Room 217 - Early Evening

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

Room 217 - Maia and Grissom - NFB

[OOC: This conversation was played on AIM because LJ today is the devil. Therefore, the conversation is finished and the post is not open to further interaction with either character. And yes, we stole the brilliant posting concept from last night because it is SO much better than posting a chat log. You evil geniuses.]

Maia

Maia sat in her room after the Festival thinking of the tension between Justin and Lana. Maia sighed heavily and then smiled at the thought of Chiana trying a candy apple for the first time. She glanced over at the picture of her and Sara on the desk and sighed again. You're moving on, I'm moving on. I want you to be happy, I really do.

Grissom	Approaching the door to Maia's room with a noticeable measure of trepidation, Grissom took his glasses off and tucked them in his shirt pocket before knocking.
Maia	Maia's eyebrow raised, she had seen him coming a few minutes ago. "The door's open, Dr. Grissom," she said, her voice was cool, not hateful, but this was a conversation she knew they need to have. Grissom was her friend and she did not want that to end.
Grissom	One eyebrow quirked up, and he allowed a brief smile to pass over his face and melt away before he opened the door. He didn’t make a move to enter beyond the entrance way. “Hello. May I come in?” he asked in an even tone.
Maia	Maia leaned her head back and looked at him. "Of course. I wouldn't have left it unlocked." Maia stood now and pulled the chair from her desk for Grissom to sit. "How are you feeling, Sir?"
Grissom	“Better this week than last week,” he replied, refraining from using humor to deflect from the question that was still very much outside his comfort zone. He took a seat and crossed his hands in front of him, resting on his knees. “How are you?”
Maia	Maia sat down on the bed facing him, after getting a bottle of water and sitting it on the desk next to him in case he needed it. "I'm ok. Survived detention you know, shot a couple zombies, tried to use a cheese grater on one but *shrugs* that was a bad idea I guess." Maia sighed heavily looked up at him through her curls. "I'm terrible Grissom to be honest. I was so angry when you called me. Smashed my damn mirror, I have to go get it fixed this week." Maia glanced at the photo over Grissom's shoulder "Sara sent me a note."
Grissom	Grissom looked at the bottle of water sadly; the guilt he was experiencing over the situation momentarily clouding his expression. He isn’t surprised Sara also reached out to Maia. He had been so wrapped up in the moment he hadn’t thought of the repercussions on his other relationships until too late. It wasn’t something he was accustomed to needing to consider in the first place. He fumbled, not having the first idea as to how to respond. “I’ll pay you back, for the mirror. That’s my fault.”
Maia	Maia frowned and tilted her head. "No it's not your fault. I threw the phone." Maia sighed now and glanced at the floor.
Grissom	If he were any other man, his voice would have been choked with emotion, but instead he sounded tired and resigned. “I should have done it differently,” he said. “The whole thing, was a mess. I wasn’t… thinking clearly. I apologize, Maia. I could have, I should have handled it better.”
Maia	Maia ran her hand through her hair staring at the mirror that no longer held a reflection. "Sara is Sara, Grissom, It's better you, who she has always cared for, then someone who just met her and does not appreciate her you know."
Grissom	He audibly sighed, collecting his thoughts on how to reply. “Maia, that’s… Sara cares about you very deeply. And I’m sure you understand her in some ways that I will never been able to.”
Maia	Maia finally looked back at Grissom, her jaw set firmly. "Yeah." Her back was stiff, her body tense, hearing Sara's name on Grissom's lips
Grissom	At a loss, Grissom leaned forward slightly. "How do I fix this?"
Maia	Maia bit her lip and shook her head. "You can't, Grissom. You're here and you're who she wants to be with, wh- who she wants to try and make it work with."
Grissom	"She said that?" It was a vastly inappropriate thing to say, but he was so blown away he once again didn't stop to think.
Maia	Maia's mouth fell open slightly, her eyes filled with pain at Grissom's reaction. "Yeah she did." Maia's voice entered the coldness it had taken on during their phone conversation from the other night.
Grissom	He immediately tensed, his eyes squinting shut as if trying to ward off a headache and then opening to try and catch her gaze. “That was… I… I’m making this harder for you. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come.”
Maia	Maia picked at invisible lint on her bedspread "No, you had to because despite all this- all this pain I am still your friend."
Grissom	Wishing she would look at him, he murmured, "Thank you."
Maia	Maia nodded and then finally lifted her gaze to Grissom. "She has nightmares, if you just brush her hair back you know and whisper her name she quiets down."
Grissom	Startled, he appeared visibly stricken by Maia’s words. Grissom stared at her, no longer fidgeting or even blinking, unable to form a verbal response.
Maia	She didn't know what to say so she just fixed Grissom in her gaze. She was not sure why she had just told him that, it just seemed important to her for Sara not to have nightmares and suffer from them, if he didn't know how to make them stop.
