Chapter 6: Gil Grissom
~~~~~~~~GRISSOM'S POV~~~~~~~~
"Well I better check to see if any cases have come through." I said attempting to get up from the sofa but Sara caught my arm. Her hand lingered just long enough to make my heart leap.
"No way Grissom if we had a case Brass would have called." She said smiling. "You're not getting out of this that easily."
"Yeah Grissom." Nick jumped in. "We all promise we won't be too rough on you and to prove it I'll go first."
"I doubt whatever you have to ask will be notably considerate." I said sarcastically.
"That hurt." He said holding his chest. "Luckily I know that's your way of saying you care; so on with my question. Were you born from humans or shit on a stump and hatched in the sun?"
The room erupted in laughter at Nick's words, but I must have missed the joke.
"Excuse me?" Was all I could manage from my shock and confusion. The room grew quiet when I spoke. They knew I wasn't happy.
"Do you have parents Grissom?" He repeated.
"Yes Nick despite popular belief I am human and not how did you say it?"
"Shit on a stump and hatched in the sun." He said proudly.
"Yes that." I frowned. Must be a Texas expression, because I have never heard that one.
"So let's hear about them." Nick encouraged. "It's a clean fair question and you agreed to play the game too."
"Yeah Grissom." Catherine said.
I sighed. The question wasn't that difficult to answer. "If you all insist. My mother's name is..."
"No Grissom." Catherine interrupted. "You sound like your file talking. Start with something small. A memory of yourself with your family. It's that easy."
The last thing I wanted was to recall a childhood memory. I didn't have a bad childhood, but I didn't feel like sharing. That's just the way I am. "If I pass on this question what is my challenge?" I asked Nick.
The Texan grinned at me. "Let's just say I got some good ideas from Catherine. Now do you really want to pass?"
The last thing I was going to do was find myself stripped and singing another "Wizard of Oz" theme song. "Fine. I choose to answer."
"Good."
"I was about seven years old and it was just entering the colder months of autumn. My mother and I went to the coast for the day." The entire image started to float back. "The sky was the palest shade of blue and not a cloud was in the sky. The air was heavy with the salt smell from the ocean; you could almost taste it, it was so heavy. The beach was scarce but we both liked it that way. I remember the sound of the ocean waves and the seagulls overhead. It was perfect. The mixture of sound and sight made the whole day just wonderful. Then it dawned on me that my mother couldn't hear what was making that day so wonderful for me. She was deaf since I was four." I let the words sink in. I can't believe I am doing this.
"What happened next?" Catherine asked. She and everyone in the room was completely enthralled with my story. I had no idea they thought this was so interesting.
"I got angry with myself and ran off. I don't know where I went but it was completely quiet. I couldn't hear anything. My mother found me hours later and told me to look at the sky. It was sunset and the sky turned the most beautiful shade of hot pink and purple. You couldn't find where the ocean began and the sky ended. It was...beautiful. I knew then that she was grateful of what she did have; sight. She never saw her hearing loss as a disability."
The room was quiet. Peaceful. Wonderful. I can't believe I just told them that, I say to myself again. All it takes is one question. 'How did your mother become deaf?' I regretted telling my story immediately.
"Inlet." Sara whispered shaking me and everyone else from their reverie.
"What?" I asked her.
"You were in an oceanic inlet that's why you couldn't hear anything. Once sound gets in, its trapped and dies away before it can reach the eardrum. There is sound but it's so subtle the human ear cannot detect the sound waves."
Her eyes burned into the inner workings of my soul. I was suddenly very happy that I told my story and I was sitting next to her; able to feel her so close beside me. If I could just touch her...
"How do you know so much about them?" Warrick asked Sara.
"I wasn't too far from the coast either. That's where I went when I needed to get away." She looked back to me and gave a half-smile. "I guess it was a diversion."
I let her smile heal my soul.
"Well whatever it was, it sounds wonderful Grissom." Catherine commented. The room was quiet.
"Let's get the rest of this over. I want to check on any cases." I said quickly breaking the tension of recalling the past. I broke my gaze from Sara. Any longer I don't know how far I would go to touch her.
"I think it's time to spice things up a bit." Greg interrupted my thoughts. "It's time for the juicy questions."
