AN: Thank you for the reviews, and nope you aren't dreaming, there is a new chapter :)

Genre: Romance, Hurt/Comfort
Rating: T
Spoilers: Only if you don't know about Grissom's Sabbatical
Timeline: Before After Leaving Las Vegas (Season 7, Episode 11)
Warnings: Implied Adult Behavior
Main Parings: GSR
Minor Parings: None
Other Characters: None

Chapter 5: A special gift

"Here, you don't want to forget about these, just in case it does snow."

Sara gives him a warm but sad smile as she hands him some of his warmer clothes.

He takes them with a thankful smile and places them in his suitcase, then he turns to her and cups her cheek with a small smile. "Honey, we talked about this, and you whole heartedly agreed and understood I need to do this, I need this break."

While her smile was still sad, there was still love and understanding behind it as she placed her hand on top of his with a sigh before speaking softly. "Griss, just because I agreed and do understand this is something you need to do, doesn't mean I'm not going to miss you, especially since you'll be gone a whole month. I mean think about it, what's the longest we've been apart since we started dating, not counting when we have to work multiple shifts."

It was true, since they started seeing one another they've been pretty much inseparable after work, being apart when only one of them had the night off or had a double, and sometimes, even triple shifts, so thinking about being a part, no matter how much they both felt he needed this break to recharge his batteries, was really hard on her.

He sighed, knowing it was going to be hard on him too before nodding with love in his eyes as he moved his forehead forward so he could place it against hers and close his eyes. "I know, and you know this isn't easy on me either, right. That leaving you alone for even a day is..."

She cuts him off as she wrapped her arms around him. "I know babe, believe me. I know."

This time she sighed as they both thought back to the night they first had this discussion.

Flashback

2 months ago

A few days after receiving a letter from Williams college, which in his opinion couldn't have come at a better time with how he was feeling lately, he knew it was time to talk to Sara about it.

It was in the evening one night after dinner, they were both on call, so they were sipping on some nonalcoholic beverage just in case while sitting on the couch cuddling.

He started to run his hand up arm to her shoulder since she was wearing a tank top, then back down. He did that a few times before he sighed softly, and that caused Sara to ask. "What's wrong Griss?"

He cleared his throat and asked. "Wrong?"

Sara nodded as she moved from his arms, which they both instantly felt cold without that contact, then looked at him with concern. "Yes, I feel that something is going on with you the last few days, even more than what has been going on with you for the last few months, it feels different." He nodded with another sigh, and when he didn't speak right away, like he was searching for the words, she now gets a worried look on her face. "It's not me, is it?"

"No." He immediately replied as he cupped her cheek before running his thumb up and down. "But honestly I am finding it difficult to bring this up."

Her concern gets deeper as she speaks softly while bringing her hand to rest on his that was still on her cheek. "And whatever it is, you know you can tell me."

Deep down he knew that. She was the most generous, big hearted, understanding woman he's ever known, but he had been alone so long that it was sometimes easy to keep how he feels to himself. However, he knew that if he wanted this relationship to last, which at this point there was no going back for him and there would never be anyone else for him, he would have to be more open than he's ever been in his life, no matter how scared that made him feel.

He took another breath as she patiently waited, which was another reason why he loved her so much, her patience with him, for him to speak again, knowing that even after almost two years together he still found it difficult at times to be so open, then he finally spoke softly. "You know how I've been feeling lately."

She nodded as she squeezed his hand. "Yes, your migraines had been the worst I've seen them, and admittedly that spark in your eyes that you usually have has gone a little dim."

He nodded in agreement before continuing. "And believe me, our relationship is the reason it hasn't gone away completely. But I can't live like this anymore, I need to recharge, I need..."

Sara cuts him off, already knowing what he was going to say. "A sabbatical."

The look of love and understanding still in her eyes after she made that comment made his heart skip a beat as he nodded with a smile. "You took the words right out of my mouth."

She took a breath with a short nod before she continued. "And with you bringing this subject up now, does that mean you have a plan for this sabbatical of yours?"

He couldn't help but smile a little, of course she would know that, then he nodded again. "Now I didn't reach out to them, they reached out to me, but it felt like a sign."

She then asked with a raised eyebrow. "Who reached out to you?"

"Williams College, it's in..."

She cuts him off again. "Massachusetts." After he nodded one more time, she cleared her throat and continued with a small smile. 'So, you would be teaching in a classroom, something you hadn't done in years, and I know you kind of missed it. How long?"

This time he cleared his throat before replying. "Four weeks."

Her eyes get wide in surprise. "A month, you'll be gone a month."

He took her hand and brought it up to his lips and kissed it as he spoke again. "Honey..."

