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addictedtostorytelling · 3 years ago

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Hey! I'm in the camp that believes that GSR became an item around Grave Danger. While I love the idea of Committed being a possible starting point, I always liked the line of the characters being shaken up by Nick's kidnapping. Furthermore, I also liked the idea of Warrick's and Grissom's arcs being parallel in some way. While I may be forcing this a bit, and I know it wasn't likely a plan from the writers due to Doylists trappings, I always thought Grave Danger was a likely point perhaps because of Warrick talking avout how Nick's kidnapping changed his perspective (did I imagine that?). Outside of the Trigger lines provided in part 1, what indicators support a Committed start point? Have you ever considered a Grave Danger narrative?

Thanks!

hi, @malodets!

for me, the only real "hard lines in the sand" with the question of when grissom and sara actually get together are that i don't believe they could have done so at any point prior to episode 05x13 "nesting dolls" or at any point later than episode 06x05 "gum drops."

to my mind, episode 05x13 "nesting dolls" marks the earliest possible date when they could have gotten together, a) because grissom coming to sara's apartment serves as a kind of "crossing the threshold" moment for them, where once he passes through her door, they're back in the business of being part of each other's private lives again, for the first time in many years; and b) because sara telling grissom the secret of her family story removes a final interpersonal barrier from between them, creating a deeper level of intimacy than either one of them has ever experienced with another human being before (a notion which sara's comments to nora cross in reboot episode 01x04 "long pig" seemingly confirm).

likewise, episode 06x05 "gum drops" marks the latest possible date when i believe that grissom and sara could have gotten together, as "the big reveal" that grissom and sara were already sleeping together was originally planned to have taken place in that episode, and the timeline only changed after billy petersen became unavailable to film and the script had to be rewritten at the last minute, meaning that the writers were already conceiving of gsr as a couple by that point.

otherwise, within that window of mid-s5 to early s6, i think pretty much any potential "get-together" date is fair game.

—and certainly that would include a get-together date in the wake of the events of episodes 05x24 and 05x25 "grave danger" pts. i and ii.

like you say, there are some points that make a potential post-episodes 05x24 and 05x25 "grave danger" pts. i and ii get-together date an incredibly attractive prospect, including the idea that almost losing someone else he cared about might prompt grissom to draw closer to sara.

and you're right about warrick: in episode 06x01 "bodies in motion," he tells catherine that he decided to marry tina spur-of-the-moment after what happened to nick because life suddenly seemed "too short."

so if billy & jorja or one of the original showrunners were to come out tomorrow and say that the gsr get-together definitely, canonically happened following nick’s rescue, i wouldn’t be at all shocked or disappointed. it would make a lot of sense to me.

that said, it's not my personal favored date.

instead, i like to imagine that grissom and sara get together somewhat before episode 05x21 "committed"—specifically between the events of episodes 05x19 “4 x 4" and 05x20 “hollywood brass.”

more discussion on my reasoning after the “keep reading,” if you’re interested.

admittedly, a lot of the reason why i lean toward a date between episodes 05x19 "4 x 4" and 05x20 "hollywood brass" is just personal preference.

to me, i like the idea of grissom and sara being together for more time rather than less, and i have a lot of fun watching the last six episodes of s5 imagining that grissom and sara are already together and reading their behavior in that context.

it just feels like the right place for them to have become a couple, in terms of the narrative momentum, in my view.

that said, i do also have a few in-text reasons why i headcanon things that way, as well.

first off, i immediately rule out the events of episode 05x13 "nesting dolls," sara's suspension, and the first little while afterward as possible gsr get-together dates for a couple of reasons:

because within the universe of the show, episode 05x13 "nesting dolls" takes place on 02.03.05, which is a thursday, and in episode 08x02 "a la cart," sara says that she and grissom first get together on a sunday.

because i think that grissom wouldn't be comfortable hooking up with sara on the same night that she tells him all of her secrets because he would feel like she were too emotionally vulnerable and he wouldn't want to "take advantage." while they may (and, in my mind, likely do) engage in some kind of nonsexual intimate interaction even beyond the handhold that we see—such as, for example, grissom holding sara while she cries and/or kissing her forehead and/or tucking her in after she falls asleep on the couch—i don't think they sleep together then; that's just not what that night is about, imo.

i also don't believe they get together in the immediate aftermath of episode 05x13 "nesting dolls," either, as i think there's some evidence to imply that they are still feeling out a "new (more socially intimate) normal" between them once sara returns from her suspension, with their relationship status left somewhat ambiguous.

to me, sara's reaction to grissom's interactions with sofia in episode 05x14 "unbearable" especially seem to point toward her not being exactly certain of where she and grissom stand with each other. as i see things, were it the case that grissom and sara were already sleeping together, i think that sara would react differently to that situation.

