Sorry for the slow update- damn work getting in the way.

Also I've been pre-writing a Sara/Greg/Morgan fic which I'm very excited about.

Thank you for all the reviews so far- please keep 'em coming!

Disclaimer: I own zilch.

Paramour

(Negotiation)

"Sara...I know it's not my place...but you need to tell him that he can't keep doing this to you." Greg told her nervously hoping he wasn't over stepping the mark. Sara had always chosen to keep her private life to herself and no matter how close they had gotten she always refused to give the name of the man that seemed to be holding her heart captive.

"I know...I will...I will." Sara nodded stepping away from him slightly not wanting to do the very thing she had spent the last two days thinking about- she didn't want to say the things she had drunkenly already said the previous night.

"You can do so much better..." Greg placed a gently kiss on her forehead his filled with affection she had spent years wishing Grissom would feel for her. "I have to go..." he whispered to her gathering his things together.

Sara nodded slipping into her seat taking a large swing of the coffee he had brought her. Greg nodded a quick goodbye disappearing out of the kitchen. The sound of the front door slamming motivated her to get up her heartbeat in her head still. Sara knew Greg was right- it was time to talk to Grissom.

She found her phone pacing slightly as she attempted to figure out what she should say to Grissom. After hearing the rather poisonous message she'd left on Greg's answer machine she realised that there had been so many things that she had denied to be problems. The whiskey had brought out the honesty in her and she didn't know if there was any way she could pretend that all of those problems didn't exist.

The phone in her hand vibrated sending a shock through her body as she attempted to push aside her thoughts and manage with the here and now. The sight of Grissom's name on the screen forced her to sit down and with a deep breath Sara answered the phone.

"Hello." She tried her best not to sound annoyed because for the first time she wanted to be able to have an adult conversation with the man that she claimed to love. It seemed odd to her how most of their serious conversations came about only when a case had forced their hand- forced them to face the issues they had tried to brush under the carpet.

All of this time Sara had taught herself to hold her cards close to her heart in the game that seemed to be love but it was time to call- it was time to lay everything out.

She needed to know where Grissom stood when it came to their relationship. She needed to know how he felt about her because after all of this time all Sara really wanted was clarity.

"Hi Sara..." Grissom sounded distracted but it was safe to say that he was simply just agitated and worried about the conversation they were about to have. They both knew what was coming- all of the words that they had denied were like clouds warning of a storm and it was time for the rain to break and all of those thoughts to escape.

"I want to start by saying sorry about being so rude the last time we spoke..." She said quietly realising that no matter what they said or decided during this phone call she didn't want there to be any bitterness left between them. They had tired. That was what counted. Sara had to accept that she had gotten what she had always wanted but that sometimes in love as well as in life you get disappointed. You have to walk away.

"It's okay...I was in the wrong Sara..." He paused taking a sharp breath. "And it's time that I finally accept that."

It was the first time that he had admitted that he had made a mistake. It was the first time that he had acknowledged that perhaps he had done something wrong and it shocked Sara that she didn't feel a thing. All of this time she had been waiting for him to step up and finally say he was sorry but now it didn't seem to matter. There was a bigger picture- there were bigger problems.

"Things between us...Have been hard." She agreed silently hoping that they would finally be able to stop hurting each other- stop pushing each other away. It was the moment the realisation hit her the only way they would be able to do that was apart.

"They have..." Grissom seemed to be organising his thoughts as they spoke. "Sara I want you to know whatever happens...I did love you."

"I know. I know you did." Sara could feel tears sting her eyes and a lump build up in her throat. Did. The word gave it a way- he no longer felt about her the way he had done. They were over. Whatever it was they had felt for each other was now past tense.

"And I never wanted to hurt you." It was as if they were saying goodbye forever. As if they were star-crossed lovers being forced apart.

"I love you too." Sara took a deep breath knowing that her next line was going to destroy the facade they had convinced themselves to shroud under. "But I don't think I can do this anymore..."

"I'm sorry..." He muttered to her wishing he could reach out- hold her- attempt to do something to make her feel better because no matter what Grissom knew he would care about Sara in a way he had never cared about anyone else before. She had opened him up to love- to being in love- but he had let her down.

"Don't be...I'm glad...I'm glad we had this." She sighed. "But I'm exhausted and I think you are too."

"I don't want to be..." Grissom's voice was meek. His attempts at convincing her otherwise were weak and it was then it dawned on her that he wouldn't fight for her. And if they stayed in this then perhaps he wouldn't fight for her when it really mattered- when she needed him to. Sara couldn't help it her thoughts wandered to the things that Greg had said to her.

"I know. Neither do I but we can't...keep lying to ourselves." The few words they had exchanged had worn Sara out.

"We can't keep lying to each other." He finished what she had been saying and suddenly went silent as his words resounded in both of their hearts.

"By the time you get back...I'll have moved out." Sara informed him realising that she couldn't stay here anymore. She couldn't be surrounded by their memories when she was trying to move on.

"You don't have to do that..." Grissom said not really recognising what his words meant. There was no way they would be able to live in the same space as friends having been lovers before.

"I do..." A tear finally escaped past her eyelashes down her cheeks. "I'm sorry for everything Grissom...I loved you more than I've loved anyone else before. But sometimes things just don't work...and we have to move on." All of the words she had said were true- she hadn't lied- never had anyone captivated her or made her as weak as Grissom had.

"Thank you Sara for everything. I'm sorry we had to end this way." He seemed to be forcing the words past the lump in his throat. And it struck Sara odd how she had accused him of not feeling anything before and now it amazed her just how much he did feel.

"Goodbye Gil." And with that she hung up the phone placing it down on the kitchen counter her head in her hands as she let out the last ounce of emotion she felt for Gil Grissom.

The tears didn't stop as Sara packed her things attempting to figure out what she could take and what belonged truly to Gil; the photos, the trinkets and small presents. As Sara loaded all of her things into the back of her car she realised that she didn't know where she was going to go. But as she drove aimlessly around Las Vegas taking in the neon lights as her tears slowed she could think of one place, one person that made her feel safe.

So she went there with nothing but hope that perhaps one day things would get better and love would become less complicated.

Greg opened the door in his PJs his eyes weary at whoever had decided to disturb his wind-down time. But his expression softened instantly as he saw Sara standing before him with a suitcase at her side and an exhausted expression.

"I didn't know where else to go." She whispered and without a word Greg stepped aside letting her into the house wrapping her up in his arms hoping for once that Sara would let him be the one to save her.

Once Sara had pulled herself free of his embrace she looked up into his eyes with a sense of defeat. Greg tucked her hair behind her ear kissing her forehead.

"You did the right thing." He whispered pulling her against him again as he lead them both to the sofa. Sara crumbled in his arms resting her head on his lap as she let go of everything- every disappointment, every broken promise and every time Grissom had broken her heart. Greg stroked her hair muttering sweet nothings into her ear as he held her hand.

Sara stilled in his arms taking a ragged breath she pulled herself up into a seating position watching the man beside her hand still tangled with his. Greg offered her the glass of wine he'd poured for himself watching as she took it gratefully from him.

He shuffled closer so Sara could rest her head on his shoulder- body fitting like a puzzle piece against him. He kissed her hair whispering to her.

"Talk..."