A Reason to Sing

Sara flicked on the cd player and dropped the small remote on the counter before opening the oven, the warm air gracing her neck and causing her to flush a little. She placed the casserole dish on the rack and closed the door again, clicking the timer to the right place. Sara had never forgotten that she had food cooking, but habit had taken over in the name of precaution.
Her hips swayed slightly as she sang along with the music, softly and only a few lines at a time; her mind preoccupied with small thoughts. Her fingers ran down the side of the dark wooden cupboard before pulling it open, reaching for a glass. “But as close as I come to you, it’s not the same...”
The words danced along her lips as she spun towards the fridge, the soft “chunk” of the magnetic strip mingling into the chorus of the song. Sara reached for the bottle of Sprite in her fridge, her eyes traveling to the tickets pinned to the freezer door by a bug magnet. Symphony orchestra, that she’d won in a draw after donating money to the women’s shelter. She donated every year, but she’d never won anything before.
“So I will..head out alone, and hope for the best...” she softly sang, staring at the tickets and wondering, knowing, that she’d not find some one to go with her. Or rather that she’d found him, but she knew he wouldn’t go.
Shaking her head, Sara poured her drink and returned the bottle to the fridge, walking into the living room and placing her drink on the coffee table, on one of her decorative sandstone coasters. She watched the perspiration from the glass slide slowly down, touching the spine of a magazine haphazardly thrown on top of others. “But you and I..know the reason why...” she whispered, her eyes transfixed as the droplet blurred the ink.
The sounds of the bridge of the song seemingly carried themselves along the waves of the heat from the oven, the smell of the vegetarian casserole making Sara’s stomach growl. “I’m gone, and you’re still here.” She sang with the dying chorus, her voice growing stronger as she walked towards the window, drawing the curtains closed on the setting Nevada sun.
Turning again to walk towards the kitchen, Sara drummed her fingers on her soft denim covered thigh, humming peacefully to the opening music of the next song. Instead of depressing her mood, the previous tune was actually uplifting. Perhaps a puzzling part to her personality, though Sara preferred the explanation of Martin Tupper. “There is joy in sorrow which none but a mourner can know.” She smiled to herself, placing a plate on the counter and pulling oven mitts over her hands. In college she had tried to explain how it was possible to have quotes stuck in the brain like songs, but her roommate had never understood.
She took the warmed up casserole out the oven and scooped a portion onto her plate, swinging her hips a little to the music still. The lyrics were almost inspirational, but her thoughts were interrupted by the phone ringing.
“Hello?” She mumbled through the hot and savoury vegetables on in her mouth, dropping her fork a little when she realized it was Grissom. She reached for the remote and muted the music as he spoke through the receiver. It was her night off, why was he calling? She didn’t dare let hersel think that it was for any reason other than work, and Grissom didn’ t disappoint. He needed her to go to work and finish up on paperwork for Tuesday’s case, which was being fast tracked by a judge. It didn’t matter anyway she supposed, Good Friday didn’t really mean anything to her.
Hanging up the phone, Sara returned to lean on the counter, munching on dinner while staring beyond the framed pictures on her wall. She’d planned a little evening for herself that night, relaxing bubble bath, scented candles, a warm and probably spiked hot chocolate while enjoying her newest CD. “After shift,” she told herself, sighing a little. An evening with paperwork was never fun, even if Grissom was there.

