A/N: Just so you know, you crazy kids are still blowing me away with your reviews. And never have I appreciated it as much as with that last chapter. I just had the most unbelievably hard time writing it. Seeing the positive reviews pour in was such an encouragement, and I just thank you from the bottom of my little mitral valve-prolapsing heart.
Also, I hope no one is getting bored with this, because this thing is a SAGA. What I mean is, I hate it when they just hook up and the story ends there. So this thing is going to take them waaaay farther than the initial hookup. I won't tell you how far, because that would sort of ruin it, but I'm just giving you a heads up that this isn't the end.
Sara felt the familiar sensations of wakefulness tugging at the edges of the sleep that enveloped her. She was warm, and safe, and for once she wasn't waking up from some horrible nightmare—she was waking up from a night of fitful slumber. She relished the feeling of Grissom's heat next to her body for a moment before she lazily dragged her eyes open. She was greeted by the sight of clear blue eyes. Grissom was lying on his side, head resting on its pillow, just staring at her. A tiny smile played around his mouth as he murmured, "Good morning, Sara Sidle." He paused for a moment. "I had to say your name, just to make sure it was real—that I am actually waking up next to Sara Sidle."
Sara reached out a hand and caressed his face. "If this isn't real, then I don't ever want to wake up again…" Grissom smiled at her before she continued, "How long have you been lying there watching me sleep?"
"Mmm…maybe half an hour?"
"Sounds kinda boring."
"Anything but." He swept his thumb across her cheekbone. "I've never seen you at a moment when you weren't beautiful, but watching you sleep…" he breathed. "You were just radiant—so peaceful and content. I could have stayed like that for hours, studying every tiny feature of your face, memorizing every curve of your body, watching your chest rise and fall in perfect peaceful rhythm…" His voice trailed off. He suddenly leaned over and kissed her squarely on the tip of her nose. "I have an idea," he said with a wink. "There's a whole basket of bath treats in the bathroom. Would you like take that big tub for a test drive?"
Sara's eyes gleamed as she sat up. "You don't have to ask me twice," she giggled as she swung her legs out of bed. As she stood up, Grissom got his first look at the love of his life in the morning light as the sunlight streamed through the window and silhouetted her naked body. She laughed at the sight of him, propped up with one elbow on the pillow, his handsome face looking fiendishly lecherous as he devoured her with his eyes.
Sara's heart was light as she bounced around to his side of the bed, grabbing his arm and pulling him up. "Get up, you dirty old man! I'm not taking the tub for a test drive without you!"
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Ten minutes later, their teeth brushed to ward off morning breath, Sara and Grissom settled into the huge tub. He had gone into the living room and produced an overnight bag from out of nowhere. In response to Sara's raised eyebrow, he said, "Catherine dropped it off last night while we were eating."
When Sara was brushing her teeth, Grissom turned on the hot water faucet in the tub and asked Sara how she liked her water. "Just south of peeling-my-skin-off-hot," she replied. Grissom gave her a broad grin. This was a match made in Heaven.
As they slid into the hot water, which had been generously supplemented with raspberry-scented bubble bath, they smiled at each other. She stuck her legs out in front of her and placed them atop Grissom's legs. As she leaned back and let the bubbles envelop her, Grissom took her left foot in his right hand and began massaging it gently.
Sara moaned with pleasure. "Oh, God, Griss…After dancing in those heels all night last night, you have no idea how good that feels…"
"Anything for you, Sweetheart," he said tenderly.
Sara began to think that she could get used to this.
When he moved to her right foot, bringing it up out of the water to kiss her big toe before massaging it, she sighed and said, "I wish we didn't have to go back to work tonight…"
Grissom stopped what he was doing. "Um…" He had no idea how to say what he was about to say, but she had just given him the perfect opening that he'd been waiting for.
"What, Griss?"
He reached forward and took her hands in his. He was terrified of her reaction, but he knew if he kept beating around the bush, it would freak her out. Taking a deep breath, he said, "We've covered a lot of ground since last night, Honey. For the first time, we've been totally honest with each other about our feelings, and it's been so…liberating…for me, especially. So…I have another surprise for you, but before I tell you, I want you to give me your word that you will decline if you are not completely comfortable with the idea. Ok?"
