Disclaimer : No copyright infringement intended. The characters belong to CBS and other entities. The plot is mine though, I'm not sharing.

Timeline : Somewhere in season 6, which along with season 7, are my favorite seasons.

A/N : Thanks to Sylvie, she knows why.

== Light of The Lanterns ==

It was probably one of the hottest nights in Vegas. Sara didn't even bother to check the temperature. It had to be somewhere above one hundred, she thought rather unhappily as she stepped into her second crime scene for today, or tonight for that matter.

She nodded at the officers in charge and said hi to Brass who was interviewing a spiky-haired teenager in the corner of the living room. The detective gestured to the open door leading to a bedroom and Sara caught a glimpse of a blood-stained pillow on the floor. She sighed and tightened the grip on her kit, somberly walking into said bedroom.

"Rough night, eh?" Greg greeted her from his position on the floor. He was taking a picture of a shoeprint from the hard-wood floor.

"My fourth triple shift this month." Sara hunched over a bedside drawer, inspecting some dry blood on its corner, hidden by a wallet, a wristwatch, and rings that were situated on top of the drawer. "This is too wide and too thick for spatter." She gestured at the dark red stain. "And too rounded too."

"I haven't checked that out yet; that or the bed or the cupboard." He grinned, "Mr. Bossman asked me to help him with one of the bodies first." Greg pointed at the bathroom. "Cool, isn't it?"

Sara opened her case and lifted a swab. "What was cool? Mr. Bosmann asking you to help him or the fact that there are bodies instead of just a body inside?" She frowned and swabbed the blood before neatly capping the swab.

"Okay I get it. You're not in your usual cheerful mood." Greg moved to another shoeprint and started taking more pictures.

"Sara, did you document the blood stain before you swabbed it? Or did you even ask Greg if he had finished taking pictures of all the evidence before you started?" The ever stoic voice of one Gil Grissom startled Sara, reminding her that she had indeed forgotten to take the said-pictures.

"Oh my god!" Greg gasped, glancing at Sara's camera that was lying on the floor. "I didn't."

"And I didn't either." Sara's hands slumped to her side. She had ruined the evidence. The once rounded smudge of blood now was slightly askew.

"I'm sorry Sara, I should have…." Greg stammered his apology

Sara wasn't having any of it. She shook her head no, it was completely her fault. "Please Greg, don't." She bit her lower lip.

"You shouldn't be here." Grissom huffed. The kind of huff Sara hadn't heard for ages. The last time she had heard it, he had used it to scold Hank when the dog had spilled a bottle of ink over his paperwork. Sara bit harder on her lip; she certainly had pissed him off.

"Sorry." She couldn't find a better word. Her eyes searched Grissom's, but he quickly averted his gaze to the bathroom and didn't answer her. The clock was ticking awfully slowly as Grissom stood still for a moment then got back to the bathroom, leaving Sara dry. She glanced at Greg. The young man was already on his feet, probably ready to stammer another apology.

"Greg, I need to get out for a moment." She strode outside, ignoring Brass's call. Once she reached the patio, she released the breath she had been holding.

"I screwed up..".." She told herself while rubbing her eyes. "Take a deep breath, Sara." She ordered herself and did just so. After a moment, she felt the tension seep out of her body. Sara closed her eyes and leaned against one of the wooden posts that supported the roof. It had been a rough day for her. Cases and tensions aside, she had missed seeing Grissom. Now that they were finally working at the same scene after nearly a week without seeing each other, she just had to mess things up.

Someone gently patted her on the shoulder and she flinched. "Here. Drink this." Grissom was already beside her and handing her a bottle of energy drink. "Not as good as coffee, but sometimes people like us need to improvise." He sat on the floor and tugged her hand down, making her sit down beside him. And for the first time since she had reached the patio, Sara took the time to see and appreciate the sight before her

A Japanese-styled garden was spread out in front of them, with a pond under a wooden bridge as the centerpiece. Rock and gravel were arranged in a symmetrical pattern, complemented by Bamboo fences in the background. Sara counted five Japanese maple trees, three dwarf-sized cherry trees, seven shrubs and five stepping stones, all perfectly sited about the pond.

"How long have you been up?" Grissom asked her softly without making eye contact, intent as he was on observing the garden. Sara's eyes followed his and she caught sight of a mini waterfall under the bridge. The water was trickling down onto a flat stone under the waterfall, creating spatters and making the distinct shooting sounds of splashing water.

