"Would you like to have dinner with me?" Sara crossed her arms in front of her and exhaled. Grissom gave a strange smile and cocked his head to the side.

"No...."

"Why not? Let's have dinner, let's see what happens." Her plea was more of a statement than a question. He will say yes.... he's shown so much interest...

"Sara...." God, how many times has he said my name? It's like it's his new catch phrase. "I don't know what to do about this." 'This'? He's calling our relationship 'this'?!

"I do. You know, by the time you figure it out, it really could be too late." With that an irate Sara Sidle left his office. Grissom walked to the doorway and turned off the lights, contemplating his next move. He walked out, and as he got closer to her, he sped by to his car. He didn't even notice the tears she shed.

Grissom stood outside her apartment. What am I thinking? What am I supposed to say? 'I'm sorry Sara. I want to have dinner with you. And I know what will happen.... I'll kiss you, and I won't be able to stop'.... Yeah...that'd go over well. Grissom exhaled and knocked loudly. He waited and after a moment the door opened.

"Grissom?" Sara leered behind the door. Grissom noticed the way she was dressed before he spoke. She had a big T-shirt on, and nothing else, allowing him a view of her lovely legs. He knew the shirt was for a male, but didn't stop talking.

"Sara...I'm sorry about what happened earlier.... I do want to...." His sentence was cut off by a voice in the background.

"Sara...who is it?" The owner of the voice came up behind Sara. "Oh... hi Dr. Grissom." Grissom swallowed hard and nodded.

"Hank." Sara looked at Grissom hard before asking a question.

"What do you need Grissom?" Her tone was cold and her glare was mean.

"I um...." Hank kissed Sara's neck and squeezed her stomach before moving to her ear. After nibbling quickly he whispered, "Come to bed soon, sexy." Sara smiled and kissed him quickly before he went back behind Grissom's vision line.

"Grissom.... What do you need?"

He glanced down at the carpet before muttering, "nothing" and turning to leave. He didn't turn quick enough, for Sara had seen the single tear roll down his cheek.

Sara pulled up alongside Grissom's Tahoe and got out. She stepped into the cozy room and scanned it for him. Spotting him, she exhaled and walked up.

"Hi." Grissom's head snapped up at the sound of her voice.

"Sara?" As he stood, Sara held up her hand.

"Sit." Was all she said. "First of all, I need to know something." He nodded, urging her on. "Do you enjoy hurting me? Or do you have some issues?" She remained quiet, but her tone was heavy.

"Sara, I'm so-" Sara stuck her hand over his mouth and glared at him. Grissom softly inhaled, and smelled her shampoo. She had just taken a shower. Images of her caressing her own body invaded his mind. Her drew his attention back to her and let her speak.

As she removed her hand she made a fist. "Don't say it Grissom. Don't you dare apologize or you will lose your teeth." Grissom blinked in confusion.

"Why can't I say I'm sorry?" Sara scoffed.

"You don't get it, do you?" Grissom's blank stare indicated he didn't. "Grissom, you aren't sorry. You can say whatever you want to try and convince yourself, but you are not sorry because you don't know why you are apologizing." Sara dropped her gaze to the table before thinking, just like that day at the fair. Grissom went to hold Sara's hand, but she jerked it away. "Don't touch me." Grissom's eyes dropped to the table and he smiled slightly.

"Sara, do you remember the day we went to the carnival?"

Sara scoffed and muttered, "How can I forget?"

"Well, that day, when I had to say no to you..." He waited for her to look at him. When she didn't he spoke up. "Sara look at me." She looked up, and he saw her unshed tears. "That day, I wasn't lying Sara. I didn't regret it. Hell Sara, I wake up every morning wishing you were in my arms. Wishing I could taste your luscious lips at leisure, wishing I could be your 'baby'. And then I get to work. And I see you leaning over a table, looking at evidence, and I can't help but stare at your lovely bottom, wishing that I could touch it. Then you arch your back, thrusting your chest in everyone's face. Then you crane your neck to see. That lovely neck. Your neck is so irresistible. I spend every moment wondering what you would do if I kissed your neck. And, not that you aren't beautiful Sara, but your most attracting feature is your mind. You are so clever, Sara. So quick, and witty. And then there's the gap. The gap in your teeth that only shows in that special smile of yours."