Sara nodded silently, her curiosity nearly eating her alive. He certainly seemed antsy about this particular "surprise."
"The surprise is that we don't have to go back to work tonight."
Sara looked at him blankly. "We don't," she said flatly, making it a statement rather than a question.
"Well, it's up to you. In my bag are two plane tickets. Those tickets will put us on a plane at McCarran at 2:05 this afternoon. That plane will take us to Atlanta, where we will have a brief layover before boarding another plane bound for Fort Walton Beach, Florida. From there we will pick up a rental car and drive half an hour to a lovely little resort town called Destin, where an old friend of mine has a beach house that he has ever-so-generously agreed to loan us for as long as we please." He watched her carefully as he finished, gauging her reaction. She was blinking at him, seemingly uncomprehending, but her face was the picture of composure. Finally, he couldn't take it any longer. "Sara? Honey? Please say something. Look, if you're not comfortable with the idea, it's fine. I took out travel insurance just in case, so if you don't want to go, I'm only out 75 bucks—big deal." His brain finally kicked in and clamped his mouth shut. He was "over-talking," as Sara called it. He employed every ounce of self-discipline in his body as he ordered himself to shut up and sit quietly until Sara had an answer for him.
She opened her mouth slowly. "Yes," she whispered. "That sounds absolutely wonderful. I can't believe you did that." She seemed dazed.
A huge smile spread across Grissom's face. "You're absolutely sure you're at ease with the idea?"
"Grissom, I'm sitting naked with you in a huge bubble-filled bathtub in a penthouse suite at the Venetian. Yeah, I'm okay with it," she said wryly.
Good. She had recovered from her shock. She was giving him the Sara Sidle Smile. Prompted by both the Smile and her answer to his proposition, he lunged at her, splashing water everywhere. She shrieked and giggled as he clamped his mouth down on top of hers. Settling his body atop hers, he snaked his arms around her waist.
When he had momentarily sated himself with her kisses, he pulled back to look at her. She cocked her head to the side and prepared to ask hima question. Now that she had gotten over the shock of realizing that she was going on a vacation with Gil Grissom, her mind was back in logic-mode. "Hey, Griss?"
"Hm?"
"What will we tell everyone at work?"
"Catherine will be saving the day again," he replied. Responding to her inquisitive look, she continued, "Well, first of all, I don't want to have to hide 'us' from the team. The only person I'm worried about is Ecklie. God knows he'll take this and use it against you and me both in every way he can. But you don't mind the team knowing, do you?"
"Of course not. It wouldn't seem right for them not to know, actually. They're like family to me," she said quietly, looking down.
"Good. Catherine's expecting a phone call from me later this morning, letting her know one way or the other if the trip is going to happen. When she gets to work tonight, she gets the pleasure of breaking the news to the team and settling the long-running bets they've had going about us," he said wryly, with a half-smile and a slight eye roll. "Once Warrick hands over all his money to Nick and Greg stops crying over losing you, Catherine will inform them of the need for complete discretion because of Ecklie. The cover story will be that you have a nasty case of the flu, and that I had to fly to California because my mother is having emergency surgery. Catherine will handle Ecklie, and the team will bring someone up from day shift to help cover the workload."
Sara pondered this. After a moment, her face broke into a wide grin. "I wish I could be there to see their faces when Catherine tells them we finally did it. Poor Greg. He's going to be so heartbroken," she mused.
Grissom chuckled at this.
They sat in the water, sharing a comfortable, contented silence, until their hands and feet became pruny. Sara reluctantly stood up to exit the tub, and she began to brush the bubbles off her body. Grissom frowned as his gaze suddenly fell on a large scar he had not noticed before. The long, ugly white line curved across Sara's left hip.
"Sara!" he gasped, trailing a wrinkled finger over the length of the scar. "What the hell happened?"
He watched in fear as her face clouded for a moment at his question. She tensed visibly, and for a moment he was afraid that she was going to clam up and push him away. He was relieved beyond words when her face softened. Quietly, she said, "I'm not ready yet. I will be, don't worry. I just need some time before I can share that with you." Her eyes pleaded with him to please understand, to please give her the time and space she needed. Grissom nodded his understanding. He would drop the subject and not bring it up again until she was ready.
