Summary: This is my unusual way of Grissom doing the inevitable which has already happened! Please read and review.
Disclaimer: I don't own CSI or any of its characters this is just my way of getting around the withdrawal symptoms from not watching it.
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Grissom walked around the shops near the busiest part of the strip. One particular store had caught his attention, he'd been wondering for a couple of weeks on what would be the best way to ask. This would be spontaneous and probably something no one had ever done before.
Wait, this is Las Vegas many people could have had the same idea. He shook his head and walked straight in. 'I'll do it anyway.' He thought.
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How many cases can seriously bum you out, crush your spirit and make you want to go jump off a cliff at the same time. When a whole family is presented to you as another murder scene, it has an uncanny effect to make you want to rip your own hair out. None of them are ever simple, it always takes days to figure out. A little pick me up wouldn't be bad thing every now and again.
She was sitting in the layout room trying to finish her report. At least at the end of the case you can find some clarity in giving the rest of the victim's family some closure, it was never given to her though. It's been over two years now and Sara finally has someone to go home to. Grissom took his sweet time but he's there now. It gave her stability, after getting a DUI and nearly being killed twice by psychotic murderers, it was what she needed.
"What's that?" She said to herself. Looking over the table, there was something sitting on the corner. It wasn't there before or was it? Sara couldn't remember. She was too preoccupied with the paperwork that needed to be done.
Taking a few steps over to the mysterious item, she eyed it curiously before realising exactly what it was. "A love heart?" She picked it up and turned it over to read the casual message that gave the sweet their reputation. 'Sara Sidle' was all it said and a spread of confusion mixed with amusement spread across her face. "Okayyy."
Filling out the rest of the report she took it to Grissom's office and landed it on his desk. Unusually, he had the night off and she presumed he would be listening to classical music and reading up on his current case when she got home. Taking a detour of her usual route to the parking lot she headed for where Greg was seated in the Break room.
"Did you leave this in the layout room?" Sara asked.
"What is it?" Clearly more interested in her question than the magazine he was reading.
"A love heart with my name on."
"A love heart? Man, I haven't had one of those for ages. Can I eat it?" His face soon looked like an excited little boy's.
"No, so you don't know anything about it?"
"Nope and I'm pretty sure they don't usually come with your name on so maybe someone else had it made for you? I dunno, I've never heard of a customized love heart before."
"Uh, okay I'm now home, I'll see you next shift. Bye." She smiled and walked away.
"Cya Sara."
She carried on to her parked car in the lot. Greg was usually the person to leave things like that around. 'Must be from someone else.' She shrugged to herself and popped the sweet in her mouth as she neared closer to the car door. She had never had a love heart before, sweets weren't really an option when she was younger and boys from school never gave them to her. It wasn't really something she had dawned on.
Pressing the unlock button on her keys, she opened the door and a familiar sight greeted her. Another love heart sat on the driver's side seat, this time it read differently. She picked it up and examined the message etched one the chalk like sweet, it read 'Will You.'
"This is getting weird." She claimed, not noticing Nick a few feet away from her.
"What's weird?" Sara knew the Texan's accent from anywhere but still jumped at the previously unknown presence behind her.
"Hi Nick, someone keeps leaving these lying around for me." She raised her hand so that he could get a good look at it and its message.
"Don't they usually say some cheesy line or summin'?"
"Yeah but this is the second one today, the first one had my name on it."
"That is weird. Any idea who's leaving them for you?"
"At first I assumed Greg but he denied it, generally looking slightly puzzled."
"That would have been my first choice! I gotta go, lemme know when you find out kay? Speak to you later Sar." With that Nick had wandered off in search of his own car.
She thought about all the possibilities, maybe she was being stalked? She even checked the date making sure there weren't any special holidays or events planned, not in the middle of April. Not thinking that if it was a kidnapper or a murderer she ate the sweet in hope that it hadn't been poisoned. They still tasted quite good. A type of sugary product that was bound to make you feel sick after eating way too many but still too good to pass off at any given opportunity.
Sara was almost home. Her and Grissom had moved out of their respected living quarters and bought a house together a few months back, still oblivious to any of their colleagues. It was slightly larger than Grissom's townhouse and instead of accommodating the two of them with a child, it was the two of them with Bruno, their dog. Neither of them ever considered having children and they soon came to the conclusion of getting a dog, it was a happy medium.
