Title: Dealing with Sara
Author: Paige
Fandom: CSI: Vegas
Pairing: Gil/Greg
Rating: FRAO
Spoilers: General through Season 6. ‘Fatal Attraction’(the film)
Category: Drama/Angst, some smut too.
Summary: Gil makes a decision about Sara’s future with the lab and things get ugly.
Disclaimer: Don’t own, don’t sue. Won’t get anything. Also don’t own ‘Fatal Attraction’.
Feedback: No flames please
Email: katelyamct@gmail.com
Warning: This is not for Sara fans. Some light D/s. Violence.

********************************

Gil Grissom in general was known as a cool, dry individual, not given to overexcitement about much of anything except his beloved bugs. Anything after that, he could take or leave, except for one thing, his lover, Greg Sanders. If you asked him, Gil would tell you that Greg Sanders was the most beautiful, loving person in the world. He’d also tell you that Greg was one of the few people who’d seen him at his very worst and still wanted to be around him. The few people who’d seen that side of Grissom would agree that alone made Greg a very special person and they’d say that Gil had undergone an amazing change since he and Greg had become lovers. Gil, who was the first to admit that he wasn’t the best at relationships, was head over heels in love with the dirty blond angel cleverly disguised as a CSI.

And right now, that dirty blond angel was whom Gil longed to see as he walked into the townhouse he and Greg shared. He’d had a bitch of a day, Sara had cornered him in his office and practically ordered him to go out with her. She tried to say that she could make him much happier than Greg, he just needed to give her the chance. The conversation had gone downhill from there. He’d finally told her that he was very happy with Greg and he wouldn’t destroy a wonderful, loving monogamous relationship to enter a relationship that he knew wouldn’t work and that was all there was to it. She’d stormed off in a rage, leaving Gil once again wondering what would be the best course of action for dealing with this. Sara’s increasing aggressiveness in pursuing a non-existent relationship with him was getting out of hand and it was affecting both Sara’s work and the team, Catherine flat-out refused to work with her and Nick and Warrick weren’t far behind her in that sentiment. Sara was only nice to Greg because of Gil and he knew that if this kept up, even Greg would refuse to work with her.

Sighing, Gil listened to the faint sounds of Greg’s snoring in their bedroom, taking comfort in knowing that his lover was safe and sound in their home, in their bed. Laying his jacket and briefcase in the foyer, Gil quickly toed off his shoes, pausing to feed all of his six and eight legged friends and checking on Greg’s humongous exotic fish aquarium before padding into the bedroom.

Pausing in the doorway, Gil smiled at the scene that greeted him; Greg sprawled on his back, a book laying open on his chest, reading glasses sliding down his nose. The whole scene was sweet and endearing, nothing in the world could compare to this. Moving quietly around the room, he took a shower and got ready for bed. Crawling into bed, he only paused long enough to gently pry the book off of Greg’s chest and pull the glasses that no one but him ever saw or even suspected that Greg owned off of his lover’s perfect nose before cuddling close.

Greg woke when he felt Gil pulling his glasses off and Gil found himself staring into the chocolate fondue eyes of his very tired lover.

“Mmmm, hi.” Greg murmured, snuggling close. Gil smiled and wrapped his arms around his lover’s slight frame.

“Hi, yourself.” Gil murmured, cradling his lover to his chest and kissing his forehead.

“What’s wrong, you’re tense.” Greg observed.

Gil sighed, he should have known that Greg would catch on to the tension still left over from the office. He told Greg about what happened at the lab between him and Sara. After he finished Greg was silent for several minutes before he spoke.

“Gil, you have got to do something about Sara. She’s not going to stop until you either go out with her or she transfers to another lab.”

Gil sighed, “I know. I just really don’t want to lose her, she’s a good CSI. I was thinking about transfering her to another shift.”

Greg sighed, “Gil, you and I both know that if she were to transfer to another shift she wouldn’t stop. She’d just find some excuse to be there either when you came in or when you left.”

Gil sighed again, “I know, you’re right. It’s just, I keep hoping I can make her understand that I just want to be her friend and that I’m not interested in her as a romantic partner.”