Sara reached down to the hand that was still gracing her hip and squeezed it in silent appreciation. She knew she loved him for a reason. He was so intensely private himself that she knew he would understand her request for more time and space.
"Hmm," she said. "I'm still covered in bubbles." With an evil gleam to her eye, she continued, "Seems a shame to just let that huge, luxurious shower just sit there, unused…" She didn't have to finish her thought, as Grissom was already racing for the shower.
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Grissom and Sara shared a long, hot, soapy—and very erotic—shower. Sara was pretty sure that was the first time she'd ever been on her knees in the shower, and she had quite enjoyed the experience. Grissom, for his part, had definitely enjoyed it. The sight of her below him, eyes closed, hot water spraying her face, was enough to turn him on—add to that what Sara was doing with her mouth, and he was in almost unbearable ecstasy.
As she stood to her feet, Grissom leaned back against the marbled tiles, eyes closed. A second later, he opened them again, shooting her a small, contented smile. "Mmm," he said. "Can't tell you how many times I've fantasized about that particular scenario…"
Sara's eyes twinkled as she stood under the hot spray. "Really, Dr. Grissom? Do tell."
He raised a lone eyebrow at her as he poured some shower gel in his palm and proceeded to rub her down. "A gentleman never tells."
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An hour later, Grissom and Sara had packed up their things and were ready to check out of the Venetian. Sara glanced around the suite one last time, a wistful look in her eyes. "I hate to leave this place," she admitted. "It was wonderful. Thank you," she said simply.
"As always, my dear, you are more than welcome. It was indeed wonderful," he sighed.
With that, they exited the suite and headed for the elevator. Along the way, they discussed the next few hours.
"Ok, it's ten a.m.," Grissom said, consulting his watch. "We've got four hours till our flight takes off. We'll go to your place first and you can pack some things, then we'll swing by my place and I'll do the same, then I'll have Catherine pick us up there and drop us off at the airport so we don't have to pay for long-term," he said. Sara just shook her head and grinned at him. Gil Grissom, ever organized and efficient.
They reached the lobby and Grissom settled their bill. Sara raised her eyebrows as the clerk rattled off the total, but Grissom never batted an eyelash as he signed the credit card slip. Turning to her, he held out an elbow and said, "Ready, m'lady?" Sara giggled at his mock-chivalry and took his elbow daintily.
"Why, yes, m'lord."
As Grissom stepped out into the sunshine and hailed them a cab, Sara thought that her heart had never been so light and full of joy before. She couldn't seem to stop grinning, and this did not escape Grissom's notice. He glanced her way and tried to mask his own grin as he murmured, "Happy, Miss Sidle?"
"Very," she replied.
They snuggled in the cab on the way to her apartment like a couple of newlyweds. Upon their arrival, Sara struggled with what to pack. "What's the weather like in Destin right now?" she asked. Grissom sat on her bed, watching her.
"It's not quite as hot as it is here, but it feels hotter because of the humidity. High 80s, low 90s, mostly. And this is the perfect time to go. Early September—still hot, but the tourists have all gone home. I'd take plenty of skimpy swimsuits, tiny tank tops, and short shorts if I were you," he deadpanned.
Sara smirked at him. "I'm sure you'd like that. Problem is, most of my stuff is for work. I want to look cute for you. I just don't know what I have that is appropriate."
Grissom considered. "Well, pack what you can and we'll go shopping when we get there. Charlie said that there's plenty of shopping to be had down there. Outlet malls, the whole nine yards."
"Charlie?"
"The guy who owns the house. An entomologist friend at the University of Tennessee."
"Oh," Sara said with a nod. Switching gears back to his previous statement, she said, "Wait, so after all you've done for me already, you're planning on flying us to Florida and then taking me shopping for more stuff?" She looked at him a little incredulously.
"Yup."
Sara raised her eyebrows and shook her head in disbelief.
"Ok then. I won't argue with you."
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An hour later, they were sitting in Grissom's living room, waiting for Catherine to come pick them up. Although they were getting ready to spend several hours on a plane, Sara had taken the idea of their first vacation together to heart, and had really wanted to look nice for the trip. She had paired navy blue capri pants with a tight white stretch t-shirt from the Gap. She wore her well-loved navy blue Chacos on her feet. Her jewelry consisted of small silver hoop earrings, a stainless steel watch, and a beautiful silver ring. She had on a hint of makeup, and she left her hair loose in its natural wavy state. Grissom thought she looked absolutely stunning.
