An online haven where Grissom Sara Romance is free to flutter ...

By KMnO4

Honourable Intentions

Rating- PG-13

Summary- Team bonding gone awry?! Our CSIs head out on a camping trip.

Saturday, 6am

The sun rose reluctantly over the horizon. It barely managed to illuminate the dusty woodland floor which was largely obscured by dense tree branches. The whole place had a stagnant eerie feeling to it -with not a chirping bird or bustling squirrel in sight- almost as if it had frozen in time waiting for the unknown to occur.

The only sound which filled the cold morning air was the screeching brakes of Catherine’s Tahoe as it rounded a life threatening bend. The beaming blonde halted briefly at the entrance to the morbid home of various flora and fauna. After a set of hasty goodbyes she left quickly stirring up a cloud of debris in her wake.

Five stunned and sceptical co-workers were the only other thing Catherine had left behind.

“I’m not sure about this,” Sara began. “I’m all for team bonding but-”

Nick interjected as he picked his heavy backpack off the floor and hoisted it with ease onto the broad expanse of his shoulders.

“Come on Sara,” he grinned. “Don’t be so serious. It’ll be fun.”

Greg mimicked his wide smile and carefully readjusted the compression straps across his chest.

“Yeah Sara,” he teased. “We’ll protect you if that’s what you’re afraid of. Four big strong men. It’ll be no trouble at all.”

She rolled her eyes and turned towards the tall smirking man beside her.

“What do you say?” Sara asked.

“I say don’t share a tent with Greg,” Warrick replied. “ But other than that you’ll be fine.”

They set about evening out the weight of their packs and arranging their equipment. Every now and then someone would make a crack about the various ways in which Catherine could have gotten herself out of the group challenge exercise.

In the end their money was on her wearing a low cut number when she went to make her excuses to Cavallo.

“Ok,” Grissom suddenly taking charge. “Is everybody ready to head out?”

“No,” Sara continued sarcastically. “But let’s go anyway, because a woman can never fully be ready for the wild unknown.”

“That’s the spirit,” Grissom voiced wryly as he tried his hardest not to smile at the grumblings of the annoyed yet endearing brunette.

The part-sullen, part-ecstatically excited troop, made their way into the tiny clearing of forest which soon narrowed inwards to engulf them.

Saturday, 1pm

Seven hours later they had reached the centre of the wood with only a few minor setbacks along the way. Greg of course had almost fallen into a rocky ravine, Nick had lost most of his smugness in the wake of a trillion mosquito bites and Sara had found something new to complain about.

“Well,” she sighed. “If anybody was going to twist their ankle of course it would have had to be me.”

Grissom looked up at her and frowned. He tightened the bandage he was currently wrapping around her foot and fought against the desire to stroke the tiny indent at her ankle.

“Stop complaining,” he chided softly. “It could have been worse.”

Sara twisted impatiently in her seat which comprised of a moss covered log. She really didn’t see how things could possibly be more dire than they presently were. Stuck in a forest with nothing but testosterone for supercilious company.

She would soon learn never to tempt fate.

“So I think the best thing we could do now,” Greg began. “Is split up into two groups and-”

“Wait a minute,” Nick exclaimed scratching one of his numerous bites. “I thought the whole point of this thing was that we all stay together.”

“Actually,” Warrick said tiredly. “We’re just supposed to get our assigned task done as efficiently as possible and in the shortest amount of time.”

Grissom tentatively replaced Sara’s foot back inside of her sock and left her to put on her boots after accepting her shy thank you.

“Warrick’s right,” he disclosed. “And surprisingly enough, so is Greg. If we create a team of two and a team of three we can cover the east and west sides of the wood.”

“What about the rest of it,” Nick asked. “These markers we’re supposed to be collecting are everywhere. We have thirty to get and we only found five on the way in here.”

“ Ok, Nicky.” Grissom reasoned. “ We’ll regroup back tomorrow at midday and take the North trail together. That should cover it all.

