[CSI] A Call to Darkness 3/4
A Call to Darkness
Sara/Grissom, 1224 words, PG-13,
Leaving this city meant leaving Grissom behind.
Part 1 | Part 2
Darkness blanketed the city with a cool breeze accompanying it. She had forgotten how stark the landscape became in the throes of winter. The days dwindled into night faster than she cared for and she soon found herself longing for the warmth of the sun on her skin. The irony was not lost on her.
Was it possible to feel so alone and yet be surrounded by people everyday? She loved her students and saw traces of future Grissoms, Nicks, and Gregs in all of them. She even had a student that reminded her a little bit too much of herself. Quiet and dedicated, Sara tried to persuade her into opening up and shared with her some of her experiences in Vegas.
And then there was Tom. Everything a single woman could ask for in a man. He was smart, charming, funny, and handsome. She had gone on a few dinners and coffee breaks with him since her arrival. In a city where she knew no one, his company was very much desired and had been a welcome one. He shared with her stories of travels abroad and of a near marriage. He explained how his fiancée had loved him as well as his best friend. At this, Sara had sobered up and Tom had laughed at her expression. It had been years ago and he was touched that she cared. He pushed her to tell him about her life before today. Sara measured out her past in small doses, choosing to share about some cases but never anything personal. She knew Tom was disappointed in how unwilling she was to share about her time in Vegas and even before that, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to tell him about Grissom and what he meant to her. It was something she clung to tightly and savored just for herself.
She felt a hand touch her arm, calling her back from her musings. She looked into blue eyes, the vivid blue eyes of her dinner companion. “Where were you, Sara?”
She had the grace to blush and dipped her head to one side. “Here. Sorry this weather makes me a bit melancholy for the warmth of Vegas. Funny how you crave one thing and when you finally have it, you realize how much you miss what you had.”
Tom leaned back on his chair, “Why do I think we are no longer talking about the weather?”
“I just miss Vegas. More than I thought possible.”
“Why did you come here, Sara? Everyone can see you are not one hundred percent thrilled about being here.” Tom’s eyes drilled into her, she felt slightly cornered.
“Honestly, I’m not sure.” She shrugged. “It felt like the right idea at the time. I’ll be honest, Tom. I think I could get use to it here; it’s just going to take me some time.”
“But do you really want to be here?” Tom leaned closer, “Who did you leave behind?”
"You know," She drawled, "I don't think I am interested in having this conversation."
He just looked at her. "Sara, I don't want to pry but clearly you’re not happy here." He waved a hand at her as she started to respond. "I mean beyond the teaching which you seem to have a knack for. The kids love you. You left someone behind and it eats away at you. Never mind the fact, that whenever we have dinner together you are a million miles away. I'll start to take it personal soon."
Sara sighed, "No, just three thousand miles away. You're right, Tom. I made friends in Vegas, I had a life there. You might not think much of it but it was a good one."
He just nodded at her, hoping she would continue. "And there was someone, someone I've loved for as long as I can remember."
"Why leave? You wanted to get married and he didn't?"
Sara threw back her head and laughed. It was a solid laugh and it felt good. "Far from it. We weren't "dating" in that sense of the word." She shook her head, "Actually saying it out loud makes it seem so silly."
Tom looked at her, eyes dancing, "Ah, another case of love from afar."
Sara sobered up at Tom's tone, "I went to Vegas for him. He asked me to come and I did no hesitation. I like to think at the beginning we were on the same page. We were friends once.”
“But not anymore?”
“I don’t think we have been friends for a very long time.” Sara smiled widely at Tom. “You have to engage in conversations with one another if you’re friends.”
Tom looked at her, “Do you know how beautiful you are when you smile? You don’t smile nearly enough, Sara.”
She looked down at the table and started to twist her napkin. “Thanks. You really are a flirt.”
“Not flirting, just honest. I’m not going to push you, Sara. I want your friendship and more than anything; your trust.” He waved the waiter over to pay the bill. “Do what you need but you should be happier.”
Sara waited while Tom helped her into her coat, and on the ride home she thought about everything they said. She faced the fact that she was lonely. Complete and utterly alone. As solitary as a figure she was in Vegas, at least she had her coworkers. And over time they had become her family. Two years ago they had faced their own mortality with the kidnapping of Nick and that had dealt her a personal blow. That was a defining moment in her life and she had dissected its implications in her mind and this is where it had led her. To this cold, unwilling city on the other side of the country. Why did she think she could leave behind the ghosts of her past and run? Where would she end up? To a time before university, before Las Vegas, before Grissom? If she could do it, would she take back all those years and do them differently? Sara knew better than that. She would have done it all over again. He was her man. Through and through. She would love him where ever he was and she was only just starting to realize this.
She realized with a start that they were outside her brownstone. Tom was moving around the car to open the door. She clasped his extended hand and he shut the door behind her. He held her elbow lightly as he accompanied her to her doorstep. A light snow had started to fall and Tom lightly brushed her hair off her face. He placed the flat of his palm against her cheek and leaned down to kiss her other cheek. “Sara, you have to do what will make you the happiest. Staying, leaving, learning from all this. Whatever you do, let me be there for you. In whatever capacity you need me to be.”
Sara just smiled up at him, those blue, blue eyes. “Thank you, Tom. You have no idea what that means to me.”
“Good night then.”
Tom turned to leave and Sara watched from the doorstep as his car faded into the night.
