Chapter Twenty-five

Walking past Andrew Dale's office half an hour later, Sara called out a greeting and told him that she'd see him later.

"Sara," he called out, causing her to stop in her tracks and take a step back to poke her head around the open doorway.

"Yeah?"

"Come in for a second please," he smiled, motioning for her to come inside and close the door.

"Oh okay," she smiled, her eyebrows creasing into a frown as she stepped fully inside to click the door closed behind her. Eyeing the chair opposite his desk, she sat down. "What's up?"

"Good work on the suicide case," he told her, his eyes watching her as he spoke. "I hear Gil Grissom's also finalized the bugs time line for Brewster."

"Yeah," she beamed, her eyes sparkling with pride. "He's putting the finishing touches to it now."

"Good…good." Sitting forward in his chair, he smiled, his eyes meeting hers knowingly. "He's due to return to Las Vegas tomorrow."

"Yeah, I know," she sighed, the sadness in her eyes forced away quickly, to be replaced with a smile. "He's offered to help out again tonight."

"Things are pretty quiet," he told her quietly before letting a soft smile grace his face. "I think you've earned an extra night off around here. Why don't you and Grissom head off for the night and spend some time together before he leaves?"

"What?" she asked quickly, her eyes snapping up to his with shock. "Um…you know I don't know what Treyson thinks he saw, but…"

"Relax," Andrew grinned as he sat back in his chair. "I was at the scene last night and I saw for myself that you two have something special going on, not to mention that kiss..."

"Oh God, you saw that?" she groaned, closing her eyes and burying her head into her hands.

"Even if I hadn't seen it, I would have to be blind not to notice the thing going on between you." Pushing back his chair, he stood up and walked around the room to sit on the edge of the desk beside her. "I guess this means you won't be staying on here."

Lifting her head, she bit her bottom lip as she tried to control her breathing. "I don't know yet. Sorry."

"If it helps, I happen to know that this lab would be glad to have an entomologist," he offered hopefully.

"What?" she gasped, her mind trying to register what he just told her. "I…I don't know if we're ready for…" Taking a deep breath, she shook her head to try and calm her tattered nerves. "What I'm trying to say is that…we…I need to work this whole thing out in my head first. I can't decide anything right now."

"I understand," he smiled, " we'll do anything to keep you here, even if it means offering your boyfriend a job."

"He's not my…" her voice trailed off as she sat back into her chair. What was he to her? Exhaling deeply, she forced a smile to her lips before standing shakily to her feet. "Thank you Andrew…for everything."

"No problem Sara. You kids have a good time tonight and send my regards to your…Grissom." Andrew Dale beamed a knowing smile in her direction, knowing she was teetering between staying and going.

"Uh…see you tomorrow," she nodded finally as she headed for the door and made good her escape.

Grissom looked up when she came to a stop just outside the door to his office. His welcoming smile died on his lips when he caught the worried look in her eyes. "Honey, what's wrong?"

His choice of endearment had always melted her heart, and this time was no different. His sultry voice broke through the worry and the sadness that engulfed her to lull her gently, beckoning her close to him. Stepping into the small room, she ached to put her arms around him and take comfort in his sheltering embrace, but she held back.

"Are you about done?" she asked quietly, her low voice tinged with longing as she ignored his worried eyes.

"Sara…"

"I have tonight off," she told him, the smile on her lips reaching her eyes as she stepped a little closer. Holding up a hand, she pressed a finger to his lips and shook her head slowly. "Ask me later okay?"

"Okay," he whispered softly, his lips kissing the tip of her fingers before lifting a hand to wrap around hers. "You're okay though…right?"

"I'm fine," she smiled. Taking a breath, she pulled her hand gently from his grasp and gazed up into his beautiful eyes. Memories from a year ago drifted into her mind and she found herself captivated by his gaze. Placing a soft kiss on his cheek she stepped back again. "Dinner?"

"Love to," he told her, his smile matching hers as he picked up the file from his desk. "Just have to drop this off to Brewster and then I'm all yours."

"All mine huh?" she grinned, her light banter reaching its way into his heart to take possession of his soul.

"Always have been," he told her seriously, his voice lowering to a soft hum as he lifted a hand to stroke her cheek before lowering it again. "Come on, let's go."

"Yeah," she nodded, turning to walk out into the corridor to wait for him to join her again.

They walked on in virtual silence, their eyes meeting every now and again to reiterate the unspoken promise of forever in one simple glance. Sara's cheeks would flush a rosy pink when she caught the desire in his eyes and she would look away only to return a second later, her eyes causing a trail of passionate fire to course through his body.

Catching his breath, Grissom reached Brewster's office and stepped forward to tap his knuckles onto the open door.

Looking up, the other man stood to his feet and held out a welcoming hand. "Dr. Grissom."

Handing over the file, Grissom inclined his head towards it. "Everything you need to know is in there. I've calculated time lines and various species of flies from the pupa state onwards."

"Excellent," Brewster nodded, his enthusiasm apparent. "We could use a man like you on our team, too bad you're leaving us tomorrow."

"Yeah," Grissom sighed, although his reasons for leaving and the reasons he wanted to stay were totally different. Leaving behind the woman who waited for him in the corridor was going to be hard enough even if he hadn't fallen in love with her a second time. Stepping away from the other man, Grissom nodded and smiled kindly. "I was glad to help out."