“Hallelujah,” Sara said loudly as she rose stiffly from the log. “We have a plan! Now tell me where to go and who to go with; let’s get this thing done!”

“Easy tiger,” Greg laughed. “I know you’re in a hurry to get into that two-man tent with me but please control yourself.”

Nick and Warrick gave him a generous chuckle.

“Sanders you’re already carrying poles for the three-man tent,” Grissom voiced bluntly. “You’ll go with Warrick and Nick, they have the spare map.”

Greg’s face fell several feet.

“So I’m with you?” Sara asked.

“Yes,” he replied sharply without turning to look at her. “Is that a problem? You might need to take it slow with your injury and I didn’t expect those guys would be willing to wait.”

The others began to protest although secretly they knew Grissom was probably correct. They were all raring to go and a limping Sidle would only hinder their progress.

“It’s ok,” she said quietly. “I don’t mind.”

So it was settled and for many years to come Sara would always wonder if Gil had planned it that way right from the very beginning.

Saturday, 6pm

It had not been as hard as she had anticipated. Grissom would stop and rest with her at regular intervals handing her water from his large plastic flask. Then Sara would look up at him with an expression somewhere between gratitude and affection that made his heart swell.

“There’s just a little longer until we stop for the night,” Grissom gently informed her.

“That’s fine,” she said smiling. “I can manage, Griss. I’m no invalid.”

He accepted Sara’s hint and loosened his grip on her arm.

“But I don’t think I’ll be able to set up the tent,” she sighed dramatically. “You don’t mind doing it all by yourself, do you? I promise to watch and offer encouragement.”

Grissom arched a brow.

“We’ll see about that, Sara,” he warned teasingly.

But as usual he found himself unable to resist her vulnerable plea and several hours later he had successfully erected their home for the night- solo.

In her defence Sara had been busy preparing a packet of their dried food rations. There were slim pickings for a vegetarian diet so she settled on some relatively harmless looking tomato soup which he devoured gratefully.

“Slow down,” she grinned. “I guess that was hungry work or maybe you just really like my cooking?”

Grissom continued to eat silently. He knew there was no dignified answer to either option which could be given truthfully.

“Will you tighten my bandage?” Sara asked once he had finished.

“Of course,” he replied rinsing his hands with some cold flask water.

When they finally came to rest on her ankle Sara was surprised by their warmth. It heated the delicate skin of her feet as he rewound the considerably more slack bandage and inspired a quick flutter within her ribcage.

“I wonder what the others are doing right now,” she voiced half-heartedly in an attempt to quell the quickening of her breath.

Grissom mumbled his unamused reply before announcing that he was finished.

“I’m tired,” Sara yawned finding that she actually was. “I’m going to head into the tent and call it a night.”

He fixed her with a questioning look. Even in the dim light she could see the enticing blue of his eyes that always seemed to be asking for her attention.

“I’ll be in later,” Grissom said suddenly. “I want to go over the plan for tomorrow.”

“Ok,” she returned attempting indifference. “Goodnight then.”

“Goodnight, Sara,” he replied softly.

She headed unhurriedly towards the tent as though reluctant to tear herself away from the gentle licking of the campfire. Once inside Sara quickly snapped on her torchlight and changed into some warm sweats.

Grissom tried at first to ignore the shadowy appeal of her steadily undressing silhouette which was framed behind a layer of cheap tarpaulin. But eventually he was inexplicably drawn back to her, like a floundering moth to a dangerously compelling flame, unable to remove his gaze until the light went out.

Sunday, 7am

Sunlight warmed the side of Sara’s face and she turned sleepily towards the light like an enquiring plant leaf. As she slowly opened her eyes it became clear that she was no longer the only inhabitant of the tent.

Grissom lay across from her as far away as humanly possible in such close quarters. Sara didn’t know whether to be flattered or offended that he didn’t want to get too close to her.

“What are you so afraid of Gil,’ she whispered into his slumber.

