AN: Thanks for the reviews, Here is the next chapter, enjoy!
Chapter 14: Surprising Offer
1 day later
After waking up they took their time to get out of bed before getting ready and packing so they could be ready for when they had to leave for the airport so they could head back to Vegas.
When they checked out of the hotel, they headed to the Café they fell in love with before heading to the airport, and once they got there and the rental car was signed back in, they grabbed their tickets and walked to their gate hand in hand with smiles on their faces.
Before they knew it they were back in Vegas and walking toward the exit of the airport, once again hand in hand, then as they reached the doors, he started to speak after clearing his throat. "So, could I interest you in a home cook meal tonight?"
Sara could hear a hint of nervousness so she couldn't help and smile as she asked. "Why do you seem a little nervous asking me that?"
He took a breath to calm his nerves before replying. "Because we are no longer in a city without any cares. We are in the real world now, and I don't want to do anything to screw this up."
They stopped their feet, then Sara turns to him, releases her hand so she could cup his cheek. "Well, relax. I just want you to be yourself, we'll figure all of this out as we go, and if we run into a little speed bump or two, which I'm sure we're bound to do, we'll deal with it together, ok?"
He took another calming breath before he nodded with a smile. "Alright."
She smiled back with a nod before continuing. "And your dinner offer is accepted by the way."
He smiled a little bigger, and after another nod, they kissed one another softly on the lips before he whispered while their foreheads were pressed together. "I love you."
"I love you too. I'll see you later."
They pull back again, then he cupped her cheek before finishing. "Yeah, you will."
After one more long look and smile at one another, they went their separate ways so they could each take a cab, so he could go home and she could go back to Nick's place.
When the cab dropped her off, she paid for the cabbie and got out with her bag before walking toward the front door to his rented 1 bedroom house, then after checking the door to see if it was locked, which it was even though his vehicle was in his parking spot, she grabbed her keys and opened the door before walking in and shutting it softly behind her.
But it didn't matter how soft she shut it because she jumped a second later when Nick walked into the living room from his bedroom and spoke. "Hey, you're back."
She turned around and looked at him with a nod and smile. "I am. Sorry if I woke."
He waved it off as he shook his head. "Nah, you're fine. I was just reading."
She nodded as she walked toward the couch, but stopped when she noticed Nick was still looking at her, this time with a knowing smile, so she raised an eyebrow as she asked. "What's with the look?"
"So, I take it things went well?" Sara tried to hide how happy she was because he was acting all smug about it, but it didn't last long because she just looked down with one of her biggest smiles, and he chuckled with a nod. "I see that things went really well, then."
She cleared her throat as she dropped her shoulder bag and suit case on the couch before speaking as she walked toward the kitchen counter. "Oh shut up, you know I don't kiss and tell."
He turned to watch her grab the paper from the counter, and spoke again while the smile was still on his face. "Yeah, but the glow you have around you tells me you two did more than kissing."
She looked through the paper until she found the one she wanted as she replied with another smile. "Ignoring you now."
He chuckled one more time and walked up to her before placing his hand on her shoulder and spoke again, this time in a more serious tone. "All joking aside, I am happy for you two, so congratulations."
Sara nodded with the smile still on her face. "Thank you."
After he nodded, he looked at the section of paper she had grabbed before looking at her a little sadly. "The real estate page? You leaving?"
Sara sighed as she turned to walk toward the couch. "This arrangement was suppose to only be temporary, so it's time." He turned around to look at her as she sat down with another smile. "Besides with Grissom and I back together we need..."
Nick cuts her off with a nod. "Privacy when you want to go more than to his place, I get it. I'll just miss you around here is all."
Sara nodded in understanding. "And I'll miss it here too, but it isn't like I'm leaving the state again, and it isn't like I can't come and visit every once in awhile."
He nodded one more time. "True."
When she looked down at the paper to look at places to rent, she asked after clearing her throat. "So, anything interesting happened while I was away?"
He wanted to tell her right away about what he found out about Lindsey, but him and Catherine had agreed to tell the whole team together, so he just cleared his throat and spoke. "Nope, things are the same as when you left."
"So you and Catherine haven't..."
She trails off as Nick smirks. "Look who wants me to confess about kissing and telling now?"
She looked up from the paper with a shocked look on her face. "So, you two finally got back together?"
He chuckled as he shook his head. "No."
Before he could continue, she gives him a reassuring look. "Well, don't worry, it will happen again."
Knowing he was on the same page with Catherine about their relationship, he knew that it will eventually happen for them again, but he wanted to hear how Sara knew that, so he asked while walking over toward the couch. "How do you know?"
"Because I still see the strong feelings between you two, which feelings that deep just don't go away, and I can speak from experience on this one, it will only make you two miserable if you guys are with other people, and I can't see you two denying yourself that type of happiness in the long term, so it's only a matter of time, you two belong together."
He smiled with a nod as he replied. "Just like you and Grissom."
Sara slowly smiled with a nod before looking back down at the paper. "Yeah, just like Grissom and I."
As Nick continued to watch his best friend, he couldn't help but be happy for her.
The look, the glow, and the hopefulness was all back inside of her, and he's been waiting for this Sara, where she didn't have to fake anything, to come back a long time ago, so it was about time, which thinking that, he placed his hand on her shoulder and said. "It's great to have the real Sara back, so welcome back."
