_Calleigh_
Coroner
Still waiting for my betareader to reply 
Since Max is not English, is there anyone else who wants to beta-read the chapter?
Since Max is not English, is there anyone else who wants to beta-read the chapter?
H/Cal, GSR - The two of them, the two of us
- Thread starter _Calleigh_
- Start date
_Calleigh_
Coroner
At last my beta-read chap is back! Thanks anyways, ilovegrissom, if there is any other problem, next chapter will be sent to you!
Here you are!
SINCE I MET YOU
“Miss Sidle is going to be fine.”
Grissom’s heart skipped a beat with relief as his mind processed the news. His thoughts melted in only one flow of sensations and emotions. It was like he could breathe for the first time.
Sara was alive. Sara hadn’t surrendered and she had made it. She was alive and she was going to be fine. She was safe. She would soon recover. She was alive.
Sara was alive.
“Thank you, doc,” he managed to say, feeling his own lips trembling. “Thank you.”
He could say nothing else, because what he was feeling inside was overwhelming. He felt light and happy, as he had never been before.
“The bullet caused a major haemorrhage,” the man explained. “Her iliac vein was seriously damaged and she lost a lot of blood. If the ambulance had arrived one minute later-“
“Don’t say that,” Gil interrupted him. “I don’t care about ifs. She’s alright, and it’s the only thing I wanted to hear.”
He didn’t want to think about what could have happened. He didn’t want to know anything else. He knew all he needed to know and nothing else mattered.
“When can I see her?” he asked.
“She’s going to sleep for some hours, because of the anaesthesia,” the doctor explained.
“Can I stay with her until then?”
“It could take her several hours to wake up, Mr Grissom. Maybe more than a couple of days.”
“I don’t care,” Gil replied. “Can I see her now?”
The doctor lingered for a moment, but then nodded.
“Sure.”
“I’ll go back to Calleigh,” Horatio said. “Do you want me to call your lab and-?”
“No,” Gil said. “I’ll do it later. Thanks anyway.”
Horatio smiled kindly.
“Take care of Sara, and tell her I’ll come to see her as soon as she wakes up.”
“I will,” he answered. “I’ll come to see Calleigh, too.”
Horatio left and the doctor led Gil to the elevator.
“She’s a fighter,” he said. Gil didn’t turn to him. “Normally in cases like this the patient doesn’t even get to arrive at the hospital. If I hadn’t been in that room, today, I would have never believed that.”
Gil blinked, looking at the display. Fifth floor. The elevator stopped.
“I thought she wouldn’t make it,” the man went on, exiting. “I dare say it was some kind of miracle. It was like she had left something behind and she couldn’t just let it go.”
Gil walked behind him in silence, reflecting over those words.
Was it him? Was it for him she hadn’t died?
He usually didn’t believe in such things, but he couldn’t help it.
“This is Sara’s room,” the doctor said, stopping in front of a closed door. “If you need anything, you can call one of the nurses.”
“Thank you, doc,” he said, shaking hands with him.
“Goodbye, Mr Grissom.”
When left alone, Gil grabbed the doorknob and took a couple of breaths. He wasn’t sure he was ready to see her.
He slowly opened the door, while the sounds of the monitors coming from the inside of the room froze his heart. A shiver ran down his spine. He closed the door behind his back without being able to look up.
He was a coward, and he knew it.
The blood was pulsing faster through his veins, as he approached the bed where he knew Sara was lying. When at last he found the courage to raise his eyes, at first he thought he was in the wrong room: the girl asleep in the bed was pale, as pale as he had never seen Sara, and a couple of drips were attached to her left arm. A machine regulated her breath.
“Oh, Sara.”
He leaned on her, sitting on the side of the bed. She looked very ill and yet she was still beautiful. Dark shades surrounded her closed eyes and her lips were ajar, the same paleness of the skin. She looked frailer and skinnier than usual. If he hadn’t known she was alive, he hardly would have guessed that.
He lifted his hand and removed a small lock of hair from her forehead, being as gentle as possible; almost afraid she could break in front of him.
He couldn’t bear to see her that way.
She was motionless and he was scared of the resemblance she had with all of those women he used to see everyday in the morgue. It hurt. It damn hurt.
“I’m so sorry about this, Sara,” he whispered, cupping her cheek and feeling the coldness of it. “It shouldn’t have happened. Especially to you.”
Suddenly he realized he missed her voice. He missed the way she used to lean on the doorstep with her arms folded on her chest and her half smile lighting up her face. He missed the way she could change his mood with her simple presence. He missed her, and he wanted her back.
“I shouldn’t have asked you to come here with me. This is all my fault.”
It was very unusual for him to speak to someone who was unconscious. He wasn’t that kind of person, but he remembered she had done it, once, with that young woman at the hospital, five years earlier. He remembered how caring and sweet she had been and he felt angry to the world for her current conditions. She was the last person in the world who deserved that.
“You know, since I met you I’ve always tried to protect you,” he said softly, caressing her cheekbone with his thumb. “For all these years I’ve tried to keep you safe, even when you didn’t want me to. I’ve done my best to make sure you’d be fine, and now… Now I’ve failed.”
His voice sounded tired, worn, as though a thousand years had fallen upon him, making him older and more aware. It was a moment he had always been afraid of, but he had hoped he would never see the dawn of a day like that.
He felt empty and furious at the same time. Furious because he had let it happen and empty because he was becoming aware that the only thing that could fill his life was she. Sara.
His Sara.
He had no right to consider her ‘his’, even though she had given him several reasons to believe she would never be able to be anyone else’s. She loved him, and he knew, and he had always pushed her away. He couldn’t even find a good reason why.
Sara had never had a real family. Her childhood had been very unhappy and now he was making her adult life like equally unhappy.
He felt stupid because she was the kind of girl every man would dream.
He felt sad because he nearly had lost her without telling her so many things.
He felt guilty because he was there with her, holding her frozen hand, and it was the first good thing he had actually ever done for her.
“It wasn’t meant to be like this, honey.”
The regular beeps coming from the monitor of Sara’s heartbeat made him feel exhausted. It was like that sound was ticking his time away, while Sara was still there, looking like one of his butterflies: wonderful and dreadfully lifeless.
