AN: Thanks for the reviews, here is the next chapter.


Chapter 3: Finding out & Making a Decision

Next morning

While Grissom was using the bathroom, Nick, who was dressed for work except that his shirt needed to be buttoned, was standing at his kitchen counter looking down at his computer tablet reading the news as he was sipping his coffee.

Just as he was done reading the latest sentence, there was a knock on the door, so after he placed his mug on the counter, he headed toward the living room before looking through the peep hole to see who was there, then he smiled as he unlocked and opened the door.

Whitney smiled back and kissed his cheek before walking into his apartment with a small bag of one of his favorite breakfast treats, twist donuts.

"I thought I would bring you breakfast, kind of a makeup up for last night."

She stopped at the kitchen counter from the living room, and Nick came up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered in her ear. "I hope that's not all the making up you're going to do."

A pleasant shiver ran down her spine as she smiled wider, then she turned around, wrapped her arms around his neck and started whispering as she leaned toward him. "Oh, I'm sure we can think of something more."

When their lips touched, just like their first kiss, sparks flew and it got passionate very quickly, but before it could escalate anymore, their moment was interrupted when there was a clearing of a throat before a voice was heard. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm going to head out, Nick."

They abruptly stopped kissing and Whitney turned her head with a small blush, embarrassed that someone was witnessing that display.

Nick cleared his throat after a seconds hesitation. "Gil, this is Whitney Jones, Whitney this is..."

She cuts him off and held out her hand as she walked up to the older man. "Gil Grissom." Grissom raised an eyebrow on how she knew who he was as he shook her hand, while she explained. "Nick told me you were his mentor and taught him everything he knew."

She also had a feeling there was more to this guy then just Nick and Sara's mentor/boss, but the sadness in their eyes when the times that his name was brought up stopped her from prying into that part of their past.

Looking at Nick, Grissom said the same thing he did the last day he was his boss, never once regretting those words, even now. "And Nick was the best student I ever had." Nick's eyes lit up a little as that compliment still meant something to him, but then a guilty feeling came over him for not telling him Sara was here, so he looked down, making Grissom clear his throat again as he walked toward the couch so he could grab his duffel bag. "I'll let you two get back to your morning."

Nick turned around and looked at him. "You want me to take you to your boat?"

"Nah, I already called a cab. But thanks."

"No problem."

Grissom nodded and it looked like he wanted to say something else to him, but he just looked at Whitney and smiled at her. "It was nice to meet you. I've never seen him happier."

Whitney smiled with another blush coming to her face, which she's never been this embarrassed before so she didn't know what was going on with her, then she mentally shook that away before replying. "Thank you, and it was nice meeting you too."

After one more nod, Grissom headed toward the door and stopped to look at Nick again. "Thanks again for the couch. Bye Nicky."

"Bye Gil."

Grissom turned to the door and opened it before walking out.

As the door clicked shut, Whitney looked at her boyfriend. "You didn't tell me he was in town."

Nick walked to the other side of the counter so he was back in the kitchen. "That's because I didn't know. It was unexpected."

"Well, in any case I bet it was nice to see him again after so long." Before he could respond to that, she continued while he was closing an app on his tablet. "Does Sara know he's in town? I bet she would like to..."

She was cut off immediately by a tone she wasn't use to hearing from him. "No! And don't tell her!" She looked a little shocked at first before changing it to curiosity as he continued after sighing. "I'm sorry. Just please let me do it, ok?"

"Ok." Then her lawyering skills got the better of her and she finally asked the question that she's been wondering about. "He was more than a boss to her, wasn't he?"

He finished the last of his coffee and washed his mug out before placing it on the counter. "It's a long story, and I don't have time to talk about it." He walked around the counter again and placed his hands on her shoulders before looking into her eyes while he finished. "Plus, it's not my story to tell. If she wants to tell you it's up to her."

Even though he didn't say the words, Whitney felt she was more right than wrong, but like he said, it was Sara's story to tell if she wished.

Whitney moved her hands up to his shirt and started buttoning it with another nod. "I understand, I'll only ask her if she ever brings it up."

He smiled while cupping her cheek. "Thank you."

She smiled back, and after doing the last button, she asked softly. "But was it nice seeing him again, even if just a little?"

Nick sighed as he brought her in his arms for a hug and whispered. "It really was."

Despite wanting to protect Sara, seeing Grissom again brought back a lot of good memories he'll cherish for the rest of his life, so overall it had been nice seeing him.


About Five minutes earlier

(Two Floors above Nick's place)

While Grissom was using Nick's bathroom, Sara was just waking up to the smell of coffee since she had set the timer last night, so after opening her eyes, she stretched and yawned before turning off her alarm clock that was about to go off in a couple of minutes, then after laying there for those minutes, she got up, used the bathroom and walked out of her room with her cell phone before heading to the kitchen so she could pour her some coffee.

After placing the coffee pot back in its place, she grabbed her mug and phone before walking to the sliding glass door that lead her outside to the medium sized balcony, and after sitting down at the glass table that was near the railing, she sets her coffee mug down and checks her phone to make sure she wasn't missing any important calls or texts.