-II-

“I thought you had tonight off?” Greg asked quizzically as Sara breezed by him in the hallway, the hair that she’d straightened that afternoon swaying a little as she walked.
“Work calls, Greg.” Sara replied, in search of Grissom. He’d called her in, he’d better damn well be there. She headed to the break room and encountered Hodges and Mia, whose conversation resembled more of a verbal joust than friendly chat between coworkers. Greg stumbled in as Sara was pouring her coffee, cursing his untied shoelaces and placing a small box of chocolate cadbury mini eggs on the table.
“Happy Easter.” He smiled, nodding at everyone in the room and grinning as if he was still a child. “I know not everyone celebrates it, but chocolate is chocolate...”
“Ahh, the commercialization of yet another religious holiday.” Hodges interjected snidely, glancing to Mia in search of what almost seemed like approval of his remark.
Sara grinned into her coffee mug and thanked Greg, biting back a small chuckle as Greg regarded Hodges with a look of contempt.
“Easter Bunny never came to your house, did it?”
Hodges pondered a reply as they all noticed Grissom walking into the room, head down and eyes analyzing the paper in his hands. Sara wondered how he never managed to walk into things, because she knew only half of that skill was peripheral vision.
“Hodges, don’t you have some stained baseball caps to get to?” He asked, noting Sara’s preoccupation with Greg’s Easter Bunny comment. Grissom walked towards Sara in search of fresh coffee, passing the piece of paper to her and giving her the dull news of her work for that night. She grimaced as the black, steamy liquid splashed into his mug, not wanting to spend the evening documenting time charts for trial.
“And you didn’t think to get Greg to do this because...?” Sara asked rather sarcastically, a little glad that Grissom knew he could rely on her.
“I would have. I didn’t want to make you come in on your day off, but I need Greg for a case.” Grissom shrugged, stirring the coffee and noting she wasn’t as annoyed as the last time he’d called her in.
“That’s all right” Sara said between sips, leaning against the counter. “I love spending Friday nights in the evidence room processing paper. It’s quiet and all...evidency.”
Sara bit back a grin as Grissom narrowed his eyes.
“I’m quite sure that’s not a word. Anyway, you can use my office if you want.” Grissom said, intending it as an off the cuff remark, though watching to see how she’d receive the offer.
“Well, thanks.” Sara replied, trying some what successfully to contain the slight feeling of -was that glee?- that she had.
“You’re welcome.” Grissom quipped, turning to leave the break room, probably off to DNA to check the results of his latest case. She shook her head at herself as she left the room as well, realizing just how pathetic she was for being happy over Grissom’s offer to use his office.

-II-

The sound of the door latch clicking startled Sara and she looked up, ceasing her humming immediately. Grissom stood on the other side of the desk, holding a file folder.
“...What?” Sara grinned nervously, unsure of what he wanted.
“I have to leave. I’ve been called up to Lake Mead, and I won’t be back before end of shift.” Grissom declared, unintentionally trying to use his hands to express his regret for having to leave her, leave her to do paperwork.
Sara shuffled in her seat and started to gather pages, the grin fading quite fast from her face.
“Oh, well, that’s okay. I’ll just pack up and head to the Evidence Room.” Sara mumbled, fighting the blush on her cheeks that was spreading. Why was she blushing? What had she expected him to say?
“No, no.” Grissom blurted, more assertive than he’d originally intended. “You can stay in the office, I just need you to lock it after you go.”
Sara stopped, letting the papers fall back to the desk, and smiled at him. She was grateful, not only was his office more comfortable and private, but that he would let her use it for the rest of the night.
“Thanks.” It was the only appropriate reply she could think of.
“You’re welcome.” He said, with a grin on his face similar one she’d seen before, when he figured out the combination for the safe in which a collection of fake Japanese artifacts were being safe kept. She wished him a good weekend and her eyes returned to her work, wanting to finish it so that she could go home early. He returned the sentiment, and Sara’s heart felt warm. Not because it was expecting any close or awe-inspiring thoughts from him, but because she was happy with the level of professional friendship they had. Some how their conversations seemed lighter, like there was no hidden agenda behind them.
Her mind was congratulating it’s self on this when out of nowhere a cadbury creme egg was placed on the desk in front of her.
“There’s... uh...a few of these. They’re hidden around the room. Have a good weekend Sara.” Grissom mumbled, smiling at her before turning to walk out the door. Sara grinned as she watched him walking down the hall, before unwrapping the egg and rising to search for the others.