Disclaimer – Please see chapter 1.

A/N Thank you so much for the wonderful response and reviews everyone, I really do appreciate them. The song 'Flying without Wings' by Westlife was quite fitting for my story's next situation of Sara's flight home to Vegas. I hope you continue to enjoy the story and I also hope that you will take the opportunity to go and listen to the song if you haven't already heard it. Just to warn you all, I may up the rating for the last chapter to 'M' possibly, so don't forget to add me to your story alert for the final chapter so you don't miss it. Story not beta'd, so all mistake belong to me. Please R&R Enjoy!

I've got to go home – chapter 4

Sara's growing excitement at being reunited in the next couple of hours with her one and only love, Gil, had her quickly entering the airport terminal a lot earlier than really needed, so she decided the first course of action was to place a quick call to Jim Brass to let him know that she would be arriving in Las Vegas around 6.30pm, and to make sure he coordinated with Catherine to make sure Gil would definitely be at home for when Jim dropped her off there.

Finding the nearest seat she dumped her case on the ground, put her laptop, and purse on the chair next to her before sitting and fishing out her cell phone from her pocket, then pressing speed dial for a connection to Jim's phone.

"Brass" the usual gruff greeting came from the police Captain, who had obviously not looked at the caller display to see who was calling.

"Hey Jim, it's me Sara" she replied with a chuckle.

"Cookie! I've been waiting on your call. How are you today? Glad to be coming home I hope" he said cheerfully.

"Yeah, I'm good...In fact I'm excited about coming home...I've missed him Jim" there was a little pause as she then added "I've missed everyone" Sara said a little wistfully, recalling the memories of her abrupt departure from her lover and co-workers, then the ones at her recent realization that everything she had ever wanted in life was back in Vegas, and centred around Gil.

Everybody's looking for that something
One thing that makes it all complete
You find it in the strangest places
Places you never knew it could be


Some find it in the face of their children
Some find it in their lover's eyes
Who can deny the joy it brings
When you found that special thing
You're flying without wings

"We all missed you too, you know, and Gil...Well lets just say he's been acting like someone took his favourite bug away from him. He's been moping around the lab with a long face, never smiling at anyone since you left. So don't be in too much of a hurry to be leaving him again sometime soon, we couldn't cope with him being miserable again" Jim said a little in defence of the loyalty to his best friend, but trying to keep his tone cheerful so as not to upset Sara, who he had always felt a strong paternal protective streak towards.

"I have no intentions of doing so Jim, this has been hard enough for me to have to do as it is" Sara said back accepting the subtle chastising from her lovers best friend, but hearing his fondness for her come through too.

Jim let out a heavy relieved sigh, then spoke again deciding to lighten the conversation a little "You know It drove me and Catherine mad last night knowing that you were coming home and we couldn't tell Gil all about it, while we both worked with him"

Sara laughed "I bet Catherine was nearly crawling the walls dying to tell Gil what she knows"

Jim enjoyed hearing Sara's laughter, and he felt assured that she was in a better frame of mind than before she had left Vegas, hell she had even chewed his head off a little while working his last case with her "Oh you have no idea, I'm sure on a couple of occasions she nearly blurted it out to him without thinking, but I managed to distract her, and warn her not to spoil your surprise"

"Thanks Jim, I appreciate it, and you picking me up today" she said in a sincere tone.

"No problem, It's my pleasure. You only ever have to ask Cookie" Jim replied using the same tone as her.

"Thanks, any how...Er...So, my flight should be landing in Las Vegas around six thirty, is that okay for you?" Sara said changing the subject to get past the slightly awkward moment.

"Sure, I can be there for that, and I can call Catherine to get Gil home by six to be on the safe side, okay" Jim said, instantly realizing Sara was a little uncomfortable at his show of affection for her.

"Okay, I gotta go get rid of these car keys and check my bags in and stuff, so I'll see you shortly" Sara said wanting to end the call so she could get on with her last jobs before taking her flight.

"See you soon, Bye" Jim replied.

"Bye Jim" Sara said then flipped her phone closed putting it back in her pocket, then standing up and grabbing her bags.

Some find it sharing every morning
Some in their solitary lives
You find it in the words of others
A simple line can make you laugh or cry

You find it in the deepest friendship
The kind you cherish all your life
And when you know how much that means
You've found that special thing
You're flying without wings

After having a coffee in the cafe area, she deposited the keys for the hire car at the appropriate desk, then checked her large suitcase in at the correct checking in line and receiving her flight tickets and boarding pass, she then made her way to the right gate for her flight to Las Vegas.

While she waited near her gate area she took a seat and began to think about all the years since she had met the esteemed Dr Gilbert Grissom at the forensic academy conference. The long struggle she had to get Grissom to realize that she loved him from the very first time that she met him, loved him simply and purely for the man he was, and is, not for trying to gain a step up in her prospective career.

The continual 'push me, pull me' actions of Grissom over the years, his brief pursuit of Terri and Heather, the rejection at seeing him confess to a murder suspect that 'he couldn't do it' in reference to pursuing a future relationship with her.

It was his direct verbal rejection to her face after building up the courage to ask him out to dinner, and his words of "I don't know what to do about this' that had the most devastating affects on her emotions.

After picking herself up again and backing off from him for a time, and eventually talking to him trying to re-establish a dwindling friendship they had once shared, her years of effort paid off when he came to her apartment to ask if he was 'too late' to pursue a relationship with her.

Over the last two years that Gil and her had been in an intimate relationship made her smile warmly, as she remembered how surprised she was at how loving and tender he was to her in the privacy of their own home.

So impossible as they may seem
You've got to fight for every dream
'Cause who's to know
Which one you let go
Would have made you complete

Well, for me it's waking up beside you
To watch the sunrise on your face
To know that I can say I love you
In any given time or place
It's little things that only I know
Those are the things that make you mine

Her flight number was called over the loud speaker and she made her way on to the busy plane, she stored her laptop and purse in the overhead locker, then sat in the seat nearest to the window. After a brief glimpse outside to see a little of the last she would see of San Francisco for a while, she sat back in her seat and closed her eyes to think of the only man she had ever loved, and their very soon to be reunion.

And it's like flying without wings
'Cause you're my special thing
I'm flying without wings

And you're the place my life begins
And you'll be where it ends
I'm flying without wings
And that's the joy you bring
I'm flying without wings

After only fifteen minutes the sound of the engines roaring to life could be heard as the cabin crew went into their usual preflight talk, then the seatbelt light came on, and five minutes later the plane could be felt taking off down the runway and up into the air, bound for its destination, Las Vegas.

Sara grinned widely as the excitement grew in her, and the prospect of finally being on the last leg of her long, often painful and very emotional journey.

As the plain levelled out up in the air Sara decided to try and get at least and hours sleep, to help pass the monotonous time more quickly, so she began to drift off into a contended sleep at the comforting hum of the engine sound.

A/N I am really sorry for the delay in posting the next instalment of this story, but with other commitments I have and a bad connection it couldn't be helped. I will try and post the last chapter a lot quicker than this one, so thank you for your patience.

Please take the time to leave me a review, as they are always very much appreciated and welcomed.