We are now on our final chapter. I cannot thank you all enough for sticking with this to the end. I may follow this up with a sequel. I haven't started writing anything yet, but I do have some ideas swimming around my brain.

As always, please review. I enjoy reading what you think of my ramblings.

You're all amazing, thank you for taking this little journey with me.

Chapter 12

Dear Mary

Thank you for your letter. I must admit I was surprised to have received it, but I am glad for it.

I am happy that you had the chance to say goodbye, in a way you felt fitting, and I am sure Harry would be pleased with the tribute you gave him. I sincerely hope this will not be the last of your adventures. There are so many wonderful places for you to explore.

I too, would like to thank you for what you said to me on the plane. As you know, I was going into the unknown and your words gave me some hope for what I might find. Sara is more than I deserve and, as you said, she does not hold anything against me. She is truly a miracle and I consider it my deepest honour to now be able to call her my wife.

We are currently planning our next adventure, a research trip to the Artic to study Sperm Whale migration. A trip where we hope to better understand these magnificent creatures.

What will come after, I do not know, but both Sara and I would be honoured if you would keep us up to date with your latest adventures. And if you need any recommendations, we would be happy to supply them.

Thank you, again, for all you said, and I truly wish you joy in your next exploration.

Yours, most sincerely,

Gil and Sara

Grissom had sent the letter, making sure to include a copy of their wedding photo and contact information, not long after he and Sara had returned from their honeymoon. After a few days with Betty and Hank, who the couple agreed should stay with their mother while they were at sea, Grissom and Sara had made their way to San Diageo to meet Julian and Helen and the rest of the team aboard the Sea Shepard. Most of the crew were people they had worked with in Costa Rica, but there were a few new faces.

Much to Sara and Grissom's delight, Jake was also joining them on this voyage. He had been one of the first to greet them as they arrived at the port. Running down the gangplank to pull Sara into a fierce hug and clap Grissom on the shoulder before shaking his hand.

"Boy, are you two a sight for sore eyes," the young man said, grinning broadly at the two of them. "I was certain, you would be too busy with newlywed stuff to even think about us poor sailors."

"So, you're a sailor now?" Sara quipped, smirking.

"We'll, we are sailing. What else would I be?" Jake asked, a look of confusion furrowing his brow and Grissom couldn't help by laugh fondly. "Congratulations, by the way," Jake continued, nodding between them. "You'll be happy to know I won the pool."

"The pool?" Sara asked.

"About when you two would tie the knot." He pushed out his chest with pride. "Helen said it would be as soon as we arrived back, but I said it would be later. Julian didn't even think about it." He barked out a laugh at his team leaders' expense and Sara only shook her head good naturedly.

"I don't think two people count as a 'pool'," Sara said.

"I guess you'd be the one to know, Sidle. Or is it Grissom now?"

"It's still Sidle," Sara said, with a small smile at Grissom.

They hadn't even discussed whether or not Sara would take his name. Though Grissom would be lying if he said he wouldn't have been pleased, if she had decided to change it, he would never force that on her. He fell in love with Sara Sidle, it was only fitting he would be married to Sara Sidle.

Jake didn't question them, he just gave them a grin and took Sara's bag, carrying it onto the ship, chatting away as the older couple followed after him. Jake questioned them non-stop, ranging from where they went on their honeymoon to Grissom's favourite place to get pizza in California. Grissom and Sara answered as best they could, in the small amount of time between questions, trying to sound as exasperated as they could. Though neither of them really minded.

When they got on deck, they were met by Julian and Helen, the latter giving them both warm hugs as soon as she saw them. That was when he lost his wife. Helen and Jake monopolising her attention and walking her away to their bunk. Sara managed to shoot him an amused smirk as they went. Grissom watched them go with a slight pang. He had forgotten that, on this trip, he would have to share Sara with their teammates. He had gotten used to having her all to himself over the last few months.

"Don't worry," Julian said, making Grissom jump. He had forgotten the man was still there. "You'll have her back soon enough. Sara's not one for attention, I'm sure she'll escape pretty quickly."

Grissom laughed at that. Though the more social out of the two of them, Sara did have her limits to how much company she could handle. Grissom knew, with no small sense of pride, that he was the only one she never tired of being around.

