Thank you, thank you, thank you everyone for all your reviews. I cannot tell you how much they mean to me. I'm glad you're enjoying this!

Onto the next. We're sticking with the reunion, but from Sara POV.

I've had a couple of requests to do a story set around 'Dead Doll' and 'Living Doll'. I'm currently working on one set during 'Immortality' (well, inspired by 'Immortality', but my own little story). But, once that is completed, I will certainly start looking at 'Dead Doll' and 'Living Doll'.

If anyone has any other requests, either fics set during a specific episode, or standalone ideas, send me a message. I write down every prompt I'm given and wait to see where inspiration takes me. (Also, if you have any requests that aren't GSR related, or even CSI related, please send them in too and I'll see what I can do)

Anyway, that's enough from me, onto the chapter. I hope you enjoy and, as always, please review!

Chapter 5

Sara stayed sat on the branch for a long time after Helen had left. Her mind spinning with the questions her friend had asked her. She knew Helen meant well, that she cared about her, and Sara couldn't bring herself to be annoyed at the woman's prying.

In fact, she liked it. It reminded her of Catherine. The older woman was always trying to pry into other people's business. Especially Grissom's. Sara could remember countless times her friend cornered her after their relationship had 'gone public'.

Begging for any scrap of information she could gain on their relationship. Sara knew Catherine wasn't a gossip, she was just nosey. But she also cared. On one occasion, not long after Sara had returned to the lab, Catherine had cornered her in the locker room.

"Hey," she said. "How's swing treating you?"

"Oh, you know," Sara replied, trying to keep her voice light. "Same thing, just in daylight."

Catherine chuckled as she opened her locker. Sara watched as she dumped her bag, getting ready for the nights work. Sara was still on the clock, and she and Ronnie had just been called out to a B&E in Henderson. She should have been making sure her kit was ready, but couldn't bring herself to do it right then.

She was tired, and she didn't even have the meds to blame it on anymore. Her arm was fully healed and the pain in her body was gone. Leaving nothing to distract her from the pain in her heart. Sara looked back at her locker, the picture she had recently put up, one of her and Grissom a couple of years ago, stared out at her. She couldn't even muster a smile for it.

For the first couple of weeks, after her kidnapping, Sara thought she was healing. Grissom had taken a few weeks off to help her, and the two of them had become closer than ever in that time. Now there was no need to hide their relationship, they were even able to entertain the team at their house. It was weird at first, the only one who seemed truly comfortable was Catherine Though she was probably the only one who didn't think the idea of Grissom in a romantic relationship, in any form of relationship, strange.

Sara could remember laughing with the guys, taking their teasing good-naturedly. Was even able to have a few moments with Greg, the only one who had known of the relationship before Grissom blurted it out.

"I thought for sure," Greg had said to her, while the rest of the team had headed to the kitchen to organise food. "That you would have been the one to let it slip." He grinned up at her, his boyish face lighting with amusement.

"What?" Sara said, with mock indignation. "I knew it would be Grissom," she said after a few moments. She had already teased Grissom about not being able to keep his mouth shut, mostly when she was trying to chase away the darkness that clouded his face as he thought about what had happened to her. That was Sara's way: laugh about it, so it doesn't make you cry.

"Really?" Greg asked her.

"Yeah, and the way you described it was exactly how I imagined him doing it. Minus the kidnapping, of course." Sara laughed, forcing the sound out of her like she had been doing ever since she had woken up in the hospital. If she laughed, if she pretended she was alright, then maybe, one day, she would be.

"An off-handed comment he didn't even release he made," Greg surmised.

"That's Grissom," she really did chuckle then, nothing forced about it, as something warm flooded through her. Yes, that was Grissom. It was how he was, saying something without realising he had done so. Sara had lost count of the times he had said something sweet, or loving, without meaning too. Especially before they had gotten together. After, the words had become more purposeful, he had meant to say them as opposed to them slipping out. Though it did still happen, much to Sara's delight, more often than not.

"Are you ok?" Catherine asked, pulling her form her thoughts. Sara looked over to see the older woman watching her carefully.

Since coming back to the lab, since her body had started to heal, Sara found it harder to drown out the voices. Each case was harder than the last. She and Grissom were seeing less of each other, due to their conflicting shifts, and Sara was slowly getting swallowed whole.

"Yeah," Sara said, mentally shaking herself. "Still not used to the new sleep regime." She gave Catherine an airy smile, hoping she wouldn't press the issue.

Catherine nodded, sympathetically. "I guess it takes a little getting used to." She was still watching Sara closely, so the brunette stood and picked her kit off the floor. Forcing a smile to her face. Sara made to move out of the room, but Catherine didn't allow her to pass. She was still surveying Sara with an intense look. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine, Cath. Really." Sara made her smile wider, willing it to go to her eyes, but Catherine wasn't convinced.

"I just," Catherine hesitated, chewing on her lip as if she were trying to find the right words.

"What?"

"I worry," she said, eventually. Sara blinked. "I know it's been a really rough couple of months, and I'm not expecting you to sit there and bare you soul out to me, but I worry. I just want to make sure you're really ok. With everything. That you don't have any… regrets."

"What regrets?"

"You've made a lot of changes, Sara. I just wanted to make sure you're really alright with them all."

When Sara understood what Catherine was saying, she actually laughed out loud. Partly from relief, when she realised the redhead wasn't about to question her on her mental state, and partly because what she was getting at was ridiculous.

"You think I regret Grissom?" Sara asked, still chuckling.

"Not Grissom, per say," Catherine corrected. "But the situation."

