AN: Thanks for the reviews, here is the next chapter. Warning: Implied/Suggestive adult behavior.

Chapter 8: The Aftermath

At the hospital

As the group was sitting in the waiting area to hear about Nick, Catherine looked to her right and saw Warrick talking to an African-American woman at the nurses station, who was wearing hospital scrubs, so she turned
her head to look at Sara, who was looking at a magazine, but it looked like she wasn't that into it, so she asked. "Hey Sara, do you know who Warrick is talking to?"

Sara moved forward in her seat and looked in the same direction Catherine did before shaking her head. "No, but he did mention he was seeing someone who works here, so that could be her."

Hearing that hit her in the gut as she asked. "He has a girlfriend?"

Sara nodded while she placed her back against the cushion of the chair again. "Yeah."

She was going to go on and tell her she sensed something though when he told her that, but didn't get a chance because Warrick's voice was heard a second later. "Hey guys, what are you talking about?"

Sara looked up at him smirked. "I was just telling Catherine about your new girlfriend. That was her, wasn't it?"

Warrick mentally gasped after hearing Sara say that. He did not want Catherine to know like this, and he was trying to find something to say when Catherine, who had sealed her emotions inside, looked at him with a smile. "She's really beautiful, Warrick."

Once again the words were stuck in his throat, but it didn't seem to matter because Grissom's voice was heard next, who had been talking to the doctor and Nick's parents.

"Everybody, can I have your attention?"

When all eyes were on him, Grissom slowly smiled as he was happy to report. "Nick's going to be just fine." They all sighed in relief with a few claps before he continued. "However, we all saw what he went through, and you know how hard it is to get over a trauma like that, or any type of trauma for that matter, so..."

Greg spoke first. "We will be there to help him out anyway that we can."

As everybody else voiced that, Grissom nodded with a smile. "I'm glad to hear that." He cleared his throat and looked at his watch before finishing. "The doctor is allowing us about 15 extra minutes of visiting time, so if you want to go see him tonight, do it now."

After telling them what room he was in, Greg and Carly were the first ones to head in that direction, then Warrick smiled at him and held out his hand, which he took it and they shook hands before the younger man patted him on the shoulder and followed the other two.

Catherine and Sara got up from their seats, and while Catherine gives him a hug, Grissom spoke softly. "I'm glad you can be here."

"Me too."

They pulled back a second later before she pats him on the shoulder and walked past him in the same direction the other CSI's went.

Sara moved a little closer and asked. "You coming?"

He shook his head with a smile. "No, you go ahead. I'll let you guys visit with him."

She nodded before continuing softly. "You did good."

"So did you." He replied softly. "We all did, it was a team effort."

"Yeah it was."

After one more long look, she finally walked past him while he walked towards the chair and sat down with a heavy sigh before he ran his hand down his face, thankful this episode ended as good as could be expected with what they had to work with.

Now he was ready for a new chapter with his team in one piece again, if his meeting with Ecklie tomorrow goes well, and continue sharing his life with the woman he loved more than anything, a woman he was ready to risk anything for with no regrets or second thoughts.

When they made it back to his condo, after dropping Catherine off at the lab so she could get her rented vehicle, and stepped inside, which Sara went in first, he closed the door right before she turned around and their lips connected like a magnet, both wanting to pour everything that they couldn't while they were in the lab or at the hospital.

Once they finally pulled back, breathing heavily, they wrapped their arms around one another with their foreheads touching as they closed their eyes, not ready to lose that connection yet.

After a bit, he softly asked. "How about we take showers, eat a little bit and fall asleep in each other's arms?"

She nodded, replying softly. "Yeah, I would really like that."

They finally pulled back before he walked them towards his bedroom, and after taking their separate showers, they ate a little of what Grissom had made for dinner before crawling in bed so he could hold her from behind, and after kissing her head lightly, he whispered. "Sleep tight, honey."

She whispered back. "Sleep tight, Griss."

Moments later they were asleep, completely exhausted in everyway imaginable.