“But she won’t understand.” Greg argued in his quiet way. “This is Sara Sidle we’re talking about. She has got it in her head that you and her would be perfect for each other and no one can make her see otherwise. And she thinks that if she badgers you enough you’ll go out with her and see things her way. And she’s getting worse. Cath already refuses to work with her and pretty soon, the only people who’ll be willing to work with her are you and me, and if she keeps it up, it’ll just be you. And then what? She’ll be even more aggressive because she’ll have you all to herself and you’ll be in an even bigger mess.”

Gil sighed, he knew Greg was right about everything, he just didn’t want to lose a valued CSI and colleague, but he also knew he couldn’t ignore Sara’s totally inappropriate and unprofessional behavior.
“I’ll see about getting her transferred to another lab, but I have a feeling that it’s going to be quite a battle.”

Greg nodded, covering one of Gil’s strong hands in his own smaller one. “I know you care about her Gil, but if she won’t listen to anyone, you’ll have to let her go. The lab can’t afford for her to keep letting her emotions and feelings for you interfere with the job. I thought Cath was going to rip her apart during that case when those girls were found buried in that tar a couple of years ago.”

Gil nodded, “I should have addressed it then, but I was hoping that nearly losing her job would get it through her thick skull. I thought it had until she found out about us.”

Greg frowned, “What do you mean?”

“She seemed to calm down after Ecklie nearly fired her but when we came out to the group, that’s when she started chasing me again.”

Greg smiled softly, “It’s called jealousy Gil. She can’t stand the thought of you being with anyone but her. If we had kept quiet, she may or may not have moved on, but now that she knows that you have someone in your life, that disrupts her belief that you’re in love with her alone and she can’t stand that.”

Gil smiled and kissed his lover, “When’d you get to be so smart?”

Greg returned the smile, “Since I met you.” He returned the kiss and added a few kisses of his own. “I’m tired of talking about Sara. I missed you tonight.”

Gil’s smile widened as he returned the kisses, using his height advantage to push Greg onto his back, rubbing his dripping cock against Greg’s. “You want me baby? You want me to fuck you til you can’t move anymore? Is that what you want?” Greg moaned his assent, thrusting against Gil. Chuckling, Gil reached into the bedside table and pulled out some lube. He and Greg had been monogamous for three years and all their tests had come back clean so they didn’t bother with condoms. They were a nuisance and on nights like this,
when Gil just wanted to bury his cock deep into Greg’s ass and stay there for awhile, a condom would just be a hindrance.

“Oh God Gil, I need you in me so bad,” Greg pleaded, lifting his hips in an attempt to entice his lover into hurrying, but Gil was never one to rush. He leisurely coated his fingers with their favorite lube and gently thrust his index finger into the tight heat of Greg’s ass, making his young lover moan and wriggle even more to get the finger where he wanted it.

Gil chuckled, “You like this baby?” A low moan was the only reply. Chuckling again, Gil inserted another finger, scissoring it gently, stretching Greg’s hole to make it ready for him, smiling as Greg’s moans became louder and more insistent. Finally inserting a third finger, Gil gently brushed over the little bundle of nerves that would make his lover even wilder with desire. When Greg nearly screamed with desire, Gil knew that his lover was ready. Slicking up his thick cock and slowly slid into the welcoming heat of his lover’s sweet tight ass.

Greg moaned loudly at the intense feeling of being filled. Gil was moving slowly so as not to hurt his lover, but as soon as he was fully seated, he gently lifted his smaller lover so that he was sitting on his lap, his long legs wrapped around his waist, which caused Gil’s cock to go even deeper into his ass.

Once Gil was sure that Greg was okay, he started thrusting with slow, even thrusts, making sure to hit Greg’s prostate everytime, making the smaller man moan and wriggle. As their pace sped up, Greg’s groans and whimpers became louder and louder until he was nearly screaming for completion.

“Oh God, Gil! Please, please, baby! I wanna, I wanna…” Greg’s pleas trailed off into a loud groan as he felt Gil speed up his thrusts.

Gil chuckled and pressed his lips against Greg’s ear, “You wanna what baby? You wanna cum? Is that what you want?” Greg nodded, making no attempt to try and touch himself. That wasn’t allowed. Though they only engaged in light D/s, Greg knew that he wasn’t supposed to touch himself during lovemaking unless Gil gave him permission.

