Title: Stalked - Chapter 11 - The End
Disclaimer: I thought I won them on ebay the other day, turns out it was just a horrible replication. oh well. Don't sue me!
Author's Note: First off, I'd like to thank all of you who have taken the time to read this and review. And for all of you who read and didn't review... I thank you as well. Second, I'd really really really like to apologize for taking two friggin months to get this up. It was nobody's fault but my own. I hope there's still a few of you out there who wants to know how this one ends. And lastly, Solomynne - I couln't have done it without you. She's the best beta in the world, she's the one who tells me when I turn Greg into a sniveling little boy-child. lol. Anyways, enjoy! And then review!
Sara woke up the next morning with an unexplainable sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. For some reason she felt worse then she had the entire time she'd been a prisoner. When she sat up and saw Grissom sound asleep in the chair next to her bed, the sinking became nausea and she threw back the thin blanket and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Grasping the nightstand, she stood shakily. As she took the first step, she fought against the urge to gag. Five more steps and she was holding tight to the handle of the bathroom door.
"Sara?" Grissom's voice was groggy.
"Just have to use the bathroom..." She opened the door and flipped on the light. She flinched as the darkness was swallowed up by light. Shutting the door behind her, she took the two tentative steps toward the sink before detouring to the toilet. It wasn't just an urge to throw up anymore, it was a necessity. She dropped to her knees and lifted the lid, the smell of the disinfectant doing nothing to help her roiling stomach.
For a moment everything was a blur as she pulled her hair away from her face and grabbed the rim of the toilet with the other hand. In the next moment the meager meal the hospital had provided was up and out. She coughed against the taste and gagged again. There was nothing more in her stomach to expel but that didn't stop her body from trying anyway. She rested her head against the cool porcelain in an attempt to stop the throbbing in her ears. A sharp knock at the door had her reaching for the flusher.
"Sara? Are you alright?" Grissom's voice reached her through her fog.
"Yeah Gris, I'm fine." She pulled herself back up so she wasn't hunched over the seat. "Or I will be..." The last part being muttered so she knew he wouldn't hear her.
"Are you sick?" The concern in his voice almost made her vomit again.
"Hospital food doesn't agree with me." She gave a dry chuckle and pulled herself to her feet. She knew that he knew it had nothing to do with hospital food.
"Sara..." His voice sounded so close she felt like she could reach out and touch him, yet far away through the thin wood of the door. She was safe on this side.
"I'm going to shower. I'll be alright...you can go." She waited for a response, and when she didn't get one she reached out and turned on the water. Pulling the flimsy hospital gown over her head she groaned as she remembered the stitches in her thigh and the doctor's instructions to keep them dry. She also knew that he had left a plastic bandage in the closet in case she wanted a shower. She reached over to pick up the gown off the floor to go retrieve the bandage.
"Sara?" Grissom was back at the door.
"I said you could go..." That sounded harsher than she'd meant it to.
"You're going to need this..."
She opened the door an inch, hiding her bruised body behind the gown. He had his back partially turned, but was holding the sterile packaging containing the bandage in one hand.
Her stomach dived again. "Thanks..." She snatched it out of his hand and shut the door harder then she'd meant to, resulting in a slam. She closed her eyes and tried to regain control of the spinning sensation in her mind, failing miserably.
Opening the package she covered her stitches and stepped into the shower. She leaned her forehead against the tile warmed by the water; letting the dull spray seep into her wounds, stinging them, soothing them. "What is wrong with me?" She lathered her hair with a bottle of shampoo sitting in the shower. It smelled nothing like hers, which in some small way was the most comforting thing in the world.
Fifteen minutes later she finally felt normal enough to step out of the soothing pound of the water. Wrapping the hospital-issued white towel around herself, she pulled open the door and stepped into the darkness of the hospital room. A quick glance at the clock confirmed that the sun was fully up, but the only light was what was filtering through the tightly drawn blinds.
She opened the closet and pulled out the bag of clothes that Nick had brought her the day before. Opening it, she found a collection of her most comfortable clothing; bra and underwear included. "Thanks Nicky..." She felt her eyes fill with grateful tears and smiled. She was turning into a crybaby.
