A/N – Wow, I'm done! I can't believe it! Thank you for riding this out with me.

Thanks to Nessa for her beta work, support, friendship and humor. I'm very lucky to call her my friend.

At the risk of this sounding like an acceptance speech, I will also thank Laura Katharine, Suzy, Marlou and Laredo Grissom for their encouraging words and input.

Ok, this is a little different – I wrote two ending chapters. One is the chapter you see here, the other is an NC17 chapter that can be found at my website that I share with Nessa. You can find that link in my profile. I was a little indecisive so I figured – why not? – write them both. I hope that you enjoy!

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This was it – Grissom could feel it. This would be the moment when they'd discover whether the roads that they'd been on would meet, leaving them to travel the rest together. Or had there been too many detours for them to find their way? He was always envious of her in that sense – that she always seemed to know where she was going and how to get there. He knew that his map was old and worn with several creases and tears from misuse and neglect. When he did refer to the map, he most often read it upside down, with fear as his compass.

He brought Sara Sidle to Vegas years ago because of greed and need, hidden behind a mask of leadership. He needed someone he could trust, and while her name was the first to pop up, there were several colleagues available – some even in Vegas. It shamed him to this day that he took advantage of a terrible situation and used his influence to satisfy his craving for her. The emails were not enough and the phone calls only intensified his need. He wanted her here – close, but not too close. His role as supervisor was supposed to ensure that. He should have known his folly from the start –her constant closeness made it impossible.

The past few years had been filled with so much pain, he knew that any chance he may be given would be undeserved. Oddly enough, he was at peace with that. He told Sara how he felt – that he loved her – and if he were denied the opportunity to tell her that everyday, he would at least know that he tried.

Watching her sit patiently against his door, Grissom suddenly felt a twinge of guilt for not telling her where his hidden key was. He hated the fact that she once again was waiting for him to open a door.

As he walked toward her, the hope that she understood he had finally found the right path was almost too much to bear. He hoped she knew that he had straightened out his map, taped up the tears and finally found his North.

"Hey," Sara said, getting up and dusting her bottom off.

"Hi," he replied as he climbed the steps to his door, "I'm sorry I kept you waiting."

"No problem."

They stood staring at each other, nervously waiting for the other to speak. Grissom noticed something different yet familiar in her eyes. What he saw sparked the same hope her phone call had earlier and he prayed he wouldn't blow this.

"Do you want to come in?"

"Yes, I do."

Opening the door, Grissom stepped aside to let her pass through. He took this opportunity to watch her roam around in his habitat with ease. The nervousness was still there but he could tell that she felt comfortable in his home and for the first time in a long while, so was he.

"Would you like something to drink?"

"No, thank you," she replied, making her way to the couch and sitting down.

"Why did you, uh, come here?" Grissom asked, deciding that the best way to do this was with both feet.

"I broke it off with Alex this morning."

"I'm … sorry."

"Are you really?"

"Sort of sorry. Are you alright?"

"I wanted it to work with Alex, but I think I wanted it for the wrong reasons. My motivation was all messed up. He's a great guy and he deserves someone who can be with him for who he is, not for who he can make you forget. I think I used him, Grissom."

"I … I think that he probably cherishes all of the good moments."

They sat there letting the silence wrap around them until Sara stood with a frustrated grunt. "Why is this so hard for us to do?"

"I don't know."

"Grissom, I don't know how to take what I want – it's never been given to me. Everything that I have – my education, my career – I may be good at 'em but I worked for it."

"Sara –"

"Hold on, let me finish. I guess I just didn't expect to have to work so hard at this as well – we've been doing this for so long. I got tired and I gave up. Then I ended up working just as hard, if not harder, trying to move on. You asked me earlier to help you – for us to try together for this."

"I ask too much of you – I always have."

Reaching into her back pocket, she closed the distance between them. "You see," she said, gesturing for him to give her his hand, "I don't think that you were asking for too much."

Feeling Sara slip something into his palm, Grissom was wondering when exactly he got lost. He looked at her for a few moments before opening his hand to reveal her gift. In his hand he held love and forgiveness - promise and truth all contained in a piece of paper. George Washington never looked so good and Gil Grissom never felt as wealthy as he did at this moment.

"You, uh, said that you were short a buck – I thought that I could make up the difference," she replied to his questioning stare, cocking her head to the side and offering a smile. " I want us to try, Grissom."

Grissom moved his mouth to speak but the words wouldn't come. Looking up at her in wonder, he knew that there was not a soul on this earth who could compare to her and her capacity for forgiveness. Losing her form behind the wall of tears building in his eyes, Grissom grabbed her waist and pulled her close. Burying his face into her stomach, he released a shuddering sigh of relief.

