You know, a funny thing happened over the spring and early summer - I forgot I was writing this story! But then I went back and read it again and thought "Woah! I have to continue this!" so I am! This is chapter four. It will probably be concluded next chapter or... maybe it will just go on forever. Muaha! Also, I know things have happened on CSI since my last entry, but I'm ignoring them. Just picking up where I left off!

***

"I believe in you,

I'll give up everything just to find you,

I have to be with you,

To live, to breathe,

You're taking over me..."

Sitting across the dinner table, Sara Sidle smiled to herself. She hadn't actually had dinner with a man in years, it had always been breakfast, which not many guys were interested in. Now she was eating vegetarian stir fry with Gil Grissom, her supervisor, just hours after they'd made love for the first time, and a thought occurred to her.

"Grissom, this is really horrible stir fry," she said plainly, looking up at him.

He stared at her for a moment before she burst into a wide, gap-toothed grin. He couldn't help but smile back at her as laughter began to bubble from her throat.

"I'm not very good at cooking vegetarian," the entomologist replied embarrassedly, smirking at Sara's expression.

"Want to order in?" She asked playfully, running her bare foot against his lower leg underneath the table.

They'd both gotten dressed for some reason, but Sara still hadn't put on any socks. Grissom correctly took this to mean she didn't plan on leaving his apartment any time soon.

"I'll call," she offered, as Grissom had settled into a sort of lovesick daze that, she thought, suited him quite well.

She stood up and walked from the dinner table to the tiny kitchen and picked up a black cordless phone, punching in the number of her favourite Chinese food place. She ordered some absurdly named dish for her male counterpart and vegetarian stir fry for herself. She had a craving for it now.

When she put the phone down, Sara turned around to find Grissom halted right in front of her. He was wearing dark jeans and an extremely soft, deep green sweater. She smiled. Her hands slipped under his arms and around his back, fingers relishing the comfy material.

The brunette looked up into his eyes and smiled brilliantly.

"Grissom, I can't believe it's taken us this long to get together outside of work," Sara grinned.

"This doesn't count as overtime," he replied seriously, before breaking into a smirk himself.

He was staring into her eyes. She looked genuinely happy, something he hadn't seen in a very long time, but there was still a drop of sadness in her joyful expression. Grissom didn't want her to hurt any more. He wanted more than anything to make her forget Hank, forget how horrible he'd been to her.

"Are you-" he started, but Sara caught him trying to pity her and interrupted.

"I will be," she said strongly, gazing into his blue eyes, "but thanks. I'm not used to hurting. I'll get over it."

She was so beautiful to him in that moment, beautiful in her imperfection. She was confused and strong and gorgeous, unsure but capable.

In an instant, his lips were pressed to hers. Sara kissed him back and it was soft and gentle, but passionate all the same. It wasn't the first time, but it was still electric and overpowering. All the energy built up from the moments they'd shared over the years came out in their lips moving together. Slowly, she pulled away.

"Grissom, where... do we go from here, what... do we do?" she questioned, looking downwards.

His hands were on her lower back, massaging her through her silky shirt, and the warmth was more comforting than anything else.

"I don't know, Sara," he replied, smiling that her name was being used so frequently by him. It made this all feel more real.

The chocolate-haired criminalist grinned at him and the perplexity in his eyes. They both knew this felt right, but they were confused and excited, and neither really knew what the next step should be in this new relationship. They'd been in love with each other for so long but never done anything about it that they were unaware of how quickly they were allowed to move. Sara was ready move in and Grissom was making plans for a nursery, but they knew it couldn't happen that fast. This was supposed to take more time.

"Grissom, I..." she began, and upon finding the courage in his caring eyes, continued, "I love you."

He was taken aback slightly by her statement. His heart beat rapidly, and he tried to will it to slow down. He had wanted for years to hear her say those words, but now that they'd been uttered, he was speechless. Grissom could calculate scientific theorems in a second, but having to respond to something so incredible and stunning?

"I..." he began, trying to spit out the words, but he was cut short by the buzz of his apartment door.

"That was quick," Sara said with a start, looking to the door.

She walked to the front door, leaving Grissom standing awkwardly at the edge of the kitchen. He hadn't been able to tell her he loved her, and she'd just left him alone with his confused and ashamed thoughts. He was a respected man of science, but he was terribly awkward when it came to *her*.

Sara returned, brown hair swishing behind her. In her arms she carried a plastic bag filled with Styrofoam containers of oriental cuisine. It was then that Grissom realized he hadn't paid for the food.

"Sara, I'm sorry, I forgot to give you the money," he said, reddening slightly.

"It's okay, I'm paying you back for breakfast," she replied playfully, setting the food on the table.

Grissom fetched utensils and coffee for both of them, sitting down and trying to figure out what it was that he was supposed to be eating. His meal looked like a cross between a squid and a yellow sponge, with brown anemones on the side. It was actually tasty when he finally dared to try it. The meal passed without much conversation, the two of them laughing about Catherine for a minute before returning to their food.

Soon Sara's container of stir fry was empty and Grissom's squid-sponge had been devoured. They put the food away and cleaned up impeccably, neat freaks that they were, before realizing that they now had nothing to do. They stood in the sparkling kitchen opposite each other, awkward and slightly nervous. The glasses in Grissom's face were slightly lopsided and he wore an anxious grin, while Sara's brown hair pooled around her shoulders beautifully and her eyes sparkled.

Grissom dove first. He moved in an instant to Sara and wrapped her in his arms again, kissing her passionately. She kissed him back with more fervor than before, twirling her fingers in his short, curly hair. The gentle tenderness of before seemed vanish completely as they grabbed at each other, worried that if fingers stopped touching skin, that skin would disappear.

Sara broke their kiss for a moment to inhale sharply as Grissom's right hand moved down to her lower back. He smiled at this and seemed to grow more confident. He truly believed that if Sara Sidle would kiss him like this, he was capable of anything.

"Again?" Was all she said, and grinning, he nodded.

They somehow made it to the bedroom in between lips meeting lips and furniture being knocked over haphazardly. It lasted longer than before, due to the slight familiarity, but it was with just as much, if not more passion. Sara's clothes were strewn across the hallway and all over the apartment, along with his. Soon they reached their destination, and it was, to say the least, a very enjoyable evening.

***

Just before Sara drifted off for a post-coital nap, Grissom, with his arms wrapped around her, kissed her on the back of her neck as gently as a butterfly.

"I love you, Sara," he finally managed to articulate, running a hand down her shoulder to rest across her chest.

"I know," she smiled encouragingly, and Grissom felt satisfied at last.

At least they were aware that they had each other, and right now, that was all either of them needed. To be loved.

His stir fry had actually been quite excellent.

***

Finite Chapter 4! Wow, I can't believe it's finally being continued. The next chapter will probably finish it up. Coming up, the two CSIs must return to work, as was inevitable, and face their futures together, obstacles in the workplace and the wrath of Catherine the matchmaker. Please R&R! Thanks!