AN: Thanks for the reviews, here is the next chapter. Enjoy!

Genre: Romance, Hurt/Comfort
Rating: T
Spoilers: Subtle mention of events that happened in the first part of season 9
Timeline: Post One to go (Season 9, episode 10)
Warnings: Implied/Suggestive Adult Behavior, Subtle Major Character death
Main Parings: GSR
Minor Parings: None
Other Characters: OC & Team (Mention only)

Chapter 9: Reunited

Flashback

Five days earlier

After pulling back from their embrace, Sara, who still seemed to be in shock that the only man she ever loved, whom she heartbreakingly let go a few months ago, or at least tried to, was standing in front of her.

"I'm uh, I'm not dreaming right now, am I?"

He shook his head with a smile. "No honey, you are not dreaming."

She shook her head this time, still clearly confused on what is happening right now. "What are you doing here?"

"I made a decision, I choose you. I choose us. And I'm hoping I'm not too late. So, am I?"

Now that kiss that they just shared just a few moments ago should have answered that question, but he wanted to hear her say the words.

Sara was about to speak, but was interrupted by one of her team members, who apologized when he had realized she had company.

But she gave him a friendly smile and said she'll be right with him, then she looked at Grissom and spoke. "I uh, I…"

He cuts her off with an understanding smile. "It's ok, go do what you need to do. I am in no hurry."

After telling him which tent was hers and a long look, probably just to make sure she really wasn't dreaming and he suddenly wouldn't evaporate into thin air, she finally turned and walked away.

Grissom sighed as he looked around the camp with another smile, feeling if everything goes as planned, he could definitely make this work.

No more being around dead people, just surrounded by mother nature and Sara, well the second one was still a hopeful wish, the perfect combination in his mind.

(A few hours later)

While Grissom was sitting on the cot in Sara's tent, Sara walked in and stopped for a moment to look at him, finally feeling truly relief now, fully convinced she hadn't really been hallucinating.

He stood up from the cot while she spoke when he saw that she was there. "Sorry about that."

"Everything ok?" She nodded with a smile before he continued speaking after clearing his throat. "I'm sorry Sara." Sara was about to speak but he continued before she could. "I know I handled things all wrong before you left Vegas the last time. I was just so frustrated. I had just lost Warrick and I knew I was going to lose you again. My desire to go with you was in me, it really was, but I also felt obligated to stay so I could make sure they would be alright at the lab. I was torn into so many directions I didn't know what to do. I needed time, I should have just said that."

Sara nodded with tears in her eyes. "I know that Griss, and I should have been a little more understanding on where you were coming from. You may have not liked the political part of it, but I know how much you care about what happens to the lab, especially after having worked there for so long and you may have been the reluctant leader to the team, but you wanted to do what a leader does and make sure they will be ok without you." She wiped a few tears off her cheek as she finished. "I just couldn't stay, despite it making me feel like I was losing you."

As she looked down, he cleared his throat again as he pulled a ring out of his pocket before asking softly. "Is this why you left the ring on my nightstand before you left?"

Her breath hitched, reliving that moment of placing her engagement ring on his nightstand before leaving the apartment, which it almost felt like her heart had been ripped out of her chest in the process, then she looked at him and replied softly. "I didn't feel like that was mine anymore."

He took a step towards her and spoke with emotion. "Do you still want this to be yours? Do you still want that future we talked about?"

There was no hesitation in her response. "More than anything."

"Then can you say the words, please."

He still needed to hear her say it, and she was proud to with a smile, even though tears were still in her eyes.

"No, you're not too late."

He smiled with a nod and took her left hand before asking. "May I?"

"You better."

He chuckled with a sniffle as he slid the engagement ring down her finger, right where it belonged.

They looked down at the ring once it was settled, both thankful it was back in its rightful place before looking at one another, this time she initiated the kiss, which he went willingly and completely.