Sara, I realize you must think I'm some sick old man, fantasizing about parts of your being like this, but I can't help it. God, I want you Sara. And I've admitted to that long ago. But, once you started dating that EMT of yours, I realized I had to admit two more things.

I tried avoiding you to ease the pain of seeing you with another man, but it felt so bad to not be around you. So Sara, accept this one last apology, and as far as the reason for this goes: I'm sorry for avoiding you...for jumping to conclusions.... for all the mixed signals. I was wrong." Sara smiled before looking down at the table.

As she played with her hands she spoke softly. "I'm sorry for ignoring you, too. It was also wrong." She looked up and Grissom smiled brightly. He reached for her hand, but she pulled back. "But two wrongs don't make a right, Gil Grissom." She stood up and headed for the door. Grissom tossed enough money and ran out the door. He ran up to her Tahoe, and just as it was pulling out, He run up to the window. "Sara! Wait for a minute." Sara wiped away several tears and shook her head.

"I'm done waiting Grissom. It's your turn." As she pulled out again he grabbed the door handle and opened her side of the door.

"No Sara. I've made many mistakes in my life and letting you leave is not going to become the next." Sara stopped the car and tried to pry him off.

"Fine. You admitted it, I might as well too. It hurt. Every time you rejected me, it broke my heart. I can't let you do it once more." Grissom took her hand and this time she didn't pull away.

"Every time I had to say no to you Sara, It broke my heart." She looked at him before looking back down. "I know two wrongs don't make a right, but do two broken hearts make a whole?" Sara shook her head and sighed. After puling her hand away she spoke.

"There was a time when they did." And with that she pulled away, leaving a heart broken Grissom standing in the parking lot.

Chapter Two

Grissom stood on her doorstep and knocked again. "Sara, please!" He heard a floorboard creak and was relieved when the door opened. "Sara, thank god. Look, I won't le-" Sara cut him off again. She handed him a white envelope.

"Go home Grissom." Grissom went to speak, but Sara sniffled and shook her head. "You can either go home and read my letter, or you can come in and talk to me. I'm asking you to read the letter. What do you choose?" Sara stepped aside and Grissom swallowed hard.

"Goodnight Sara." She smiled slightly and nodded. As he moved to leave, he turned back. "Sara? I hope things will be right between us.... Because I know that if you choose to leave the lab, it'll miss you.... and so will I." Without waiting for a response he turned and left, the white envelope in hand.

Grissom stared at the envelope. He hadn't opened it yet; too afraid it would hold her resignation. Finally he opened it, and another envelope fell out, along with a piece of paper. He looked at the paper first, and his throat went dry. He read the paper to himself, not fully believing it. "Termination of Employment. Sara Marie Sidle, Las Vegas Forensic Department, Nevada." He felt his eyes fill with tears before fixing his gaze on the other envelope. He opened it with trembling hands. It was filled with her beautiful penmanship, and he ran his hand over the page. Finally, still afraid of what it said, he read the letter.

Gil,

 If you are reading this, you are respecting my wishes. Before telling you what needs to be said, I'll tell you what you missed out on. Had you chosen to talk, I would have handed my resignation to you and informed you that, if you don't sign it, I would give it to Cavallo. I would have then led you to my bedroom and showed you my suitcase, packed, along with my plane ticket. I would have then told you that you can say whatever you want, but I will not change my mind.
 Now, you are wondering what is different by choosing to read this letter. Well, I'm giving you a chance. You just showed me that you really are sorry. And because of this, I'm giving you a choice. You may either choose to give 'this' a shot and ask me on a date, or you may choose to play it safe and not ask me out. I'm not guaranteeing that we will work out. No one could guarantee that, but I am guaranteeing that we won't ever have to think about the what-ifs.
 You asked me if I remembered that day at the carnival. Of course I do. I spend every morning wishing I were in your arms, wishing to taste your lips, wishing I could call you 'baby'. But, I've chased you since that day you left, and I'm spent. I'm so sick of loving you and not being loved in return.
 And so, I ask that if you choose to give us a shot, that you meet me at the corner of Lawson and Margaret, a block away from my apartment at 9pm, to ask me on a date.

