"You have lilac boxers." Sara's incredulous voice filled every paranoid nook of Grissom's mind. He stopped ironing and tried to come up with something to say that wouldn't drag the moment into deeper depths of embarrassment. "They were a Christmas gift from my mother…" That wasn't it. Sara's effort to contain her laughter couldn't withstand the image of Christmas boxers and she burst out laughing.

"Well, at least she taught you how to iron." She gestured at the largely finished khaki pants. "Although I'd switch out of that black polo shirt if I were you. It's supposed to get hot today – maybe even a record breaker."

Sara was wearing a knee length denim skirt with a Carson City Fourth of July tank top and sandals that laced around her ankles. He raised an eyebrow, she was so casually beautiful. "Did you have something in mind?"

"Actually, yes." She pulled a light blue t-shirt and flip flops from behind her back.

He grinned and said, "You should be a magician. Where'd you get this stuff?"

"Uh uhn," she waged her finger at him, "a magician never reveals her secrets."

"Hmmph."

She tossed the t-shirt at him and set the flip flops down. "I'll give you a minute to change and then we can see if my moonlighting as a retail clerk in my youth paid off." A wink and a grin and she had ducked out of the room. He held the shirt out to see it better. It was a mellower version of Sara's, with only some fireworks embroidered on the upper left corner of the shirt; "Carson City Fourth of July" wrapped around the embroidery.

He pulled off his polo shirt and laid it over the end of the ironing board. Pulling the new shirt on, he turned back to his khakis and finished the pants with a few smooth strokes. He wasn't sure how she had guessed but everything fit perfectly; the fabric of the t-shirt was much cooler than the heavier material of the polo shirt. He rapped his knuckles on her door and shortly her head popped out.

"Hey."

He smiled and nodded his head, "You were right. Even if we now scream "tourists" to anyone who looks at us."

"Ah, ah. We scream, "we support the Fourth of July fireworks". All of the money goes towards buying next year's fireworks. I figured that was something I could endorse."

Grissom acquiesced and they went to enjoy the breakfast the Vhay's had set out for them. There was enough food to feed them both twice but fortunately they both had hearty appetites to tackle everything from the fresh baked bread with homemade jam to the vegetable frittatas with brie. The coffee was something to rival Greg's cherished Blue Hawaiian, the flavor of it rolled across the tongue and the caffeine went straight to the brain.

Grissom found himself looking forward to the day, and not half dreading it as he had the night before. It had been so hard to resist Sara, her easy presence making him think of the future they might have together. That maybe quiet evening spent reading forensic journals and listening to jazz could be a part of his life. By now he should know better, should know that things never ended well. But sitting here this morning, Sara blissfully drinking down the coffee he was hard pressed to remember why it never ended well.

They found their way easily enough to the park, as many people in town were on their way there as well. The air resounded with music and laughing voices, parents sat in lawn chairs along the street as children played awaiting the parade.

The parade was fun as small town parades are – campy and full of the older siblings of the children darting from the sidelines to grab candy. The high school marching band was there, resplendent in towering caps and the mixture of pride and embarrassment that is the badge of teenagers everywhere.

A group of 4-H kids on horses performed curvettes and pranced down the street. There were floats with people in poodle skirts and ducktales and others were twirling to the calls of a two-step. Slowly the parade tapered off and soon the mounted police brought up the rear and the other two judges were offering their notes for comparison.

"I thought the 4-H kids were good," offered Sara.

"The dancers for the Bank of Nevada float were quite good." Suggested Grissom.

Ultimately they all agreed upon the Girl Scout's wilderness float and the awards were handed out. Governor Guin took the stage after the parade marshal finished.

"I hope everyone is enjoying the activities today. That was a fine parade and it was especially moving to me to see so many young people active this year. Now the bar-b-que's all heated up and I'd like to thank the volunteer firefighters for putting it on again this year. As you know, lunch is by donation with all proceeds going to the firehall. Now I have here with me Dr. Gil Grissom and Ms. Sara Sidle – two of Las Vegas' finest crime scene investigators." Governor Guin waited a moment for the scattered applause to stop.

"On behalf of the state of Nevada, I'd like to thank them for their efforts in solving crimes and for making the Las Vegas Crime Lab second in the country. I think that's something to be proud of. Dr. Grissom, Ms. Sidle, please accept this plaque as a token of our regard for the lives you've put to rest. Thank you and keep up the good work."

Grissom shook the Governor's hand and took the plaque saying, "Thank you Mr. Governor. It is an honor to be recognized for our work. We only hope that fewer people will need our help."

Governor Guin shook Sara's hand and then said, "Now remember folks, the police department has a fingerprint station set up. You can bring your child by and they'll be happy to put the finger prints on file. Happy Fourth of July everyone – have fun and be safe!" Governor Guin turned from the microphone and gestured for Grissom and Sara to precede him offstage.