After they pulled back, they place their foreheads together and closed their eyes, enjoying the feeling of being together again, then she asked after a few moments of silence. "I did the one thing I never wanted to do, didn't I?"

As they pull back, he asked. "What?"

She looked at him sadly. "I made you choose between us and your career."

He shook his head with a smile. "No, you didn't. It was truly time for me to leave. I realized they don't need me anymore. Besides, there are other careers out there for me." He then cupped her cheek and finished with love in his eyes. "I'm where I want to be, no second guesses, no hesitations, no regrets. I'm ready to move forward, to our next adventure, which speaking of, when and where do you want to get married because I'm voting as soon as we can, I don't want to wait much longer."

She chuckled with a nod in agreement, she was so ready to become his wife, then she replied. "Well, the When we might have to wait a few more days, the only person in our group who is ordained isn't here at the moment, and where…" She trailed off as she took his hand and turned around before leading him out of the tent, then followed a trail that would take them quite a distance from the campsite before Grissom heard a waterfall.

When they finally got to a place where they could actually see it, Sara finished the thought from when they were in the tent. "And this is the Where. If it's ok with you?"

He looked away from the waterfall before smiling at her while cupping her cheek. "Honey, the only thing I care about is that I'm marrying you, so if this is where you want it, then I'm completely ok with it."

She nodded with a smile as she placed her hand on top of his that was still on her cheek. "Ok, then in a few days it looks like I'm going to be Sara Grissom."

He sighed in content on hearing that before he asked. "About time, huh?"

She stepped closer to him to cup his cheek as she responded with passion in her tone. "Hell, yeah."

He smiled brightly while feeling up with so much love and contentment at seeing she still truly wanted what they were planning and that she really did want him here.

She then asked after a moment of finally realizing something. "Wait a minute, where is Hank?"

"The guys agreed to take turns caring for him when he's not at the sitters, until we figure out what we are going to do next. I wasn't going to do anymore until I talk to you. I mean after all he was mostly your dog."

She nodded in agreement about the first thing he said before she sighed. "He must really hate me right now."

Grissom shook his head while taking her hand, comforting her. "No way honey, I don't by that he hates you for a second, he just misses you."

She nodded with a sniffle before he wrapped his arms around her. "I miss him." She wrapped her arms around him in return as she continued. "I've missed you too. I know I said in that sent video that I was happy, and while I tried my hardest to be, I was miserable without you."

He kissed the side of head as he whispered. "Well, we both don't have to be miserable any longer, because we're here together and I'm not going anywhere without you ever again."

She smiled as she snuggled further into his embrace. "I second that. I love you, Grissom."

He sighed in content as he closed his eyes, happy to be back in her arms and looking forward to what comes next for them. "And I love you."

End of Flashback

"We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Sara Sidle and Gilbert Grissom. They said they would like to say their own vows." The middle-aged man looks at Sara with a smile. "You may go first Sara."

Sara nodded with a smile in return before looking at her handsome groom, then cleared her throat before speaking with emotion. "Growing up like I did, it was hard for me to believe in love, at least the healthy, happy true love kind. Then I went to a seminar one day and my life changed, and while it did take us many years and a few roadblocks to get here, you showed me what true love feels like, the type of love you only see and read in fairytales. Now, whatever our next journey will be, I'm so glad and honored I'll get to spend it with you, spend the rest of my life with you. I loved you then, now and forever."

She wiped a few tears off her cheeks while the man looks at Grissom. "Gilbert, now it's your turn."

He cleared his throat as he shifted a little on his feet before he started speaking. "Looking back at my parents' marriage it felt like I was watching a fairytale, there was so much unconditional love between them, and there is no doubt in my mind they would still be married if my father was still alive." He took a moment to gather his thoughts as she squeezed his hand in comfort, then he continued. "And admittedly one day I wanted a love like that, but as the years went by and I got older, that type of love felt further and further out of reach for me." He then finished with his eyes lightning up. "Until I met this beautiful woman at the seminar I was conducting, my life changed that day, and when I finally got over my fear of being with her, I got to feel that unconditional love for the first time in my life and it's been with me ever since, you've loved me, despite my flaws and insecurities, and I'm beyond grateful that you decided to share the rest of your life with me. I don't know what our next journey is, but as long as I'm with you, I'm on board. I love you then, now and forever."