She slipped into a worn-in T-shirt and her favorite pair of pajama bottoms. Again she sent silent thanks to Nick for knowing that it was ok to spend all day in her lounging clothes - even if she looked like a bum. Sometimes a girl just needed something that was comforting.
Stepping into her shoes, she pulled open the door to the hallway. Her stomach flipped again as she noticed Grissom sitting in a chair just down the hall. She shut the door again and leaned back against it. What was it about him that was making her react like this?
Sucking in a lungful of air she pulled the door open again and stepped into the hallway, almost running directly into Dr. Hewlet.
"Miss Sidle... Good morning. I was just coming to tell you that we're going to spring you." He smiled and held out her release forms. "Just going to need you to come back in ten days to get those stitches removed."
Sara nodded numbly and took the forms from his hands, signing where he pointed.
"Is there someone here to pick you up?" His eyes were almost unbearably kind.
Again she nodded. "Yeah. My uh.. my boss." She pointed down the hall where Grissom still sat.
"Good... Miss Sidle?" His brows were furrowed together in a look of worry.
Another fake smile. "I'm fine."
"I'm sure you are, but..." He reached into his front pocket and pulled out a card. "Shelby Meyers, she's a good friend of mine and a wonderful psychiatrist. I told her you might be calling."
Sara reached out and took the card, slipping it into the pocket of her pants. "Thank you, I might just do that."
If for no other reason but to find out why the sight of Grissom was making her physically ill.
After shaking the doctor's hand she turned away and walked toward Grissom, the butterflys returning in full force to her stomach. By the time she reached his side she could feel a clammy sweat forming across her forehead. "Let's get out of here."
Sara's voice startled Grissom out of his thoughts. "Already?" God he sounded like an ass.
"Yep, they gave me a clean bill of health." She held out the release forms as proof. She swallowed back any further comment as his eyes bore into hers.
"Really Grissom. I'm ok." She was so tired of telling people that.
"Did you tell them you were throwing up?"
A half chuckle escaped her and she shook her head. "No."
"Sara, you need to tell them... you could have been poisoned or..."
"I don't think it's a physical problem Griss." She rolled her eyes before meeting his again.
That stopped him in mid-sentence and his gaze softened on her own. Giving in with silent confirmation, he stood. "Now what?"
"Now what?" She echoed. "What do you mean?"
"I can take you home or I can take you to the station... they want to get your statement as soon as they can - but they can wait if you wa..."
"I want to get it over with." The words sounded cold, even to her ears.
Grissom nodded, turned away from her and walked away down the hall, leaving her standing there alone. Sucking in a deep breath, like a swimmer about to jump, she started after him.
The ride to the police station was a ten on the uncomfortable scale. Most of the ride was silent, and not the comfortable silence that Sara was used to sharing with this particular man. This was the horrid quiet that everyone feared, the kind that had you scrambling in your mind for something to say. Anything to say. But everything that makes it past your mind's filters can't make it past the tip of your tongue. Sentences get over thought and nothing gets said.
Sara found herself picking at the fabric on the door, studying her fingernails, and staring aimlessly out the window. Buildings she wouldn't remember passing if someone asked, flying by. Her mind racing trying to think of that one perfect sentence that would break the painful silence pressing at her.
Nothing sounded right, how could she just say - 'So how have you been while I was being held captive?' or 'So, I'm sorry I got you involved in this, my stupid heart...I should learn not to wear it on my sleeve.'
Six blocks passed, then ten. She rolled her eyes back into her head and closed her lids, blowing air through pursed lips. Why was this so hard? Opening her eyes she glanced over at him, his eyes focused on the road, his hands gripping the wheel so tight his knuckles were white. It was a relief, knowing this was as hard on him as it was on her. She shifted her gaze back out the window.
"It was my choice." Grissom's voice shattered the silence.
She watched her reflection on the glass frown before she spoke. "What was?"
"If I hadn't wanted to be there, in that shack... I wouldn't have been. It's not your fault." He didn't take his eyes off the road.
"I never said it was."
"You didn't have to."
Before she could deny it, she realized it was true. Too true. "You could have died."
"I thought you had died." His tone was different now, but that was the only sign how hard those words had been to say. "And I..." The words trailed off.
"I'm sorry." She was shocked to discover tears in the eyes of her reflection.
