Challenge Fluff Response---A Phobia Cure

[darandkerry.livejournal.com]

Title: A Phobia Cure

Author: Ann

Fandom: CSI

Challenger: ralst

Challenge: Sara/Sofia, Grissom’s office, jar of cockroaches

Disclaimer: No ownership, simply fluff

 

Walking past Grissom’s darkened office; I catch sight of a slight movement in the far corner. I step into the room to flip on the light switch, but a voice from within stops me from lifting the switch to the on position.

 

“Sofia, please don’t turn on the lights,” Sara says in a tone I never thought I’d hear coming from her as intense fear radiates from her every word.

 

“Sara? What are you doing in here? Grissom won’t be back from his entomology conference for two more days,” I reply as I try to pinpoint her exact location.

 

“I know; I just came in here to put some completed files on his desk,” she answers in an unsteady voice.

 

“Is there something wrong? You sound as if you’ve seen a ghost. Do you need some help?” I ask as I cautiously step further into the room.

 

“Don’t come any closer! Um… some of Grissom’s bugs escaped from an open jar, and now they're all over the floor,” Sara manages to shout in a panicked whisper.

 

Okay, I’ve had enough of being in the dark. I immediately walk back to the entrance and flip the switch before Sara can utter another protest.

 

Turning around, I spot Sara half-way up Grissom’s bookcase. She’s got one foot on the second shelf and the other dangling in the air while she holds onto the top shelf with both hands.

 

“Sara?” I ask in puzzlement.

 

This time she doesn’t answer, but I’m able to follow her focus to the floor below her feet where there are literally dozens of cockroaches. I’ve never seen roaches this big. What the hell is he feeding them anyway?

 

I turn my attention back to Sara to ask her what she is doing up there when I notice her entire body shaking in apparent fear. Well, I’ll be damned. Big, bad Sara Sidle is afraid of roaches. 

 

Glancing around the office, I spot a large box near the door so I walk over and take out the contents before returning to my previous spot. Flipping the box over so that the open end is on the bottom, I move toward the back bookcase and a trembling Sara.

 

All the roaches seem to have congregated in a small group so I slowly lower the box on top of them until I successfully place it on the floor, effectively trapping all the creepy crawlers.

 

“Okay, Sara, you can climb down now,” I inform the scared CSI.

 

Sara continues to remain motionless, although, her focus is now on the box. 

 

“Sara, do you think you can get down?” 

 

Silence ensues, and it quickly becomes apparent that she hasn’t heard a word I’ve said. Moving to the bookcase, I stand just to the side of the frozen woman, and she still has not responded to either my words or movements.

 

Reaching up to touch her arm, I’m stunned as Sara finally shows some sign of life by jumping into my arms. I’m knocked back against the bookcase, and somehow, I’m able to keep us from falling onto the floor as Sara wraps her legs around me and holds on for dear life.

 

I can’t say that I’m too terribly upset by our current position, but I’d feel much better about it all if she were hugging me because she wanted to, not because her phobia forced her to grab hold of the safest object.

 

Selfishly, I hang onto the shaking investigator until she’s able to regain her senses. When she puts her head on my shoulder, I shift my left hand so that I can soothingly rub her back as I whisper words of comfort.

 

The intimate moment is eventually broken when Sara relaxes enough to put both feet on the floor; however, she continues to maintain contact with me with her upper body and arms.

 

“Sara? Why don’t we get out of here?” 

 

She merely shakes her head no and holds me tightly. Fine by me, I’ll stand here holding her as long as need be.

 

Moments later, an embarrassed Sara releases me and steps back and to the side as she avoids the dreaded box.

 

“I’m sorry for jumping you, Sofia. It’s just that um . . . I really don’t like cockroaches. They make my skin crawl,” Sara offers in apology.

 

“Hey, don’t worry about it. You can jump me anytime,” I answer, without really thinking about the implication of my proposal.

 

Temporarily forgetting about the cockroaches, Sara grins and replies, “Really? Anytime I want?”

 

Now it’s my turn to be embarrassed as I realize how my invitation might be misconstrued. On the other hand, it's the invitation I’ve been meaning to offer for quite some time.

 

My red face immediately transforms into a confident smirk as I reach out and take Sara’s hand leading her to the door.

 

“I think now is as good a time as any, don’t you?” I ask in a teasing voice.
 

Squeezing my hand, Sara replies, “Yes, I do.  In fact, I believe you may very well be the perfect cure for my phobia."
 

I quickly flip the light switch off, and we both close the door leaving the roaches to fend for themselves as Sara and I head for the nearest exit and the next step in curing her phobia.

 

Maybe later I can casually mention that not one of those roaches are alive.

Comments

[starberry-slash.livejournal.com]

Loved this (especially the last line) and my hatred of those things have put me in a few humiliating situations (though none as fun as Sara had). Good job!

[darandkerry.livejournal.com]

It's amazing how the little creatures can instill fear in people since we happen to be 'way' bigger than them. Something about them is just so.... ewww.