The feeling was mutual, as far as that went. Sara had sat in Grissom's living room while he got his things together. When he had emerged from his bedroom, her jaw had hung open in shock. He was wearing an aqua blue short-sleeved Polo shirt, and khaki…shorts. Grissom in shorts was something Sara never expected to see in her lifetime. She knew her shock was irrational, considering that she'd seen him naked, for the love of Mary, but Gil Grissom just did not seem the type to wear shorts. For any reason. On his feet he wore Tevas. Tevas, for crying out loud! She had never thought that Grissom had an ounce of fashion sense, but damn it all, he looked good! Those legs were gorgeous!
He had watched with an amused smile. She was obviously taken aback by his appearance. After ten or fifteen seconds, he had cleared his throat. Sara's eyes jerked up from their resting perch on his legs, and he tried his best to wipe the smirk off of his face. "See something you like?" he intoned.
Regaining her composure, Sara had replied, "Yeah. Everything." She paused. "Really, Grissom—Tevas? I would have never thought…"
Grissom couldn't resist the urge to tease her. "Well, what else do you think I would wear when crawling around creek banks looking for aquatic insects?"
She shook her head and grinned. "I should have known."
Now here they were, a few minutes later, sitting on the couch, idly watching TV while they waited for Catherine. When the doorbell rang, Grissom gave Sara a smile. This would be the first time any of their friends would see them together, as a couple. He tugged Sara to her feet and they walked to the door together. She entwined their fingers together as Grissom opened the door to Catherine.
"Hi!" she said brightly. Looking down at their entangled hands, she grinned even more broadly. Stepping inside, she impulsively reached out and hugged them both. After the tightly-shared three-way hug, she stepped back and took them in. "God, you guys look fantastic. I'm so glad you finally got over your hang-ups and did this. Grissom, you look ten years younger."
Grissom absolutely could not resist the opportunity. "Yeah, well, you'd be amazed at what getting laid will do for you," he deadpanned. He pretended to look confused as Sara and Catherine's mouths fell open. "What? What'd I say?"
"Damn, Grissom," Catherine muttered. Raising an eyebrow, she asked Sara, "Did you at least use the lingerie?"
Red-faced, Sara quietly said, "Yes. It was beautiful, Catherine. Thank you." She reached forward and pulled Catherine into another hug, which was eagerly returned. Catherine whispered in her ear, "You're welcome, Sara. I meant what I said. I'm so happy for you." When they pulled back, both women had tears in their eyes.
Grissom backed off, holding up his hands. "Ack, the estrogen level in here is quickly rising to uncomfortable levels. Can we change the subject or something?"
Recovering, Catherine coolly replied, "What, Grissom? Don't you want to give me more details about your evening last night?" She shot Sara an evil grin, which was quickly returned.
Grissom, for his part, just shook his head and turned toward their luggage.
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Half an hour later, Catherine had successfully maneuvered through the traffic at McCarran to reach the "drop-off" lane. As Grissom pulled their bags out of the back of her Denali, he thanked Catherine again for the ride. "Listen, Cath, I've got my cell phone with me, so if Ecklie doesn't buy the story about my mom, he can call me. I would prefer he didn't, obviously, but if you get in a pinch, it's no problem. I will convince him myself that I can't come home until my mother is safely out of the woods, ok?" Catherine nodded and shooed them away.
"I can handle it, Gil. You two crazy kids get out of here. And have fun!" she added.
As she drove off, Grissom and Sara stood grinning stupidly at each other. A woman passing by smiled at them, thinking that they were quite obviously newlyweds, leaving Vegas after tying the knot.
After a moment, Grissom broke free of his trance and picked up his suitcase. "Come on, Babe," he said. "We've got a plane to catch."
TBC…
A/N: Why Destin? Because they say to write what you know, and I know Destin. My entire family rents a huge beach house there every summer, so... Besides, it's an absolutely beautiful, romantic place. I'm going to ignore the fact that Hurricane Ivan roared through in mid-September of this year (severely damaging my brother's house near Pensacola, I might add...), because this is my story and I can do what I want, dammit! ;) Destin took a pretty good hit, but as far as my story is concerned, it never happened.