To lay there with him another moment would be torture. Sara was often cruel to herself when it came to her feelings for Grissom but she wasn’t that masochistic.

Unzipping her side of the tent as quietly as possibly she stepped out into the sun’s full embrace.

“I didn’t hear you get up,” Grissom said softly as he climbed out an hour later. “You should have woke me up, Sara.”

“I didn’t hear you come in,” she retorted smartly. “I figured you needed some rest. We aren’t running that late and I made you some coffee. We’ll soon make up for lost time.”

He took the tin mug gratefully and swallowed the bitter tasting liquid in quick gulps. Sara smiled remembering the way he had attacked his dinner the night before. At least I know he’s got a healthy appetite… she thought silently to herself.

“We better get going,” Grissom sighed and a half-hour later they were making their way back into the centre of the forest.

Sunday, 11am

It was while trying to cut a path through some particularly treacherous bramble that it happened. Sara’s hair got caught up in some surrounding thorns and she felt the salty taste of blood drip into her mouth from a tiny scratch on her cheek.

“Damn,” she voiced tearfully. “Why does this keep happening to me Grissom? This wood is trying to kill me!”

“Calm down,” he soothed. “Don’t twist or you’ll hurt yourself even more.”

Grissom’s fingers worked against the soft of her scalp trying to free her as gently as possible. His breath blew out across her cheek and she caught the scent of cotton and soap. Dropping his hands back down to his side he enabled Sara to step away from the thicket.

“See,” Grissom smiled. “You’re still in one piece. But you should stop getting yourself into these dangerous positions Miss Sidle… what would you do if I wasn’t here to help you?”

Usually Sara would have replied with a quick and scathing retort. In fact she had one on the very tip of her tongue but sense did not give way to reason. Instead she found herself thanking him with the heavy pressure of her chest against his and the light assault of her mouth against his lips.

Grasping at his hands she moved them just above the waistband of her jeans and rubbed the palms against her uncovered skin. Her kisses soon found the soft silkiness of his throat and she followed it down to its hollow. In her fervour Sara almost missed the longing moan Grissom emitted as she flattened herself against him, forcing them up against a nearby tree.

“I want you,” she breathed. “Please Gil.”

He could barely fight against his own desire and the added weight of hers was by far too much to bear. Grissom teased the underside of Sara’s fleece stopping only when he ran into the straps of her pack. Almost laughing at their foolishness he quickly removed it and set to work on his own. They fell to the floor with a heavy thud and were soon joined by two figures sinking to their knees.

“I didn’t want to do this here,” he gasped as her warm hands found their way inside of his boxers. “I didn’t want our first time to be like this.”

“I’d be with you anywhere,” Sara uttered elatedly against his ear.

It was well worth the pain of a thousand hearing operations to hear her words. Grissom felt the sharp pull of longing in his loins calm against the new stirring which welled up inside of his chest. In an attempt to distract himself he worked his way inside of Sara’s underclothes causing her breath to fall in short and urgent pants.

“I can’t,” he said suddenly just as she had finished straddling him so that his legs had become imprisoned between the graceful grasp of her thighs.

At first he thought she had not heard his lament but then he witnessed the brightness drain from her gaze. Soon afterwards, her head sunk dejectedly against his chest. It was as though Grissom could see the hope inside of Sara take flight leaving a vessel filled only with tears that she let roll down her face to dampen his jumper.

“Why,” she cried brokenly.

“My intentions are more honourable,” he sighed embracing her tightly to him. “I would hate to say that the first time I consummated with the love of my life love was on a forest floor.”

Finding the meaning of his words Sara was awe struck. Any sorrow she had been holding was driven away and her eyes glittered with renewed vigour.

“Then lie,” she whispered in response opting for wit over sentiment and a slow smile forged a trail across Grissom’s face.

Their fervent cries brought new life to the deadened woodland and though the team building exercise didn’t go precisely to plan at least Greg would always be able to claim he heard the screams of a resilient wild coyote.

The End

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