Gil tightened one of his arms to keep Greg from falling and told his young lover to wrap his arms around his neck, gripping Greg’s dripping cock, using the pre-cum leaking from it as lube. After a few stokes, Greg was writhing and whining for Gil to let him cum. Finally, Gil pressed his lips against Greg’s ear, “Cum for me baby. Want you to cum all over my hand.”

Greg let out a whining cry and his cock pulsed in Gil’s hand as he came. Feeling Greg’s already tight ass contract around his cock, Gil felt his own cock pulsing as he emptied into Greg’s willing body. They both collapsed onto the bed gasping. Gil managed to pull away from Greg long enough to grab a washcloth to clean his sleeping lover and himself off before collapsing next to Greg, cuddling him close. His last thought was about his next course of action with Sara. He was not looking forward to her reaction, but for his, the team’s, and Sara’s own good, he had to do this.

Two days later

It turned out that the confrontation with Sara wasn’t as bad as Gil expected, it hadn’t happened at all. He came in after his two days off, his plan for Sara’s transfer all planned out in his head. The problem was that while he was gone, Sara’s behavior had gone from unprofessional and inappropriate to outright intolerable. It turned out that Sara had been suspended without pay due to a confrontation with the wife of a victim that ended with the woman threatening to sue and Nick stating in no uncertain terms that he would not work with her anymore.

Turned out that the case was one of a woman who’d murdered a co-worker she’d been chasing for years because she’d found out that he had married his long-time girlfriend, whom the woman had known about, but had refused to accept, believing that the victim was in love with her. Sara had insisted that it was the man’s own fault, that he had been playing cruel mindgames with the suspect, pulling her closer and then shoving her away and that caused his death and that the bastard deserved it for not seeing what a wonderful woman he was throwing away for some tart. The whole situation so mirrored the situation between him, Greg and Sara it gave Gil the willies.

So he’d come in and was confronted with some very disgruntled criminalists on the verge of mutiny because of Sara’s behavior.

Then Sofia, who had been promoted to director after Ecklie had transferred to Chicago, had called him into her office to discuss what to do about Sara. She’d told him that Sara’s behavior was getting to the point that she was facing a very difficult choice; either transfer Sara to another lab or fire her. Because Sara, for all her faults, was an excellent criminalist, Sofia was reluctant to fire her. On the other hand, Sara’s increasingly out of control behavior could not be ignored and her pursuit of Grissom despite knowing that he was in a committed relationship was bordering on harassment and could be grounds for disciplinary action. They’d discussed what to do at length and decided that it would be best for everyone if Sara was transferred to another lab. Sofia mentioned several places, including Boston, which Gil figured might make Sara happy since she’d gone to college at Harvard. Though it did make Gil feel better knowing that Sofia had his back on the issue of Sara, he still had a bad feeling about what was going to happen when Sara came back from her suspension.

A week later

Sara stormed out of Sofia’s office, a look of pure fury on her face. She couldn’t believe this! Not only had she been suspended for stating her opinion about a case, and she still said she was right about it being the victim’s cruel mindgames with the woman who’d killed him that caused his death; not that the woman had been pursuing him obsessively despite him being married. She’d interpreted the evidence and then got suspended when the guy’s wife hadn’t appreciated her telling the truth. She came back and was stuck with Warrick since Nick and Catherine were acting like spoiled brats and wouldn’t work with her.

Then she had been called into Sofia’s office and told that she was to be transferred to another lab for her own sake and the sake of the lab. When Sara replied that Gris wouldn’t allow that when he found out, Sofia had told her that Grissom already knew and had agreed wholeheartedly with her decision and that it was either agree to be transferred, quit, or be fired because the lab could not afford for her behavior to affect anymore of their cases. Sofia had then told her that there were plenty of labs that would be interested in hiring her and she had until the end of the week to decide.

So now because of Grissom’s unwillingness to acknowledge his feelings for her and his odd infatuation with that little brat Greg, she was faced with either being transferred or throwing away a career that she had worked her ass off for. No, it couldn’t be true that Grissom not only knew about Sofia’s plot but agreed with it, it just couldn’t be! She was certain that if she could just talk to him and tell him her side, he’d understand and call off this whole transfer nonsense.