"Oh no you don't, I'm next." Catherine stared at me ready to draw blood. I didn't know who looked more ready to ask a revealing question. "Gil Grissom, I have known you for ten years and don't know anything about you now that I didn't know then. So naturally I want to know what is your biggest darkest secret?"
I didn't even hesitate. "Not going to happen Catherine."
She smiled really widely. Is it me or does she look like the devil? "My challenge then."
I could swear she hissed at me. Just stay calm. "I still pull rank Catherine."
"Not going to work in this game Gris. No threats, no executions, and no grudges. We all agreed to play the game and the game must be played correctly."
"Technically I didn't agree to play this game, I was forced." I replied with a raised eyebrow.
She looked around the room. "You asked the questions, we ask you questions. That's the rule and whether you like it or not you are a part of this game." She rolled her tongue and clasped her hands in front of her. "All you have to do is answer one question."
Why oh why wasn't Brass coming in with a case. It's Las Vegas there has to be at least one dead body out there. It's Sin City for crying out loud!
"I will get your embarrassment over quickly. My question to you: when you helped Sara up from the back bend, how did you feel?"
What the...? No way. I could feel Sara's thigh burning into mine. How is this possible to answer with her so close to me? I can't. All else fails be cryptic, works every time. "Well Catherine," I replied coolly but I was exactly the opposite. "I felt the same way she did."
Sara shifted beside me and a smile played at her lips. Those wonderful lips. "And how did I feel?" She asked curiously.
"Is that your question to me?" I played along.
Her smile widened. "I wouldn't want to waste a turn."
Thank God! I screamed. That went well. Catherine seems pissed but what does she expect the truth? Not going to happen. I looked out at the room for the next victim of Gil Grissom riddles.
"If there is no objections, then I want to go next." Greg said finally.
Hook, line, and sinker. Shouldn't be hard to confuse Greg with a riddle. "What?"
He smiled. It was an evil smile. "Would you ask Sara on a date if you weren't her supervisor?"
Greg = Dead Meat. "That's a hypothetical question Greg." I said while cutting him into tiny pieces with my eyes. I noticed Sara didn't like the sudden shift of attention to her either. She eased away from me and I immediately missed her warmth.
I looked at Greg who had a smile plastered on his face. That little rat planned this. "It's a question still and you have to answer it."
"No." I said flatly.
"Then you have to follow through with my challenge." Greg looked from me to Sara. "Kiss her on the mouth."
Oh my hearing must have just left me. I thought he challenged me to kiss Sara. "Come again?" I replied.
"Kiss Sara on the mouth." He winked at her.
"Don't wink at me like I knew what you were planning. If he kills you, I don't want to be his next victim." She joked.
If I kill him, it's more like when I kill him. I can't kiss her. Not here. Not with everyone one watching. Not so I lose myself in a two second kiss on the lips. She deserves a big romantic kiss, not one that was done as a challenge to a stupid game. "I am not going to kiss Sara." I said finally to discourage Greg from going any further with that. Unintentionally I hurt Sara. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her stiffen. Her light attitude brought on by this game was swept out the door and her eyes became stone.
"I don't want to kiss you either Grissom so don't say it like I would let you."
"Let me?" I scoffed. Dammit! Where did that come from? My stupid mouth spit the words before I gave them any thought and now I had to face the consequences.
She folded her arms across her chest. I am in so much trouble. "That's right. You come near me and you won't know what hit you."
I found myself getting angry and I don't really know why. "It's the challenge Sara. If I chose to do it, I have to."
"Nick passed, so can you." She said.
"What if I want to kiss you?" I said. Shit did I just say that out loud?
"No."
For some reason I felt like I was in the middle of rush hour traffic and the traffic cop was sending out the wrong signals. I thought she wanted this and I was the one holding out. I bit my tongue to keep from yelling out in confusion. "Fine. It's a pass."
"I agree." Sara's tone was serious. "And it's my turn. How many women have you slept with?"
She just blurted it out as if it were part of an everyday conversation. Just breathe Gil. Just breathe. She wants to play that game, well so can you. Fight fire with fire as the saying goes. "Why you weren't one of them?" I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth. I regretted them because I saw her entire being as it crumbled in front of me.
She turned to face me directly. "I just wanted to know how you became so good at breaking someone's heart without blinking."
Hurt. Her words hurt. The room fell away into pieces as I stared into her brown eyes. She was angry, upset, and hurt but she didn't care if anyone saw it. Why did I ever agree to play this stupid game? I messed up bad.
