Here we go again! Chapter 2
The aroma of something baking woke Sara up later that night. She looked at her watch. 9:37 pm. She felt refreshed, she hadn't slept that long since, well she couldn't remember.
Maybe being wrapped up in Grissom was all she ever needed to put a stop to her insomnia.
She blinked hard, remembering the events of yesterday.
Hours earlier...
Sara was packing up her duffel, headed home for a few precious hours of quiet before the next shift. She sighed, thinking about how quiet her apartment would be when she got there. She didn't even have a pet to be happy to see her. She should get a dog. A cute fur ball to jump at her when she walked through the door. Maybe then she'd go home more often, get away from the lab.
Yeah, right. She'd probably just forget to feed it.
The thought made her chuckle little. She was such a mess.
"If your laughing you must feel better," Grissom said quietly from the doorway to the locker room. "Or you've finally gone off the deep end."
"Both. And neither. Learning to accept the fate of the workaholic loner." The smile faded from her lips. "Does it ever get easier? Seeing people hurt each other?"
"No."
"I didn't think so. It shouldn't, I mean, there's no way I'd ever want it to be easy to face these people. But..." She shut her locker, turned to him and ran her fingers through her hair. "It still sucks."
"I know. It's tough."
"But somebody's gotta do it, right?"
"Well, tonight you don't. I'm giving you next shift off."
"No, Grissom, I have three cases to wrap up, I'll fall behind my paperwork."
"I gave Greg your grunt work, they were just loose ends, nothing to worry about. You caught your share of bad guys today."
She sighed. He was right, and she needed sleep, but she didn't want to go home to an empty apartment.
"Is it too late, Sara?"
Her eyes flew to his. "Of course not."
"Good," he said. "Because I have one more thing I want you to look at." He pulled out an assignment slip and handed it to her.
Duh, Sidle. Too late to work more. Fabulous.
"Kidnapping," she read, "Victim is 34 year old female, brown hair, brown eyes, 5'8", by the name of Sara Sidle..." She looked up at him, he didn't respond with anything more than a raised eyebrow. She continued, "Last seen leaving Las Vegas Crime Lab in the company of Gil Grissom. Whereabouts unknown, suspected rest and relaxation..." she chuckled, "against her will."
"I'm kidnapping you for the night."
"You can't just just ask people out like a normal person can you?"
"I'm not asking people out, I'm asking you out. And your just as weird as me."
"Not quite. Yet," She grinned. "Crime scene?"
He rolled his eyes. "Now what kind of kidnapper would I be if I told my victim where we were going."
"Alright." She shouldered her bag and put on her best 'ready-for-anything' face. "But I'm riding shotgun," she breezed past him, not waiting for him to follow, "You're not sticking me in the trunk."
Sara smiled at the memory. He hadn't flirted with her like that in years. Sometimes he could just be so...cute.
She tossed off the blankets and made her way barefoot out of the bedroom. From the door frame she could see him in the kitchen, pouring orange juice. Making her way into the kitchen, she also found a basket of fresh muffins, still warm to the touch.
"You baked for me?"
Somewhat startled, he turned from the refrigerator and laughed. "Oh bake for all the women I have to my apartment."
At that she snorted out a laugh, "All one of us, huh?"
"Two, including my mom."
She smiled at him, just taking him in. He was barefoot, revealing pretty nice feet, for a guy. He was still in his soft cotton pajama bottoms, but he had wrapped up in a blue terrycloth robe. His hair wasn't exactly a mess, but it did remind her that not long ago they had been curled up in bed. He grinned self-consciously when she met his eyes. "Enjoying the view?"
"Very much. I on the other hand, probably look like a wreck."
"You look beautiful. You always look beautiful," he stepped closer to her, and she realized all expected awkwardness was missing from this scene. She would have expected to be a bumbling idiot around him, but instead, she reached out to him, snaking her hands behind his neck, and pulling him into a bear hug.
"Thanks, Griss," she said into his neck.
"For what?"
"Kidnapping me. And returning the ball."
"No sports metaphors please."
"Ah, just one. I had kind of...spiked it at you, but I'm glad you returned it."
He laughed, "Me too."
She pulled back, and he planted a light kiss on her forehead.
"Will you feed me now? I feel like I've come out of hibernation."
He laughed, from deep in his chest, and she savored the sound. She liked this Grissom, although suspicious of his change of heart. Now was not the time to talk, though, and so instead she enjoyed a night at Grissom's, eating breakfast at 10:00 pm and not talking about work once.
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