Unexpected Comforting
By: Emmithar
Summary: Post Unbearable; What happens after Grissom asks Sofia out for dinner, leaving Sara sulking by herself?
Disclaimer; Characters and places are not mine, wish they were.
A/N: Just a little something I felt that should have happened. Please RR
How could this possibly be happening? Sara thought to herself, sitting down on the bench. Gil had just asked Sofia out for dinner, she hadn't meant to over hear them. At least it wasn't like she was trying to eavesdrop…or was she?
She was tired, and sick; Sara nodded, that was it, she was overworked, she just needed some rest. She had only imagined Gil asking her out, only imagined them laughing when they talked. Sara opened her locker, rifling through her things. When was the last time she laughed with him?
Sara let out an exasperated sigh, slamming her locker closed, wincing as her finger was caught between the metal. "Ow," she cursed under her breath, holding the tender flesh up to her mouth. That wasn't the brightest of ideas.
"You okay Sara?"
She looked up to see Greg standing in the hallway, watching her. "I'm fine," she muttered, closing her locker again, this time more slowly.
"It's just that you seem a little…upset," Greg started to say, coming into the room. Sara cut him off.
"I'm fine Greg," she snapped, sitting back down on the bench. She had said it a little harsher then she had meant.
"Alright," Greg said, sounding somewhat hurt, "I guess I'll be seeing you around then."
Sara drew in a breath, pressing her tongue against her teeth. She had to say something, she hadn't meant to be harsh with him. But what could she say?
"You want to go get something to eat?" Sara could have smacked herself. What exactly did she just do? Was she that depressed that she had just asked Greg Sanders on a date?
"Are you feeling okay?" Greg asked her, turning slowly around.
Sara nodded, feeling herself blush a little. "Yeah, I'm fine, why?"
"Because," Greg answered, leaning against the lockers, "you just asked me out."
"No I didn't" Sara said quickly, silently cursing herself again.
"Yes, you did," Greg responded, punctuating each word.
"No, I didn't," Sara responded quickly, "I just asked if you wanted to get something to eat. I mean, can I help it if we get off the same time, and neither one of us have eaten yet, and we somehow end up at the same restaurant, at the same time?"
"I don't know," Greg said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean the odds in that happening are slim, like one in three million."
"But it's still possible," Sara answered, looking at him. "You drive?"
"If you're willing to brave my car," Greg warned her.
Sara laughed, grabbing the last of her things. "I don't think I'll have any problems."
They had chosen a nicer place, nicer than McDonalds anyways, but still basic enough that they could wear their work clothes and fit in nicely. Sara had thought the idea unrealistic, she wasn't sure what she was doing, but she couldn't blow Greg off minutes after asking him out. She was surprised at how the night went, it wasn't as bad as she had thought it would be, in fact, she enjoyed it.
They had talked, more or less, non-stop since leaving the lab. Their conversation was never on one direct topic for long. Sara had to admit it felt good to talk, just to get a lot of things off her mind. She hadn't realized how much she was keeping inside.
"Then I got kicked out of the science fair, in seventh grade, after I blew up the toilets in the girls room," Greg finished, taking a sip of water.
Sara laughed, "Now that, would have been something I would have liked to see. How in the world did you manage that?"
Greg shrugged, stirring the pasta on his plate. "I needed to keep my experiment wet, and the janitor wouldn't let me clog the sink and keep it in there. So I snuck in the ladies room one day after school, and transferred the gel bag into the toilet. Then when it came to the science fair that night, I had forgotten where I had stuck it. Someone had tried flushing it down the drain and the pressure finally made it pop. Except it was more of a boom, luckily no one got hurt, just wet."
Sara laughed, leaning back in her chair. An uneasy silence passed between them for a moment.
"So," Greg said, putting his fork down, "you want to talk about why you're so angry at Grissom?"
Sara snapped her head up, "What are you talking about?" she stammered, biting her lip.
