AN: Warning: Questionable word(s). Thanks for the support, here is the next chapter, and a turning point for a couple.

Chapter 7: He Knew?

After talking to Captain Miller personally on what happened tonight, and him getting a ride to the bar so he could get his vehicle, he called Lizzie to fully make sure she was fine before heading to his apartment, ready to take some much need aspirin and get a good night's sleep, but when he got to the second floor of his apartment complex, he sighed a little when he saw Nicole standing at his door with her back towards him, he wasn't really in the mood.

"Nicole, what are you doing here?"

She started to speak as she turned to look at him. "Where were you, I tried getting a hold of..." She stops speaking and gasps as she saw his face. "Kevin! Are you ok, what happened?" He stopped in front of her and she cupped his cheek gently while asking with a small smirk. "Should I be concerned about the other guy?"

Kevin couldn't help but smile a little, then he shook his head and replied. "I'm sure your concern for the other guy won't go vary far." She raised an eyebrow, and he finished after a sigh. "It was the suspect we were trying to find."

Nicola gasped again. "What! How...I...What!"

He nodded as he finished walking towards his door so he could unlock it. "It's a heck of a story, a chance meeting really, and I'll gladly tell you about it, but can I do that tomorrow?"

She could tell he was exhausted and the way he grimaced a little, she knew he was in pain, so she nodded. "Yeah, but I do need to talk to you about something, it's important."

Seeing the serious look on her face, He nodded. "Ok, come in."

"Thank you."

He nodded again as he walked into his one bedroom loft apartment, where his bedroom was upstairs while the kitchen was under it, and he had pretty good size living room.

After closing the door, he asked if she wanted anything to drink, and after she declined, he want to the kitchen, grabbed a water and a few aspirins, than after taking them, he walked over to her, who was standing in front of a medium sized window looking outside.

"So what's going on?"

She took a breath before handing him a white, letter sized envelope. "After you left my house earlier, I was upset and worried about us, and you know how I can get when I get like that, especially worried."

He smiled a little as he replied. "You clean, so what was the victim tonight?"

She smiled in return as she looked at him. "Jason's desk in his office, it's the first time I've cleaned out every drawer since he's been gone, and I found a letter he had written to me sometime after he was promoted to be out on the streets, I want you to read it."

He looked down at the envelope in his hands before looking at her and asking. "Are you sure? These are the last words he'll ever say to you."

She nodded with tears in her eyes. "I'm sure, read it."

He nodded and cleared his throat. "Ok."

After placing his water down on the window seat, he turned the envelope around and opened it before taking the letter out and began to read it.

Nicole,

If you are reading this, then that means I'm gone from your life sooner than either of us wanted, and for that, I'm truly sorry, it wasn't suppose to be like this, we had plans, but you knew that.

I'm getting ahead of myself here, anyways, what I wanted to say first was that they have this tradition in the military where they write to the one they love or to family before going on a mission, and while I am not in the military or going on a mission, this is my first day out on the streets, and we both know how dangerous it could be for a cop and how fast a moment can change ones life, I still feel I need to write this so you can know everything I thought or felt about you that you didn't already know, or that I forgot to tell you, so here it goes.

The obvious, there has never been a woman that I loved more than you in my life.
There has always been a debate if love at first sight does happen, and I have to say after meeting you, I know it does. From the second I met you, I fell hard, and even after all this time, including whenever you are reading this, that never changed, or ever will. I just really wanted you to know that because I never want you to doubt how much I love you.

Which brings me to my next point, if you are in fact reading this, and I'm really gone, then I know there is going to come a time when you have to move on, and you do Nicole, as much as I love you, I don't want you wasting your life being sad and/or angry all the time. I want you to open yourself up to love, happiness and joy again, it's what you deserve, it's what I want the most for you.

And when you do move on, I know where you'll be eventually heading, it's something I've always known, and believe me, you don't have to feel guilty about it because, while it might not have been as strong as either of us thought on your side, you still loved me. I felt it everyday we were together. You and Kevin were my best friends, and you two deserve to finally share the love that's been denied and/or not fully realized until now.