Grissom	Eventually Grissom broke the silence. "It's just a dinner... " he said lamely.
Maia	Maia gave him a sad smile, they both knew it was not going to stop at dinner.
Grissom	He sighed. "You know how this ends."
Maia	Maia nodded.
Grissom	"She'll leave. Eventually."
Maia	Maia said nothing, she simply kept her gaze locked onto Grissom.
Grissom	He let his gaze drift away for a moment before returning it to her eyes. "You should tell her."
Maia	Maia sighed, "What shall I tell her?"
Grissom	"What I'll do when... when I... Tell her, what will make her leave, you should tell her." he stuttered. "She doesn't understand."
Maia	Maia looked at Grissom sadly. "I can't do that Grissom. It's not my place to do that."
Grissom	He paused, momentarily confused. "You shouldn't have to pretend you are okay with this. I want her to be happy, you want her to be happy, you know that I can't make her happy... not in the long run. You don't have to tell her the... details. But I don't expect you to bite your tongue for my sake. She still trusts you."
Maia	Maia smirked now. "I am not ok with this in the least Grissom, but if you know anything about Sara you'll know it is her decisions that make her Sara. If I go to her and tell her, what does that do? It changes the entire journey that she needs to take, that she has waited years to take; it will change your journey as well. You know those films, where people travel back in time and step on a plant and then come back and fish rule the world? Same thing but the whole future changes. I can't risk her future. She trusts me, you're right, and I won't put that trust into question for you or anyone else."
Grissom	His voice dropped to nearly a whisper. The confession was one he never thought he'd make, but Maia already knew the truth. "I'm only going to hurt her."
Maia	Maia nodded slowly.
Grissom	He swallowed hard. "And now in a moment of foolishness I've hurt you as well. I know I have apologized... but I'm sorry."
Maia	Maia nodded slowly again "I knew, after Sara and I broke up I stopped pushing things away concerning her." Maia smiled sadly "It didn't need to be fair anymore you see." Maia sighed "It was really fuzzy so you know, I figured it was one of those things that can go either way, then.." Maia sighed again "You got sick and I pushed away images of you because I didn't want to see you go through it you know and since, since you were fuzzy with Sara, I just hoped it would go away." Maia finished lamely.
Grissom	"But you didn't confront me?" He sounded confused, but his voice was still mostly quiet and sad. "That must have been... Jesus, Maia..." The implications of the situation were finally fully coming in to view for him, and he buried his face in his hands.
Maia	Maia looked down at the ground now and shrugged. "I- it isn't my place Grissom, its you and Sara's journey. I had my time with her, granted it ended long before I ever wanted it to, but I would rather have had my time with Sara and be dying inside right now, then to have never had those moments with her."
Grissom	Grissom looked up at her, and nodded. "I understand," he mumbled, although whether he intended that statement to have multiple meanings or not wasn't clear.
Maia	Maia glanced around the room. "Sorry about class the other day, my report on the lawmasher thing." Maia figured now would be a good time to apologize for it
Grissom	"You don't need to apologize for that," he said firmly, his expression growing a bit lighter. "You had some valid points about the Supreme Court."
Maia	"Um, yeah, I think I should apologize for the total disrespectful thoughts I was having as I made those points" She said sighing.
Grissom	Normally he would have smirked, but thankfully he knew better for once. "You don't need to apologize for those either."
Maia	Maia nodded "Thank you." She bit her lip. "I walked out of Sara's class the other day."
Grissom	He looked midly alarmed. "Did something happen?"
Maia	Maia squirmed "No, I- well I blamed it on the frog thing but I just, I didn't want to face her." Maia drew her knees up under her chin now. "I know that she cares for me but I- I wasn't ready to face her"
Grissom	"She understands. She'll give you all the time you need, but I know she doesn't want to lose you."
Maia	Maia nodded and glanced at her watch. "You should go, it's about that time."
Grissom	He nodded, rising slowly, and stood dumbly for a moment. "I don't want to lose your friendship, Maia. I care about you, very much."
Maia	Maia smiled softly "You won't. Neither will Sara, I just- I just need a little time you know."
Grissom	Grissom rarely engaged in demonstrations of physical affection, but he strangely felt compelled to hold Maia. He quickly dismissed the idea as inappropriate, and once again merely nodded to confirm his understanding. "Of course. Whatever you need..." he trailed off.
Maia	"I care about you Grissom, your one of the only people here who- well who are really real with me you know. I treasure your friendship a great deal."
Grissom	"I feel the same way," he admitted needlessly. "I will see you Monday." He turned and walked toward the door, opening it and stepping out into the hall. "Bye."
Maia	"Bye Gil." She said using his first name which she had never done before. "We should go have coffee sometime"
Grissom	"I'd like that." He gave her a shaky but warm smile, and closed the door.