Ok, this is it – the last chapter and I am so nervous about it. This might be controversial but let's face it, it's how we secretly all want it to end. I know I do! Thank you for all the reviews you've all left and all the people that have added it to their favourite story list, it's been amazing and I appreciate it so much.

Major thanks to the person who gave me the idea for the ending. YOU ROCK!

Chapter 10 - Sara?

Gil woke to the sound of Catherine's voice. What was she doing here? She hadn't been in the lab when he had come in. None of the team had been.

Sara's necklace wasn't in his hands. He must have dropped it while he dozed. He scrabbled around on his desk to find it, pushing the unfinished report aside. Then he realised that something was wrong. He wasn't wearing a suit, he was just wearing his normal work clothes. When had he got changed?

"Gil?"

"Sara." He said suddenly standing up.

"Not quite." The voice said.

He looked up. Catherine was stood in the doorway. She wasn't wearing black either.

"Where's Sara?"

"Gone home. Are you ok?"

"When did she go?"

"What?" Catherine looked confused.

"When did she go? How long ago?"

"About five minutes ago. What's wrong Gil? You look terrible."

Grissom didn't answer. Instead he grabbed his keys and ran out of the lab and to his car. He had to check. He had to know she was ok.

He looked at the clock on his dash board. 10:05. She wouldn't be home until half past ten. He had time, if he was quick. He tried her cell phone but there was no answer.

He pulled into her parking lot at twenty five to eleven. Her car was parked in its normal spot. He jumped out of the car without locking it, barely stopping to slam the door shut. He ran up the steps to her apartment. Her front door was within sight. He had to get there, he had to check.

He hammered on her door, praying that she would answer. He heard a bang and a shout from inside and fumbled with his keys, trying to find the spare. "Sara?" He shouted as he got the key into the lock. He pushed the door open with such force that it hit the wall behind it and bounced back.

He ran towards the man he had seen in his dream and pulled him off his beloved Sara. With strength he didn't know he had, he punched the man on the jaw knocking him out.

Sara fell into his arms. "My uncle," she said staring at him, "he said he was my uncle. Said it was my fault. My dad's death. He said it was my fault."

"You're safe sweetheart. I couldn't live without you. It was killing me. I don't care who knows. I want you to move in with me, I don't ever want you to be in danger again. I don't want to go home without you. Not know that you're ok." He rambled, not realising that Sara was barely following is confused speech. "Move in with me, properly." He repeated.

"Ok." Sara replied without needing to think about it. She never wanted to come back here again.

Grissom took out his phone and rang Brass just telling him to come to Sara's apartment quickly. Grissom held Sara tightly while they waited for Brass to arrive. His stomach was still churning with the fear and horror from the last few days, at least what he thought had been the last few days. He sighed with relief even though he was still confused over what was reality. His brain was moving a mile a minute, he couldn't take it in, it simply wasn't possible.

Although he'd been raised a Catholic, Gil had never believed in miracles. But this, there was surely no other answer. How could he possibly have dreamt what was to happen.

As a scientist he had accepted a long time ago that he did not know everything. That there were things he could not understand. Just because something wasn't proven didn't mean that he disregarded it. He kept an open mind allowing theories to change to follow the evidence. Never in his life had he considered that someone could dream the future.

He didn't know how else to explain it. Part of him expected to wake up any minute and realise that this was still a dream.

But even if it was all a dream, he was content to have Sara in his arms. His angel wasn't dead.

"How did you know?" She whispered.

He hesitated for a while. How could he tell her that to him she had been dead for a week? That he had watched their friends catch her killer? That he had seen her body buried? How could he ever tell her that had he not come by her own uncle would have raped and killed her? How could he ever tell her that? "I just knew." He answered eventually. Some things shouldn't be shared and this was one of them. Sara didn't need to know that.

Grissom stood back. "Did he hurt you?" He asked looking at her.

"I'm ok."

He pulled her back towards her and hugged her tightly again.

Brass stood in the door way. Gil's call had both confused and scared him and he was glad to see the two of them safe. Then he noticed the body of a man lying on the floor. "What the Hell?" He said as he knelt down next to him and found a pulse.

"What on Earth has gone on here?" He asked after calling for an ambulance and back up.

"He attacked Sara." Gil replied simply.

"Are you ok?" Brass asked Sara coming closer to her to take a better look at her.

Sara nodded, words not coming easily.

"How did he get unconscious on the floor?"

"I punched him."

"You were defending Sara?" Brass asked, he knew he was technically coaching Gil to make the right answer but he had to protect his friend and he knew Gil would never hurt anyone unless it was to protect someone he loved.

