Strangest Night

This is my first attempt at CSI fanfic, and inspired by one of the challenges....


I don't own them, yadda yadda etc.


The Strangest Night (part 1)

(AKA Sherlock Challenge)

I have always believed that for each of us there are days that are intrinsically fated to be

bad. Few in my line of work would disagree; after all, each and every one of our guests of

honor are having the ultimate bitch of a bad day.

The irony of this fact is that most of the time we never see it coming. The day starts as

any other, then unravels as we go about our business. You know what I mean - you get up,

grab a shower and a cup of coffee, stop for gas, and when you get to work your girlfriend

calls to break up with you - or your lab blows up with you in it. At the risk of sounding

bitter, lately I have had more than my share of days and nights that sucked shit. Last night

seemed suspiciously likely to join the foul parade - my final, and (Griss really stressed

this) that means FINAL final proficiency test. Sink or swim, last chance to prove my worth.

Trouble was, I'm not so sure I have all that much worth these days.

I used to be the smart kid - geeky but brilliant, or so I told myself. Maybe only the first

half of that ever really applied. Everyone thinks I'm so much more than what I really am -

precocious whiz kid who started college at 16, always happy and confident, a real player and

ladies' man, putting the moves on all the ladies, but what they don't know is that usually I

get shot down, that I haven't actually dated but two girls since I've been here, and one of

those wanted to just be friends after the second date. The other "relationship" (the one I

actually slept with - twice ) met a quick demise a little over a month after it started when

I caught her sucking face with a bartender at the Tangiers. Yeah, I'm the lab Romeo alright. Nick and

Nick and Warrick would herniate themselves laughing if they only knew. That's why I make

sure they don't.


But I'm getting off track here. I was talking about last night - my BIG night, and it

started with a case that was beyond bizarre. This guy's been shot, his friend are suspects, and they're all

pretending to be character's from Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. They're dressed for

the part, fake accents and all, and the victim - well, the victim's Sherlock Holmes. I

initially thought Watson did it because he had Sherlock's blood on his shoe. I was looking

at said blood in the microscope when Sara did something that normally would've astonished

me. She asked me out, to celebrate my solving the case. On her.


Now understand that on any other night I would've not only jumped on her offer, I would've

been floating for then rest of the week, even though the smarter part of me knows she

probably was offering going-out-as-friends, not going-out-as-in-dating-and-possible-romance.

It is true that we usually do take meals together when we're partnered together, and we

often are partnered. We've even gone out for breakfast to discuss the night's case after

work a few times, so the offer of breakfast was not completely unprecedented. My reaction,

however, was. In retrospect I can see clearly what I did: I was so into the evidence I never

even answered her. Nothing existed for me but the case. In that moment I was just like

Grissom.


I eventually solved the case when I found the tubing and gun in the fireplace - or so I

thought. I was in the locker changing clothes when Grissom dropped the bomb on me. When we

found the woman's tobacco in the tubing my heart sink because I knew - I had been wrong.

When Nick and Warrick told me Grissom wanted to see me I knew what was coming.


I slunk slowly down the corridor, wondering what I would do. Could I get my old job in San

Francisco back, I wondered idly, or would I have to take a job in Alaska somewhere? Mia

already had my old job....


I saw the back of Grissom's head as I stood at the door. My hand shook as I opened that door

and stepped in. My heart stopped as the chair turned, then I saw the sign: You Passed!

In an instant my world went from black to bright. Sara hugged me, Catherine gave me a kiss,

and the guys all offered congratulations - even Eckley. We headed to the break room for a

glass of wine, all but Grissom. He stayed behind, and in the midst of our revelry I glanced his

way. He was smiling, though perhaps a bit sadly. I glanced at Sara, who was regarding me

with a smile as she talked to Nick. I overheard tiny snatches of what she was saying: "Greg

really was the one who broke the case open... found the gun and the tubing... Yeah, from

brick dust..."


The party disbursed pretty quickly because Eckley kept swooping by and we were all scared

he'd make us put in another shift. I edged my way to the locker room and ran straight into

Nick. Literally. "We need to talk." His eyes were bright. "It's important."

"Umm ...okay...."


"Bathroom." He ducked in and looked back . "Come on."


