Dealing with Greg when he got sentimental always annoyed Sara despite him being her unofficial trainee. Everyone was teaching Greg and he was doing an amazing job since his certification as a CSI I. However, Sara found herself teaching Greg a lot when the team was split up before Nick's kidnapping. Since the team was put back together, he bounced around between them all again but he still came to her for some things. Grissom had told her it was fate that she was once his best student and Greg became hers.

Finding just over a million dollars in cash under the floor had surprised Sara but it was a good teachable moment for Greg. With his help, they collected the money for evidence and she was able to teach him how counting money required two people and recounts had to happen if there was a discrepancy. After the count, Greg asked Mandi to fingerprint the cash but there was little success. Time wasn't kind to fingerprints and DNA.

Sara looked up when the door to the townhouse opened then closed, Grissom having taken Hank for a walk. She was getting started on making lunch, lunch they'd take to work to save money because they'd made a food run several days over the past two weeks. Sara preferred to save money while Grissom didn't mind buying food for both of them. He had saved for years as he had no expenses other than the basics of rent, food, utilities, gas for his SUV, and doctor bills. Due to saving for years, once they were together, he loved spending money on her, spoiling her. Her necklace collection had doubled in the nine months they'd been dating and surprisingly, clothes showed up in her drawers at his place. Not ones she brought over but new, unused, and definitely clothes she would have bought herself. A new peacoat and scarfs had also taken residence in the small coat closet that still needed a door put on it. All she could do was thank him and ask him to stop.

"How was the walk?" Sara asked him as he joined her in the kitchen. Hank went straight for his water bowl.

"Hank made a new friend. The townhouse two doors down has a Pitbull puppy. We traded numbers so we can set up a playdate. His owner thinks it'll be socialization and Hank could use that also. I know Nick mentioned his dog but it wouldn't hurt to have another friend."

Sara smiled, "sounds like a good idea. Does he have a partner, the owner?"

"He and his wife were walking the puppy. David and Michelle, Percy is the puppy's name."

"Well, we should have them over for dinner one weekend." Sara stated as she wiped her hands on a dishcloth and turned to open the oven before turning back to pick up the pasta dish she'd made. Once it was in the oven, she headed towards the office where she knew he'd be. He was reading something in one of his textbooks and Sara walked over, putting her hands on his shoulders and ran her hands down and across his chest before linking her hands together, kissing his crown.

"We should look at the schedule at work before we invite them, so we don't have to cancel due to an on-call case." He took off his glasses and turned to her, which had her removing her arms from around him. He did pull her a fraction so she'd sit on his lap, allowing him to put his arms around her.

"I wanted to talk to you." Sara reached up and grasped his shirt's lapel, running her thumb over it repetitively. "My apartment lease is ending in three months and I'm seriously considering not renewing it. I'm over here more than I am there but I don't want to encroach and assume you'd be okay with it."

Grissom reached a hand up and brushed back a lock of unruly hair behind her ear. "Are you asking to move in?"

"Possibly. I just don't want to assume you'd be okay with it. I know sometimes you like your space and when I'm angry, I don't want anything to do with you." She glanced at him, "so far, it's only been once. I can definitely say that it won't be the last, as much as I don't want to admit it."

"We could put together the unused bedroom instead of just it lying bare as it is now. That way you have room if you get into one of your moods."

Sara smirked, "what do you think of the idea of me moving in? I know it's only been nine months."

"Nine months or two years, it matters not to me. I told you, my Dear, that we're in this together. We both have wasted too much time."

"I should tell you that I still have no desire to get married." Reaching up a hand, she ran her fingers through his hair. "Us living together will likely not change that stance."

The whole time they spoke he was watching her with love in his eyes. "We don't have to get married. My mother will strongly oppose the idea of us not marrying but I have no opposition. I know it brings up bad memories."

"Should I inform them I'm not renewing? I have to let them know by the end of the week."

"I want you here Sara. You're here so often that I already consider you living here."

Running her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck, Sara smiled. "Alright, I'll let them know."

"Hank will be thrilled. He sits by the door when you're gone."

"Of course, Hank our dog who is attached to me for some strange reason."

Grissom's face held a slight smirk. "You called him our dog instead of just mine."

"Well, he technically is our dog. I'm the one who took on the exhausting task of training him. Before I got ahold of him, Hank would jump on people and had no manners."

"Do you know why he's attached to you?" His hand ran across her back, side to side.

Sara shrugged, "do you know the reason? If you do, I'd be surprised because he's a dog and can't talk."

"Did you know dogs can sense moods and emotional pain?" Seeing her shaking her head, he continued speaking. "You may not always show it or be aware yourself but you struggled daily with your past. Hank picks up on that and stays attached to you the days you struggle the most."

"So, he's been taking care of me as much as I've been taking care of him." Sara stated in awe.

Grissom ran his thumb across her cheek. "You know, some of the cash came from the decade I was born. Greg called it ancient."

Laughter escaped Sara as she listened to him. "So, essentially, he called you ancient."

"Horrifying, isn't it?"

"Definitely." Sara shook her head, "that he would think you ancient." Sara leaned in and kissed him, her nails scraped through the hairs at his nape. When she pulled back, Sara grinned as his arms slid around her. "You definitely aren't ancient."

"I'm glad you agree."

Grissom pulled one arm from around her and slid it under her legs as he stood suddenly. Sara laughed as she put her arms around his neck. "What are you doing?"

"Taking you to bed."

"There's food in the oven." Sara stated as he walked with her to the bedroom. "It'll burn."

He placed her on the bed and grinned while putting up a finger, "stay there." Leaving the bedroom, he heard Sara's laughter.

