Only Time

By: Emmithar

Rating: K

Summary: A close call leaves Greg and Sara to reminisce over their past and possible future together. Sandle

A/N: A short one shot I've been working on. There may be a sequel if it is wanted. I have few ideas to go off on this one.

She had been walking through a semi-haze the entire day, not truly coherent to her surroundings, or the people around her, what they were saying, doing. How she ever made it home was beyond her, but she knew that was where she was as she walked by the wooden door, the floorboards creaking underneath her from her weight.

Though nothing sounded more appealing than crashing on the couch the moment she walked by, Sara continued forward, pausing as her hand came to rest on the door knob. There was only one light on in the kitchen, the pale beam crossing his face as she peered inside. Maybe it was better just to let him sleep, after all, they could talk in the morning.

It was when she was closing the door that she heard his muffled voice, barely comprehendible through the woven blankets. A smile crossed her lips as she leaned back in, watching as he opened a single sleepy eye. "You're not even going to say hi?"

"I didn't want to wake you," Sara responded, her voice held to a whisper.

"Well, I'm not sleeping," Greg concluded, still watching her with a single eye. He was resting on one side, the blankets pulled up around him, resting around his bare torso. Sara didn't blame him, knowing full well that any type of restricting material would only irritate his injuries further.

"You're supposed to be." She had made her way further into the room, taking a seat on the side of the bed carefully. A cupped hand rested on his forehead that was still warm with a fever, a worrisome thought. His eyes were clear as he watched her with a tired expression, but they tightened as she moved the blanket down further to inspect the stitching in his side.

"You hurt?"

Greg nodded, letting out a quiet groan for added affect. "Yeah…but not as bad as earlier."

"I'll get you something," Sara responded almost immediately, eager to do anything that would help him feel better. Greg caught her arm, holding her there with a light grip.

"No…" he shook his head, scooting up against the headboard some. "I'd rather deal with the pain than being both sick and in pain."

Sara let out a sad smile, relaxing back into her previous position. The medication the doctors had issued had little effect on him, aside from making him nauseous. He had stopped taking the pills soon after he started.

"I was thinking something a little lighter," she told him with a laugh. Her fingers grazed over his heated flesh, the same worried look crossing her face.

"Are you okay?"

Sara shook her head, turning away as she let out a sigh. She was still unsure of why she had gone into work that night; Grissom had already told her that they didn't need her in. In fact he had encouraged her to take the night off, after everything that had happened the previous evening.

The grip on her hand tightened, and she knew that Greg was doing his best at offering some support. How did this work out? The man was sick and injured and his only concern was for her. The world worked in a twisted way. "It's okay Sara…"

"No, it's not okay," she cut him off sharply as she looked his way. "You were almost killed Greg, because of a mistake I made. I didn't follow through on my job, my training. I've lived my entire life on being strong, taking initiative, and never backing down. Then the one time that it really matters, that it really counts I couldn't do a thing. And look at you…at least you had your head screwed on straight…even as stupid as you were."

He let out a small laugh, an allusion of pain flickering across his face as he readjusted himself. "Would it help if I told you I wasn't thinking?"

"When do you ever?"

There was a hint of mirth in her voice, a smile that crossed her lips as she tried to lighten the mood. It was too depressing to talk about at the moment, with the incident happening so recently. Later, when he pulled through this, they would be able to joke about it. But not now, not so soon. Greg laughed meekly at the comment, fighting against a yawn.

"I'll let you sleep."

He continued to hold onto her hand, keeping her there. "You know what I was thinking about…when the gun went off?"

Sara shook her head, trying to discourage him. She wasn't ready to hear what he had to say, still upset at the simple fact that she had not done anything to keep him out of harm's way. "What?"

"The first time we met."

Her eyes closed as she laughed shortly. "What, the small wave?"

"No, I mean the dinner after that…the first time we actually talked."

"You seriously can't remember that," Sara raised an eyebrow. "That was like…years ago. What was so special about that anyways?"

"The first time I heard you laugh, the first time I learned your name. You were wearing that light blue shirt, the one that you spilled mustard down the front."

"You remember my eating habits?" Sara wondered, frowning a bit. "How romantic."

"I'm a scientist Sara," he reminded her, "it's my job to be observant."

"And I suppose you went into the girl's bathroom after that on purpose?"

Greg laughed, holding his side some as the pain worked its way through him. His eyes had closed as he let out a slow breath, waiting for a moment before drawing another one in. Sara watched worriedly with a frown, her hand tightening around his. "I should really let you sleep…"

"Stay…" he breathed, opening his eyes again. "I'll be fine. Just don't go."

Sara gave him a small smile, kissing the back of his hand as she brought it up to her lips. "It's not like I'm going anywhere far," she reminded him, "Just out to the living room."

"I don't want you to go," Greg told her quietly. "After what happened last night…I couldn't stop thinking about you today. Sara…I don't want to lose you."

"Don't say that," she stated firmly, "nothing's going to happen."

"Is it?" Greg inquired, taking a quick moment to glance down at himself before looking back up.

Sara let out a sigh, lying down next to him so that their foreheads were nearly touching. "Okay," she said quietly, "things will happen…but we're going to get through them. I know…I know we're not invincible, but we're not reckless either. We're reasonable people."

"A lot of reasonable people die Sara," Greg whispered, dropping his voice a notch. "Going to work, grocery shopping, picking up their kids…even sleeping in their own beds. The world's a dangerous place, and that isn't going to change. No matter how many people we put behind bars."

"True," Sara ran her free hand along his cheek, down to his neck where she kissed him softly. "But we can't always be afraid. Cautious yes…but not afraid."

"I was," Greg closed his eyes, letting out a breath. "When they were transporting me…I didn't know if I was going to be okay or not. I didn't know if I would ever see you again, or what would happen with you, what you would do…"

His hand trailed down her body, coming to rest on her slightly swollen abdomen. Her own hand covered his, holding it there. "I told Grissom today."

Greg's eyes met her own, focusing sharply. "What did he say?"

"He freaked," Sara laughed, shaking her head at his shocked expression. "What else did you expect? He's Grissom. He wanted to know how far I was along, and why I hadn't said anything sooner. He didn't even know we were dating."

"Did you tell the others…I mean they deserve to know, but not like this…"

She cut him off in mid-sentence, her lips capturing his in a lengthened kiss. It was unexpected, and he drew in a breath as she pulled away, a smile crossing his face. "No one else knows," Sara whispered in his ear. "I knew you wanted to be a part in the announcement. I just had to tell him…I needed him to understand."

"I'm just afraid of what will happen when I get back to work. Things won't stay secret for long. If Grissom doesn't tell, your stomach will."

Sara punched him lightly on the shoulder, laughing. "Are you calling me fat?"

Greg laughed, resting his head in the crook of her neck. "Not yet, but I will."

"That's so mean," Sara smiled, giggling still as she rubbed his back. He was tense beneath her administrations, even as careful as she was being. She couldn't even begin to imagine the kind of pain he had to be in. Easing herself up into a sitting position she kissed him once more of the forehead. "Let me get you something, then you can get your rest."

He gave her a despondent look, but she returned it with an extra squeeze of his hand. "I won't be gone long."

"Then you'll stay?" he wondered.

Her smile was warm as she nodded, "I'll always stay."

The End

(Sequel?)