 From,

 Your Sara

Grissom checked his watch. 6pm. Perfect. He grabbed his cell phone, the letter, the resignation, and his keys and flew out the door.

Sara stood against the lamppost, and sighed. 9:30pm. He's not coming. Sara sniffled and grabbed her purse from near her feet.

"Sara?" Sara looked up at the tall man and nodded.

"Yes?" He stepped closer, and she read his work uniform tag. Mike.

"I have a delivery for you. Eleven red roses." Sara let out a little smile and took the flowers. She reached for a tag, but came up empty. "No tag, sorry. But there was this." He produced a letter, and she took it. With that he walked away. She opened the letter and out fell several pieces of paper. And another envelope. She picked up the pieces, and realized immediately what it was. Her resignation. She opened the letter and began to read.

Sara,

 I know you know I'm not good with words. And I know, that you are sick of chasing me. So I did not meet you there tonight at 9pm. But here is my decision:

Sara flipped the paper over, but found no words. Suddenly she heard a very familiar voice from behind her. "I choose you." Sara spun around and let tears fall from her elated face. Grissom stood there, in a suit and tie, with a single red rose in his hands. On the rose was a card. Sara took it and read it aloud.

"From, Your Grissom." Sara smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. Sara leaned back and smiled.

"Are you ready for our date, Ms. Sidle?" She nodded and he held out his arm. She grabbed it and he walked her through some trees. Sitting out in front of them was a picnic table, set up with candles and a bottle of champagne. She sat down and he poured her a glass.

"Grissom, may I ask you two questions?" Grissom nodded and she spoke. "Why did you send me 11 roses?" Grissom smiled and sat down across from her.

"The 11 I gave you represent my life. 11 is an incomplete number. You see this?" He held up the rose he gave her. She nodded. "This represents you." Sara smiled and he continued. "You make me complete." Sara began to speak, but Grissom placed a finger on her lips. "First we eat. Then I ask my question. Then you may ask your second question." Sara nodded, and Grissom withdrew his finger. He clapped his hands and a man in a tux came out with a platter of cheese and grapes.

"Oh my God. I can't believe you did this for me."

He smiled and leaned over to her ear. "Anything for you." He then grabbed a grape and popped it into his mouth. Sara smiled and picked up a cheese slice. She dragged it to his mouth he smiled. He lightly guided her wrist to his mouth and kissed the back of her hand. He then took the cheese from her hand and popped it into his mouth. "I should feed you." She smiled and he took a strawberry and held it in front of her. She ate it from his fingers, licking the tip of his index finger as she did. They continued feeding each other and smiling until Grissom spoke. "Sara, I don't want you to be angry, but I need to know. Did you and Peddigrew..." Sara smiled and leaned into his ear.

"No. I wanted to...you hurt me.... and I might have, had you not shown up. But after seeing you there, staring at my legs, Hank just looked...un-appetizing." She leaned back and Grissom's face had dropped a little. "May I ask my question?" He nodded. "Are there still reasons?" At his confused look she clarified. "That day at the carnival, you said there would always be reasons against us." He smiled slightly and nodded.

"Yes."

"So what changed?"

"Remember how I said I had finally admitted that I needed you?" She nodded. "Well, I had never admitted it to myself until I read your letter, but reading that made me realize." Sara leaned closer. Her breathing had slowed.

"What?" He leaned into her ear again, and whispered three little words.

"I love you." Sara shed one tear and wiped it away before leaning to his ear.

In a loving tone she said, "Come home with me, Gil." He got up and extended his hand.

They walked to her apartment, hand in hand, her leaning into him. As she opened the door, she knew he truly was 'Sorry'.

END