Rating: PG 13 (just to be safe)
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine, except when they are. The settings and locations are not mine, except when they are. The plots, conflicts, and resolutions ARE mine, except when they're not.
Reviews/Feedback: CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is always welcome. Any suggestions you may have on how to make my story better will be greatly appreciated.
Notes/Author's Note: If you are a Grissom/Catherine 'shipper, I would strongly suggest that you find an alternate story to read.
Nick Stokes just happened to be near the front desk, at the beginning of night shift when the deliveryman arrived. Nick was busy chatting with the new receptionist. Or it's possible he was chatting up the new receptionist. Only Nick knew for sure. Whatever the case, Nick was interrupted by the deliveryman's arrival.
"I've got a delivery here for Miss Sara Sidle," the deliveryman said. "Here, I'll sign for it," Nick offered, reaching for the man's clipboard. The man seemed somewhat wary. "This is a SPECIAL delivery," he said. "I'm only supposed to turn it over to Miss Sidle, in person." Nick was rather confused and gave the deliveryman a puzzled look. Finally, the deliveryman showed Nick the card. Nick's expression immediately changed. "Don't worry," he promised. "I'll go find her."
Sara Sidle and Catherine Willows were standing in the locker room of the Las Vegas crime lab while this was going on. Sara had just finished another agreeable dinner with night shift supervisor Gil Grissom. Granted, the man had been dressed for work while she had been dressed to go out. But that was Grissom for you. The entomologist (Grissom) and the vegetarian (Sara) had been the talk of the lab ever since they had officially started dating, and among certain circles for some time before that. What with their status as 'employer' and 'employee' it was only natural for people to talk, not always for the better – but that was mostly on day shift.
At the moment, Sara was thoughtfully considering where the relationship was headed. If someone else, Catherine for example, had posed the question Sara would have honestly replied that she didn't know. Sara and Grissom clearly enjoyed each other's company, and Sara for one took the relationship very seriously. However she had no way of knowing whether or not Grissom shared these aspirations. The man was almost impossible to read. Just then Nick knocked on the doorframe before poking his head inside the room. "Hey, Sara," he called. "There's a delivery for you at the front desk." Curious, Sara left the room with Catherine in tow.
After signing the clipboard, Sara was handed a small plant – its green leaves framing small, pink flowers. Sara smiled at the gift. She searched for a card, ninety nine point nine percent sure that she already knew who had sent the gift. Suddenly Sara froze, and her heart nearly stopped beating. Attached to the card string was the simple, gold band of a ring. A single diamond sparkled up at Sara. Inside the card were written the words, "Will you marry me? From, Grissom." Catherine, who had been watching over Sara's shoulder, waited impatiently to see what her friend and coworker would do. Sara slid the ring free, then went off to find Grissom. Catherine looked up to see Nick hanging back. They smiled at each other over the shared secret before heading towards the break room to find Warrick Brown.
Meanwhile, at the morgue…
"The victim died of coronary arrest," coroner Al Robbins told Gil Grissom. "Notice these strange markings around the heart. I haven't identified them yet." Just then Sara stepped into the room. Her expression was unreadable. "Yes," she said aloud. Grissom took off his glasses. "Yes?" he asked, puzzled. Sara held up her hand. The diamond sparkled on her finger. "Yes," she repeated. Grissom looked over at Doc Robbins. "Would you excuse us for a few minutes?" he asked. The coroner nodded, smiling.
Once they were outside the morgue, away from prying eyes, Grissom turned to Sara and did something that he rarely, if ever, did. He smiled. He practically beamed with happiness – his face growing brighter by the minute as if lit by some inner illumination. Sara smiled back at him, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks. She and Grissom shared a heartfelt kiss before embracing one another. "Hey, get a room guys," Warrick teased as he passed them in the hallway. Normally, Grissom or Sara would have pulled away at this point, for the sake of propriety. This however was a special occasion. And besides, Warrick was their friend, and not someone who would blab about what he'd seen to day shift. "Hey, Warrick," Sara called, her voice muffled by Grissom's shoulder. "It's alright. He's going to marry me."
"Yeah, I heard," Warrick replied. "Nick and Catherine told me." Clearly, Warrick hadn't come walking down the corridor purely by chance. "Good news travels fast," Grissom commented, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah," Warrick said. "So how's the autopsy coming?" Abruptly returned to reality, Grissom drew back just enough to look Sara in the eyes. "We have to get back to work," he said.
WE, just hearing Grissom say the word sent a thrill through Sara. They were officially a couple now. Instead of each of them making decisions on their own, they would be planning their future together. It seemed almost too good to be true. Sara herself came back to reality as Grissom's words fully sunk in. He was right. As much as Sara would've liked to stay in this moment, time wouldn't stand still just because she and Grissom were now engaged. Sara nodded, and reluctantly pulled away. There was a lot they would still need to discuss, but they could talk later. Right now they both had a job to do.