A/N: How 'bout that? An early update! But, don't get too used to this … and, don't expect anything else until the weekend. This chapter was just so much fun to write, and I'm so excited for you to read it. It's short, it's sweet, and it's a moment I think you've all been awaiting patiently for quite some time. Enjoy!

Thanks for reading and reviewing!

I don't own CSI.

Before It's Gone

Not surprisingly, Grissom awoke first the next "morning." Never a fan of sleeping in someone else's bed, the "strangeness" of the situation woke him earlier than usual.

He opened his eyes slowly as confusion set in. Where was he? Why was he sleeping on lavender sheets? Why was there another person in the bed? Why was his shoulder numb?

Then, it all came back to him. He had brought Sara home. She had asked him to stay with her. They had fallen asleep cuddled up together in her bed. Now, only six hours after he had wrapped his arms around her, holding her in an embrace that convinced both of them that she was safe, he was awake again, lying on his back.

Sara was still asleep, lying on her stomach, using Grissom's shoulder as her pillow. He glanced down at her. In her current position, he could only see the top of her head. Even so, he knew that she was sleeping peacefully; her deep, even breathing told him that much. Despite the fact that his shoulder was numb and stabbing pains were shooting down his arm, he couldn't bring himself to wake her. He wanted her to have as many of these calm, peaceful moments as she could.

As it was, he did not have to wait long for her to awake. Only a few minutes later, she stirred against him, burrowing her face into his shoulder for a moment as she woke up. He found the motion to be absolutely adorable; it made sleeping in a strange bed worth it.

Sara finally managed to open her eyes. She, too, seemed disoriented at first; she frowned slightly as she looked around. Then, she turned to look up at him with a smile.

"Hey," she said.

"Hi," he replied, running a finger down her cheek.

She smiled at his touch. "Have you been awake long?"

He shook his head. "I didn't wake you, did I? I was trying not to move."

"No, I just woke up on my own," she said. She ran her hand over his chest, watching its progress. "Griss … thank you for staying with me. I …"

"I wanted to stay as much as you wanted me to," he interrupted. "I wanted to know that you're safe."

She looked up at him again and smiled. "With you … I feel safe. Maybe … for the first time in my life."

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. "You are safe," he said. "I won't let anything happen to you – not ever again."

She rested her chin on his chest and looked up at him. "I believe you," she said, almost as if she couldn't fully accept her own words as true. "I've never been able to trust anyone the way I trust you. It's …"

He smiled and ran his had through her tousled hair. "Nice," he finished for her.

"Yeah," she smiled. "Nice." She tilted her head down to kiss his chest through his t-shirt. "Do you want to have something for dinner? I'm sure we have to be at work soon."

"Sara, I want you to call off tonight."

"What?" she exclaimed. "What are you talking about?"

"You've been through a terrible ordeal," he said. "You need a night off."

"I need to get back in there," she said. "If you fall off the horse, you get right back on again. You know that."

"Not if the horse tries to kick your head in," Grissom said patiently.

"Who's going to take my place?" she asked. "We're shorthanded as it is!"

"Let Sofia worry about it."

"Let … Sofia? Grissom? What do you mean?"

"I mean, it's my night off," Grissom replied with a smile. "Sofia has shift tonight. She'll deal with it. I'm sure she'll borrow Nick or Warrick if she gets slammed."

"Oh, now I really don't know," Sara said. "If you're not going to be there, either …"

"You need the time, Sara." He smiled and touched her cheek. "Besides," he continued, "I want to have the night off with you. That hasn't happened in ages."

"You're right," Sara sighed. As much as she hated the idea of calling off, she truly did need a night to decompress. And, the fact that she could spend it with Grissom was very appealing … She reached across to her nightstand, where her cell phone was lying plugged into its charger. "I feel awful about this."

"I'll make it worth your emotional duress," Grissom promised.

"You'd better," Sara said as she pressed the numbers to call the lab.

Grissom smiled. "I promise, honey. This will be a night you'll never forget."

"It had – oh, hi, Judy."

Grissom just stopped himself from laughing at the look on Sara's face as Judy picked up quicker than she had anticipated.

Sara talked to Judy for a moment, explaining that she wasn't feeling well. Judy was quite concerned, but Sara brushed it off, promising to be in on time the next day. She finally managed to convince Judy that all she needed was a bit of extra sleep, and ended the call.

"I love her, but, sometimes, she can be a little too motherly," Sara sighed as she put the phone back on her nightstand.

Grissom nodded. "She's sweet, though."

"Very." Sara rolled away from Grissom and pulled herself into a seated position. "Would you like to shower?" she asked.

"Sure," he replied.

She glanced at his clothes from the day before, which were neatly folded and lying on top of her dresser. "I can wash your clothes while you're in the shower, if you'd like."

"Don't do that," he said, getting out of bed. "I'll get my extra clothes out of my car."

"You keep extra clothes in your car?" Sara asked in disbelief.

