A/N: This chapter is much longer than the first one. I wanted to wait and see if anyone even liked it before I posted the second chapter. Please read and review!
Catherine Willows was supposed to be doing paperwork, but her mind was wandering. "Who would have thought Greg and Sara would end up as a couple?" she pondered. She had found out about it quite accidentally, having seen them at a restaurant a couple months back. "The lab rat and the science geek found love in Las Vegas." she thought to herself, with a small sad smile on her face. "Now if someone else on this shift would just see that dating a co-worker is not a bad thing, we'd all be happy!" She shook her head to clear her mind and tried to go back to her paperwork. "They don't know I know, and no one else the lab has a clue. I'll keep this one to myself, for now."
"Greg, where are we going? Are you really not going to tell me?" Sara asked.
"No, I'm really not going to tell you, until we get there. You'll love it though, I know." Greg replied.
Sara sat back and looked out the window. She smiled when she thought about everything that had happened in the last six months. They had their ups and downs, of course, every couple did. She still had a hard time opening up about things that were bothering her, but she was getting better. She thought back to the night when she had told him about her family. Sara had been convinced that Greg was going to leave, but amazingly, to her mind, he didn't. He sat on the couch and held her as she cried, stroking her hair and telling her just to let it out, that she'd feel better. That was the night she realized she loved him.
Greg was lost in thought as well. He had something very important to tell Sara and he had decided tonight was the night. He was going to throw caution to the wind and tell her that he loved her. The last six months had been the best of his life. He smiled as he thought about their first date. Everything had gone wrong! Greg had been so shocked that Sara agreed to go out with him that he had walked around in a daze for the rest of shift. When she met him in the break room that morning he was still so out of it that he couldn't find his keys, so she ended up driving. The restaurant they went to wound up getting evacuated for a fire alarm right in the middle of breakfast. As they rushed out the door, Greg tripped and fell and pulled Sara down with him, breaking her purse strap and dirtying her clothes. Sara drove him back to the lab in silence.
After that fiasco, he had been sure that Sara would never go out with him again, but she had surprised him. A few days later they had been assigned to the same case, and she asked if he would like to go out with her again. He said yes, of course, and the rest, as they say, was history.
Greg blinked a few times, realizing he had spaced out while driving and almost missed his turn. He guided the car over into the turn lane, and turned into a small parking lot.
Greg glanced over at Sara and realized she was lost in space, too. He reached over and took her hand, and when she looked at him, he grinned. "Hey, we're here now, are you ready?"
Sara smiled. "Of course. Now where exactly is here?"
"It's a place I know you are going to love." Greg responded. "All vegetarian, all the time." he said with a grin.
Sara was touched that Greg would go to this much trouble for her. She leaned over and kissed him, still holding his hand. "Thank you." she said quietly.
"Anything for you Sara, you know that. Now let's get inside, we have reservations."
As they walked into the restaurant Sara was struck by its cozy atmosphere. The tables were small and close together, and there were little touches of home everywhere. They approached a well dressed gentleman standing in the doorway and Greg cleared his throat.
The man looked up. "Ah Mr. Sanders! And this must be the beautiful Sara of which you spoke. Right this way please, we have your table all ready for you, with everything you requested."
Sara glanced at Greg quizzically. "Are you a regular here Greg?" she teased.
"No, but when I found this place, I knew it would be perfect for tonight. I have been here every day for the past week setting everything up for tonight." Greg grinned at her, pleased that things were going so well.
Sara was speechless, for once in her life. She took Greg's hand and followed him through the restaurant. Was it just her, or had all the staff stopped and were smiling at them?
The man had stopped at a private table in the far back corner. "Mr. Sanders, I hope this is to your liking. You were right, she is worth it. Please let me know if there is anything you require." He bowed to them and walked away.
Greg pulled Sara's chair out and she sat down, still speechless. He sat down across the table and took her hand again. "I hope you don't mind, I took the liberty of ordering for us already. Our meal should be here any moment."
Sara couldn't contain the smile that broke across her face. "Greg, I think this is the most wonderful thing anyone has ever done for me."
"Just wait, the night is still young yet. Ah, here we are." he said as the waiter approached their table.
Greg and Sara ate in companionable silence, glancing at each other and smiling occasionally. After the table was cleared, Greg looked at Sara and smiled shyly. "Did you like it?" he asked.
"Of course, everything was wonderful." Sara replied. Now was as good a time as ever, she decided, working her courage up. "Greg, I have something to tell you." Noting the look on his face, she quickly added "Nothing bad, I promise."
Greg was relieved. "I have something to tell you too, but not just yet. Louis?"