She looked over her shoulder to look at him again with a smile. "Thank you, it's great to be back."
Then she looked back at the paper as he removed his hand, then he leaned forward and looked at the paper to help.
Hours later
After setting the meatless spaghetti on the table next to the bread, he stepped back with a smile at his handiwork before there was a knock on his door a few seconds later.
He turned toward the door and started walking toward it while speaking. "Coming."
Once he got there, he opened the door and smiled at the beautiful sight in front of him, and it wasn't that she was wearing anything special, it was the happy glow around her and in her eyes that made her beautiful to him.
After standing in the doorway for countless minutes, Sara finally spoke after clearing her throat. "So, am I allowed to come in, or are we having dinner outside?"
He chuckled as he stepped back. "Yeah, sorry about that."
As the door closed, Sara smiled as she looked toward the table. "The table looks good, and dinner smells amazing."
He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, making her sigh in content as her back touched his chest, then he kissed her temple and whispered. "Thank you, sweetheart."
When they finally pulled back, they started walking toward the table as she handed him a bottle of wine. "Here, I got this wine for us."
He smiled as he took the bottle. "You didn't have to do that."
She nodded as she placed her shoulder bag on the couch while they passed it before replying. "I know, but since you cooked, I thought I would bring the beverage."
He kissed her cheek this time as he thanked her, then once they were settled in their seats, they picked up their glasses of white wine as he spoke. "To our new start."
She smiled and clinked her glass with his before they took a sip, and after they placed their glasses back down on the table, they started eating while conversing in a little small talk.
When dinner was done and the dishes were in the dishwasher, they moved to the living room, and after putting a movie in, they cuddled on the couch so he was laying down while she was laying on top of him with her back against the couch cushions.
As the movie was going through the end credits, Grissom hit the mute button on the TV as Sara sighed in content and spoke softly. "I wish I didn't have to leave this place."
He smiled a little as he asked while running his hand up and down her back soothingly. "My arms or the condo."
She moved so she could place her chin on her arm, which was on his chest, then spoke with a smile as they looked into each other's eyes. "Honestly, both."
Outside of kissing him, being held by him was what she missed the most because he had always made her feel safe, and being in his place with him, only made her feel even more safe. Not that Nick's place wasn't safe, it was just different.
Grissom paused for a second, then he moved his hand from her back to cup her cheek as he asked. "Why do you have to?"
Sara looked at him with a little shock as she asked. "You asking me to move in?" As he nodded, she continued after clearing her throat. "But we just got..."
Grissom cuts her off though. "Back together, I know, and I also know that this is a huge step, I get that. But I love you Sara and that's never changing, and I just would hate for us to waste time and delaying the inevitable."
Sara raised an eyebrow as she asked with a small smirk. "Inevitable? so you see this happening in the future?"
Hoping he didn't say something out of turn, he gave her a very sincere and truthful look as he ran his hand up and down her cheek. "I see us having it all someday." When she looked at him with shock again, he started speaking while both of their hearts started racing. "But, if you want to slow things down, you can have the guest room as your own, I don't have a problem with that."
As she laid there while looking at him, she took a moment before asking softly. "And if I really wanted to slow things down a little?"
He gave her a reassuring smile as he replied. "Then you can stay at Nick's, or find a new place, whatever you want, and we can still have these wonderful times together when our schedule allows it." When she moved her eyes down, he took a breath before finishing. "I just want you to know that I'm all in, I'm completely committed to us, and I'm sorry if I overstepped."
Sara looked at him again while shaking her head, then she replied with tears in her eyes. "You have nothing to apologize for, I loved hearing you say what you did, it means a lot to me to know where you see us going, something I've always wanted for us."
He wiped a few tears off her cheek as he continued. "But?"
She took a breath as she finished. "But getting everything I ever wanted in one swoop is a little overwhelming, and I'm afraid I'll do something to screw it up, and I don't want to do that, not again. I can't lose you a second time."
As more tears came down her cheeks he continued to wipe them away as he shook his head and spoke softly. "You won't Sara, I promise. We can takes these steps as slow as you want because I'm not going anywhere."
She gave him another smile as she laid her head down on his chest after he had wiped all of her tears away, then he wrapped his arms around her as she sighed in content again, feeling better he had said all of that. "Just to be clear I'm not saying no to anything you just said, but I would like to think about moving in now, and maybe taking slower steps getting everything else on your wish list for us."
He chuckled a little, then kissed the top of her head as he whispered with an understanding tone. "Absolutely. I'll take whatever step you are comfortable with, I just love you so much."
"I love you too."
After he kissed her head one more time, they just laid there in each other's arms, still reeling from what he said, which if he was honest with himself, he was happy Sara wanted to put the brakes on.
It wasn't that what he said to her was a lie, because it wasn't, ever since she gave them hope for a future after their first kiss, he wanted it all with her. But she was right, getting everything they ever wanted in a single swoop would be overwhelming, and like what he said earlier in the day and what she said just now, he didn't want to screw it up.
He just let his heart do all the talking on this one, but he was glad she had enough sense to remind him that taking things slower will more than likely help them better in the long run, which he was all for that.
AN: They are back at work next chapter, see what happens next. Please review.