Gil nodded. "He was hurting her. I had to stop him." He couldn't bring himself to ask if he was ok. If he was honest with himself he didn't care, he wanted to strangle the man.

Catherine appeared in the doorway. After Grissom's abrupt departure and then hearing Brass's call for back up and an ambulance to Sara's apartment over the radio she had been concerned, fearing the worst.

"Gil? Sara? What's going on?" She asked thinking that Sara might have come home and interrupted a burglar.

Sara didn't answer but looked fearfully at her uncle who was regaining consciousness.

"Gil, let's get Sara out of here." Catherine said wanting to get her away from the man who was obviously causing her so much distress before he completely regained consciousness.

Two more police officers arrived, escorting a team of paramedics. Calls to the homes of law enforcement officials were top priority.

Catherine took one look at the pair of them when they got down into the parking lot, both of them were shaking. "You're in no state to drive, Gil. Come on, I'll take the two of you to the lab."

Catherine watched as Gil helped Sara into the back seat. There was something 'intimate' about the way he held her hand. He then slid in next to her. She watched the two of them closely in the rear view mirror as she drove. She had no idea what had happened in Sara's apartment, or why she was so scared of the man unconscious there.

They sat Sara down in Grissom's office.

"What happened? Who is that man?" Catherine asked kneeling down in front of her.

Gil stepped back and stood staring through the window in his office door. He was trying to gather his thoughts. He knew that Sara needed him to be strong for her, she was scared and she needed him to pull himself together and be there for her. But part of him was still stuck in his dream. Was it a dream? Or was this the dream now? Was he dreaming that Sara was alive because he couldn't cope with her death?

He turned back to Sara. He had to believe what was happening now. He wanted to believe that Sara was alive.

"My uncle, he said, Jason Reeves, my mother's brother. I didn't recognise him, haven't seen him in years, since I was a child. He hated my father, so he'd never come round to our house. But my mom used to take me to see him when I was very little. He was always trying to get my mom to leave my dad, but my mom wouldn't."

"Why did he come to see you?" Catherine asked gently.

"He wanted me to go to see my mom. I didn't want to go and see her. I haven't seen her since the trial." Sara said taking hold of Grissom's hand.

"He started shouting that it was my fault, that I killed him. I didn't Gil. I didn't kill him." She looked up to him for reassurance.

"I know you didn't, sweetheart. He was lying."

"He was so angry." Sara said turning back to Catherine. "I thought he was going to... but then Gil came and pulled him off me."

Catherine noticed the use of Gil's first name, she never heard Sara use it before. Sara always called him Grissom.

Brass appeared in the door of Grissom's office. "He's got concussion but he'll be ok." He said shutting the front door behind him. "He won't tell us who he is or what he was doing there. I don't want him to cause any trouble for either of you so I need to take your statements separately."

Grissom stood up to leave Sara and Brass there but Sara held tightly onto his hand.

"I'll just be outside." He replied squeezing her hand and leaving followed by Catherine.

"How did you know?" Catherine asked as soon as the office door was shut behind them, leaving Sara and Brass alone.

"Know what?"

"That she needed you. When I woke you, you knew that something was wrong. How did you know?"

"You're going to think I'm crazy. I dreamt it all. Exactly. Sara has never told me about him but I recognised him, I knew his name. I dreamt that she hadn't turned up for work so I went to check on her, and she was dead. I think, I think if I hadn't gone by, he'd have killed her. How could I have known Catherine?"

Catherine opened her mouth but didn't know what to say.

"I don't know what to believe. I don't know what's real. Do you think I'm crazy?"

"No, but thank God you did." Sara said as Brass came out of the room after getting the necessary details from Sara.

"Will you stay with Sara?" Gil asked Catherine.

"Sure." Catherine replied and slipped through the door shutting it quietly behind her.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, thanks to Gil I am."

"How long have you and Gil been together?" Catherine asked. She wasn't sure that Sara would answer honestly but she was sure about her suspicions.

"What?" Sara asked looking up suddenly.

"Come on, I'm right, aren't I?"

"Nearly two years." She replied knowing that Catherine until she told the truth.

"Wow, how did you keep that one quiet?" There were so many questions Catherine wanted to ask about Sara's family but she thought it was safer sticking to questions about Sara and Gil's relationship.

Sara smiled. "It was difficult at times. Coming into the lab and having to pretend nothing was going on, we were nearly caught in, er, slightly compromising positions a few times."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, once or twice the moment over took us a bit."