Arriving at the townhouse, she could see that he must awake because the bedroom blackout curtains were open. Even when they had days off, their sleeping schedule stayed the same, sometimes they would stay up to watch films, go out for walks or stay in bed and enjoy each other's company. Being at work most of the time didn't help as they couldn't show any affection for one or the other but having days off together meant they could be with each other without getting caught. It wasn't as if they didn't to get caught it's just they weren't ready for the attention. Sara walked over towards the front door and slid her key into the lock.
"Gil? I'm home!" She shouted, waiting for a reply. Nothing. "Gil!" Still no reply, 'Maybe he's napping.' She paced up the stairs and headed for their bedroom. He was still no where in sight. 'He probably went out.' Sara wandered back down to the joint living and dining room when she soon realised that the lights were dim and the table was set up with plates, cutlery and a couple of lit candles. Still Grissom was no where in sight. Surprise was a clear expression on her face, she felt light and remnants of the case she had been working on before had almost disappeared from her mind.
"Gil?" Sara tried again.
"I'm in here!" Finally his reply came clear and he was hidden away from view in the kitchen.
"What's all this?"
"Am I not allowed to cook dinner for the woman I love?"
"You can cook for me anytime, it was just unexpected. So what's the occasion?"
He appeared from the kitchen minutes later holding a lasagne tin, he placed some on each plate and returned to his hiding place, and again he reappeared and added salad to their plates.
"No occasion, it's vegetarian lasagne." He looked up and smiled at her.
Grissom hardly ever made an effort like this, he cooked incredibly well. It was a talent she didn't know he claimed but she wasn't about to complain. Since she threatened to leave on the basis of him not paying attention to her and the dietary needs she possessed, the vegetarianism had never been forgotten and any meals that were supposed to involve meat were suitable for her. Even he went without the meat. Sara took the few steps necessary between the two and he reached out for her waist as their lips touched.
"I love you." She whispered as they parted.
"I love you too."
"Speaking of love, something strange happened today." Her memory had soon caught up with her.
"Doesn't our job usually consist of all things strange? Tell me about it."
"I found two love hearts, you know the candy sweets with the messages on them?"
"Never heard of them, what did they say?"
"The first one I found was in the layout room and it said 'Sara Sidle' then the second one was on my car seat and it said 'Will you'"
"Sounds like you have an admirer." He grinned. "A message from someone perhaps?"
"Maybe, but who? I asked Greg and Nick and neither of them knew anything about it. I ate them anyway." Her face soon lit up like a little girl.
"Well as long as they tasted okay." He loosened his grip on her and escorted her to the space reserved for her.
They sat together sharing stories about current cases and pranks that were pulled during college. Half an hour later, they had both finished the food and sat drinking whilst continuing their conversations.
The two of them cleared the table and began washing up.
"I forgot, I've got some dessert."
"Really? What is it?"
"Surprise. Go sit down, I'll be there in a second."
Sara went and sat on the couch, waiting impatiently for her lover to return. Trying to take up some time, she turned on the TV. Grissom entered holding a single plate, she couldn't quite see what was on it but as he placed it into her lap she eyed it curiously before piecing together everything.
"It was you!" Her eyes widened at the love heart that sat in front of her.
"It's not over yet."
"What do you mean?"
"Turn it over." Gil flashed his cheeky grin as she stared at him.
She did so and shock plastered her face when she interpreted the message that was printed in the centre of the candy. 'Marry Me' was all it read. As soon as she made sense of the inscription she glanced up to find Grissom on one knee holding out a small velvet box. A ring laid dormant inside, it was a gold band supporting three diamonds. One was large that lay in the centre of the ring and the other two which sat besides the other in the centre, gently hugging it.
She placed her hands over her mouth as he began to speak.
"Sara Sidle, I spent way too long trying to decipher my feelings for you and I'm sorry for all the pain I had caused. Now you are with me and I feel like the happiest man alive. I love you Sara, I love you so much and nothing would make me happier than for you to become my wife. Will you marry me?"
"Oh my god! Yes! Of course I will!" She leapt from the couch into his arms and began an assault on his lips. They sat there for what seemed like forever basking in each other's company.
He turned to her and placed the ring on her finger.
"It's amazing how sweet love can be." Was all he said.
The End.
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A/N: This was just a short fic as a break from 28 CSI's Later. The updates are coming up slow for it and I apologise it's just it's getting a little harder to write and I'm incredibly busy at the moment.