Working Title: GSR at NCIS

GSR at NCIS. Sequel To The Abduction (Also a NCIS CSI crossover). Posted under CSI. You should read that first. This one takes place in the NCIS world, so I''m posting it here.

A/N: written before the season premier of CSI (Dead Doll). So I'm probably going to ignore what actually happens.

Note on the A/N: Hey look I got the first part posted before the premiere. And unless Sara ends up alive, I'm going to just pretend the premiere never happened- ever. Long Live Sara.

The Return

Abby's Lab

NCIS

"Grissom." Answered a bored sounding voice on the other end of the line.

"Grissom, it's Abby."

"Abby." Grissom smiled at the sound of Abby's husky voice, "How are you?"

"I'm good but I've got a tough case. I could use your help if you've got a minute to talk."

"It's a slow night." He answered, "Go ahead." Abby got right to the point for once.

"Ducky and I are having a hard time establishing a time of death. If I send you photos, do you think you could help us."

"Maybe." Answered Grissom, jumping up and going to his computer, "But I'm going to need more than just photos to conclusively establish a correct time of death." Abby took notes as Grissom rattled off a list of samples, both live and dead that he would need.

"I'll e-mail you the photos and send hard copies with the samples." Abby said, "I can't thank you enough."

"You don't have too." Grissom said.

"Tell Sara I said hi."

"Will do." Abby hung up the phone and got to work right away, packing up samples and e-mailing photos, along with the case file.

The Next Day

Office of Dr. Barbara Rothschild MD

Sara went to Therapy twice a week, every week. Her session on Monday was solo. Her session on Thursday was with Grissom. She had initially baulked at the idea of couple's therapy. They had both been resistant at first but after the first month, even Grissom had too admit that it was helping them to reconnect with each other and get over the anxiety they both had... since the incident- sine the abduction- since she came home... Sara never knew what to call it.

As if they had been great at personal relationships before the miniature killer.

"Sara?" Dr. Rothschild asked gently, "Can you tell me what you're thinking about?"

"Just narrating my own life, as usual." She smiled, nervously and looked at Grissom.

"Grissom was just telling me that..." She looked at her notes, "Conrad Eckle has been pressuring you to get back into the field."

"And I was saying that he was an ass." Grissom said

"He is an ass." Sara agreed nodding, "But part of me feels like he's right. I'm mean, they can't keep me on as a level three CSI if I'm not in the field. After Nick..." Sara swallowed and grabbed Grissom's waiting hand before continuing, "He was back in under month, Greg couldn't wait to get back in the field. I don't know what's wrong with me." Sara began to cry. Grissom put his arm around her and held her close.

"There is nothing wrong with you Sara." said Gibbs firmly.

"Grissom is right Sara." She handed Sara a box of tissues, "Everyone recovers at their own pace. You're are working through this and I promise you there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I would like to make a suggestion." She paused, making sure that Sara was alright, before continuing, "Many people in your line of work take sabbatical in order to avoid burnout."

"That's true." Said Sara, wryly, looking at Grissom.

"You were approaching burn-out before this happened. I've looked at your work records, you've taken almost no time off since coming to Las Vegas. Take some time away, maybe teach for a semester. Give yourself a chance to miss it."

"You think that Sara should take a sabbatical?" said Grissom, both agreeing and worried that she would take the advise and leave him.

"I think that you should both take a sabbatical. She clarified, "Together."

Director Shepard's Office.

NCIS

One Week Later

"Jethro." Jenny looked at him over her reading glasses.

"You beckoned for me, Director?" He sat down.

"I heard Gilbert Grissom is consulting on the case."

"He solved it." Gibbs said, "Narrowed down the suspect list to one guy who broke fifteen minutes into Tony's interrogation."

"You don't think he would consider a change of venue?" said Jenny "We could use someone with his expertise at NCIS."

"He turned the las Vegas crime lab into one of the best in the country, I doubt he would leave..." Gibbs answered honestly.

"Can't hurt to ask." She look at Gibbs, attempting to gage his reactions, "If it's ok with you that is."

"Would my objection really stop you from making the choice you want to make?"

"Never hurts to let you're opinions known."

'Oh I think we both know that's not true, Jenny." answered Gibbs, leaving the room, closing the door one the way out.