“Things are going to change, Sara, I promise,” he muttered, an affected look on his face. “You fought to stay and I’ll make it worth it. I swear I will.”
.
The knock on the door made Calleigh and Horatio turn back.
“Come in,” Horatio said. A shy shade appeared, followed by Grissom one second later.
“I hope I’m not disturbing.”
Horatio smiled and stood up.
“You’re not, don’t worry,” he said. “I was about to leave.”
Grissom said nothing. Horatio went back to Calleigh and squeezed her hand.
“I’ll come back very soon. Take care,” he placed a kiss on her lips, then his hand shifted down to her stomach. “Both of you.”
“We will,” she answered and kissed him again, then he greeted Grissom and went out.
Gil was a little embarrassed, but he went and sat on the chair Horatio had been a minute before. Calleigh smiled at him and her kindness immediately made him feel better.
“How is Sara?” she asked. “Horatio said she’s out of danger.”
He smiled back, nodding.
“She’s still asleep, but she will be fine.”
“But you’re still scared, aren’t you?” she said, and he was surprised by how she could read his mind.
“Yeah. I know it’s alright with her, but… That’s not my Sara. She’s so pale and still and-“
“Hurt,” Calleigh finished for him.
He met her eyes: although she was clearly very tired, there was a lively light shining in them and the slight grin on her lips never faded. Was that what women looked like when there was a miracle blooming inside them?
“Gil,” she went on. “Sara did the most beautiful thing that someone could do for me. She shielded me from that bullet. My baby would be dead without her.”
“She’s always been very sensitive and selfless.” He replied; his mouth curled up. “I’m used to dealing with her little heroic acts… But I wasn’t ready for this.”
“It’s normal to react like this when you love someone,” Calleigh stated. “In particular when you’re in love with someone.”
Gil’s eyes widened as he heard her words. Calleigh had just said aloud something he had always cared to keep secret even to himself, and he wasn’t ready for that either. He couldn’t cope with his feelings in a moment like that. He had too much to think about and too many things inside his mind. There was no room left for love matters.
But that was the usual excuse: there had always been something else to care about to think about his ambiguous relationship with Sara. He had always found something else to care about, and perhaps, for once, it was time to face the truth.
“Don’t run away from this, Gil,” Calleigh said. “She needs you more than anything else.”
That girl had met him just a couple of days earlier, and yet she seemed to know him better than himself. But the thing he was most impressed of was that she sounded incredibly right.
“If you keep on denying what you feel you’ll end up hurting yourself, not to mention what she must have felt so far. Don’t let her wake up from this nightmare and find the old world.”
He couldn’t speak. He just could listen, both charmed and shocked by that sweet yet serious voice.
“I-I don’t know how to do this.” He mumbled. “I’m afraid I-“
“The only thing you should be afraid of is losing her,” she interrupted him. “And I’m not necessarily speaking about death. I bet there are hundreds of men, out there, waiting for her. Catch her, Gil, before it’s too late.”
TBC...
Here you are!
SINCE I MET YOU
“Miss Sidle is going to be fine.”
Grissom’s heart skipped a beat with relief as his mind processed the news. His thoughts melted in only one flow of sensations and emotions. It was like he could breathe for the first time.
Sara was alive. Sara hadn’t surrendered and she had made it. She was alive and she was going to be fine. She was safe. She would soon recover. She was alive.
Sara was alive.
“Thank you, doc,” he managed to say, feeling his own lips trembling. “Thank you.”
He could say nothing else, because what he was feeling inside was overwhelming. He felt light and happy, as he had never been before.
“The bullet caused a major haemorrhage,” the man explained. “Her iliac vein was seriously damaged and she lost a lot of blood. If the ambulance had arrived one minute later-“
“Don’t say that,” Gil interrupted him. “I don’t care about ifs. She’s alright, and it’s the only thing I wanted to hear.”
He didn’t want to think about what could have happened. He didn’t want to know anything else. He knew all he needed to know and nothing else mattered.
“When can I see her?” he asked.
“She’s going to sleep for some hours, because of the anaesthesia,” the doctor explained.
“Can I stay with her until then?”
“It could take her several hours to wake up, Mr Grissom. Maybe more than a couple of days.”
“I don’t care,” Gil replied. “Can I see her now?”
The doctor lingered for a moment, but then nodded.
“Sure.”
“I’ll go back to Calleigh,” Horatio said. “Do you want me to call your lab and-?”
“No,” Gil said. “I’ll do it later. Thanks anyway.”
Horatio smiled kindly.
“Take care of Sara, and tell her I’ll come to see her as soon as she wakes up.”
“I will,” he answered. “I’ll come to see Calleigh, too.”
Horatio left and the doctor led Gil to the elevator.
“She’s a fighter,” he said. Gil didn’t turn to him. “Normally in cases like this the patient doesn’t even get to arrive at the hospital. If I hadn’t been in that room, today, I would have never believed that.”
Gil blinked, looking at the display. Fifth floor. The elevator stopped.
“I thought she wouldn’t make it,” the man went on, exiting. “I dare say it was some kind of miracle. It was like she had left something behind and she couldn’t just let it go.”
Gil walked behind him in silence, reflecting over those words.
Was it him? Was it for him she hadn’t died?
He usually didn’t believe in such things, but he couldn’t help it.
“This is Sara’s room,” the doctor said, stopping in front of a closed door. “If you need anything, you can call one of the nurses.”
“Thank you, doc,” he said, shaking hands with him.
“Goodbye, Mr Grissom.”
When left alone, Gil grabbed the doorknob and took a couple of breaths. He wasn’t sure he was ready to see her.
He slowly opened the door, while the sounds of the monitors coming from the inside of the room froze his heart. A shiver ran down his spine. He closed the door behind his back without being able to look up.
He was a coward, and he knew it.
The blood was pulsing faster through his veins, as he approached the bed where he knew Sara was lying. When at last he found the courage to raise his eyes, at first he thought he was in the wrong room: the girl asleep in the bed was pale, as pale as he had never seen Sara, and a couple of drips were attached to her left arm. A machine regulated her breath.
