Chapter 18

Nick pressed his hand to Sara's chest trying to stop the bleeding.

"Any excuse Nicky", Sara said trying to smile through the agony.

Nick flushed red. "Whatever you say Sara, just get out of this ok, so you can hit me properly for groping you at such an inappropriate time!"

"Oh don't worry that won't be the only thing I will be hitting you for Nicky", she said, her breath coming in gasps now. Her laughter soon turned to fits of coughing, blood trickled from her mouth.

"Warrick, where is that ambulance?"

"It's on the way Nick, it will be here in five, just keep your hand on that wound ok?"

"Don't worry I am not going anywhere", Nick said pressing harder on Sara's chest. She was losing a lot of blood and was starting to become very pale and sweaty looking.

"Stay with me darling", Nick said in his soft drawl, "we are nearly there now, not long before you get to see the others".

"Did we lose anyone else Nicky?" Sara asked softly.

"No Sara, not as far as I know, everyone is doing fine".

She started to cry again.

"Sara its ok. Just a few more minutes and this ordeal will all be over".

"It will never be over Nicky, not for me".

"Of course it will, you are going to move past this Sara, you can't hold on to one bad experience, you know that right? You are too damn good at your job to throw it away because of one crazy guy. Besides, he isn't going to be giving anyone hassle from here on in", Nick said looking at the bloody remains of Dave Phillips' body slumped on the ground.

"How's Warrick doing?" Sara asked, passing over the subject. The reason she couldn't go on wasn't because of this ordeal, it was because her life was over without Gil. How could she explain this to Nick? And why wasn't he realising that fact anyway? She isn't the only one that would have to try and get on with life without him. The entire team had lost their leader and friend not just her. Was Nick just trying to dwell on the good things in light of the exceptionally grim situation they were in?

"He's quiet Sara but I think he is ok. He did what he needed to do."

Warrick rang the ambulance crew again. "Where the Hell are you guys? She is bleeding out here; can you step on it please?"

"They'll be here in five Sara just hang on" Warrick said as he took her hand.

"How you doing Nick? You need me to take over?" Warrick asked.

"I got it man, I just need the damn paramedics to show up, and she can't afford to lose much more blood."

"Hey, why don't ye try not talking about me like I am not here", Sara said in her characteristic sardonic way. Her words were coming slowly and her breathing was becoming more shallow. Both Warrick and Nick knew she didn't have that long left. She needed to get to a hospital in the next few minutes. They heard the ambulance pulling up outside the Golf Club.

"Thank God", Nick said silently.

"Ok Sara, let's go get you fixed up", Nick said trying his best to sound upbeat.

"So you can take your hand off my boobs now? Is that what you are telling me Nicky?" she said managing her devilish smile.

"You're welcome!" Nick retorted sarcastically.

"We'll follow you to the hospital ok?" Warrick said and kissed her on the forehead.

"Guys", Sara said, "Thanks".

"Any time beautiful", Nick said.

They jumped in the Tahoe and followed the ambulance to the hospital.

"She is coming round", Catherine said to the others.

Sara had endured hours of surgery, it had been touch and go a few times, but with the help of a blood transfusion, they had managed to replace the blood she had lost and although it would take time, she was going to be just fine.

She opened her eyes slowly and saw Catherine, Nick, Warrick & Greg sitting round her bed.

"Well hey there", she said groggily.

"Hey yourself", Catherine said hugging her tenderly, being careful to not hurt her. "You gave us quite a fright Sara. We thought we had…… well that doesn't matter now, you are here and ok," she continued hugging her again.

"I gave myself a fright too, there were more than a couple of times I thought I was going to the eternal staff room in the sky. Still at least I would have been in good company with Gil", Sara said the tears flowing freely down her face.

"Did someone mention my name?" Gil said arriving in with cups of coffee for everyone.

"Gil?" Sara asked quizzically.

"Last time I checked", he said as calm as ever.

"But, but… he … I don't understand? Am I dreaming?" Sara asked thoroughly confused and convinced that she was having some anaesthetic induced dream.

"I am here now that's all that matters Sara", Gil said quietly.

Catherine turned to the others "let's give these two some time together ok?" She was the only one who knew the truth of their feelings, and they needed time and space to work that out on their own.

Each one in turn went and kissed Sara on the forehead, and told her they would check in tomorrow.

Sara didn't even notice they were gone; she only had eyes for Gil. He was like a vision in front of her. She still couldn't work out if he was real or not.

"Are you an angel Gil?" she asked him softly, lifting her hand to his face and tracing the lines on his cheek with her finger.

"Contrary to popular belief, I haven't always been good Sara, I have my moments too you know", he said smiling at her.

"But I saw Dave kill you, I heard the gun, so I can't understand how you are here", Sara said still confused by all this.

"Sara, you heard the gunshot alright, but you didn't see me die did you? Never assume anything until you have all the evidence presented to you. That is one of the first things I taught you".