They made their way around the various activity and vendor booths to where people were beginning to line up around the numerous grills. Grissom eyed the crowd and noticed that it was predominantly female. Once he saw the cooks, he had idea why – the volunteer firefighters were serving alright. Shirtless with "kiss the cook" aprons. He caught Sara eyeing them and almost groaned. How am I supposed to compare to… he watched one cook flex his arm …to that. Could he be more obvious?

Grissom was picking a plastic utensil to best gouge his eyes out with when Sara leaned over and with a slight frown on her face said, "Do you think that's really sanitary? I mean, it's hot – they sweat." She drew her head back, eyebrows furrowed and in that instant he knew that he loved her.

He smirked slightly. "I think we're safe, between the heat and the utensils I doubt you have anything to worry about. Besides, it's for a good cause. I'd think that you would appreciate that – what with your own volunteering background."

"We're not starting with that again are we? Because there are children around, and I'd hate to emotionally scar them."

Grissom snorted as he accepted a chicken breast from one of the firemen and continued down to the condiments. "I'll defer the puns until later, to save the gentle sensibilities of the children."

"Uh huh." Sara heaped toppings on her tofu dog.

They followed Governor Guin to one of the tables set up under the shade of some trees. They sat down and Grissom noted that most of the people at the table seemed to be the Governor's staff. Governor Guin took a seat next to a perfectly coifed woman wearing a pressed polo shirt tucked into her khaki shorts.

"Dr. Grissom, Ms. Sidle this is my wife, Dema. And you remember Ms. Luevano."

They all murmured their polite hellos and began to eat.

"So what are your plans for the rest of the day," asked Dema.

Grissom glanced at Sara and said, "Well, we thought we might go drive around Lake Tahoe. Maybe go on one of the M.S. Dixie tours."

"Today will be splendid driving weather, the view coming over the summit is just lovely. Actually, if you don't mind deferring your tour of the lake, I believe that we have two complementary tickets for the Dixie's fireworks cruise. I've heard that the fireworks are mirrored on the water if it's calm enough."

"That sounds great, if you're not going to be using the tickets yourselves." Replied Sara, surprising Grissom.

"Oh no, we'll be here. I'll just call up the reservation office to let them know that you'll be picking up our tickets."

"Thank you, that's very generous," said Grissom, trying to quell romantic thoughts of a night cruise around Lake Tahoe.

The conversation turned to more mundane affairs and he paid enough attention to be able to respond to questions but was otherwise lost in his thoughts. Once they were done with their food they excused themselves from the table and thanked the Governor and his wife once more.

As they got into the car, Sara turned to him with a slight flush across her cheeks.

"I made an executive decision back at the B&B," she said.

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I packed the trunk."

His heart dropped to the bottom of his seat, right next to his ass which was how he was feeling.

"…for a picnic. We got all that snack-type food and that bottle of wine when we checked in, I thought it would be fun for a light dinner or something. If we see a nice patch of beach on the drive around Tahoe, I mean. I also grabbed our swimsuits and some towels. Just in case."

Grissom had an inkling of how he made his team feel with some of his comments. He thought he should have whiplash from whipping his head around from one extreme point to another.

"I just…wanted to tell you. Since I grabbed your clothing without really saying anything…."

"No, that sounds great. We can just head to Lake Tahoe now. Is everything going to stay cool?"

"The Vhay's gave me a cooler and some ice. As well as some plates and cups."

"I better get to driving and hold up my end of the deal."

Sara grinned and slid on her sunglasses.

&&&&&&&&

"Oh no way!" Sara turned up the volume on the radio. The sound of Paul Simon burgeoned around them.

"The Mississippi Delta was shining like a National guitar I am following the river down the highway through the cradle of the civil war…"

"I loved this album. I was fifteen when it came out and I remember that I still felt bad for Garfunkel. I mean, Paul Simon did just fine after they split up but Art Garfunkel just kind of disappeared."

"She comes back to tell me she's gone, as if I didn't know that, as if I didn't know my own bed. As if I'd never notice the way she brushed her hair from her forehead. And she said losing love is like a window in your heart – everybody sees you're blown apart,
everybody sees the wind blow…."

Sara's voice was low but sweet. He always enjoyed walking into trace or the drying room and hearing her sing as she worked. His mood soured as he realized he was thirty when this album had come out. He had just been recruited to the Las Vegas lab when she was fifteen. There's such a breadth of time between us. What do I have to build a bridge over that?

Sara's foot was tapping to the music of an Eagles song as she looked over the map. "I think we should head towards Tahoe City, from the looks of it there are more accessible beaches in that direction."

"You're the navigator." They had left the desert flora behind and as they drove along the winding road they finally reached the summit. Various species of evergreens covered the mountains, interspersed with the burnt remains of a wildfire. Before and below them lay Tahoe Lake, the blue of the water contesting the sky. There was still snow on the peaks of the mountains around it although flowers were in bloom around the road. Where the water turned to a blue-green color was a little island with ruins that looked more in context with England or Wales.