"Of course," he said, equally incredulous. "I have a bag with clothes and toiletries in my trunk. Don't you?"

"Why would I?"

"In case you need to change at work."

"That's why I keep clothes in my locker," Sara replied.

"You never know what might happen at a scene," Grissom said sagely as he pulled on the pants that had been on Sara's dresser. "I'll go grab my clothes from my car. I'll be right back."

Sara smiled but shook her head. "What else do you keep in your car?"

He grinned. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe you'll find out … someday."

Sara shook her head again as he walked out of the room. She pulled herself out of bed, and went into the bathroom. Even if she wasn't showering first, she certainly needed to have clean teeth.

When Grissom came back inside carrying a duffle bag, Sara was in the kitchen filling a pot with water. He paused to watch her.

"What are you up to?" he asked.

"I'm going to make us dinner," she replied. "Go shower. It should be ready by the time you're done."

"Would you rather I helped?"

She rolled her eyes. "I can handle heating sauce from a jar, dear. Go. The towels are in the cabinet in the bathroom. Feel free to use any of the soaps, shampoos, toothpaste, or makeup that you'd like."

Grissom laughed. "Wow, thanks. I've been trying to find a good time to ask if I could use your mascara."

Sara laughed with him. "Enjoy your shower, Griss."

Grissom winked at her. "Okay. I'll see you in a minute."

When Grissom returned from his shower, Sara was pouring noodles into her boiling water. He smiled at her.

"Hey, Rachael Ray."

She looked up and smiled. She had certainly seen Grissom "just out of the shower" over the years – they worked in an environment that lent itself to showering mid-shift and walking around with wet hair for several hours. However, there was something about knowing that his hair was wet from her shower that was … very appealing.

"Hey, yourself," she smiled.

"What are you making?" he asked, coming up behind her and peering over her shoulder into the pot.

"Noodles," she said.

"Noodles?"

"Yes. The kind you cover in a sauce that Emeril was kind enough to whip up for us."

Grissom grinned. "Such a nice guy."

"Indeed," Sara smiled.

"How can I help?"

She shrugged. "I think I've got it under control."

She certainly did. Within fifteen minutes, they were sitting at her table with plates of pasta in front of them. Grissom smiled at her as he twirled his spaghetti around his fork.

"Thank you for dinner."

"Well, it was the least I could do," Sara replied. "You did go the extra mile for me."

"I wanted to," Grissom said quietly.

Sara flushed. No one had ever wanted to do anything like that for her before. It made her feel so good to know that Grissom was there for her.

"I have plans for us for after dinner," Grissom said.

"Do they involve me taking a shower?"

He grinned. "They can. We'll call them my plans for after your shower, then."

"What are we doing?"

"We're going out."

"Out where?"

He shook his head. "That part is a surprise."

"Okay," Sara said, her eyes twinkling. She was most definitely up for a surprise. "When do we leave?"

"As soon as you're ready."

Grissom insisted on cleaning up the kitchen after dinner. Sara was reluctant to let him do all the work, but, he won her over by pointing out that she could shower while he did the dishes, which meant that they could leave for his mystery destination sooner. Pacified, Sara left him alone in the kitchen and disappeared into the bathroom.

Less than an hour later, Grissom and Sara left her apartment hand in hand. He led her to his car and unlocked her door.

"So, are you going to tell me where we're going now?" Sara asked as Grissom opened the passenger door for her.

"Such impatience," he smiled, closing the door.

Sara leaned across to unlock his door. "Is that a no?" she asked as he sat down.

He chuckled. "You're worse than a four-year-old."

"You're mean," she smiled.

He wrinkled his nose. "Insult me all you want. It's not going to work."

Sara sighed and resigned herself to being surprised. "Okay. Let's go."

Grissom smiled at her, and reversed out of his parking space. He hoped that she would like his surprise. He had wanted to do this with her for awhile, but the timing was never right. It had finally worked out.

He really, really hoped she'd like it.

Sara leaned forward and turned on the radio. She fiddled with the dials for a moment, then sat back. Grissom glanced sideways at her as the sounds of Kelly Clarkson filled his car.

"Top forty?"

"You have a problem with it?"

He sighed. "No, dear. Of course not."

Sara laughed. "I didn't realize that we got married thirty years ago."

"What?" Grissom frowned.

"You sound like half of an old married couple."

He grinned. "Well, I suppose there are worse fates."

"Some," Sara smiled. She paused. "Do you really hate top forty that much?"

"I'll deal with it," he replied.

"I can turn it," she said, already leaning forward.

"No, Sara, it's fine. Leave it."

"I'll find something we both like," she said, skimming through the stations. She finally landed on the classic rock station. "How's this?"

He smiled. "Much better."

Sara grinned. "Looks like I've found the way to your heart."

Grissom glanced at her with a smile. He didn't say anything, but reached across to hold her hand. Sara smiled back at him, and laced her fingers through his.

She wondered if she had found true happiness.