“Oh, Sara.”
He leaned on her, sitting on the side of the bed. She looked very ill and yet she was still beautiful. Dark shades surrounded her closed eyes and her lips were ajar, the same paleness of the skin. She looked frailer and skinnier than usual. If he hadn’t known she was alive, he hardly would have guessed that.
He lifted his hand and removed a small lock of hair from her forehead, being as gentle as possible; almost afraid she could break in front of him.
He couldn’t bear to see her that way.
She was motionless and he was scared of the resemblance she had with all of those women he used to see everyday in the morgue. It hurt. It damn hurt.
“I’m so sorry about this, Sara,” he whispered, cupping her cheek and feeling the coldness of it. “It shouldn’t have happened. Especially to you.”
Suddenly he realized he missed her voice. He missed the way she used to lean on the doorstep with her arms folded on her chest and her half smile lighting up her face. He missed the way she could change his mood with her simple presence. He missed her, and he wanted her back.
“I shouldn’t have asked you to come here with me. This is all my fault.”
It was very unusual for him to speak to someone who was unconscious. He wasn’t that kind of person, but he remembered she had done it, once, with that young woman at the hospital, five years earlier. He remembered how caring and sweet she had been and he felt angry to the world for her current conditions. She was the last person in the world who deserved that.
“You know, since I met you I’ve always tried to protect you,” he said softly, caressing her cheekbone with his thumb. “For all these years I’ve tried to keep you safe, even when you didn’t want me to. I’ve done my best to make sure you’d be fine, and now… Now I’ve failed.”
His voice sounded tired, worn, as though a thousand years had fallen upon him, making him older and more aware. It was a moment he had always been afraid of, but he had hoped he would never see the dawn of a day like that.
He felt empty and furious at the same time. Furious because he had let it happen and empty because he was becoming aware that the only thing that could fill his life was she. Sara.
His Sara.
He had no right to consider her ‘his’, even though she had given him several reasons to believe she would never be able to be anyone else’s. She loved him, and he knew, and he had always pushed her away. He couldn’t even find a good reason why.
Sara had never had a real family. Her childhood had been very unhappy and now he was making her adult life like equally unhappy.
He felt stupid because she was the kind of girl every man would dream.
He felt sad because he nearly had lost her without telling her so many things.
He felt guilty because he was there with her, holding her frozen hand, and it was the first good thing he had actually ever done for her.
“It wasn’t meant to be like this, honey.”
The regular beeps coming from the monitor of Sara’s heartbeat made him feel exhausted. It was like that sound was ticking his time away, while Sara was still there, looking like one of his butterflies: wonderful and dreadfully lifeless.
“Things are going to change, Sara, I promise,” he muttered, an affected look on his face. “You fought to stay and I’ll make it worth it. I swear I will.”
.
The knock on the door made Calleigh and Horatio turn back.
“Come in,” Horatio said. A shy shade appeared, followed by Grissom one second later.
“I hope I’m not disturbing.”
Horatio smiled and stood up.
“You’re not, don’t worry,” he said. “I was about to leave.”
Grissom said nothing. Horatio went back to Calleigh and squeezed her hand.
“I’ll come back very soon. Take care,” he placed a kiss on her lips, then his hand shifted down to her stomach. “Both of you.”
“We will,” she answered and kissed him again, then he greeted Grissom and went out.
Gil was a little embarrassed, but he went and sat on the chair Horatio had been a minute before. Calleigh smiled at him and her kindness immediately made him feel better.
“How is Sara?” she asked. “Horatio said she’s out of danger.”
He smiled back, nodding.
“She’s still asleep, but she will be fine.”
“But you’re still scared, aren’t you?” she said, and he was surprised by how she could read his mind.
“Yeah. I know it’s alright with her, but… That’s not my Sara. She’s so pale and still and-“
“Hurt,” Calleigh finished for him.
He met her eyes: although she was clearly very tired, there was a lively light shining in them and the slight grin on her lips never faded. Was that what women looked like when there was a miracle blooming inside them?
“Gil,” she went on. “Sara did the most beautiful thing that someone could do for me. She shielded me from that bullet. My baby would be dead without her.”
“She’s always been very sensitive and selfless.” He replied; his mouth curled up. “I’m used to dealing with her little heroic acts… But I wasn’t ready for this.”
“It’s normal to react like this when you love someone,” Calleigh stated. “In particular when you’re in love with someone.”
Gil’s eyes widened as he heard her words. Calleigh had just said aloud something he had always cared to keep secret even to himself, and he wasn’t ready for that either. He couldn’t cope with his feelings in a moment like that. He had too much to think about and too many things inside his mind. There was no room left for love matters.
But that was the usual excuse: there had always been something else to care about to think about his ambiguous relationship with Sara. He had always found something else to care about, and perhaps, for once, it was time to face the truth.
“Don’t run away from this, Gil,” Calleigh said. “She needs you more than anything else.”
That girl had met him just a couple of days earlier, and yet she seemed to know him better than himself. But the thing he was most impressed of was that she sounded incredibly right.
“If you keep on denying what you feel you’ll end up hurting yourself, not to mention what she must have felt so far. Don’t let her wake up from this nightmare and find the old world.”
He couldn’t speak. He just could listen, both charmed and shocked by that sweet yet serious voice.
“I-I don’t know how to do this.” He mumbled. “I’m afraid I-“
“The only thing you should be afraid of is losing her,” she interrupted him. “And I’m not necessarily speaking about death. I bet there are hundreds of men, out there, waiting for her. Catch her, Gil, before it’s too late.”
TBC...
CHILI_PEPPERS
Pathologist
wow that was great!!!cant wait for more!!
CSIsMANIAC
Captain
Oohhh...wonderful! A little miracle blooming inside them. That was very nicely put! Made me smile much much! Ahahah! Thanks to Catts too. You two make a great team. Hope to read more.
-Casper
-Casper
Miss_Undercover
Judge
Really cross over story !
Is a sbsolutes masterpiece ! My respect !
Miami + Las Vegas = Hot reading material
Is a sbsolutes masterpiece ! My respect !
