A/N - We are almost done, I promise! You guys are wonderful. Thanks to Nessa for her awesome beta work - she really is the best!

Grissom showing up at her door had been a surprise but a welcome one. Just a few moments prior, Sara was weighing the decision to call and arrange a meeting with him. The fact that he was on her turf eased the tension she had been carrying around since all of this began – it was the first comfortable position that Grissom had put her in.

Noticing that they were both a little too jittery for coffee, Sara directed Grissom to her couch. It was odd having him in her home under any circumstances, other than the ones that existed in her dreams. Sitting uncomfortably, suddenly exposed, Sara cleared her throat, silently asking him to start.

"You haven't unpacked yet," Grissom said, gesturing to the suitcase lying on the floor in front of him.

"I haven't felt like it."

Grissom picked up the book on the coffee table and offered a smirk, "Interesting reading material."

Sara fought the urge to roll her eyes at the familiar scene. Same embarrassment - different Grissom. "I, uh, picked that up in Venice. It's a long story," Sara replied, not yet ready to share her time with his mother.

"You guys came back early."

"Yeah, we did."

"Is everything alright?"

"Would you care if it wasn't?" Sara snapped. She took a deep breath and quietly continued, "We decided to spend some time apart, which brings me to what I need to talk to you about. This has got to stop, Grissom."

"What has got to stop?"

"This thing that we do – the thing that we have been doing for years. It was different when the only ones that we hurt were each other. This time someone else is involved."

"I know. I, uh, actually apologized to Alex about that earlier this morning."

Sara's head snapped up at that. "What? You went to see him?"

"No. We worked the same scene last night. We had a … discussion of sorts."

Sara quickly stood and started pacing. "Well, that is just … great!" Stopping on the other side of the coffee table, Sara fixed him with a hard gaze and continued, " You know, for someone who emphasizes the importance of distancing your personal life from your work you sure do crappy job of practicing what you preach. And if this couldn't get any more backwards, you are out chatting it up with my boyfriend. Tell me, what were you apologizing for exactly? For your poor timing? For trying take his place in my life? For once again pulling me back into … 'this'?"

Neither of them knew the exact moment in which her exasperation became anger, but the air was charged with it. "I can't have a significant relationship with him because my heart is stuck in the same place it has been for years. If you want to apologize you can apologize for that!"

Feeling the need to stand and defend his ground, Grissom met her at eye level. "I'll apologize for hurting you – hurting Alex. I'll apologize for taking you for granted and for not telling you how I feel when I should have years ago. I'll even apologize for asking you to leave your life in California to come here. I have done so many things that I wish I could change or take back but 'this', loving you, is not one of them. I will not apologize for that or for wanting the chance to show you just how much."

"Wow." His admission knocked the breath out of her and she leaned against the wall. "You don't say much but when you do you … say a lot."

"I know that all of this is probably a day late and a dollar short." Grissom's tone had softened and he took the few short steps to stand directly in front of her. "I can't turn back the time, Sara, but I don't want to always be a dollar short. I want to be enough for you and I think I can be ... I just don't know how. Please help me, Sara - let's just try."

"I have tried, Grissom."

"I know, honey, but we haven't tried together. Try with me, Sara."

"You have never said these things. Your words are beautiful and I knew -- I hoped -- that this was how you felt. I just … I'm having a hard time with all of this honesty. While it's welcome, I'm worried that it's in desperation."

"It is in desperation," he said, lightly grabbing her shoulders. "I lost you, Sara. I wasn't paying attention and I lost you."

"You didn't lose me. I didn't just disappear under your radar, Grissom! You pushed me away and I have no guarantee that it won't happen again!"

It was Grissom's turn for exasperation. "What can I say, Sara?" he asked, spreading his arms out to the side. "What can I do to prove this to you? It can't be too late. I know because my heart is in this forever, Sara. Because I love you!"

Grissom turned away and violently ran his hand through his hair. Quicker than the blink of Sara's eye, he turned back around to face her with determination she had never seen – it was both frightening and exhilarating.

She didn't know what part of his body touched hers first, but in the end one hand was tightly fisted into her hair while the other was tenderly stroking her face. Sara always thought that his touch would either be very passionate or very gentle. She would have laughed out loud at the fact that she'd never considered it could be both if it weren't for the tongue currently massaging her mouth. His kisses, soft yet firm and feeling like both fire and ice, left Sara believing that he was a never-ending paradox and knowing that it was exactly what she loved about him.

When he tilted his head to deepen the kiss, his soft beard rubbed against her cheek. She felt every whisker like they were tiny bolts of lightening. Raising her hand to cup the side of his face in a way she'd done years ago, Sara was finally able to take in the reality of the situation - he loved her and he was doing a marvelous job of showing it. The emotions, suddenly overpowering her, were too much to bear. She pulled away with a sob.

Grissom's face morphed from confusion to anger as he mistook the situation. "Damn it!" Taking a couple of steps back, he continued, "I'm sorry, I told you that I would wait and then I … do this. I'm sorry."

The self-deprecating tone and the look of complete defeat in his eyes were almost Sara's undoing. She wanted to explain her tears -- her love -- but the words were stuck somewhere between her heart and her mouth. Suddenly, he turned and stormed out of her apartment, the same urgency with which he'd charged her lips guiding his steps.

Left alone and speechless, Sara stood in her living room looking at the empty doorway. She laughed through her tears at the absurdity of the situation - they had switched roles.

TBC…