However, no more than four hours had passed when Sara opened her eyes and felt that Grissom wasn't holding her anymore, so she turned her head and saw him with his elbow on the mattress and his head on the palm of his hand, watching her, so she turned around so she was now facing him and asked with concern in her eyes. "You ok?"

He nodded with a sigh as he took her hand. "Yeah, I just had to make sure that you were ok." He sighed again before he continued. "I know that sounded stupid."

She shook her head with a smile as she brought their hands up to her lips and kissed his hand softly before replying. "It's not, I get what you mean, especially after everything that had happened. I think that's why I woke up myself, to make sure that you were ok."

He gave her a little smile as he slipped his hand out of hers to cup her cheek. "If you had been in that box, I don't know what I would have done."

She moved so she was mirroring his position and cupped his cheek as she comforted him. "I know exactly what you would have done, you would have found me. But you don't have to worry about that, I'm here and I'm ok." She then closed her eyes and shivered a little, not from being cold but what she thought next. "Besides, I came closer to losing you than you losing me yesterday."

Grissom moved closer to her and whispered in a comforting tone. "Hey, I'm here, I made it out, I'm ok."

She opened her eyes with tears in in them. "Good, because I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Well, you don't have to think about that because I'm not going anywhere, at least not without you."

She smiled as she leaned toward his lips. "You better not."

"Yes, de..."

He gets cut off from finishing his sentence, but he didn't mind, and started kissing her back, which while it was passionate like earlier, there wasn't a desperation to it, this one was filled with nothing but love, until things started to take a more passionate turn when her hand went for the hem of his shirt, so he slowed them down and pulled back, and she asked with curiosity after opening her eyes. "What's wrong?"

He cups her cheek again and asked. "Are you sure? We can do this another time, a more..."

She cuts him off with a smile. "Romantic time?" He nodded shyly before Sara spoke. "Thank you for the suggestion, but you know I don't need the whole candle and flowers thing."

He nodded while looking at her with sincerity. "I know that, but I want you to feel special, for you to know that you are very special to me."

Feeling emotional, but keeping her tears back, she nodded while placing her hand top of his. "I do know that. I feel it every time I'm with you, and most importantly I see it in your eyes every time you look at me." She took a breath before finishing. "Now, I'm not saying you always have to skip that part, I'm just saying right now, I only want you. I'm ready to take our relationship to the next level. I love you, Gil." She moved closer to him and kissed him softly on the lips before whispering against them. "Please, let me show you how much."

She kissed him softly two more times before pulling back, and when Grissom saw in her eyes that she was really ready for this, he leaned toward her and started kissing her this time while they moved so her back was now on the mattress with him above her.

Eventually their top layer of clothing came off, but before they took things even further, he pulled back, and when they were looking at one another again, their eyes were filled with nothing but love, passion and desire, he asked. "You still sure?"

She smiled as she cupped her cheek. "More than ever."

He smiled in return before he kissed her lips again, both losing themselves in these new wonderful feelings of it being their first time together.

Hours later an alarm clock starts ringing, making them both groan before they opened their eyes, and after Sara lifts her head from Grissom's smooth bare chest, he reaches over, turns the alarm clock off and laid back down with a sigh before her head lays back down on him, making him smile as he ran a hand up and down her bare arm. "Good Morning."

She smiled in return as she ran her thumb up and down his skin. "Yes it is."

He kissed the top of her head and asks. "How are you doing? You ok?"

She moves her head and places her chin on top of her hand that rested on his chest and replied with her eyes sparkling like never before, only making his heart skip a few beats, knowing that it was him that brought that look to her face. "I'm better than ok. You?"

Like with her, his eyes were also sparkling, and she was very proud that she was the cause of his look too.

He smiled a little wider and cupped her cheek. "Better than ever." Then he finished softly. "Thank you."

She raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"For simply just loving me."

She smiled brightly as she moved so their lips were lined up and she whispered in return. "Loving you is the easy part, it is making you believe that it's real, is the pain in the butt." They kissed softly on the lips before she finished with nothing but love in her eyes. "But just like I always knew, all that waiting was worth it, you are worth it."

