So sorry about the lack of update in so long, things have been mental lately, and I really wanted to sit down and give this chapter the time it deserved. This is the last chapter of this fic, but I have enjoyed writing it so much and reading your reviews have made me smile lots, I hope to get another one going soon. I've also got a GSR video up on Youtube titled Bloodstream, if you fancy watching it. Thanks again guys! :)

Chapter Seventeen

Waking with her book on her chest, her head back against the wall, her body was sprawled uncomfortably on the bed. Sara's body ached from the position she'd laid in, her bedside clock read 5am, she'd only been asleep a few hours. Closing her notebook, she placed it on the bedside table and grabbed the TV remote, turning the television on across the room. She tried to focus on its images and sounds, but her mind was elsewhere. All she could think about was Grissom, how it'd felt to wake next to him, she could still feel him as though it were yesterday, rather than years ago. She wondered what he was doing, probably asleep in his own bed – alone?

Sara almost felt like she didn't know him anymore, in San Francisco they'd only had each other, not all these other people that Grissom knew so well, they were strangers to her, he shared his life with them. She didn't know how she was going to be able to cope with going back to San Francisco, back to a lab without him, a life without him. How could she leave Vegas knowing that she'd never see him again? Or maybe he'd promise her to invite her back, and then write her another letter taking it all back? Sara could feel a migraine creep into her skull, and she closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the wall behind her. This was all too much for her, it had been a mistake to accept his invite, she couldn't deal with this amount of pain in her heart, how could he?

Sara threw her backpack into her locker in the lab's locker room. She was the only one in there, arriving 2 hours before Grissom had asked her to come back into the lab to continue her report. She wanted to get accustomed to her environment, maybe have a chat with a couple of staff members about Warrick. Holly Gribbs' family had set a funeral date already, but asked none of the CSIs to attend, it was understandable, blame had to sit somewhere, and even if Sara herself held Warrick partially responsible, the girl's parents could easily widen that to the whole of the lab without all the information available.

Sara shoved a notebook and pen into her jeans, putting another knot in each of her black boots' laces, and brushing off her black cotton t-shirt, trying to push out the creases from her clothes being packed into a bag. She left the locker room and made her way down the corridors of the lab, looking through the glass portioned rooms to see what other people were up to at 8pm. A few of the graveyard technicians were about, but mostly daytime staff getting ready to finish their shifts.

She turned a corner of the corridor to bump into Grissom, a dead bug in a large glass in his hands.

"Watch out for Gary!" he exclaimed, holding the bug away from Sara.

She frowned, "Gary?"

"He's a Goliath Beetle… he died in the night." Grissom held the glass up to his face, peering inside.

"What of?"

"Old age," he took his eyes from the dead beetle, "sometimes life and death happen the way they're supposed to."

Sara had seen too many lives taken too early to make any light-hearted reply to Grissom's words about his beetle.

"I'm glad you're here early, Sara. I want to talk to you." He sounded serious.

She felt panic rise in her heart slightly, had she not been doing her investigation well? Was he sending her home early?

"I just need to find a cardboard box for Gary, so I can bury him later… I'll see you in my office?" he gestured over to the room he'd just left. Sara nodded and Grissom wandered off.

Sara still felt like she was in some sort of dream being in his presence again, that maybe Grissom had never left her, and that she'd come back to the lab with him. The only thing that made her sure she wasn't dreaming was the pain that still echoed through her heart, the pain from when she'd received that letter saying they were over, how it'd grown with time as she realized he really never was coming back to her. She was still so confused over his invitation to the Vegas lab, after everything he'd written about them not being able to work together.

Pushing open the door to his office, she felt a smile form on her lips. There were jars and jars of specimens; it was exactly how she'd imagined it. Skulls of animals sat on one bookcase, another two had rows of books, another was just for jars. His desk was crammed in between all of it, with a glass case on top, a tarantula having a stroll through the large box.

