The crime scene was in an old alleyway a few miles from The Strip, next to an abandoned CD store: the perfect place to commit a murder. Grissom and Sara had been assigned to the case, and they had been working at the scene for the better part of four hours.

Puddles from the previous night's rain were still splashed among the street, and the air was damp with the smell of wet cement and the smell of fresh blood.

Half way down the alley, Sara suddenly stopped swabbing the red liquid from the concrete and looked up.

Tick, tick, tick…

What was that? She thought she had imagined it, but no; there it was again. She stood up and walked over to the dumpster a few feet away.

Tick, tick, tick… It was louder.

"Hey, Gris?" Sara said, a waver in her voice, "Do you hear that?" Grissom, too, stopped what he was doing and looked up, concentrating on the sound.

"Alarm clock?" he guessed, joining her at the dumpster.

"Maybe." Sara gingerly sifted through the trash, looking for the source. Her gloved hands eventually ran over a brown paper bag, and she picked it up and held it close to her ear.

"This—this is it." her words were calm but her heart was pounding.

Slowly, carefully, she dumped the contents of the bag onto the ground. It wasn't an alarm clock but a small black box, with red, blue, and yellow wires running down the sides.

Then the ticking stopped.

"Shit!" Sara got up, dragging Grissom along. "Run!"

They started down the alleyway, but seconds later a huge explosion erupted behind them. Sara was thrown against the hard stone wall, but not because of the blast, but by Grissom. He pressed his chest hard against Sara's back, pinning her to the wall. He was risking his life to save her.

The explosion seemed to last an eternity, though it only really lasted mere seconds, and after the flames had subsided Grissom eased away from Sara, making sure the bomb would not go off again.

"Sara… Sara are you alright?" Grissom asked her, checking her for any injuries.

She looked at him, fear still in her big brown eyes, and nodded slowly. "Are you? You were the one who…" her voice trailed off.

He shook his head. "I'm fine."

Grissom started toward the point of eruption but Sara stopped him by placing her hand on his arm. "Don't." she choked out. "We don't know if it's safe yet." Grissom nodded and took out his walkie-talkie. "This is CSI Grissom calling in a request for a Bomb Squad. There is an active bomb on Valley View Road, two miles west of the strip. We need backup now."

"Thank you Mr. Grissom. Stay where you are and a Bomb Squad will be sent." A monotone voice from the walkie-talkie replied.

He put the radio away and turned back toward Sara. "Are you sure you're okay? You don't look too well."

"Just… a little shaken up still, that's all." She looked down at her feet, then back up at him. "And, uh, thank you."

"For…?"

"For protecting me. When the bomb went off."

"It was just a natural reaction."

"Well thank you."

"Anytime." Sara gazed at him, her eyes bright with wonder.

She felt Grissom's lips on hers before she could comprehend what was happening. His arms slowly wrapped around her small frame while her own arms automatically circled his neck.

When he pulled away after several moments her eyes fluttered open.

"What was that about?" Sara asked him, a smile playing at her lips.

"Oh, it was just a natural reaction." he replied.

"Thank you." she whispered, her breath tickling his mouth.

"Anytime."