Miami + Las Vegas = Hot reading material
CSI_Grissom
Lab Technician
That was really good!
i love calleigh, she is so smart when it comes to stuff like that, now if only we put your fic in place of the upcoming eps... :lol:
i love calleigh, she is so smart when it comes to stuff like that, now if only we put your fic in place of the upcoming eps... :lol:
_Calleigh_
Coroner
THE BRIGHT SIDLE
The room was dark and silent. There was a small light upon her head and an intermitting sound came from the side of the bed. She felt exhausted and her eyes could barely stay open. She didn’t know where she was nor she could remember how she had gotten there. She tried to sit up, but all her strength seemed to have left her. She tried to move one hand and she realized it was surrounded by another hand, warm and gentle. When she saw Grissom, asleep next to her, holding her hand, she instantly felt better. Sara slipped her hand out of his and lifted it above his head. As she touched him, his eyes opened in wonder and he sat up with a big, surprised grin on his face.
“Sara!” he sighed in relief, taking her hand again.
“Glad you know my name,” she replied weakly, returning the grin. Despite her conditions, irony was still her trademark. He gave her an anxious look. “How are you feeling?”
“Great,” she said. “Considering I’m lying in a hospital bed and my head is killing me.”
“It’s normal,” he replied. “You’ve been sleeping for a couple of days.”
Sara giggled weakly.
“Wow, now I’m not going to need to sleep for a month.”
“This is not a joke, Sara. Your life was in serious danger, are you aware of this?” he said. “You could have-“
“How are Calleigh and her baby?” she asked, interrupting him. She didn’t care about her own life. She didn’t even have a life to save. But Calleigh did, and Sara had done the right thing defending her from the shots.
“They are great,” he answered. “Thanks to you.“
She smiled, pursing her lips.
“I had nothing to lose,” she said. “And she had everything. I knew what I was doing.”
His thumb stroked the back of her hand, as he looked down at it, his lips open.
“I want this to change, Sara,” he said. Her expression became confused. “You are a beautiful young woman and you could have a million reasons to live for.”
Sara didn’t know what to say. Why was he telling her those things?
“I didn’t do that because my life is empty, Gil,” she said. “I did it because Calleigh has a family who cares for her and she’s living for two. I had never seen anyone happier than her and I wouldn’t let that happiness end like that.”
Gil sighed and looked into her eyes.
“What about me?”
“What?”
“What about me, Sara?” he repeated. “Do you think I would survive if you… If you…”
Sara shook her head, smiling genuinely.
“I didn’t mean that. You’re a good friend, Griss, and I know-“
“No, I’m not,” he said. His voice was serious and sad. “I’ve never been a good friend to you. I’ve always loved you too much and cared too little about your feelings. I tried to keep the distance between us because I was afraid you would understand, but doing what I thought it was best for you, I hurt you, and I’m really sorry for this.”
“You don’t have to,” she said. She suddenly felt numb, but she also felt unusual warmth inside. “I’m a big girl and it’s time for me to learn how to deal with a crush.”
“Is this what I am?” he asked. “Just a crush?”
“You know you’re not.”
“Why don’t we learn dealing with crushes together?” he suggested. Out of the window the sun was rising, making the sky shine in violet shades.
Sara didn’t know whether to feel shocked or happy. In that moment, the only thing Sara knew was that maybe that bullet had done something more than wound her.
“Don’t say anything you don’t mean,” she warned him, holding his hand tighter.
His lips spread in a sweet smile.
“Have I ever?”
“There’s always a first time.”
“It won’t be today,” he leaned on her, cupping her face with his right hand. “I’m not going to let another day pass without knowing you’ll be by my side tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow and every other single day of my life.”
Her heart stopped. There was just a slight veil of air dividing their faces. She had already seen that loving expression in his eyes before, but it was the first time he wasn’t trying to hide it.
Sara smiled. If it was a dream, she didn’t want to wake up.
“Shall we try, Sara?” he asked in concern. “Can we try and make this work or am I too late?”
And all she could do as she heard those words was to reach out for him and let their lips meet for the first time.
Sara shivered under his touch. She had been dreaming for fifteen years for a moment like that. It had never crossed her mind it could ever become more than a mere dream.
When they pulled apart, they both flushed, but the smiles they had painted on their faces didn’t fade.
A knock on the door distracted them. Gil turned to her for a moment, then stood up and opened the door. Horatio and Calleigh stood in front of him, holding the most beautiful flowers Sara had ever seen. Calleigh wore a short white dress and she looked perfect and, according to his expression, Horatio seemed to think the same thing.
“Hey!” Sara exclaimed, but her voice was low and husky.
“Hi honey!” Calleigh said brightly, sitting next to her, where Grissom had been. “We didn’t expect to find you awake. I thought you’d sleep until Charming Prince would come and kiss you.”
Sara and Gil instinctively looked at each other, their cheeks burning.
“I’ve got the impression that’s more or less what actually happened, Cal,” Horatio said with a knowing grin, placing his hands on his wife’s shoulders.
Calleigh smiled, but never took her eyes off Sara.
“We wanted to thank you, Sara,” she said. “You did so much for us…”
Sara tried to deny her merits, but Horatio didn’t let her speak.
“Calleigh and I have thought about it,” he said. “And we’d like you and Gil to be our daughter’s godparents.”
Sara’s face lit up, while Gil looked shocked and honoured at the same time.
“So it’s a girl?” Sara exclaimed happily, glancing at Calleigh’s belly.
Calleigh and Horatio beamed proudly and nodded.
“She will be born in October,” he added. “And we’re going to name her after you.”
“You don’t have to do this, guys,” Sara said. “You would have done the same with me, so-“
“It’s the least we can do,” Horatio replied. “Besides, Sara is a beautiful name.”
“It’d be a honour,” Gil said, and then turned to Sara. “Don’t you think so?”
Sara curved her lips in her gap-toothed smile and nodded.
“I’ve always wished to have a goddaughter,” she joked.
“As soon as you get out of here,” Horatio said. “I hope you will accept a dinner invitation at our house.”
“I’d love to,” Sara answered. “By the way, when exactly can I leave this bed?”