I know with me knowing how both of you felt about one another, and not saying anything to either of you, may seem like a selfish move on my part, and for that I'm sorry. I just couldn't let you go while I was alive, but I can let you go now, so go to him, share a life with him, and love him with your whole heart.

Love always,

Jason

Kevin looked up from the letter and looked at Nicole with a little shock as he whispered. "He knew." Nicole nodded with tears in her eyes as he continued after clearing this throat. "He knew and he still pursed you."

She whispered in return. "And you knew how he felt, but you never said anything to him or me to stop it."

He took a breath before speaking with his eyes watering. "Because I saw how much he wanted to be with you, how much you wanted to be with him. I saw it in your eyes Nicole, you loved him very much."

She nodded while sniffling before cupping his bruised cheek. "Yeah I did, but what I've come to realize the last few months was that it wasn't as strong as I thought it was, someone else had my heart the whole time and I didn't even realize it. I just felt too guilty and scared to admit to myself, let a lone to you."

Kevin's heart started to race as he whispered. "What are you saying?"

She nodded as she stepped up to him and whispered while her eyes remained on him. "I'm saying that I love you Kevin, and I'm sorry it's taking me this long to finally admit..."

He cuts her off as he placed a finger to his lips. "That doesn't matter. What matters is that you are saying it now." As she nodded, he looked down at the letter for a few more seconds before looking into her eyes again and asking. "Him approving you to puruse a life with me made you come here tonight, didn't it?"

She shyly answered. "I'll admit reading that letter did help speed up the process a little." She then ran her thumb up and down his cheek as she continued with determination in her eyes.
"But you have to believe me, I would have eventually come to terms from the guilt I was feeling and fully embrace us, because there was no way I was giving you up without a fight."

Seeing the truth in her eyes, he felt a little relived, then he smiled. "I love you."

Her eyes glowed in return as she replied. "I love you too." Then she sighed and shook her head. "I just can't believe how stupid I've been, how did I not see this before?"

He sets the letter down on the window seat and placed his hand on top of hers that was on his cheek before replying tenderly. "Because love works in mysterious ways, sometimes you're not going to get a bolt of lightening, it can come to you slowly, unexpectedly, and it only wants you to see it when the time is right." She nodded in agreement as they took a step closer to one another, then he cleared his throat and asked softly as he removed his hand from hers and cupped her cheek, almost making her close her eyes at his gentle touch. "Can I do something that I've been wanting to do for a long time?"

Her heart started racing as she whispered softly, even though she knew what he wanted. "What?"

With his heart racing, he replied. "Kiss you."

She nodded slowly as they leaned towards one another, and after a short pause, both hearts racing to new heights, they closed the gap between them and their lips touched, but a second later he pulls back hissing in pain, and Nicole looked at him with sympathy as she said. "Split lip, just our luck." He chuckled as he placed his forehead to hers, then once they calmed down, she spoke again. "At this point, when we do finally kiss, it better have some magic to it."

He smiled in agreement. "Like moving mountains, or making the earth shake."

"Yeah."

He wrapped his arms around her and whispered. "I have no doubts."

"Good to know."

After standing there for a few minutes of silence, he pulled back and asked. "What or when are you, we, going to tell Carson about us."

She took a breath while taking his hand, then as they were walking towards the couch, she spoke. "I don't want to lie to him, but I think it's best if we gradually tell him. Like being careful what we do or say in front of him, maybe you have a little one-on-one with him at times, let him see that you really care for him."

He took her hand and squeezed it with a nod before replying. "You know I do, that boy means everything to you, so he means everything to me."

She smiled, happy he really meant that, then after a few minutes, she noticed he looked more exhausted than he did when she saw him out in the hall. "You should get some sleep, you look exhausted."

He sighed with a nod before speaking without thinking. "Yeah, jumping from one moving boat to another, then getting into a..."

She cuts him off, shocked about the new details on what happened tonight. "You did what?"

He shyly replied. "Oh, I guess I didn't tell you that yet."

She sarcastically said in return. "You think." Before She sighed and continued with concern. "What were you thinking?"

This time he sighed. "It was just something I had to do."

She frowned when she asked. "For Lizzie?"

