Chapter 3

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Sara reached over to hit the snooze button on her alarm clock only to be held in place by a strong set of arms holding her firmly to him. She smiled at the thought of how he wanted to protect her even in his sleep. He was sleeping so soundly that the noise from the alarm clock didn't even stir him a little. She wiggled loose from his grasp and shut the annoying noise off. Then she turned to face him and snuggle back to his chest and just lay there listening to his heart beating.

She lay awake for what seemed like forever before he started waking up. She slowly pulled back so that she could look at him. He smiled at her and she smile back at him.

"Did you sleep good, Honey?" he asked inquisitively.

"Better than I have in years. How about you?" She counter questioned.

"I haven't slept that soundly since before you came to Vegas." He answered truthfully.

"Have thoughts of me been keeping you up at night, Grissom?" She quipped.

"Yeah, only in my dreams you weren't as wonderful as you were earlier today. You take my breath away, Sara. I don't know how to describe it to you." He told her pulling her back to him to snuggle.

"I know exactly what you mean, Gil. I have wanted you for so long that I thought I was going to have to leave Vegas in order to get you out of my head. You have no idea what you have done to me over the past few years. When the lab blew up and I asked you out, I was terrified that you would say yes. But when you said no, I was crushed. You didn't even try to make me understand why not. You just let me walk away. I waited in the parking lot for an hour waiting on you to come out. An hour, Gris. I don't know what made me think that you would come running after me. I should have known that you would come to me when the time was right. I guess I just didn't know if that time was ever going to come. I am so glad that it was you that came to get me the other night. I begged them to call Nicky or Ric or hell even Catherine. The only way I was going to keep from being charged was for them to call you. I was ashamed of myself. I didn't want you to see me like that. I didn't want anyone to see me like that. Then you came. When you said my name so softly, I didn't hear any judgment in your voice only concern. Then you took my hand and I thought I was going to die, Gil. I thought that I should try again to reach inside you and see if we had a future. So I did."

"I am so glad that you did. Sara, I have been a coward for so long. I am through being a coward, Honey! I am going to love you for the rest of my life and I don't care who knows it. Sara, where did I leave my coat?"

Was he leaving? He had just said he loved her and now was asking about his coat. At a loss for words, she just frowned. Seeing the look on her face, he just smiled softly and kissed her cheek.

"I am not running, Sara. There is something I have to get out of it. Now, where is it?" he asked.

"I think you laid it on the couch." She said nervously.

He went to get his coat and reached into the pocket. He pulled a small box from the pocket and palmed it and took off back to the bedroom where Sara was waiting for his return. He saw his reflection in the mirror she had hanging on his wall. Was that him? He hoped that everyone would be able to see that smile that lit all the way up to his eyes. He wanted to shout from the roof that he was in love and that Sara was his. Or at least he hoped she was. He was about to find out.

Sara had slipped into his shirt while he was out of the room. She looked damn sexy in his shirt. He knelt down beside the bed. "Sara, are you awake?"

"Em hmm" that was all Sara could get out.

"Okay, so maybe this can wait until you are awake. I have something to ask you, but if you would rather sleep then it can wait." he knew this would pique her interest.

She say straight up in bed and looked at him with a gleam in her eye. "I am awake, Gil. Go ahead and ask me. If this has anything to do with you not finding any bacon or ham in my fridge, then you are just out of luck."

"I don't give a damn if I ever eat bacon and ham again, if you will just answer this one tiny , or rather large, question." he teased.

"On with it, man. The suspense is eating me up inside." Sara was about to jump on the bed with anticipation. She had no idea what he was going to ask her, but it had to be good for him to be playing with her so much.

"Kiss me…then I will ask you." Grissom quipped.

"Forget it, Grissom." Sara got up and headed toward the bathroom.

He grabbed her arm as she passed by. He had wanted her to get out of bed so he could do this proper.

