So this one-shot took me far longer than I imagined it would take me to write but I hope you all enjoy it.

AU- Grissom and Sara are divorced/ Morgan and Greg are an item.

Disclaimer: I own zilch

All Hail the High Sea

It's funny, how relationship's change. How one moment you think you'd survive without someone and the next the simple act of breathing depends on them. It's awfully peculiar, realising that perhaps all the things you had known where wrong.

The sound of her heels clicking against the gravel resounded through the silent street, like a reminder of all her wrongs, all her weakness. The street lights did little to illuminate the path she was walking upon. She almost hadn't answered his phone call but for some reason it felt as if she had no option but to let him back in. Her attempts at pushing him out of her life never lasted long. Sometimes all it would take would be a smile and she'd be back where she had been before- the 3 am call. This time it had been a bouquet of roses that had found their way to her doorstep that had forced her to forgive him. If she was honest she could barely remember how they had gotten to this stage in their relationship. She couldn't pin point a time where it had all started to seem so sleazy. But all she knew is that for some reason she would never be able to stop herself from falling for him over and over again until she could barely feel anything.

Greg handed her a glass of wine as she stepped into their house; there was silence nothing but the sound of the washing machine churning away at a distance from where they were. Sara took a deep breath waiting for him to instruct her to which ever room he wanted her in despite knowing that they would inevitable end up in the bedroom; their bedroom.

"Where's Morgan?" She asked as he began making his way towards the kitchen. The sound of the washing machine growing steadily louder as they passed the photographed facades of the relationship he claimed to want oh so much. There was a slight delay in his next step as her question sunk in. She was asking how long they had. She wanted to know if there was any point in making herself comfortable or if they were going to simple indulge for an hour or so.

"She's visiting her mother in LA...she'll be gone all weekend" He eventually replied not bothering to turn to face her.

It was strangely heartbreaking how discontented they had become. Their friendship had slowly evaporated during the course of their entanglement. All of those long nights talking about the basis of life, spectacular nature of carbon and everything that ever mattered to them had become a memory of the recent past. They barely spoke. They barely could meet each other's eyes now.

She missed him.

Sara realised as she walked him walking ahead of her. She missed the man he had once been- the image of perfection she kept close. He was just like everyone else now; taking what it was he wanted from her and then pushing her aside. He had once promised her that he would be there for her no matter what she was running from. But it occurred to her that he was the person she wanted more than anything to run from because when they were together she would feel her self-worth fall through the cracks as she let herself become whatever he needed.

"I've missed you" Greg stated as he watched her lean against the kitchen counter taking a sip from his wine. He looked comfortable with this- it made her sick. Sara took a sip of the sickly sweet rosé he had poured for them both. It was Morgan's favourite. Sara had seen her order enough times to know that. She found it fascinating how he had taken on his partners traits in the time they had been together; the wine was just the start. There were no more smoke breaks, fat free foods had become a trend and his shirts all seemed to be too carefully chosen.

"No you haven't" Sara smirked placing her wine down carefully, before turning her attention to the buttons on her shirt. He didn't stop her. A part of her had always wanted him to tell her it was okay- that this wasn't about sex, that if she didn't want to do it they didn't have to. But those protests never came. His silence seemed to answer all of the questions she hadn't ever had the heart to ask. She pulled it off her shoulders letting it fall to the floor before meeting his eye waiting for him to make his move. But he didn't- remaining there his eyes washing over her skin, licking his lips in anticipation.

So without hesitating she removed her jeans throwing them to the floor making the short walk towards him her skin calling out for his touch. Sara realised she was always taken aback by how gentle he was as his fingertips danced across her body. For a few stolen moments it was as if they were actually in the very places they were meant to be. These thoughts would disappear the moment she met his eye and saw nothing but lust. The time they spent together was an escape- he was ignoring the problems that had crept into his life.

Greg lifted her up placing her on top of the washing machine in one fluid action the warmth and the vibrations from the movement lighting every impulse in her body. Moving into the space between her legs he kissed her for what felt like the first time in forever. It was a passionate kiss. It was one that could have meant something. His hands were tangled her in hair as she clung to him, their breathing coming ragged gasps as they refused to stop and breath.

The change in cycles caught her off guard as the machine stopped and started beneath her whole body reacting to the intensified sensations. Sara inched forwards, pressing her feet against the warm metal exterior pulling Greg closer to her. He stopped for a few moments studying her expression as if trying to decipher a code.

"How have you been?" He whispered his hands resting on her thighs, stroking up and down the bare skin the heat from his palms making her shiver. Sara tucked her hair behind her ear and clearing her throat to buy some time- if she was honest she didn't know what to say to him. She hadn't been well. She'd been falling into the same depression she had felt a few years ago, the feeling she needed to run had began consuming her days.

"Fine" She ran her tongue over her lower lip slowly, the moisture glistening in the light. He could sense something was wrong but before asking he kissed her once more.

"Now look me and the eye and say it" Greg instructed softly. But Sara shook her head her numb hands fumbling with his belt, in the end he helped her pulling his clothes off and pushing them out of the way and removing the last barrier between them.

He forcefully pushed into her and the facade of caring seemed to come crashing down around them. Greg groaned against her skin, his breath crossing her neck making her skin crawl as he thrusted himself quickly into her each movement getting harder. His desperation for release was more than clear in his actions. Sara bit her lip forcing her body to relax attempting to take pleasure in the feeling of him inside her. But it had been such a long time since she had genuinely enjoyed their sex.

Sara closed her eyes forcing a moan from her throat, the sound like sandpaper on her tongue. It had become common place; this pretence. Her nails dug into his back as he pushed harder against her, the last spin cycle of the machine thundering beneath them making her legs tremble. A growl escaped into the air as Greg buried his face in her neck releasing himself, his hands gripping hold of her. His hold on her was vice like; almost certain to leave marks on her but they were just a reminder of how cheap she had become- what a cliché she was.

