanced back at her to let Betty know she was there. "Set out water for Hank. He'll drink when he needs to." He did not sign since his hands were occupied.

"You got it."

"Thank you."

"Anytime." She went to do as he was asked.  After that, she went to sit and wait in the sitting room.  Hank climbed onto the couch and lay his head on her lap.  So she petted him languidly.  The both of them slipped into a state of ease and relaxation, and actually dozed off.

Some time passed.  Gil came to wake them up.  But he did not do so straightaway.  He just stood still, spending a few moments quietly watching Sara.  There was a certain fondness and protectiveness he felt, seeing her at peace.

The moment was gently dissipated when Hank woke, lifting his head and turning it to look at his human.  Since Sara had fallen asleep with her hand on him, she felt the movement and was woken up by it.  She blearily opened her eyes and looked up at Gil.  The man let out a soft, rushed exhale; to him, she looked beautiful like that.  "Oh, lunch is ready?"  she asked.  His heart throbbed at the soft, delicate tone of her sleepy voice.

He could not run away from his feelings, no matter how hard he tried.

"Y-yeah," he managed to answer, his voice clear even though his speech was not.

"Are you okay?" Sara smiled teasingly; as much as he denied it to himself, she was aware of the effect that she had on him. Him having a discomforted bashful expression did not help his case.

"Y-y-yeah I-I'm fine," he strained out, clenching his fist at his side, and he turned his head and waist away.

She laughed softly. She looked down at Hank. "I wanna get up now," she said to him, gently pushing on his head to let him know that she wanted him to get off her. The canine lifted his head and moved it aside, then got off the couch altogether to go and walk around the house. Sara stood up and walked past Gil, brushing her shoulder against his as she did so. "Come on, the food's not gonna eat itself," she teased, not even glancing at him.

He stared after her, mouth agape. He harshly shook his head to clear it, grumbling at himself. "I'm an idiot," he murmured. He composed himself and then tentatively stepped to the kitchen. He saw that there had been a plate of food set at his place, and that his chair had been pulled out for him. "Thank you," he voiced and signed, since he did not know who had done it.

"You're welcome," Sara smiled at him.  He gave a nod and sat down.  After their meal, Betty cleaned the dishes and utensils, since there were only the personal and centre cutlery to wash; the pots still held their dinner and would be cleaned later.

In the meantime, Gil and Sara had made their way to the sitting room, and again, they were sitting with no space between them.  "So..."  Sara uttered.

Gil turned his head to look at her.  "What?"

She grinned.  "How was lunch?"  She was reaching, teasing him, testing the waters, and they both knew it; Gil knew that what she was actually referring to was their moment just before they had started the actual process of dining.

"I always enjoy my mother's cooking," he evaded.

Sara smiled and rolled her eyes.  "You know what I mean."  His eyebrow shot up.  Before he could say anything, she said, "I want to settle this, even if only a little bit for the moment."  Without him having to say anything, she knew that he was going to comment on the fact that she was persisting in her inquiry, even though typically she took his avoidance as a sign to back away; even when they were not comfortably bonded with each other, Sara still understood Gil with the utmost implicitness.

He faced forwards and looked down, fidgeting with his hands; even he knew that their connection was so strong that it was almost tangible, and that fact frightened him.  "I-I don't what to say," he confessed, shrugging and shaking his head.  His voice was soft, and it carried a tinge of regret.

To his surprise, Sara reached her hand over to his, running her pinky along the back of his hand, making him look at her again.  She gave him a stepping stone and said, "What do you want to do?"

He drew his hand away from hers, feeling sheepish, guilty, or afraid, or a mix of all three, and hung his head.  "I don't know...I have no idea how to go about this..."

Sara stretched her arm further and held his hand, brushing her thumb over the back.  "Are you okay with me making small decisions for you?  Just things like how we'll spend our time together and such."

He let out a huff.  "I suppose I'll have to follow your lead if this is to happen." He looked up at her and gave a small, shy smile, indicating that he was more than happy to be guided by her.  She smiled fondly at him in return.  From then on, the two of them sat in a companionable silence, with Gil and Sara moving their hands to be more central so that it was more comfortable to hold hands.