"So what's up?" I was utterly perplexed, because Nick was clearly pretty excited about

something.


Warrick came out of one of the stalls to join Nick and they stood there together grinning

at me. "What's up, my clueless friend , is that Sara is now crushing on you. Yeah."


I shook my head. "No way. We're close friends, but she doesn't..."


At that Warrick cut me off. "No, man, you don't get it. Catherine told me Sara told her she

planned to ask you out tonight, to see where it would go."


My mouth was suddenly dry. "To see... to see where it would go?"


"You heard me."


Nick grinned stupidly. He really was enjoying this way more than he should've been. "So,

Greg, you still interested?"


I laughed. "What the hell do YOU think?"


"Well, you'd best get going. Don't want to miss your lady, now do you?"



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


Back in the locker room I changed quickly . I watched as the others slipped out, hanging

back a bit with Sara. We slowly made our way to our cars.


She cleared her throat. "So, Greg, I guess you aren't interested any more."


Ever the sensitive, articulate millenium man, I answered in true form. "Huh?"


Her voice was soft. "Back in the lab I asked you out. You never gave me an answer, so I

guess I'll have to take that as a 'No'."


I stopped dead in my tracks and grabbed her hand. "Sara, I'm sorry. I was in the middle of

a huge breakthrough in the case; my mind wasn't really there at the moment. That doesn't

mean I don't want to go out with you."


She cleared her throat."I just thought that maybe... I mean, you've been pretty into Mia

lately, so I thought maybe you were...." She trailed off looking at the building. "I don't

know what I thought."


"You thought I was over you." She nodded slowly. "Sara, let me tell you something. I will

never, ever be over you, but until today you have never given me the slightest reason to

think you saw me as anything more than a friend. I have asked out other girls, even dated

a few, because I couldn't have you." I squeezed her hand. "You were clearly in love with

Grissom, then you were sleeping with Hank. I think I was pretty clear during all of it that

I wanted to be with you, but you wanted no part of me. Do you know how that felt? "


"Yeah, I'm starting to get an idea." She looked at the ground. "I thought.. I thought you

were a tomcat. The way you went on I figured you... you had a different girl every week,

that you just wanted another notch in your belt.. Why are you laughing? You went out of

your way to make sure everyone knew what a stud you were."


"Sara.. I don't know what to say; I mean, in my whole life I've slept with three women.

All three were in very brief relationships, so my total.. experience level... is not

exactly extensive. Yes, I like to bullshit. I'm not really eager for the guys to know

the truth. You are the only person I told the most embarassing part- that I was a virgin

until I was 22. You told Mia too. You must've thought it was pretty funny." I hoped

the hurt didn't show through too much.


"Greg, it wasn't that way."


"Yeah? Well, what way was it, then?" I was getting loud at this point. "Explain that to me,

please."


"Not here." Sara pointed at her car. "Get in."


I complied. "Where are we going?"


"Somewhere where we won't be interrupted. My place."

Part 2 is from Sara's point of view....

Strangest Night Part 2


I glanced over at Greg, who looked as nervous as I felt. I literally didn't know where to

start, what to say. Only lately had I come to understand how sensitive Greg Sanders really

was, how deceptive his bragging had been. In reality his self-esteem was more damaged than

even my own. How could I make him understand that his well-hidden awkwardness and innocence

were among his sweetest qualities? I had to say something; the air was thick enough to cut.


I cleared my throat. "When I met you, you were so proud, confident, and free, and I envied

you. You were charming, funny, flirtatious, and everyone, everyone loved you. You were

young, happy, silly, sociable - everything I wasn't. I sat primly behind my walls, never

realizing how much more there was to you."


He never answered, just stared at me and nodded. He hadn't lied when he told me he was a

a good listener. "When you started... when you started coming on to me I thought at first

it was just random flirting. I'm eight years older than you. Once I ... once I realized you

really were interested, I assumed you were just looking for yet another conquest. You went

to a lot of trouble to make me think you were pretty promiscuous, so it was a logical

assumption."


Greg snorted. "And a wrong one."


"But you deliberately misled. Remember that. You gave the impression you were looking for

indiscriminate, anonymous sex."


