AN: Thanks for the reviews, here is the next chapter, and one chapter closer to GSR getting together.

Chapter 10: Goodbye Part 2

Later that night

After they left the apartment they drove to Shelly's house, and by the time she ended the tour of her place and everybody was ready for their evening, it was time to go to the restaurant, where the guys met Suzie, Mary, and Mary's boyfriend, Tom.

Once the farewell dinner was done and the bill was paid for, Sara and Cassie said goodbye to Mary and Suzie by their vehicles, which there wasn't a dry eye between the women, and when they calmed down enough to drive, Sara said it was time to go.

After they pulled in the driveway to Shelly's house, Sara, Cassie and Grissom got out of Sara's vehicle, and as they were shutting their doors, Nick opens the passenger door in Shelly's car and stood up so he could see his boss. "Uh, Grissom, I'll be back later."

Grissom nodded, but before Nick got back into the vehicle, he replied. "Ok, but remember we are leaving early and you are driving your portion back to Vegas." Nick nodded with a smile before getting back into the vehicle, then a second later, Shelly drives out of her driveway and back onto the street.

When they were out of sight, Sara and Grissom looked at each other with a smile, thinking her friend and Grissom's colleague really have it bad for one another, but really by now it wasn't a secret.

After a few seconds, Grissom clears his throat and asked. "Did we just get locked out?" Sara chuckled with a shake of her head before she grabbed a key from her purse while they walked to the front door.

Once they got inside the house, and as Grissom was shutting the door, Sara looked at Cassie and said. "Alright you, time to brush your teeth, get in your PJ's and crawl into bed, we do have an early morning tomorrow."

Cassie nodded before looking at Grissom. "Can you read to me tonight?"

Grissom smiled with a nod. "Of course, just holler when you are in bed."

After another nod, Cassie headed for the hallway that took her to the rooms so she could get ready for bed, and when it was just Sara and Grissom, they look at each other and Sara said. "Just make yourself at home."

"Thank you."

Sara nodded before she walked down the hall to the guest room so she could change out of her light pant suit and into her sweatpants and Harvard sweatshirt.

When Cassie had crawled into bed, tucked in by Sara with a kiss goodnight and a love you, Grissom came in the room and read her a story while Sara had walked out of the room. Then after grabbing a bottle of wine and two glasses, she walked outside and placed the items on the table in between two of the lounge chairs that were out there before walking to the deck railing and looking out in the darken horizon, listening to the ocean. This is the last time in the foreseeable future that she'll get to enjoy this.

Her few moments to herself was interrupted when the sliding door opened and she heard Grissom's voice from the doorway. "Mind if I join you?"

Which of course she didn't mind getting interrupted by him, so she turned around, noticing he had also changed into sweatpants and a sweatshirt, something he would probably ware going to bed, then she mentally bypassed that thought before smiling. "Not at all." Grissom smiled, and as he walked out on the deck, she continued. "There is wine on the table if you want some, or there are other drinks in the fridge if that doesn't suit you."

After Grissom closed the door, he walks over to the wine, then asked as he was pouring him some. "You want some?"

"Yeah, I'll have a little."

Grissom nodded as he finished pouring while she turned toward the horizon again.

A few seconds later Grissom walks over toward her and hands her the glass, and while she takes it from him, he speaks. "Cassie was out before I could finish her story."

Sara nodded. "With the combination of her helping today and her anxiousness last night, she had to be tired, so that doesn't surprise me."

Grissom looked over at her worriedly. "Is she ok?"

"Yeah, I mean she's lived in one place her whole life and now she's moving, not only to a new city but away from the people that she sees everyday, that's a major change for a little kid."

Grissom nodded, then does a little sigh. "I am sorry that she's going through that. I hope once she gets settled she'll feel a little better." He paused before asking. "But can I say that I'm happy you decided to take the job?"

She smiles with a nod. "Yes you can." Grissom smiled back before looking out in the horizon as he took a sip of his wine, then Sara sighed as she looked down at her wine glass. "Although, I got the feeling that your team, specifically Catherine, isn't too thrilled about it."

After Sara told Grissom she was taking the job, they had a meeting right there in the lab since she had caught them toward the end of shift, so Grissom told the team what was happening, and Sara got that uneasy feeling that not everybody was exactly happy, which she kind of understood because of how she was introduced and she was considered an 'outsider', but she hopes that they'll warm up to her in time.

Grissom took a breath before he replied. "If they have a problem with you, then they should take it up with me because I'm the that asked you to do the report."

"But I didn't have to accept, you said that yourself."