The shower was going as Sara walked in the bathroom preparing to put on the limited amount of makeup she wore for work. She paused when she saw her neck and gasped, the purple bruises on her neck could only be classified as hickies. Ignoring them for the time being, she opened her eye liner and applied it to her eyes. The eye liner was followed by eye shadow and a slight amount of blush and lip gloss. The lip gloss was so light it didn't even look like she wore any.

The shower turned off and the steam covered door opened. Sara saw through the mirror as Grissom grabbed a towel from a nearby towel rack. His gaze went to her as he towel-dried his hair. "Don't you look beautiful."

"You're in trouble Mister." She stated while applying mascara.

"What have I done now?" He asked as he moved to stand beside her.

Sara turned and motioned to her neck, "this! How do I explain this? Everyone is going to know that you were acting like a teenage boy this morning."

"You have several new scarves to choose from." He stated while pushing back her hair from her shoulder to see the purple bruises. "As for acting like a teenage boy, you didn't have a problem with it at the time."

With her lips quirked to the side, Sara raised an eyebrow. "Uh huh. Well, new rule. Nowhere visible."

"They should go away within a week."

Sara couldn't help the smile that crossed her face. "You're certainly proud of yourself."

"Why wouldn't I be? You may be bruised my Dear, but you thoroughly enjoyed yourself."

"Well, you do a good job." Sara turned back to the mirror to finish applying mascara to her other eye. "You always do. You read me like a book."

He leaned in to whisper in her ear as he passed her. "And you're my author." As he left the bathroom, Sara couldn't help the blush that filled her cheeks.

Catherine looked up when Sara knocked on her office doorframe. "Hey, wanna go back out to the scene with me? Greg has a hunch regarding Lois's timeline and her clothes."

"Yeah, I could use the distraction." Catherine rose from her chair and grabbed her phone. "Recert Collection on you, Grissom, and Greg. Has he finished ours?"

Sara nodded, "yeah, he mentioned it two weeks ago. You're not that late, are you?"

"Trust me, I am."

Sara pointed to herself, "you know that just like evals and cost of living adjustment, we don't get our certification longevity pay increase until you submit it."

"I know, I know." She put out a hand. "The good news is that I just have to collect your re-certs and that's as easy as an email. Remind me, you went to Colorado to help Grissom with his class since you weren't able to work till the first, correct?"

"I did. Why?"

"See if Grissom has some form or something that could make it so you get the credits. That one class gets your yearly re-cert out of the way."

Sara shrugged. "The course paperwork is at home on his desk. I'll just pull one of the certs and have him sign it."

As they got into the vehicle, Catherine looked at Sara with a smirk. "How bad is it?"

"How bad is what?" Sara looked at her with confusion.

"Oh come on Sara, it happens sometimes when things get wild." The redhead pointed to her own neck. "How bad is it?"

Sara groaned and reached up, pulling the scarf down so Catherine could see. "Bad."

Catherine chuckled, "well someone had fun." She reached out and brushed Sara's hair out of the way. "Damn, I never had them that purple. What did he do, bite you?"

"Might as well." Sara pulled the scarf back up.

"I have nothing to say." Catherine shook her head. "At least one of us is getting some."

Sara found Grissom in his office going over case paperwork. In her hands were two to-go containers full of dinner. He looked up as she set it on top of the paperwork he was reviewing. Smiling at him, Sara sat down opposite in one of the chairs in front of his desk. "You're always on me about eating so turnabout is fair play."

Picking up the container, Grissom collected some of pasta dish on a fork and took a bite. He set it aside to return to the file. "Did you girls find anything of use back at the scene?"

"Possible GSR on her ring but her clothes were missing. I left it with Hodges for testing and if it comes back positive…" she trailed off while biting into her pasta.

"Miss O'Neill was the shooter." He picked up his lunch and took a bite.

Sara nodded to him, "what do you think of the pasta? It was a new recipe I found online."

"What sauce is it?"

"Alfredo." She took another bite of her own. "I subbed broccoli for the chicken in the original recipe."

Grissom held up a fork full that showed broccoli, "that is evident my Dear." After showing the forkful to her, he ate it.

Humor filled Sara as she ate her own. "So, this weekend I was thinking we could use my birthday gift. There has to be at least one hotel on the strip that we haven't responded to a crime in."

"That is wishful thinking and you know it."

"I know but I had a small fraction of hope it was so." Sara thought, "any particular hotel you're interested in?"

Thinking, Grissom looked to her. "Paris. I don't know when we'll ever get to Paris but imitation for a weekend is enough."

"You want to take me to Paris?" Sara looked at him with a smile on her face, full of surprise.

"Darlin', I want to take you across the world. You deserve to see it all."

Voice soft, full of hope, Sara spoke. "Just because marriage is off the table doesn't mean a honeymoon isn't."

"Hmm, something to think about." Grissom told her as he finished the remainder of his meal.

Sara stood up and placed her empty food container aside, accepting the one that Grissom held out to her. "Want to go with me to see if the results are in?"

As they approached the trace lab, they saw Hodges using a permanent marker to mark his gray hairs. Sara exchanged a glance with Grissom, both found it humorous but so typical of Hodges. Grissom was the one to speak while Sara watched Hodges respond.

"Vanity thy name is Hodges."

The man all but jumped and turned, "this isn't what it looks like." He grabbed the plastic screen he'd been using and put it under the table. "I actually like my gray hair. The few that I have."

Sara smiled at him, "Hodges, don't you know that gray hair can be very attractive?"

Hodges stared at her. "You would say that, example in point." He motioned to Grissom.

Grissom looked between the two as Sara turned to the reason they came. "The ring?"

"The ring?" After a moment he turned, "the ring. The ring. The ring was positive for GSR." He handed the printout to Grissom.

"That means that Lois could be the shooter." Sara stated looking at the printout.

"I guess we'll have to bring her in." Grissom stated.