"For what Sara? It wasn't your fault... you were strong, you got out."
"No Grissom, I wasn't strong. And you got me out. I would lie there praying that someone would find me, that someone would rescue me. I never thought of how I could help myself. I just survived, you did all the hard work."
With that he pulled the car into a crowded parking lot. When he shut off the engine she finally turned her head to face him. She found him facing her but staring at a spot directly above her head. "Sara..." She watched as his tongue snaked out and wet his lips. "I'm the one who sent you home. I'm the one who told you to leave. Instead of telling you how much I wanted you to stay, I sent you away." His head dropped and she knew the guilt behind that sentence wasn't a new one.
"But I chose to leave." She swallowed hard and moved her hand so it covered his. "Instead of telling you how much I wanted to stay. We both know how stubborn I am, if I had chose not to go that morning, nothing you could have said would have gotten me out of that door." She lifted his chin with the other hand and forced him to meet her eyes. "It's not your fault either."
"Then why...this morning...you wouldn't look at me."
She smiled. "That was my guilt, not yours making me sick. If you had gotten killed trying to help me... I wouldn't have survived."
"If you had gotten killed and I hadn't tried to help, I wouldn't have survived either."
"Then we're even." She ran her thumb over his jaw. "We're even."
"Sara, I wanted to tell you..." His words were cut off as his phone chirped.
"And when the time is right, you will." She moved so she was facing out the windshield again. "You better get that."
He was still staring at her as he flipped the phone open. "Grissom. Yeah. No, we're on our way." He finally turned away from her. "She wants to get it over with... we'll be there in about five minutes. Ok." He shut the phone and reached for the ignition. "They're waiting on us."
She was seated next to Grissom, across from a detective she'd only met once or twice before; her hands gripping tight to the paper cup of coffee they'd given her. It was surprising her how easy it was to answer the questions, one after another about what Nity had done to her, where he'd taken her, and the things he'd told her about the night he'd killed his girlfriend. The answers just rolled off her tongue, like she was detached from the whole thing. Putting no emotion into it, she relayed how he'd come to her bedside at night and tell her the way he'd gripped Natasha's neck until she stopped struggling. She told how he'd bring her meals and how they'd never contained meat - how it always surprised her that he thought about those things; how he had brought her all the comforts from her own home, the soap, the clothes, the CDs, the towels. She didn't allow herself to remember her own weakness as she talked about the night he'd beat her into unconsciousness. Nothing quite seemed real, none of the questions quite felt personal, and all of the answers felt like she was retelling someone else's story.
After two solid hours the detective finally stopped. "Miss Sidle... these next questions are going to be a little personal. If you want Dr. Grissom to stay that's fine. However..."
Sara didn't give him a chance to finish. "I need him here."
"Ok. That's fine. We'll continue then." And he did.
This time around it was harder to remain detached as she was questioned about Nity's intentions, about how she wasn't just his prisoner - she was Natasha's replacement. As she told how he'd touch her throughout the day, and as she spoke about the fear that he was going to finally tire of just touching.
When she squeezed her eyes shut before answering, "No. He didn't rape me." She felt Grissom's hand cover her own. When she struggled through the story of the first time he'd tried, he gave her strength she didn't know she needed through the gentle pressure of his hand as he held hers tightly.
When the detective was finally finished and excused himself from the table, she expected Grissom to let go of her. Instead his grip grew stronger and his thumb moved in a calming pattern over the top of her hand. When she stood, he stood, never letting go of her. "Take me home."
Without saying a word he took his hand from hers and placed it at the small of her back guiding her from the room.
When Grissom pulled up infront of her apartment Sara turned her head to thank him, to excuse him, and found that he had opened his door and was getting out.
"You don't have to follow me in. I'll be ok." She smiled gently at him.
He sat back in the seat and pulled the door closed. "I know." Fishing into his pockets, he pulled out a set of keys. "You're going to want these, new
locks on all your windows and your front door. Courtesy of the city of Las Vegas."
She reached out and took them. "Thanks... I mean not just for the keys. For...everything." She opened her door and stepped out.
"Sara. You're welcome."
Slamming the car door, she turned away from Grissom and started up the sidewalk to the building, trying unsuccessfully to forget all the times she walked up the same sidewalk thinking she was safe, not knowing the danger that lurked inside her own home. Her breath caught as she pulled open the door and she realized that even with the danger gone, absolutely nothing had changed.