"True, but I asked, and I could have asked someone else and they would probably have the same reaction, but I don't think I would have blamed them if I wasn't the one that had the responsibility of finding someone to do it." Sara nodded as Grissom continued. "And don't take everything that Catherine says personally, it can take her some time to warm up to people. But once she does she can be fiercely loyal."

Sara smiled a little. "Sounds like somebody else I know."

"Ahh yes, Shelly." Sara chuckled with a nod before he continued with a smile. "And I wouldn't count the whole team disliking you right away. I believe there is one person there who could really benefit you being there." She raised an eyebrow while he smirked. "Well if you're there, Shelly would have to visit, and when she visits, who else would enjoy her presence?"

Sara nodded again with another chuckle. "Nick." Grissom nodded with a smile still on his face, then she continued, this time more serious. "Do I have anything to worry about them seeing one another, I mean is Nick a good guy?"

Since she didn't really know Nick, and it seems like her best friend and him have something in the works, she wanted to make sure her friend will be ok.

"Nick is a really great guy, at least from what I know about him, so if they are dating or whatever they are doing, your friend is lucky to be with him."

"Alright, good to know."

They looked at each for a few seconds before looking away, then after a couple of minutes of silence, he holds his wine glass toward her and said. "I know you aren't there yet, but...Welcome to Vegas."

Sara smiled as she they clinked their glasses. "Thank you."

After they took a sip, they looked at each other again before looking out toward the ocean, just enjoying the light breeze and the comfortableness between them.

When everybody had woken up bright and early the next morning, Grissom offered to make breakfast, which Shelly was going to decline the offer because she didn't want him to go through the trouble, but Sara stopped her with a look that said she had to try his cooking, so she just nodded with a smile before he started making pancakes.

Then while they were eating, Sara couldn't help but detect that Shelly and Nick were giving each other looks, looks that told her something had happened last night, which she knew nothing about because her and Grissom went to bed not long after their only glass of wine was gone, so the moment she had a chance to ask her, and that was when Grissom and Cassie were washing the dishes and Nick was in the living room folding up the blankets that was used by the guys last night, she took Shelly by the arm and walked them down the hall until they reached the master bedroom.

After the door was shut, Sara turned to Shelly, and Shelly was about to ask what was going on, but Sara started before she could. "Ok, I saw some pretty long looks between you and Nick, so now you can't tell me that nothing is going on between you two, what is it, what happened last night?"

She sighed while sitting down at the end of the bed, then after she looked down for a few seconds, she looked at Sara before finally replying. "We kissed."

"Really?" Then Sara smiled as she walks up to her friend. "What does it mean for you guys?"

"Nothing. We promised each other that this wasn't serious because he lives in Vegas and I live here, plus we both have very demanding jobs that don't leave much room for long breaks to see one another."

Sara looked at Shelly and noticed something in her eyes before she had looked down at the bed, so she replied. "I think he is the is the one that said he doesn't want it to be serious and you just agreed."

Shelly looked at Sara again before saying. "Well he does have a point, we live in two different cities and we do have demanding jobs."

"But if you really like him, which I know that you do, I think you owe it yourself to at least try." Shelly was about to talk, but Sara continued. "Don't let him go back to Vegas without telling him what you really want, and if he doesn't agree or can't do it, then maybe you need to look somewhere else."

Shelly nodded while she looked down again.

Sara did have a point too, if her and Nick were only going to be together during the visits she or he squeezed in, then maybe it wasn't worth it in the long run, she'll only get hurt in the end, so it was best to get everything out now and see if they could really make this work.

Shelly's thoughts get interrupted when Sara sits down on the bed next to her and took her hand. "But you know what?" Shelly looked at Sara again before Sara continued with a smile. "Maybe he does see a little more in what is going on with you two then he would like to admit. I mean he did come up here to help, and I know it had very little to do with me."

Shelly chuckled a little, then when she calmed down, she sighed with a nod. "Yeah, you're right Sara, about everything. Thank you."

Sara smiled as she squeezed her friend's hand before removing it. "I'm only doing what you have been doing for me, now you better go talk to him before it's too late."

Shelly nodded, and after they stood up, they walked out of room with Shelly leading the the way, then as they walked into the living room Shelly looked at Nick, who just finished folding the blankets, cleared her throat before asking. "Nick can I speak to you for a minute?"

Nick nodded as he walked up to her. "Sure." Before they walked outside together, shutting the door behind them.

Sara watched them for a second before looking at Cassie. "Alright sweetie, let's get ready, we have a long drive ahead of us." Cassie nodded as she ran up to her mom, then after taking her hand, they walked back down the hall to get ready.

When the remaining things were packed and in Sara's vehicle and everybody was ready to go, they all walked outside, and once they got to the driveway, Grissom held out hand to Shelly and said. "Thank you for your hospitality."