Greg shook his head. "I cannot believe this. I try to make you think I'm a ladies' man

because I think that's what women want, and you're telling me ... you're telling me you

wrote me off because you thought I was a whore? I've actually done it seven times and

you thought I was a whore." He laughed. "I was trying to impress you."


I was silent as I pulled into my parking space. The hard parts hadn't been said yet, and

I dreaded it. He wasn't the only one who liked to make impressions.


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


We sat together on my threadbare sofa. I placed my hand over his, feeling the tension.

"Why did you tell Mia what I told you?" His voice was soft, and I could hear the hurt in

it. "That was personal; I never told anyone else at work that."


I swallowed hard. "Mia and I went out for breakfast about a week before that. She told me

you asked her out, said you were the Lab Romeo. I was hurt, angry, and I blurted it out.

I was wrong and I'm sorry I said it, but it hurt, Greg; I finally was letting you close and

there you were asking out Mia, sleeping with Sophia..."


"Sleeping with Sophia!! Where the HELL did you get that from?"


"She was in your apartment, and she said everyone had been there. But never me, Greg.

Never me."


He looked away from me then, was silent for a long time. Finally he spoke, his voice husky.

"I've struck out at you in anger because I was hurt before, so I can't exactly hold it

against you. I do need to know one thing, though. How do you feel about Grissom now?"


I didn't speak for a while. "I loved him once, but I'm not entirely sure how much of my

attachment was love and how much was that he made me feel needed. He is so... so alone,

his walls are so thick."


Awareness dawned in Greg's eyes. "You wanted to save him."


"Yeah. That and, and he was like my Dad in so many ways. Not entirely, because Daddy had

a vicious, violent side, but his devotion to duty, his obsession with his work, his

detachment. In trying to win Grissom's love, I was trying to capture what I never got from

my father. My therapist helped me understand this part. So much of what we do in life is

reliving history, trying to get it right at last." I sighed. "I tried and tried. Finally

I tried Hank."


Greg's voice was bitter. "Yeah, Hank and not me. You know, you never did answer my

question."


I smiled slightly. "You haven't figured it out? He had one thing you never will." I met his

surprised gaze. "I knew I wouldn't fall in love with him. He was safe. You were dangerous;

you had the ability to break my heart."


"You were in love with Gil Grissom. Your heart belonged to him."


I shook my head. "It's not that easy, Greg; you should know that. You were in love with

what's-her-name for a while there; does that mean you didn't have feelings for me?"


He sighed. "Okay. Point taken."


"So what now?"


Greg smiled and fixed me with his best I-am-imagining-what-you-look-like-naked stare. "We

COULD take this and see where it goes." He leaned toward me and placed his hand on my cheek.

"What do you think?"


His eyes were dark and he kept looking at my lips. "I think I like that suggestion a lot,"

I said slowly.


With that, Greg Sanders leaned forward and slowly, gingerly touched his lips to mine. My

heartbeat quickened as I leaned forward into the kiss. He gasped softly and deepened the

kiss. It was electric, powerful yet tender, not the awkward fumbling first connections so

often amounted to. His tongue insistently sought mine as his hands tangled in my hair.


"Wow!" I gasped when finally he moved back for a moment. "That was... that was..."


"Five damned years of wanting," he whispered as he stroked my cheek. His hands were shaking,

his eyes almost wild with emotion. "More than I have ever wanted anyone or anything." He

slipped his hand down to cup my chin, then lowered his head for another kiss.


I was on fire. Eagerly I answered him kiss for kiss, both of us panting by the time he drew

back a second time. I moaned and arched my back as he kissed and suckled my neck and ears.


"oh, Sara," he breathed against my neck, "you do not know what this is doing to me." He

buried his face in my neck.


"Show me, " I whispered softly. "Don't stop. Show me."


********


Strangest Night Part 3 NC17


Changing viewpoints was so much fun I'm doing it again... this time third person....

This version of part 3 is NC17, so if you're underage or not into that better bail now.

For all others, here it goes. I must stress agin that this is a very strong NC17.


Changing point of view again, just because I can. The song is "Secret Garden"
by Springsteen.




She lets you in her house
If you come knocking late at night
She'll let you in her mind
If the words you say are right
If you pay the price
She'll let you deep inside
But there's a secret garden she hides


Greg Sanders was holding the woman he had been dreaming about for five years . Her face was

flushed with excitement. He brushed away an errant hair and just looked at her for a few

moments, burning the details of her sultry features into memory. "Beautiful," he whispered

hoarsely , kissing the corner of her mouth.