So she stalked down the hallway until she got to Grissom’s office. Opening the door, she wasn’t surprised to not find Grissom but she was shocked and angered to find Greg laying down on Grissom’s sofa like he had every right to be there.

Sara’s dark eyes narrowed, no one, absolutely no one was allowed to sit on Grissom’s sofa, let alone lay on it without his permission, and here was Greg laying on it like it was his right. It was just another sign of the CSI-1’s rubbing his so-called ‘relationship’ with Gil in her face. Well, she was going to let him know that Grissom loved her and this little charade was going to end.

“What the hell are you doing in here?” Greg jumped and blinked bleary pain filled eyes at the irate woman standing over him.

“My migraines are acting up again so I’m using the couch until my medication kicks in,” he replied, not sure why Sara seemed so angry; she knew that he had migraines, hell she’d taken him to the drugstore to pick up his prescription a few times.

Sara scowled, conflicting feelings coursing through her. First she felt sympathy for Greg, she knew how bad his migraines could get, having witnessed some of them while she was training him. On the other hand, the more irrational part of her was furious that he was using that as an excuse to sleep on Grissom’s sofa instead of doing his share.

“So you just thought that you would use the fact that you’re Grissom’s little fuck buddy to sleep on his sofa while the rest of us are busting our asses, carrying your load?” She snarled.

Greg stared at the brunette, not entirely sure what was going on but sensing that Sara wasn’t functioning on all eight cylinders mentally or emotionally so he tried to keep his cool.

“No, Gris saw that I wasn’t feeling well and he told me to lay down in here where it was dark and he’d come back to check on me in a couple of hours.” He looked at the angry woman wearing the face of someone he’d considered a friend. “What’s wrong Sara?”

Sara stared at him, outraged that he could ask her such a silly question when it should be obvious. “What’s wrong? You’re what’s wrong! You knew that Gil and I were in love and you stole him from me, you little bastard! You think he really loves you? I’m gonna talk to Gil and make him see that we’re meant to be together. And you’ll have to find someone else to trick yourself out to.”

Greg stared at Sara, not having the slightest idea what she was talking about. She and Gil had never been in love, hell Gil practically ran in the other direction anytime she came his way. And he’d never stolen Gil from her, you can’t steal someone from someone who didn’t have them in the first place. Besides, Gil loved him and Greg knew that without a doubt. Gil told him several times a day how much he loved him and showed him with every intimate, tender touch, every kiss and every gentle smile how much he was loved. And Greg was very aware that if Gil really wanted Sara, they would be together. As for talking to Gil, he’d already told her in no uncertain terms that he was not even remotely interested in pursuing that kind of relationship with her.

Sighing, knowing that it was futile but needing to say his peace, Greg sat up and faced the fuming woman looming over him.

“First off Sara, I never stole Gil from you. I’m not that kind of person. If you and Gil had been in a relationship, I would have respected that, but you weren’t together and you never will be.

Secondly, I know for a fact that Gil loves me. He tells me everyday and lets me know in more ways than I can count or describe that he cherishes me as a lover and a friend.

As for this being some passing fancy; Gil and I were together for over two years before we came out to anyone here in the lab. Besides, if this was really some passing thing, do you honestly think that I would be living with Gil, or sleeping in the same bed with him every night? That he would spend holidays with my family and be treated like a son by Papa Olaf? No. Gil cares about you as a friend, Sara, that’s it. And you’re ruining that by trying to make him into something that he’s not. I’m sorry, Sara, but whatever’s going on, you have no one to blame but yourself.”

Sara stared at him, part of her knew that everything Greg was saying was true, but the irrational side shrieked that it was nothing but lies, and unfortunately for Greg and for Sara herself, that was the side that won.
“You fucking little liar,” she screamed and slapped him across the face.

Greg covered his stinging cheek with one hand and glared at her, “I’m not going to do this with you Sara. I’ve told you the truth and you know it. If you can’t accept it, that’s your problem.” He stepped around her, preparing to walk away from the fight he could feel her spoiling for when Sara somehow got in front of him and shoved him into a bookshelf. Greg got up, still unwilling to fight back since Sara was a woman and Papa Olaf had always told him that any man who hit a woman was no man at all. But when he tried to get around her again, Sara kicked him in the stomach and then shoved him into another bookshelf and then started slapping, punching and scratching him with her nails, yelling at him and calling him things he would never repeat as long as he lived.