along those same lines, i also don't think that grissom and sara get together at any point prior to episode 05x19 "4 x 4" because, as i see things, there are some textual cues which subtly suggest that they're not having sex in the several episodes leading up to that juncture:

in episode 05x16 "big middle," grissom is asked by regina owens at the hogs n' heifers convention if he has a girlfriend, and he says no but that he would like one. while it's possible that he could be lying (i.e., while it's possible that he and sara are already together, but for whatever reason, he doesn't want to tell regina owens that they are), i don't think there's any particularly compelling reason why he would do so in this case, considering that since regina owens is a complete stranger to him, there'd really be no danger in admitting to the truth, especially in a vague way that didn’t name names. though grissom is willing to lie by omission about his and sara's relationship once they are together in order to protect their jobs, even then, he typically avoids lying in any more active way if he can at all keep from doing so—it's one thing to simply never mention one's relationship at work and to allow one's coworkers to assume what they will based on a dearth of evidence, but it's another thing to feed them false information and/or purport to things that simply aren't true in a more explicit way, with full intent to deceive—so it'd be odd for him to take that tack here, in a relatively low-risk situation, and especially since he could have easily dodged the question had he wanted to otherwise. that so, i tend to take his answer at face value: i.e., i believe he's telling regina the truth, meaning that he and sara are not currently a couple, though he would like them to be sometime soon.

in episode 05x18 "spark of life," to me, sara's quip about the make-out spot (and grissom's "oh? you don't say?" quirked-eyebrow reaction to it) suggest that sara is fishing. that girl is not getting any, but she wants to be. badly. and she's not being subtle about it.

finally, grissom's reaction to overhearing sara and greg talking about their decontamination shower experience in episode 05x19 "4 x 4" to me suggests that grissom has probably never to that point himself had the opportunity to see sara naked but is very interested in doing so. (admittedly, i think it's also possible to interpret the scene through the lens of grissom and sara already being together at that point, as well, but, again, just as a matter of preference, i choose to believe that they're not.)

from there, the question of when they get together becomes an issue of calendaring and vibes.

in episode 08x02 "a la cart," sara tells ecklie that she and grissom first get together on a sunday.

episode 05x20 "hollywood brass" takes place on saturday 04.23.05 within the universe of the show.

episode 05x21 "committed" takes place on tuesday and wednesday 04.26.05-04.27.05 within the universe of the show.

episode 05x22 "weeping willows" takes place on thursday 04.28.05 within the universe of the show.

episode 05x23 "iced" takes place on friday 04.29.05 within the universe of the show.

episodes 05x24 and 05x25 "grave danger" pts. i and ii take place over tuesday and wednesday 05.17.05 and 05.18.05.

following that timeline, if sara's statement about her and grissom getting together on a sunday is accurate, then they couldn't have actually gotten together on the same days that any of those six episodes take place, meaning that the consummation had to have happened at some kind of in-between date.

—and that brings us to the vibes.

between the events of episode 05x13 "nesting dolls" and 05x19 "4 x 4," my read on grissom and sara is that they're both in "testing the waters" mode. after sara reveals her secrets to grissom, they both sense that there's been a sea change in the nature of their relationship. however, neither one of them is brave enough just yet to cross that final boundary line and initiate something physical between them. instead, they both drop "i'm game if you are" hints like crazy while continuing to build up the social/emotional side of their relationship, likely having more and more contact with each other outside of work over time.

what gets them to finally "take the leap" is, of course, a question that only fanfic can answer.

like i said, i tend to think the consummation happens between the events of episodes 05x19 "4 x 4" and 05x20 "hollywood brass," and i imagine a scenario where maybe there's a case that might be triggering for sara which prompts grissom to go check on her at her apartment after shift. turns out she's actually okay, though very touched by his thoughtfulness. one thing leads to another, and pretty soon, they've crossed that "event horizon."

of course, gsr being gsr, the fact that they've slept together doesn't necessarily mean that they've talked through the ins and outs of their new relationship status and/or confessed their feelings in full, so i don't doubt that there's still some kind of nebulous "what does this mean? where do we stand?" uncertainty hovering between them even after the deed is done.

even so, i do assume that from the events of episode 05x20 "hollywood brass" on, they are essentially a couple, even if they haven't put labels on things yet.

neither grissom nor sara features in episode 05x20 "hollywood brass," so we can't say for sure what their moods are like there.

however, picking up from episode 05x21 "committed," here's what we see:

in episode 05x21 "committed," sara is highly triggered by the case context and so is on edge throughout much of the investigation. however, there are a few moments of "sunshine" where she seems to perk up, all of them constellated around interactions with grissom (see, for example, the "i bet you aced your rorschach's" / "harpooned whale" scene, where she gets all smiley around him). she also is shown to draw a lot of comfort from grissom and confide in him about her feelings throughout the episode, building on what she told him about her past during episode 05x13 "nesting dolls."

meanwhile, grissom demonstrates an intense awareness of sara's moods and is highly protective of her throughout the investigation, offering her an out from the case if she needs one.

he also, of course, just about loses his goddamn mind when adam trent grabs her and presses the shiv to her neck.

though of course nothing in the episode would absolutely prove that grissom and sara are together at this point and it is in fact highly possible to read this episode as a—or even the—“precipitating incident" rather than an example of something more “ex post facto,” i'm nevertheless inclined to view grissom and sara as already being a couple by the time these events are taking place.

to me, there's just some of that new relationship, sussing-each-other-out stuff going on (e.g., grissom calling sara “baby” within earshot of sofia). plus, it's really easy to read notes of "oh my god. i just got her and now i'm losing her" into grissom's reaction when adam has sara locked in the nurses' station.

