Hello lovely readers. Thank you for all your reviews. We're now moving on, it's time to see just how Sara is doing with her separation from Grissom.

I hope you enjoy and please leave a comment, I love them all.

All mistake are mine.

Chapter 2

Sara Sidle wiped a hand across her forehead. Summers in Vegas were hot, but nothing had prepared her for the heat and humidity of the Costa Rican rainforest. She couldn't remember the last time she had gone, even a second, without sweating since she had arrived. But Sara didn't mind. She revelled in every drop of sweat that poured from her. Savoured each ray of the sun. Though, she probably could have done without the mosquitos. Covering herself in insect repellent became as much of her routine as brushing her teeth.

Sara was sat in their office tent, pouring over the latest data they had gathered. The team had come here to document the wildlife, plant life, and atmosphere of the rainforest. Collating evidence and information on the ecosystem that kept the rainforest going, and its impact on the world in general. So many rainforests and natural reserves were being pulled down to make way for the encroaching humans, who had no respect or care for the creatures that made it their home.

Their team was one of many, brought together under the same goal of saving the natural world others deem inconsequential. Sara had always known than mankind was a selfish race. She had lost count of the many cases she had investigated that were caused because of greed, and Sara could never understand how one person could value numbers in a bank account over another human, or creature, or the earth.

She remembered telling Grissom once, that it never ceased to amaze her what people would do to one another. And with every case she worked, that feeling had gotten worse. She had become a CSI because she wanted to help, to speak for those who couldn't speak for themselves. Now she was doing that here. Speaking for the rainforest, its animals, and insects. Its plants and trees. They have no voice, so Sara willingly gave them hers.

She would be lying if she said that she didn't miss Vegas. She missed her team, her friends. She missed her home, and even certain aspects of her job. Most of all, she missed Grissom. Each day without him left some gaping hole in her heart. With each mile that took her from him, that hole grew to the point that, sometimes, she found it difficult to concentrate. Her focus centring on the missing piece of her soul.

But for all of that, for the first time in over a year, Sara could finally breathe. Finally wake in the morning without nightmares plaguing her. She couldn't bring herself to regret her decision to leave. If she hadn't, God only knows what would have happened.

It didn't take away the ache though.

It didn't stop her missing him. Longing for him. Whishing things could have been different. That she could have handled Vegas, or that he could have left with her.

Sara shook her head and focused once more on the reports before her. Thinking of Grissom would not help her now, she needed her mind fixed on their data. She made a few notes in her notebook, jotting down the answers to her mental calculations.

"Sara?" A voice called to her from outside and Dr Julian Osbourne, their team leader, and world-renowned microbiologist, poked his head through the tent flaps. "You're still here? Have you eaten anything at all today?" He asked, concern written over his face.

"I didn't even realise the time," Sara replied, honestly. She had been so focused on her work she had forgotten to eat. The 'Sara Sidle diet', Greg called it. A small pang shot through her at the thought of her old friend. They hadn't spoken in a while. Sara made a mental note to call him later.

"Honey," another voice sounded. "Where do you want these samples?" Helen Osbourne stepped into the tent after her husband, a clear box full of what Sara knew to be various vegetation from the river a few miles away. "Oh, hi Sara. Have you eaten yet?"

Sara rolled her eyes, ever since she had joined the team, Julian and Helen had appointed themselves her surrogate parents. Despite only being a few years older.

"I'm just about too," Sara said, putting away the documents she had scattered over her field desk.

"Good," Helen said before turning back to her husband. "Where do you want these?"

"Just put them on the work desk with the rest," Julian replied.

"I would," Helen said, with a smile. "But you've put so much on it already, I don't think the poor table would cope with anymore."

Sara chuckled. Julian was so meticulous, he insisted on checking and double checking everything that came through to him. He said that he just liked to keep busy, but Sara knew that he enjoyed the work. Even the more tedious aspects any other leader would pass off to the less senior members of the team. He reminded her of Grissom. Another pang shot through her as thoughts of the entomologist, once more, plagued her mind.