Greg used his kickboxing training to try and cover his face from Sara’s attacks, but she managed to get quite a few good licks in. He wasn’t sure how long Sara had been hitting him before he heard Gil shouting and then Sara was pulled off of him, kicking and screaming and then he felt a sudden crunch and unbearable pain shot through his arm.

What was happening in the meantime

Gil was standing in the Trace lab with Nick going over fibers that had been pulled off of their victim when Catherine poked her head in the room. “Hey Gil, where’s Greg?”

Gil barely looked up from his microscope, “He’s laying down in my office. His migraines are acting up again. I’m gonna go check on him in a little bit.”

Catherine screwed her face in sympathy, “Poor baby. He take his medicine?”

Gil nodded, “Yeah, I just want him to take it easy until it kicks in and my office is the darkest and quietest place in the building.”

Catherine nodded, barely able to hold back a smile of approval at how happy Greg’s influence had made her best friend. She could only pray that Sara’s insane jealousy didn’t ruin things for the two lovebirds.

Suddenly Warrick stuck his head in behind Cath, “Hey, has anyone seen Sara? She’s supposed to be helping me with that robbery and I can’t find her anywhere.”

Nick looked up, “Yeah, she came storming out of Sofia’s office a little while ago, guess Sofia told her about the transfer, she looked pretty pissed. It looked like she was heading for Gris’s office. Suddenly, just as the implications of that statement sank in for everyone, a loud crash and the sound of screams coming from Gil’s office. Everyone rushed to Gil’s office to find Sara on top of Greg, hitting him with all her might and screaming incoherently at him. Gil, Nick and Warrick rushed in and pulled Sara, still screaming and kicking, off of Greg. Suddenly, one of Sara’s kicks connected with Greg’s arm and there a sickening crack and Greg let out a small cry of pain.

With a growl of barely contained rage, Grissom left Sara with Nick and Warrick and rushed to the side of his wounded lover. Helping Greg off the floor, Gil was careful to cradle his lover’s wounded arm. Tilting Greg’s face to his, Gil was appalled at the bruises and scratches that covered Greg’s handsome face and arms, including the one he was cradling. He turned and glared at where Sara was desperately trying to get away from Warrick and Nick. He was about to let her have it when Sofia came running in.

“What the hell is going on in here?” She stopped when she saw Greg, battered and bruised, cradled in Gil’s arms and an enraged Sara being held by Nick and Warrick.

“Sara attacked Greg,” Gil said, not letting go of his lover as Sofia knelt to examine Greg’s injuries.

“He was fucking lyin’! I was defending myself.” Sara shot back, only quieting when the men holding her shot her a dark look.

Sofia glared at Sara once she’d finished examining Greg and telling Gil to take him to Doc Robbins to check out his arm and take photographs of his injuries. Once Gil had helped Greg out of the room, the blonde director turned to the brunette.

“Sara, if you were defending yourself, why don’t you have a scratch on you and Greg looks like he got into a gang fight and has a broken arm? So what do you have to say for yourself?” Sara didn’t say anything, but the anger and jealousy burning out of her eyes said everything Sofia needed to know and she made her decision there and then. “Sara, you are suspended without pay, until I’ve determined what happened and you’ve undergone psychiatric evaluation.” Sara opened her mouth to protest but then seemed to think better of it, probably realizing that she was extremely lucky that she wasn’t being fired on the spot. She removed her gun and badge and handed them over. Sofia turned to Nick, “Nick, would you be so kind as to escort Miss Sidle out of the building?” Nick nodded and led Sara down the hall.

*******

Down in the Morgue

Gil and Greg both looked up when Sofia walked in. She gave them both a genuine smile, “How is he, Doc?”

Robbins didn’t look up, “Well, she definitely broke his arm.” He showed her the x-ray of Greg’s arm. There was a definite fracture showing on the image. “And there’s a good sized bruise on his shoulder blade.”
Sofia turned to Greg, “Can you tell me what happened, Greg?”