moreover, i also think that the fact that sara seems to bounce back so quickly (to the point where she is able to finish the investigation without further signs of distress) after she is attacked may suggest that she and grissom are already together—i.e., that he has had the opportunity to comfort her in a more personal/private setting in the hours between when we last see them at the psychiatric jail ward that night and when they meet up with sofia to process the soundwaves from the pottery at the lab later that morning.

sara then features very sparsely in episode 05x22 "weeping willows"—just the one scene with catherine, where she talks about possibly getting hit on by a judge—though what little we see of her does seem to suggest that by this point, she has fully recovered from her recent trauma.

again, perhaps suggesting that grissom has shown her a little tlc since they finished up working the trent case.

however, grissom appears throughout the episode, and he seems to be in a mood, particularly where it concerns catherine “allowing” her personal life to complicate her investigation into adam novak.

the way i read things, now that he and sara have been sleeping together for a couple of weeks, and especially in the aftermath of the events of episode 05x21 “committed,” where sara’s life was briefly in jeopardy, he’s starting to fully, unavoidably realize just how enmeshed the personal and professional spheres of his life have become.

while he has no desire to back off from seeing sara, he is nevertheless reckoning with and reeling from the implications of their secret relationship.

had she been seriously hurt by adam trent, grissom can only imagine what he might’ve done and how everything might’ve played out.

his whole life has suddenly become a very precarious balancing act, and he’s keenly aware of the fact that it has, given what happened just a few hours previously at the mental hospital.

that so, he ends up taking some of his frustration out on catherine, chiding her for “muddying the waters” between her private life and her work at the lab in a way that very much bespeaks his own anxieties.

@bartramcat has written a brilliant meta explaining where grissom may be coming from in this episode with his criticisms of catherine’s actions, in light of his recent relationship with sara.

to quote in part from it here:

the terms he chides her with are quite interesting. upon learning about her interactions with adam novak, he tells her she has to recuse herself. then when she says she did nothing wrong: “we all live in glass houses, catherine. you gotta be careful where you take your shower.” the fact that grissom includes himself as living in a glass house, i.e., actually having a personal life that could be open to scrutiny, is perhaps telling. and the whole shower thing is downright strange coming from grissom. if i were catherine, i might have wondered when the last time he showered in someone else’s shower… although i think her first thought would have been lady heather, not sara sidle... at the end of the episode, [grissom] is still angry with [catherine]... he says: “i guess that’s why i don’t go out.” and, really, if he and sara have been sexually involved... at that point... then it’s true: he/they don’t go out. their relationship is the epitome of privacy, even after everyone knows about it 2 years later.

i very much view this as a case of “methinks [the supervisor] doth protest too much,” where what grissom says to catherine has more to do with himself and his own situation with sara than it does with catherine, per se.

he’s wrestling with the fact that for the first time in his life, he has something that he’s willing to go “all in” for—something that could potentially complicate his safe, perfectly-ordered existence.

he’s already in so deep, and he knows he is.

but the strange thing—the scary thing—is that he finds himself weirdly okay with this level of commitment.

he knows in his heart of hearts that he’s willing to “go there” for sara.

he is willing to put everything on the line for her.

of course, the crucial detail here is that whereas in the past, this kind of epiphany might have scared him so much that he retreated from her (see his behavior toward her post-episode 04x12 “butterflied” in s4), by this point, he goes with it.

yes, he’s scared, and, no, he’s not about to shout their relationship from the rooftops and fuck up their work situation, but he’s also not about to go running off.

he’s going to lean in, not out.

—which brings us to the events of episode 05x23 “iced” and the rest of s5.

honestly, to me, this is where i see the clearest evidence that grissom and sara are already together by the end of s5.

there is just such a lightness of being with them in this episode and at the beginning of episode 05x24 “grave danger” pt. i.

they’re both practically glowing.

while ecklie’s incompetence in episode 05x23 “iced” might in the past have pissed grissom off, here, he’s able to just laugh at it.

also, he and sara cannot stop smiling—either at each other or at the people around them.

they both just seem upbeat, like they have some kind of happy secret.

they read like two twitter-pated fools in love, enjoying the halcyon days of their new relationship, both in their brief interactions at the dorms and in the aforementioned trigger the horse scene.

up until the point of nick’s kidnapping itself, they both appear nothing but smitten.

of course, even after nick’s kidnapping, i also see potential evidence of their coupledom in how they behave during their moments of distress.

grissom seems to want to keep sara close while they work nick’s case.

meanwhile, as i talk about in this post,

the interesting thing to me about how sara behaves in episodes 05x24 and 05x25 “grave danger” pts. i and ii is that for as much as we might expect to see her be one of the most openly emotional characters in dealing with nick’s abduction, she actually is fairly restrained. while she does get teary at a couple of points, she keeps her wits about her, her temper in check, and doesn’t ever fully break down and in fact is one of the calmer members of the team overall.

while outside of the universe of the show, we can attribute her relatively even keel in this scenario to the fact that she is simply not one of the episode’s focus characters—not in the same way that warrick, catherine, and grissom are—i do think there is actually an in-universe explanation for her comportment, as well, albeit one that we might have to read between the lines to find.

certainly it’s not the issue that she “cares less” than anyone else...

rather, it’s that she’s aware of what is needed from her.

looking around, she can see her other team members flailing, and she realizes she can’t afford to do the same.

in particular, i believe she’s aware more than anyone else of how much pressure grissom is under, and so she’s doing everything in her power to just be a reliable, efficient helper to him, doing what needs to be done so that he has one less thing to worry about.

part of my reason for saying so, admittedly, stems from my belief that by the events of episodes 05x24 and 05x25 “grave danger” pts. i and ii, grissom and sara are already a couple... and my sense that, accordingly, sara is perhaps more attuned to grissom’s moods than she has ever been.