They looked at him, and he nodded with a smile as he asked. "Now do you have rings?"

They mentioned they just have hers at the moment before Grissom pulled out Sara's engagement ring from his tux pocket and waited for the next instructions, which was to place the ring on the tip of her finger and repeat. "With this ring I thee wed."

Once it was on her finger and those words special words were said, they moved closer to one another and shared their first kiss as husband and wife, and it was a glorious feeling.

They pulled apart not long after while everyone was clapping and cheering, who were happy for the couple, even though they didn't really know them.

But with how unhappy Sara had been since she joined their team, even though she tried hiding it, seeing her this happy now was like night and day, and it was a beautiful sight. They were happy for her that she was finally reunited with her one true love.

When they made it back to camp they had a celebration for the newlyweds, but it wasn't very surprising to anyone that Sara and Grissom wanted to be alone as soon as possible, which would be the first time they would be 'alone' together since they've been reunited, so they wished them well not too long after, before the happily married couple went a little ways from the main campsite to a little area they set up camp for themselves so there would be a little more privacy, at least for a few days.

After they got to their area, they walked to and in the tent that was big enough to fit a two-person cot, which they stopped dead in their tracks when they saw someone from the group had placed rose petals on it.

They look at one another with smiles on their faces, which got more heated as he placed his hand on her cheek and they started kissing. They walked fully into the tent with their lips still attached to one another, then they pull back a moment later so he could close the opening before looking at her again and cupping her cheek again, whispering. "You're my wife."

She nodded with a smile and tears in her eyes. "And you're my husband."

Despite it being a few months for them, from that moment on they took their time getting reacquainted with one another.

Afterwards, lying in each other's arms, he kissed her forehead before asking. "If you got to pick anywhere in this world to go to, where would it be?"

She sighed in content as she ran her thumb up and down on his bare chest then asked. "You mean, like as for a honeymoon?"

"Yeah, if you want it to be."

"I don't know, we can just stay here for that."

"We could, but I was thinking we could get away, just the two of us at some point."

"It's been so long since I dreamed of actually going anywhere because of my career."

He nodded in understanding before asking. "Ok, so when you actually had time to dream of a place to go, where was it?"

No hesitation in her response. "Paris, France."

"Really?"

She nodded as she snuggled closer to him and closed her eyes. "Yeah, but honestly that was when I was younger and way before I even met you. Now my go to place is wherever you are."

He smiled as he kissed her forehead before closing his eyes. "Love you and good night, Mrs. Grissom."

"Love you and good night to you too, Dr. Grissom."

Two months later

Sara was sitting on the cot one evening in their tent when Grissom walked in with a smile. "Evening."

She looked up from the book she was reading and asked with a smile of her own. "You seem to be in a good mood. Did you have a productive day?"

He had gone with a few people on the team to the nearest city today to get some supplies and other things.

He nodded with his smile getting a little wider as he placed his jacket on a chair before he sat down on the cot next to her after pulling two small ring boxes out of his pants pocket. "They finally came today."

She sets her book off to the side and moved so she was sitting cross-legged and a little closer to him. "Ooh, let me see."

He opened one of the boxes to show her the wedding band inside, the one that was meant for him since he didn't have one yet.

She took it out of the box and looked at the inscription inside the ring. 'My one and only, Sara'
She then looked into his eyes with tears in her eyes. "It's beautiful. Can I see your hand please?"

"Gladly."

He held out his left hand towards her before she placed his ring on the tip of his finger and repeated a quote she had read a while ago, one that she probably would have said on their wedding day if he had his ring then. But considering everything moved fast the moment he got here, they didn't have time to get what they wanted before the wedding.