The bike belonging to the guy in the apartment above hers was still resting beside the mailboxes, the hallway still smelled of Ms. Olman's homemade potpourri, and the exit light over the doorway was still flickering. As she climbed the stairs to her door, her heart rate increased - she was hoping everything really was the same, and at the same time dreading that it would be. She stopped just outside her door and listened to the sounds of Mr. Sprendo's records playing; he said nothing beat music the way it was meant to be played; pops, clicks, and white noise. For a split second she thought about knocking on his door and telling him that he was right, no sound had ever been sweeter.
Instead she turned to face her own door and raised the key to the lock before she froze. Remnants of the sticker they'd used to seal her door still remained. Instead of just unlocking the door and pushing her way inside, she ran her fingers over the small trace of yellow.
She didn't know how long she'd been standing there staring at the door when she sensed rather than heard a presence in the hallway behind her. "It's harder than I thought it would be." She turned to face Grissom, who was standing not five feet from her. "You should feel safe at home. You know?" She turned back toward the door.
And then he was beside her. "I'm sorry." He stepped into her line of vision. "I'm so sorry." His voice sounded angry.
Without more than a thought she stepped into him and wrapped her arms around his waist, relieved when she felt the pressure of his arms around her. "This isn't home anymore." Her voice was muffled against his chest. "Where is home?"
"We'll find it. I promise." He pulled her away from him and his eyes shone with intensity. "We'll get you a hotel room... or something. Tomorrow we'll find you somewhere to go." He smiled. "Is there anything in here you need?"
"No. I'm not sure I want any of it anymore. It's all been...violated." She had to laugh at her choice of words. "I mean he touched everything, went through everything. Nothing in there is private or personal anymore. Not one thing in those walls is just mine." She hated the way just saying the words made her heart break. "God Grissom. It was MINE. It was my LIFE. Why'd he have to take my life?"
"He didn't. Honey, you're still you, you're still here." He pulled her back into his embrace.
She leaned against him. "Let's go. I don't want to be here anymore."
Sara climbed back into the Denali and sighed as she buckled her seatbelt. "Can we go to the lab?"
"The lab? Are you sure you're ready for everyone?"
"More than ready. They're family - the lab is home." She gave him a smile. "It's a safe place. He never touched me there. After that we'll find me a hotel."
"You know Sara..." He glanced over at her. "I have an extra bedroom. It's not much, just enough to keep my mother happy when she visits - but it's yours if you want it, for as long as you need it."
"You mean Mr. Private is going to share his space?" She teased before growing more serious. "I'd really like that."
"Then you'll stay with me." He couldn't hide his smile. "I promise Sara, it's a safe place too."
"I think anywhere with you is going to feel safe." She turned her head away and looked out the window.
"You want to go shopping? Get some clothes? Or...whatever?" He asked as he started the engine.
"Yeah, but lets go to the lab first ok?"
"You got it."
"Sara!" Greg's voice echoed down the hallway, dashing all hopes of making a quiet return.
"Greg," She yelled back. "Indoor voice!"
"Sara!" Closer now, and his voice was just above a whisper. ""I didn't expect to see you here so soon."
"I missed this place... I missed the people." She looked around at the growing welcoming party surrounding her. "My friends." Hands were shaken of those that didn't know her so well, hugs were shared with those that she'd formed even the smallest bond with.
She laughed outloud when Hodges pushed his way to the front and buried his face in her shoulder. "I knew you'd come back."
"Yes Hodges, I even missed you." She chuckled as she returned the man's hug as he sobbed against her. "I just didn't know you'd miss me this much." He tightened his grip. "Whoa David, a girl has to breathe you know."
He let go and swiped at his eyes. "Glad you're back." He straightened his jacket and stepped away, trying to regain himself. "Ahem, back to work, all of us." He looked around pointedly at the rest of the lab technicians around her.
One by one they walked away leaving her standing there with a bewildered looking Grissom and a smiling Greg.
"I was supposed to get the first hug." Greg opened his arms in invitation.
