A/N: Ah, Sandle. This chapter is full of sweet, sweet Sandle. Does that mean that the rest of the story will reflect that? Well, you'll just have to wait and see! I know this is a quick update, but I leave Saturday, and I want to get all of this up before I go. Usual disclaimer applies. Please read and review!

Chapter 11

"Remember the line
Never say die?
You were the reason I survived"

Greg sat on the edge of the bed in Sara's hotel room, watching her as she paced throughout the room. They had spent the last fifteen minutes in silence, as both Greg and Sara tried to figure out what they were both doing there. Finally, Greg sighed deeply and said quietly, "You know, I can just leave if you want."

Sara looked over at him, startled. "No, I don't want you to leave," she said, running a hand through her hair. "I'm just trying to figure out how we go about doing this. There are so many things I want to say…" She paused and shook her head. "I just don't know how to say it."

Patting the bed next to him, Greg raised an eyebrow and half-smiled. "Well, you're not the only one who has things to say. So why don't you sit down next to me, and while you're figuring out how to best say the things you want to, I can say the things that I've been waiting to say."

Though she looked reluctant, Sara sat down next to him. She even let Greg put his arm around her, snuggling against him just as she had done so many times before when they were best friends in Vegas. Of course, this wasn't Vegas, and they both knew that there was a difference here and now. But for the moment, neither really cared.

Greg stroked Sara's hair gently, closing his eyes and feeling her in his arms. Finally, he shifted so that he could look her in the eyes. He would need to be able to see her eyes for what he was about to tell her. "Sara," he said gently, trying to muster up all the courage that he had in order to say what he had come all this way to say. "Sara, I have something to tell you, something that I think you and I have both known for a long time." She looked up at him, silent and unblinking, obviously waiting for him to say it. He took a deep breath, and then he said what he had waited years to say. "Sara, I love you."

She didn't looked surprised to hear that, but she didn't look completely unhappy, either. Still, she sighed deeply and looked down. "You're right, Greg," she said, avoiding his gaze. "You and I have both known for a long time that you love me. I've known it since before I became your mentor, and I hoped that somehow you would find a way to get over it, and to move on, I guess."

"And that didn't happen," Greg said, more for his benefit than for hers. "How could it? I don't just love you, Sara, I'm in love with you. Ever since I met you…how could you think that I would just be able to get over that?"

Shrugging, Sara sighed again. "I don't know," she answered. "I hoped that you would see that I was in love with Grissom, and then you would be able to move on. And I thought that you were. You didn't…well, you didn't follow me around like a little lost puppy anymore."

Greg smiled, but his smile was sad. "I wasn't getting over you, I was just getting better at hiding how much I loved you. And I wasn't going to do anything to screw up our friendship, especially since I got to spend so much time with you. And then by the time I got up the courage to tell you, it was too late."

"I was already with Grissom," Sara said slowly, in realization. "But that still didn't stop you?"

"How could it?" Greg asked sadly. "I had loved you for years while you loved Grissom. And besides, despite everything, I always had hope that one day, you would realize that I loved you, and that you loved me, too. I know that sounds stupid, but I had this endless hope."

Sara looked confused. "But how could you have so much hope, when I know for a fact I didn't give you any?"

Shrugging, Greg said, "For starters, I'm a naturally optimistic person. But also, you did give me hope. Remember when I…when I was attacked?"

"How could I forget?" she whispered, reaching up with trembling fingers to trace the scar at his hairline. "It was horrible. I will never be able to get the image of you lying there like that out of my mind."

He reached out and captured her hand in his, stroking it comfortingly. "It was horrible," he agreed, a small smile on his face, "and yet…your simple presence, the fact that you were there for me, that was enough to reignite any hope that I had ever felt."

Sara looked away from him, a sadness in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Greg," she whispered. "I didn't mean to instill any false hope in you."

"Was it false hope?" Greg asked suddenly, his voice sounding off.

Looking up at him, confused, Sara asked, "What do you mean, was it false hope?"

Lowering his face so that he was only a few inches from her, Greg asked quietly, "Was it false hope? Or is there still hope, real hope, that you could turn to me and tell me that you love me?"

She took a trembling breath. "Greg—" she started, but he cut her off.

"Sara." Greg looked her deep in the eyes, his face still only inches from hers. "If you told me now that you didn't love me," he said quietly, his eyes determined. "If you told me that you only loved Grissom, and not me, then I would leave right now. But I don't believe that. I believe that you love me just as much as I love you. And I think that that's what's killing you: the fact that you love me and you also love him." Then he paused, a new thought entering his head. "But Grissom's not the one standing here right now."

"No, he's not," Sara agreed softly, her eyes searching his.

"And Grissom's not the one who followed you here. If anything, Grissom's the one who let you go and who is able to get over you." Greg paused again, then said softly, "But Sara, I'm not Grissom. And I'm sure as hell not going to make his mistakes. I will never be the man who let you go, who watched you walk away and didn't follow. I will be the man who loves you forever, no matter what. And nothing you or anyone else says will ever change that."

Sara didn't say anything this time, so Greg took a deep breath and said softly, "So tell me, Sara. Tell me that you only love Grissom. Tell me that you don't love me the way that I love you. Tell me. Tell me!"

She just looked up at him, tears sparkling in her eyes. "I can't," she whispered. "You know I can't."

"I thought so," Greg said. There was no triumph in his voice, only relief and love for her. Then he leaned in and kissed her.

He was shocked that she let him kiss her; he was even more shocked when she kissed him back, putting her arms around his neck and leaning into his embrace. He broke away from her just long enough to whisper "I love you," against her lips, and he was amazed when she whispered back, "I love you, too." Then he kissed her again. And again. And again. He could not get over the fact that they had finally reached this place that he had been dreaming about for years. And it was just as amazing as it had always been.

Then they broke apart again, still holding onto each other. "You said earlier that your heart was being torn in two," he said softly, resting his forehead on hers. "Mine is torn, too. Part of me wants to take you back to Las Vegas with me, so that we can live our lives together in the place that's home to both of us. The other part of me knows that that's never going to happen, and so that part is preparing me to leave everything behind so that I can follow you to wherever you run next."

Sara was silent for a moment, just stroking Greg's cheek with the tips of her fingers. Finally, she said quietly, "I have a lot to think about. You've given me a lot to think about. So I think I'm going to go to bed and we can start this conversation again in the morning."

Greg smiled hopefully as he stood. "Can I spend the night with you?" he asked boldly.

Though Sara smiled briefly at his tenacity, she shook her head, something hidden in her eyes. "I don't think that's a good idea," she said, voice barely above a whisper. "We should definitely talk tomorrow, though. What do you say we meet at the Golden Gate Park at, like, ten o'clock?" She stood, stretching to press a kiss onto his forehead. Then she stepped back, eyes studying his face as if memorizing it.

Greg leaned down and kissed her on the forehead as well. "Good night," he said lovingly.

She smiled, though her smile wasn't as bright as before. "Good bye," she said, walking him to the door.

He leaned over and kissed the top of her head once more, grabbing her hand and squeezing. "Bye," he said, unable to keep a smile from his face. "I'll see you tomorrow. Ten at the Golden Gate Bridge Park."

"Right," she affirmed, nodding.

She made to close the door, but Greg stopped her. "I love you," he said, his voice full of sincerity.

Her eyes softened, but she didn't open the door again. "I know," she whispered as she closed the door.

Greg turned to walk back to his hotel room, a huge smile spreading over his face. This night had been amazing, and now he had tomorrow to look forward to as well, and he couldn't wait.