Office Hours

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

During the lunch hour a delivery man in a white suit brings in a thickly padded envelope.

"Sign for this, Miss Cregg."

"What is it?" she asks nervously.

"It's time, ma'am." he says.

She signs and as he leaves, she tears it open. With a gasp followed by a slow smile, she slides it into her desk drawer.

Comments

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

Grissom knocks lightly on CJ's doorframe.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

She looks up smiling brightly. "Hey, Gil! Come on in!" she chirps.

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

"Hi CJ," he smiles softly, walking through the doorway. "I have a gift for you," he says a little shyly, and hands her a small maroon velvet box with a simple Tahitian black pearl (http://www.mondera.com/Images/large1/3002079.jpg) necklace inside.

"The pearl is actually made inside the oyster in a large, well-developed gonad. I thought you would appreciate that," he adds with a little smirk.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

She smiled at the gift...until she opened it. Her jaw nearly hit the floor. Her mouth wored silently for a moment before she collected herself and looked up at him.

"You do want to make out with me. I knew it." she smirked. "Really, Gil...thank you. What's the occasion?"

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

"Well, I bought it on a whim, figuring inevitably I'd miss your birthday or another important occasion," he shrugs. It's a habit he picked up from one too many hard earned lessons from women on missing important dates.

"But it's, ahhh, thank you gift. For your friendship." Wait, that's almost... a personal sentiment. Suspicious.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

She arched her eyebrow and stared at him. "Uh.......huh."

She took it out of the box and clasped it on.

"So what's it really for? Did you need a favor? Are you recinding the offer of your room?"

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

"No, not at all. In fact, it will be available by the end of next week."

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

"Oh, Gil. No...not you too. I mean, I understand. I do. It's hard to be apart." she sighed and rolled the pearl between her finger and thumb. "I'll miss you, you know."

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

He lets a moment pass in silence as an acknowledgment, and a lost little boy expression passes over his face. Dude, it happens in canon more than is seriously understandable.

"I'll miss you too. You've been a good friend, and I appreciate it."

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

"Well, it's not like I don't know how to find you. I'll start with Vegas and try my luck, ok?" she smiled softly.

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

"I'm not very difficult to track down. My paper trail alone..." he says with a sad smile.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

"You're the reason the rainforests are disappearing, Gil." she said dryly. She leaned back in her chair and gave him a long look of appraisal, then got up and walked around to hug him. "Sara's a really lucky girl."

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

The past eight months have accomplished a good amount of erosion of his past five years worth of withdrawal from intimacy - he returns her embrace warmly, and it's only a touch awkward.

"I'd propose that I am the lucky one, to have such wonderful women in my life. I really will miss you terribly, CJ."

[I just laughed at my own emo, oh dear.]

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

"Well, you're not gone yet." she said shakily. "I'll miss you too, Gil. You're perhaps the one bit of sanity in this town that I've clung to. I'm not exactly sure what I'll do without you."

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

"You're crafty. I think you'll manage beautifully," he replies a little sadly.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

"Oh, yes. Flatter me and give me jewelry." she said in a lame attempt to lighten the mood. "You'll never be rid of me if you keep this up, Gil."

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

"if you would fit into my suitcases with those legs of yours, I'd take you with me."

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

She arched her eyebrow and smirked at him. "You're really very sweet, Gil. If I could bend like that? I'd come with you."

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

"You can't bend like that? That's not what I heard. Might be a little stuffy in there anyway."

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

"Who's been telling on me? Is it that Blair kid? It'd be just like flying coach."