The sound of the phone ringing cut through the heavy silence that surrounded them without a word Greg pulled his jeans back on and moved away picking it up. Sara found herself not being able to do anything but watch as he paced about the floor. Resting her head on her hands she attempted to sooth the persistent thumping just behind her eyes.

"Morgan" Greg forced a smile as he continued pacing. "I'm fine... I just got back from a run. How's your mother? Tell her I said hi and that I'm looking forward to Thank Giving this year... I'll be bringing my famous cranberry sauce... I love you too... bye" He placed the phone down turning his attention back to her with a grin he pressed his lips against Sara's.

"Stop" Sara shook her head, pushing at his shoulders. She was feeling dizzy, her headache getting worse as it occurred to her how easy he was finding all of this. How his conscience didn't seem to care at all about what he was doing to Morgan.

"I could use one more round" he muttered to her his hand sliding between her legs.

"Why...Why...don't we go out somewhere...get dinner?" Sara asked hopefully, a small amount of her wishing that he'd prove her wrong.

"I'm tired...I'm going to bed... you can let yourself out right?" Greg pulled away picking his shirt off the floor before heading out of the kitchen.

Sara could feel her heart break as she found herself staring at the space he had occupied not long ago it became clear that this was just another tryst he would forget.

It's the small things that make home.
The things that you memorise without realising; the way that certain shadows appear every day, the sound of the fireplace and the placement of the creaky floorboards. It's people. It's the person that reminds you that you're there- you're home.
It's a strange feeling acknowledging they're gone- that they're not coming back.
For some reason, that realisation makes all the small things disappear.
And it just stops being home for a moment, or hours, days, years or forever.

There was nothing but silence surrounding her as Sara as she wondered why she hadn't let go yet and moved on. There was nothing left for her here in Vegas. There was nothing but reminders of her broken heart surrounding her at every corner. It was strange how it seemed to take everything to convince herself to do the right thing. After all of this time living in the wrong it seemed to seem impossible to make a change.

But she knew she had to.

Greg answered the door with a frown surprised to see Sara standing before him a suitcase at her side and a tired look in her eyes. Wiping away a tear she took a sharp breath attempting to find the courage in the air to tell him how she felt, what he had done to her after all of this time.

"I'm leaving" The words came out in a breathless whisper. "I'm leaving Vegas, and...And I just wanted you to know"

"Sara..." He tried to make sense of what he was telling her but for some reason he couldn't accept the information. "Come inside... we can have a drink... you'll feel better"

"No..." Sara straightened her stance. "No I won't. I'll feel worse, I always feel worse when I'm around you and I'm not doing this anymore..."

"What are you talking about?" Greg rubbed his eyes before trying to study her expression, wanting to find that she was joking, that this was all just a lie.

"I'm in love with you Greg..." The words clung to the air with a sense of desperation she could never seem to be able to rid of. "...And I can't be, so I'm walking away, I'm doing what I should have done a long time ago..."

Greg found himself frozen to the spot everything seemed to cumulate in that moment- everything they had done, every time their eyes had met and every word they had ever exchanged. And all he could was silence. All of those years came crashing together in one moment and it felt like falling off the top of a 10 story building.

"I thought as much" Sara gave him a sad smile realising that she had known all along that he had never loved her but it had taken all of this for her to convince herself that it was true.

She turned leaving him standing alone at the door step, while Greg watched her searching his mind for the right words to say- anything that would make her turn around but instead he ended up letting her walk away.

Greg closed the door as Morgan climbed down the stairs with a sleep smile pulling her blonde hair back into an elastic band. As he watched her Greg could feel his heart sinking. For so many years he had the fantasy of creating a home with someone but that person had always been Sara.

"Who was that?" She asked.

"I have to go" Greg shook his head realising that he couldn't just let Sara walk away not like this. He needed to at least try and fix things. Grabbing his coat he made his way out of the door throwing himself in the driver's seat of his car as Morgan attempted to find out what was happening.

The airport was bustling with people and it struck him that he had no idea where Sara was going. San Francisco? Without wanting to over think he made his way towards the check in gate pushing past people ignoring the way they glared at him- he honestly didn't care- he just needed to find Sara. It was the sound of her voice that gave her away, the gravely tones as she answered the questions of the person behind the counter.

"Sara" Greg shouted her name and for a few moments she ignored him closing her eyes and taking a deep breathing wishing him to go, to make this easier for them both. "Sara don't go" The words forced her to face him. His cheeks were flushed, his breathing coming out in pants as his eyes stung with an emotion she hadn't seen in a long time.

"No" She shook her head with a small humourless laugh. "Just go...just leave..."

"Sara...if you go I just need you know that... I'm going to miss the way you kiss me, the colour of your eyes, the sound of your laugh, the way it feels when we're together, that Sidle scent... I'm going to miss everything about you, and I know that I haven't been fair to you. But...I love you Sara Sidle, I love you more than I thought I could love anyone else..." Greg couldn't stop himself everything just seemed to appear in the space between them.

"Greg I can't do this anymore" Sara shook her head ignoring all the people that were watching them.

"I'll leave her... I'll do anything but please, please don't go" He begged her slowly making his way towards Sara.

"Don't do this..." She shook her head, placing her hands on his chest as he pulled her towards him. Greg placed his lips on hers and Sara couldn't help it she crumbled kissing him with everything she could her hands tangled in his hair as he clung to her.

"I'm sorry" Greg whispered breathlessly to her. After all of these year it amazed him just how got it felt to be able to tell her that he loved her. It was as if this had been the moment he had been waiting for his entire life...

The End