Gilbert Grissom's Office.

Las Vegas Crime Lab.

Grissom sat at his desk and filled out the paper work for the case he consulted on with NCIS. He was getting ready to ship the samples back to NCIS, the case had been relievedly simple and the suspect had already confessed.

He was trying to hurry so he could get home to Sara. She had officially moved in and though they had been practically living together for over a year, Grissom loved knowing that Sara's name was next to his on his mail box. It was a small thing but he couldn't help smiling when he thought about it.

Sara had changed since her abduction and subsequent rescue. Insensitive therapy had helped but not totally eased her newfound fear of the open desert. She was fearful in a way that Grissom had never seen. It had taken both Grissom and Sara weeks before either was willing to return to work.

Eckle's promised, "long talk" consisted of a letter of reprimand in the personnel files and Sara being, "benched." Meaning she was to stay in the lab exclusively until Eckle decided she was fit to return to the field.

To everyone's surprise, Sara didn't fight the order to stay in the lab. She seemed to relish it. Spending time on her own experiments, in addition to the ones she did for cases. Eventually she compiled enough data to write two papers on physics in forensics. The first had already been published and the second was currently being proofread by Abby Sciuto before she submitted in to an academic journal.

Eckle had been dropping hints for months that he wanted Sara back in the field The week before he officially told her that she could go back into the field, Grissom had watched Sara's face during that interaction. He saw the fear in her eyes at the idea of returning to the field and he knew she wasn't ready.

The phone on his desk rang loudly, interrupting his thoughts.

"Grissom." He answered

"Dr. Grissom, please hold for the director of NCIS." said a soothing voice on the other end of the line.

"Alright." He was only on hold for a moment and the director picked up the other line.

"Dr. Grissom!" She said enthusiastically

"Director."

"You really helped us out on the Pearson case. I don't know how to thank you."

"After all of NCIS's help during...well" Grissom paused, "It was the least I could do.

"I'm just went over your report with Abby and Ducky and I must say, I'm impressed. That doesn't happen very often. I don't suppose I could talk you into leaving

"I'm flattered, Director Shepherd."

"Please call me Jenny." She said, "I wasn't necessarily thinking about anything permanent. Both Abby and Ducky seemed to think that even a month or two under your guidance would be beneficial."

"I've have been thinking about taking some time away from the desert." he mused, "There are people I have to talk to before I give you any sort of answer."

"Why don't I outline what I have in mind and you let me know what you think." Jenny practically purred into the phone.

Sara and Grissom's townhouse.

Nevada

Later that Same Night.

Grissom watched as Sara paced nervously, holding her cell phone.

"You just e-mailed it to her yesterday." Grissom said, "She's probably not finished reading it."

"Abby is a fast reader." Sara said walking into the kitchen. "Looks good."

"So do you, my love." Said Grissom, taking a moment to kiss her, something he did more often now. Her phone rang, interrupting their kiss. "Just in time to not burn the sauce." Said Grissom, taking the pot off the burner while Sara answered the phone.

"What do you think?" Sara asked. Grissom smiled. Sara's conversations with Abby always seemed to start in the middle of a thought. Sara looked worried and than smiled. Grissom could hear Abby on the other end of the line, talking enthusiastically about the paper Sara had written.

Grissom smiled, knowing that Abby was right. Sara's new research was exciting and innovative. It was also decidedly, unlike the gun-toting, boot wearing tough CSI that Sara had evolved into over the years. Her therapist had suggested a break and maybe she was right. It was a good idea for both of them. Being around death had become harder since the abduction- since the rescue he reminded himself. Being in the field without Sara was alien and lonely.

The directors offer was intriguing. She wanted Grissom to come in and help her agents brush up on their forensics skills. He was informed that access to Abby's lab was up to Abby but she was sure that they could find something to suit him. She already had her assistant working on where he and Sara could be housed if he chose to take her up on her offer. He could start whenever he wanted. And bringing Bruno would be no problem. It was overwhelming, to say the least and he wasn't sure how to present the idea to Sara. Was leaving really the best thing?

He heard Sara laughing and smiled at the now unusual sound of Sara happy and carefree. The conversation had obviously moved away from Sara's paper and onto Abby's new tattoo. Sara finished up the conversation and ran to Grissom.