"Sara, if looks could kill, we wouldn't be eating right now. We would be at his funeral," Greg told her quietly.
Sara pressed her lips tightly together, shaking her head as she crossed her arms.
"There it is again," Greg said, causing her to look back at him.
"What?"
"That look," he told her, "the one that says you're after blood."
She shook her head, "I just don't know what's wrong with me," she said finally.
"What's wrong with you?" Greg asked, surprised now. "Sara, we all have our problems, no one's perfect."
"Then why does Grissom prefer Sofia over me?" She could feel herself blushing again. Why in the world was she asking Greg this? Maybe coming here was a bad idea
"Ah," Greg said, finally catching on. "That's what this is all about?"
"I mean what, does he like blondes? Maybe I can dye my hair, then he'll notice me."
"Sara," Greg started, but was cut off again.
"After all this time, he still doesn't notice me, I'm nothing more than his pupil, someone he can show off, he doesn't care about me."
"Sara," Greg nearly shouted, causing a few other people to look to their table. Greg swallowed, leaning forward as he lowered his voice.
"You know that's not true."
"He asked her out for dinner," Sara said defensively, "what am I supposed to think?"
"You asked me out," Greg told her.
Sara drew in a breath, only to stop. Greg had struck a chord. Her mind raced, trying to find a comeback, but nothing came.
"It doesn't prove anything does it?" Greg asked. Sara shook her head. "You like him don't you?" he prodded.
"I do," Sara answered, looking away. She could feel the sting of tears starting to build up behind her eyes.
"Okay, then why don't you talk with him. Send him a card, that or a bouquet of dead bugs, I'm sure he'll love that."
Sara laughed softly. "He probably would," she said softly. She sighed, picking up her water glass "So I talk with him, what if he says no?"
"Then you'll know," Greg told her. "It's hard, but it's better than waiting and wondering your entire life. It's like this," he leaned further across the table. "Will you marry me?"
Sara choked on her drink. "Greg, are you proposing?" she asked in disbelief.
"Just answer the question," he prodded her.
"Greg, I hardly know you," she stammered. She couldn't believe this was happening.
"Yes or no," he asked firmly.
She shook her head, "No Greg, I'm sorry."
Greg nodded, smiling a bit, "See, now I know that you don't want to marry me, so I have other options open. Maybe Catherine, what do you think?"
Sara laughed, feeling a little relieved. "Okay, okay, I get your point. I'll talk with him, when I feel ready."
Greg nodded, "Just don't wait too long."
"Why?" Sara asked him, "why are you doing this, for me?"
"You're my friend Sara, and friends help each other out," Greg stated, pushing his pasta off to one side.
"Do you always play with you food?"
Greg only grinned, "When I don't like what I'm eating, yes."
"Why did you get it then, if you don't like it?"
"Because," he said smugly, glancing up at her, "you recommended it."
Sara laughed, "Do you always listen to what women tell you to do?"
"Only when they're as charming as you," he responded quickly, making her blush once again.
"The bill," their waiter said, placing it face down on the table before leaving. Sara reached for it, but Greg snatched it up before she could touch it.
"I'll get it," he told her, turning the paper over.
Sara raised an eyebrow, watching his expression, "You sure?"
Greg glanced up from the bill. "Fifty-fifty?" he asked, feeling a little more relieved when she nodded. "Good," he said, digging his wallet out, "Else I would have to be doing dishes here to finish paying for it."
Sara laughed, standing up, waiting for him. "Greg," she waited for him to look up, "Thank you, you really are a good listener, and you give pretty good advice too."
He only shrugged, "I do what I can," he stood up to.
"Greg," Sara asked again, "about tonight…this wasn't, I mean…"
Greg placed a hand on her arm. "Just a two friends getting a bite to eat before going home. Nothing more."
Sara nodded, smiling a little. Greg continually surprised her everyday, and she wondered to herself if there was ever going to be a day when he didn't. As she followed him out, she decided that coming here, had been a good idea after all.
The End