Disclaimer: I don't own any of the CSI characters. They belong to Jerry Bruckheimer and his team of geniuses. Only Beth is mine, as I created her.
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When Gil walked by the DNA lab, he saw Beth Morstan and Greg Sanders hard at work, as usual. He paused for a moment to watch them practice their art. Beth was a stunning young woman. She had brown eyes that were constantly sparkling and a smile that could make any man weak in the knees. Her hair was a deep brown, but was decorated with faint red highlights. She was tall for a woman, but beautifully proportioned. Her thin five foot, ten inch frame was intimidating to most men, but there was one who didn't seem to be affected. Greg was that one. Greg was a good-looking guy who was always trying something new. He was very creative and imaginative and this was displayed in the way he styled his dirty blonde hair. It was different every day, yet always spiked in every direction. He had brown eyes that complimented Beth's eyes nicely. Greg was only one-fifth of an inch taller than Beth, but the similarity in height never bothered him. It had been said that if he wore outfits that accentuated his muscular frame, he would rival Nick in the ladies' department. Gil watched them hover over various computers and machines, pulling print-outs from this one and putting trace samples in that one. After a few moments, he continued on his way down the hall.
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Inside the DNA lab, the two chemists were intently focused on what they were doing. But every now and then, Beth would steal a glance at Greg and her heart would skip a beat. She had only known Greg for about four years, but there was a certain "chemistry" between them. It wasn't just the fact that they both had their Master's degrees in chemistry. No, there was something more going on between them. Beth was okay just being friends with Greg, but sometimes, she found herself longing for more. She wanted to be by his side wherever he went, whatever he did. She wanted to go the extra step with him, but she was one of those "old-fashioned chicks" who let the guy make the first move. She was one of the few women who believed that chivalry was not dead…it was just missing in action. She had decided that she would wait for Greg. She would wait forever, if that be the case.
Greg knew how she felt. But something kept him from asking her to go that extra step with him. Something inside him held him back. Whether it was doubt or anxiety, he couldn't tell. He wanted to ask her to be his girlfriend, but he was waiting for a certain moment, a certain mood. Or maybe it was that he was afraid of what could happen. He couldn't explain it, not to anyone or to himself. He usually didn't have a problem with girls, but Beth was different. She really meant something to him. Not that the other girls he dated didn't mean anything to him, it was just that he truly loved Beth, and for once in his life, he was afraid that he might ruin a good friendship. He wanted to ask her, but he didn't want to, both at the same time. He just couldn't bring himself to ask her out. The entire night-shift put in their two cents and tried to hook them up, but their efforts were in vain. He couldn't explain to them the thoughts that were chasing each other through his head. He just accepted the fact that when the time came, he would ask her.
Everyone knew that one day they would be together; it was just a matter of time. They were a team. Whether they were working the night-shift at the Las Vegas Crime Lab or not, it didn't matter. They spent most of their waking time together. While at work, their fellow employees called them the king and queen of the DNA lab. They were dubbed the king and queen for two main reasons. One, they were always together. And two, they were so efficient when they worked together that it was said they ruled the DNA lab. Even the other chemists on the Crime Lab payroll respected the titles given to Beth and Greg. From an outsider's point of view, the two were already an item. Only Gil, Catherine, Jim, Warrick, Sara, and Nick knew that this was not the case. Beth and Greg were simply the best of friends. They held nothing back from each other, but they had not yet made that commitment.
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Greg and Beth often shared their nights off together. They had meals together quite often, but there was always a familial atmosphere. It was almost as if they were brother and sister. But this particular night off was going to be different. This particular night off had fallen on Valentine's Day. Greg had a feeling that Gil had planned this, and Greg seized the moment. He finally decided to ask Beth to be his girlfriend. Greg had planned the perfect evening for the two of them. He called her up and invited her over for dinner.
"Hello?"
"Hey Beth, what are you doing tonight?"
"Well, I don't know. Grissom asked me out tonight, saying
something about Valentine's Day..."
"Right, sure he did. Grissom couldn't ask anyone out if his life
depended on it, let alone a beautiful young woman such as yourself."
"True, true." She said with a smile. "So what are you saying Greg?"
"Would you care to join me for dinner? I'm cooking."
"Hey, if you're cooking, I'll brave hell or high water to be there. Give me fifteen minutes."
"Sounds good. See you soon."
"Bye Greg."
After Beth hung up, she threw on some loose jeans and a t-shirt that she thought was Greg's. She had a habit of borrowing clean clothes from him when her dirty laundry enveloped her closet. Everything else in her house was spotless, except that stupid closet. She hated doing laundry and she only did it when absolutely necessary. Beth looked nice in her casual, borrowed attire, but she didn't go the extra mile to make herself astonishing. She knew that it was Valentine's Day, and she figured that Greg had planned something special for the two of them, but she didn't realize how special. Wanting to spend as much time with Greg as possible and anxious to see what he had planned, she hurried down the stairs, grabbed her keys, jumped into her sandals, and almost fell out the door. She ran down her walkway, virtually dove into her green Kia Cinco and flew to Greg's house.
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When she pulled into his driveway, he was waiting at the door to greet her. She stepped out of her car and tried to mask her curiosity and excitement by slowly walking up his stone pathway. As she neared his front step, he opened the door for her and the sweet aroma of his cooking came out to greet her. She always knew that Greg had the ability to cook and he often teased her because she couldn't cook a thing. He took her hand and led her down the hall into the dining room. When she turned the corner into the dining room, what she saw took her breath away. Greg had prepared a steak dinner for two, complete with candles, roses, and romantic music playing in the background. As she approached the small round table, he pulled her chair out for her and motioned for her to sit down. When she sat, he gently pushed her chair in towards the table and took his seat across from her. She was still breathless and Greg savored the moment.
"So, what do you think?" He asked.
"Greg…it's wonderful."
"I've been thinking a lot about what the guys at work have been hinting at..."
"And…?"
"Beth, would you be my girlfriend?"
"You never were one to skirt an issue, were you Greg?"
At her comment, Greg's face began to beam. She rose from the table, walked over to him and placed a kiss on his lips in answer to his question. He smiled and relaxed. He loved this woman, and now, he could truly express this to her. She turned away from him to return to her seat, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him, standing in the process. She turned to look at him, her face inches from his. They locked eyes and stood motionless, captivated by each other's eyes. Greg broke the moment by leaning in close towards her ear.
"Beth, I just want you to know that I love you, all the way down to my cellular level." When Beth heard this, she started to laugh uncontrollably.
The rest of the dinner was fantastic. Greg had prepared an excellent meal and the conversation that flowed over the table was that of two old friends. She felt as though nothing had changed, yet she knew that something had. In her heart, she had always known that he would ask her when the time was right. They had always been just right for each other. This was apparent even as early as her very first day of work.
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