He slipped his fingers through hers as he replied. "For me, and everybody else he had hurt. I couldn't let him get away. I had already let Lizzie down before, and I wasn't going to do it again."

She shook her head and squeezed his hand lightly. "It wasn't your fault Jennifer died."

"Lizzie said that too, and as much as I want to believe both of you, I think a part of me will always feel that way. It's something I have to deal with."

She nodded, knowing she wasn't going to convince him otherwise, then replied with love in her eyes. "Then I'll be there to help you with that, if you want."

He nodded with a smile. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me, it's just something you do when you love someone."

They couldn't look away, showing how happy they are about this new step in their relationship through their eyes and smiles, but eventually the tiredness took its tool on Kevin, and he started to yawn so he covered his mouth with his free hand.

Once it ended, he looked at her a little shyly, but she just smiled as she stood up, taking him with her. "Alright you, let's get to bed."

He raised an eyebrow as he asked. "You staying?" Then he smirked. "I have a shirt you can borrow."

She smiled as they stopped at the base of the stairs. "You know that will take a different meaning soon."

He smiled slightly as he cupped her cheek. "I know, and we can wait for as long as you want for that step, I'm just glad where we are now."

"Me too, and I will be glad to stay, then in the morning you can tell me what the hell happened tonight, and who was driving the boat?"

He smirked. "Oh, I can tell you that part right now, Grissom, and Sara was on it." Seeing another look of shock on her face, he chuckled as he tugged on her hand. "Come on, the sooner we go to sleep, the sooner you'll get your answers."

"And don't leave out a detail."

After Sara and Grissom walked into their apartment, Sara decided she wanted to take a bubble bath to rid her of the day, which Grissom didn't hesitate on accepting the offer of joining her, even adding candles and wine to their activity, and after they were in their medium-sized Jacuzzi tub, with her back against his chest, they sighed in content as they took a sip of their red wine.

Once he swallowed first, he asked. "You ok?"

She nodded as she swallowed her drink. "I'm just glad it's over. I wish he had already been caught before tonight, but least we know the number won't escalate." Then she couldn't help but smirk as she turned her head around so she could look at him. "And if I didn't say it yet, good shot."

He smiled slightly before replying softly. "Just because I never liked carrying my gun out in the field, never meant I don't know how to shoot."

"Oh, believe me, when I told him not to underestimate an opponent, I fully meant that. I know what an amazing shot you have."

He nodded before replying. "That does leave me curious about something."

She turned back around and placed her back against his chest as she asked. "What?"

He moved his mouth closer to her ear and whispered, making her shiver slightly as she involentualy closed her eyes. "Why did you want me to take the shot, your aim isn't too shabby either."

She took a moment before replying softly. "I figured with you in the lab during the rest of your time working as a CSI, I thought I would give you one last hurrah, make you feel you were apart of it."

He couldn't help but smile as he whispered again. "Thank you, dear." Then he moved his head down and kissed her lightly on her bare shoulder before admitting what he felt when he pulled the trigger. "I wanted to take more than one shot at him."

Sara opened her eyes and turned her head to look back with him with concern in her eyes. "Why? Besides for the obvious."

He sighed as he moved his free hand up, the water and bubbles dripping from his hand, and cupped her cheek. "Because of what he said to you."

She gave him a slight smile as she replied. "If you heard half the things suspects say to me on a daily bases, you would have a major gun problem on your hands. You know how they are, or at least some of them, it's not like we arrest them because they are good citizens."

"I know." Then his eyes soften as he whispered. "But you shouldn't be talked like that, you deserve.."

She cuts him with a bigger smile as she moved her hand up to his that was still on her cheek and took it off before kissing it softly. "Loving words?" He smiled with a nod as she continued while running her hand up his arm and cupped his cheek. "Now that's why I come home to you, because I know what ever crap I have to go through or hear, I have this amazing, wonderful, loving man who could make the rest of my evening better. Does it happen all the time? No, we still have our tiffs every now and then, but it's worth it when we are in sync."

She moved her head to the side a little so he could have a better angle before they share a kiss, which got a little deep, but before they turned it into something more, he slowed down and pulled back before whispering sadly. "And the time when I wasn't there?"