"Cath, Griss and I both knew what would happen when we became public knowledge. Believe it or not, we had spoken about it quite a few times. I knew what I was getting into, we both did."

Catherine still looked concerned, so Sara continued. "I can promise you, Catherine, if there is one thing that I do not regret, it's Gil Grissom."

Catherine's face broke into a huge smile, and she nodded her head, her red hair falling over her shoulder slightly with the movement. "Ok," she said. "I just wanted to check. I'm happy for you, Sara. For both of you." With one last smile and a small wave, Catherine left her alone once more.

The smile on Sara's face dimmed as Catherine left. It was true, she did not regret Grissom, but why was that no longer enough?

Sara shook herself out of her retrieve, staring at the rainforest surrounding her. Those last few months had been hard, the hardest she had ever faced. But what she had said was true. Grissom was one thing she would never regret.

Full of the sudden need to see him, to speak to him, Sara almost ran to her laptop then and there to call him. Anything to hear his voice. But she remembered the reason for her video message. The reason she had left Vegas without a word. Sara knew, if she saw him, it would be over. She would go wherever he went, even back to Vegas. Even if it broke her.

Tears gathered in her eyes once more as she found herself wishing Helen had been right, that Grissom was truly ready to leave. That they could finally be together, without death hovering over them. She missed him so much, it physically hurt.

Helen had asked her if she would want him there, with her in the rainforest. She did. She wished for nothing more than to see him walking through her clearing, but she knew it wouldn't happen. Grissom belonged in Vegas.

Though it pained her, Sara could never bring herself to regret her decision to go to him. To take a chance on the man who had stolen her heart at a conference centre. She had told him that they life together had been the only home she had, and it was true. Sara didn't know if she would ever find that again, didn't know if she wanted too. He was her one and only. There was no one else. And there never will be.

For a second, she allowed herself to imagine what it would have been like if he had left with her. They would have travelled here together. Her bunk on the Sea Sheppard would have been bigger to accommodate two. Her tent would be full of his things as well as hers. She could hear the stories he would tell the younger members of their team. Could see how his face would light up with the exotic insect life that invaded their camp.

She knew he would get along with Julian and Helen, and they would adore him. The work they did would be twice as good. They were a team. He was her partner. Sara had always worked best with Grissom and without him, if was as if a part of her was missing.

Wasn't that what Helen was saying? That she was there, yet not. Present in the work, but absent in the social. Sara liked their crew, their team. But there was something missing. Like a puzzle without the final, Grissom shaped, piece.

Sara was broken from her thoughts when her monkey friend returned. He called out, letting her know he was there, and she laughed. Her friend was a demanding little thing. He would never come close enough to touch, but he always made himself known. Made it clear that he was expecting the treat's Sara always had on hand for him. She still had a couple of berries left, so she threw them over.

The monkey watched her for a second, before scrambling down the tree, snatching up the berries and returning to his perch. He sat in the tree, nibbling on the fruit she had given him. Sara stood, slowly as to not spook him, and moved to the table where she had placed her camera.

She held it up, focusing the lens on the furry creature before her. She had already taken so many pictures of this little monkey, but he was so cute, she couldn't help herself. Sara always enjoyed it when he visited. He took her mind off the melancholy memories that seemed to surround her when she was alone. For the few moments they had together, Sara could clear her mind and just focus on the fuzzy little animal that invaded her solitude.

The camera shuttered, and the monkey just kept on eating. Sara smiled. It was only after the third click of the camera that she sensed someone watching her. She had already spent enough time away from her work, but if it were Julian, or Helen, they would have said something. With a slight frown, she turned, expecting one of the other members of their team. Possibly one of the students, hesitant to interrupt her.

When she locked eyes with the person behind her, Sara froze. Shock, awe, uncertainty coursed through her. Standing in the clearing, looking as if he had just been struck by lightning, was Grissom.

For a moment, Sara thought she was hallucinating. She had just been thinking of him, longing for him. This couldn't be real.

The last time she had spoken to Nick or Greg, neither of them mentioned that Grissom was leaving. So, this couldn't… he couldn't… Sara noticed sweat beading on his forehead. There were damp patches under his arm and the neck of his shirt was similarly wet. His face was a little red from the heat and his skin glistened in the sunlight.

Whenever Sara had imagined him, he would be wearing his standard shirt and trousers. Comfy, yet practical for dealing with a crime scene. He was immaculately groomed, clean and ready for work. But, before her stood a slightly breathless, sweaty man, wearing that adorable straw hat, beige shirt, and khakis. Grissom looked every bit the explorer he had always dreamed of being.

This was real.

Sara smiled, tears pooling again. But, this time, she did nothing to hide them. She dropped her arm, camera bumping off her leg as her hand fell. She shifted her weight, trying desperately to keep her knees from buckling.

As she moved, he stepped towards her. One second, Grissom was feet from her, the next he was inches away, holding out his arms to her. Sara didn't hesitate, and what met her was so wonderfully solid, the tears fell. Then, he was kissing her and every thought in Sara's head flew away. It was only him. Only Grissom.

Her hand crept up the nape of his neck, fingers gently bushing across the sensitive skin and Grissom pulled her closer, as her moth moved against his. Warmth blossomed through her entire body. Filling her completely.

He was here. He was really here. They broke the kiss, but Grissom kept going, kissing the corner of her mouth, her cheek until finally his lips met her neck. There was no heat in the kiss, it was as if he was reassuring himself that she was real. Sara nestled her head in the crook of his neck, breathing him in and one of his hands pressed her body closer, while the other played with her hair.

She didn't know how long they stood there, holding each other. But Sara didn't care. The only thing that she cared about, was that he didn't let go.