A/N: the loft is set up like the way they showed on t.v after sara left.
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Sara sat on the couch reading as grissom finished getting ready. He walked up the stairs that connected the kitchen to the doorway and adjoining 'living room'. She looked up from her book to see him zip up his windbreaker half way. She stood and walked over to hip, snaking an arm around his waste and leaning in to kiss him softly. Just then the doorbell rang. He kissed her again, and a third time before releasing his hold on her and picking up his field kit. He opened the door to see greg standing there with a tub of double fudge ice cream and a movie in hand.
"hey boss." greg smiled enthusiastically.
Grissom put a hand on his shoulder, smiled and quietly thanked him before walking past him to leave for work.
Once Grissom was gone greg turned to sara and smiled. He made his way to her and wrapped both arms around her, hugging her tightly.
"how are you feeling?" he finally spoke once he let go.
"Better." she smiled. She walked past him, closing and locking the door before turning back to him, "what have you got there?"
He looked down at his hands, having forgotten that he had brought things with him, then looked back up at her and smiled, "Double fudge brownie- your favorite- and a movie- incase you're in the mood."
she smiled, "Thanks greg." and after a pause, added, "I'm sorry you're stuck baby sitting."
"oh shut up," he playful shoved and walked down the stairs to the kitchen area, looking through the cupboards for two bowls for the ice cream, making himself at home. She fallowed,
"To the right, second shelf" she helped. Watching him take out two bowls and serve a few scoops in each. He sat on a bar stool on one side of the island, she sat on the opposite.
As he spooned a mouthful of ice cream he looked around the place for the first time, taking in his surroundings. He had never been here before.
"How long have you two been living here?" he asked curiously.
She still felt is extremely odd that everyone knew about her and Gil, but greg was one of her closest friends, he deserved to have some questions answered, even if it made her a little uncomfortable.
"A little over a year, i think."
"really!?" his eye brows raised in surprise, "wow."
"You understand why we couldn't tell you... don't you?"
"Yeah- its just- wow. I didn't realize how long this was going on for. ... How long has this been going on for?"
"Around two years."
"Its hard to believe that we all missed it."
"Well we were very careful" she offered.
"So..." he spoke a little hesitantly, "when did you two meet. 'Cause we all know he knew you before he asked you to come help out with Gribbs' case."
"know that is a long story."
"We've got time,"
She laughed a little and offered him a half smile trying to think back 9 years ago.
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Grissom sat in his office attempting to tackling the mounds of paperwork that piled up in his absence.
"Gil." he looked up to see Conrad Ecklie walking into his office, file in hand, and taking a seat opposite himself.
"You know this could have been a conversation between friends. ... Why didn't you just tell me?"
"We didn't want you to know."
"Don't most women want to tell the world they're dating someone?"
"Where do you get your information on woman from?" he shot back.
"okay. So," he opened the folder and clicked his pen, "When did you and Sara... become involved?"
Grissom though a moment, thinking back to that moment, "Nine years ago." he spoke, while his mind was still filed with the memory.
"You know what- you two better get your stories straight." he slammed his folder closed and stood, snapping grissom from his day dream and leaving him confused.
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"When we met?" she repeated, "Well.." she began, "I was fresh out of Grad school, working for the San Francisco Crime Lab. The Forensic Academy Conference was being held in San Francisco that year and I went as did the rest of my unit. He was giving a lecture on the second day of the week long conference."
she thought a moment, taking another spoonful of ice cream, "You cant tell anyone about this part," she said pointing her spoon at him before continuing, "I had a crush on him the moment i saw him. I sat in the front row of the lecture hall to get him to notice me, and afterward i asked a bunch of questions, trying to rack up the nerve to ask him to dinner."
she saw him holding back a chuckle and she gave him a playful scolding look. "anyway, i never got up the courage, so my questions just kept coming, until we were the last two people in the lecture hall and it was getting rather late. Finally he invited me to have a cup of coffee to continue answering any questions i had. And we did, and we sat in the coffee shop until they kicked us out at closing time. And then we just walked around the park for a while losing track of time... and eventually we went our separate ways."
"thats it? no juicy ending!?" he teased.
"Well we kept bumping into each other the rest of the week at the conference, we exchanged emails and phone numbers and kept in touch for a few years following it, just to help each other on difficult cases and things like that. We went out again that last night of the confrence, and took a stroll in the park again, and somehow- although everything leading up to it is a little bit of a blur, but we kissed breifly. and soon after that he made an excuse as to why he needed to leave and left. And that was the last time i saw him until holly-"
Greg nodded, "So, how long ago was that?"
"I think its been nine or ten years already." she said trying to remember.
The spoke about various subjects ranging from recent cases that greg has worked to Hank the dog, filling up the time until they decided to pop in the movie.
About two hours after that, a few minutes after the movie ended, Grissom opened the door.
"Hey ya boss." greg smiled as he went to fetch the DVD from the player.
"Hi, how was your evening?"
"Very enjoyable" sara spoke smiling at greg.
"Sara..."
she looked up at him and so the confused look on his face. he continued, "When did you tell Ecklie that we got involved?"
"Two years ago." at her response she saw surprise enter the mix of confusion expressed on his face, "Why? what did you tell him?"
"nine years."
greg chuckled on the side. "okay guys, im going to head out, sara, it was a lovely evening thank you for your hospitality" he smirked and walked over to grissom, giving him a 'manly' pat on the back, "take it easy boss." and with that he let himself out.
"nine years?" she repeated him, and then the it hit her, "The Forensic Academy Conference?" and she began to laugh at him. Although he was confused at her laughter, he didn't really care much, it was nice to hear her laugh again. It had felt like it had been forever since he heard her laugh like that.