"Why did you keep it a secret?"

"It's against lab rules. If it had got back to Ecklie one of us would have had to change shifts. We didn't want to break up the team. And we didn't want anyone to get in trouble for keeping our secret if Ecklie did find out. Is this going to get back to him?"

"I'm not going to tell him. We'll make sure nothing goes into either of your statements that could give it away."

"Thanks Catherine." Sara said smiling at her.

"So, is he good?" Catherine asked.

"I'm not telling you that!" She replied blushing.

"I didn't mean like that! I meant is he romantic with you?"

"Yeah." Sara said blushing more. "He gave me this for our first anniversary." She held out the necklace out for Catherine to see. Catherine read the inscription on the back – Who ever loved that loved not at first sight? "It's from 'As You Like It'."

"Shakespeare?"

"Yeah."

"It's really serious between you two?"

Sara nodded. "He's asked me to move in with him. I stay at his normally but he wants me to move in properly."

"You love him?"

"I've loved him since the first time I met him, nine years ago."

"I'm really glad you two are together. You've both seemed much happier recently."

"We are."

The door opened. Sara stood and ran to Grissom. He hugged her tightly and kissed her tenderly on the lips. "Oh, er, Catherine, er..." Grissom said awkwardly, remembering that she was there.

"It's ok, she knows about us." Sara said stroking his cheek.

"Brass is going to arrest Reeves for assault. Let's go home, sweetheart."

"Both of your cars are at Sara's apartment. I'll give you a lift home and get someone to pick them up for you."

"Thanks Catherine but I want Sara to see a doctor first. Will you take us to the hospital?"

"No, Gil. I'm not going to the hospital."

"Please Sara. It won't take long. I just want you checked over. Just in case."

"No." Sara said firmly. "I'm not going to the hospital. Not after everything that's happened today."

"Will you let Al take a look at you? I think he's still here."

"Ok." Sara said knowing that Gil would just worry otherwise.

---

"Hi Sara, come and take a seat. It'll only take a minute." Doctor Robbins said waving her towards him.

Sara sat down nervously. She hated seeing doctors and, even though she knew Al, she couldn't get rid of the feeling of anxiety.

"Did you hit your head?" He asked looking at her.

"Yeah."

"Lose consciousness?"

"No."

"Head ache?"

"A bit."

"Dizziness? Blurry vision?"

"No and no."

"I don't think your concussed but you could do with staying with someone today just in case."

"It's ok, she's going to stay with me." Gil said from the corner.

"Well, keep an eye on her, you know what to look out for. Phone me if you've got any concerns, any time." He looked back at Sara. "Any pain anywhere else?"

Sara touched her jaw lightly.

"Yeah, it does look a bit bruised." He ran his hand carefully down her jaw bone. "I don't think there's any breaks, it'll just be a bit sore for a few days."

"Thanks." Sara said standing up, eager to go home with Grissom.

Al watched her put her jacket on, noticing how little she had said throughout his examination. "My door's always open Sara, if you've got any concerns."

"Thanks, doc. I'm fine."

---

Grissom led Sara through the door and sat her down on the sofa. "I'll make you a cup of tea, my dear." He said kissing her on the forehead before going to the sink. He filled the kettle with water and put it on, then he rinsed out her favourite mug as he watched her lean back and get comfortable.

He watched her close her eyes. It was all too real, he thought as she stretched her arms and rubbed the sore spot on her jaw subconsciously, she was too real. The last 'week' was already fading in his memory. At least, the details were. The horrifying, sickening fear however was still there. He'd never forget that.

"Gil, are you ok?" Sara said raising him from his thoughts.

"Yeah, why?"

"The kettle boiled a couple of minutes ago. What's on your mind?"

"Just thinking about how much I love you." He said smiling at her and finishing making the tea.

He sat down beside her and handed her a mug. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"Sara?"

"Mmm." She murmured taking a sip of her tea.

Gil twisted around so he could look Sara in the eyes.

"Marry me?"

"What? Are you being serious?"

"I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. And I don't want to waste another second. So, will you marry me Sara?"

Sara smiled. "Yes. Yes. I love you."

"Really?" Gil said with a hopeful smile on his face.

Sara didn't answer, instead she leant forward and kissed him. Grissom took her by the hand and led her to the bedroom. The tea went cold.

The End

If you don't like the whole "it was all a dream" idea then disregard this last chapter but I just couldn't bring myself to end it with her dead. I would have had to kill Gil off as well because they should be together and I really didn't want to kill anyone else!