They started kissing again, even getting as far as her back on the mattress again, but things didn't progress any further because he sighed against her lips before pulling back and whispering. "And as much as I would love to stay in bed with you all day, we do have to have breakfast with Catherine and Lindsey before they go back to Miami. Plus, I have a meeting later."

She nodded her head about the breakfast with Catherine and Lindsey, but asked as she watched Grissom, who was in his boxers, get out of bed and headed for his dresser. "A meeting with who? Ec..."

Grissom cuts her off with a smile. "Please, don't mention his name while in my bed, but yeah."

She chuckled with a nod. "Good point." After catching an old UCLA t-shirt he tossed to her, she asked while putting it on. "Is it about getting the team back?"

"Yeah, as far as I know everybody is still on board with that, unless you've..."

She cuts him with a smile. "No, I haven't changed my mind. I mean don't get me wrong, Nick was a wonderful boss, but I just miss working with you."

He walked to her side of the bed, cupped her cheek and whispered. "I've missed working with you too."

They kissed softly on the lips a few times before he kissed her on the forehead, and after pulling back, he smiled. "I won't be long."

She nodded as she watched him walk around the bed so he could head to his bathroom, but before he fully walked in to it, he said. "Hey Sara?"

"Yeah?"

With that full Grissom look that she loves, he casually mentions. "You know, maybe we should move in together." She looked at him a little shocked as he finishes with a smile. "Something for you to think about." Before finally walking into the bathroom and closing the door, leaving a wide-eyed Sara sitting there in his bed.

Once she had her shower and they were ready to leave, they got into their own vehicles and headed for the diner, where Carly, Catherine and Lindsey were already there, and not before long Greg and Warrick showed up, so eventually everybody ordered their food and waited, which as they were waiting, Catherine got tell them that despite missing everybody here, she liked her new job and loved the friends she was making there.

As the food started to come, Grissom asked with a smile towards Lindsey. "So, Lindsey, how do you like Miami?"

The blond haired, blue eyed 12 year old smiled. "I like it very much, I have these four amazing friends." Then she thought in her mind. 'Not to mention one of those friends is my boyfriend.'

"Then it sounds like you are fitting in nicely."

Lindsey's smile got a little bit brighter. "I am." She then looked at her mother. "And if I never said it, thank you mom for moving us down there."

Catherine couldn't help but smirk as she replied. "That wasn't your response when we first moved there, in fact you said some pretty strong words."

Defending herself, but doing it respectfully, she replied. "Well, you took me out of a place that I've known my whole life, so of course I felt I had a right to be a little upset about it. But now, after fully thinking about it, I can see why you did it. I'm aloud to change my response after further analyzing the situation, right? Isn't that what you CSI's do?"

They all chuckled, first real chuckle as a group since finding out about Nick's abduction before Greg smirked. "She does have a point."

Catherine nodded with a smile at her daughter. "That she does, and you're welcome."

Lindsey nodded as she goes back to eating while the rest of them continued to eat and talk, then after a bit, Warrick spoke as he lowered his empty coffee mug on the table. "I'm going to head to the hospital to see Nicky, anybody want to come?"

Catherine looked at her watch before nodding in agreement. "I have time, I would like to go."

Grissom then spoke with a sigh. "I'll have to do it later, I have a meeting with Ecklie."

Understanding why he did, they just nodded while getting up from their seats as the rest of the group agreed they would also like to see him, so after Grissom shares a goodbye hug with Catherine and Lindsey, the group started to leave the table, and Sara mentioned she'll meet them there so they didn't wait around.

After Grissom placed money on the table, him and Sara started walking out of the diner as he asked after clearing his throat. "You ok, you seemed a little distracted in there?"

Most of the talking and asking questions was done by everybody, but Sara, she seemed to still be in a little shocked state over what he had asked before they had left his condo

"You think?" They stop at her vehicle before she continued quietly. "My boyfriend asked me to move in with him just as casually as if he was asking about the weather, so yeah I'm a little distracted, and I'll admit still shocked." Before he could speak, she continued. "It took you four years just to ask me out on a date, but only five months to ask to live with me?" She then couldn't help but smirk at the last part. "Where did my cautious bugman go?"

