GENERAL-GRISSOM'S PLACE

Sara waited while he showered and dressed. He had led her in and told her to make herself comfortable. Then he disappeared. When she heard the water running, she began to wander around aimlessly. She found herself in his bedroom. On her way out, a photo had caught her eye so she moved for a closer examination. Her whole body flooded with a warm feeling upon discovering that the only photograph in the room was of her and Gil when they had met. It was taken in San Francisco. He was a lot more freely expressive back then. Case and point, his arm was wrapped around her waist and they were leaning toward each other with giant smiles. He even mounted it in a wooden frame shaped like a heart.

"You stole my heart that day." He said out of the blue and she almost dropped the frame.

"Sorry." He told her apologetically.

"No; I'm sorry. I shouldn't be in here. I was wandering around." She stepped closer to the door.

"Honey, it's alright. I'm glad that you did. Other than my mother, you're the only one I care enough about to put in a frame." He stepped closer to her.

"I was wondering where that photo had disappeared to." Sara commented.

"The guy who took it sent it to me. He knew how to find me. It made my day to get that picture. You had stolen my heart; I figured I could at least have your picture." Grissom took another step closer to her.

"You've had my heart too. I never believed in love at first sight until that lecture." Sara confessed.

"Me too. I love you, Sara." It was at that moment, she noticed he was only wearing a towel.

"I love you too, Gil." She told him and he forgot all about the towel; choosing to crush his lips to hers instead. Sara returned his passion with equal fervor. When it broke, he held her in his arms.

"I like the way my name sounds when it rolls off your tongue." She smiled.

"I'm glad. I'll leave you to get dressed now." She turned to leave and he pulled her hands.

"You don't have to. I'll be ready shortly." To emphasize his point, he made her it on the bed. She watched him get dressed and secretly enjoyed both the view and the show while they talked. It turned out to be a memorable moment for both of them. As soon as he was finished, he drove them both to work.

"Has the cold shoulder warmed up?" Nick asked Greg as they were walking through the parking lot together. Greg looked over to where Nick had pointed and saw Sara getting out of Grissom's car.

"I guess so. That was sudden. Yesterday, he still wasn't talking to her." Greg commented.

"He's talking to her now. Sara looks different." Nick was watching the pair closely. Greg focused on Sara.

"Yeah she does. It looks like she's finally eating. She looks happier than we have seen her lately. Good for her. What ever changed between yesterday and today has made a world of difference for her. I hope it stays."

"Me too." Nick added and opened the door to the lab. Greg walked with him all the way to the locker room.

Sara sat in the break room drinking her juice concealed in a to-go coffee cup. She had been doing this for months and if anybody had noticed, then nobody has said anything. Grissom informed them that there were no new cases at the moment and to go work on existing ones. Everyone else went to work except Sara who had just wrapped her last case the day before. She casually browsed the extensive bookcases in Grissom's office. Having finally found a book, she settled in his chair and began to read. This is how Grissom and Ecklie found her.

"Sara?" She was so engrossed that she didn't hear Grissom calling to her.

"Sara?"

"Sara?" He touched her shoulder on the third attempt. Sara threw the book on the floor and leapt from the chair.

"Jesus, you scared me." She told him and bent over to pick up the book.

"I'm sorry. May I ask what you're doing in my office?" Ecklie stood silently to watch the interaction. He had heard the rumors about Gil and Sara; just like everyone else in the lab.

"I have no open cases, so I came in here to get a book. I guess I just sat in here. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not. Here, take it home if you want, but right now I do need my office back." He told her.

"Of course. Sorry. I'll be available if a new case comes in." Grissom nodded and both men watched Sara leave with her book and close the door softly behind her.

GRISSOM'S OFFICE- ECKLIE POV

"Why did you want to see me Gil?" I usually have to hunt you down. I am very curious about the answer as I take a seat in the chair across from him.

"I want you to sign off on Sara's evaluations from now on." He tells me. I lean forward slightly.

"Why?"

"Because I'm tired of fighting my feelings and denying my heart what it wants." It was way more than I expected from him. I need to know more.

"Are you in a relationship with her?" It's a logical question.

"Yes."

"How long?" Has he been hiding it or is it new? There has to be a reason he's asking me this now.

"It's complicated." Everything about you is complicated.

"Explain it to me, please." I watch him sort through his thoughts.

"This will stay between you and me right?" I nod encouragingly. Hopefully he will tell me the whole story.

"Well, I didn't know it then, but I fell in love with Sara the first time I ever saw her. Time goes on and then she started working under my supervision. My feelings only grew and it is very difficult to ignore them. She became the forbidden fruit as soon as she agreed to work here. I remained the consummate professional most of the time. I admit to returning her flirting on occasion. Our relationship was complicated. We are friends that want to be more and have too many barriers in the way. One night, after a particularly trying case, the team went to a bar instead of the diner. We all had fun and the alcohol started to flow. Sara and I were the last to leave. During that time, we had gotten to talking again and I truly enjoyed her company. In the cab, we were a little more physical because our inhibitions had been lowered just enough. We ended up in her bed and after realizing what we had done, I left. That was four months ago. During that time, we had been giving each other the silent treatment. I couldn't find the words to tell her why I left and she waited for me to initiate the conversation and apologize. This morning, I found out that she is pregnant with our baby. She has forgiven me again and we are together as of twelve hours ago." Grissom finished and kept his gaze on me. I am shocked. I had forgotten that they knew each other before she worked here. In a way, the rumors are true, and I am glad to know it; not that I can say anything. It's time to say something.

"What are your intentions with her?" I feel a little silly asking this. It's a question for a father to ask a boyfriend.

"I love her. She's the mother of my child. Right now, I want to date her; but ultimately, I want to marry her and make her happy." That's the answer of the serious boyfriend. Not a supervisor. Does he know the gamble he is taking with his job; and hers?

"You can't work together if you are in a relationship."

"Then demote me. If I can't be with her, then what's the point? She makes me happy." He has given this some thought if he answered that quickly. I can't lose a man of his stature. It would be too costly because we would have to keep bringing him back in for consult anyway. I need to tell him something. He is serious about this.

"I'll sign off on it for now, but I will need to discuss it with the sheriff. She'd better be worth it Gil." I warn him even though I have a feeling that I know what the sheriff will say. That man will bend over backwards for Gil.

"She is, Conrad. It just took too long for me to figure it out. I almost blew it for good." Grissom tells me and looks down at his desk for the first time since our talk began.

"What do you mean?"

"She was pondering job offers until she discovered the pregnancy." He admits softly. Damn, as much as I can't stand the woman, she is one of the best CSI's we have. It would be a major loss for us.

"How far along is she?" I may not be able to stop the relationship, but there are rules for pregnant women which I fully intend to enforce.

"About sixteen weeks." He tells me.

"Is she showing?" I didn't notice anything when I saw her.

"If you catch her at the right angle, you can tell. Catherine has been helping her conceal the evidence. Like I said earlier, I didn't find out until this morning when she told me."

"After twenty weeks, she's bound to the lab. Make sure she knows that." I tell him.

"I will. I will marry her if she'll have me and I also want to keep working with her." Gil reinforces this point for me.

"We'll see Gil; let me talk to the sheriff and I'll get back to you. For now, let me see her evaluation." I tell him and he goes over it with me. I sign off on it and give it back to him before going to my own office. I have a lot to think about.

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A/N: As promised, this one was longer. How do you like it? I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve. Someone else is about to inadvertantly find out and in chapter 9, there will be a twist.

Have a great day everyone. Kelly