"Well, you shouldn't have announced to the whole building that I was here." She stepped forward and into his embrace
He sighed loudly as she wrapped her arms around him and gave him the real hug she'd wanted to give him since last night in the hospital. "I never thanked you for saving me."
"Ah girl, I didn't do anything." He pulled away with a blush on his cheeks.
"Sure you did. Didn't he Gris?" She turned to face him.
"Couldn't have done it without him." He smiled. "Wouldn't have wanted to have had to."
"Well jeez... Hey, does this mean I get a raise?"
Grissom rolled his eyes. "We'll talk about that later. Right now I think Sara wants to see the rest of the gang - are they in the building?"
"Yep, Nick and Warrick are in the garage and Catherine is, uh, you know...I'm not sure where she is." He grinned. "But I'll go find her." He turned and without another word took off in the opposite direction.
"He's got way too much energy. You really need to start limiting the amount of caffeine he has in one day." She turned back to face Grissom.
"He's just excited that you're back. Even tired old me feels like running down the halls yelling that you're ok." He blushed. "Let's go find Nick and Warrick."
She smiled. "M'kay." Turning away from him, she started down the hall.
"Hey Warrick." She walked up to the set of feet protruding from underneath a beautiful plum-colored a sports car. She winced as the legs jerked and the unmistakable sound of skull meeting metal filled her ears. "Sorry!"
He scooted himself out and laughed. "It'll heal." He rubbed a hand over his forehead. "Probably."
"Baby." She held out a hand and helped him to his feet.
"I'd hug you, but I don't want to get that pretty T-shirt all greasy." He raised an eyebrow at her clothes.
"Ah, so I'm the lab's latest fashion victim. Bite me." She shook her head.
"I'm not filthy yet, can I get that hug?" Nick walked around the side of the car with an ear to ear grin on his face.
"Of course Nicky." She pulled him close, reveling in the feel of his chin resting on top of her head.
Warrick snorted. "You two are so cute. Like my little uh, white, brother and sister. Don't change that ok?" He smiled and pushed Nick away, pulling Sara close. "I've missed you little sister."
"Well, bro, you've ruined my favorite shirt." She laughed against cloth that reeked of oil.
"I'll buy you a new one."
"You bet you will."
Grissom cleared his throat from his spot in the doorway. "Greg found Catherine. Apparently she's hanging out in my office."
Warrick chuckled. "I could have told you that. You better hurry and stop her boss man, she's trying to put a little organization back into your life."
"What?"
"She's cleaning your desk."
"Great." He turned around and started out the door. "She doesn't know what's important."
Sara laughed. "I better go with him. They might need a referee."
Both the guys smiled. "Nah, they've stopped their verbal wars since..." Nick stopped.
"Since I was taken. Glad to know something good came of it." She put her hand on his arm. "And it's ok to say it. I'd prefer that to everyone pretending nothing's changed. Ok?"
"Anything you want." He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Welcome home."
Sara walked into Grissom's office to hear his voice hit the whiniest note she'd ever heard, and never expected to hear, come out of his mouth. "But I neeeeed that."
"Gil, I'm tired of playing the part of your babysitter. You do not NEED two copies of the same article about some butterfly that you already know everything about." She sighed loudly.
"I have two copies?" Grissom cocked his head.
"I filed one. And this one," She crumpled it up, "is going in the trash."
Sara almost expected him to stomp his feet in objection. Instead he just waved his hand and gave in. "Fine. But everything else stays. I can clean my own desk you know. That's not really in your job description."
"If I don't do it, it'll never get done Grissom, we both know that. I just didn't expect you to come back so soon. I thought for sure you and Sara would be..."
"Hi Catherine, still talking about me like I'm not here?" Sara interrupted her with a smile.
"Sara! I didn't hear you come in." She glanced at Grissom. "How are you feeling? Everything basically maintaining status quo? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at home resting?" Apparently Catherine babbled when she was nervous.
Sara nodded. "Everything's normal. I wanted to come see everyone, and yes, that's the plan - resting I mean." Sara shook her head, confused as to what question she was supposed to be answering next.
"Good. Glad to hear it." Catherine interrupted without waiting for Sara to finish. She shuffled her feet and looked toward Grissom. "You gonna take this woman home now so she can get some rest? And I can get this desk cleared before the year ends?"
"Cath..." His voice held a tint of warning.