Soon enough, Betty came in.  She perceived their joined hands with a raised eyebrow and an open-mouthed smile.  "What's happening between you two?"

Gil had to detach his hand from Sara's to sign, "We're gonna try being together...I guess..."  His hands paused their movement after 'together'.  He had been speaking aloud as well.  When he said 'I guess', he looked at Sara, who nodded in confirmation.

When they turned back to Betty, she signed, "That's great!" She sat down across from them. Hank came up to her this time; Betty was more than happy to pet him, since they did not get to see each other so often. Whilst Betty and Hank bonded, the other two present fell back into what was more or less a quietness, with occasional light conversation that lasted only a few sentences before they became quiet again.

After some time, Hank got off Betty's couch and walked over to Sara for pets; while he did spend time Betty occasionally, he had hardly seen anything of Sara at all. Usually, he smelt her on Gil whenever they met after the human came back from work. Hank knew that Sara was special to Gil, because while he sometimes smelt other people on Gil, he smelt Sara the most often, and her scent was stronger than that of anyone else who had come into contact with Gil; even now he could smell the oxytocin from the both of them that told him of their mutual attraction and attachment. Since Gil and Sara were pressed up in the middle of the couch, Hank got up on Sara's side where Gil was not. He curled up and lay his head on her lap. Sara languidly ran her fingers down his ear. Soon enough, Hank moved so that he was laying on both humans. They chuckled and petted him as he wished. He was heavy, but they were willing to bear his weight because they loved him, and he loved them.

"What do you want to do now?  Or are we content to pet Hank?"  Betty asked.  Grissom interpreted once again, then he and Sara looked at each other.

"What do you normally do every year?"  Sara asked.  Gil interpreted it for Betty.

"We usually make it up as we go along," Gil signed and voiced.

Then Betty's face lit up with a silent, "Ah!"  and she raised her hand, indicating that she had realised something.  "Why don't we show Sara that Hank understands sign language commands?"  Already, Hank had pushed himself up a little and was looking at Betty.

Sara opened her mouth in a smile of pleasant surprise and raised an eyebrow.  "Can he really?"

Gil smiled at her.  "Yes, he can."

Deciding to cut to the chase, Betty signed, "Come."  Obediently, Hank got off the couch and walked over to Betty, smiling and panting in excitement.  Gil leant forwards and reached into Hank's bag, then took out the little container of treat.  Once the boxer was at Betty's feet, she signed, "Sit."  And he did, lowering himself onto his haunches.  Gil fed Hank a treat.  "Lie down."  Hank got fed again.  "Roll over."  When he righted himself, he was given another bite.  Betty stood up and started walking. She signed, "Follow me," and took the container without the cover from Gil as she passed him. When they were at a space clear enough, she turned to face him and signed, "Jump."  And Hank did; he lifted his front first, then pushed his hind legs off the ground.  And of course, he landed on his forelegs before his back legs came back down.  Betty fed him.  "Sit," she signed again.  "Stay."  She started backing away.  "Stay.  Stay.  Stay."  After a few more paces, she signed, "Come."  Hank stood up and eagerly jogged over, happily consuming the treat in Betty's opened palm.  She put the container on the coffee table and squatted down to pet and fondle Hank.  Gil closed the container and put it back in the bag, then took his place next to Sara.

"He's a good boy!"  Sara said to Gil.

"Yes, yes he is," he said lovingly, smiling at the sight of his mother and his dog bonding with an affectionate twinkle in his eye.  As for Sara, she was smiling at him.  It was rare for her, or anyone for that matter, to see him being so at ease with smiling so brightly, and with such a fond gaze, in front of others.  It was something she had missed; she had not seen him do so since he had been so wrapped up in her in San Francisco.  He still was, but he always suppressed it.  A bit tentatively, she put her hand on his upper arm.  He looked at her, pensive and surprised.  She offered him a comforting, but nervous, smile, and began to slowly rub up and down his arm. She felt him relax under her touch. He did not say anything to her and faced forwards again, but he did not tell her to stop. So she continued. At least, she did for a little until she slid her hand down his arm to hold his own hand. Without him saying anything, his fingers gripped her hand tightly, firmly, because he was craving her touch and was afraid that she would let go. She caressed his knuckles with her thumb, soothing him and letting know she was not going anywhere.