She cuts him off once again as she removed her hand from his. "Please don't tell me a month isn't a long time, or that it will go by fast, you know when I am without you a day it feels like torture." She then shook her head with a chuckle before she looked down at her hands, she couldn't believe she just said that, even though it was the truth, because no man had ever made her feel like that before. "Man, that sounds pathetic."

He didn't even hesitate as he replied with a slight smirk. "Then we can be pathetic together because I feel the same way." She looked up at him with a small smile, seeing the truth in his eyes before he took her hand again and continued while cupping her cheek with his other one. "It's completely true. Look what you have done to me, I went from a man who had no problem spending his free time being alone, in fact I even preferred it that way, to this hopeless romantic who doesn't want to spend a moment without you. Whether you meant to or not, you've changed me. I love you more than anything and a part of me doesn't want to take this sabbatical knowing I will be without you for a month, but I do feel I needs this. However, with that said, I won't go if you don't really want me to."

Sara shook her head. "Griss, I can't make this decision for you, this has to be your choice." She squeezed his hand as she continued. "But no matter what you decide, I want you to know that as hard as it would be to be without you for a month, if you really need to do this to recharge your batteries and get that sparkle back into your eyes, I'm behind you 100%." She then had tears in her eyes as she finished. "I just want you to be happy and healthy, and I love you more than anything too."

Seeing the truth in her eyes, his heart skipped a few beats, and not for the first time since they've been a couple, he felt like the luckiest man in the world to be sharing his life with her, and at the moment he had no words, so he did the only other thing he could think of, he brings her closer to him as he leans forward and kisses her, which she kisses him back instantly, both hoping neither one gets called in tonight so they could spend as much alone time as they could together, both knowing in their hearts that the decision of him leaving for a month was already made.

End of Flashback

As they were coming back to the present, they hear a dog bark, so they turned their heads to see a brown and white boxer looking at them with his tail wagging.

Grissom smiled as he replied. "It looks like someone needs to go out." She nodded with a smile of her own, then after he took her hand, he spoke towards their dog, a present he gave her for Christmas. "Alright Hank, let's go for a walk before the start of shift."

As the three of them left the apartment, Sara and Grissom's thoughts took them back in time once again.

Flashback

1 month ago

Grissom sighed as he pulled back after one last passionate kiss. Then he made a move to get on his side of the bed, but Sara wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered. "Not yet." He nodded with a small smile before lowering himself down on top of her while trying to keep as much weight off her as possible before she whispered. "Thank you."

He smirked a little. "You're welcome."

She chuckled as she ran a hand up and down his bare back. "Not about that." He chuckled as he moved up again so he could look down at her with a smile while she smiled up at him and cupped his cheek. "For giving me another good holiday, I needed it."

While they didn't do anything extravagant, in fact, it was just a simple evening in, it still meant a lot to her, especially knowing the weeks were winding down before he leaves on his sabbatical.

His look took on a more loving one as he replied. "You're welcome darlin."

She gets a small blush on her face as she asked. "You know how much I like that endearment?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Better than 'Honey?'"

They made sure the sheet was secured before he finally moved to his side of the bed, then she replied while turning her body so she could face him with a beaming, loving smile. "Well, I think 'Honey' is slightly more special to me because you called me that before we even became a couple."

His thoughts took him back to that day when the lab exploded and she was sitting down on the curb, his heart had been racing with worry for her, and it only raced even more when he saw the cut on her hand.

He shook off that thought and took her hand that had been cut years earlier and kissed it softly before looking at her, the concern still on his face. "I was so worried about you that day, it just slipped out without a second thought."

She slipped her hand out of his and cupped his cheek with a smile. "And it was so sweet, you shocked me on a whole new level."

He smiled shyly as he moved closer to her so they could share a soft kiss, and after he pulled back, he spoke again. "And I'm glad you had a good holiday, but I guess I should let you know you do have one more gift coming today." She looked at him with wide-eyes and was going to speak, but he continued after looking at the clock on the wall. "In fact, in about 10 minutes."

Sara started to smile again, while still looking surprised. "Griss, what did you did?"

He gives her that signature 'Grissom' look as he moved the blankets so he could sit up in bed and grab his boxers from the floor before putting them on. "All in good time, dear."

She chuckled while he stood up to head to the bathroom. "You're just pulling out all the endearments today, aren't you?"

He turned back to her with a raised eyebrow. "You got a problem with that, honey?"

She shook her head with another beaming smile. "Not one bit, babe."

This time he gets a shy look as he replied softly. "You know how much I like that endearment?"

She nodded with love in her eyes. "I think I do."

Considering his eyes light up every time she calls him that.

