Huge thanks as always to Marlou for beta-ing for me.

Chapter Twenty- Nine

The airport was filled with fellow passengers when they walked into the entrance. Grissom felt the overwhelming presence of sadness creeping into his heart as they made their way further into the large area surrounding them. Squeezing Sara's hand in his, he turned to offer her a sad smile noticing how her eyes held a glistening glaze, but was trying hard to conceal it in her typical 'I'm fine' fashion.

"Why don't you go and find us some coffee while I check in?" he asked gently, his affectionate smile causing her knees to sway slightly.

Sara's eyes flittered around the airport to land on the small restaurant, skimming over the almost lonely tables and chairs, before turning back to him again. "You want a sandwich for the flight?"

Despite the emptiness inside him, Grissom chucked softly and reached out to pull her tightly against him. "No that's okay sweetheart, I think the flight attendants will feed me."

"Oh," she smiled, her cheeks reddening slightly, "sorry, guess I'm a little wired."

"I know," he sighed softly, his nose nuzzling her hair. "Me too."

She leaned into his body, her own arms reaching around his waist to pull him into a quick hug before releasing him again. "I'll grab us a table."

He nodded silently as he watched her walk away from him, her own unique scent causing his heart to stir in sorrow. Grissom had no doubt in his mind that he had been shown the real meaning of love, and also had a glimpse of what he had been missing all these years. He didn't want to leave her but he had a job to return to whether he liked it or not. He actually resented Las Vegas for the intrusion and for the first time ever, he didn't want to go back to the lab and its empty existence.

Taking a deep breath, he turned towards the long queue that had formed behind the checking in desk and walked over to join it. Every step he took towards the desk took him another heartbreaking step away from Sara, and it ate away at him.

Sara sat at one of the small tables in the restaurant and looked out of the glass windows, her eyes registered nothing that went on outside. Her mind drifted back to the wonderful past few days that she had spent with Grissom, and nothing else in her life had ever compared to the dream she had lived, for a while at least.

 He loved her, she knew he did, but even after everything they'd shared and all they had overcome, she still feared that his return to Vegas and to his life at the lab would eventually steal away the feelings he held for her. Could she survive being absent from him only to find she had nothing to return to when she eventually took her place again in Las Vegas?

Fear chilled her heart and she pushed the intruding thoughts to the back of her mind. If they were to have any kind of relationship in the future she had to trust his love. He had a tendency to retreat inside his own protective shell when things became too emotional, but he hadn't ran from her this time. He'd met her head-on and taken everything she had to offer only to give just as much back. Feelings like that couldn't be forgotten could they?

Closing her eyes, she turned away from the window to return to the cup of coffee that was nestled between her hands. She couldn't shake the empty sorrow from inside her heart, but at the same time she didn't want to even try to hide how she felt anymore.

Feeling his nearing presence she looked up to see him coming towards her. She met his greeting smile with a bright one of her own, determined now, more than ever to keep the threatening tears from flowing. He didn't need the extra baggage on his emotions which were already burdened with regrets.

"Hey," he smiled as he took the seat opposite her only to reach out to clasp her hands from across the table. "My flight leaves in 35 minutes, and surprisingly everything on schedule."

Sara's heart sank. 'Typical,' she thought, why couldn't his flight have been delayed for a while, 'like a year or two'. Taking his hands in hers, she squeezed his fingers, and looked up to meet his eyes and smiled shakily. "Remind me why we are doing this again?"

"Sara…" his voice broke slightly as he looked away from her and down to their interwoven hands. He had dreaded this moment since the day he came here, but never in his wildest dreams did he imagine it to be so painful.

"Sorry," she whispered softly, her thumb rubbing across his as she spoke. "Guess I don't like goodbyes."

Her words struck something inside him and he suddenly pulled his hands from hers to reach down to his bag. Lifting it up onto his lap, he met her curious eyes with a watery smile. Unzipping the top, he sifted through the bag contents, his fingers finally brushing against the item he was searching for. Sitting back, he met her gaze as he pulled out the book of sonnets she had left for him as her parting gift.

"Grissom," she started, her heart racing inside her chest when she realized what he was holding. "I…"

"This is yours," he told her softly, pushing the tattered book into her hands. "I want you to keep it with you."

Sara's eyes lowered to the book in her hands and lovingly ran her fingers over the battered cover. "I loved this book," she admitted in a whisper, her voice so soft he had to strain to hear her. "This is one of the only things you gave me that reminded me of you, and when I was leaving it was all I had to give you."

"But you gave me so much more," he told her as he closed the bag again and placed it by his feet. Reaching across the table, he wrapped his fingers around hers. "If you keep this here with you I know for sure that you won't forget."

