Nick walked out of his bedroom and headed over to get a soda from the fridge when Grissom came out of his sporting a bright blue, short-sleeved shirt and black Dockers.  They had all planned on going to the lounge to blow off steam before heading down to the Pit for another meeting with Jarod and Sydney.  Sara would sing tonight and this time she would know they were there.  Nick opened and took a long drink of his soda as he made his way out onto the balcony.  The night was balmy with just a shiver of a breeze.  'I could definitely get used to this.'  He thought as Grissom stepped out onto the balcony with a beer in hand and stood against the railing next to Nick.

            "You've been locked in your room for several hours Gris, anything wrong?"  Nick understood that Sara had been pulled out of her trance but didn't know what else had taken place after that.

            Grissom stared out at the view they had of the ocean and the lounge down below.  It was breathtaking tonight as the full moon shown overhead.  He envisioned his hands slowly gliding against her silky skin as he wound his hands and arms around Sara standing underneath this moonlight glow.  "Just thinking Nick, just thinking."  He replied with a sigh.

"About the case or about Sara?"  Nick saw the look in Grissom's eyes and already knew the answer to the question.

            "Both."  Grissom ran his hand through his hair and then turned around and leaned back against the railing as he took a swig of his beer.  "I'm worried about Sara.  She doesn't want anyone keeping tabs on her and following her around.  She says she can handle it alone but, I don't know, she's out in the open too much.  I just don't know."

            Nick thought about what had been said and realized how much Grissom cared for Sara.  He had known before that Grissom had feelings for her of course, but now it just seemed to be more real.  He considered what they had been told about her, her background, training and her lack of family.  At that thought he had a flash of memory of a little girl in pigtails at a birthday party when he was a small boy.  She was adorable and although a smile tugged out at that memory, a tense and sad feeling washed over him.  He didn't understand.  'Why am I thinking of some little girl from so long ago?'  He shook himself to clear the image.

            Grissom noticed Nick's movement and turned to ask him about it when he caught a glimpse of Catherine.  She was wearing some kind of sarong type dress and sandals and her hair was wavy in the way she sometimes chose to wear it.

            Nick heard her approach and turned to see her walk through the balcony doors.  "Woo hoo, Cath, don't you look like you're ready for a party?"  He grinned as he caught her off guard with his comment.

            Catherine laughed as she did a little spin for them to show off her dress.  "I bought it just before we came down here.  I saw it and almost didn't get it.  Now I'm glad I did."  And then she winked at Nick.

            They noticed Warrick as he left his room and they all nodded at each other that it was time to head down to the lounge so they walked back inside and motioned to Warrick that they were ready to leave.

            Meanwhile, in a room, two floors above them, a reluctant Greg and insistent Sara rehearsed for the events to soon follow.  They had only done this once before just before Greg left for the farm and wanted to make sure they didn't goof up again.  After rehearsing several times, they headed down to the lounge.

            Grissom, Nick, Warrick and Catherine arrived and wandered through the massive crowd as all the tables were full this night.  During their time at the seminar, they met several of the guests and so stopped to speak with a few of them.  Grissom acknowledged a few of his colleagues in the area of entomology and of course other areas of forensics.  Amidst a conversation, he turned to see Sara and Greg sneak behind the stage.  He grinned as he realized what Sara had planned and so he motioned to the rest of his team to move towards the back of the room where Matt and Jackson had already found a table and were enjoying a couple of drinks.  It was quickly noticed that Jarod and Sydney were both absent.  'Just as well,' Grissom smiled as he considered the thought of not having to share Sara with Jarod and without her being under the influence of him and Sydney.  He didn't know what there was between Jarod and Sara, but he hoped it wasn't the deep feelings like he held for her.  He would have to bide his time and wait to see how she felt towards Jarod.

            They took their seats and just as they got comfortable, the lead singer of the band again did his announcement like the first night they arrived.  "As many of you are already aware, every night a member of the management sings with the band."  As he was talking, the music started and the song they played was "Cruisin'" by Smokey Robinson but it had a slightly different rhythm to it.  "Tonight we welcome Public Relations Liaison, Sara Sidle."  Several of the guests and even Nick, Warrick and Catherine joined in hooting and hollering their welcome for Sara.

            Sara took the steps up onto the stage and the visibility from the lights allowed those in the back to see her.  She wore a blouse that was cropped and tied together just under her breasts allowing her abdomen to show through and she had on a long wrap around skirt, both were white with flecks of color all through them.  She smiled and made eye contact with the team and Matt and Jackson as she swayed to the music.  Then just when everyone thought she was going to start, they heard a male voice from the side of the stage.  The team at first couldn't see who it was but recognized the voice and stared at each other until they caught the movement of the man with the voice make his way onto the stage while Sara broke into her part of the song.  The team stood up and clapped and hollered more -making Greg and Sara smile but almost messing them up.  Greg stepped closer to Sara and then they held hands as they sang the song. 

            When they finished, the crowd stood and erupted into applause.  Sara announced, "This is Greg, a dear friend, who just flew in and was gracious enough to join me on stage."  There was more clapping and someone yelled out for Sara to continue.  "Alright, wait, let me get a drink and a breather and then I'll sing again in a little while."  She smiled at everyone and then she and Greg stepped off the stage.  They made their way to the back until they were literally run over by Catherine, Nick and Warrick as they greeted him with hugs and even some tears.  Greg realized that the tears weren't just from his friends but that they came from him as well.