They smiled at one another before he goes into the bathroom while she laid her head back down on her pillow with a sigh of content.

10 minutes exactly, while they were in the kitchen, there was a knock on the door, so Grissom took Sara's hand, which he was practically dragging her up the stairs to the living room, causing her to chuckle. "So, whose gift is this really for? You're acting like a little kid who can't wait."

They stop in front of the couch before he speaks towards the door. "Just a second." Before looking at her with a smile. "Well, technically the gift is for the both of us, but I got him for you, hoping you won't feel too lonely when I have to leave for my sabbatical."

He then turned towards the door, and she spoke a second later, realizing a part he just said. "Him? What do you mean 'him?'"

He turned around once he got to the door and asked. "You'll find out, now will you please sit."

She was still giving him a curious look, but did what he had asked.

A second later Grissom opens the door wide and the person holding a dog leash let him go and the brown and white boxer ran right into the apartment and right at Sara, who gasped then started laughing as the dog started licking her with his tail wagging like it would fall off.

When Grissom was done with the person at the door, giving him money for delivering the dog and his toys, he shuts the door, sets the toys down before turning towards the woman he loved, seeing her face lighting up as she gave the dog some attention before she looked right at him and shook her head with a smile. "I can't believe you did this, Griss."

He spoke as he walked towards her. "You told me one time that you've always wanted a dog, and I thought, like I said a moment ago, with me being gone, I wanted you to have someone else here so you won't feel so lonely. And when I saw him a few weeks ago at a shelter I had a strong feeling that he was the right one."

Sara had tears in her eyes, she couldn't believe how lucky she was to have fallen for a man like him, and for him to love her like this. No, he wasn't perfect, but moments like this sure made her feel like he was.

She stands up from the couch, walked right up to the man she loved more than anything and kissed him passionately.

When they pulled back a few moments later, he asked once he got his air back. "What was that for?"

She smiled as she cupped his cheek. "For everything."

They kiss softly the second time before they both turned their attention to the dog, who was looking at them while tilting his head before Sara asked with a smile. "What's his name?"

"Uh, Hank."

She turned her head to look at Grissom with a raised eyebrow as Hank barked, hearing his name. "Hank?"

He held up his hands with a smile. "I found that out after I got him."

She nodded as she turned and walked back towards the dog. "Well, if anybody asks, we'll just tell him he was named after Hank Aaron."

He chuckled. "I see you now know some baseball players."

She smirked in return while giving the dog some more attention. "Yeah, and whose fault is that?"

When he spoke again, he was closer to her and had wrapped his arm around her waist from behind, it was a whisper in her ear. "I'll gladly take the blame for that. I love you, Sara."

"I love you too, Griss." She then turned to look at him and cupped his cheek with love and tears in her eyes again. "And thank you again."

With his eyes sparkling, more than it had in months, he replied. "You're welcome, sweetheart."

She chuckled and shook her head, hearing another one of her favorite endearments from him.

He just smiled before they shared a smaller kiss, then both of their attention went to the newest addition to their little family.

End of Flashback

After saying bye to Sara while wishing they could say goodbye somewhere other than the locker room in the lab so he could hug and kiss her, she gives him a little nod. He takes a breath and was about to take a step out of the room when she finally spoke softly. "Griss."

He stopped immediately and looked at her, which she gave him a small smile while signing. 'I'll miss you too and love you.'

He smiled with a nod, showing with his eyes, and she read loud and clear that he loved her too, before finally walking out of the room.

When she was done with her shift, she headed home. She stopped at the door with a sigh, took her keys out of her pocket, opened the door, then her eyes get bright seeing Hank's excitement when he notices his 'mommy' is home, and honestly, she is just as happy to see him too.

A few minutes later, once she was settled on the couch, she gets a text message from Grissom. 'Just wanted to tell you I had made it safe, and I'm settled in. I love you too. I'll talk to you later, and P.S. tell Hank I miss him too.'

She smiled as she looked at Hank, who was laying down beside her with his chin on her thigh. "Hank, daddy misses you too."

Hank lifted his chin up at the word 'daddy' then barked and licked her cheek, causing Sara to chuckle while wrapping her arms around his neck with a sigh, knowing while there was no substitute for Grissom's company, coming home now while he is away was going to be a lot more enjoyable than she thought it would be.

AN: Thanks for reading, and please review.

AN#2: I know the updates for this story has been coming slowly, but considering this was just a 'wing' it story it does take me a little more time to get things down, plus my time has been limited and other circumstances has been in the way. Anyway, I hope you're still enjoying this story and feel it has been worth the wait. I do have more chapters planned and will be coming when I can get them down. Enjoy the rest of your week and be safe out there.