Disclaimer: Don't own the Main Characters

Summary: Three months after he rejected her dinner invitation, Sara and Grissom are going to San Francisco for a conference, will it change their lives for the better or make things worse between them? Please read and find out. Set in between the end of Season 3 and beginning of Season 4. GSR.

AN: Well this isn't a very long story, but it is a little longer than last one. Hope you enjoy it.

Title: Making things Better or Worse?
Genre: Romance, Drama
Rating: High K+
Spoilers: From pre-series to episodes from season 3 could be mentioned
Time-line: Between the end of Season 3-Beginning of Season 4
Warnings: A few questionable words and mention of alcohol
Main Parings: GSR
Minor Parings: None
Other Characters: Catherine, Nick, Warrick, Greg (First chapter only), OC's

Making things Better or Worse?

Chapter 1: A Change of plans

In the break room with two of her colleagues, Nick and Warrick, Sara had just finished writing her report from the case the team had been working on earlier, then as she was getting up from her chair the guys smiled at her, and Nick asked while they both handed their files to her. "Would you mind taking ours too?"

Sara smiled at them with a nod while grabbing them from their hands. "Sure." They each said thank you while she turned and walked out of the room.

When she made it to the supervisor's office she knocks on the door, and a second later Grissom's voice was heard. "Come in."

After she opened the door and stepped in the room she saw that Catherine was in one of the chairs in front of Grissom's desk. They all gave polite smiles to each other, but Catherine couldn't help but feel tension in the room the moment the younger woman walked in.

Sara cleared her throat as she walked up to his desk. "Here are mine, Nick's and Warrick's files, we finished them."

Grissom nodded. "Thank you." She nodded in return before she turned back around so she could leave the office, but stopped when she was halfway there at the sound of Grissom's voice. "Sara, I would like to speak to you for a minute."

Sara turns around to look at him again and nodded. "Ok, sure."

Grissom takes off his glasses and continued. "It's about the conference in San Francisco that you signed up to go to next week." Sara was about to speak, but Grissom continued before she could. "You are still going if that's what you are worried about, but there has been a change of plans." She closed her mouth and waited for him to continue, and when he did, his voice became a little unsure on what her reaction would be. "Catherine can't go with you because a court date for one of her cases has been schedule in the time period you would be gone, and it can't be reschedule, so I'll be going with you."

Sara looked at Catherine, which she gave the younger woman a sympathy look, then she looked at Grissom again and gave him a little smile. "Great." Before turning and walking out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

Grissom sighed as the door clicked shut, then he placed his glasses on his desk before running his hand down his bearded face as Catherine looked at her colleague/friend. "I see things aren't getting any better with you two."

After he rejected Sara's dinner invitation three months ago things between them were very strained, in fact it had been strained between them for awhile now.

Grissom removed his hand from his face and answered her. "Yeah and I don't know what to do."

"Just give her time and take baby steps, you pulled away from us a lot when you were dealing with your ears, and she must have felt the distance more than us, so I hope you didn't expect everything to be fixed over night."

And because he was dealing with his hearing loss, it was one of the reasons he rejected her dinner invitation.

He mentally shook his head from those thoughts before replying. "I know and I didn't, that's why I think going to this conference with her will be good for us." Catherine started to smile, then he clarified what he said. "Well I mean good for the team in the long run, so we can work in a less tense environment."

Catherine knew deep down he really did mean him and Sara, but decided to not grill him on it, so instead, she just smiled then replied with a smirk. "Well then I guess all I have to say is good luck."

He gives her a little smile back and replied. "Thank you, I think I'm going to need it."

Catherine chuckled a little with a short nod, both knowing Sara can be a very hard woman to get through. But she does hope things do get back to the way it was because when the team was clicking, they were unstoppable.

After Sara had left Grissom's office, and while she stood in front of his closed door, her mind kept thinking about Grissom coming with her to San Francisco, and yeah she was still a little hurt about his rejection and she knew that the moment she walked out of his office that night of his rejection she should have moved on, but her heart just couldn't go there, so it started racing as she thought of them alone in the city where she first laid on eyes on him.

But nothing was going to happen, right? It was just a conference, and Grissom was still Grissom no matter which city they were in. It didn't matter if they'll be in the city where they found each other.

She sighed a little while those thoughts came to her as she started walking toward the locker room since shift was done.

When she got in there, the guys, including DNA specialist, Greg Sanders, were in there. They all smiled at her, which she smiled back, then Nick asked. "Warrick and I are going to the bar, you in?"

Feeling like she definitely needed a drink, she replied. "Yeah, I'm in."

Warrick and Nick shut their lockers, and Warrick replied. "Alright we'll meet you there."

She nodded as she opened her locker, then as Greg was closing his locker, Nick and Warrick smiled at one another before Nick looked over Warrick's shoulder. "Come on G, you can come too."

Since the CSI's always had this closeness it was hard for the lab rats to join in their group outside of the lab, so Greg smiled as he happily closed his locker, then after grabbing his jacket from the bench, the three guys walked out of the room leaving Sara alone so she could finish getting ready before she left the lab, while Grissom and San Francisco kept going through her mind.

When she made it to the usual bar she sees the guys in the corner on the left and walked over to them, then as she sat down where her beer was, she asked. "So, what did I miss?"

Before Warrick or Nick spoke, Greg did the honors. "Besides debating on who will win the next football games." Which Sara had to think 'That is nothing new' before Greg continued. "They were wondering who Grissom will pick to be his right hand man while you and Catherine are at the conference."

Sara took a sip of her beer before swallowing and answering. "Actually it won't be up to Grissom."

They looked at her with curiosity as Nick asked. "What do you mean?"

"One of Catherine's cases got a court date scheduled during the time period we would be gone, so she's staying here while he's going to San Francisco with me."

Nick, who had been sitting next to her, puts his hand on her shoulder as a friendly gesture and asked. "And you are ok with that?"

Catherine wasn't the only one who had felt the tension between them, especially these last few months.

She replied after taking another sip. "I wasn't expecting it to be with him, but it is what it is. I'm just thankful that I still get to go, I could use a little break." Then her mind comes back with. 'Even though I'll be spending it with Grissom.'

The moment her heart started racing again, Nick speaks while removing his hand. "Well, least you are going into a big enough city that if you need space, I'm sure you can find it."

"You are right about that."

After they gave her one more smile they changed the subject again, this time they were talking about video games, but since Sara wasn't very interested in that subject, it left her alone with her thoughts. 'Or at least easier said than done.' Then she mentally shook her head as she took another sip of her beer. She just hopes she could at least enjoy her break a little and get through this conference with Grissom the best way possible.

AN: Interested in what happens next? Please review.