            Catherine noticed the lack of Grissom in their group and she turned to see him sitting at the table with a drink in hand but with a huge smile on his face.  "You," She pointed at Grissom. "You knew all along that he was here and you didn't tell us."  Grissom started to laugh at the expression on Catherine's face and nodded that he did know.

            "Man, that is just not right, Gris."  Nick looked almost shocked that Grissom hadn't said anything earlier.  Warrick on the other hand just stood there and shook his head; it was more like Grissom than he had ever seen.

            They took seats around the table and then the waitress brought a round of drinks for everyone, except Sara.  "Hey you forgot to bring Sara a drink."  Nick said as he looked over toward Sara and then back at the waitress.

            "No she didn't.  Go ahead Stef, just bring me a club soda with a lemon."  Sara motioned for the waitress to go ahead as she turned back to Nick and the others.  "They don't bring any drinks to me unless I specifically request it.  And I'm not drinking tonight if any of you are wondering."

            The band began playing "Sexy Eyes", a Dr. Hook song and one that she loved to dance to.  Matt knew this about Sara so he stood and walked around the table then held out his hand to her.  She smiled up at him and took his hand so he could lead her out to the floor.  They did a little swing dancing and some close dancing and then back to the swing dancing.

            The crew watched in amazement at how Sara danced so freely after going through what she did earlier in the day.  It seemed like it wasn't even on her mind.  At the same moment they were watching her, all eyes turned slightly to see Sydney and Jarod make their way through the crowd.  Sydney didn't continue with Jarod to the table but he remained by the bar.  When the song finished and a slow one began, he stepped out to Sara and Matt and cut in.  Sara gave him a small smile as he took her into the dance and they rotated in slow and leisurely movements around the room.  With the smiles firmly embedded in both their faces, they finally spoke and then the smiles became a little larger.  They made up.

            Grissom watched with interest as well as everyone else.  He didn't understand how Sara could get over what happened to her so quickly.  'I know I couldn't.'  He thought as he considered them for a few minutes as they danced.  He wouldn't be able to understand it until he knew more about Sara and more about this Centre place.

            Nick thought about taking a turn with Sara.  She really seemed alive tonight.  His thought of dancing with her was dashed though as the song ended and she made her way to the stage again to sing another song. 

            Sara stepped up onto the stage and got to the microphone to announce the song.  "I recently found myself in a situation similar to the one in this song.  It's a favorite one of mine and now holds special meaning for me.  I'd like to sing it for you.  It's called "What I Meant to Say."  With her eyes closed, the words flowed out of her with a Siren's rhythm.

It took me by surprise

When I saw you standing there

Close enough to touch

Breathing the same air

You asked me how I'd been

I guess that's when I smiled and said just fine

Oh but baby I was lying

            Grissom watched her face intently waiting for her eyes to open, to see the look he hoped he would see.  Sara felt the unbidden pull of Grissom's will penetrate into her own as she gazed upward and met his eyes directly but the words carried her back to that moment and she again felt them grow heavy and close.

What I really meant to say

Is I'm dying here inside

I miss you more each day

There's not a night I haven't cried

And baby's here's the truth

I'm still in love with you

That's what I really meant to say

            Hearing the pain in Sara's voice, Catherine recalled the moment Grissom and Sara spoke for the first time since the incident at the airstrip.  'Sara couldn't have picked a better song.'

And as you walked away

The echo of my words

Cut just like a knife

Cut so deep it hurt

I held back the tears

Held on to my pride and watched you go

I wonder if you'll ever know

What I really meant to say

Is I'm dying here inside

I miss you more each day

There's not a night I haven't cried

And baby's here's the truth

I'm still in love with you

That's what I really meant to say

            Sara felt the gut wrenching pain inside of her as she remembered her loss of the one man she loved when she showed him her true self in defense of her friends.   With a plea for forgiveness she stole the gaze of his eyes as she finished the song.

What I really meant to say

Is I'm really not that strong

No matter how I try

I'm still holding on

And here's the honest truth

I'm still in love with you

That's what I really meant to say

            As the song died away and Sara came back to the full room of patrons now on their feet applauding and whistling, she smiled and looked around to those closest to the stage and then she slowly backed away from the microphone then gracefully turned and left the stage walking out the same way she entered.

            Catherine quickly turned to see Grissom's expression but he was no longer in his seat.  Everyone at the table still had their eyes on Sara's retreating form and hadn't noticed Grissom's departure.  She couldn't see him in the crowd of guests as they continued to stand and mingle amongst themselves.  Jarod had stood as if prepared to go after Sara and was stopped just before he could leave by a hand on his arm.  "No, let them deal with this in their own way."  Catherine spoke quietly but was still heard by everyone else at the table.  Jarod turned to see that Grissom had left the group and nodded in understanding.

            Sara at first slowly walked away from the lounge but soon found her pace speed up as the tears started to fall down her face.  'God, I am such a cry baby.'  Oh how she hated to feel so helpless and out of control.  It wasn't like her.  She had entered a dark and secluded area on the side of the hotel and in her distraction paid no heed to the dark profile that approached and grabbed her almost violently from the side.