A Definite Bet

Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry about the delay! I tried to finish this before I left for vacation, but unfortunately it didn't happen. I hope you all have enjoyed reading this and I hope you like the ending. Thank you all very much for taking time to review; I appreciate all of them :)

Fair warning: This bit contains a large dose of tooth-decaying sugar. I'm a fangirl. It's what I do.

Grissom stood with a glass of champagne in his hand talking to Brass and Al. The homicide captain and the chief medical examiner were giving the new husband marriage advice; some serious, some not. Grissom smirked and shook his head at Al's latest remark when someone tapped his shoulder. He turned to find Hodges.

"I was just leaving, and I wanted to congratulate you. It was a nice wedding, and I'm sure you and Sara will be very happy." Something in Hodges' voice didn't seem quite sincere.

"I'd certainly bet on it," Grissom answered lightly.

Hodges turned slightly pale at Grissom's words. He fumbled with his neck tie for moment as if it had become too tight. "Yes, well…um..." He cleared his throat. "I also wanted to volunteer my services for your R and D work when you come back. I wouldn't mind collaborating with you on some projects. With our combined knowledge, we can easily get the Las Vegas crime lab into the number one spot."

A small smile crept onto Grissom's face. "That's good, because I actually have a job for you. I'm going to need you to take decomposition samples for a new study."

Hodges swallowed. "Decomposition samples?"

"From four bodies in different settings. One in sewer pipe, one in a shed, one under water, and the last body will be in a car. The body farm has been kind enough to set up the cadavers for me. All you need to do is take tissue samples every other day over the period of a month."

The trace analyst opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out. He continued to stare at the former nightshift supervisor with wide eyes until Grissom said, "What's wrong? You look like someone who made a really stupid bet."

After taking a deep breath through his nose, Hodges opened and closed his mouth several times, much like a sea bass. He quickly pulled himself together, and he managed a rather tight expression. "Nothing's wrong. I'll, um…I'll be glad to help."

"Thank you." Grissom's smile grew wider.

Hodges said "goodnight," before he scurried away. When Grissom turned back to the other two men Al asked, "What was that about?"

"'A fool and his money are soon parted…'"

David Phillips waited twenty-eight minutes before he got his opportunity to talk to Sara. The reception had wound down, and the guests left giving their best wishes to the bride and groom. Every time he wanted to speak with her though, another friend would beat him to it. But after she said good-bye to a few of the female lab technicians, he hurried over to where she stood by the doors.

"Thanks for inviting Rachel and me. We had a great time, and your wedding was really beautiful."

"Thank you David," she replied warmly. A few seconds of silence passed between them. "What? No good luck like everyone else has told us?" Sara teasingly said.

He just shrugged. "Why? You and Grissom don't need luck. You two will be fine." Earlier in the evening, David stepped out on the expansive patio outside the dining room for a breath of fresh air. When he heard a soft giggle, he walked around a colorful flower bed, and spotted Grissom and Sara in the shadows. Grissom had one arm around her back while his other hand rested over the hand Sara had on his shoulder. The pair danced in small circles which struck David as odd because no music could be heard. It wasn't until he'd noticed Grissom's lips pressed against her ear that he'd figured out why she had giggled. Sara's husband was singing to her. David had smiled to himself, and left the couple to their private moment.

She smiled brightly at him. "That's really sweet of you to say that."

"Umm…thanks." He stared at his feet for a minute, hoping the pink would disappear from his cheeks. "Besides, he doesn't have a problem taking your advice."

"What advice?"

"He dropped the glasses, lost the lab coat, and grew some scruff."

"Not exactly. He still has the glasses and lab coat," she laughed. "But he only gets a D plus for cute," she added with a wink.

"Probably the one time I will rank above Grissom," he said jokingly. His expression then turned more serious. "Congratulations, Sara. I have no doubt you and Grissom will have a wonderful life together."

Sara surprised David when she pulled him into a hug, but he happily returned the gesture. They chatted for a few more minutes before he and Rachel left. As they walked through the doors, David turned and caught a glimpse of Sara kissing Grissom's cheek.

Hodges was definitely going to lose.

With the last of their friends gone, Grissom sought out his wife. After talking with just about everyone that evening, he eagerly awaited spending some time alone with Sara. While planning the wedding, they had decided that staying at a fancy hotel before the honeymoon just wasn't necessary. Instead the two opted to go back home for their first night as a married couple.