Sara left the couple, still smiling softly, and made her way to the food tent. Julian, thanks to his connections, was able to hire a cook for them. Something Sara was profoundly grateful for. He was a local, Jose Vargas, Julian and Helen had met the last time they came here. Sara smiled at Jose when she entered and waved him down as he went dish her a plate. She wasn't really that hungry, so she picked up a couple of jocotoes and headed back to her own tent.

Her tent was pitched in a little alcove just off the main camp. Surrounded by tall trees and at least once a day Sara would find a little capuchin monkey attempting to rifle through her bags. She had learned quickly to lock everything away, after having to send for a replacement camera when the monkey dropped it from his perch in the tree.

She popped a berry into her mouth, savouring the refreshing juice that spilled in her mouth, and perched on a fallen branch opposite her tent. She had made the alcove as homely as she could. Tables set up for her equipment sat in the middle and her washing hung between her tent and a tree to her right. The clothing would be dry by now, but Sara couldn't bring herself to move. Instead, she settled herself on her branch and enjoyed the warmth of the sun kissing her already tanned face.

Sara slipped her hand into her pocket and her fingers clasped around the small blue marble she kept there. She could remember the day Grissom had given it to her. Sara was still working in San Francisco at the time, and they had met, once more, at a conference. She was tired and frustrated with a case she was working, and her boss was more interested in saving money than actually catching criminals.

Grissom had listened to her rant and rave for a good thirty minutes before he spoke. He pulled out the marble from his pocket.

"Some people only see this as a job, they don't, or won't, care about the people we meet. Maybe it's to protect themselves. We meet people on the worst days of their lives, and we can't let our emotions cloud our judgment." He paused, rolling the marble between his fingers. "I've met my fair share of ambitious CSI's. They think as a politician, which is why many of them go on to being the heads of their labs. We can do nothing to stop them, we can only do what we can to speak for the victim."

"So," Sara said, dryly. "I'm supposed to just let them walk all over me? Stop what I'm doing so they can get what they want?"

"No," Grissom said, seriously. "You're supposed to do everything you can to get justice. You're supposed to follow the evidence and let that lead you, but sometimes you'll need to find a new way of doing it. A way that will allow them to think they've got the upper hand, so they won't stop you."

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Sara asked.

"There's no hard and fast rule," Grissom replied. "Sometimes you've just got to roll with it and see where it takes you." He threw the marble in the air and Sara caught it.

Sara's fingered the marble. Ever since that day, she had kept the marble on her person and when she found herself getting frustrated or angry, she would slip her hand in her pocket. She knew the marble analogy was one Grissom had used often, and she was sure there were more than a couple of her old colleagues that probably carried a similar trinket in their own pocket. But that didn't make hers any less special.

For a moment, Sara just sat there. Allowing herself the luxury of thinking about him without censure. To think about his face, his voice, his mind. His hands as they held hers. His skin on her skin. She thought about how he listened to her. Not to respond as so many do, but to listen. To hear what she had to say. How he drank in every word, as if it were the most important, most profound, most precious thing he had ever heard.

Though she wished it could be different, Sara would never, could never blame him for staying. He wasn't done yet, he had so much more to give and teach. Grissom was needed in Vegas and as much as she missed him, Sara would never be so selfish to make him leave before he was ready.

Those last few days in Vegas still haunted her. Both of them grieving. When Sara received Greg's call, she had instantly left. As much as she needed to be away from Vegas, she knew, at that moment, that was where she had to be. Warrick was her friend, part of her found family. She loved him and, as much as it pained her, she wouldn't have been anywhere else in that moment.

She had managed to keep her tears at bay throughout the flight, even as she walked into the lab. Judy, the ever-faithful receptionist, was the first to greet her. Tears in the young woman's eyes as she saw who had just entered. They didn't say anything, there were no words to be said at that moment. What did you say? Sara had always known their taught phrase, 'I'm sorry for your loss', was a hollow sentiment. It didn't take away the hurt. So, they just nodded to each other, and Sara made her way to his office.

