When they woke, both Sara and Grissom immediately had feelings different to any they had experienced recently. Despite Sara's injuries, not to mention the fact she had just undergone major surgery, and the fact that Grissom was lying in a position which was undoubtedly guaranteeing him back problems in the future, both felt totally comfortable. Despite the fact that only 24 hours ago Sara had been in the most dangerous situation she had ever encountered, and Grissom had been worrying more than ever in his life, both felt totally calm. Despite the fact they were both still exactly the same people they had been yesterday, both felt changed.

They had come through. They had been to hell and back but they had made it, and in one piece. Well, almost.

And now here they were, waking up together. The room was drowned with sunlight. The scene may have been missing birdsong, breakfast in bed and a four poster bed, but the hospital equipment, smell of disinfectant and drips attached to Sara's still frail, but rapidly recovering body could not detract from the beauty of the situation.

"It's ironic really, don't you think?" Grissom questioned, interrupting the silence of the room, previously only broken by the beep of the heart monitor.

"What?" Sara murmured, revelling in the feeling of Grissom's head on her chest, and internally feeling deeply disappointed as he lifted it to gaze at her instead.

"It's only when you're lying in a hospital bed, and I'm sitting next to you sick with worry that we can begin to admit our feelings for each other."

"Speak for yourself! You may have made some startling announcements to me whilst I was unconscious, but as far as I know I have admitted nothing to you as yet!" Sara's tone was teasing, and Grissom knew that should he prompt her, she would have no qualms about doing so now. There was no need to mention the thing that had been preying on his mind. But he could not resist.

"Well, you almost did."

"Huh?" Sara's eyes changed from joking to questioning.

Grissom could not help himself: he poured out to Sara the story of her mumbling to herself after her minor panic attack. It had been causing him turmoil ever since it had occurred. As Sara began to turn a slight shade of pink, and revealed she had no recollection of any of it, Grissom began to fear he had made a mistake. He had embarrassed her; tried to force her to confess something she didn't even remember. And just when everything had been so perfect. He started to apologise, but was interrupted by Sara.

"Hold up a minute. I may not be able to remember, but I bet I could take a good guess at what it was I wanted to tell you." Desperate not to interrupt her at such a crucial point, Grissom let Sara continue at her own pace. "While I was locked away in that room, and then on that bed; when I was lying there waiting to die-" A flash of pain and fear crossed Sara's face as she recalled the horrific memories, but she shook it away before Grissom had time to try and comfort her. "When I thought that I'd never see you, or Catherine, or Nick, or any of you, again, I did a lot of thinking. And boy did I come up with a lot of things I wished I'd said to you. And I expect had that sedative not kicked in when it did, I probably would have come out and confessed it all to you. And then woken up and not remembered." She laughed. "Boy, am I glad it turned out like this instead. I prefer to be aware of it when I start confessing my feelings to the man I-" And there she stopped, seemingly unsure what to say next. Her face flushed slightly again and she shifted in the bed. "Could you help me sit up?"

Grissom did so gladly, plumping cushions behind Sara's back so she no longer had to speak to the ceiling, but could maintain eye contact with Grissom. Recovering from her slight break in speech she continued.

"So, do you want the bad or the good first?"

The look on Grissom's face made Sara laugh. He evidently wasn't prepared for the fact that Sara had planned a few not so pleasant things to say to him. She didn't give him time to reply.

"How about I just go with the flow – see where this little confession takes me. I'm not really prepared for this. I thought I'd never have the chance to actually say any of it, you see. That was kind of the point!"

"You don't have to tell me anything."

"Don't be stupid. I should be thankful that I have the opportunity. Anyway, the first thing I wanted to say to you was that you're a right git sometimes, Gil Grissom." Grissom stared open-mouthed, sincerely hoping the best was yet to come. "You never seem to have any idea when someone's not in the mood to talk, or when they are, or when they need someone to listen, or a shoulder to cry on. And you never realise when they don't really feel like talking bugs, or corpses. Sometimes you treat people like pieces of evidence. And that includes me." Grissom opened his mouth to argue. Sara shook her head. "Uh-uh. I'm not finished yet. For someone who is unnaturally intelligent you have very little understanding of human emotions or moods. And yes, that really gets to me sometimes."