“The doctors said you’ll be discharged in a week,” Gil said. “But you won’t be able to travel before the end of the month.”
Sara’s eyes widened in shock.
“You mean I have to stay here in Miami for a fortnight? What about the lab? I can’t-”
“Sara, don’t even begin.” He scolded her. “I called Ecklie yesterday and it’s all settled. It’s just a couple of weeks, the lab will make it even without us.”
“Us?”
“Yes, us. I’m not going to leave you here alone with a bullet wound.”
Calleigh and Horatio grinned at each other.
“It’s time for us to go,” she said, blinking at Sara. “See you tomorrow.”
“Ok,” said Sara, waving her hand.
“And, by the way,” Calleigh added. “Two weeks are long and hotels are expensive… Our house is big, we have plenty of room for a couple of friends.”
When she closed the door behind herself, hand in hand with Horatio, Sara gave a frustrated sigh.
“I won’t survive this,” she complained. “I need something to do. I need to work!”
Gil sat by her, severely looking at her.
“That’s why I’m staying,” he said. “You’re a convalescent workaholic, you can’t be left alone. The more you rest, the sooner we can go back home.”
She crossed her arms on her chest and puckered her mouth.
“Until then,” he went on. “We can take advantage of this unforeseen holiday and visit this beautiful city.”
“Wait, is it an invitation?” she inquired.
Gil shrugged, putting his jacket on.
“It could be,” he said enigmatically. “I’ll go and grab something to eat. I’ll be back in half an hour, ok?”
“Buy me some pizza!”
“No pizza for you,” he stated. “You need healthy food. I’ll buy you some oranges.” He went out, leaving her alone.
After all, Sara thought, nothing had been as she had expected: she had flirted with a colleague, she had solved the case, she had been shot saving Calleigh’s life, she had nearly died during the surgery and Grissom had just asked her to try and make that work. Definitely, that was not what she would have expected it to be. It was much better.
TBC...
The room was dark and silent. There was a small light upon her head and an intermitting sound came from the side of the bed. She felt exhausted and her eyes could barely stay open. She didn’t know where she was nor she could remember how she had gotten there. She tried to sit up, but all her strength seemed to have left her. She tried to move one hand and she realized it was surrounded by another hand, warm and gentle. When she saw Grissom, asleep next to her, holding her hand, she instantly felt better. Sara slipped her hand out of his and lifted it above his head. As she touched him, his eyes opened in wonder and he sat up with a big, surprised grin on his face.
“Sara!” he sighed in relief, taking her hand again.
“Glad you know my name,” she replied weakly, returning the grin. Despite her conditions, irony was still her trademark. He gave her an anxious look. “How are you feeling?”
“Great,” she said. “Considering I’m lying in a hospital bed and my head is killing me.”
“It’s normal,” he replied. “You’ve been sleeping for a couple of days.”
Sara giggled weakly.
“Wow, now I’m not going to need to sleep for a month.”
“This is not a joke, Sara. Your life was in serious danger, are you aware of this?” he said. “You could have-“
“How are Calleigh and her baby?” she asked, interrupting him. She didn’t care about her own life. She didn’t even have a life to save. But Calleigh did, and Sara had done the right thing defending her from the shots.
“They are great,” he answered. “Thanks to you.“
She smiled, pursing her lips.
“I had nothing to lose,” she said. “And she had everything. I knew what I was doing.”
His thumb stroked the back of her hand, as he looked down at it, his lips open.
“I want this to change, Sara,” he said. Her expression became confused. “You are a beautiful young woman and you could have a million reasons to live for.”
Sara didn’t know what to say. Why was he telling her those things?
“I didn’t do that because my life is empty, Gil,” she said. “I did it because Calleigh has a family who cares for her and she’s living for two. I had never seen anyone happier than her and I wouldn’t let that happiness end like that.”
Gil sighed and looked into her eyes.
“What about me?”
“What?”
“What about me, Sara?” he repeated. “Do you think I would survive if you… If you…”
Sara shook her head, smiling genuinely.
“I didn’t mean that. You’re a good friend, Griss, and I know-“
“No, I’m not,” he said. His voice was serious and sad. “I’ve never been a good friend to you. I’ve always loved you too much and cared too little about your feelings. I tried to keep the distance between us because I was afraid you would understand, but doing what I thought it was best for you, I hurt you, and I’m really sorry for this.”
“You don’t have to,” she said. She suddenly felt numb, but she also felt unusual warmth inside. “I’m a big girl and it’s time for me to learn how to deal with a crush.”
“Is this what I am?” he asked. “Just a crush?”
“You know you’re not.”
“Why don’t we learn dealing with crushes together?” he suggested. Out of the window the sun was rising, making the sky shine in violet shades.
Sara didn’t know whether to feel shocked or happy. In that moment, the only thing Sara knew was that maybe that bullet had done something more than wound her.
“Don’t say anything you don’t mean,” she warned him, holding his hand tighter.
His lips spread in a sweet smile.
“Have I ever?”
“There’s always a first time.”
“It won’t be today,” he leaned on her, cupping her face with his right hand. “I’m not going to let another day pass without knowing you’ll be by my side tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow and every other single day of my life.”
Her heart stopped. There was just a slight veil of air dividing their faces. She had already seen that loving expression in his eyes before, but it was the first time he wasn’t trying to hide it.
Sara smiled. If it was a dream, she didn’t want to wake up.
“Shall we try, Sara?” he asked in concern. “Can we try and make this work or am I too late?”
And all she could do as she heard those words was to reach out for him and let their lips meet for the first time.
Sara shivered under his touch. She had been dreaming for fifteen years for a moment like that. It had never crossed her mind it could ever become more than a mere dream.
When they pulled apart, they both flushed, but the smiles they had painted on their faces didn’t fade.
A knock on the door distracted them. Gil turned to her for a moment, then stood up and opened the door. Horatio and Calleigh stood in front of him, holding the most beautiful flowers Sara had ever seen. Calleigh wore a short white dress and she looked perfect and, according to his expression, Horatio seemed to think the same thing.
“Hey!” Sara exclaimed, but her voice was low and husky.