After some time more of relaxing and not partaking in any noteworthy activity, it came time for dinner. Hank was left to mosey along on his way while the three humans went to the kitchen. They grabbed their food, sat down, and ate. When they were done, Sara asked if she could help with the dishes. Betty smiled at her and rubbed her shoulder, and gave her a nod.  Gil waved his hand so that his mother would look at him.  "So should all three of us do it, or just two of us?  If so, who?"

"Why don't the both of you handle it?"  Betty said with a smile.

Gil nodded.  "Okay."  All three of them stood up.  Betty helped to bring the cutlery to the sink before exiting the kitchen.  The other two proceeded with the cleaning.

"So, uh..."  Gil uttered, glancing at her briefly before looking back at the task at hand.

"Hm?"  Sara enquired, keeping her eyes trained on the object she was handling.

"What uh...what 'minor decisions' are you gonna be making?  And when?"

Sara's hands stopped their movement.  She then laughed softly, and turned her head to look at Gil.  "I already told you about them.  As for when, it's not gonna happen so soon!  I know you wanna take things slow, and you've already taken a really big step today by agreeing to try things out with me.  You can take it easy."  She then averted her gaze went back to her task.

Gil had stopped his cleaning too and had looked at her in return.  When she finished speaking, he continued his work.  "Okay..."

Sara smiled, and he could see it out of the corner of his eye.  "I'm really proud of you for taking this step."  That made his brain short-circuit; compliments from her always did that.  It manifested by him freezing up briefly.  Then, he pulled himself together and methodically focused on his cleaning.  Sara chuckled at that.

The two of them carried on with their task in companionable silence.  When they finished, they went to sit in the sitting room, pressed up against each other again.  Betty sprung up from her seat.  "Excuse me," she said with a smile, heading to the kitchen once more.  Sara raised an eyebrow and looked at Gil, but he just smiled silently at her.  Soon enough, they heard the sounds of a powdered beverage being prepared.  Sara had to laugh.  Betty returned with three mugs of hot chocolate.  She stopped in front of them and held out the hand that was carrying two mugs.  They took one each, thanking her.  They drank and chatted for a bit longer.

The time came for Gil and Sara to depart.  "I think we'll clear off now," he said, standing up while holding his mug.

Betty came and took it from him, placing it down on the coffee table.  "I'll handle it."

"Oh, the towels," Sara interjected, racing off to get them. Gil also went to fetch and clean Hank's water bowl. They put the things in the bag, and Gil called for his dog.

"Hang on.  I'll fetch your gifts," Betty said.  She, too, went to retrieve two objects.

"Thank you," they said.  "Merry Christmas."  She returned the greeting.  And with that, they went to their cars.

"You'll have to show me how to get back to my place," Sara said.

"I only know the route to mine.  We'll go there then, you'll find your way from there?"

"Sounds good."

"Hey uh...you wanna stay on the phone while we drive?"

She smiled.  "Sure."

They put their things in their cars and got in.  After starting the engine and putting on his seatbelt, Gil dialled Sara's number on his phone.  "Hey," she greeted.

"We good to go?"

"Yep!"  They drive off.

"So...I'm curious as to what you got my mother."

"Oh.  I got her a brown necklace with a clock hanging from it.  What about you?"

"A copy of a textbook written by doctor Gilbert.  You remember her?"

"Ohhhh yeah, I do."  She did not want to say too much about her.  Instead, she redirected the topic of conversation.  "What'd your mother get you?"

"I have no idea."  He picked up the present and shook it.  "It sounds like her rosary beads."

"Awh, how nice!  You got any idea what she got me?"

"She felt that it was a safe bet to get you a scarf." She could hear the smile in his voice, and that made her smile too.

They made it to Grissom's residence.  "Here we are.  Could you come out of the car for a sec?"  he said.

"Yeah."  They hung up and got out of their vehicles.  When they saw each other, they laughed; they were each holding a gift, meant for each other.  "What'd you get me?"  Sara asked with a smile as they exchanged the gifts.

"An entomology textbook."

She snorted with laughter.  "Of course!"  At his raised eyebrow, she spoke, "Oh.  I got you a blue tie.  You can wear it to your next court date," she smiled.