"I know, I know, I'm not your mother and I'm not your boss. We've had this conversation." She dropped the stack of papers back on the desk. "Your mess, your problem when you can't find anything. I got it." She stepped out from behind the desk and walked up to Sara. "It's good to see you, but really, make him take you home - "She leaned over and whispered, "He really missed you. More than I think even he knows."
Sara felt her ears burning but looked over to find that Grissom wasn't even looking at them, instead he was resorting the papers into two indistinguishable piles. "I know." Catherine brushed past her out the door, reaching out to squeeze her arm.
"Griss? Catherine's right. I think it's time to go."
He looked up and nodded. "Ok, let's go."
Grissom slid into the drivers seat and watched as Sara leaned her head back against the headrest. "You have any shopping preferences?" He started the engine.
"Uh...cheap?" She turned her head and smiled. "And fast."
"So the mall is out?" A small smile tugged on his lips as he backed out of the parking spot and drove out of the lot.
Sara visibly shivered. "Don't even kid."
"I'm not sure anything in this town is cheap or fast - well besides the obvious." He smirked. "And that's not always cheap."
"And the buffets - don't forget the buffets." Sara laughed. "They're cheap, and fast too - as long as you don't get there during the early bird hour."
"Ok - so where then?" His smile hadn't disappeared.
Sara thought about it for a minute. "Walmart?"
Grissom raised an eyebrow. "Walmart? Really?"
"What? It's a supercenter. You can fill up your gas tank, pick up your prescription, buy everything you need for a gormet meal, and get the perfect outfit - all in one stop." She giggled. "Walmart."
"I'm not saying it's a bad place - I just never figured you for the Walmart type."
"There's a Walmart type?"
"Mothers, college students..."
"You shop at Walmart! Don't you!"
"Now, I never said that." He raised an eyebrow.
"If you shop there, why does it surprise you that I do?" Sara laughed, not believing his denial for a second.
"You always come across more as a name brand mall type." He flipped on his turn signal, manuvering into traffic.
"Walmart is a name brand." She sat up straighter and covered her mouth as he shot her a look that almost had her giggling like a teenager. "Well, it is." Something about this whole moment had her feeling awkwardly giddy.
The arguement didn't stop until Grissom threatened to take her to the Boulevard mall, one of the biggest in Vegas. "And I'll leave you there!" The laugh that followed his statement contradicted his threat.
Sara laughed as he pulled into a parking space in front of the Supercenter. "This shouldn't take long."
"I'm coming in." He was still chuckling, it had been a long time since he'd laughed like that.
"Need new shoes or something?"
She laughed again as he nodded solomnly - come to think of it, it had been a long time since he'd heard her laugh like that.
Sara was right, the whole Walmart shopping experience didn't take more then an hour, but Grissom was glad when they were finally next in line at the register. Sara's cart was almost full and she looked tired. "You ok?"
"Apparently I haven't aquired a taste for shopping in the last two weeks." She smiled. "Still the only thing that can wear me out."
"Aren't women supposed to be born shoppers?" He lifted items onto the conveyer.
"Only women with money - or women who think they have money."
"Ahhh." He moved in front of the cart to pay.
"Grissom, you are not buying my clothes. Or my..." She waved her hand toward a box of tampons.
"Incase you didn't realize it Sara, you've been out of work for two weeks. And savings or no savings, all your accounts are currently frozen." He watched as the total rose. "But I am glad that you chose discount central..."
"Well, uh..." Sara rolled her eyes. "You could have mentioned that before bringing me here."
"You would have felt obligated to go into your apartment. And I wasn't willing to make you go through that until you're ready. Ok?"
She took a deep breath and gave in. "Fine. But I'm paying you back."
"We'll see." He eyed the final amount and raised his eyebrows. "Not bad."
"Gris..." Her voice held warning.
"Ok ok - and I'll even make you pay interest if you like." He swiped his credit card.
"Thank you." She grabbed at a few bags and put them in the cart. "I want the reciept."
After scrawling his name across the bottom, he handed his copy to Sara. "Happy?"
"Thrilled." She cocked her head and smiled.
"Are we ready to go now? Or is there anything else you need?" His voice still held more then a tint of humor.
"I'm ready to get out of here."
