Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI

A/N: Thank you to my reviewers. At the urging of my reviewers I have decided to do a 2nd chapter for this story.

Grissom awoke in a haze the next day. He didn't know where he was until he focused on the woman who sat in the chair next to him.

"H-Heather?"

"Good morning Grissom." She said with a tinge of a smile.

"What's going on? Why am I here?"

"Don't you remember? Yesterday you came to me for some assistance on an S & M case. Then we started talking about your relationship with Sara." She said.

It all came back to him now. "Yes right…" he said distractedly. He heard his cell phone buzzing indicating there was a message for him.

"Excuse me Heather; I uh need to check this. I'll join you for tea shortly." he said.

"I'll brew it now so by the time you come downstairs, it'll be ready."

He nodded as he watched her leave and shut the door behind her.

He listened to the message… it was from Sara.

Gil, thank you so much for your message. I-uh love you too. I know your voice mail was wrought with emotion, but I got the underlying message. I know you love me and that the only reason you stayed in Vegas was for your job. I know that if you could you would have taken off. Gil, take a vacation and join me please. Take some time to relax and spend time with me away from Las Vegas. (her voice was now cracking so she stopped and cleared her throat) Anyway what I was saying, visit me for a while then go back to Vegas if you see fit…" she said. "I'm going to be flying into McCarran then on elsewhere for another mission with the others. My flight gets into McCarran at 6:00pm tonight and my connection to Quito (Ecuador) is at 9:00pm. Hope to see you…" she said and said good bye and hung up.

Grissom was smiling from ear-to-ear as he joined Heather for tea.

"Well you look happy." She said.

"I'm going to join Sara for a few months."

"A few months?" Heather asked.

"Yeah, I'm going to take a vacation for a few months, come back here to Vegas, take care of all my outstanding paperwork, and then give my notice. But you must NOT tell anyone about my giving notice plan. OK?"

Heather nodded. "Who would I tell Grissom? I'm not exactly a friend of any of your colleagues." She said.

He finished up his tea, gave Heather a hug, and bid her farewell. He drove to his town house where he made arrangements for the dog sitter to come, and bring Hank to a kennel for the next two months. The dog sitter refused to bring him to a 'yucky kennel' but instead said she'd take him into their house and board him there. Grissom was very grateful for that as it would be a heck of a lot cheaper and Hank would get a lot more tender loving care than in a kennel.

He packed a suitcase and a small carry-on bag with him. He took a breath and called the airline that Sara was flying out of McCarran to Ecuador on and booked a seat.

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Meanwhile Sara was at McCaran getting off her flight from south of the equator (where ever she had been) with her colleagues. They had a three hour layover before their connection to Quito. Why they chose Quito was beyond her. She was looking forward to their trip to Costa Rica later that year. Sara wasn't paying attention as she was walking off the airplane and was looking down rifling through her bag looking for her wallet when she looked up. There he was ………..

"Grissom you came."

Months of unshed tears streamed down Gil Grissom's face as he unashamedly ran towards his fiancée.

"Oh Sara I missed you so much!"

"Me too" she replied as she held on to him for dear life. She was afraid she was imagining him there in her arms.

When they parted from their embrace they said nothing.

"Uh – let's get a coffee" he suggested.

"Can we get a full meal, I'm famished." She said.

They went to a small quaint restaurant located in the airport.

"We have to make this fast – we need to check in for our flight to Quito"

"Oh no worries about that – there's time." She said. "There is a two hour window."

They were quiet again – she didn't make the connection that he said 'We' not 'you'.

"This veggie dish is delicious." She said as she ate it, as she took sips of her red wine.

"I missed you so much Sara and I am so sad that our parting was so horrible."

"Gil, I understand that you're dedicated to your work. You had a lot on your mind and couldn't leave on a whim like that."

"No I couldn't not with being so short handed…" he said trailing off.

It dawned on her . "W-we?" she sputtered. "Did you say 'We need to check in for our flight to Quito?"

Grissom nodded."Yes I did."

"You left the lab?"

"No. I simply took a vacation. I will go back in a month or two, finish up any paperwork and then give my notice." He said.

"Seriously. Gil Grissom is going to leave the lab?"

"It will be my time to go. Sara. I've already spoken with your colleagues." He told her.

A big smile played on her face. "Are we gonna get a chance to become members of the mile high club. " she teased her eyes dancing.

Grissom gave her a lopsided smile. "Sara, as much as I would love to become a member of the mile-high club. I don't think I want to … in the washroom of an airplane. I mean our first time together in months in a washroom airplane, not exactly romantic." He told her.

She laughed. They finished up, paid their bill and walked to the line for their flight.

After he checked in he burst out laughing - like a high school teenager.

"What's so funny? " Sara asked as she watched her lover laughing hysterically.

"I—I forgot to inform the lab I was taking a vacation" he said (through hysterics)

Sara muffled a laugh. "I think you'd better call Catherine or Ecklie and tell them. They are going to call our seat numbers very shortly."

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The Crime Lab…..

"Crime Lab how may I direct your call?" Judy said.

"Hi Judy can you put me through to Ecklie please?" he said in a rush.

"Certainly sir." She said and put him through to Ecklie.

"Conrad Ecklie." He said.

"Hi Conrad, it's Gil, I uh won't be coming in tonight. I'm taking a vacation." He said.

"Gil Grissom taking a vacation are you serious?" he replied.

"I'm serious. I am on my way to Quito, Ecuador with the love of my life right now."

"Gil how long are you going to be away?"

"I dunno – two maybe three months."

"Do you have enough vacation time to take that long."

"Conrad I in my years at the lab, I think I've taken all of two months in total I think I have enough vacation built up."

"Ok. Have fun and say hi to Sara for me." He said and hung up after the good-byes.

Catherine just happened to walk past his office when he said that.

"Say Hi to Sara for us?" Catherine repeated.

Ecklie sighed. "He's taking a vacation."

"Is he with her right now?"

"Yes he is. They're going to Quito."

Catherine made a face. "Who's in charge?"

"You are." Ecklie said. "We're going to have to look into getting another CSI." He sighed.

"You don't think Gil is coming back?" Catherine asked.

Conrad looked at her. "He'll be back, but not for long and when he goes – it will be for good. I know it." he said.

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Back on the airplane, Gil and Sara were snuggling in each other's arms.

"I love you Gil Grissom." She said to him.

"And I love you back Sara Sidle. You complete me." He replied.

They were both finally very happy after months of sleepless nights and sadness they knew their new life together in their new environment would be different and challenging. Truth of the matter too is that neither were getting any younger and by leaving Las Vegas and getting themselves out of harm's way regarding to the criminals of Nevada would let them settle down and discuss their future. Sara had already expressed her want for a child and Gil was ready to oblige.

They fell asleep in each other's arms and didn't even feel the turbulence the airplane hit.