"So I can see." Grissom looked definitely shocked by what he had just heard. Ok, so he knew it was all true, but it still hurt coming from Sara's mouth. Not because he was offended, but because he couldn't stand the thought that Sara had seen him like that.

"Wait up. There's a but. And a big one, too. Whilst I was mulling all this over, using it as an attempt to take my mind off everything else that was going on, I realised that I was stupid to be angry with you for your personality. That I had no reason to blow up in your face that day-"

"You did, I-"

"Shut up, Grissom!" Sara interrupted, exasperated but affectionate. "What was I saying about you never knowing when all I needed was someone to listen? Now be quiet before I change my mind about what I'm going to say."

"Sorry."

"I had no reason to blow up in your face, because I should accept the way you are, and not attempt to change you. Ok, so you're not always the best listener in the world. And sometimes you seem to be far keener on spending time with your bugs than the team. And very often you appear to have the communication skills of one of those bugs." She laughed. "But would I want you any other way? No. So why complain? Why moan about you being the way you are, when I'd probably be more pissed off if you changed? I'm- well- I like you how you are. And I don't want you to change." She took his hand in hers and squeezed it. "So, there we go. That's what I wanted to say."

"That I'm bloody annoying but that you'll put up with me?"

Sara slapped him on the arm playfully. "Shut up! It took a lot for me to confess that."

"Now it's my turn. I happen to think you were quite right to shout at me. And don't even think about protesting. I'd been a bit of an idiot and I deserved it. And I know the things I do wrong, and I promise I'll try to listen more. I know you say you don't want me to change, but I'm sure if I made a couple of little alterations for the better, you wouldn't complain?"

"I suppose not."

"You gave me a real scare, Sara. For a few seconds I had to imagine life without you, and I couldn't." Sara took hold of his hand again as she saw his eyes fill up. "Now I've been given a second chance, and I'm not letting you go. Sara-" He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. "I- I love you, Sara."

Now it was Sara's turn for her eyes to fill up, a familiar feeling for someone who had cried quite a lot recently, but this time the tears were for an entirely different, and more welcome, reason.

"Oh, Grissom, I love you too."

"God, you two aren't going to go all domestic on us, are you?" Warrick joked as the whole team were reunited around Sara's bed. She had more colour in her cheeks and not one of them was in doubt that Grissom had had something to do with her recovery. There had been no formal announcement, but their arrival to find Sara sitting with Grissom's arm around her, the pair holding hands and gazing into each other's eyes, kind of gave the game away.

"Yeah," continued Catherine, a twinkle in her eye; her migraine faded into insignificance upon hearing the news that Sara was awake. "We can't have lovers' tiffs in the lab."

"We'll keep our working relationship strictly professional, don't you worry," laughed Grissom, his eyes still not shifting from Sara's.

"You better be back in the lab soon, Sara. A certain somebody is getting far too over confident without you to put down his jokes and reject him on a regular basis." Nick elbowed Greg in the ribs, and Sara laughed.

"Hey!" Greg protested. "That's not fair! Anyway, I know Sara loves my jokes really." He winked at her.

"Watch it." Grissom mock threatened him. "You're going to have to stop coming onto Sara, now she's my girlfriend!"

"Girlfriend, ay?" Sara interrupted.

"You're right, that does sound rather like we're teenagers."

"Actually I meant you're being slightly overconfident – did I ever agree to anything?"

Grissom's face looked worried for a second, but when the entire group started laughing, he soon realised he was suffering again from his lack of communication skills.

"You're really going to have to get better at detecting jokes when you hear them."

Grissom recovered from the slight embarrassment quickly. "Well, actually you're right – I never officially asked you." He turned to look her straight in the eye. "Sara Sidle, will you go out with me?"

Now it was Sara's turn to look a little embarrassed. "Don't be stupid, Grissom, there's no need to ask."

"I'd like an answer, please!"

"Will this do?" She leaned over and brushed his lips lightly with her own.

The kiss was greeted with a whoop from Greg. Nick and Warrick averted their eyes, embarrassed to see their two friends so intimate. And if Sara wasn't mistaken she saw a tear in Catherine's eye.

But it was Grissom's reaction that really mattered.

And as he leant in for another kiss, she knew everything was going to be alright.

So that's it folks! Wow - can't believe I actually finished it! All reviews welcome - it's your last chance! And any comments or suggestions fora next story (which I am keen to write) are welcome.

I hope you enjoyed the story, and I'll see you in September!