"Good because I think my credit card hit it's limit."
"Grissom!"
"I'm joking...this card doesn't have a limit..." He side stepped to prevent being run down by the cart as Sara took aim at his ankles.
As they pulled up outside Grissom's townhouse he grew quiet. The ride home had been a lot tamer then the Walmart experience, he'd talked about recent cases and how the rest of the team had been, but he'd yet to touch on the subject of himself, or whatever lines they were crossing as he unloaded bags from the back of the vehicle.
The giddiness that had had Sara feeling strangly happy had all but evaporated. This wasn't just jumping in, this was diving into shallow water with your eyes closed.
"Are you sure it's ok for me to stay? I don't want to put you out... or... I don't want you to think that I'm not going to be ok somewhere else." She picked up the last bag.
"No Sara, I meant what I said. I want you to stay." He reached up and slammed the hatch. "I wouldn't have offered if I didn't mean it."
"Ok." An unexpected surge of relief filled her belly.
He led her up to the front door and held it open. "Your room is down the hall to the left. Bathroom is directly across the hall..." He tried to think of anything else he needed to tell her. "Make yourself at home... " He winced at his choice of words. "I mean...I don't mean to imply.."
"I know." Sara stepped past him and let her eyes take in Grissom's sanctuary. She heard him sigh behind her and he shut the door and flipped on a light.
He carried the bags down the hall and Sara fought the urge to investigate his home. Instead she just followed him as he disappeared into a room.
"Wow Grissom... I thought you said it was just enough to keep your mom happy..." She looked around in amazement at the beautiful decor.
He chuckled. "Mom's awfully picky."
"I'm getting that impression." She stepped further into the room.
Grissom set the bags down on the bed and moved toward the door. "I'll let you get settled." He stepped out the door. "Are you hungry? I don't have much in the way of - well much. But I can order out."
"Relax Grissom." She smiled at him. "If this is going to work, you've got to remember what you said. I'm still me. And this wouldn't have been this difficult before..." She laughed. "I told Nicky it was ok to say it. Now I can't seem to do it myself. Anyway, We used to be friends. I just want that back. Ok?"
"So Chinese? Pizza? Mexican?" He raised an eyebrow, quickly changing the subject.
"Honestly? I was thinking something like Mac and Cheese. Or grilled cheese sandwiches." She smiled. "Scrambled eggs... Pancakes."
Again his eyebrow raised. "That's doable... but Sara really - Mac and Cheese?"
"Ok so maybe not so much. But pancakes for sure." He shook his head as he walked away down the hallway, leaving Sara alone.
She took that moment to really look around. She'd gotten the impression she had embarrassed him earlier by praising the room, but it really was wonderful. A solid oak dresser stood in the corner with matching nightstands on either side of the bed. And, speaking of the bed, it was a masterpiece all on it's own. It had a smooth mahogany frame and it was high enough that she'd almost have to climb up onto it. It was covered in a deep red comforter that matched nicely with the chocolate colors of the walls.
Pulling the bags off the bed and dropping them onto the floor, she sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned back. "Pillow top. Boy, you got one lucky mother." She kicked off her shoes and socks before pulling her legs up onto the bed. She rolled over onto her stomach, pressing her face into the fresh smelling fabric. "And it even smells clean."
With a groan she pulled herself back up into a seated position at the edge of the bed, reached down and picked up a bag. One thing at a time she unpacked, carefully placing items into drawers and hanging them in the closet.
When everything was put away she smiled, surveying her work. Finally she grabbed a brush off the dresser and went in search of the bathroom. Finding it was as easy as she'd expected - the doorway directly across from her room.
She pushed the door open and stepped inside. Again, it was beautiful. Baby blue walls were deepened by the marble of the countertops and the ash colored tile on the floor. She wouldn't really have expected this had she not already seen the guest room.
Closing the door behind her she thumbed the lock and pulled back the shower curtain. The most inviting bathtub she'd ever seen greeted her and she grinned, who would have thought Grissom was a bath man?
Quickly running the brush through her hair, she pulled it back into a ponytail, splashed some water over her face, and exited the bathroom.
"Grissom?" She started off down the hall.
"In the kitchen." He voice floated back.
She was greeted again by an unexpected sight as she entered, coming up behind him. "You're cooking."