"I'd never forget," she told him quickly, her head snapping up to meet his eyes with burning tears. "I couldn't forget this thing we seemed to have had and that was part of my problem."

"We're merging onto the same path now, Sara. There'll be twists and turns along the way, but we'll travel it together."

"Keats?" she queried, a tiny smile pulling at her lips.

"Gil Grissom," he smiled, squeezing her hand as he did. "When you come back we'll live every moment, no more hiding how we feel okay?"

"No hiding," she smiled, nodding quickly. "We're gonna be okay, aren't we?"

"I hope so," he told her, the tone of his voice telling her he spoke the truth.

"Passengers for flight 295, departing 17.25, please make your way to gate number 4."

Grissom's head snapped up in disbelief. "That's me," he told her, his heart suddenly thudding too loudly in his ears as he stood to his feet.

"But…but it's not time yet," she told him as she leapt to her feet beside him.

Stepping closer towards her, he wrapped his arms around her body to pull her into a powerful embrace and clung to her with the same desperation as she did him. They stood unmoving in their bid to stay together for a few minutes more.

"I have to go," he whispered, his voice lost in her hair.

"I'll walk with you." Her words tumbled shakily from her mouth and she fought with every ounce of self control to not break down and cry. Pulling away, she took a deep breath and reached for his hand, clasping the book of sonnets tightly in the other.

Grissom looked upon her with absolute adoration and battled with his own treacherous heart to keep him from losing what little control he maintained. Slowly, they started to walk towards the gate, their feet slowing with every step that took them both closer to heartache.

Soon, Grissom was the last passenger remaining, and the attendant behind the counter looked over at the parting couple with deepening sympathy. Dropping his bag to the floor, Grissom turned towards Sara to pull her roughly into his arms, the power of his embrace burning with hopelessness.

 Moving back slightly, his hands came up to frame her face, their cumbersome movements deliberately slow as he came forward and mashed his lips to hers in a kiss that held none of the passion they had captured over their time together. His body surrounded hers, the sheer strength of their kiss causing them both to adhere to each other.

With a deep groan, he deepened their kiss, savouring the last few moments. Their tongues duelled frantically, binding them together in slow intoxication, linking them as one in their desperate bid to memorize each other for the lonely months ahead.

 Moving her arms around his shoulders, she moulded herself to him, the book in her hand still clutched tightly between her fingers. Their lips parted slowly, only to meet again and again with feather light touches, desperation etched in every touch that kept them fused together. Finally, when they heard the soft voice of the attendant urging them to conclude their goodbye, they broke apart only to embrace tightly.

 "I love you," Sara whispered hoarsely, squeezing her eyes tightly shut as she stayed close to his body, reluctant, even now to let him go.

"I love you too," he whispered back, his warm breath puffing into her hair. His body was shaking when he slowly disengaged his arms from around her waist, but still keeping close enough to touch her. Their eyes held as he picked his bag up from the floor, his free hand still keeping a vice like hold on hers.

"They're waiting for you," Sara whispered brokenly as a tear escaped to roll down her cheek.

"I know."

"Don't forget what we promised, okay," she sniffed, her hand slowly untangling from his as she took a reluctant step away from him, knowing that he was finding it just as hard to say goodbye.

"I won't. I'll call you as soon as I can," he promised, his own backward steps taking him just a tiny bit further away from her.

"You'd better," her voice cracked as she spoke, unable to tear her eyes from his retreating form.

Holding up a hand he pressed his fingers to his lips and waved a silent goodbye, before turning away from her to hand over his ticket to the woman behind the desk.

Sara's heart ached and her lips still tingled from his kiss, but still she couldn't let him go, not yet. "Grissom." Taking a few steps forward, she moved towards him.

Coming together, they threw themselves into each others arms, one last final embrace before time ran out and yanked them apart. "I'll miss you so much," she whispered, her words catching in her throat as she slowly pulled away to look up into his eyes.

"I already miss you," he whispered, his lips finding her forehead to place a soft kiss on her skin before pulling away. Lifting his fingers to her cheek, he caressed her face. His heart ached with heaviness when he let his hand fall from her to step away, putting distance between them.

'I love you,' she mouthed silently as a lone tear escaped to carve a wet track down her cheek.

He smiled then, his face flushed with a rosy tint as he mouthed back the same three words, all the while backing away from her. Sara watched him turn and start to walk away, every step a dagger inside her heart. When she couldn't see him anymore, she brought her hand up to wipe her eyes and began the slow walk back towards the exiting doors, pain dogging her every step.

TBC