He could not help the fond, shy smile that graced his face.  He fidgeted with the present, since he would normal play with his hands.  "Thank you," he said softly.

"Hey, you too," she replied genially. She reached a hand up and rubbed his neck. It relaxed him. "I'll see you tomorrow," she said, starting to walk away. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas Sara." He was still a bit stunned. He watched her drive away. Hank's whine got Gil's attention. He quickly went to open the door for him, and the dog walked right up to the front door. The human collected his things from his car, locked it, and then let both himself and his dog inside his house.

[deeplyridiculouslyinlove]

Folsom and Allie?

I'm curious what others think about this Folsom and Allie situation. I'm not sold on it yet, but am also easily convinced to ship people if it's done well. But besides throwing in Allie's boyfriend (who we haven't even met), isn't this just Grissom and Sara 2.0? Older man who's a little standoffish/eccentric but brilliant paired with younger woman newer to the profession but nevertheless a prodigy and dedicated to her job beyond all else, barely veiled sexual tension when alone together, some complicated backstory we don't fully understand, his last name her first name, etc...

Maybe the chemistry will develop more and I'll be into it, but honestly I don't feel like I need this at the very beginning of the show, and I think I would prefer to get to know the characters on their own before having to decide if I like them together.

I may just be a curmudgeon though!

[bartramcat]

This is a little piece I knocked out after watching Early Rollout about a year ago. It's my headcanon about what Brass might have seen and thought after Butterflied.

_______________

He had never seen Gil Grissom like this. Raw. Emotional. He knew he was trying to bait the doctor into confessing, but his words were so personal. It was Grissom himself who was doing the confessing.

So there was a girl who had managed to get under his skin, a girl he might be in love with. Now that was a contradiction: Gil Grissom in Love. At first he thought he was talking about Lady Heather. He knew there was a definite infatuation there, but his tone didn't seem right. It was too soft, full of introspective regret. 

He left the interview room and watched the doctor and his lawyer leave. Grissom remained, head down, as if chained to the table. He went round the corner and saw a familiar figure on the observation deck. He watched Sara for a few moments. She looked stricken, as if her dog had died. He moved towards her, and he saw the tracks of tears on her face.

"I'm sorry, Sara. There wasn't enough evidence. We know he did it, but we can't prove it." He knew she could get emotional, bond a little too much with the victims. And this one could have been her twin. She didn't respond. It was as if she didn't hear him. She continued to stare in...at Grissom.

Suddenly, she looked at him. Yes. She was crying. "Let me buy you a cup of coffee." 

"I can't." She looked in one last time at Grissom. "I'm sorry." And she turned and walked quickly away from him.

He watched her leave, walking a bit too quickly, as if in flight. He took her place on the observation deck. Grissom was still sitting there, as if wrapped in regret. Immobile.

"Huh." 

He thought back. There had been rumors years ago. That Grissom had had a thing with her in San Francisco and brought her here. Was she his girlfriend? His ex-girl? The one he wanted to be his girlfriend?

As far as he knew, nothing had ever happened between them here. Could they have been lovers in San Francisco?

He replayed Grissom's words in his head. Someone young and beautiful. Someone we could care about. She offers a new life with her. Definitely not Lady Heather. His response to her, well, more visceral. Heather didn't need anyone to care for her. She might offer mind-blowing sex, but a new life? He couldn't imagine Heather setting up housekeeping with anyone. Sara, on the other hand. Sara needed someone to love her, to care about her, someone for her to love; she was someone with whom to share a life. 

Brass went back into the interview room. "Come on, Gil. You need to go home to bed."

"I made a mistake, Jim."

"We can't catch them all. You know that."

Grissom looked at him, as if about to say something.

"Look, Gil, I know the case shook you. It shook all of us. That girl looked so much like Sara."

At the sound of her name, he saw Grissom visibly jerk in his chair, as if he'd been shot.

"But it wasn't her. You go home now. Things will look better after you sleep."

"I'm not sure things will ever be…"

But he didn't finish.

"Thanks, Jim."

His friend stood up and walked out of the room. He watched him go; he felt as if he'd been dropped into the middle of a heartbreaking love story. If his gut was right, it explained so much. 

