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

Chapter 7: A little time

Since Sara had slept so good Friday morning on the plane and Friday night at Grissom's townhouse, she wasn't that tired Saturday night, she did try though, but she just couldn't stay asleep, so she grabbed a book from her carry on bag and relaxed on her bed and read in between thinking about that question that Grissom had asked, which that's what she was doing when there was a knock on her hotel room at 8:00 in the morning.

After placing the book-marker in the book, she closed it and placed it on the nightstand before getting off the bed, and after she did a quick check of her hair in the mirror, which didn't look too bad, she walked to the door.

When she opened it, Grissom gives her a little smile as he held up a take-out bag from their favorite diner, or at least the one she would eat at a lot when she was living here. "Hungry?"

She replied as she moved to the side to let him in. "I guess I could eat."

After she closed the door, she turned and followed him to the two person table that was in the room, then once everything was in their place, they sat down and ate in silence, but it was a little tense with the questions hanging around them.

When they finished their breakfast, they took care of the trash, then after Grissom walked out of the restroom from washing his hands, he saw Sara standing in front of the window. At first he just stood there and looked at her, then as he walked up to her, she sighed, knowing he was back in the room. "I can't stay Grissom, we said it was only going to be this weekend and that's all it has to be."

He stopped when he was behind her with enough space for her to not feel suffocated and asked, almost brokenly. "Why?"

She started to have tears in her eyes as she turned and looked at him. "Because of what happened the last time you asked me to stay." Grissom was about to open his mouth, but she continued. "I can't go through that again...Correction...I won't go through that again."

He looked at her with sympathy, then cupped her cheek as he responded. "It will be different this time."

"How?"

He swallowed before continuing. "Because unlike last time, I am finally ready to tell you what's in my heart." He wiped her tears away before speaking and not leaving any words left unsaid, knowing this was more than likely his last shot. "I love you Sara." She looked at him wide-eyed but didn't say anything so he could continue. "Yeah, I'm finally letting that word out. I've fallen for you the moment I met you. Each second you are around me it has only gotten stronger, and even since you've been gone, it's still with me. Like I said that night five years ago, I wasn't ready, but I am now. I'm ready to try to be that man that you need and deserve." He shook his head as he finished. "I know it won't be perfect and I'll probably do something that will make you mad at me at times, but if you give me...us...a chance, you won't be sorry." He smiled a little. "Or at least I hope you won't."

Sara paused, which was mostly due to shock of hearing his confession, then she took a breath and looked down. "Griss..."

She trailed off as he removed his hand. "Of course if I've been misinterpreting everything and that your heart hasn't ached every second we've been away from each other, then I understand why you can't stay."

Grissom took a step back as Sara lifted her head up immediately after his soft and hurting tone, then she shook her head with tears going down her cheek as she cupped his. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear 'I love you' from your lips. That despite the distance that grew between us during my first two years here, my heart sped up just by being in the same room as you, then how it ached the second I walked out of your townhouse the night before I left, and how it rejoiced on seeing you again last night, even though I was so nervous. You've given me the type of butterflies that I've never felt before and last night when I was in your protective arms, you've proved me right on what I had always thought."

He cleared his throat as he looked into her intense eyes, then spoke with emotion. "Which was?"

She stepped closer to him and spoke as more tears came down her cheek. "That the type of love that we have for one another, when we don't hold anything back, is stronger and deeper than I could have imagined."

They both sniffle as he asked. "So you do love me?"

She chuckled little. "Didn't you just hear my speech? Damn right I do."

His face lit up as he asked. "Say it again, please."

Her joking face went away a second later as she cupped his other cheek and looked deeply into his eyes. "I love you Grissom. I have from the moment I saw you and it hasn't gone away since."

He placed one hand over her left hand that was on his cheek, then he used his other hand to cup her cheek so he could wipe some of her tears away before bringing her closer, then after a few seconds, they leaned toward each other and kissed, which started out soft and light before it became passionate.

