Title: Richness of Color
Author: jenbachand
Format: Short Short
Rating: Teen
Pairing: Grissom/Sara
Disclaimer: I made no profit from the writing of this fic.
Spoilers: None
Summary: A look at Sara's life through colors.
A/N: For the Shades Prompt at LJ group gsrdrabbles. Thanks to phdelicious for the super speedy beta.

CSI CSI CSI CSI

It was summer when she found the trunk full of books in the attic. They had just moved into the old home of her father's mother, and in thinking she was going to have a grand adventure, she set out to explore all the nooks and crannies of the house. The yellowed pages of the books reminded her of the one time her mother had taken her to the library before they moved here. Golden sunlight speckled with dust accompanied her on a journey with Jo and her sisters.

The kitchen window faced the Eastern sky and Sara enjoyed watching the sun rise while eating breakfast. The orange morning light lost the special place in her heart after the first time her father hit her. There in their sunlit kitchen, while chopping carrots for her lunch, she dropped a plate and it shattered. It was the first day she missed school, the first lie she told a doctor, and the first time she thought about someplace else.

The crimson of her father's blood was pooling on the tile, and the only thing she could think about was what a horrible stain it would leave. Because thinking of anything else hurt. Her mother was still standing there with the knife in her hand. The red drops dripping off the tip. Sara walked across the kitchen, out into the hall, and called 911.

The violet bruise reminded her of eggplant that used to grow in her mother's garden, and had come from the only person to ever lay a hand on her since her father. She had promised herself she would not become her mother. She went directly to the hospital, told the doctor and police officer the whole story. She testified and changed the course of her life. She would ensure everyone got the justice they deserved.

The smiling eyes were the color of her favorite pair of denim shorts which she had unearthed during her recent move. Dr. Gil Grissom (just Grissom please) had invited her to coffee to discuss more of her questions after his seminar. She had asked so many questions during the first half of the lecture, he had asked her if she would just jot all of it down, so he could answer them after. When she presented two pages of queries and comments, he smiled and inquired if she knew of a good place that served warm cups of caffeinated beverages. As they walked across the street with his hand on her back, discussing bugs and bodies, she knew she was in trouble.

Cool mint sheets were on his bed the first time they made love. High quality, high thread count, and she bet he had paid several hundred dollars for them. They reminded her of lime sherbet, the greenery in the flowers Griss had brought her on their first date, and the sweet smell of the air after a spring rain. Months of dates and kisses, dinners and talking, had culminated in a night of passion that she had never known to exist. Laying there, trying to catch her breath, she wondered if she could find a dress in that color.

When he pulled her to him she thought of all the colors that had cycled through her world and had led to this moment. They had not always been lovely or a shade she would have chosen, but her life was richer for them.