Sara tentatively reached down and began running her fingers through his hair, amazed by the fact that she was actually here, wrapped in Grissom's arms. Lowering her head and inhaling Grissom's own personal scent, she tightened her hold on him, needing him to be closer.

"I love you, Sara," came Grissom's choked whisper.

While his grip on her was strong, his arms were shaking from the pent up emotions running through him. Sara trailed her hand down to the tip of his chin and raised his face to look up at hers. Keeping her eyes trained on his, she wiped the tears from his cheeks only to have him produce new ones as a result of her care.

As she kneeled down in front of him, Grissom's hands made their way up to frame her face, his fingers giving her the same treatment to her tear stains. Inching closer to his face, she rubbed her nose against his and smiled the sweetest smile he had ever witnessed. This was real. She was in his home – in his arms – in his life. He thought that this moment could not get any better.

"Grissom, I love you, too."

He was wrong.

The pull to her lips was just too strong. He needed to taste her mouth again. He needed to taste the mouth that uttered the most beautiful words ever spoken. She loved him!

It started with gentle pecks of the lips, with shy glances gauging each other's response. Getting braver, they engaged in more sensual caresses, their mouths straying to the other's cheek and neck, their bodies breathless. His lips finding their way back to hers, Grissom let his tongue glide along her upper lip, seeking out its mate. While their mouths mingled, their fingers danced. They explored backs and rib cages, thighs and breasts. Before they knew it, Grissom was reclined on the couch with Sara straddling his hips. They pulled away simultaneously, gasping for air, amazed by the current situation.

"Oh God," Sara said, resting her forehead against Grissom, her breathing matching his pant for pant.

"We need to slow down."

"Yes," Sara agreed, settling into his chest.

"You, uh, need to get off my lap."

Sara jumped up and turned her head to hide her blush. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Grissom said, wiping an errant strand of hair from her face. "I just need to calm down for a bit."

"Do you want me to leave?"

"No. God, no."

Wrapping his arms around her body, he pulled her to his side. "Just sit here with me. Talk to me – say something to get this off our minds."

Sara stroked his chest, trying to think of a subject that would both relieve the sexual tension and promote a conversation about the events of the past couple of weeks.

"I met your mother in Venice."

"Wow, you're good. It's totally off my mind now," he joked, turning his head to kiss her temple. "So you did see her."

"Don't sound so surprised," she chided, "You knew that my curiosity would get the better of me."

"I had hoped."

"Why?"

"I didn't mean it to be manipulative. I wanted you to meet her for a couple of reasons. I needed you to trust me again and I needed you to know that I trust you as well. Sharing her with you seemed to be the best thing I could think of at the time."

"She's a lovely woman."

"Yes, she is," he agreed. "I'm very lucky to have such lovely women in my life."

"What's the other reason?"

"Hmm," he hummed into her hair, "Well, uh, that was for a more personal reason. If things didn't work out – if I didn't get this chance to make things right with you, at least my mother would have met the woman that captured my heart so many years ago."

He took her hand in his, lacing their fingers and giving a firm squeeze. Bringing her hand up to his face, he gave it a quick kiss and then settled it up against his cheek.

"Then, when I'd go to visit her and she asked me when I was going to find somebody to love – to marry – I'd tell her that I already have and that she'd met her, actually. I'd then explain that her son was a fool and how he'd ignored all of his chances and let someone as sensational as Sara Sidle slip out of his life."

"Grissom-"

"It's the truth, Sara. You have given me a gift – one that I don't truly deserve. I'm not going to take your place in my life for granted again and I don't know if you could ever know how much I cherish this chance."

Sara twisted her body so that she was facing him dead on. She knew that this man had so much to offer and she wondered if he knew that. Leaning in, she gave him a kiss, tenderly stroking his beard. Bringing her mouth to his ear, she whispered, "Everybody deserves to be loved, Grissom, by the one person that lights their soul. You light my soul, and for that you are deserving."

"Only you."

"What?"

"Can render me speechless."

Smiling, Sara settled back down into his chest, letting out a yawn as she did so.

"Tired?"

"Yep."

"Stay here. Stay in my arms," he requested, situating them so that they were reclined against the arm of the couch.

"Of course," she replied, snuggling against his side and purring contentedly. "Mmm. Grissom."

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Not giving up."

He had never cried so much in his life as he did when it related to Sara. For too long, they had been tears of pain and hurt, but today his tears reflected his joy. Never would he have thought that she'd thank him him for loving her. For that is what it all came down to – love.

"It was never an option."

THE END