#girlfriend mode activate

as for whether or not i see gsr getting together and warrick marrying tina as being parallel events, i personally don’t.

while i don’t doubt that nick’s abduction does have a profound effect on grissom, sara, and their relationship—in a very immediate sense, i imagine some needy lovemaking between them once they get home from visiting nick at the hospital that night—and may even precipitate some “next steps” for them (perhaps putting the idea of them moving in together into grissom’s head), i don’t really see much similitude between grissom and sara’s relationship and warrick and tina’s marriage elsewise, so i guess i’m not personally inclined to see it there, either.

like i said up front, obviously, i don’t have any concrete evidence to say that grissom and sara definitely do get together on such-and-such a date, and you have just as much ground to stand on favoring the later “grave danger”-centric date as i do the earlier pre-“committed” one.

my personal preference is just toward the earlier date, for the reasons i outline above; it just makes sense to me, and it’s the way i have the most fun interpreting the rest of the season.

thankfully, at this point, canon is definitely open enough to allow everyone to headcanon what makes them happy.

thanks for the question! please feel welcome to send another any time.

#answered #malodets #asks: csi #**#my meta #meta: csi #meta: gsr #my headcanons #season five #let's talk shop #csiverse

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nemowrites · 4 years ago

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Are those musical shenanigans?! - Fernweh Saga Edition!

In my last musical shenanigans post I mentioned that I'd be taking a break from making music but ✨inspiration✨ decided otherwise so here we are, I'm a mess but y'all are probably used to it by now 😌

Hey, hello and welcome to another post of music equipped with ramblings, if y'all wanna check out previous musical shenanigans posts, then here you go :3

If you don't know what Fernweh Saga then I honestly don't know what to tell you, I'm disappointed 😔 (/j), GO CHECK IT OUT (with my usual aggressive politeness :3)

Anyway, without any further ado, here you go:

Becca/Beckett Warrick:

Well for B, I'm in standard tuning (that doesn't happen a lot), and I'm playing a (D7, Fmaj7, Bm7, E7) progression, and they way I came up with this is thinking about B's pessimistic viewpoint so my choice of chords wasn't on the cheerful (usually major) side but also their care for the mc so I didn't use darker and more sader chords, It's somewhere in between this and that, here it is:

Sofia/Silas Dorran:

For S, I'm still in standard tuning did something that I thought was ✨very smart✨ but at the sametime very chaotic, so to highlight the fact that "once they decide to be invested, actions that defy logic and reason will be considered to protect the ones they care for", and what I did is basically pressed record and played the chords that came to mind because when I make these posts my usual logic is to plan the melodies, but this time I made sure that wasn't the case, and here it is:

Ruby/Reese Verner:

For R's recording, I played with capo on second or third fret, and the progression is (D - Dsus2 - D - Dsus4) and I used these chords which are on the more cheerful side to highlight R's playfulness but also made sure to try and follow the same strumming melody as much as I could to highlight R's calculating side, and yeah here it is:

Jane/James Corvin:

Serious, all work and no play? You best bet I got that covered, with capo on third fret, I'm playing a melody that goes up and down the fretboard, with a chord that looks like an (Am) but the D string open, and the melody is a bit on the gloomier side, highlighting J's serious personality but it's still a warm melody to show J's care for the mc, here it is:

And that my lovely muffins does conclude this post of musical shenanigans, as I always like to say @lacunafiction I hope I didn't butcher any of the characters and hope you like it :3

And hope all of you muffins like it, and yeah! :3

#interactive fiction #interactive novel #if #other ifs #musical shenanigans #music #guitar #Fernweh Saga #Fernweh Saga if #music theory? nah that's not allowed here 😌

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ilkkawhat · 4 years ago

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OOOOHHHH I'll have to read all of them when I get home but one caught my eye, {B taking care of A when they are sick. } For DaltonStokes? 💜💙💜💙

[i know the last time I wrote a sickfic, I made Nick sick so it’s Jack’s turn!]

Nick has known Jack for quite some time now, has seen him on his best days and his worst, but not quite at his weakest.

It was an odd sight to behold; the beefed up chiseled action hero with skin that’s usually flushed with extraordinary adrenaline and a little bit of testosterone that gives him the authoritative edge that would not be dissimilar to some sort of commander—the skin is now pale, ghostly in comparison to the dark circles tracing his eyes and the light green tint radiating in his cheeks.