"Yeah, it's a little something that one needs to do when living alone."
"Just a sight I never thought I'd get the chance to see." She leaned on the counter beside him.
He glanced over at her. "And you standing fresh faced and barefoot in my kitchen isn't one I thought I'd ever get to see either." She saw the blush raise on his cheeks before he could turn his attention back to the eggs on the stove.
"You decided on scrambled eggs huh?" She stepped back. "And here I was rooting for pancakes."
Without a word he pointed to the electric griddle warming on the counter at his other side. "How about both?"
"That works." She moved to stand infront of the griddle, noticing the bowl of batter next to it. "Need some help? I'm handy with a... flipper thingy." She smiled as she picked it up.
"Go ahead, these are almost finished." He looked over at her again. "Flipper thingy?"
"I lived with a foster family when I was 11 - they always called it a flipper thingy. I guess it just stuck." She used the measuring cup next to the bowl to pour the batter onto the griddle, inhaling deeply as the smell of cooking pancake instantly filled the air in front of her.
"And were forks 'poker thingys'?" His voice held humor.
"Nah, they were attack weapons." She grinned. "All the other kids there were boys. Everything was a weapon."
"That explains a lot." He laughed as she wacked him with the 'flipper thingy'. "And that just proves my point."
"Ok, so we've finished eating and.." she dried the last plate and returned it to the cupboard. "Done the dishes."
"I've got some work I need to finish, if you want to go lie down or..." He shrugged. "...you know, whatever."
She wandered into the living room and curled up onto the couch. "You have to work tonight?"
"No." He sat down beside her. "Tonight I'm all yours."
"Only in my favorite fantasies." She blushed.
"Sara... " He turned so he was facing her. "You know earlier when I said that there was something I wanted to tell you?"
"Yeah."
"I think it's about time I did." He was picking at his thumbnail in a nervous gesture. "I just don't want to mess it up - I can't go through that again."
"Go through what?" She frowned.
"Losing you." His eyes shot to hers.
"You won't."
"I don't know why I didn't say this a long time ago. Well, no. I do know why, there were reasons, there were excuses..." He looked back down at his hands. "But then you were gone, and all those reasons just didn't matter anymore. Only you mattered - getting you back mattered. So that I would have the time - the chance - to tell you."
She reached out into his line of vision and took his hand in hers. "I already know. I think I always did." She dipped her head to try to catch his eyes. "And I made a promise to myself. If I ever saw you again, I would stop dancing around it. I would come here to this very moment, and I would let it all out. Consequences be damned. Because everytime I felt you watching me, everytime you wouldn't meet my eyes... I knew."
"I didn't know how much you mattered Sara. I took you for granted every single day. It was selfish and it was stupid, to think that only I mattered. That only my career counted. To think that if I just didn't act on these... if I just didn't do anything that nobody would get hurt. Not me, not you, not anyone." He covered their hands with his other. "But I was wrong. I hurt. You hurt." He took a deep breath. "I don't want us to hurt anymore, I want you to know I love you."
With that she leaned up and kissed his cheek.
He turned his head so his breath mingled with hers and he looked her directly in the eyes. "If you can give me one more chance... I can change... neither of us has to hurt anymore."
"What if I told you that I never gave up, and that I never wanted you to change?" She touched her nose to his.
"I gave up Sara. Not on you, but on myself. I Decided I was too self centered and arrogant to be good for anyone." One centimeter closer.
"You're perfect for me." With that she closed the distance, pressing her lips to his. "We're perfect together - I like you the way you are."
"Sara..." Her name had never sounded so right.
"I love you too Grissom. Even with your flaws." She kissed him again. "I think I loved you from moment one. Even when I was with someone else - it was you I wished were beside me."
"I'm here now." He cupped her chin in his hands. "And I don't plan on going anywhere."
She smiled and pulled herself closer to him, resting her head against his chest. "Then this..." She tilted her head up to look up at him. "This is my home."
"Our home Sara." His arms settled around her. "Our home."
The End.
Final Author's Note: It's been a fantastic ride - and I can't wait to get started on my next. Thank you all for coming along with me and for poking and prodding when it was taking me forever to get things done. I hope you enjoyed Stalked and I hope you'll review and let me know! Thanks a million!