"Gil, it is you", she said sitting up in the bed, blatantly ignoring her pain and wrapping her arms around his neck. "I thought I had lost you forever", she said. "I should have told you earlier on as soon as you told me… …"

"Yes Sara?" Gil said looking directly into her beautiful eyes. He could happily spend eternity swimming in those eyes he thought to himself dreamily.

"I love you too Gil", Sara continued. For the first time in her life, she wasn't scared or worried about someone's reaction. If tonight had taught her anything it was to say exactly what she felt from here on in. It was fear that had made her come across as so cold and emotionless for so long. Not any more. She had her arms around the love of her life and she was on the cusp of the rest of her life with him, things couldn't be much better.

"You do Sara?" Gil asked cautiously. "Really?"

"You are the reason I am here Gil, Nick and Warrick saved my body, but you saved my soul and spirit. The whole way through this horrendous ordeal, I just concentrated on you, I kept thinking of how much you loved me, and I knew I had to keep going for you. Even when I thought you were gone, I still thought that I had to keep going, it is what you would have wanted. I knew you were with me Gil. I know it sounds crazy but you brought me home, you got me through all this. I never thought I would see you again, but knowing how much you loved me was enough to get me through. So yes Gil, I really, truly and completely love you, and now that you are here I am not going to let you go again. I love you, I love you, I love you", she said and then kissed him gently on the lips.

Gil brushed a stray tear away from his cheek, he had never been so happy in all his life. He and Sara had journeyed so far to get to this point, and now that he was here he couldn't quite believe it.

"Thank you", he said. It was the only word he could find. Her speech had entirely and utterly left him speechless.

"Thank you for believing in my love for you and getting home safely", he said kissing her forehead, then her nose and finally her lips.

She pressed her lips against his; she never wanted this feeling to stop. Whereas once she had been overcome with lust for Gil, this was a whole new experience; this was love in all its glory. She had never felt it with anyone, and she never wanted it to end.

She opened her mouth gently, letting this new emotion of love get mixed up with pure, unbridled passion. She explored Gil's mouth with her tongue, probing deeper and deeper into the depths of ecstasy.

He gently touched her face and neck, wanting to consume all of her at once but not hurting her at the same time. He reached under her hospital gown to where her newly applied bandages were wrapped across her chest. He lightly and deftly felt over them until he located Sara's hardening nipple. He lightly squeezed her breast and ran his thumb over her nipple. She arched her back in response to his touch. He broke their kiss and started to work his way down her neck, across her collar bone and towards her breasts.

He looked up at her "tell me if I am hurting you ok?" he said softly, his voice filled with genuine concern.

"You take the pain away Gil", she said leading his head towards her navel underneath her bandages. She wanted to feel his light kisses against her bare skin.

He kissed her stomach lightly and made his way down to her thighs. She moved towards him, every inch of her aching for him. He lightly kissed and brushed against her in the place where she yearned for him most. He quickly took off her underwear and began to lick and kiss between her legs. Sara moaned audibly. She had forgotten how good he was at oral sex. It had after all been a few years since she had had sex with him.

As his pace increased so did the waves of ecstasy that Sara was experiencing. She entirely forgot she was in a hospital bed, she could have been in any top hotel anywhere in the world, and it would have been just as wonderful. She wanted to feel the full length of Gil inside her, before she succumbed to the orgasmic waves that were washing over her.

"Gil, wait," she said her breath ragged.

"You ok Sara? Did I hurt you?" he asked.

"No, you didn't hurt me", she said. "I just want to feel all of you inside me, that's all", she said in a husky seductive tone.

"Well I am sure that can be arranged", he said lifting himself up the bed to face her. He kissed her passionately, and leaned over her. He balanced himself using all the strength in his upper arms, making sure he wouldn't lean directly on her chest as that would be too painful for her.

Sara opened his trousers with no difficulty and in minutes he was naked from the waist down. He slipped under the covers making sure to position himself in such a way that he wouldn't hurt her.

She guided him into her, and they began to have the most incredible sex either of them had ever experienced either with each other or anyone else. It was as if being in love added a whole new dimension to an already wonderful act. After what felt like an eternity of blissful happiness, they climaxed together.

Sara looked into Gil's eyes and kissed him lightly "I love you Gil Grissom", she whispered.

"And I love you Sara Sidle", Gil said lightly kissing her on the nose. After a few minutes he said "spend your life with me Sara, make me the happiest man alive."

"I thought I had lost you tonight, and it was the worst pain I have ever felt, I don't ever want to lose you again Gil. So yes, I will spend my life with you. I will try my best to make you happy every day, and I will never leave you" she said smiling her broad smile. She felt like a teenager again, it was a feeling that she wanted to experience every day for the rest of her life, and that was just what she was going to try to do, with the man of her dreams next to her.

The End.