"How was your break?" Grissom asked.

"Good. We spent some time with Helen's parents. Her sister was there with the children. I was glad when it was time to come back, truth be told. There's only so much 'family time' a man can handle before the sea starts calling again."

Grissom chuckled. They swapped planetaries for a few more moments before the talk move to the journey ahead of them.

"We should be ready to set forth tomorrow morning," Julian said, looking around the deck. People were moving about, preparing the ship for departure.

"Is there anything I can do?" Grissom asked. Now that he was on board, he was anxious to get going. He had never been one to just sit idly by while others worked around him, and after the last few weeks of relative inaction, he was raring to go.

"Not right now," Julian said. "They crew is excellent, there isn't even anything for Helen and me to do right now. Don't worry," he added, seeing Grissoms disappointment. "There'll be plenty to do once we set sail. Even more when we finally arrive."

Someone called to Julian then, and, with a quick nod to Grissom, he left. Leaving the newlywed alone to wonder the deck. Not wanting to be in the way, Grissom kept to the railing, taking in everything that went around him so that, the next time, he might be able to help. Arriving at the stern, Grissom leant against the metal railing that ran along the ships edge.

He was currently standing on the main deck, below him, Grissom guessed, were the cabins, offices, kitchen, and dining hall. Before him, towing up to the sky, was the bridge. He was itching to go and explore but knew it wouldn't be practical right then. Promising himself a tour of the ship later, Grissom turned and lent his forearms on the railing.

If someone had told him, a year ago, he would be standing on a ship, Sara, his wife, somewhere below, waiting to set sail for the Artic. He would have never believed them. A year ago. It had been a whole year since his life had changed for good. Only a year since they had lost Warrick and Sara had walk back in and out of his life.

Those few days they had together, after losing Rick, were a haze to Grissom. He was expected to carry on, to keep going, to be strong. For the team, for the lab. None of them had stopped working. They had gone straight from investigating Warrick's death, to the next, and then the next. If it weren't for Sara, Grissom isn't sure he would have made it. Coming home to her, even for a short period of time, had given him something to look forward to. Something to keep going for.

When Sara had first suggested they take a trip, just a week after the funeral, Grissom wanted nothing more than to say yes. But his phone kept ringing. People kept asking for his attention, his time, his energy. He had nothing left to give. With both Sara and Warrick gone, the team was so short Grissom couldn't see a way for him to leave. Not without leaving his friends in a mess, or Catherine with an even more fractured team.

Grissom knew, without arrogance, his departure would have a big impact on the shift. He had been their boss, their teacher, their advisor for so long. They all looked to him, relied on him, probably too much. He knew they were capable, that there wasn't anything more he could teach them, yet he was still the one they went too.

When he had come home to an empty house, knowing, without having to check, that Sara had gone, he went into some sort of trance. He moved about the house, the office, crime scenes, as if someone else was directing his body. He withdrew. From everything. Catherine and Nick had both tried to get him out, to do something, to eat something, but they couldn't penetrate the thick haze that had clouded around Grissom's heart.

It was only when he went to Heathers, that it started to lift. He didn't need his old friend's help on the case, he knew enough about the BDSM lifestyle to get them through, but it was the excuse he needed. He didn't even know he was going to her, until she answered the door.

As soon as he walked through the door, it was like coming up for air. The haze, that had seemed impenetrable moments before, began to lift and he started to see things clearly. And Heather, as only Heather could do, saw right through him from the first. She had started off by playing along, giving him insight to the case, answering his questions. But then she started pushing him, going so far as to touch him. Something no one had done that since Sara had left.

When she asked if she was his secret, he didn't even hesitate. She wasn't his secret; his secret was his shattered heart. Irrevocably broken from the moment he walked through his door and knew Sara had gone. But that wasn't really a secret. Can something be a secret if everyone knew, though no one spoke of it?

Then she questioned him, not in the roundabout way Catherine, or any of the other members of his team did. But direct, right to the issue questions that didn't leave room for his normal platitudes. Heather wouldn't let him off easily and didn't stop until he finally yielded. A lot of the things she said echoed what Sara had told him in her video. Things he didn't want to face, knowing that, when he did, it may truly be over.

