A/N: The dialogue at the top of this story is a snippet from 'Ending Happy'. In Australia, we haven't even seen the infamous sabatical episodes, yet, so my only source of information about this episode was the clips provided at Apologies if the dialogue is not exactly accurate.
Again, this is not beta'd, so all mistakes are mine.
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"To me, sex without love… it's pointless. It makes you sad."
"Well, I don't think I make you sad, so…"
"No, Sara, you make me happy."
Later, with the interviews complete and the evidence safely tucked in the back of the truck, Grissom climbed behind the wheel and they began the drive back to the lab in silence. After a while, Grissom starting to become a little concerned. Perhaps she didn't believe him when he had said that he had never paid for sex? Perhaps she did, and thought that it was strange, that there must be something wrong with him? Or maybe – the worst of all possible maybes – she was thinking about Lady Heather, and what implications his answer held for her understanding of his relationship with the dominatrix? That was not a discussion he wanted to have.
"Sara." When he got no response, he tried again, a little louder this time and more insistent. "Hey, Sara." Lifting his hand to her cheek, gently guiding her face around until she was forced to look at him. "Are you okay over there?"
At first she didn't reply, instead just searching his face with her eyes. Eventually, not being able to find whatever it was she was looking for, she gave up and sighed out her reply.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
Telling himself over and over in his head that there was no need to panic, he tried to decide if he should press her any further. After all, he thought, if she does decide to tell me what is on her mind there is a good chance that I will not like what I hear. Finally deciding that it was better to know and give himself a chance to fix it, than to bury his head in the sand and let whatever it was that had put that haunted look on her face fester and grow until there was no going back, he spoke.
"What were you thinking about?"
"I'm not sure you really want to know."
"Try me."
Turning in her seat to face him, she crossed her arms over her chest in a defiant pose and spoke with strength and confidence, as if daring him not to answer.
"I was trying to figure out if you, I your own obscure, roundabout kind of way, told me that you loved me back there."
Silence.
Just as she was about to give up all hope, he pulled the truck over to the side of the road and turned to face her, matching her pose and tone exactly.
"And what answer did you come up with?"
"I honestly don't know. You're not the easiest person to read, you know."
Uncrossing his arms, he reached for her and drew her close, so that their faces were mere inches apart.
"So let me clear things up for you, then." Closing the last of the distance between them, he kissed her gently, caressing her lips with his own. Pulling back, he looked her in the eye and said softly, "I love you, Sara Sidle. More than I once thought possible."
As he wiped away the solitary tear that had escaped her, she whispered back, "I love you, too, Grissom."
He kissed her again, with the same tender delicacy as before, before brushing the hair from her face and saying quietly, as much to himself as to her, "I know."
END.