Prolonging the Inevitable (Catherine Sara FIC)

Called In

"Sidle!" Aaron's voice sounded groggy to his own ears as he answered his phone. He silently groaned to himself at his own stupidity for not turning his mobile off and disconnecting his landline. Then again he had been so tired when he had finally gotten home earlier that he was surprised he had made it to bed and not just passed out in the living room or even his car.

Now though that extra couple of minutes looked like they would have been well as he fought to open his eyes and listen to whoever was on the other end of the phone. It had to be work related though he guessed he couldn't think of anyone else who would feel the need to talk to him at this time of the night.

"Aaron."

Aaron instantly recognised the voice on the other end of the phone there was no mistaking Grissom's voice even when he was as tired as he was. 'At least he had the decency to sound sorry.' sighing Aaron ran his free hand over his face pinching the bridge of his nose, his eyes stung and he was sure that there was a headache brewing deep in his skull all in all this wasn't the way he had seen his night going.

"You do realise that it is the middle of the night on my first night off in what feels like a very long time?" Aaron questioned his boss, trying not to sound as pissed of as he felt. He knew Grissom wouldn't call him lightly but still, he also knew the older man was well aware of just how much overtime Aaron had put in to get a result on his last case.

"I'm sorry Aaron it was never my intention to call you in tonight but I need you to come to my scene." Aaron sat up paying a little more attention to what his boss was saying there was something hidden just below the surface of what had just been said Aaron could hear it in the supervisor's voice. It gave him a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach one he really didn't like and he knew that no matter how tired he was feeling there was no way he would be able to do anything else tonight till he knew what was going on With Grissom.

"Griss, it's my night off. I pulled two doubles in two nights. I need sleep, no matter what people might think about my magic powers." Ok, so he knew he was going to be getting out of bed and heading off into the night didn't mean he was going quietly.

"I know, and I wouldn't have called you if it wasn't very important."

"Important, Griss, bugs are important to you," Aaron smirked, "Where are you?" Aaron asked, pulling out a pen from the drawer in his bedside table and taking notes on the pad he always kept by his bed.

OO

checking the clock on his bedside table Aaron ran the numbers in his head calculating the time it would take to have a quick shower a cup of coffee and drive to the address he had just been given he knew he could probably shave a few minutes of his time if he went without the coffee but then he knew there was also no way he was making through without the caffeine though he wasn't sure it was going to help a headache that was trying to get his attention.

"Give me 40 minutes." Aaron hung up before Grissom could make any further comment on the amount of time Aaron was allowing himself. he tossed his mobile on the bedside table closing his eyes and resting his head in his hands. He knew that if he didn't get moving that very minute he was going to struggle but his limbs really weren't playing ball. Opening his eyes he caught sight of the picture on his bedside table, Aaron gazed at it for a moment his eyes taking every detail before he reached out picking it up, running his fingers over the face of the brunette behind the glass. 'Where are you girl?' Aaron sighed as he put the picture back carefully where it had been before. With one last look at it, he pushed himself off the bed stretching his tired limbs before heading to the bathroom. Setting the shower he let it run for a moment not wanting to set into a cold shower no matter how much it might help to wake him up. he turned from the shower stall stripping off first his t-shirt and then boxers placing them in the dirty wash he glanced in the mirror instantly regretting it not liking the face that looked back one bit. He looked tired the bags under his eyes making him look so much older than he was his hair a mess and the two days of stubble making him look even more untidy. He ran his hands through his hair and once again closed his eyes, Why oh why hadn't he shut his phone of he was sure that no matter how bad he looked now he would have been able to handle it after a good night's sleep.