Sources

Chapter 29

As the weeks went by, Grissom and Sara became more and more perplexed. No one seemed to be catching on.

After their first shift back, they'd met up with Warrick back at Sara's apartment. With Mandy's help, they figured out the odds on each member of the lab being the first to discover the clandestine relationship. Then they'd chosen their horses. Warrick chose Catherine, Greg, and Archie. Grissom chose Brass, David, and Hodges. Sara chose Nick, Mia, and Doc Robbins. They figured it was only a matter of time, so they waited.

And waited.

Warrick was surprised when the second week passed. Catherine had been the clear favorite, but a poor report card of Lindsey's had left her distracted.

Grissom was astonished when a month came and went. Didn't Brass know him better than that? And wasn't Hodges a little nosier than that?

The biggest shock for Sara was when two months went by, and Nick was none the wiser. She couldn't believe that Mandy had been able to keep it from him so long, now that they were dating. Nick and Mandy's relationship was what had drawn Sara to pick him as her horse. Surely, with all the time he was spending at her apartment, he'd be sure to catch some clue. But it seemed that he was smitten with her kid sister, and had tunnel vision during his visits.

Each week, Sara, Grissom, and Warrick added more money to the pot, discussing which "horse" was in the lead over a leisurely breakfast. The truth was, the horses were all neck and neck. at the starting gate.

Though Grissom feigned annoyance at breakfast, expressing doubts over the investigative abilities of his team, he was secretly delighted. This meant that he and Sara were successfully keeping business and personal separate. At work they were consummate professionals and at home, well, they consummated.

As for the wager, there were only two rules. First, no purposely giving hints to your horses. Second, for your horse to win, they would have to voice their suspicions aloud. Warrick and Sara quickly realized that the rules didn't prohibit misleading their competitors' horses.

So when Sara remarked off-handedly that a suspect reminded her of Grissom's mother, causing Hodges to furrow his brows in confusion, Warrick claimed that Mrs. Grissom had come to visit several months ago, meeting the team.

Then, when Greg noticed a hickey on Grissom's neck, Sara claimed it must have been from his girlfriend.

"Grissom has a girlfriend?" Greg asked, stunned.

"Yeah, you haven't met her?" Sara asked innocently. "Lisa Sader. She's nice."

"She is nice," Warrick agreed with a smirk. "I think she'd be a worthy competitor in Boggle, too."

Greg just stared at them in confusion.

As the weeks flew by, Grissom and Sara found themselves growing even closer. They spent most of their time together at his townhouse, to avoid interruption by Mandy or Nick. Cohabitation had made their relationship much stronger. Sara didn't have to wonder why he came into work in a bad mood one day - she knew he was getting over a migraine, or hadn't slept well. Grissom didn't have to worry that Sara would take rough cases home with her - he kept her thoroughly distracted away from work.

The "geek mindmeld" that worked so well in the field worked even better at home. They came to sense what the other needed at any given time; be it a hug, some space, or curried tofu.

Before they knew it, their three-month anniversary arrived. Sara had spent the last two days with Mandy, and Grissom was desperate to see her. When she unlocked his door after shift and walked in, he showered her face with kisses.

"Griss," she laughed, pushing him away, "I have a surprise for you."

His eyes lit up. "What is it?"

"It's. an anniversary gift," she said shyly. "Want to see?"

Grissom nodded eagerly.

She pulled him into his bedroom, closing his door out of habit. He sat down on the bed, watching her. Slowly, she stripped off her shirt, then her pants.

"I like this present," he grinned.

Nervously, she stepped toward him and turned so that her back was facing him. At first he was confused, until he looked down.

On the small of her back, in tiny script, the letters "GG" had been tattooed in black ink. The first G was backwards and interlocked with the second. The ornate design of the tattoo made the image look like a butterfly.

"I had it put there because it's the part of my back that you always touch when we're walking into a room," she said softly. "So I marked it as yours."

He thought of Debbie Marlin and her butterfly tattoo, located in the same spot on her back. But Debbie's had been gaudy, looking ready to take flight at any moment. Sara's tattoo was a subtle yet permanent reminder of his place in her life.

"What do you think?"

He was speechless. Finally he leaned forward and pressed his lips against the skin lightly, making her smile.

They stayed in bed all day, sharing slow kisses and making love like they had all the time in the world. When the alarm clock shrilled, they both groaned.

"I've got to get ready," he said apologetically. "I wish I could have gotten tonight off too."

"It's okay," she answered easily. "I'll go home and do laundry, pay some bills. I'll be here when you get back."

"I'll give you your gift then," he said huskily, kissing her cheek.

"Can't wait."

"You know, you're going to have to tell them sometime," Mandy whined.

Sara laughed as she folded a stack of towels. "Yeah, I will. Not you."

Mandy groaned, falling onto the couch in mock agony. "I hate keeping something from him. We've been so honest with each other."

"I know, sweetie," she replied with genuinesympathy. "Look, Grissom thinks we can tell people soon. We've proved that we won't let it affect our work. We're just looking for the right time."

The police scanner behind her crackled with static.

"Will you turn that thing off? It drives me crazy."

Sara smiled. "I don't even notice it anymore. It's like background noise."

"Hey Sar?"

"Yeah?"

Mandy looked hesitant. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you."

The scanner sprang to life suddenly. "All available officers, report to 2336 Kings Ave. Shots fired. Reports of C.S.I. down."

Their eyes met in horror. Sara shook her head hesitantly. "Warrick would call if-" She was interrupted by the ring of the telephone.