An:
"Ok guys we have two scenes to process tonight, Warrick, you Catherine and Nick have a double, Sara you are with me. Don't forget your other cases folks." The others all filed out of the break room in pursuit of their case
"Where are we going.?"
"Hoover Dam."
"Hoover Dam?"
"Yeah, body found in one of the turbine rooms."
"Cool."
Grissom grinned at her obvious excitement "Very!"
They talked through the remaining open cases on the journey to the Dam. Detective O'Reilly stood waiting for them as they emerged out of the SUV in the parking lot. They looked around at what was a truly awe-inspiring sight. The bright white concrete of the dam in stark contrast to the Red colors of the desert stone surrounding it.
"Lead the way to our body detective." Grissom proclaimed as they approached the entrance.
Thirty minutes later after journeying through a myriad of corridors and rooms full of tourists the CSI's found themselves being handed helmets and mufflers for their ears. After they had donned their gear the CSI's, O'Reilly, a senior manager at the dam and a technician entered a small room that looked like an elevator. Once the heavy automatic doors closed behind them another set opened, the noise was the first thing to hit them. Despite the mufflers on their ears the sound of the turbine was incomparable to anything else they had heard. The Dam technician led them across the room to where the body of a man in his early fifties lay outstretched on his back, there was evidence of a CPR attempt. Around the body there was ac copious amount of vomit, much of it stained deep red, suggesting the presence of blood.
'I'll take peripheral shots of the area, I need you to collect samples of the vomit.' Grissom signed to Sara.
'Oh lucky me…by the way can you sign a bit slower, I'm still a newbie.' Sara replied.
They continued to collect all the required evidence, occasionally drawing the other's attention to what they had found. After two hours they had both packed up their kits and moved towards the exit when a red flash caught Sara's attention. As she moved towards the source of color in the otherwise stark room, Grissom's gaze followed her. Setting down his kit and approaching gently Grissom gathered the delicate moth in his hands. Sara grasped his field kit as they both entered the small room that acted as a buffer zone. Grissom released the moth once again.
"The Hyalophora Columbia."
"Columbia Silkmoth, it is pretty." Sara replied to a surprised Grissom.
As he was about to reply the doors opened. Sara quickly collected the moth in her hands as Grissom picked up the field kits.
"Excuse me sir, is there anywhere that we can get outside quickly."
"Are you unwell sir?" the manager asked his voice thick with concern
"No no, my colleague found a moth in there" he signaled towards the room from whence they came "We need to release it soon if it is going to survive."
"Oh, certainly sir. You can take this elevator to the top of the dam; it only holds two people so you will have to go alone." He led them towards a small service elevator. They entered the elevator and hit the button to take them to the top. When they emerged they discovered themselves in the centre of the dam on a walkway overlooking the huge drop to the Colorado river below them.
"Will I let go now?" Sara asked, her trepidation evident in her voice as she gestured to the moth in her hands.
"Sure."
They both walked towards the wall at the edge of the concave walkway and Sara opened her hands. They both watched in silence as the moth took of in the direction a new, free life outside of the Dam.
"I take it you read your Christmas present."
Sara gave an embarrassed grin. "Yeah some of it, I left out the gross bits though."
"I'm glad."
"Did you think that I wouldn't?"
"I wasn't sure if you would like it. Entomology is not for everyone."
Sara gave him a quiet reply "It is a part of you. I like it."
Grissom paused at Sara's confession, purposefully ignoring it.
"My mom thinks that you are pretty special."
"Dazzle her with my sign language skills did I?"
"Dazzled her with just about everything. You're beautiful, charming, intelligent, kind, gentle…just about everything on the checklist.
"Checklist?"
"Wife"
"Oh" Sara's face deliberately paled. After a pause Grissom continued his voice becoming heavier with emotion,
"What do you think she would say if she knew that I turned down dinner with you just because I was terrified that it would be the only dinner we would ever share."
"Why would you think that?"
"That is my track record Sara. I do something, or say something that makes people never want to go out with me again."
"Doesn't mean that it would happen with me."
"Sara…..honey. Everyday I wake up and try to forget how amazing you are… Every single day… And everyday you show me that you are even more amazing than I thought the day before."
"You don't see me everyday!" Sara choked out between her tears, trying to lighten the mood.
"Don't have to. I remember something that you did or something that you gave me is exactly what I need... Everyday you make my life a little better. And everyday I have to walk away from the most amazing woman in the world knowing that if I don't I could either make her happy or ruin her life… I can't risk ruining your life. But I can't walk away from you today… this is too much."
Sara glanced at him tearfully as his own eyes pooled with heavy droplets.
"You don't have to walk away."
"What if I ruin it?"
"You won't." She placed her arms around him in a tender embrace as he clung to her. She placed gentle kisses to each of his eyelids before lightly touching his lips with hers.
THE END
An: if you want a sequel you will have to bug me.