When she was done with that small task, she sets her phone to the side, picks up her coffee mug and brings it up to her mouth as she looked down at the people below her, but just as the liquid hit her mouth she spit it out as her heart started racing while seeing a man walking to a cab that was waiting for him, and she could have sworn that was Grissom.

She didn't get to see his face and the distance from her and the people she was looking down at was kind of far, but she knew his walk like the back of his hand. Plus, she felt it in her heart that it was him.

She shook her head a second later with a chuckle as she thought. 'Ok, Sara, you need to get a grip. There is no way that was him. He could be anywhere in the world, but he's not here. Face it, all of this is just wishful thinking on your part."

As she was taking a calming breath, her phone starts to ring, making her jump a little, she chuckled again as she placed her mug down before picking up her phone, then she cleared her throat and answered. "Sidle."

A few second later, she replied. "Alright detective, I'll call my team and we'll be there. Yep, bye."

She hung up a second later and got up while picking up her coffee mug before walking back into her apartment, ready to start shift and put that moment out of her mind, or at least try to since it was still nagging inside of her that who she thought she saw was real.


Later that Evening

Like the night before, Sara and Nick had plans with Whitney and Brad, but unlike last night, there was no cancellations, and instead of Nick going up to her apartment to wait, she went down to his, so after greeting her at the door, she stepped in the apartment before Nick closed it, then he asked. "You want something to drink while we wait?"

Sara shook her head as she walked to the couch and sat down, and while Nick was sitting down on the recliner so he could put his shoes on, Sara started to speak. "So, Brad and I have a theory about last night."

"Oh, which is?"

She smirked. "That you two set us up, you know with your disappearing act and her conveniently needing to stay at the office."

Nick chuckled while shaking his head. "Believe me both events were very real, there was no set-up." When their eyes connected so she could see the truth in them, he asked with a raised eyebrow. "But if it was, is there really anything wrong with that?"

Sara was going to open her mouth to say something, but then she stopped and looked down at her hands, making Nick sigh a little, knowing what she was thinking and wishing she would just let herself be happy, even if it wasn't her happiest it had to be better than nothing, right?

Of course he could probably change her fate if he just said something, but that protectiveness was being very stubborn right now.

His thoughts were interrupted when she spoke again after clearing her throat. "Anyways, you won't believe what happened this morning."

He smiled as he looked down to tie his shoes. "What?"

She chuckled while shaking her head. "You're probably going to think I'm crazy, but here I go." She took a moment before continuing. "I was out on my balcony, drinking my morning coffee when I looked down and saw Grissom walking towards a cab." He stopped tying his shoe as she continued with a smile and chuckle. "Or at least I thought it was Grissom, that's just crazy, right? I mean there is no way that could've been him." When she didn't get a response from him, she raised an eyebrow while he was still looking down at his shoes. "Did you hear me? It's crazy right? That couldn't have been him."

Nick knew he had two options, one, he could try and convince her that who she saw was just somebody that could look like Grissom, and it wouldn't have been very hard since he knew she couldn't have been 100% sure that it was him, unless she had a very good look, and with the distance she was at she'd have to have binoculars or a telescope, neither one he didn't think she had so readily, so he knew that wasn't possible. Or two, he could just tell her the truth and let her make her own choice on what she wanted to do.

Knowing that the first option could cost him her friendship if she ever found out he lied to her, he wasn't willing to risk it, so overriding his protectiveness this time, he lifted his head, looked her in the eyes and answered truthfully. "Yeah, I heard you, and it's not crazy. That man that you saw walking to the cab could have very much been him."

Sara's jaw just about dropped as she looked at him with wide eyes. "How do you know this?"

There was no going back now, so he continued. "Because he slept on my couch last night."

Sara stood up as she shouted. "What!? He was here, in this apartment." She shook her head as she started pacing. "No."

Nick stood up with a nod. "Yes, it's true. He was arrested for trespassing."

More shock went through her as she stopped pacing and looked at him again. "Trespassing!?"

"Nathan called to inform me, that's why I left in a hurry last night. He did it for his job, he works with a of group of people dedicated to protecting fish and wildlife in the Pacific."

Sara nodded in understanding before she shook her head. "Why didn't he..." She stopped for a second before continuing with tears in her eyes. "Why didn't he contact me? You told him I was here, right?" When she saw him sigh, she narrowed her eyes as she asked again. "Right?"

He sighed again as he started walking up to her Sara. "Sara, I didn't tell him because I wanted to protect yo..."

She cuts him off as she wiped her tears off her cheeks. "Protect me? How..." She was cut off when there was a knock on the door.

They looked at the door before Nick looked at her again. "We can cancel, if you want?"

Sara sighed as she wiped the remaining tears off her cheek. "No, let's just go, this dinner has been canceled and rescheduled too many times. I'm going to go freshen up in the bathroom. I'll be out in a few minutes."

Nick nodded as she headed toward his bathroom, then he cleared his throat and headed toward the door and opened it.

He put on a smile when he saw them. "Sara will be out in a few minutes."

They nodded as they stepped into his apartment, but they weren't there for very long because Sara had walked out of the bathroom and into the living room shortly after, then the four of them walked out of the apartment.