She studied him raptly as well. "You are," she whispered, smiling slightly. She whimpered

as he started on her neck again. She squirmed on top of him, and she could feel just how

excited he was under his baggy jeans. He moved from her neck to her ear and back again,

kept at it as her whimpers turned into moans. "Ohh, Greg.... bedroom..."


With shaking hands he helped her up and they moved to the back of her house. They fell

together onto the bed. With shaking hands he unbuttoned her shirt and gently pulled it off,

then unbuttoned her jeans and peeled them off as well. She wasn't wearing a bra, and her

panties were a burgundy thong, mostly lace. Dimly he realized she might have been thinking

of this, considering as she issued her invitation that he might see what she wore beneath

her clothes. He fingered the waistband. "You're going to send me over the edge before I get

my pants off. "


Sara chuckled. "Better get them off, then, Greggo. I have plans for you."


"Good, because I doubt you're getting much sleep today, Miss Sidle."


Sara raised up on her knees and unceremoniously unbuttoned and unzipped his fly. He

raised up and in one motion removed his jeans and underwear. "Nice," she whispered huskily

as she gently stroked his swollen penis. "Very, very nice. Get on your back. Legs apart."

Greg complied and was a little surprised when she kneeled between his knees and began

slowly kissing and nuzzling first his neck, then his shoulder, chest, and stomach. He was

barely holding on by the time she got to his lower belly. "Ohhhh, Sara....."

She didn't answer, just kept going. She nuzzled the tight, dark curls surrounding his

swollen erection, swirled her tongue around the turgid staff. His expression was that

of a man being tortured, but his moans only provoked her to greater boldness. When at

last she engulfed him in her mouth, low moans gave way to begging. "Oh, Sara; please

don't stop don't stop i love you ...." His eyes were wild and desperate as their

gazes locked. Neither looked away, not even at the end.


He pulled her into a tight embrace and sighed. "That was beyond words. It's

not over yet, though, not by a long shot."


She raised up and grinned. "That's right; I believe someone promised to keep me up all day."


"And I plan to. Give me five minutes to catch my breath; I have something I've being

wanting to do since the night we met."


"That long." She raised her eyebrows.


"Yeah, that long. And Sara? What you just did, that never happened to me before."


He thought her smile was just a tiny bit smug. "That means a lot. Thanks for telling me."

She paused for a moment. He was trailing a fingertip across her shoulder, down her side,

up to her breast to circle her puckering nipple. "That feels so good."


He gave her a quick kiss. "I'm glad. I want for you to feel better than you ever have." He

nuzzled her neck, then continued. "I want you to feel so good you can't get enough of me,

like I can't get enough of you. I want you to get wet every time our eyes meet because you

remember how it is with us." He paused. "I want you to stop thinking about Grissom and Hank

and think about me." With that, he lowered his head to the her breast.


Sara was going out of her mind. He was trailing caresses across her lower belly with one

hand as he gently licked and suckled her distended nipples. She moaned as without warning

his hand slipped beneath the lacy fabric of her panties and found her damp slit. "Ohh Greg,

that feels... oh ohhhh...."


His voice was husky. "Now get on you back and it will feel even better. Yeah, like that,

but legs more apart. Hmmmmm....." He had come to kneel between her knees, and his mouth was

unhurriedly following the same path his hands had taken. When finally he reached her damp

apex he slid the lacy covering aside and nuzzled her damp curls. He moaned deeply and began

driving her out of her mind.


The tender torture went on and on. She moaned and begged as he took her to the edge and

backed off at least three times. Finally, he gave in to her impassioned pleas and sent

her over the edge into a firestorm beyond anything she'd ever felt. She screamed his name

as she came, her hips bucking like something wild. Then he was above her, his lips on hers

as he pushed into her core. He shuddered at the intense sensations, then began to move.

"oh, Sara," he breathed, "Oh oh...."


"Oh Greg... I never knew it would be like this...ahhhh...." She arched into his slow

thrusts, feeling the delicious tension build again as he moved in and out.