She walked around to his side of the desk, leaning over to scan over some of the papers on his desk – mostly notes from Catherine, reminding him about her holidays, or when paperwork was due in. She didn't know how long Grissom would be finding a box for his beetle corpse, but if he really was going to ask her to go back to San Francisco, this would be her first and last visit to his office. Her heart rate increased as she crouched down next to the desk and her hands went to open the drawers of the desk, going for the bottom one first.

Bottom draw was full of empty glass jars and boxes. She went to open the second – papers, lists of book titles, phone numbers for police stations, pens, blank paper, a couple of packets of biscuits. Closing the second draw, she glanced up from over the top of the desk to see if Grissom was approaching, but seeing the coast was clear, she pulled open the top draw and what she saw made her heart stop instantly.

Her fingers slid into the draw to grasp the one item that sat in there, her fingers gently pulling the photograph from its wooden enclosure. It didn't have a trace of dust or dirt on it; it was exactly like it had been when she'd placed it in the envelope two years ago. Sara felt tears sting her eyes as she stared at the photograph of herself, the one she'd sent Grissom when she'd first started working at the San Francisco lab. He'd kept it. A hot tear trickled down her cheek. He hadn't forgotten. He hadn't thrown her away. He'd kept her, safe.

Gulping away the lump in her throat, Sara placed the photograph back into the draw and closed it, wiping away the tear that had trickled down her cheek. She rose from her crouching position and made her way to the chair in front of his desk, sitting down as Grissom entered the room. He had his glass jar, a small cardboard box and a file of papers in his hands. He placed his items on his desk and took his seat.

"I see you've met Dave." He motioned towards the tarantula.

"Dave?" Sara's voice was slightly croaky from holding back the tears which wanted to spill out.

"Dave the tarantula." He smiled at her, her heart settled slightly.

"You wouldn't believe how hard it is to get an old cardboard box from someone," Grissom arranged the items on his desk, "Sara…"

She stared at him, anticipating his words.

"I've been doing some talking," he stopped moving things around his desk, picking up a pen and spinning it around in his fingers. She could sense he was nervous. "I spoke to the team here last night, and the San Francisco lab… about you coming to work here permanently."

His eyes met hers, and she felt her whole body surge with nervousness, excitement, hope.

"We need someone to replace Holly, and I need someone here that's fully trained, I can't risk another rookie, with Warrick being under investigation. I need you to carry out your investigation. It makes sense for you to stay on here. The team are happy for you to work here."

Sara knew 'happy' was an exaggeration, especially from Warrick, who she knew she would clash with, but she accepted his explanation, and remained silent for him to finish.

"I spoke to your boss at San Francisco, he said he doesn't want you to leave his lab, but if you want to remain in Vegas, then he'll grant your relocation," he paused, "do you want to move to work here, Sara? The hours will be longer, the work will be harder, you'll need to be just as much on scene as Catherine and Nick, and I'll need you to finish Warrick's investigation in your own time. But I want … I think it'd be a good move, this is a better lab."

Sara felt like her heart was about to burst from her chest. She almost couldn't believe what she was hearing, mixed with the emotion of finding the photograph in his desk. She managed a nod and saw relief wash over Grissom's face.

He flipped open his file and pushed a few papers over the wooden desk towards her. "The lab can arrange for your possessions to be moved over to an apartment here, once you've found one. You just need to fill out the paperwork to terminate your San Francisco contract and begin your Vegas one, unless you want some time to think about it?"

"No. I don't need time to think about it." Sara took a pen from his desk, and glanced at him, he was watching her hand. She could feel herself shake a little, and she blushed. Her whole body was pumping adrenaline at the situation; just sitting opposite Gil Grissom was a dream rather than a reality just days ago. She signed the papers before her, a smile forming on her lips as she slid them back towards him.

He smiled back at her. "Welcome to Vegas, Sara."

The End