Greg quietly told Sofia what had transpired in the office between him and Sara. When he was done, Sofia looked at him for a long moment, “Greg, are you going to press charges?” She could tell from Grissom’s face that pressing charges was the first thing on his mind.

Greg looked surprised, “I don’t know. I hadn’t really thought about it. If I press charges, it’ll be the end of her career. I just want her to leave Gil and me alone.”

Sofia bit back a sigh, she’d expected this. Greg was too sweet and kind-hearted for his own benefit and probably wouldn’t even file a complaint unless pushed. And she could tell from the look on Gil’s face that if he had his way, Greg would be pressing charges.

“What’s gonna happen to Sara?” Greg asked, his dark eyes filled with concern.

The blonde director sighed, “Well, there’s gonna be an investigation. Sara’s already been suspended and I won’t consider reinstating her until she undergoes a psychiatric evaluation.”

Gil sighed, “Who’s doing the investigation?”

“Someone from day shift,” she replied. “From what people have told me, I have a pretty good idea about who attacked who, considering that Greg’s the one with all the injuries and Sara doesn’t have one scratch on her and her recent behavior, but I need for it to be official before I make any final decisions.”

“What about me?” Greg asked, “Sara was suspended, what happens to me?”

Sofia smiled, “I want you to take a couple of days off, it’s not a suspension, but I know you’re not going to feel like doing anything once your arm is set.” After making sure that there was photographic evidence of Greg’s injuries, she let them go.

Gil waited until they were in the truck before turning to his lover. “Greg, you can’t be serious about not pressing charges against Sara. She could have killed you!”

Greg sighed, “I doubt she would have killed me, Gil. Besides whatever happens after the investigation will hurt her more than anything I could do. She’ll probably lose her job here and have trouble finding work with another lab.” Seeing that Gil wasn’t convinced, he sighed again, “Look if it’ll make you and Sofia feel better, I’ll file a formal complaint with the department, but I won’t press criminal charges. Now can we go to the hospital and get my arm set?”

Knowing that Greg had made his mind up, Gil sighed and started the Denali, heading for the hospital.

A few hours later, Gil and Greg pulled up in front of their home, Greg’s arm set in a bright blue cast and a tie-on ice bag for his shoulder. Gil helped his drugged up lover into the house. Neither of them noticed the car sitting across the street or the dark eyes watching them.

Sara watched the couple walking into the house, her violent rage had simmered down but she was still very angry. She’d done nothing but stand up for herself against Greg’s lies about her relationship with Gil. She KNEW that Gil loved her, despite what the little liar said.

Deep down, she knew that showing up at Gil’s house after the fight between her and Greg earlier was probably a bad idea, but she was convinced that if she could just get Gil alone and talk to him face to face, she could get him to see her side of things and make him understand that she was just defending herself and him from Greg’s cruel lies that were keeping them apart and once they got it in the open, they could be together and she wouldn’t have to leave Vegas. Getting out of her car, she straightened her shoulders and walked towards the house.

Gil had just gotten Greg settled into bed, making sure that his young lover was comfortable and darkened the room completely, Sara’s attack had not helped Greg’s migraine any, just made it worse. Hopefully the pain meds he’d been given at the hospital would also help his head since Gil hated to see his young lover in pain and not be able to help him.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Gil frowned, he didn’t know who could be here at that moment, there were still a few hours left in the shift, so it couldn’t be anyone from work and Jim would’ve called if he was coming over. Then a sickening thought as to who the unexpected visitor could be flitted across his mind. He hoped for all their sakes that it wasn’t her, but he wasn’t holding his breath.

Looking through the peephole, Gil felt his stomach drop when he saw Sara standing on the porch. He briefly considered not answering the door, but since it because of his refusal to see that Sara’s infatuation with him had turned into an obsession that rivaled ‘Fatal Attraction’ that had gotten Greg hurt in the first place, he decided to end this insanity once and for all.

Opening the door, he didn’t even bother with niceties as he face the woman who’d assaulted his cherished lover. “What do you want Sara?”

Sara gave her best smile, ignoring the fact that Gil really didn’t look happy to see her. “Hey Gil, could I talk to you, in private? I wanted to talk to you about tonight.”
Gil’s blue eyes narrowed, “Sara, considering what you did to the man I’m in love with, I’m really not interested in talking to you about tonight. You can tell your side to the dayshift person Sofia has do the investigation.”