Hearing his name, the well dressed gentlemen had reappeared at their table. "Yes, Mr. Sanders?"
"Please escort Miss Sara to the garden, and I will be there shortly." Greg said.
Louis held out a hand to Sara. "May I, Miss?"
Sara smiled, and took Louis' hand. "Of course." Then a small frown came over her face. "Greg, where are you going?"
"It's a surprise. Go, enjoy the garden and I will be right there." Greg smiled at her.
As Sara followed Louis to the garden, her mind raced. What is going on here? Greg had never done anything like this before. Not that she hasn't loved every minute of it, but she was a little confused.
Just then, they reached a small door in the back of the restaurant. Louise opened the door and stepped back. "Ladies first, Miss."
Sara smiled at him again. She didn't think she had ever smiled this much in her life. "Thank you, Louis."
She stepped out the door and gasped. Behind the restaurant was the most beautiful rose garden she had ever seen. Red roses, yellow roses, white roses, all bathed in a soft moonlight.
"Miss Sara, right this way please. Mr. Sanders has something very special planned, but I can't tell you any more than that." Louis said with a smile and a wink.
Sara was still in shock at the initial sight of the garden. She followed Louis wordlessly to
a small table in the middle of the garden, set with a single red rose.
Louis pulled her chair out for her. "Please, sit."
Sara sat, still taking in the beauty of the garden. What was wrong with her tonight? She was smiling like a buffoon and the ability to form words seemed to have escaped her.
"Louis? Who did all this?" She asked.
A sad smile came over Louis' face. "This garden is a dedication to my lovely wife. She loved roses so much! It was her passion, as this restaurant is mine. Unfortunately, the small apartment we shared had no room for even the smallest rose bush. I cleared this space so that she could have her garden, and also so that we could spend time together. When I had a break I would come out here and just watch her, puttering among the rose bushes. When she passed away last year, I couldn't bear to tear out the rose garden that my wife loved so much. I find that when I come out here, missing her doesn't hurt as badly. It seems like she is still here sometimes."
A tear came to Sara's eye. "Louis, that is so lovely. You loved your wife very much." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I wish someone loved me like that."
Louis took her hand once more. "Ah but someone does Miss Sara! Do you think Mr. Sanders would go to all this trouble for someone he didn't love? I've only known him a short while but I know that he loves you with all his heart. Speaking of Mr. Sanders, he will be here momentarily so I must go. Good luck to you both!"
Sara stared at the man as he walked back towards the back door. Her reverie was broken by the sound of music starting to play softly behind her. She turned to see where it was coming from, and was startled to find that four musicians had come up behind her while she was lost in thought.
"Some CSI you are Sidle, get a grip." She thought as the initial shock wore off and she began to enjoy the music.
At that moment, Greg sat down at the table opposite her. She turned to him and smiled. "Greg, this is wonderful. How did you even know this was back here?"
"I didn't. When I was arranging everything with Louis, he brought me back here and told me about his wife. He said that he would be honored for us to use it. Now then Miss Sidle, would you care to dance?"
"I didn't know you could dance, Greg."
"I still have a few tricks up my sleeve." he replied.
"Alright, but I'm warning you ahead of time, it's been a very long time since I danced with a man. If I step on your toes, remember, you asked me." Sara said with a slightly wicked smile.
"I'll take my chances."
Greg and Sara both stood up and walked around to the front of the table. As he took her in his arms he could smell the scent of her perfume mixed in with the scent of the roses, and he knew that no matter what happened next, he would never forget this moment.
As they danced, Sara mustered up her courage once more. She leaned her head back so that she could look Greg in the eye. "Greg? I have something that I want to tell you."
Greg looked at her, not saying a word.
Sara took a deep breath. "Greg, you mean the world to me. You have made me happier than I have ever been, and for the first time in a long time I am relaxed and comfortable in my own skin. No man has ever treated me the way that you do, and I wanted to tell you that, um, well." She faltered.
Greg smiled, encouraging her. "Yes?"
"I love you." Sara blushed. "I know that it might seem like it's a little quick but I've known for a while now that I love you and I wanted you to know oh and now I'm just rambling so I'll be quiet."
Greg's smile could have lit up all of Las Vegas that night. "Sara, you have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that. As a matter of fact, it makes what I have to say even easier. Sara, I love you too. I never thought I would be lucky enough to have you in my life, and now I can't imagine life without you."
He released her from his arms, took a step back, and dropped to one knee. As he did, he pulled out a small blue box. "Sara Sidle, would you do me the ultimate honor of becoming my wife?"