"Twenty hours maybe?" She replied with a shrug after a while. She took a big swig of the drink and instantly hated the taste on her tongue. Coffee was so much better. Sara averted her thoughts from the taste by staring at the paper lanterns that were dangling across the pond. Their light illuminated the whole garden in a yellowish glow. Moths were flying close to one of the lantern and she felt some strange feeling tugging inside her chest. It was the kind of feeling that was begging her to get closer to Grissom, to rest her head on his shoulder, to seek comfort and shelter. If only they weren't at a crime scene.

"You helped swing with their abduction case and Catherine with her B&E before you came here, right?" His tone might be one to express curiosity but Grissom's eyes were still trained on the waterfall as he spoke.

Sara was surprised that he knew the detail of her day but she chose not to question him about it. Boyfriend or not, he was still her boss after all. She only nodded her answer, hoping he would at least glance her way.

"And you have court tomorrow afternoon?"

"Yes."

"What did you have for dinner?"

"Uh?"

"Dinner, what did you eat for your dinner?" He still hadn't budged from watching the waterfall, leaving Sara confused about the point of his questions.

"I… uh… haven't eaten dinner yet."

"Lunch?"

She quirked an eyebrow at him, but he didn't quirk one back like he always did. "I snatched one of Warrick's sandwiches."

"Breakfast?"

"Coffee."

"Just coffee?"

Sara was not about to ask him what all these questions were about. One year dating had taught her a lot about one Gilbert Grissom. It was easier to follow his rhyme than asking and prodding. "Coffee and a glass of water." She answered uneasily.

The corner of her eye caught him sighing and closing his eyes briefly before sighing again. Sara started to feel worried now. What had she done? Had she pissed him off again?

"Move in with me." Grissom whispered, taking her hand in his. It was the very first time he had ever touched her intimately and purposely at a crime scene.

"What?" Sara gulped. Both his gesture and his words had shocked her beyond recognition.

"Move into my townhouse or let me move into your apartment." His eyes were now gazing at the lanterns too. More moths were coming closer to the lanterns and Sara knew most of them would be burn and fall into the pond.

"Please, move in with me" he reiterated with a gentle squeeze of her hand, his voice soft and low.

Sara could have said yes in a cheerful teenager way. She could also have asked him if he was sure. But she chose not to. Grissom would not make any statement on their relationship if he wasn't sure about it. His every move was deeply calculated, so was his every word.

"Why?" she popped the first question she could muster. Her hand was trembling in his, and she knew that the weather was not the cause of it. She tried to pull her hand free but he managed to keep a tight hold on her fingers.

Suddenly all of the lanterns went off, leaving the garden and the patio in partial darkness. The only shining light came from the windows above their heads.

"So I could take care of you. So I could make sure you always have omelet and toast and pancakes for breakfast. So I could keep you in bed instead of letting you work double shifts. So I could make you bring homemade lasagna in your lunch box."

Sara gulped again. After a year, his affection still exceeded her expectations. "I don't have a lunch box." She felt bad for her lack of a better response.

He smiled. The dim light surrounding them failed to disguise the shine of his blue eyes as he finally turned to look at her and said. "So we could at least see each other a minute a day." His thumb was now caressing the back of her hand.

Sara still couldn't find the right words. Was it the right thing to do? Would this be a step she would regret taking? She was afraid if they made the wrong move, their newly found love would shatter into pieces. She had no energy left after five years of putting the pieces together.

"So I could show you each day, how much I love you." There, his line struck her right in her heart, sucking the air out of her lungs, spinning her around toward him. She felt like she was flying above the pond, spiraling closer to the lantern.

Just like her eyes, the lanterns lit up again. The moths were now dancing closer to the light and Sara knew, just like the poor bugs, she had to take the chance. The light Grissom had offered her might burn her in the end, but its warmth was a gem not to waste.

Grissom rose to his feet. "Give me an answer whenever you're ready." He gave her hand a final gentle squeeze and moved away.

He was stepping over the threshold to get back into the house when Sara's voice creaked out. "Gil…"

"Yes, sweetheart." He didn't turn around; he didn't even glance in her direction.

"How many lunch boxes do you have in your townhouse?"

"I'll buy you a new one, along with a special drawer for your Physics journals."

"Would you build me a garden too?" She had no bargaining power; just like the moths she was merely a creature trying to bid for some warmth.

"I could try." He grinned at her while turning on his heels. "Come on, we have a crime to solve."

"Good luck." Sara murmured to the moths before letting Grissom lead her back inside.

FIN

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