Sara just kept smiling, she’d expected Gil to be a little cranky. After all, her little altercation with Greg had happened in his office and could have damaged his beloved insects. Studiously ignoring the fact that he’d referred to Greg as ‘the man I’m in love with’ which she knew wasn’t true, she kept talking. Gil loved her and once they got this whole thing straightened out, she would be living here, not that little traitor. “I just wanted to tell you my side of what happened.”

Gil tried not to sigh with exasperation, “Sara, I got a pretty good look at your side of what happened tonight when Nick, Warrick and I had to pull you off Greg after you attacked him, plus I sat in the ER while the doctors set the arm you broke. Now please leave before I call the police and have you removed from my property.”

Sara’s smile faltered, this was not going the way she’d planned, but she knew that Greg had his claws sunk into Gil pretty deep so this could take some time. “Please Gil, just let me explain. I know I can make you understand that I was just defending us from all the lies Greg was telling about us. He kept saying that you were in love with him, not me. We both know that’s not true, you love me, not that little bastard. And you can’t say that you don’t love me, I see it in your eyes. And I know you don’t have anything to do with Sofia’s stupid idea to make me transfer to another lab. Now that all Greg’s scheming is out in the open, we can be together and I won’t have to leave.” Now having made her case, she waited for Gil to open his arms and welcome her to her rightful place. She could tell he was realizing the mistake he’d made in letting Greg into his bed.

She was right about one part, Gil was realizing his mistake, but it had nothing to do with Greg or the young man’s place in his bed. He was realizing his error in bringing Sara to Vegas. He should have listened to the people who’d said that Sara had only agreed to come to Vegas because she was in love with him. He’d never believed it. He’d always thought of Sara as a colleague and a possible friend and had convinced himself that she felt the same way. Even when she’d asked him out and he’d turned her down, he’d just considered the whole thing a passing fancy or she was still on the rebound from Hank. He’d thought she’d get over it once she found a decent guy that wouldn’t do her the way Hank had. He’d been wrong and he’d ignored everyone telling him that Sara’s infatuation was getting worse.

And now Greg had paid a painful price for his blindness and Gil found himself staring at Sara like he’d never seen her before in his life. The woman standing on his doorstep was nothing like the Sara Sidle he’d met back in San Francisco and asked to come to Vegas. The Sara Sidle he’d met back then had been a nice girl with a good head on her shoulders and a firm grasp on what she’d wanted to do with her life. When had everything gotten so crazy? With a sick feeling in his stomach, he realized that he was probably in very much the same position that Greg had been in back in his office. He also knew that there was no reasoning with Sara, she was past the point of no return, but he also knew that he’d never forgive himself if he didn’t at least try.

“Sara, I’m sorry it’s gotten this far before I did anything.” He could see Sara’s eyes lighting up and could just about see the reaction his next words were going to cause.

“I know how you feel about me, Sara, but I’m sorry. I don’t love you the way you want me to. I’m sorry if I ever made you think that I did, but I love Greg and we’re very happy together and he’s the one I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

Sara stared at Gil like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Did he just say that he didn’t love her?! And he wanted to spend his life with Greg?! No! It couldn’t have been! But those were the words her ears were reluctantly hearing.

“You-You DON’T love me? Is that what you’re saying?”

Gil nodded, praying that she would take this better than he was expecting. “I’m so sorry Sara. I care about you as a friend and colleague, but that’s it. And even if I wasn’t with Greg, I wouldn’t commit to a relationship with you on the grounds that it wouldn’t be fair to either of us, especially you, because I just don’t feel that way for you.”

Sara stood on Grissom’s front step, trying to mentally deny what she was hearing but both her heart and head were telling her the same thing; Grissom meant every word he was saying. Suddenly, she realized that every moment she’d clung to as signs of Gil’s love were really no different than the same kinds of moments of showing his concern that he’d shown everyone else on the team. All the times he’d called Nick Nicky, or comforted Catherine or gave Warrick advice, though the small part of her that was holding out for Gil said that he’d never had one of those moments with Greg, except that her memory replayed a scene she’d witnessed shortly after the lab explosion.