There had always been a sadness about Sara. Well, maybe not initially. She had been brash, confident, albeit socially awkward with her co-workers, but secure in her place with Grissom. His first hire. The girl from San Francisco. An intellectual. Like Grissom.

Those first few months were a blur, what with him being transferred back to PD, and Grissom taking over. He never blamed Gil. He had never played politics, angled for his job. He was just his unflappable, unemotional, nerdy self. But that girl seemed to have an effect on him. There were cases even that first year where Grissom went the extra mile. For Sara. And he almost lost his shit when she volunteered to be bait in the strip strangler case.

They always stood too close together. They never touched each other, but it was almost as if they were magnets, pulled towards each other unconsciously, as if there was a need to occupy the same space. Did Grissom choose his career over love? Sure sounded that way. And now Sara knew it too. Whatever he felt for her, he had decided his career was more important. And he knew he had made the wrong choice.

Well, if all of his suppositions were valid, he did have a front row seat to a tragic love story. And it would bear watching.

He was worried about Sara. He suspected she had started drinking, and he suspected it was to numb the pain of her discovery that Gil probably cared for her, maybe even loved her, but they could never be together.

He understood Gil's dilemma. From his perspective, he couldn't have a life with Sara and his career. Well, he could. He thought about his friend. As far as he knew, he had not been involved with any woman for as long as he had known him. There had been a brief flirtation with that anthropologist and whatever the fascination with Heather. But no relationships.

He knew Grissom wasn't like other men. Most men wouldn't care. If a young woman like Sara made it known she was available, most men wouldn't hesitate. But then most men, himself included, tended to bend their ethics and their morals in matters involving gratifying that thing between their legs.

He chortled. Grissom and sex didn't compute. But on some weird level Grissom in love with Sara did. They had a lot in common. And, he suspected, they had the same sad longing: for each other. 

It must have happened in San Francisco. He thought back. There was a Forensics Academy Conference Grissom had lectured at a couple of years before everything changed. When Grissom came back, he was different somehow. He'd be talking one moment and miles away the next. He thought it was Grissom being Grissom. It never occurred to Brass that perhaps he'd met a girl, a girl that meant something, a girl he didn't forget the minute the next case started. Nor did he make the connection when he brought Sara in 2 years later.

When he heard about her DUI, it, sadly, did not surprise him. The girl was a mess. He considered having a talk with Grissom. How had he not seen Sara was in trouble, enough trouble to risk her career? Maybe even her life. When he heard she had to go to mandatory counseling, he breathed a sigh of relief. He hoped she would get some help.

After a time it seemed Sara was back on some semblance of solid footing, although she could still be a little too reckless for his taste. Was it possible the girl was so much in love with Grissom that she really thought she had nothing to live for? Of course, with her background, there had to be scars. He had looked into it, and it wasn't pretty. Yet in spite of all that, this girl had gone to Harvard on a full scholarship at 16! Yeah, on some level, she was the female equivalent of Grissom.

Well, they seemed to be comfortable together again. At least they seemed to be getting along again, but what the hell was Grissom's fascination with Sofia? Suddenly there were all these rumors that the two of them were having a "thing." Brass didn't buy it. Grissom was probably just studying her the way he tended to study anything or anyone new in his circle and now Ecklie had made a total asshole move to punish both of them. 

Damn. Now what had Sara done? Insubordination? Both Catherine and Ecklie? What on earth was the girl thinking? She really was like Grissom, as impolitic as he was. Ecklie wanted her out, wanted Grissom to fire her. 

"I don't know what he sees in her." Catherine was perplexed. Brass pointed out that Grissom often looked the other way when it came to his team. Including Catherine. She had no answer. "You know Gil doesn't like change. Ecklie already took you and Nick and Warrick away from him." "I hadn't looked at it like that." "Cut him some slack."

It was clear Grissom had refused to fire her, but he suspected it was for more personal reasons. When she came back, she seemed calmer somehow, more at peace. He watched them at crime scenes. They seemed to be back where they started, again standing too close to each other, smiling at one another when they thought no one was watching. After everything, it seemed, they were still in love.

Brass figured this would be the norm going forward. At some point, Sara would find someone new, and Gil would be left alone. As he'd said, he had his chances, and he blew them. She needed more than to know he cared for her; she needed him to love her. Unfortunately, for both of them, he suspected that would never happen.