His hair, typically styled into a soft fauxhawk or lightly buzzed to match a growing beard, is flattened with cold sweat. His normally tight jeans and tucked in metal band t-shirt traded for a pair of sweatpants and a stained sleeveless top that he claims makes him feel like his idol, John McClane and because of that, he also decides to go barefoot.

Not that he’s going anywhere at all, having been sentenced to the comfiest part of Nick’s couch though he first tried for the bedroom, downplaying the sickness for the sake of cuddles, and more.

“No way, dude, I just got over my own cold, I ain’t catching whatever bug is eating you alive,” Nick had scolded Jack as he steered him towards the couch.

“After all these years I still don’t get why you of all people use that phrase,” Jack mumbled before he fell into a stuffed silence.

And that was perhaps the most adorably humorous, but also the most disturbing part of all: Jack remained mostly silent as he fell into a sedated trance. He struggled to keep his eyes open, his head up. He didn’t fight as Nick tucked his mother’s quilt around him, though whimpered when Nick left his view to cook up some soup.

“It’s okay, my darling Dalton, just hang tight now, alright?” Nick whispered softly into his ear, pecking the top of his forehead before he did a cooking speedrun; slicing vegetables with one hand and lighting the stove with another, pouring the broth and vegetables in the pot and stirring with the same churning that squeezed Jack’s lungs. Harsh coughs made Nick wince, the hacking sounding like borderline choking made even worse by a congested nose that would not seem to empty into the already three discarded tissue boxes that had slipped onto the floor.

As he let the soup simmer, he rounded the couch and plopped himself down next to Jack, pulling him in and resting his head onto Nick’s lap.

He put his hand to Jack’s forehead, which felt almost as hot as the pot on the stove.

“You’re burning up, baby,” Nick began stroking Jack’s hair as he shivered.

“Don’t feel like it,” Jack grunted, though the words were low and almost unintelligible under the hoarse rasp.

“Gotta say it’s a bit of a nice change up, seeing you so weak and helpless for me to take care of you,” Nick tried to crack a smile but his words were lost to the sickness that slipped Jack in and out of sleep, unable to even stay awake for the Bruce Willis marathon Nick had put on to keep him occupied.

After a few moments, Nick got up to check on the soup and only just heard Jack wheeze before he crouched next to the couch to hear him better.

“What was that, my love?”

“‘Least you don’t have Rick threatening to whoop your ass if you don’t make me feel better,” a nasally, snarky response that made Nick chuckle under his breath.

“You know he just means well,” Nick soothed Jack as he brushed the hair away from his drooping eyes. He had to admit it was kind of amusing to have Warrick and Jack so jealous as they fawn over Nick, as frustrating as it was to be treated almost like a child with his knack for trouble—something that did bond the two men into an unspoken promise to keep Nick safe.

And Nick’s sure as hell going to do the same for them.

He spoon fed Jack half a bowl of soup, prodding a few crackers into the man’s tight lips as he tries not to vomit but Nick catches it just in time with a well placed bucket, and a cup of water to replenish the lost fluid.

“Gonna take that to the lab and analyze it?” Jack asked in a daze, and while Nick knew he wasn’t being serious, he wasn’t quite joking, either. It was always hard to read Jack through his dry wit and sarcasm, though they both tended to share the same mask of a sort of goofy charm to hide the real emotions underneath, but it was even harder to read him now, when he was buried under sickly flesh and muzzled with crowded sinuses.

“No matter how many samples I would run, you’d always remain a mystery to me, Jack Dalton,” Nick smiled warmly.

“I li—” Jack’s words hitched into a brief coughing fit that worried Nick until he gurgled out the phlegm that was teasing his throat, “...like it that way.”

His words faded into a gentle snore, his lips parted open and his legs were already kicking the blanket off before Nick wrestled it back to submission to cocoon Jack. He turned down the television and closed the blinds, before settling back onto the floor, leaning his head down on top of Jack’s shoulder, continuing to stroke his hair as he caught the yawn that stretched out of Jack’s mouth.

“I like it that way too,” Nick whispered, and fell asleep into a fever dream of his own, where he’d spend a lot more time with this softer, vulnerable side of Jack Dalton in the domestic bliss that neither of them can afford to ever truly have.

#nick stokes #jack dalton #daltonstokes #csinickstokes #csi x macgyver fic #mk.op #mk.fic #sorry i like to see you suffer jack

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bartramcat · 4 years ago

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Desert Palm

I was cleaning out my Docs and came across this. It's from over a year ago and was my impetuous hypothesis about post Dead Doll reactions to the revelation that was GSR. It's mostly dialogue, so an easy read. It probably contains a lot of Canon and character violations, but, since they never let us know how the team felt, I went with my gut. It's been an interminable week, so perhaps it will amuse someone.

Exterior Desert Palm Hospital. Catherine and Warrick are sitting on a bench in conversation.

W: You really had no idea?

C: No. I always knew she was special to him, but I thought it was more of a teacher-student thing. When she first came here, I thought they'd had a bad breakup in San Francisco, but then it wouldn't have made sense for him to ask her to come here.

W: Maybe it was student-teacher then.

C: I don't know. He saw something in her. I remember him saying she was someone he trusted. Boy she was young.

W: Do you think Ecklie will fire them?

