AN: Warning: Implied adult behavior. Thanks for the reviews, here is the next chapter.

Chapter 10: Time to leave Vegas?

4 months later

A drawn and worn-out Sara walks into the Grissom household after shift and shuts the door behind her, she then puts the back of her head on the door and lets out a sigh, her night felt really rough, which is nothing new in her years of working as a CSI, but these last four months felt rougher on her than ever before, not to mention the constant nightmares that's been happening.

Before she could continue with that thought, she shook her head, and after locking the door, she dropped her bag on the floor by the door before walking toward her daughter's room.

Once she got in there, she walked to the crib and looked at her sleeping little angel, which her little angel didn't even know that they've been blessed with her for a year now and they were going to have a party for her later.

She smiled and whispered. "Happy Birthday, butterfly. Today is your day and we are going to make it as special as possible."

After a few minutes of just looking down at her, she walked away and out of the room, cracking the door behind her before walking into the room she shares with her husband.

When she walked in she saw him sleeping on his side, snoring softly. He was usually an early riser, but there were some mornings where he liked to sleep in, especially since their daughter slept more in the night now and he gets to take an advantage of the winter break, so she didn't blame him one bit on that. She smiled as she looked away and started getting her clothes from the dresser so she could take them in the bathroom and change once she gets out of the shower.

When she was done in the shower and had changed her clothes, she walked back into the bedroom where she saw her husband opening his eyes.

They smiled lazily at each other as she walked over to his side of the bed, then after he helps her lay on top of him, he cups her cheek and asked softly with concern in his eyes. "How was work? how are you?"

"I'm fine and it was just another night at the lab."

He looked into her eyes and noticed something looked different, it was like her eyes didn't have that bright sparkle that they usually have, which he's actually noticed it a few times and had mentioned it before, but she keeps shrugging it off or says or does something to change the subject.

He does a little sigh, knowing it wasn't alright, but before he could say something, she moved her lips closer to his and whispered. "Really I'm fine, babe."
Then cuts off his reply with a kiss, which eventually turns passionate.

As they pulled back breathlessly, they put their foreheads together and he asked. "Are you trying to distract me again?"

She smirked a little and asked. "Its working, isn't it?"

He smiles a little and replied. "Yeah, a little."

"Good."

Before he could respond to that, she places her lips to his again and this time there was not stopping them, he rolled them over so now he was on top and she was on the bottom, but then air needed to come so they pulled back again, and when he looked down they both saw in their eyes they wanted to continue, but before they did, he asked. "You sure? you've had a long night."

She smiled as she cupped his cheek. "I want my husband this morning."

He moved his head in her hand and kissed her palm before looking into her passionate eyes while saying softly. "Your wish is my command."

She smiled again, and as he leaned down to kiss her again, she whispered. "I love you, my husband."

He kisses her softly on the lips before pulling back and saying with equal emotion. "And I love you, my wife."

They smile at each other, then after he kissed her on the forehead, he pulled back to look into her eyes one more time before he captured her lips with his.

A few hours later

Grissom was sleeping soundly with his arm wrapped around his wife's shirt and short clad body when all of a sudden he was jerked out of his sleep when Sara had sat up screaming and breathing heavily.

When he was aware what was going on, he wraps his arms around her shoulders and brings her into his arms, she puts her forehead on his shoulder and takes a deep sigh, glad she was in the safety of his arms.

He ran his hand up and down her back and kissed her head. "It's ok it was just a dream, I'm here. Take a few breaths."

She nodded and did what he said, then once she calmed down a little, she pulled back while looking down. "Sorry, I know how much you like to take advantage of your sleeping time."

He shook his head, placed his finger on her chin to bring her head back up, then after cupping her cheek, he replied with love and understanding in his eyes and voice. "I don't care about that, it's you I care about. And despite you trying to convince me that you're alright, something is wrong. I can see it in your eyes and your constant nightmares these last four months, what is it, talk to me."

She looked in his loving eyes, then sighed, knowing it was time to say something. "After the shooting, something feels different now. I'm not that same as I have been at work. Every case since then has taken a big toll on me, I think this job is finally getting to me, I think I'm..."

He finishes it off for her. "Burning out?" She nodded, then looked down, feeling she had let him down, but he shook his head, brings her closer to him, kissed the top of her head and whispered. "It happens honey, even to the strongest of people, and you admitting that to me doesn't make you weak in my eyes, I'll never see you as weak, you are one of the strongest people I have ever met."

She sighed in content in his arms before saying. "Thank you."

He pulls back before cupping her cheek again. "You don't have to thank me, but you're welcome." She gave him a little smile, then he took a breath and asked. "So now we need to figure out what to do next."

"What do you mean?"

"Well do you want to take time off to travel, or leave Vegas and all of this behind and settle somewhere else?" He ran his thumb up and down as he continued. "What do you want to do?"

She shook her head and replied. "I can't ask you to leave Vegas for traveling or finding another city to live in."

He looked at her with confusion. "Why can't you?"

"Your job, you love teaching."

He nodded. "I do, but another teaching job is out there for me. Besides, having you in good health and being happy means more to me than anything else, so you tell me what you want." She looked into his eyes before looking down at their other hands that were clasped together as he asked. "You've thought about this before, haven't you?"

She nodded with a sigh. "I've actually thought about this off and on when I was pregnant with Michelle."

"Which was what?"

"Leaving Vegas and settling somewhere else."

He was a little shocked at this. "You never mentioned this before."

She had tears in her eyes when she looked at him again. "It goes back to you loving your job." He was about to talk, but she continued. "But there were other things too, like at the time I loved going into work, our friends are here, and the major thing that's kept me from saying something was that Vegas has been your home for a very long time, you're comfortable here."