[addictedtostorytelling]

Hi, there! I must admit that I'm fascinated with your takes on our lovely couple, that is GSR. Honestly, before I fumble into your blog, I was quite lost at the deepness that is their relationship. So thank you for this incredible work you've been doing! 💗

Based on that, do you think that during s1, specifically in s1e02, Sara and Grissom might have met in particular? If you know what I mean. Assuming they, in fact, already had some sort of more intimate relationship back from San Francisco's time.

I've always wondered that. As it was never meant for Sara to stay in Vegas, right? Her permanent stay was something bright new, and I wonder if they took 'advantage' of that moment, even under those terrible circumstances. Which would might lead to why Sara might have accepted the proposal of staying in Vegas and why she might have thought Grissom would pursue a relationship with her, only for her being frustrated by that man's terrible dating skills (well, not that terrible, just a bit unusual).

Sorry, I started mumbling! But thank you beforehand! I love to read your analysis of them <3

hi, @ms-machine!

thank you for your kind words! i'm so glad you enjoy my gsr takes and find them helpful for understanding the ship! ❤

re: your question:

if i catch your drift, you're asking if i think grissom and sara have sex while sara is in vegas during the events of episode 01x02 "cool change," yeah?

while upon sara's arrival in vegas (which takes place, within the universe of the show, on approximately 10.16.00), grissom and sara are super flirty with each other and grissom does open up to sara emotionally, both of which behaviors could be indicative that they sleep together while she is in town, since grissom and sara also often act that way at other times during the early seasons of the show when we know for certain they're not having sex, said behavior in itself isn't enough to prove anything one way or the other.

just looking at the timeline, sara wraps her mini-investigation into warrick's conduct and whereabouts within the course of a single day, and, during that day, both she and grissom are extremely busy—he with his inquiries into the mysterious circs death of ted sallenger, she with her examination of warrick's itinerary surrounding the gribbs shooting. that so, after their initial interactions in front of the monaco casino, grissom and sara don't really talk to each other again until the end of the episode, when they convene with the rest of the team to watch as gribbs's killer is remanded into custody.

given the tight schedule they're on through morning and afternoon hours, we can probably say with some surety they don't sleep with each other then.

but what about afterward?

after all, the events of episode 01x03 "crate n' burial" don't transpire, within the universe of the show, until 10.29.00—meaning there are thirteen days' worth of unaccounted for time between when we last see grissom and sara following the conclusion of the gribbs case and when we next see them responding to the garris "kidnapping" callout.

honestly, there's so much we don't know about what happens during that interval.

for example, does sara immediately hop a plane back to san francisco on the evening of 10.16.00 after she finishes her conduct report on warrick or does she maybe hang around in vegas for a while afterward? if so, for how long? a day or two? a week? and where does she make her accommodations while she's in town—at a hotel or perhaps staying at grissom's place? if at grissom's place, crashing on his couch or sharing his bed?

another major line of questioning revolves around her hiring process.

we never get to see the moment when grissom asks sara to officially join his team on screen.

when does he do so? has he already made the invitation by the time she's standing at his side in the las vegas crime lab parking lot, watching holly gribbs's killer being loaded onto a police van and taken to jail? or does he wait a couple of days? does she have the job offer in pocket by the time she touches down back in san francisco or does he contact her sometime later in order to extend it?

considering that she is already hired and onboarded just thirteen days later, he probably can't wait too long after the events of episode 01x02 "cool change" to start officially headhunting her, especially since she still has to put in notice that she is quitting with the sfpd.

as stated in the meta i posted the other day, the timeline for these first three episodes of s1 is not very realistic, particularly where sara's hiring and move are concerned.

whenever he does "pop the (employment) question," does she tell him yes before he can even fully finish asking? or does she take a few days to consider?

during that decision-making process, is there any discussion between them about how her joining his team (and becoming his employee) might affect their relationship, one way or another? or is that issue one they gloss over?

frankly, without knowing the answers to these questions, it's really impossible to say definitively whether or not grissom and sara have sex at any point circa the events of episode 01x02 "cool change."

headcanon rules on the matter.