C: I don't know. He's a fool if he does. God knows Gil's never been his favorite person. I never thought he would ever do anything that would put his job at risk. Not playing politics is one thing but violating a policy.

W: Are you upset with him? For not telling you? You've known each other a long time.

C: I was more shocked than angry at first. But after seeing how desperate he was out in the desert...It's so strange to say this about Gil, but I think he really loves her. I thought he was incapable of those kinds of feelings.

W: What kinds?

C: Normal, I guess. The way a man loves a woman. That's why I thought the only kind of woman who'd interest him would be someone like Lady Heather. Oh..

W: What?

C: I went on and on to Sara about how I thought Heather was the only woman Gil was ever really interested in. I knew she looked uncomfortable, but I thought it was because she didn't want to think about her boss that way.

W: You didn't know.

C: No. Damn it. I wish he had trusted me.

W: You are hurt…

C: I'm okay. (Smiles) It's not like I found out he was a murderer.

W: No. You found out he loves someone.

C: That sounds so strange. To be honest, I thought being a murderer more likely than Gil falling in love.

W: Yeah. Any idea how long they've been together? Did he say anything out there?

C: (Shaking her head) No idea. He didn't say much, but I could feel his panic. All he wanted was to find her.

W: So they may have been together for years.

C: I don't think she would have been dating that EMT a few years ago if they were together then.

W: Damn. I forgot about him. Gris didn't like him at all.

C: (Short laugh) No he didn't.

In unison--

C/W: He was jealous.

C: It feels good to laugh after the last day or so.

W: Yeah.

C: You know, they're a lot alike. They're both nerds. They probably understand each other on some strange socially awkward level.

W: (Laughs) When you put it like that, you're probably right.

Interior. ICU waiting room. Greg, Nick and Sofia are sitting. Nick and Sofia next to each other. Greg apart.

S: How on earth did we not know?

N: (Shrugs) We know Grissom. I didn't know for sure if he was even interested in women. (At their looks) Or men. Work and bugs.

S: (Laughs) Tell me about it.

N: You had a thing for him?

S: I was intrigued. I had never met anyone quite like him before. He asked me to dinner once when I got demoted by Ecklie.

N: Oh Yeah. He wanted you to find Grissom negligent in that old case.

S: He wasn't. I thought he might be interested in me afterwards. Turns out all he wanted to do was extol the virtues of being a CSI and not let Ecklie influence my judgment.

N: That's Grissom.

G: Maybe he was already with Sara.

S: I don't think we'll ever know.

G: What do you think Ecklie will do?

S: He could fire them. I know from personal experience he has a vindictive streak.

G: So a psycho almost kills Sara, and he fires her? Doesn't seem right.

N: You know that isn't the reason.

G: In other labs, they could be married and still work together.

S: This isn't other labs.

They're quiet for a few moments.

N: They should have leveled with us.

S: You almost sound angry. Look I don't work with them as closely as you do--

N: He almost got her killed because some psycho figured out he was sleeping with her. (Softly) He shouldn't have been sleeping with her.

S: You are mad.

N: I don't know what I feel.

S: I think you love both of them separately, and you don't yet know how to think of them as a couple.

N: Yeah. Maybe. It's as if I never really knew either one of them.

G: They're still the same people.

N: You're all right with them being together?

G: I'm not going to judge them if that's what you mean.

N: You think that's what I'm doing?

G: Maybe.

N: Do you think Grissom really loves her?

G: Yeah.

N: What about Sara?

S: She's been in love with him for a while.

N: What makes you say that.

S: Let's just say that as a woman I picked up on certain vibes.

N: Not on his side?

S: No. I thought the same as you. That the man had no interest in a relationship with anyone. But I'm sure he loves Sara.

N: What makes you so sure?

S: I saw his face when the paramedics couldn't get a pulse. He was terrified.

N: So was I…

S: We all were. But--I can't explain it. It was as if the life was draining out of him.

Greg stands up and walks over to the glass, looks in.

G: She's still asleep.

N: Grissom still with her?

Greg nods.

N: So let me get this straight. You two are okay with the two of them being together?

S: I don't think they should lose their jobs if that's what you mean.

G: You know how I feel.

N: (Throwing his hands up) All right. I guess I just have to get used to this.

Exterior. Catherine is pacing.

C: Where the hell is Ecklie anyway?

W: How much do you think he knows?

C: I don't know. But Gil isn't making any effort to hide how he feels about her now. God I hope she's going to be okay. For his sake as well as hers. What was it he said? The only person he'd ever loved. Hard to believe a man can get to be 50 years old without ever falling in love. (Beat) Maybe he had no idea how to handle everything.

They're quiet for a few moments.

W: You said she was conscious when they brought her in.

C: Yeah. And Gil wanted to stay with her in the ER.

W: Is that what that nurse was telling you?

C: I'm glad Brass showed up and took him for a walk.

A car pulls up; Ecklie gets out.

E: I hear Sidle's been found alive. Is she going to make it?

C: We think so. They're still trying to get her stabilized. Nick and Sofia found her just in time.

E: Grissom rode the Medi-Vac with her?

C: So?