"Thanks again Dr. Grissom, if we need any further assistance…"

"Don't hesitate to call," Grissom nodded. "Thank you for your hospitality while I have been here."

Turning around, Grissom met Sara's eyes and focused all his attention on her. He had one day left, one last opportunity to embark on emotions and desires that she deserved. Neither spoke, both content to be walk side by side, basking in each other's presence. Only when they reached the parking lot outside did they allow themselves to breathe.

"I have to go to the hotel," he told her quietly, his eyes lingering over her body for a fraction of a second longer than usual.

"Yeah," she nodded, her voice breaking as she fought to keep the sorrow from seeping through her words. "Check out." She told him suddenly, the ache in her voice causing him to return her intensive gaze with perfect clarity.

"Are you sure?"

"I want you with me Grissom," she whispered as her eyes gathered with tears. Swiping them away, she cursed herself for succumbing to the inevitable separation that would consume her again as it did three months ago. Without waiting for an answer, she unlocked the SUV doors and climbed into the drivers seat to silently wait for him to join her.

Grissom knew how she was feeling because he felt it too. Every second that ticked by only made his departure even more imminent, and the painful roar of his heart ached with a sadness he hadn't felt in a long time. Climbing in beside her, he closed the door and sat back silently as she started the engine. He didn't want to leave her.

"They asked me to stay," she whispered softly as they drove, her eyes never straying from the road ahead.

"I know," he sighed sadly. "Your supervisor mentioned it to be me a few days ago."

"No," she sighed, her heart lurching in her chest as she tried to find the right words. "He asked me again today, just before I came to find you."

"Oh…" Grissom's voice started to shake softly as he looked over towards her. "Are you going to?"

"I haven't had time to think about it," she told him. "Everything has happened so fast."

"But you've thought about it?"

"Honestly?" she asked quietly, although he knew it wasn't a question that needed an answer. "Before you arrived," she continued, her voice reflective as she revisited old memories that imprinted themselves into her mind. "I thought you hated me."

"What?" he gasped, the words from her letter to him suddenly bursting through his memories. "Sara, whatever gave you the idea that I hated you?"

"We hadn't been friends for a long time…I just figured you didn't want me"

"Oh Sara…I wanted you. God I wanted you so much." Gulping back the heavy breaths that ached inside his chest, he reached a hand over to her leg and caressed her thigh gently. "I really screwed things up didn't I?"

"You would have done if I'd have been able to stop loving you," she smiled, her sadness slowly seeping away with his warm touch. "But I do still love you, so I guess you're still in with a chance."

"Phew," he grinned, puffing out a breath in mock relief as he squeezed her thigh again. "I'm glad you didn't give up on me Sara."

Pulling up outside his hotel, she turned off the engine and leaned over towards him to place a soft kiss on his cheek. "Me too."

"What did I do to deserve you?" he asked tenderly as he lifted a hand to caress her cheek.

Sara's eyes once again filled with tears when she thought of all the reasons why he still held her heart and yet she still came back to the fact that he had always been the one for her. Lifting a hand to cover his on her cheek, she smiled adoringly, gazing into those familiar blue eyes. "Andrew knows that the only way I will stay here is if you're here too."

"Really?" he whispered as he started to close the short distance between them.

"Yeah," she sighed, her eyes focused on first his lips and then his eyes, silently begging for him to take her, her voice lowering into a sultry whisper "He offered you a job."

Grissom stopped his descent and pulled up to cast her an unbelieving stare. "What?"

Sighing in frustration, she lifted her hands to his face, framing his cheeks to pull his head closer to hers. "His exact words were, 'if the only way to keep you here is to offer your boyfriend a job, then we'll do it'". Closing her eyes briefly, she opened them again to find his face alight with desire. "Uh…I think that was his exact words anyway…I may have…"

Sara's voice died on her lips as he snapped forward to claim her, his mouth covering hers to steal the breath from within her. She whimpered softly as he pulled her closer to his body, his aching touch igniting fires inside her. She needed him to make her feel, his burning love for her the only remedy to lift the lonely days ahead without him. Pulling back quickly, she gazed up into his eyes. "You still have a room right?"

"What?" he panted, trying to catch his breath.

"A room," she whispered softly as she leaned in closer to feather soft kisses over his cheeks. "A bed…" she kissed his chin. "A door that locks…" Feeling the shudder that ran through his body, she delighted with the effect she was having on his body and dropped a hand to his lap to slowly slide her fingers to his thighs. "I want you."

Wordlessly, he moved forward to take her lips in a searing kiss only to pull away from her. Opening the door, he climbed out and made his way towards hers. Their eyes met and held as he pulled open her door and offered her his hand. When she reached out to take it, he helped her climb out and leaned in closer to her ear, a soft whisper filling her body with shuddering desire. "You have me."

Wordlessly, they walked towards the hotel, the beckoning doors welcoming them. Opening the door for her, he watched her move past him, her body brushing against his as she did. Their eyes linked once again and an eternity of emotions passed between them, then, reaching for her hand, he clasped her fingers and offered her a promise of forever in his eyes.

TBC