****Flashback****

Sara walked into the locker room, mid-way through shift, trying to gather up the nerve to approach Grissom again about a date when she heard Grissom speaking in a tone of voice that she’d never heard before; it was soft and gentle without any hint of condescension.

“Greg, I know you’re scared, but you have to trust me. The shaking will stop, I promise.”

Sara frowned at the words; shaking? Then she remembered Catherine saying something about Greg being a little shaky. Well, who wouldn’t be? Greg had been badly hurt due to a careless mistake and was now processing DNA right next the burned remains of his old lab. That would make anyone shaky. What surprised her was Grissom’s handling of the situation. Everyone knew that Gil’s main concern was the evidence and the lab. A shaky tech could compromise evidence in hundreds of cases. Grissom was acting totally out of character about this. Intrigued, Sara paused on the other side of the lockers to hear the rest of the conversation.

“But Hodges said,” Greg started in a small, frightened voice that was nothing like anything Sara had ever heard the blond tech’s mouth.

“Don’t listen to Hodges, he doesn’t make the decisions about who is fired around here.” There was a long silence, punctuated by soft sniffling that worried Sara immensely and soft shushing sounds that almost made her want to trade places with the young man, just to feel that comfort. Finally, Grissom spoke, again in that soft, gentle tone.

“Listen Greg, let’s go talk to the director. He’s already said that you could have as much leave time as you need to recover. And I’m sure Catherine has the numbers of some good therapists if you need one. But bottom line, I WILL NOT accept your resignation. You’re too good of a tech for that. I think your doctor was right when he said that stress is what’s causing your hands to shake.” That startled Sara; Greg had tried to resign? Not Greg who was known for staying in the DNA lab for days to process evidence to bring the worst criminals to justice. The shaking must either be worse than she thought or the explosion had done as much emotional and mental damage to Greg as the physical wounds on his back. And what’s more, Grissom knew what Greg’s doctor had said. Well, Greg probably told him what had been said. There was a long silence once again filled with the soft sounds of Greg sniffling and wiping his eyes, then that small voice once again spoke.

“Will you go with me to Covallo’s office?”

“Of course. C’mon, grab your stuff.”

After she heard Greg’s locker door open and the sound of things being stuffed into a bag. Finally, the locker closed and she could hear the two men leaving. And as she was leaving to go talk to a suspect in her case, she saw Grissom helping Greg into his SUV, and even at a distance, Sara could see that Greg was shaking pretty badly. Sara’s heart went out to him, she could only imagine how scared he was. She’d been outside the lab when the explosion had happened, but all she’d gotten was a nasty cut on her palm, Greg had gotten badly burned and now he was shaking. The next day, Grissom had told them that the director had given Greg an open ended leave of absence because they felt that Greg had returned to work way too early. Sara hadn’t said anything about overhearing the conversation and put the whole thing out of her mind, only thinking of it as Grissom showing his compassion and understanding to a team member who’d needed it very badly.

Greg was gone for over two months and when he came back, it was like the explosion hadn’t happened. Greg smiled, laughed and flirted just like old times. And she’d never witnessed anymore scenes like the one she’d heard before Greg had taken his leave, and had simply put the whole thing out of her mind.

****End of Flashback****

Now, as she stood on Gil’s front porch after her unsuccessful bid to make Gil hers, Sara realized that she’d been an unknowing witness to the beginning of Gil and Greg’s relationship, the very relationship she’d been trying to end.

Suddenly, Sara looked at herself and the past six years and all the moments she’d clung so tightly to and realized that she had totally wrecked her career beyond repair and had ruined a very good friendship for a man who wasn’t interested in her. Suddenly, something deep inside her broke and she knew that no matter what happened in the investigation, she couldn’t stay Las Vegas and face Gil or Greg or anyone she knew at the lab. She’d thrown away all the respect her colleagues had for her because of her belief that Gil loved her. And now, cold reality was setting in and she knew she had to leave.

Without saying another word, she turned and walked back to her car, and drove as fast as she could, away from Vegas and away from Gil Grissom, vowing to never return. She’d go somewhere else, start a new life and hopefully find the kind of love that had done her in.