E: That's against regulations. I haven't seen all of the reports, but I heard that Natalie kidnapped Sidle to get back at Grissom for the death of her foster father?

C: That seems to be the consensus.

E: I heard Grissom almost lost it in interrogation.

C: I probably would have lost it too.

E: Are you covering for him?

C; Look, Ecklie, if you want to ask me something, just ask.

E: Where's Grissom now?

C: We don't know. Last I saw Brass was taking him for coffee.

E: Stokes and Sanders?

C: In the waiting room. Sofia too.

Brass appears, sees Ecklie, hesitates, then approaches.

C: Any news?

B: She's out of the ER, but they're keeping her in ICU for the next 24 hours.

E: Where's Grissom?

B: With Sara.

E: In ICU? I thought only family..

B: She doesn't have anyone else.

E: All right. Let's stop pussyfooting around here. I want you all to tell me how long Grissom and Sidle have been dating.

C: We have no idea.

E: You're covering for them.

B: No. She's not. I know for a fact no one of the team knew anything before this whole mess started.

E: What about you?

B: I had my suspicions for a while. I only found out for sure about a few months or so ago.

E: And you didn't tell anyone?

B: Not my secret to tell.

E: It's a violation of lab policy.

B: Your lab, not mine.

E: How did you find out? They weren't messing around on the job, I hope.

B: (Glares at him) No. They're 100% professional on the job. I found out by accident away from work. That's all I'm going to say.

C: Do you know how long they've been together, Jim?

B: No idea. But I think it's been a while. You're going to hear it anyway, so I may as well tell you they're living together.

E: Well that's just great. Who told you that?

B: He did. When the ICU nurse told him he couldn't go in with her because he wasn't family, he told her they lived together, so he was her family.

E: They're not secretly married or anything like that?

B: I don't think so. If they were I think he would have said so. His emotions are pretty raw.

E: Good old fashioned shacking up.

W: Hey Ecklie. You don't have to be so crude.

Pause. Everyone seems to regroup.

E: So you're telling me no one else knew about them?

C: I swear I had no idea.

W: Me neither.

E: Don't tell me they've been together since he brought her here.

C: I don't think so, but you'll have to ask him.

E: I'm going to do just that.

Ecklie starts toward the doors. Brass steps in front of him.

B: Not now.

E: He's broken so many rules. He needs to explain himself.

C: It's not the right time. He hasn't slept for 2 days. We were out in the desert all day looking for her. He's still worried sick about her. We all are.

B: Forget the rules for once. You should care more about the people. Sara came within an inch of losing her life, and all you care about is lab policy?

Brass continues to block his path.

E: All right. Let's just go in and see how she's doing.

Interior. ICU waiting room. Nick and Sofia are still sitting together, talking quietly. Greg is still staring in through the glass. We see what he's looking at: a woman is lying in the bed with IVs in her; her left arm is in a soft cast. We see it is Sara. She appears to be asleep. There is a man in a chair sitting next to the bed, holding her right hand. It is Grissom. He appears to be talking to her, but we can't hear what he's saying.

Ecklie, Catherine, Brass and Warrick enter the waiting room. Greg turns around and stiffens at the sight of Ecklie. Nick and Sofia look up at him, uneasily.

E: (Smiles sheepishly, as if realizing he's unwelcome) How's she doing?

S: They think she'll be fine in a few days. She's on fluids and pain meds. But she'll probably need surgery on her arm.

E: I understand you and Nick found her. How did she get out from under the car?

N: We don't know. But she was smart enough to take the mirror with her. I saw the reflection...otherwise…

E: You might have been too late.

S: She was starting to shut down.

During the conversation, Brass, Catherine and Warrick have moved towards the glass.

C: Looks like she's asleep. She is conscious?

S: Yes. She's conscious. They want her to sleep.

E: (Looking around) Where's Grissom?

Catherine nods towards the glass.

E: Still with her?

C: I don't think he's leaving anytime soon.

E: Look, why don't you all go home and get some sleep. It looks as if you're going to be a little short for a while.

N: (Blurts out) You're not going to fire them, because if you do, that would be so wrong.

E: I don't believe you people. They've been deceiving you, and you all act like I'm the bad guy here. There are rules people.

G: Stupid rules.

E: Didn't you used to have a crush on her? I think you'd be the last person to approve of her sleeping with her boss--and yours.

G: She's my friend. I'm for whatever makes her happy.

W: You keep trying to make it sound dirty.

E: I have one of my supervisors carrying on with one of his team for who knows how long. What would you call it?

S: We don't choose who we fall in love with.

E: You all sound like a bunch of hopeless romantics.

C: We don't have the happiest of jobs. Maybe it's nice to be talking about 2 people who love each other instead of people killing each other for a change.

N: Yeah, and we wouldn't even be talking about them if Natalie hadn't tried to kill Sara.

W: Look, Ecklie, we care about both of them. If they have found something with each other, we're fine with it. They both needed to find something. So we're good. You should be too.

E: I don't even want to think about all the cases they've compromised.

C: It's a lab policy, not a law. Other labs even have married couples working together. They've never compromised anything. If they had, don't you think one of us would have noticed?

E: You never noticed they were living together.

Greg, Nick and Sofia look surprised by this.