“Hi honey!” Calleigh said brightly, sitting next to her, where Grissom had been. “We didn’t expect to find you awake. I thought you’d sleep until Charming Prince would come and kiss you.”
Sara and Gil instinctively looked at each other, their cheeks burning.
“I’ve got the impression that’s more or less what actually happened, Cal,” Horatio said with a knowing grin, placing his hands on his wife’s shoulders.
Calleigh smiled, but never took her eyes off Sara.
“We wanted to thank you, Sara,” she said. “You did so much for us…”
Sara tried to deny her merits, but Horatio didn’t let her speak.
“Calleigh and I have thought about it,” he said. “And we’d like you and Gil to be our daughter’s godparents.”
Sara’s face lit up, while Gil looked shocked and honoured at the same time.
“So it’s a girl?” Sara exclaimed happily, glancing at Calleigh’s belly.
Calleigh and Horatio beamed proudly and nodded.
“She will be born in October,” he added. “And we’re going to name her after you.”
“You don’t have to do this, guys,” Sara said. “You would have done the same with me, so-“
“It’s the least we can do,” Horatio replied. “Besides, Sara is a beautiful name.”
“It’d be a honour,” Gil said, and then turned to Sara. “Don’t you think so?”
Sara curved her lips in her gap-toothed smile and nodded.
“I’ve always wished to have a goddaughter,” she joked.
“As soon as you get out of here,” Horatio said. “I hope you will accept a dinner invitation at our house.”
“I’d love to,” Sara answered. “By the way, when exactly can I leave this bed?”
“The doctors said you’ll be discharged in a week,” Gil said. “But you won’t be able to travel before the end of the month.”
Sara’s eyes widened in shock.
“You mean I have to stay here in Miami for a fortnight? What about the lab? I can’t-”
“Sara, don’t even begin.” He scolded her. “I called Ecklie yesterday and it’s all settled. It’s just a couple of weeks, the lab will make it even without us.”
“Us?”
“Yes, us. I’m not going to leave you here alone with a bullet wound.”
Calleigh and Horatio grinned at each other.
“It’s time for us to go,” she said, blinking at Sara. “See you tomorrow.”
“Ok,” said Sara, waving her hand.
“And, by the way,” Calleigh added. “Two weeks are long and hotels are expensive… Our house is big, we have plenty of room for a couple of friends.”
When she closed the door behind herself, hand in hand with Horatio, Sara gave a frustrated sigh.
“I won’t survive this,” she complained. “I need something to do. I need to work!”
Gil sat by her, severely looking at her.
“That’s why I’m staying,” he said. “You’re a convalescent workaholic, you can’t be left alone. The more you rest, the sooner we can go back home.”
She crossed her arms on her chest and puckered her mouth.
“Until then,” he went on. “We can take advantage of this unforeseen holiday and visit this beautiful city.”
“Wait, is it an invitation?” she inquired.
Gil shrugged, putting his jacket on.
“It could be,” he said enigmatically. “I’ll go and grab something to eat. I’ll be back in half an hour, ok?”
“Buy me some pizza!”
“No pizza for you,” he stated. “You need healthy food. I’ll buy you some oranges.” He went out, leaving her alone.
After all, Sara thought, nothing had been as she had expected: she had flirted with a colleague, she had solved the case, she had been shot saving Calleigh’s life, she had nearly died during the surgery and Grissom had just asked her to try and make that work. Definitely, that was not what she would have expected it to be. It was much better.
TBC...
CSIsMANIAC
Captain
Good 'ol Grissom 'ol buddy! Did it take a bullet in your gal to make you realize what you're missing? Nyaha! Yay with the meddling! It worked!
Aww! It's a girl! I wonder, will it have strawberry-blonde hair? With big, blue eyes and a heart of gold? Hehe...can't wait for your next installment! This is going awesome.
Aww! It's a girl! I wonder, will it have strawberry-blonde hair? With big, blue eyes and a heart of gold? Hehe...can't wait for your next installment! This is going awesome.
_Calleigh_
Coroner
*blushes*
Yay, thanks! It was such a pleasure to write this chapter, I'm glad you like it too!
Yay, thanks! It was such a pleasure to write this chapter, I'm glad you like it too!
_Calleigh_
Coroner
Sorry for the long waiting!
Warning: major H/Cal fluffness! :lol:
PRECIOUS
“Honey, come here!”
Calleigh’s voice came to Horatio’s ears through the house. As he heard her calling, he stood up from the couch in the living room and reached her in the guest room. She was standing in front of the window, studying it with a critical expression.
“Let me guess,” he said, approaching her. “We need new curtains.”
She turned to him with a mischievous grin and bit her lower lips.
“I love it when you read my mind, Mr Caine.”
He grinned back, wrapping his arms around her waist.
“I know, Mrs Caine. That’s why I’m such a good CSI: Calleigh’s Sentiments Investigator.”
She laughed and kissed him, pulling him near.
“Gil and Sara are coming tonight,” she said. “I want them to feel comfortable and this room looks so empty and cold!”
“Cal, they’re just going to sleep in here and I don’t think they’re going to pay attention to what their rooms look like.”
Calleigh pouted and looked around.
“This is gonna be Gil’s room, then,” she stated. “I’ll give Sara the future nursery. It looks much more welcoming.”
Horatio nodded, but he noticed she didn’t look satisfied.
“But you still want to buy new curtains, do you?”
Calleigh shrugged nonchalantly and turned her back to him, heading out of the room.
“I don’t think it’s important if your pregnant wife would like her house to be more comfortable for a couple of friends, especially for the one who saved her own and your baby’s life.”
Horatio rolled his eyes, secretly smiling. She was playing the offended puppy part and even though he knew it was just a joke, he couldn’t resist.
“Alright, then,” he agreed, placing his hands on his hips. “Go and get ready, we’re going out for lunch and then we can go and find these vitally important curtains.”
He heard Calleigh’s steps running back to the room and in a few seconds she was throwing her arms around his neck and showering him with kisses.
“It takes so little to make you happy…” he commented, hugging her.
“It’s not so true, since my husband is the only one who can. And, you now, he’s best man in the world.”