"Sara... look at me..." She gasped at the depth of feeling in his gaze. "Oh oh, love you

so much.... oh Sara........."


She couldn't look away, even as his thrusts grew wild and tumbled together into madness.

Gasping in the aftermath, Sara pressed her face into his neck. They fell asleep like that,

still locked together.


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


Strangest Night Part 4 strong PG13

I'm changing point of view again here; sorry if it's making you dizzy. This part's about
a strong PG13, with adult themes and profanity.




All amazing nights have to end, even if they take place in the daytime. I realized this

as I watched her sleep. I wondered if she would regret what had happened between us. Even

if she does, I am enough of an ass not to. I am such an ass that I didn't bother with

protection - even though I have a condom in my wallet, and I know for a fact she had her

period two weeks ago (she bought tampons at a 7-11 while we were on a case; I haven't been

checking her trash or anything.) Yeah, she's probably on the pill - after all, she didn't

seem to have a problem with going bareback - but I don't have a problem with it if she's

not.


I am such a selfish bastard.


I hope this amazing thing we have means as much to her as it does to me. Gotta curb the

possessiveness and the jealousy; it's bitten me in the ass in the past - gotta say, though,

she's a little territorial herself. I smile at this thought. Sara Sidle regards me as hers.

Who'd have thought it?


She sighs in her sleep and smiles a little. I wonder if she'll backtrack once she realizes

she just jumped into the deep end without water wings. I hope not. It's taken us too damned

long to get to this point. If we move away from it we may never get back again.


She stirs next to me, smiles and sighs. In a little while I'll need to give her a kiss and

head back to my apartment to change; no need announcing to the world what happened today.

It's too fresh, too new for the cold light of other's eyes; for now we keep it to ourselves.


I kiss her on the nose. "Wake up, sleepy." She grumbles groggily, then her eyes fly open in

shock. I laugh and stroke her cheek. "We have to get up and get ready for work. I thought

we could get something to eat, then stop by my place so I can change."


She frowned. "Greg, your car's at work."


I shrugged. "I'll tell them it wouldn't start but that you were kind enough to give me a

ride home. technically that's not a lie since I never started it and you are going to take

me home to change. Unless you're ready to deal with the looks and comments...."


She shook her head quickly. "No, I.... I'm not sorry about what happened, Greg, but it's

going to take some time to adjust."


I nodded. "We need to get used to this without outside interference."


She gave me a quick hug before hopping out of bed. "Thanks, Greg. For understanding."


At the bathroom door she stopped and turned toward me. "Oh, and Greg? Last night was beyond

amazing." And with that, she closed the door.

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

"So the husband found out what she was up to and shot her with a shotgun right there in the

living room. Blood spatter and brains on the sofa and his pants shows he was standing close

when he did it, maybe 3 feet."


We were wrapping up our night's case with Grissom. It had been brutal, messy, and

straightforward, a jealous husband blowing his wife's head almost completely off after

finding out she was screwing his brother. He had been on his way to his brother's house

when the police pulled him for driving erratically. He was covered in blood, so they went

to his house and found out why. He had confesses readily when we confronted him with the

evidence - his wife was missing half her head, and coincidentally he was wearing quite a

bit of her brains on his Docker's.


"Good work, people." Grissom looked from Sara to me and back again. "This should get a

conviction."


"Hey, Griss! We need to run some bugs by you here!" Nick was standing in the doorway, and

from his aroma I could tell he'd been enjoying a decomp.


Grissom nodded dismissively at Sara, and we slipped out of the office. "Nicky and Warrick

are STRONG men tonight," she said as she breezed past them.


"Ha Ha. Your time will come, Sara," Nick shot back.


I took a breath when we slipped out into the parking lot. "So, we're both off tonight and

tomorrow night."


She looked up from unlocking her car and shot me the most beautiful smile. "That we are.

Any suggestions?"


I sucked in my breath at her expression. "Mmmm-hmmm, a few. Care to discuss them at

breakfast, Miss Sidle?"


"Why, Mr. Sanders, that is such a good idea. I will meet you there."


And so ended the wildest, best, most amazing thirty-six hours of my life. I'd started out

thinking it was going to be about losing dreams and endings, but then in a flash it turned

into finding reality and new beginnings. I smiled and started my car, then headed off into

the rest of my life.