As they drove downward, they saw sails on the surface of the lake and little powerboats skipping along the waves. The houses along the shore would be more aptly named mansions, although once they got into the towns there were more mundane domiciles.

They began to see beaches alongside the road and finally picked one that wasn't packed with people. There were some children hunting crawdads with buckets and adults watching from further up the beach. They got out of the car and soon had the trunk emptied, easily accommodating each other. He had the cooler and cutlery, she had the blanket and their swimsuits.

She spread out the blanket in a somewhat shaded patch next to some large boulders, dropped there by glaciers long ago. He weighted the corners of the blanket with their shoes and in no time they were enjoying their impromptu picnic. I don't know how we do it, but we just know what the other person needs. Almost before I even know I need it. Maybe that's why she knew I needed her before I did.

Theirs was a relationship of omissions – what neither acknowledged was bound in smoldering glances and hovering hands. There were some things that could only by freed and remembered with a high proof of alcohol. Which made sense that he was thinking about it now – now that they were back at Tahoe, a beach blanket and cooler in tow.

Of course, the circumstances were different – he wasn't on vacation and hadn't been talked into staying at Sara's friend's cabin perched on the Donner summit. She had been the one with the obscure knowledge – grinning as she told tales of cannibalism and walls of snow.

"Should I worry when I go to sleep tonight?" his cheekier self had tossed out.

"Oh, I don't think so. It is summer after all. But if I need a midnight snack – I know where you sleep."

Sara took a bite out of her cracker and cheese and Grissom shivered, imagining those teeth nibbling other things. Brushing crumbs off her shirt, she tossed the forensics journal he had been reading last night to him and lay down on her stomach. Flipping open her own journal, her legs crossed in the air behind her she sipped on the wine while flipping pages.

The sun warmed Grissom's skin and he leaned against a rock and put on his glasses. It was a fortunate coincidence that this allowed him to read and watch the slow arcs of Sara's legs in the air. The silence hummed.

&&&&&&&

The M.S. Dixie chugged slowly along the surface of Lake Tahoe, passing through the small wavelettes of dark water. The stars shone in the summer sky and Grissom took a deep breath, savoring the background for Sara's beauty. Savoring the moment and comparing it against others in his past. The memories are getting faded, worn around the edges – and here she is, offering me pin-pricks of light in a cloudless sky. Offering me the lines of her cheeks, the ridges of her collarbones. All the details of life that have faded from my memories.

The pops of the initial fireworks sounded and the few children on the cruise exclaimed and stared at the sky. Sara was leaning back against the railings, casually watching him out of the corner of her eyes. He could feel her looks as though they were a physical presence. He walked the few steps to join her at the railing, the first firework whistling into the sky. Sparkles of gold drifted down and lit her face.

"Do you remember when we watched the fireworks from the bridge near your friend's cabin? The sky has the same kind of clarity."

"Do you find that clarity is something you lack Grissom?"

"Only in some things."

Sara turned and looked out across the water. "You keep looking to the past Grissom. Is that really enough to satisfy you? Because it's just enough to keep me wanting more." She ducked her head to her chest, but he could still see her blinking back tears.

Sara's voice expressed her frustration, but it was her eyes that made Grissom breathless. The intensity of her look, the way he felt as though she peered into the core of him and saw the faults and didn't care. The depth of emotion he saw there, that was everything he'd ever feared of finding. It was all there. And just as he had feared, he didn't have the will to reject what she was offering a second time. Still he couldn't quite toss all his caution into the cool breeze of the evening.

He turned and watched the sparkling drift of fireworks, preceded by explosions and followed by the "oohs" and "ahhs" of young children on the boat. "Fireworks are all in the timing – sometimes a big explosion is disastrous. And sometimes the delay on the starter is too long or the powder gets wet and it doesn't ignite." Grissom paused for a moment and Sara murmured into the silence, "Are you saying that my powder is wet Grissom?"

"I'm just wondering about the timing."

"Some of the best fireworks have a slow start Grissom. Sometimes you have to let things build, like a crescendo. It starts out softly but before you know it symbols are crashing in your ears and washing over you is the most beautiful melody, something you could only half hear before."

"So you don't think I'm a dud."

"No, Grissom." She brushed his cheek softly. "Never a dud."

&&&&&&&

Grissom watched as his breath stirred the hairs at the nape of Sara's neck, wondered at his hands holding her close to him. "Sara?" he queried softly.

"Mmm?" She turned in his arms and nestled her head in the crook of his neck and shoulder.

"Why me?"

"I dunno, I guess I decided it wouldn't kill me to have some fun…to get a life." She half smiled at him. "I hear some people have them."

Grissom ruminated, "You know, I have hobbies. Maybe I'll try this life thing with you." Sara responded with a grin – a vibrant, dancing-eyed, face splitting grin that lit up her face. She was the dawn – a soft luminescence encompassing his starry night. Neither minded being engulfed.

"For thus merely touching you is enough, is best,

And thus touching you would I silently sleep and be carried eternally."