Horatio smiled, leaning his forehead on hers.
“For some reason, I’ve got the impression you’re trying to flatter me.”
Calleigh giggled, meeting his eyes.
“As I said, I love it when you read my mind.”
.
It was wonderful to see Calleigh so happy and serene. Horatio was walking by her side as they were crossing the road, heading to the shopping centre. She was wearing the same white dress she had worn the day Sara had awoken, a week earlier. Horatio watched his wife, amused: she was eating her ice-cream in the cutest way he had ever seen, running the tongue on the tip of the cone, observing the shops on her side. He instinctively tightened his hand around hers and smiled to her behind his sunglasses.
“What’s so funny?” she asked, checking her reflection in the shop window. “Do I have some ice-cream on my nose?”
Horatio laughed , stealing a kiss form her lips. She tasted like chocolate.
“What was that for?”
“For being so irresistibly you.”
Calleigh smirked, leaning her head on his shoulder.
“Will I be irresistibly me even when I’ll ask you to pay for those lovely curtains I saw last week?” she asked.
“Of course you will,” he answered, entering the shopping centre. “Especially if I’ll pay with your credit card.”
Calleigh shrugged.
“Mine, yours… The important thing is that we have a joined bank account:”
Horatio laughed, stopping in front of a cafeteria.
“Wanna have something? You need energy for shopping.”
Calleigh ran her eyes eagerly on the pastries and the cakes exposed behind the window. Horatio watched her biting her lower lips, unsure. He could almost hear her thoughts. It had been like that since the beginning of the pregnancy: she wanted to fight her cravings, but she just couldn’t resist. She always complained about the few pounds she had gained during the last few weeks, but he couldn’t get her point: her curves had gotten a little softer, but she still looked incredibly hot and, according to the glances that the boys around were casting looks at her, he was not the only one who thought so.
“Chocolate cake,” he whispered in her ear. “With a lot of cream on the top.”
Calleigh turned to him, pouting.
“This isn’t fair, Horatio,” she whined. “How am I supposed to resist if you tempt me like this?”
Before he could reply, her stomach growled and she put a hand on it, blushing.
“Ok, I’ll have the cake,” she said. “But only because the baby is hungry.”
Horatio grinned, opening the door for her.
“Obviously.”
They sat at one of the small round tables and ordered the cake for Calleigh and a coffee for Horatio.
“I shouldn’t be eating this,” Calleigh said, when the waitress was gone, after having laid the cake in front of her. “I’ve already had an ice-cream and four hot dogs.”
“Honey, stop rambling,” he laughed. “You’re nine weeks along and you need to eat more.”
Calleigh swallowed her first piece of cake and cast him a piercing sarcastic look.
“What am I going to do in seven months?” she wondered, without stopping from eating. “I’m going to become a walking whale with a distinctive and a gun.”
Horatio shook his head, sipping his coffee.
“Cal, you’re being absolutely ridiculous.”
“You shut up!” she mourned. “It’s not you the one who’s going to look like you’ve swallowed a watermelon.”
Horatio tried to say something, but in that moment a tear escaped from Calleigh’s eyes and ran down her cheek, flowed by others. She sobbed, covering her mouth with one hand.
“Cal-“
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, wiping the tears with a tissue. “Don’t know what’s going on with me.”
“Hey, hey, it’s ok,” he said, placing a finger under her chin and making her lift her face. “It’s just a mood swing, we have to get used to it.”
Calleigh nodded as her husband kissed her cheek, tasting the last of her tears.
“Are you alright now?”
“Yes,” she said smiling. “I just hope I won’t react like this when I’ll find out my favourite jeans don’t fit anymore.”
Horatio laughed. He loved her sense of humour.
He tried to imagine how their life as parents would be: he was sure she’d make a great mother. He thought of the way she acted with Ryan, always protecting and defending him during his little roughs with Eric. Indeed, she had a good mother instinct.
Calleigh finished her cake as though nothing had happened, wearing a serene smile on her face.
Horatio helped her standing up and took his wallet out of the inner pocket of his jacket.
“Can I have a milkshake?” Calleigh begged as they approached the counter to pay. “I promise I won’t eat anything else until dinner.”
Horatio paid for their consummations and for a berry milkshake, which Calleigh enjoyed while she walked with him towards the shop.
It took her half an hour to decide between two different versions of the curtains she had seen.
“We should buy some food for tonight.” She said, going out of the shop with two large bags in her hand. “I want to prepare something special for Sara.”
Horatio wrap his left arm around her shoulders.
“You’re really fond of her, aren’t you?”
“I am,” she said. “And it’s not just because she did what she did. She’s special, and I’m glad Gil understood that in time.”
“You did a great job, my little cupid,” he replied, making her smile.
“Why, yes, I must admit I’ve been very persuasive,” she joked. “It was very important that he opened his eyes, for the both of them.”
“Calleigh Caine, you’re the most beautiful thing that has ever happened to this world.”
Calleigh turned to him, beaming happily.
“Thanks for reminding me everyday, Handsome.”
He leaned on her, placing a kiss on her forehead.
“My pleasure.”
TBC...
Warning: major H/Cal fluffness! :lol:
PRECIOUS
“Honey, come here!”
Calleigh’s voice came to Horatio’s ears through the house. As he heard her calling, he stood up from the couch in the living room and reached her in the guest room. She was standing in front of the window, studying it with a critical expression.
“Let me guess,” he said, approaching her. “We need new curtains.”
She turned to him with a mischievous grin and bit her lower lips.
“I love it when you read my mind, Mr Caine.”
He grinned back, wrapping his arms around her waist.
“I know, Mrs Caine. That’s why I’m such a good CSI: Calleigh’s Sentiments Investigator.”
She laughed and kissed him, pulling him near.
“Gil and Sara are coming tonight,” she said. “I want them to feel comfortable and this room looks so empty and cold!”
“Cal, they’re just going to sleep in here and I don’t think they’re going to pay attention to what their rooms look like.”
Calleigh pouted and looked around.
“This is gonna be Gil’s room, then,” she stated. “I’ll give Sara the future nursery. It looks much more welcoming.”