"Well?" She asked.
"I'll take the challenge." I said through clenched teeth.
"I am not surprised. You have to listen to Greg's music of choice for two weeks." She said.
"Hell yes!" Greg yelled. He jumped up and came running to Sara for a big hug, but he caught my bitter glare.
"Hug you later Sara." He said.
"At least someone's not afraid to touch me." She spoke to Greg but was staring at me.
Everyone's eyes found another place to look besides me or Sara. "My office. Now." I was over angry, I was pissed off. I stood up and grabbed her under her arm. "Shift is over." I called to the group as I pulled her out of the room. She resisted my strength then gave up as I drug her down the hallway. Finally we reached my office and I slammed the door behind us. "What the hell is your problem Sara?!"
"My problem? I think you need to look in the mirror Grissom." She spat.
"Then what was all that?!" I pointed to the lounge.
"You tell me." She yelled back. "Greg asked you a legitimate question and you were being a total ass. I didn't even want Greg to ask such a question! You act like it's my fault you're a complete jerk."
"Sara, you were just trying to hurt me like..."
"Like you hurt me." She finished. My office was quiet. "Why is it so hard to answer that question? Frankly I would love to hear the answer!"
"Sara it's not appropriate for me to feel this way about you!" I yelled back letting the words slip. I told her how I felt. It came out as a frustrated shout in anger. Not the way I planned.
It was quiet again. "Say what?"
I sighed. "Sara I can't let myself kiss you. I know if I do, I can't stop." It was out. I can't say I felt better at my admission. I actually felt as if my heart was beating on the outside of my chest, leaving my body to die.
I had my head down but I saw her cross over to me. I felt her right in front of me. I heard her breathing as it came in irregular intervals. She lightly grabbed my chin. Her hand was soft and warm. She lifted my chin. My knees began to weaken. God what is she doing? She can't..
Sara stepped closer to me. My lips tingled as kissed me and my eyes closed as her tongue gained entrance into my mouth. Oh my God she feels so good. She tastes so good. I brought my hands to her hips and pulled her into me but she regained control of the kiss again as she teased my scalp with her fingers. The other hand was busy making my face tingle. I wanted to kiss her back with a passion I didn't know existed. I wanted to take control of this kiss. I didn't want to be on the sidelines. I wanted it to happen. Despite what I said, that I can't let myself kiss her, I needed to kiss her. I pressed my tongue past hers, but she pulled away from me to break the kiss. I opened my eyes to look at her. Does she know what she does to me? "Sara..." I started.
She licked her lips. "Now you know what you're missing." She removed her hand from my face, and like she walked right out the door. I still felt her on my mouth; in my mouth. Her figure still imprinted in my mind. I could never forget that kiss. It would be the death of me if I lost her again. I can't lose her.
"Sara!" I bolted out the door but she was gone. The only one in the hall was Nick. "Where is Sara, Nick?"
"She was crying Grissom. Maybe you should leave her go."
Crying. I have to find her. "Nick were is she? Did she go home?" He regarded me carefully. I knew he cared about Sara, but I had to know. "Please Nick."
"If you hurry she might still be in the parking lot."
I ran out the doors. I haven't run in a long time after a woman; I was not used to the feeling it gave me. My heart pounded in my ears. I couldn't breathe. I was afraid. I was happy. I was...in love and for the first time not confused. I ran down the front steps and scanned the parking lot, until I found her about to get in her car. "Sara!" Her head shot up but she just ignored me and was pulling open the door. I ran over to her. "Sara wait!" I reached her just in time.
"What?!" She yelled near tears.
I forcefully slammed her door shut and took her face in my hands and kissed her. Just like that I kissed her. My hands fell from her face and traveled down her back, to her hips as I pulled her into me. Her hands went to my waist as the surprise left. I pressed her against the car as the kissed deepened. Her inner thigh rubbed the outside of my leg which drove me crazy and made me only want her more. I did not know the concept of space or time. It all fell away as I kissed her tender lips and felt her against me. The kiss was finally broken as we required air.
"Why?" Was all she said in a gush of air.
"Because it was about time I chased you." We smiled and I leaned in to kiss her again. And again. And again. And again. And some more..........................still kissing. Hell I don't have enough time to count the kisses. You get the picture!
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THE END
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