"She loves it." Sara kissed Grissom, her eyes shining.

"She knows a good thing when she sees it." Grissom kissed Sara again, holding her, close to him.

"So do I." Sara looked at him, her expression serious, "I'm getting better, Griss.

"I know, honey." he hugged her tightly. "I was thinking about what the therapist's said and maybe she's right."

"About what?" Sara asked

"Maybe you and I getting out of Vegas for a little while isn't a terrible idea."

"I have a lot of vacation time built up."

"I had an interesting conversation with the director of NCIS today." he sat Sara down and outlining the directors offer.

Sara Sidle's Apartment

Later that Week

Sara stared at an invitation to teach a class on physics in forensics. It was a guest teaching position lasting for a semester. When Grissom had suggested applying short term teaching positions, Sara had done so without thinking anyone would want her to teach anything. To her surprise the offers came pouring in. The offer from Georgetown was the clear standout. Even if the offer hadn't been from her favorite professor from graduate school, and the current head of the department, it would still have been almost two good to be true. She had to teach one, 90 minute class, three times a week. Leaving her plenty of time to work on her own experiments and more importantly, plenty of time with Grissom.

Sara had to admit, reading over the letter from the dean of students, that immersing herself back in physics might be just the thing.

NCIS

Abby's Lab

The Next Day

"Did you hear Gibbs?!" Abby hugged Gibbs excitedly and reached for her Caf!Pow.

"Did I hear what?"

"Sara is taking a sabbatical from the Las Vegas Crime lab. She's going to teach a class at Georgetown. I might actually audit the class. It's sounds interesting and it would fulfill my continuing education requirement."

"Abby." Gibbs interrupted her, "How did this happen?

"Well Sara and Grissom's couple's therapist suggested that they take a sabbatical together."

"Wait a second." Gibbs said, smirking, "They're in couples therapy?"

"I shouldn't have told you that." Abby said, mortified, "Sara's got to know that I'm going to tell you... I'm mean, you're my very best friend in the whole wide world..."

"Abby if I promise to not tell anyone you told me, no matter how much I may want to taunt Grissom with it later, will you finish the story?"

"Fine. They decided to take a sabbatical together. The director offered Grissom a job and..."

"I figured she might do that." he said wearily.

"Well you didn't tell me." She pushed him playfully and he pulled her pigtail, "We are going to get to learn all about bugs for three months." She bounced around her lab excitedly, drinking her Caf!Pow while Gibbs went to elevator to be alone. His worlds were colliding. He hated it when that happened.

Las Vegas Crime Lab

Break Room

Sara pulled what Greg called, "A Grissom." She waited until the last possible second to tell the team that she was leaving. They told Eckle first because they had to. He was reluctant to comply but he couldn't refuse. The departments own psychiatrist agreed that Sara needed the time off and Eckle wouldn't risk loosing Grissom forever by telling him he couldn't take another sabbatical. However, he did remind him more than once that he had taken a sabbatical the year before.

They told the team together, in the break room. Catherine would be in charge. They would receive help from the swing shift and a trainee would start in a week.

"You're leaving?" Greg asked, crushed, looking around in disbelief. Catherine and Brass just nodded, they had been expecting this for months.

"You do what you need to do." Said Warrick, hugging Sara. Grissom handed out assignments and they all said good-byes quickly. Work would not wait. Everyone left except for Nick, who had stood silently in the corner during the entire ordeal.

"I'm going to grab a few things from my office, than we can go home." said Grissom.

"I'll be there in a minutes." She said, nodding her head towards Nick.

"I'll be waiting." he kissed her quickly and left the room.

"You're mad." Said Sara, it wasn't a question.

"Why didn't you come to me, Sara?" Nick walked towards her, "I could help you through this."

"I'm not as strong as you, Nick." She said, feeling tears at the corner of her eyes, "I don't know how you went back into the field so soon after you were kidnapped. I couldn't do that. I can't do that." She looked away, "I need to get away from here. I need a chance to miss this place. I need to want to come back."

"You're stronger than I'll ever be." Said Nick, hugging her, trying not to cry. "You have the courage to admit that you're not ready to come back. I didn't. Warrick is right, Do what you need to do, than come back to us."

"I will." She promised, hugging him one last time before walking away to find Grissom.