Horatio nodded, but he noticed she didn’t look satisfied.
“But you still want to buy new curtains, do you?”
Calleigh shrugged nonchalantly and turned her back to him, heading out of the room.
“I don’t think it’s important if your pregnant wife would like her house to be more comfortable for a couple of friends, especially for the one who saved her own and your baby’s life.”
Horatio rolled his eyes, secretly smiling. She was playing the offended puppy part and even though he knew it was just a joke, he couldn’t resist.
“Alright, then,” he agreed, placing his hands on his hips. “Go and get ready, we’re going out for lunch and then we can go and find these vitally important curtains.”
He heard Calleigh’s steps running back to the room and in a few seconds she was throwing her arms around his neck and showering him with kisses.
“It takes so little to make you happy…” he commented, hugging her.
“It’s not so true, since my husband is the only one who can. And, you now, he’s best man in the world.”
Horatio smiled, leaning his forehead on hers.
“For some reason, I’ve got the impression you’re trying to flatter me.”
Calleigh giggled, meeting his eyes.
“As I said, I love it when you read my mind.”
.
It was wonderful to see Calleigh so happy and serene. Horatio was walking by her side as they were crossing the road, heading to the shopping centre. She was wearing the same white dress she had worn the day Sara had awoken, a week earlier. Horatio watched his wife, amused: she was eating her ice-cream in the cutest way he had ever seen, running the tongue on the tip of the cone, observing the shops on her side. He instinctively tightened his hand around hers and smiled to her behind his sunglasses.
“What’s so funny?” she asked, checking her reflection in the shop window. “Do I have some ice-cream on my nose?”
Horatio laughed , stealing a kiss form her lips. She tasted like chocolate.
“What was that for?”
“For being so irresistibly you.”
Calleigh smirked, leaning her head on his shoulder.
“Will I be irresistibly me even when I’ll ask you to pay for those lovely curtains I saw last week?” she asked.
“Of course you will,” he answered, entering the shopping centre. “Especially if I’ll pay with your credit card.”
Calleigh shrugged.
“Mine, yours… The important thing is that we have a joined bank account:”
Horatio laughed, stopping in front of a cafeteria.
“Wanna have something? You need energy for shopping.”
Calleigh ran her eyes eagerly on the pastries and the cakes exposed behind the window. Horatio watched her biting her lower lips, unsure. He could almost hear her thoughts. It had been like that since the beginning of the pregnancy: she wanted to fight her cravings, but she just couldn’t resist. She always complained about the few pounds she had gained during the last few weeks, but he couldn’t get her point: her curves had gotten a little softer, but she still looked incredibly hot and, according to the glances that the boys around were casting looks at her, he was not the only one who thought so.
“Chocolate cake,” he whispered in her ear. “With a lot of cream on the top.”
Calleigh turned to him, pouting.
“This isn’t fair, Horatio,” she whined. “How am I supposed to resist if you tempt me like this?”
Before he could reply, her stomach growled and she put a hand on it, blushing.
“Ok, I’ll have the cake,” she said. “But only because the baby is hungry.”
Horatio grinned, opening the door for her.
“Obviously.”
They sat at one of the small round tables and ordered the cake for Calleigh and a coffee for Horatio.
“I shouldn’t be eating this,” Calleigh said, when the waitress was gone, after having laid the cake in front of her. “I’ve already had an ice-cream and four hot dogs.”
“Honey, stop rambling,” he laughed. “You’re nine weeks along and you need to eat more.”
Calleigh swallowed her first piece of cake and cast him a piercing sarcastic look.
“What am I going to do in seven months?” she wondered, without stopping from eating. “I’m going to become a walking whale with a distinctive and a gun.”
Horatio shook his head, sipping his coffee.
“Cal, you’re being absolutely ridiculous.”
“You shut up!” she mourned. “It’s not you the one who’s going to look like you’ve swallowed a watermelon.”
Horatio tried to say something, but in that moment a tear escaped from Calleigh’s eyes and ran down her cheek, flowed by others. She sobbed, covering her mouth with one hand.
“Cal-“
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, wiping the tears with a tissue. “Don’t know what’s going on with me.”
“Hey, hey, it’s ok,” he said, placing a finger under her chin and making her lift her face. “It’s just a mood swing, we have to get used to it.”
Calleigh nodded as her husband kissed her cheek, tasting the last of her tears.
“Are you alright now?”
“Yes,” she said smiling. “I just hope I won’t react like this when I’ll find out my favourite jeans don’t fit anymore.”
Horatio laughed. He loved her sense of humour.
He tried to imagine how their life as parents would be: he was sure she’d make a great mother. He thought of the way she acted with Ryan, always protecting and defending him during his little roughs with Eric. Indeed, she had a good mother instinct.
Calleigh finished her cake as though nothing had happened, wearing a serene smile on her face.
Horatio helped her standing up and took his wallet out of the inner pocket of his jacket.
“Can I have a milkshake?” Calleigh begged as they approached the counter to pay. “I promise I won’t eat anything else until dinner.”
Horatio paid for their consummations and for a berry milkshake, which Calleigh enjoyed while she walked with him towards the shop.
It took her half an hour to decide between two different versions of the curtains she had seen.
“We should buy some food for tonight.” She said, going out of the shop with two large bags in her hand. “I want to prepare something special for Sara.”
Horatio wrap his left arm around her shoulders.
“You’re really fond of her, aren’t you?”
“I am,” she said. “And it’s not just because she did what she did. She’s special, and I’m glad Gil understood that in time.”
“You did a great job, my little cupid,” he replied, making her smile.
“Why, yes, I must admit I’ve been very persuasive,” she joked. “It was very important that he opened his eyes, for the both of them.”
“Calleigh Caine, you’re the most beautiful thing that has ever happened to this world.”
Calleigh turned to him, beaming happily.
“Thanks for reminding me everyday, Handsome.”
He leaned on her, placing a kiss on her forehead.
“My pleasure.”
TBC...
G
Guest
Guest
it is so good.... *now dreaming of how this should actually be incorporated into season five scripts*
Write more, pretty please?
Write more, pretty please?