He gave her a little smile before replying after a sigh. "I spent years running from what I wanted the most, wasting time when I could've had it all with you a lot sooner. I'm just tired of holding back."

Sara smiled softly at him with understanding in her eyes. "I get it Griss, I really do, especially after Nick's ordeal." She sighed before finishing. "But moving in together is still a big-step, no matter how you look at it, and I don't want this to be a knee-jerk reaction, so can I have a little more time to think about it?" She then hurriedly tired to continue. "I'm not saying..."

But Grissom cuts her off with a smile. "You don't have to explain every time you need time after something I suggest, and of course take all the time that you need. I don't want you to feel pressured into doing anything you're not ready for, I'm just putting it out there to let you to know that I am all in."

Her brown eyes sparkled with a nod. "I see that, and you know that I'm all in, too, right?" He nodded as she finished with a smirk, but with love. "Just not all in one swoop, ok?"

He smiled again with his blue eyes sparkling. "Alright, and you're right."

After making sure no one they knew was still around, she cupped his cheek and replied. "I love you, and knowing how far you see us going and are willing to get there, only makes me love you even more, so never be afraid on telling me how you feel or what you want."

"Ok, and don't ever be afraid on telling me if I'm moving too fast." He stopped and chuckled a little as he shook his head. "I never thought I would hear myself say that."

"It's sweet." Sara smiled as she ran her thumb up and down his cheek. "I just don't want us to crash and burn, you are the best thing that has ever come in to my life and I don't want to do anything that will make me lose you, especially now."

"And you won't, I promise."

After a moment of just looking at one another, she finally removed her hand and cleared her throat. "I uh, I better go or they'll wonder what happened to me."

"Me too. I'll see you later?"

She smiled with a nod. "Yeah you will."

They made sure they were still alone before kissing softly on the lips, and after they pulled back, he whispered. "Love you."

"Love you too."

After making sure she got into her vehicle, he got into his and they drove their separate ways.

After their visit, Carly, Greg, Warrick, Sara, Catherine, and Lindsey walked out of the hospital building, and one by one they started to say goodbye to Catherine and Lindsey before walking towards their vehicles, until only Warrick was left with the women.

Once he hugged Lindsey goodbye, she smiled at her mom and asked. "Can I go to the vehicle?"

Catherine nodded as she handed her the keys, and after making sure her daughter got there, she turned around to look at Warrick, still feeling like she's always felt for him, but knowing that he now had a girlfriend, there wasn't much she could say, it was obvious that she missed out her chance with him, if she even had one to begin with.

She mentally shook her head and wrapped her arms around him for a hug, and he hugged her back while she whispered. "I'm happy for you, Warrick. That's all I ever wanted for you." He just nodded, still feeling up with so much emotion from everything that had happened with Nick and seeing her again.

He cleared his throat and whispered. "And I'm glad you are making it in Miami, even though I miss you. I mean we all do."

She smiled with a nod as they pulled back. "I miss you guys too. Maybe next time we are all together again it is under better circumstances."

He smiled in return. "I would have to agree to that."

After several seconds of just looking at one another, their hearts racing, she finally looked away. "I better go, I don't want to miss my flight. Bye, Warrick."

"Bye, Catherine."

After one more long look, Catherine turned and started walking away as he watched her till he couldn't see them anymore, his heart breaking once again on letting the woman he loved go without telling her how he really felt.

He cared about Tina, but how he felt about Catherine was so much more, and it was apparent from the moment he saw her yesterday, there was no way he was ever going to fully get over her. If there was one thing he learned from Nick's ordeal, it was that life can be so short sometimes, so maybe it was time he rethink a few things.

He took a breath before walking towards his vehicle, his mind and heart already on overdrive on what he should do next.

AN: Important decisions will be made next chapter. Thanks for reading and please review.