C: We look at the evidence in a crime. We weren't looking for a love affair. Their work has always been above reproach.

E: You all feel the same way?

He receives a chorus of Yeses and affirmative nods. Ecklie walks over to the glass and looks in. Grissom is still holding her hand. Ecklie turns back to them.

E: (Sighs) Well. I guess I'll figure out what to do about all of this later.

B: Good decision.

E: I still think you all should go home and get some sleep. Oh, good job everyone. Finding Sara I mean.

With that Ecklie leaves. They all watch him go.

C: He has a point. About sleep I mean.

W: Someone needs to pry Gris out of there. He needs food and sleep.

C: And a shower. Look, why don't you guys take off. I'll see if I can get him to go home after you leave.

Doc Robbins and Super Dave arrive.

R: How is she?

B: They think she'll be fine.

R: How's Gil?

C: You're not going to tell us you knew about them?

R: No. But I'm not surprised.

C: You're the only one.

R: It's always been pretty clear they have a connection, but I didn't know. Now everyone does. The Lab grapevine is working overtime.

C: I'll bet.

Interior of Sara's room. She opens her eyes; Grissom smiles at her. She looks confused.

G: You're in the hospital.

S: You stayed with me?

G: Yeah.

S: (Her eyes focusing; she sees the figures behind the glass) Is that the team?

G: They're worried about you. (Seeing her confusion, gently) It's okay. Everyone knows.

S: About us?

G: (Nods) I only want you to worry about getting well.

S: Aren't you worried what they think?

G: I don't care what they think. (Puts both his hands around hers, and squeezes her hand) All I care about is you.

Interior. Sara's room. Sometime later. She is asleep. Grissom is still sitting next to her in the chair; he is barely awake. The door opens, and Catherine enters. She has obviously been home. She is wearing fresh clothes.

C: Come on Gil. You need to go home and get a shower.

G: I don't think I should leave her.

C: You can barely stay awake. You don't smell great either. She'll be fine. Sleep is the best medicine.

He stands up and stretches a little; he looks at Sara.

C: The nurse said she'll call you if anything changes, but she's probably out of the woods.

G: Okay. (Leaning down) I'll be back soon.

C: Go ahead and kiss her. I know you want to. (He shoots her a look then leans over and kisses her forehead.) Oh, Gil, my friend, you've got it bad.

G: (Confused) Got what bad?

C: (Laughs) You're such a dork.

Interior. Grissom's condo. The sound of the doorbell. Grissom appears. He is in clean clothes and is freshly shaven. He opens the door. It's Catherine.

C: You look a lot better.

G: I slept. I don't think I've ever been so tired.

C: Fear is exhausting. (He smiles slightly.) Gil, in all the time I've known you I think the past couple days were the first time I've ever seen you really scared.

G: I don't know what to say to you. In many ways, you've been about as close to me…

C: But you've never been in love with me.

G: No.

C: Well I've never been in love with you either. (She looks around, taking note of the plants and the pictures on the walls.) A woman lives here.

G: How?

C: It's decorated. Your idea of decorating is bookshelves and dead bugs. I was in your old place a number of times, remember? (Sensing his discomfort) Are you planning to marry her?

G: We've never talked about it.

C: A woman living with a man who doesn't bring up marriage?

G: I'm a lot older than she is.

C: I doubt she cares.

G: Wouldn't you?

C: Not if I loved him. (She looks at him for a moment) Gil, if you're worried about your age difference, take it from me, there are much bigger considerations. If you can live under the same roof that's half the battle.

G: Battle?

C: (Smiles) You are so innocent sometimes. You have to fight sometimes.

G: (Contemplating) She was upset when I took my sabbatical and…(almost accusatory) what did you tell her about me and Heather?

C: If you'd been honest with me about your relationship, I wouldn't have told her anything.

G: Whatever you think about my relationship with Heather, you're wrong. I've never been in love with her. I've never slept with her either.

C: I find that hard to believe.

G: Everything isn't about sex.

C: You can't deny your fascination.

G: I'm fascinated by a lot of things. We have a connection, yes, but so do you and I. She sees things other people don't.

C: What things?

G: She reads people in ways I wish I could.

C: She reads you?

G: She knew how I felt in 2 minutes.

C: About Sara?

G: (He's said too much.) Yeah.

C: I wish I had.

Catherine looks around the condo again. There are so many little feminine touches. Sara really does live here. Feeling contrite--

C: Is Sara still upset? About what I said?

G: No. (He seems someplace else for a moment) I want to get back to the hospital. Have you seen Ecklie?

C: Don't worry about Ecklie.

G: I have to worry about Ecklie. He's been looking for a reason for a long time. He has one now.

C: You worry about Sara. We'll handle Ecklie.

G: I don't understand. I thought you were mad, you know--

C: Gil, I'll probably never understand you and Sara, but I don't think you should lose your job for loving someone. Come on. Let's get you back to the hospital.

Catherine walks out. Gil stares after his friend for a moment, smiles, and follows her out.

#csi #csi las vegas #gsr #catherine willows #jim brass #warrick brown #greg sanders #nick stokes #sofia curtis #conrad ecklie #al robbins #gil grissom #sara sidle #fanfic #dead doll

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