He found her on the patio near the blooming honeysuckle plants. Once he wrapped his arms around her in a gentle hug, he trailed soft kisses up her neck to her ear. "So are you ready to spend all of tomorrow in bed with your husband?"

"Yeah, but what are you going to be doing?" She whispered back.

He chuckled lightly before nuzzling the warm skin of her neck. The faint fragrant smell of her vanilla perfume invaded his senses, traveled to his brain, and etched itself in his memory. The deliciously sweet aroma would forever be associated with the finest day of his life.

They held hands as they waited for the valet to bring them the car. The full moon illuminated the ground with a silvery glow. Crickets chirped their contended song in the darkness. Just behind Sara, the sunshine yellows, bold reds, and cobalt blues of the flowers provided a brilliant backdrop against her white dress.

"So now that we're officially married, do you feel any different?" she asked.

"My left hand feels a little heavier." He gave her a crooked smile and a little shrug. His gaze shifted from her face to one of the lamps that could be seen over her left shoulder.

Her mouth opened to an exasperated sigh. "I thought things would be different now. I mean, when do we feel this whole marriage thing? The rings are supposed to represent a deep commitment, so…"

Grissom barely heard her rant as he concentrated on the small beam of light. Narrowing his eyes, he tried to determine the identity of the object of his attention. A few moments later, after much thinking, he finally recognized the little creature. Of course, that was also the time Sara chose to wave her hands in his line of vision.

"Gil? Hello? What the heck are you staring at?"

"Stars shine brightly in the night; making marriage and love seem so right; and Hyalophora cercropia finds the light." She turned to see what had distracted him. A tawny-colored moth fluttered around the light in the garden.

Her melodious laughter sounded sweet against his ears. Placing both hands on either side of his face, she kissed him slowly and forcefully. Her mouth still tasted like chocolate and raspberries, and her lips felt softer than the wedding cake's frosting. When she brushed her thumbs against his cheeks, his heart fluttered. He would never admit her kisses left him absolutely no higher order brain function.

Not all of Grissom's senses were distracted as he heard the valet politely clear his throat. The pair gently separated, and Grissom took the keys to the jet black Corvette from the young man. Nick, Warrick, Greg, and Brass had presented the couple with the rental sports car before they left for the reception. The men, particularly Greg, insisted Grissom and Sara needed the proper ride for their wedding. Warrick informed them to drop the vehicle off at the rental garage in the airport when they left for their honeymoon.

"I get to drive this to the airport on Monday," she told him once they were inside and buckled into the seats.

"Yes dear," came his retort.

For the first time in several years, Grissom and Sara were actually going to use their vacation days. They both had taken three weeks off for their honeymoon. Their first destination was going to be in South Carolina at a Victorian home bed-and-breakfast. A small, secluded beach house they had bought in California was planned for the second week. Afterward, they had chosen to stay at the townhouse to relish in the newness of spending the rest of their lives together.

After Grissom pulled into a parking space at their home, he exited the car and went to open Sara's door. After she got out, he moved to place one arm around her back to pick her up, but she quickly backed away from him. "The carrying bride over the threshold thing is one tradition we can forget about."

He cocked his head to the side. "Why?"

"Do you know the origin of that tradition?" She rolled her eyes when he smiled knowingly. "In days of 'marriage by capture' the bride wasn't going to go peacefully in the new home with her husband so the man had to drag or carry her across the threshold. A little too caveman for me. I'm perfectly capable of getting in there on my own."

"There are other reasons behind carrying the bride," he said as he approached her slowly. And in one swift motion he swept her up in his arms. Sara playfully struggled, but Grissom kept a tight hold.

She must have realized that he wasn't going to let go because she gave up and put her arms around his neck. "They had better be good reasons," she informed him somewhat seriously.

"One tradition says the new wife must enter her home by the main door, and to avoid bad luck, she must never trip or fall. So her husband must carry her." He started walking toward the front door

"What happens if you trip?" She asked before she pressed her lips to his neck.

Halting in his tracks, he looked at her bright, gap-toothed smile. "I'm watching where I'm going." He continued walking and speaking. "Another reason for carrying the bride comes from the same belief that gave the idea of strewing the aisle with flower petals. It was believed the bride was susceptible to evil spirits. The husband provides a protective layer between the floor and the bride." He skillfully unlocked and opened the door without dropping her.

She whispered," So basically you're protecting me from ground monsters."

"Always, Sara," he promised softly. Taking a deep breath, Grissom crossed over the threshold with his wife and closed the door behind them.

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The End.