She didn’t see the solitary figure standing on the corner, the streetlamp silhouetting his profile.
original post
Sara/Grissom, 1224 words, PG-13,
Leaving this city meant leaving Grissom behind.
Part 1 | Part 2
Darkness blanketed the city with a cool breeze accompanying it. She had forgotten how stark the landscape became in the throes of winter. The days dwindled into night faster than she cared for and she soon found herself longing for the warmth of the sun on her skin. The irony was not lost on her.
Was it possible to feel so alone and yet be surrounded by people everyday? She loved her students and saw traces of future Grissoms, Nicks, and Gregs in all of them. She even had a student that reminded her a little bit too much of herself. Quiet and dedicated, Sara tried to persuade her into opening up and shared with her some of her experiences in Vegas.
And then there was Tom. Everything a single woman could ask for in a man. He was smart, charming, funny, and handsome. She had gone on a few dinners and coffee breaks with him since her arrival. In a city where she knew no one, his company was very much desired and had been a welcome one. He shared with her stories of travels abroad and of a near marriage. He explained how his fiancée had loved him as well as his best friend. At this, Sara had sobered up and Tom had laughed at her expression. It had been years ago and he was touched that she cared. He pushed her to tell him about her life before today. Sara measured out her past in small doses, choosing to share about some cases but never anything personal. She knew Tom was disappointed in how unwilling she was to share about her time in Vegas and even before that, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to tell him about Grissom and what he meant to her. It was something she clung to tightly and savored just for herself.
She felt a hand touch her arm, calling her back from her musings. She looked into blue eyes, the vivid blue eyes of her dinner companion. “Where were you, Sara?”
She had the grace to blush and dipped her head to one side. “Here. Sorry this weather makes me a bit melancholy for the warmth of Vegas. Funny how you crave one thing and when you finally have it, you realize how much you miss what you had.”
Tom leaned back on his chair, “Why do I think we are no longer talking about the weather?”
“I just miss Vegas. More than I thought possible.”
“Why did you come here, Sara? Everyone can see you are not one hundred percent thrilled about being here.” Tom’s eyes drilled into her, she felt slightly cornered.
“Honestly, I’m not sure.” She shrugged. “It felt like the right idea at the time. I’ll be honest, Tom. I think I could get use to it here; it’s just going to take me some time.”
“But do you really want to be here?” Tom leaned closer, “Who did you leave behind?”
"You know," She drawled, "I don't think I am interested in having this conversation."
He just looked at her. "Sara, I don't want to pry but clearly you’re not happy here." He waved a hand at her as she started to respond. "I mean beyond the teaching which you seem to have a knack for. The kids love you. You left someone behind and it eats away at you. Never mind the fact, that whenever we have dinner together you are a million miles away. I'll start to take it personal soon."
Sara sighed, "No, just three thousand miles away. You're right, Tom. I made friends in Vegas, I had a life there. You might not think much of it but it was a good one."
He just nodded at her, hoping she would continue. "And there was someone, someone I've loved for as long as I can remember."
"Why leave? You wanted to get married and he didn't?"
Sara threw back her head and laughed. It was a solid laugh and it felt good. "Far from it. We weren't "dating" in that sense of the word." She shook her head, "Actually saying it out loud makes it seem so silly."
Tom looked at her, eyes dancing, "Ah, another case of love from afar."
Sara sobered up at Tom's tone, "I went to Vegas for him. He asked me to come and I did no hesitation. I like to think at the beginning we were on the same page. We were friends once.”
“But not anymore?”
“I don’t think we have been friends for a very long time.” Sara smiled widely at Tom. “You have to engage in conversations with one another if you’re friends.”
Tom looked at her, “Do you know how beautiful you are when you smile? You don’t smile nearly enough, Sara.”
She looked down at the table and started to twist her napkin. “Thanks. You really are a flirt.”
“Not flirting, just honest. I’m not going to push you, Sara. I want your friendship and more than anything; your trust.” He waved the waiter over to pay the bill. “Do what you need but you should be happier.”
Sara waited while Tom helped her into her coat, and on the ride home she thought about everything they said. She faced the fact that she was lonely. Complete and utterly alone. As solitary as a figure she was in Vegas, at least she had her coworkers. And over time they had become her family. Two years ago they had faced their own mortality with the kidnapping of Nick and that had dealt her a personal blow. That was a defining moment in her life and she had dissected its implications in her mind and this is where it had led her. To this cold, unwilling city on the other side of the country. Why did she think she could leave behind the ghosts of her past and run? Where would she end up? To a time before university, before Las Vegas, before Grissom? If she could do it, would she take back all those years and do them differently? Sara knew better than that. She would have done it all over again. He was her man. Through and through. She would love him where ever he was and she was only just starting to realize this.
She realized with a start that they were outside her brownstone. Tom was moving around the car to open the door. She clasped his extended hand and he shut the door behind her. He held her elbow lightly as he accompanied her to her doorstep. A light snow had started to fall and Tom lightly brushed her hair off her face. He placed the flat of his palm against her cheek and leaned down to kiss her other cheek. “Sara, you have to do what will make you the happiest. Staying, leaving, learning from all this. Whatever you do, let me be there for you. In whatever capacity you need me to be.”
Sara just smiled up at him, those blue, blue eyes. “Thank you, Tom. You have no idea what that means to me.”
“Good night then.”
Tom turned to leave and Sara watched from the doorstep as his car faded into the night.
She didn’t see the solitary figure standing on the corner, the streetlamp silhouetting his profile.
original post