personally, in my headcanon, i don't think they do sleep together during that time, as i tend to believe that had they crossed that particular threshold and gotten into the habit of having a sexual relationship while sara was visiting vegas during the gribbs investigation, they probably wouldn't have been able to backtrack and/or stop themselves from continuing said relationship once she moved to vegas permanently.

to me, i think their sexual encounters—and i do believe they have some while sara still lives in san francisco (just perhaps not "going all the way")—end sometime prior to the gribbs murder.

to my mind, the cessation of their sexual encounters isn't something they discuss (meaning they never have any kind of explicit "hey, now that we're going to be coworkers, we should probably cool it, yeah?" conversation; the encounters themselves just peter off sans acknowledgment as to what is happening or explanation as to why)—which is perhaps the cause of a lot of the confusion of s1, when their relationship seems so ill-defined and nebulous, with unclear expectations.

as for the issue of why sara accepts grissom's job offer and has expectations that she and grissom will continue their relationship once she relocates to vegas, i don't necessarily think she and grissom would have to have sex during the gribbs case in order to cause her to take that course of action and think in that direction.

even if they don't actually ~do the do~ during her brief stint in sin city while she's investigating warrick, she's already head over heels in love with grissom when he asks her to work for him, and they've already been carrying on some kind of ambiguous personal relationship (perhaps even of a sexual nature) prior to this point, so she has plenty of motivation to want to move closer to him and plenty of reason to suppose that if she does so their new, closer proximity will take their relationship to that "next level" she so desires to be at with him as is.

—but all of that stuff is just my take.

like i said, there's really no right or wrong answer here, so if you prefer to imagine that they do sleep together sometime during sara's first visit to vegas, you certainly have ample grounding for that line of thinking.

(thirteen days is a lot of unaccounted for time!)

also, fic rec: i just read @hollygl125's delightful story where grissom and sara do have a sexual relationship all the way up until she officially joins the team, so if you're looking for a well-done take on that version of events, i highly recommend you check it out!

thanks for the question! please feel welcome to send another any time.

[drnathanielheywood]

An early version of Cool Change included a bit of backstory on why Grissom brought Sara in to investigate (other than her being his smart friend, obviously): Sara's partner had been killed at a crime scene two years earlier in San Francisco.

Now, what really interests me about this is that this would have happened in the same year that the show would eventually establish as the year when Sara and Grissom met.

[jetslootmaekers]

i read a fic once when sara and grissom hooked up from the first time they met and then got back together ever since she came to LV and kept it hidden from everyone and to me this is absolutely canon no one can change my mind and my opinion is the only one that matters :)

[ilkkawhat]

Okay but the CSI writers COULD have made Nigel frame the crime scene to look like Kristy instead of his prom date, how angsty would that have been?? Yeah the prom date, checking his emails, storyline was good but oh man if he had pictured Kristy while looking at the crime scene 😈😈😈

OOOOOOH that would have been so good cause like. one of the creepiest thing about that ep is they never really...specify how long nigel stalks his victims. What if he plays it smart and stalks them for weeks before moving into their house? What if he uses the cable guy job as an excuse to get in? 

What if he was stalking Nick as early as season one? 

What if he saw him hook up with Kristy (and another angsty and also sort of gross-ish) and maybe even used her services himself?????????

AND AND AND what if this was an AU where idk, the stalker storyline didn’t get all wrapped up in one episode. What if Nick got thrown out the window, and Nigel escapes? What if months later he re-emerges, taunting Nick with a new crime scene modeled after Kristy? (And maybe even makes a snide remark, “I thought you liked redheads better, Nick....”)

And then on Nick’s end of it all, oh BABY that poor guy, people don’t seem to offer him much sympathy over the whole Kristy thing in general (also given that it seems to be his biggest mistake as told by that DA later in the series when she’s criticizing Grissom’s team) so he’s basically alone in his feelings over it all--just as he was alone with the prom date thing but it’s even worse cause yeah, the team actually met Kristy and OOH what if at first, like, Catherine rolls up to the scene and recognizes her, does all she can to stop Nick from coming but it’s another night of the pifflings and he has to work with Catherine, and similar to Grissom and Sara in Butterflied, maybe she tries to stop Nick from seeing the body at the very least?