After a few minutes, they slowed their kissing down till they were doing nothing but a few pecks, and after the last one, they pull apart slowly before they put their foreheads together and close their eyes as their arms were now wrapped around each other.

When Grissom got his air back first, he whispered. "Then why Sara?"

She took a breath and replied softly. "I'm scared."

He pulls back as he cupped her cheek again. "Of What?"

Tears started to come in her eyes again. "That if we go down this road and I lose you, I..."

Grissom cuts her off. "You won't Sara, after today and if you want, you'll be stuck with me for the rest of my life. I'm not going anywhere without you."

She gave him a soft smile. "And what about work?"

"We'll figure something out, I'll change shifts if I have too."

"I can't ask you to do that, that's your team."

He ran his thumb up and down her cheek as he looked into her eyes. "I'll do it for you, I know that you're more comfortable working with people you already know."

She thought about it, then shook her head. "I appreciate that, really I do, but no, you should still be the night shift supervisor."

"Ok, then like I said we'll figure it out." He paused for a second and asked again. "So what do you think?" He still saw the worried look on her face as he continued. "I know you're still worried about this, and believe it or not, but I am too."

She looked at him a little shocked because the roles had somehow been reversed, he seemed more sure and ready this time around than she was, which was understandable that she was being a little cautious. "Really?"

He chuckled with a nod. "Of course, we are embarking on a path that I've been wanting for a long time and I don't want to screw up." He ran his hand up and down her cheek again. "I don't want to let you down again."

She nodded. "I know you don't."

He took a breath before continuing. "So let's just takes this one day at a time, ease our way into this."

She chuckled a little before replying. "I think we already passed easing our way into this after what happened last night."

He smiled. "OK, you have a point there, then let's start over, what do you say?"

She could see the hope in his eyes and every part of her being was screaming with a resounding 'yes', except her head wasn't there yet, so she sighed as she took his hand off her cheek and looked into his eyes. "I need a little time, ok?"

He was a little disappointed, but understood, so he nodded with a smile. "Yeah, ok, I understand."

She cupped his cheek with her free hand. "I'm sorry, I can tell you're a little disappointed."

He shook his head as he used his free hand to take her hand off his cheek, then after kissing her knuckles, he looked into her eyes and replied. "Don't be. I don't want you to feel forced into anything, you do what is best for you. I'll wait as long as I have too."

She gives him a little smile and said. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

After a moment of silence, he cleared his throat and asked. "So, do you have plans your last night here?"

"Nope, the guys did request to have lunch with me though, why?"

He smiled a little as he stepped a little closer to her. "Well I was wondering if a certain, beautiful, brown-eyed woman would have dinner with a certain someone else?"

She chuckled in return as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Well if this certain someone has blue eyes, very cute and is standing right in front of me, then I accept."

As he leans toward her, he whispered. "Then it's a date."

After a quick peck, she nodded in agreement, then a second quick peck, she speaks again. "You should go and get some rest."

He was going to decline, but he was a little tired and by the time dinner rolled around he didn't want to cut it short, so he nodded. "Ok, I'll pick you up at six?" She nodded with a smile as they walked to her door hand in hand.

When they got there, but before they opened it, Sara squeezed his hand and said. "Griss." Grissom turned around to look at her as she stepped up to him and cupped his cheek with her free hand. "I love you and everything you told me meant a lot to me, I just wanted you to know that."

He nodded with a smile. "I know and I love you too."

After their third and final peck on the lips, they pulled back, then after a smile, he released her hand, opened the door and walked out of her hotel room.

When the door clicked shut, she turned so her back was against it and sighed, everything that she ever wanted from him was in her grasp and there was no doubt in her mind that his words were true, but this was a big step, and unlike the last time he asked her to stay, she needed a little more time to think things through.

AN: Find out Sara's decision next chapter. Please review.