Using two different cars, they arrived at a nice Bar and Grill, and while Nick and Whitney told them they would get the drinks from the bar, Sara and Brad walked to an empty table before sitting down, and because Brad had sensed Sara was very distracted about something, he asked as he was leaning forward. "So, what's got you distracted?"

When she didn't answer and was still looking down at her hands while she thought of everything that was revealed to her, he moved his hand and placed it on top of hers, making her shake her head as she asked. "Huh?"

He smiled before continuing. "I asked what's got you so distracted?"

"Oh, it's uh. It's nothing."

He raised an eyebrow at her, not believing her for a second. "Really?"

Sara sighed and shook her head. "It is something."

"And I'm going to take a guess and say that it isn't about what happened between us last night."

Sara smiled. "Brad, nothing..."

He cuts her off with a smile. "Not in that way, but you felt something. I know I couldn't have been the only one."

She couldn't deny it, there was something there, so she nodded. "You're right, you weren't, for a split second I thought about going there with you, but then..."

He cuts her off again with a knowning look. "Once that split second ended, you knew you really couldn't because your heart is still with him."

He never knew about Grissom because she always kept that private, but he could see that despite how happy she was, or trying to be, she was missing someone very special to her.

Sara started to have tears in her eyes. "Brad, I'm so..."

Once again he cuts her off as he took her hand. "Hey, none of that. The first time I saw you watching my sister and Nick, and seeing how happy they looked, which made you wish you had the same thing they did, I knew that you were taken. You may not be with him, and haven't been for awhile, but he's apart of you and always will be." He squeezed her hand as he finished. "And I know you've been hurt in the past, but if there is any chance that you two can make it work, you got to try, or you'll regret it for the rest of your life, trust me."

Having been through a heartbreak himself, he knew exactly what she has been going through. If he could turn back time for the both of them he would.

Sara smiled with tears still in her eyes as she squeezed his hand. "I can't believe you're still single, you are an amazing man."

Brad chuckled while shaking his head. "I'm not perfect. I've made my share of mistakes."

Sara nodded as she removed her hand. "None of us are, and I want to rectify one of my biggest mistakes of my life."

With his eyes sparking, he handed her the keys to his vehicle. "Good luck."

Sara took the keys and stood up with a smile. "Thank you."

Nick and Whitney just gotten to the table with the drinks when he saw Sara standing up, so he asked with a curious look on his face. "Sara?"

Sara smiled at Nick. "I have to go, I have to fix something in my life that should have been fixed two years ago." Then she started to walk toward the exit, and Nick watched her for a second before excusing himself and following her as Whitney was wondering what was going on.

By the time he got outside, he sees Sara at Brad's vehicle, so he rushes over to her. "Wait Sara!"

Sara stopped what she was doing and looked over at one of her longest friends. "What?"

He took a breath before asking. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"Nick..."

He cuts her off as he took a step toward her and places his hand on her shoulder. "Listen, I was one of your biggest supporters when it came to you and Grissom, I will never deny that, but after everything, you sure you want to go back down that road again?"

Sara took a moment to respond, not because she was having second thoughts about her choice, but because she was thinking of a way to explain this, and when she did, she did it with a smile and tears in her eyes. "In life, if you're lucky enough to find true love, a love that can go through so much but is still there when its all said and done, then you should hold on to it with everything you got, which against all odds, I found it. No, it has never been easy, and it seemed like there was always some type of obstacle in the way, but since it's been experienced, there has never been anything like it before or ever will." She stopped to wipe a few tears off her cheek before she finished. "Yeah, I can move on with Brad, or with some guy I meet at the grocery store or a bar, but I'll never feel complete. He completes me, Nicky, and despite everything that we've been through, the good and bad, he's the love of my life. And while I understand why you didn't tell him that I was here, and I feel so grateful to have a friend like you who wants to protect me, do you really think I could turn my back on him, on us, when there is even a small chance of getting it back?"

Knowing there wasn't anything more he could really say to change her mind, he shook his head. "No I can't, even if I wanted to. So if you feel this is what you need to do, then I support you 100%"

Sara smiled as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Thank you, Nick."

With his arms wrapped around her waist, he whispered in return. "I just want everything to work out this time for you."

"I know."

"And I'm..."

She cuts him off as she pulls back, then she cups his cheek with a nod. "I know that too, I forgive you."

Relief flooded through him as he smiled, she smiled back before releasing his cheek, then as she got to the vehicle, he spoke. "He'll probably be in one of the hotels that's closets to the dock."

She nodded in understanding before getting in the vehicle, and after she did and was settled in, she waved at him as she turned on the vehicle, then a few seconds later, he watched her pull out of the parking spot.

When the vehicle was out of sight, he took a breath and headed back toward the restaurant with a small smile showing up on his face, because despite his reservations, there will always be a soft spot when it came to his ex-boss and best friend as a couple. He hasn't seen either of them happier than when they were together, he just really hopes this is it for both of them because he doesn't think either one could take another heart break.


AN: Hope you liked it. Find out if Sara finds him, and if she does what will happen next chapter. Please Review.