Grissom finally turned off the highway, taking them through a maze of side streets. Sara was sure she had been in the area before, but she wasn't exactly sure of where they were.

"You do have a destination in mind, right?" she joked.

"Yes, dear."

"You're not just taking us out for a drive?"

"With the price of gas? Perish the thought."

Sara grinned. "Okay. I'll go back to waiting like a patient little girl."

"Good girl," he smiled.

After what felt like forever, Grissom pulled off into a small, unpaved parking lot. Only one other car was there. Sara looked at him with raised eyebrows as he turned off the car.

"Um …?"

"Don't even try," he said. "Come on. Let's go."

Shrugging slightly, Sara opened her door and climbed out of the car. Once they were both out, Grissom opened the trunk. He pulled out a blanket, then slammed it closed again.

"Another of the treasures from your trunk?" Sara asked.

Grissom smiled. "I told you I have more than clothes in there." He grabbed her hand. "Come on."

Sara smiled back and let him lead her down a rough, narrow trail through a grove of old, well-established trees. As they stepped out into a clearing, she gasped.

"I know where we are!"

"Oh, really?" Grissom asked, turning to face her with a smile.

"This is near that crime scene we processed," she said. "The one you said was a good place for star gazing."

He gave her a sly smile. "You mean, the one you said was a good place for making out."

Sara's eyes widened and a slow smile spread across her face. "Dr. Grissom, are you trying to seduce me?"

He grinned and spread the blanket on the ground. "Well, I'm certainly trying to make out with you. Are you going to come down here and let me try a little harder?"

Sara dropped down onto the blanket next to him, and grabbed his face in her hands. "I don't think you really need to keep trying."

She pressed her lips against his in a heated kiss. He responded instantly, gently pushing her back until she was lying on the blanket. He followed her down, carefully arranging himself on top of her.

"Is this okay?" he asked.

"God, yes," Sara moaned. "Why aren't you kissing me?"

Laughing, Grissom kissed her again.

Their kisses full of lips, tongues and hands went on and on. It had been a long time since Sara had experienced something so sensual, yet so innocent. She had to admit that it was incredibly fun.

Their make out session was abruptly ended by voices that were far too close for comfort. While two teenagers would not have minded being discovered in such a position, two adults did mind – very much. They reluctantly pulled apart, laughing at the sight of each other. Sara's hair was a tousled mess, while Grissom's was standing straight up. Both of them sported red, swollen lips and flushed cheeks. Their clothes were a mess, with more than a few buttons undone. Laughing, they redressed themselves and tried to smooth their hair. Then, they lay down together on the blanket, both on their backs. Sara laid her head on Grissom's shoulder. He smiled at her, and took her hand, intertwining her fingers with his.

"This is nice," Sara said. "Thank you for bringing me."

"You're welcome."

She looked up at the sky, trying to count the stars. "It's so peaceful out here."

"Mm-hmm."

"It makes you feel … hopeful."

"Hopeful?" Grissom asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah," Sara said. "Like you could do absolutely anything, and it would work out. Like anything is possible."

"You make me feel like that," Grissom said quietly.

Sara twisted her head to look up at him. "Me?"

"Yes, you." He swallowed, and looked up at the sky. "Sara, I have to confess something."

Sara sat up and looked down at him. "What?"

He sat up with her, and looked into her eyes. "At that hospital, when Adam had you in that nurses' station … I was scared out of my mind. I've never felt so helpless, or so out of control." He paused, and when he continued, his voice was even quieter. "In those moments, Sara, I realized something. I realized that I want to be with you. Not as a coworker, not as a friend … as something more."

Sara's eyes grew wide, and a sparkle jumped into them. "What are you saying, Grissom?"

"I'm saying … I'm asking …" Grissom said slowly. "Would you like to be my girlfriend?"

Sara cocked her head to the side. "Would you like to be my boyfriend?"

"Yes," Grissom said softly. An unidentifiable emotion – fear, maybe? – filled his eyes. "Unless you don't want … Sara, do you want me to be your boyfriend? Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

"You know, you were wrong."

Panic, fear, pain, humiliation and a hundred other emotions filled Grissom's eyes as they crossed his face. A deep red flush spread across his cheeks. "Oh. I … um …"

"You told me that there are no stupid questions," Sara said.

"That … um … I suppose …"

Her face broke into a beaming smile. "Well, what you just asked me … that was a stupid question."

"What?"

She grinned, if possible, even wider. "Griss, I've wanted to be your girlfriend since we first met. I've just been waiting for you to want the same thing."

The panic, the fear, the pain and the humiliation left his face as he relaxed into a smile that rivaled hers. He couldn't say anything to her; he was quite sure that he was incapable of speech. Instead, he closed the distance between them and kissed her.

Sara broke the kiss and smiled, leaning her forehead against his. "Thank you."

"Thank you?" Grissom repeated. "For what?"

"For making me so happy."

He smiled and kissed her forehead. "You make me happy, too."