She sighed as she laid her head back against his right shoulder and replied. "I'll admit it was harder, and at one point I almost thought of changing professions."

He had to admit he was a little shocked at that. "Really?"

She nodded with a slight smile. "Yeah, teaching." He smiled with a short nod, he could really see that, as she finished. "But, really I knew I wasn't going to go anywhere, being a CSI is what I do, and I knew I still had a lot to offer, which was another reason why..."

He cuts her off. "You wanted the supervisor spot."

"Yep, so even on the hard days, I wasn't going to back down. I've been through them before and I knew I could continue to survive them." He sets his wine glass on the side of the tub before wrapping both arms around her neck and she placed her free hand on top of his arms as she finished. "I'm just glad you came back to me, so there are less hard days in my life."

He then kissed the side of her head and whispered. "Me too."

They sighed in content before it got quiet between them, then after about another half hour, which they had washed each other's hair and back, they got out of the tub, slipped on their robes, blew out the candles, and took their wine glasses to the bedroom before putting on some sleeping clothes and slipped under the sheets in the bed, where they each grabbed the books they have been reading off their nightstand, and continued where they had left off the last time they had read.

About 15 minutes later, Grissom feels eyes on him, so he turned his and smiled at his wife with a raised eyebrow. "Anything I can help you with, dear?"

She shook her head with a smile as she reached up and cupped his cheek. "No, I just love watching you from time to time."

He couldn't help but smirk in return. "It's the glasses, isn't it?"

She smiled, but her response was very serious. "Oh, yeah, sexy as hell." She watched him shyly smile for a few seconds before she continued with a more sincere look. "Thank you."

He looked confused as he asked. "For what?"

"This evening, you knew what I needed."

He made sure the bookmarker was in place and closed his book before placing his hand on top of hers that was still on his cheek. "You're welcome, anything for you that could help. Although the boat ride, like you told Kevin, took an unexpected turn."

"True, but totally worth it in the end."

He nodded as he slipped his glasses off before they leaned toward one another and kissed softly, then after they pulled back, they put their foreheads together before she sighed. "I still feel bad for Detective Wilson, I can only imagine how it feels to lose a child."

He pulled back and looked at her with concern as he cupped her cheek. "You haven't..."

But she cuts him while slowly shaking her head with tears in her eyes. "I still want a child with you, you?"

He sighed. "I wish we could bring our child into a better world, but seeing as we can only do so much, it will have to be good enough." Then he ran his hand up and down her cheek as he continued with emotion. "So, more than ever before."

The more he thought about sharing a child with the woman he loved, the more he liked it. Yeah, the age still made him a little hesitant, but he knew once he saw their little one, it will erase all of his doubts.

His thoughts were interrupted when she smirked, but she still had a serious look in her eyes. "Well, no pressure there then."

He looked at her with concern again as he shook his head before replying softly. "And I don't want you to feel that way." She was going to open her mouth, but he continued as he moved his hand from her cheek to her stomach as he finished with emotion again. "Yeah, I want to have a child with you, but I don't want you stressing or worrying if it doesn't happen right away, it's not going to do you any good, ok?"

She nodded while sniffling as she moved closer to him and kissed him on the lips, which there was no hesitation on his part, and after a couple of passionate minutes, they pull back breathlessly, then she whispered. "I love you."

"I love you too, honey."

They go back to kissing a few seconds later, and before he knew it, she was straddling his waist and started going for the buttons on his shirt as their lips remained connected, but after the third button came undone, he placed his hands on top of hers and pulled back slightly, trying to catch his breath, then he looked deeply in to her eyes and asked. "You sure you want to tonight? because this wasn't..."

She cuts him off with a smile. "I know you didn't have this in mind, you just wanted to comfort me, and you have. But now I want to." Then she said softly. "I need you."

Not needing to be told twice, he placed his glasses and book, both of which had fallen on the mattress, on the night stand before turning his attention to his wife by cupping her cheek and whispering. "And you have me, forever." Before their lips touched again, which lead them down a path that wasn't planned tonight, but neither one was complaining.

AN: More to come soon. Please review.