"I give you this ring as a symbol of my everlasting love for you."

Once his ring was in place on his finger, she takes off the engagement she was using for her wedding ring and placed it on her opened book so she wouldn't lose it while Grissom opened the second small box, pulled out the matching band to his that had the same inscription, except for the name of course. 'My one and only, Gil'

He placed the ring on the tip of her finger and smiled as he slid the ring down her finger, saying the same thing he said on their wedding day. "With this ring I thee wed."

After her ring was in place, she took his left hand again and placed it on her cheek to feel the ring against it and closed her eyes with a sigh of content. "Perfect."

He chuckled slightly as he moved closer to her and whispered. "That's what you've been waiting to feel, huh?"

She nodded with a chuckle of her own. "Yes, and it's probably the most stu..."

He cuts her off with a loving smile as he ran his thumb up and down her cheek. "It's not stupid at all. Sometimes it is the little things in life, and to be honest I get that same feeling too whenever I feel your ring against my skin."

She moved her left hand to his shirt, opened the first three buttons and slipped it in so he could feel her ring against his chest before she whispered in passion. "Like this?"

He nodded as he leaned towards her while she leaned towards him so they could share a kiss, but before she could deepen it, he pulled back, so she asked with a raised eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head with a smile. "Nothing, but I do have one more surprise for you."

"Oh, and what is that?"

He gets up from the cot while she placed the still opened book on the one nightstand they had in the tent, then after grabbing an envelope out of his jacket pocket, Grissom walked back towards the cot and sat down while handing her the envelope.

She eyed it with curiosity while taking it from his hand, then opened it up before pulling out two tickets to Paris France.

She looked at her husband in surprise. "You didn't."

He nodded with a smile. "I did."

She took a breath and shook her head. "Griss..."

He cuts her off as he cups her cheek again. "Listen. I know you love it here, and frankly I have no complaints whatsoever, considering where we are and what I love to study, it's like a paradise for someone like me." She chuckled with a nod before he continued. "And if you permanently want to settle here, then I'm ok with that. But we spent years in the same place, not really going anywhere, and I want to see other parts of the world with you before that decision is officially made on where we live. I don't have to see the whole world with you, just the piece you had dreamed of going to one day. I want to make that happen for you."

She had tears in her eyes as she replied. "It's your way of wanting to make my dreams come true, huh?"

"I try to make that happen for you every day."

"And you have, just by being with you, you are my greatest dream come true." He was about to speak, but she continued while moving so she was now sitting in his lap with her legs wrapped around his waist and arms around his neck. "But if this is something you want to do, I'm in. Let's go."

He smiled as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Yeah?"

She nodded with a smile. "Yeah." They lean towards each other and kiss softly, then after pulling back, she asked. "Then after our little trip, before we come back here, can we go get Hank? I want my dog back."

They wanted to make sure they were really settled in before they bring Hank, despite the wait of seeing him again was killing them.

He nodded with a wider smile. "You got it."

"Thank you, and not just for..."

He cuts her off again. "I know what you're thanking me for, and you're welcome. Plus, anything for you."

"Anything, huh?"

As he nodded, she unwrapped her arms around his neck and placed her fingers on the buttons of his shirt before undoing the rest and sliding his shirt off his shoulders before wrapping her arms around his neck again and started kissing him.

His reaction was instant, kissing her back as the passion/desire between them started growing, eventually leading him to move them so she was now laying on her back with him above her with nothing but a sheet covering them.

He pulls back after a strong, intense, passionate kiss while catching his breath, then he whispered once he had it back. "I love you, so much."

"I love you too."

She brings him back down to her so they could continue their passionate, loving night.

AN: Thanks for reading and please review. One more chapter to go, then on to the sequel, or at least that's the plan. Until then, I hope you are all being safe and have a good rest of your weekend.