He knelt beside her on one knee, and he looked longingly into her eyes. "Sara Elizabeth Sidle, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

She looked at him in disbelief. Was he joking? What did he want her to say? When he showed her the ring that was in the box, she knew that he wasn't joking. He was anxiously waiting for her to answer.

"Yes, I will marry you" she almost whispered.

"What I didn't hear you?" He wanted to hear it again.

"Yes, Gil. I want to be your wife" Sara said again. She was louder this time.

He slipped the ring onto her ring finger and kissed her hand. The ring was a simple white gold band with a diamond in the center. It wasn't extravagant, but it was perfect for her and him. It was precious and simple. That is all she needed.

She pulled him up and hugged him. Then she kissed him ferociously. They made their way back to the bed and made love again before getting up and taking a shower to go into work.

She was standing at her dresser. She was searching her jewelry box for her white gold chain. She was pulling the band from her finger and starting to put the ring there when Grissom stopped her. He took the ring and placed it back on her finger.

"This is where that belongs, Sara. I don't care who sees it, do you? I want to tell them all. The have been waiting for this about as long as we have. They are our family. Let's leave it there and if the notice, then we tell them ok?" Grissom was looking into her eyes and pleading for her to feel the same as he did on the subject.

"OK, Gil. I thought you would like it kept to ourselves for awhile, but this is better. It is a way of being honest with not only them but ourselves as well. Here it is and here it stays" and with that she kissed him tenderly.

"Don't do that again or we will be late for work" he said to here while giving her a look that read that he wanted her again.

They made it to work with 10 minutes to spare. Sara went straight to the break room for a cup of coffee. Catherine and Warrick were pouring over some newspaper article.

"Hello, guys. What's up?" Sara said with a smile.

"Someone sure is happy today. My goodness what did you smoke before coming to work,

Sar?" Catherine joked without looking up.

"I don't smoke. I just had a good day today that is all." She said and brought the cup to her lips. Catherine chose that moment to look up and saw the ring that glinted in the light.

From the doorway, Greg exclaimed, "Sara, a ring. Oh my, Grissom is going to have a stroke. Oh no! Here he comes you better put your hand down so he doesn't see." Catherine was smiling all the while. She had a feeling that Grissom wasn't going to care one bit.

Grissom heard Greg's words and tried to play along. "Don't let me see what?"

"Just this rock I have on my finger that is all. What do you think Grissom?" Sara looked at him and smiled.

"That is just lovely, Sara. Someone knows what you like, don't they? I would say I did a good job picking this out, don't you think so, Catherine?" Grissom asked smiling at Sara.

Nick had come in the break room after that was said and didn't know what to make of the room full of idiots he was watching.. There were various facial expressions around the room. Greg was shocked. Catherine was so happy she thought she was going to burst. Warrick smiled and hugged Catherine. Nick just stood there. He didn't get what was going on.

"OK, did Ecklie quit? What is with you people?" Nick asked dumbly.

"Oh, no, Nick! Nothing like that. Sara and I are getting married, that is all." Grissom deadpanned.

"That's all!" Nick cried. He rushed over to Sara and picked her and squeezed the life out of her before setting her back on both feet. "Sara, I knew he would get it one day."

Nick slapped Grissom on the back and said "You better take care of her. She is my lil sis and I don't take kindly to seeing her unhappy."

"You have nothing to worry about, Nick. I love her and I am going to make her happy for the rest of my life." Grissom said and with that it was back to work as usual. Grissom handed out assignments and off they went.

Later that night, or morning, for that matter, Grissom was sitting at his desk doing paperwork. Sara had just poked her head in and told him that she would be ready to go in about 5 minutes. When she came back from the locker room, she had changed clothes. She was wearing a black skirt with a butterfly top. He looked up and smiled.

"Tell me, Sara. Why do you look so nice?" Grissom asked shyly.

"Cause we are getting married today." Sara said before losing her nerve.

"Say what?" Grissom asked standing up.

"You heard me. We are getting married in 2 hours. Come on. I have to take you home so you can change. Come on. Unless you have changed your mind." Sara waited for his response.