He wipes her tears away as he finally replied. "Well now you're my home, and as long as I have you and our daughter, I'm home, no matter city I'm living in." She gives him a happy smile as he continued. "So I solved your dilemma about my job, we've established you're my home, and you're burning out on your job." He sighed, then replied softly. "But..."

She cuts him off. "But it's not like we can take our friends wherever we go." He nodded and remained quiet as she went into her thoughts, then she took a breath and continued. "I don't want to leave them, but as the months have gone by since Michelle was born my constant thought was that I don't want to raise our daughter in Vegas. I know kids have survived here, Warrick being one of them and Lindsey growing into a fine woman herself here." They gave each other a soft smile as speaks again. "And I know there's crime wherever we go, but there is less somewhere else and we have to do what we feel is best for our little girl, no matter how much we are going to miss everybody here."

"You are absolutely right honey."

She gave him a little smile before asking. "So what happens next?"

After looking deep into her eyes, he replied with once again love, compassion and understanding. "I guess we are leaving Vegas behind."

Before she got a little excited, she asked. "You sure?"

"Yeah." She smiled bigger as she gave him a hug, then as he wrapped his arms around her, he continued. "But I'm going to need a little bit of time before we leave because we are going to be in the second half of school and the science classes are full because of me. I don't want them cancelling their class and having the university lose any money at my expense."

"I understand, I can be patient for a few months."

They pull back, then he smiled as he looked into her eyes. "I have it on good authority that you can be patient for years."

Her eyes started to sparkle a little more, and knowing what he was talking about, she continued with love in her eyes. "And being patient for you was well worth it."

Both their eyes sparked as they lean toward each other and pecked one another on the lips before they pull back and he cups her cheek again. "So we are doing this?"

She took a breath, then nodded. "At this point, I don't see how we can't do this. I need something out there, but I still need you and our daughter with me."

"Always honey." She places her hand on top of his, then he asked. "So where are we going?"

"I don't know yet, we can think about it."

"Alright, that sounds like a plan."

"I know you don't want me to say it, but I do want to thank you for what you want to do for me, you've been very supportive and loving, even these last four months when I've been going through this feeling silently." Then after she cupped his other cheek, she continued with tears in her eyes. "Which I want you to know that I'm sorry for not telling you sooner how I felt, this wasn't your fault I was suffering so much, you tried to get me to talk, but I didn't or couldn't do it."

"It's ok honey, you've told me now, but know that you can tell me anything." She nodded as he continued when his forehead reached hers. "And know that when you or our daughter suffer, I suffer too, you guys are my world and I'll do anything I can to make you guys happy and safe."

She smiled again as she continued. "Well I feel safe in your arms."

He smiled back as he pulled his forehead away from hers, and after kissing her forehead, they move so they were sitting up in bed with their backs against the head-board, then he wrapped his arm around her shoulders as she snuggled to his side.

After they sigh in content, they just sat there, but their short moment of silence and snuggling ended when their little girl was crying for them.

They smiled, then as they looked at each other, he asked. "You ready to start another day?"

She nodded with the smile still on her face. "Of course, plus it's an extra special day."

His smile was still on his face as he replied with his eyes sparkling. "That it is."

Hours later (After the party)

The moment Grissom had placed their birthday girl in the playpen after her exciting and busy day, she was out like a light.

He smiled as he felt Sara's arms come from behind and wrap them around his waist, then after a few seconds in that embrace, she moved to the side of him and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

After he kissed her temple he looked down at Michelle again, and Sara spoke with a smile when she looked down at her girl too. "Do you think she enjoyed today?"

Still watching their daughter, he spoke. "Yeah, she got so many new things and I can already tell what her favorite toy is."

Sara smiled a little bigger as she noticed Michelle holding on to her new stuffed butterfly, then she looks at Grissom with a smirk. "Yeah something you bought her, who would have been surprised of that?"

He smiled, and after fixing the blanket on Michelle, he replied as they walked to the couch. "I can't help it when she becomes attach to the things I buy her."

As they were sitting down, she replied with a smile. "I know sweetie, I was just picking on you."

He smiled back before they got comfortable on the couch, then after he placed his arm around her shoulders, she snuggled into his side.

After a few seconds of silence, she sighed and asked. "Do you think the team really understood our decision on leaving?"

It was hard telling them that these next few months would be their last in Vegas, which they were going to wait till the last-minute so they wouldn't make a huge deal about it, but they didn't feel right doing it like that, so they sucked it up and told them. The team said they understood, but they both could tell they were a little said.

Grissom nodded. "I do Sara, as much as they want us to stay here, they respect our decision to leave. They are not the type of people to hold grudges, plus I know they would never want to hold you or me back on something we want to do, and I saw in the team's eyes, they knew you need this."

"As much as I'm going to miss them and a part of me wanting us to stay, I need to do this, we need to get out."

He slips his fingers in to her free hand as he kissed her temple. "Then in a couple of months we are out." She squeezed his hand as he finished. "And it's not like we won't be able to talk to them, or even visit them. Plus there is always video chatting, I know none of it is the same but under the circumstances it's the best option."

She nodded again as she laid her head on his shoulder. "I love you Griss."

He leans down kissed the top of her head and replied. "I love you too."

After laying his cheek on top of head, they just sat there just being in this moment, knowing from here on out its about finishing what they need to do here while thinking and planning about what happens in the next chapter of their lives, but knowing they were in it together not matter what.

AN: Hope it was ok there are two more chapters left. Please review.