Shelly smiled as she shook Grissom's hand. "You're welcome, and please do something for me?"

As they release hands, Grissom asked. "What?" Having a feeling it was something about Sara, which he was not disappointed.

"Make sure she eats something during shift, she has a tendency to not eat when it is time, and watch her back."

Grissom nodded with a smile. "I will, and that's a given."

"Thank you."

After Grissom nodded again, and he shared a smile with Sara, which she rolled her eyes, he walked closer to his vehicle while Shelly picks up Cassie with a groan. "Man Girl, I don't think I'll be able to pick you up the next time I see you."

Cassie smiled and said. "That's ok, as long as I get some hugs."

Shelly chuckled as she wrapped her arms around her. "That I can do." After she kissed her temple, she placed her back on the driveway before cupping her cheek while she looked down at her. "You take care of your mom, she's going to need you."

"I will Aunt Shelly." Then she stepped up to her and wrapped her arms around her waist. "I'll miss you."

Shelly tried to hold onto her emotions as she placed her hand on the little girl's back, a little girl she's had the pleasure to be around the minute she was born and the third person in line to hold her after Brad, then she whispered. "I'll miss you too, and love you so much."

As Cassie pulled back she looked up at her Aunt with tears in her eyes. "I love you so much too."

Shelly cups her cheek again before leaning down and kissing her forehead, and after one more hug, Cassie walked over to Grissom while Shelly wiped her eyes right before Nick stepped in front of her.

They smiled at each other and she shook her head. "I must look like a mess."

Nick cups her cheek and replied. "If you do, then it's a beautiful mess."

Shelly shook her head and said. "And how many women have you impressed with those slick words, buster."

He wiped the reaming tears away before bringing her closer. "That's not important, what's important is us now."

Shelly nodded as she cupped his cheek. "So, we are really doing this?"

When they had talked earlier, Shelly told him that she really wanted to try the relationship and he was relieved, which had confused her because she thought that's what he wanted. Well it turned out that's what he thought she wanted, so Shelly was very glad that Sara had talked to her.

Nick nodded with a smile. "You bet. Believe me, I know it won't be easy, but I'm going to give it my all."

She smiled in return and replied. "Me too." They kissed softly before he wraps her arms around her for a hug, she hugged him back. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too."

After a few more minutes, they pull back, and after another kiss and smile, Nick walked toward Grissom's vehicle so Shelly could say goodbye to her best friend.

When Sara stepped in front of Cassie, with a knowing look on her face, Shelly chuckled while nodding her head. "Yes, you were right about Nick and I." Sara smiled bigger as Shelly continued. "We are really trying this. I don't know where it is going to lead us, but least I won't look back at it and regret not saying what I wanted."

Sara wraps her arms around her friend. "I'm so happy for you."

"Thank you."

Sara nodded, and replied with a smirk as she stepped out of her arms. "Well now you have a very good reason to visit Vegas."

Shelly smiled again. "You know I already had a good reason on coming to Vegas, with Nick it is just an added bonus."

"I know, I was just messing with you."

After a nod, they knew they couldn't stall anymore, so Sara took a breath and said. "Thank you for these last seven years of friendship. I honestly don't know how I would have gotten through a lot of that time without you in my life, you are the best friend that I had ever had and I'm going to miss you."

Sara's eyes started to glisten with tears as Shelly brings her back into her arms, this time it was for comfort. "I'm going to miss you too, Sara. But these seven years are only the tip, we'll share a lot more years, more holidays, birthdays." Then she whispered so no one would hear the last part. "Your Wedding."

"Yeah right, I have to get to the first date before any of that happens."

As they pulled back, Shelly replied. "It will happen Sara, this is only the first step." Sara nodded while Shelly continued, this time cupping her cheek. "You take of yourself, and if you ever need to talk, which I don't care what time it is, you call me. I think I'm going to ask to be scheduled on a lot of the night shifts so we can be up at the same time, so no excuses, got it?"

"Go it, and you too."

After another nod and hug, Shelly sighed and finished. "You better go, you don't want to get to Vegas too late."

"Yeah, I love you, Shelly."

"I love you too, Sara, see you later."

"See you later."

After one more look and small smile, Sara started walking to her vehicle while holding her hand out to her daughter, and after Shelly waved back at everybody, she watched them get into their vehicles, which Grissom and Nick were in Grissom's that had the trailer hooked up to it, and Sara and Cassie were in Sara's.

Then she watched them drive away with a heavy heart, but also excited for her friend because she'll be starting a new life and hopefully soon she'll be with the man she loved, so she wasn't going to look at this as an ending, it was only the beginning.

AN: Hope it was good. Thank you for your patience as the story unfolds. Please review.