She wanted to see him first, wanted him to be the first to know she was back because, even though she came back because of Warrick, she came back for him. As she walked into the familiar room, memories hit her like a flood. The countless times she had sat across from Grissom, both before and after they had started their relationship. The conversations they shared there and the cases they solved.

Memories of the team, all sitting around the room, laughing together, celebrating. She remembered when Greg passed his proficiency. How they had all hid behind him as Grissom pulled the string, spinning the chair with Jell-O man sitting on it. The sign resting against his chest. She remembered how she and Warrick sat here once, arguing over an experiment before laughing about it a few moments later.

Tears started to build up once more, but Sara fought them. She would not break down now, not yet. The lab was quiet, quieter than she ever remembered hearing it before and Sara knew it was because of their fallen friend. The man was loved by everyone here and each person would feel his loss.

Sara placed her bag down at the desk and wanted nothing more than to sit in the chair. But she made herself stay standing. Knowing, if she sat, she might very well fall asleep before Grissom came back. She hadn't stopped since she received Greg's call, and the travel was finally catching up with her.

So, she perched on the edge of the desk, facing the door so she would see him as soon as he arrived. It didn't take long.

Grissom had grown out his beard again, and there was more grey at his temples than before she had left. His shoulders were slumped and there was pain written all over his face. He was wearing one of the labs rain jackets, and Sara guessed his other clothing was taken into evidence. Greg hadn't gone into much detail, but he had told her that Grissom was with Warrick when he died.

Sara straightened as he walked in, and he froze when he saw her. The barrier she had kept in place broke as she watched the emotions fly over his face. Pain, hurt, joy, grief. Love. It was the last one that got her feet moving, not wanting to be apart from him any longer. When she took her first step, he was moving towards her.

They met in the middle of the room. Both clinging onto the other. Sara could feel his arms tighten around her as if he was trying to convince himself she was there, that this was really real. She held him firmly, doing what she can to reassure him and spoke her first words since arriving at the lab.

"I got the first flight out." She was crying then, and he nestled his head into her neck. Inhaling deeply. They stayed that way for a while, just holding each other. She had missed him so much and her heart was breaking. Thankfully, no one disturbed them. Though Sara knew that, more than once, someone had come to see Grissom. She had even seen Henry, the toxicologist, walk up to the door. But as soon as he saw Sara, he just gave a sad nod and walked away.

Eventually, Sara pulled back, though Grissom wouldn't let her go far. He held her close to him, so she rested her forehead against his and he opened his eyes. Those blue spheres glistening with unshed tears and Sara couldn't help herself. Needing to do something, anything, to give him comfort. She pressed her lips lightly against his. For the first time not caring where they were.

The moment their lips touched Grissom's hand rose to cradle her cheek. He pulled her to him, moving his mouth with hers with a gentility that almost made her cry once more. When they finally broke apart, Sara led him to the chairs, and they sat facing one another. She asked him what happened, and he talked to her. Sara held his hand as he spoke, offering words of comfort, not once taking her eyes from his face.

It was only the entrance of the rest of the team that broke their spell. The reunion nothing like what she had expected if she had ever decided to return. And she was hit with another painful reminder that Warrick was gone, when she instantly looked for him after she hugged Nick. The days that followed were full of more pain than Sara could handle. She wanted to be there for Grissom, but with each passing moment she was finding it harder and harder to breath.

After the death of Pamela Adler, the arrest of her husband Tom, and the subsequent conversation with Grissom, Sara knew she had to leave. She couldn't stay there. So, she had packed her bags and left. Julian had told her the Sea Sheppard was due to leave in a few days and, if she still wanted to, Sara was welcome to join their team. She met them in San Diego and was instantly swept on board. It was a few days, after they had set sail, that she sent her video to Grissom.

Now, sitting here in the warm Costa Rican sun, surrounded by such beauty it could only have been made by nature, Sara allowed herself to truly feel how much she missed and loved Gil Grissom. He hadn't responded to her email, not that she expected him to. He had made his decision, and she had made hers. She would not hold him to anything, and she really hoped, with all her heart, that he would find happiness once more.

If anyone deserved that, it was Grissom.