Heather was right when she told him the reason he was there. It was the one place he didn't see her face, smell her perfume, feel the touch of her skin. It was the one place where, for a moment, the haze could lift, and he could breathe. The one place Sara Sidle did not exist.

It was there he knew what he needed to do; he only required the courage to do it.

When Heather offered her spare bedroom, Grissom accepted. Not yet ready to face the world. Needing a few more hours to breathe and be himself once more. He had asked her to stay with him that night. Not for passion, but companionship. She lay next to him and held his hand. As her warm fingers, so unlike Sara's cool ones, cradled his, Grissom cried. He cried as he had never done before. Then he spoke. He spoke of Warrick, of the team, of the grief that threatened to engulf them all.

He told her of his fears of leaving, of following his heart and what he might do. Who he might be if he was no longer a CSI. She didn't say much. Offering words of comfort when he could no longer speak. Eventually, Grissom fell asleep with Heather's warm hand still within his own.

When he woke the next morning, Heather was gone. Her side of the bed was cold and empty, Grissom knew she must have left him when he finally fell asleep. It was the sight of that cold, empty bed that made up his mind. His arms aching to hold, not the woman who had left them hours earlier, but the woman who had left weeks before. Grissom didn't want to spend another morning waking up alone.

When he went downstairs, Heather had made a pot of tea, which she served in her beautiful Victorian china tea set. She didn't question him or ask if he had made a decision. She just handed him a cup, making small talk while they drank. When it was time for him to leave, Grissom pulled her into a hug, an uncommon show of affection for either of them, and thanked her softly before walking away.

He didn't look back as he climbed into his car, or as he drove away. He didn't see Heather watching after him with a small smile on her face before closing the door. He contacted Julian the moment he arrived at the lab, and when he got back to his office at the end of shift, a reply was waiting for him. The younger man hadn't answered any of his questions about Sara, except to confirm she was still with him, which Grissom tried not to read too much into. But he had offered Grissom an enthusiastic invitation to join their team.

With the invitation secured, and Riley Adams starting to settle into the team, all Grissom then had to do was find a replacement for himself. He met Dr Ray Langston and instantly knew the MD would make a great CSI and, under Catherine's leadership and tutelage, Dr Langston would go far with the team. Even if Sara had rejected him, there was no place for him in Vegas anymore. He had done all he could for the team, they no longer needed him, and he could never settle there. It was too full of his memories of her, of what they had been through, to ever go back without her.

Now, he stood on the deck of the Sea Sheppard, wedding ring glinting in the sun, marvelling at how far he had come. Knowing it was all down to one woman. One woman who was living, rent free, in his heart.

As his memories filled him, Grissom felt slim arms encircle him from behind. Sara lay her head against his back, and he could feel the deep rise and fall of her chest as she sighed. Grissom lay a large hand over the smaller, cooler ones covering his chest and leaned his head back, gently on top of hers.

"I honestly didn't think Jake and Helen were going to let me go," she said, Grissom could feel her grinning behind him.

"It's going to take a little getting used to," he replied.

"What will?"

"Having to share you with other people," Grissom said, a little resigned. "I think I've grown selfish in my old age." Sara laughed at him and moved around to settle by his side. One arm fell to wrap around his waist, while her other hand stayed under his.

"I was thinking the same thing," she confessed and smiled up at him through her lashes. "On the plus side," she continued. "Our bunk is much larger than the one we shared from Costa Rica."

"Well, it'll be a shame to waste that, wouldn't it," Grissom said, his smile growing deeper and more intense as he looked into her eyes. Sara winked and rose to kiss him softly on the lips. Grissom's hand slid up her back to capture her neck. They broke apart and Grissom pressed a kiss to her brow.

With his mind still firmly settled on their bunk, Grissom was about to ask Sara to show him the way when Helen called over to them. Sara grinned up at him as he groaned before kissing him once more and taking his hand to lead them over to their friend.

Patience, he told himself. You're not going anywhere. And neither is she.

With that reminder, Grissom followed his wife. He had told Catherine that it was time to 'up the ante', and he had done that. Grissom had gone all in, put all his cards on the table and Sara was waiting on the other side. It was the biggest risk, and the best pay off Gil Grissom had ever received.