Finding the truth by chibiness87
Spoilers: 7x06 Burn Out
Disclaimer: Not mine
A/N: My response to Gibby's challenge on YTDAW. This is all my muse, who suddenly started jumping up and down yelling "I know how he found out!" This is my forst Brass POV... i hope i did him justice.
I want to be able to think that I know they're together because, as a cop, it's my job to be observant. Hell, I would even settle for then having told me outright. God knows I've been waiting long enough for Gil to wake up and smell the coffee as it were, but well, things didn't pan out that way.
Let me explain…
It had been a tough case on all of us, but it seemed to affect my buddy, Gil Grissom, head of the nightshift, more than anyone, and more than any case had for a long time. Don't get me wrong. I've heard the rumours going around the lab that the guy was close to a burn out. Heck I've started seeing the signs myself.
His migraines have been increasing, from one or two a year to one or two a month. I've taken it upon myself to look out for the signs of the migraines, and always offer him my couch in my office if the need arises. Granted, Gil's got one of his own in his office, but well, mine's longer, and more comfy that that old thing he claims is a functional piece of furniture.
Anyway, like I was saying. It was a difficult case. They always are when the involve children. And after it, well, Gil needed some alone time. So, he's kipped out in my office, and as an exchange I get to play nice with Miss Piggy and all the other random stuff he seems to like. And I'm sitting there on that thing Gil calls furniture and everyone else calls a torture device, when the door opens, no warning knock or anything.
I look up, expecting to see sleeping beauty up form his nap, but well, the sight is a hell of a lot more pleasant than him, in the form of one San Fran kid. Sara looks as surprised to see me as I am to see her. And it gets me wondering… exactly when did she start coming into Gil's office without warning?
See, I may be a cop, but I have my sources in the geek heaven's grapevine. I know those two seem to have set aside they're differences. Finally. I mean, it took them long enough. And, come to think of it, she has been a lot more chipper these past few months. No, longer than that… a year maybe?
Anyway, like I said, she comes in, obviously looking for Gil, and finds me. So we shoot the breeze for a few minutes, and she eventually gets out of me that Gil is shacked up in my office, last I knew dead to the world. I gotta give that girl credit, she knows how to get info out of people without them realising it. Heck, I've seen it often enough in cases.
So off she goes, probably to go see for herself that ol'Gil is out of it. I'm in two minds whether to let her. I mean, the guy looked like he needed to sleep. So I figured I'd give her 5 minutes to satisfy herself, and then get her to leave. Wasn't sure how, but was sure I could think of something.
So, off I go 5 minutes later, and run into them in the hallway. He seemed to be at least half awake, so I assumed he either was just waking up or she had persuaded him to get himself home. Only, looking at them, I suspected she was playing taxi for him. So there the three of us are in the hallway, and I suddenly realised that she's supporting his weight. Well, most of it. Instinct, I guess, took over, and I helped her get him out and down to her car.
Then it dawned on me… Gil had moved out of that sterile townhouse place he'd lived in for the past who knows how long. I only know cos he turned up at my office one day with a slip of paper telling me he moved and this was his new address. I'd never seen his new place, but I knew I lived closer to it than Sara did… and so I offered to take him home as I was going that way anyway.
This is where I get a little curious… she gave me some story about having a file at home that she needed to give to Gil, so she was going to swing by before dropping him off. Yeah… I think she believed that just as much as I did… but well, Gill was flagging by the second, she I decided what the heck, if she wanted to deal with an almost passed out entomologist, all the luck to her. Cos let me tell you, that man can be a bear when he wants to be!
So yeah, we said our goodbyes and off I went home. Only to remember I had something on my desk I needed, so I turned round and headed back to PD. Get in my office to find the brilliant guy has gone and left his pills sitting on my desk. For all his brains, he can't half be an idiot sometimes. And I know he could have had more back at his place... except I seemed to recall him mentioning to me in passing he needed to get his prescription refilled, he was down to his last bottle.
Now I've seen him without pills hen he's had a migraine, and I gotta tell you, I hope to never see it again. And I know he's going to want at least another before this one goes away, so I make up my mind to finally use that scrap of paper.
As I drive the neighbourhood, I was a becoming more curious. I was expecting a similar thing to what he had before; apartment buildings, townhouse complexes, that kinda thing. These were not townhouses. These were houses. Proper two storey things… like starter homes, for hubby, wife, kids, maybe a dog, you know?
After driving around the place and getting lost a couple of times, (what is it with naming roads after the same letter in an area… makes life confusing, even for a cop like me,) I eventually find his place. And, what do you know; it's a two storey home. And I was about to call him to make sure, when I spot Sara's car in the driveway. So I know I have the right place.
I get to the door, and find it unlatched. Now, this, this is strange. And all my years as a cop come out. I get my gun, and act like I'm approaching a scene. Because if I know Gil and Sara at all, the door would have been shut.
Now granted, if I'm over reacting, it's going to get a little awkward. But I figure a little awkwardness between friends is better than 2 dead CSI's and a dead cop because I didn't want to make an ass of myself. Then again… if I am overreacting, I don't want to walk in there and have 2 of my friends looking down the business end of my gun.
So, I break one of the rules… I call out, trying to work out where they are. I figure I can do a customary sweep of the place before calling in for backup, because if there is nothing wrong, that would just be embarrassing. For all of us.
I don't hear anything, so I start going about clearing the rooms, scenarios running through my brain. After all, it's not unheard of for bad things to happen to CSI's… even in their own homes. Look at Nick a few years ago, you know what I mean?
I find the dining room, and remember the pills I was bringing round, and figure it's as good a place as any to put them. He'll see them when he heads to the kitchen. Assuming everything is all hunky dory.
Clearing the downstairs, I head for the upstairs, and now I'm hearing something. A faint thump, but I'm not exactly sure what it is, or where it's coming from. Moving down the corridor, it gets louder… and I eventually peg the sound to be coming from the end room. I'm about to burst in, guns blazing, when it hits me I ain't seen the master bedroom.
And, through elimination, it means that room is it. I also twig I ain't seen one San Fran brunette on my travels through the house. And again that strikes me as odd… cos her car was still parked out front. So I'm thinking twice about entering the room. I'm still planning to… but maybe without my gun pointing the way. So I'm hesitating at the door, when I decide I really should go in, just to check everything's ok.
But well, when you hear your best friend cry out the name of the person you think of as a daughter in ecstasy… you don't exactly stay around… if you get my meaning.
I high-tailed it out of there so fast it was like the devil was after me.
So, yeah… I wish I could say I knew they were together because I'm just that clever… but when you walk in on them in that situation; it kind of gives them away. I will tell you this though… I can't wait for shift tonight.