Hi there. I want to apologise for this not being a very origional idea but I wanted to try my hand at writing some fluff and this seems to be an easy way of doing it!!! Now I have had a go, I might try and come up with a more origional idea in the future. I hope you enjoy the story anyway.

Grissom finally arrived home after what had been another long shift. Everyone had been busy for the entire night and he had barely had a chance to see anyone in his team for more than a few minutes, Sara included. He dropped his keys onto the kitchen counter and grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge, headed into the living room. He had expected to find Sara on the sofa, perhaps checking over their mail or reading, as she often liked to do in order to wind down after work. Instead, he found Hank, their beloved boxer, sprawled on the couch snoring quietly as he slept. Of course, Hank had been Grissom's dog first, but the friendly mutt seemed had welcomed Sara into his family as soon as he had met her. Now he was as much her dog as his, often choosing to spend his time with Sara above Grissom himself. "Hank." Grissom said in a low warning tone, the dog instantly lifting his head and giving Grissom his best puppy dog eyes. "Bed." He commanded, shooing the dog from the furniture and back to his own bed in the corner. He briefly rolled his eyes at the scattering of dog hair on the upholstery but decided to clean it off later, wanting to find Sara first. Tomorrow night was to be one of the rare nights they had off together and he wanted to spend as much time with her as he could. He crept up to their bedroom, which he could tell from the faint glow in the corridor outside was where he would find her. He pushed open the door to find her curled up under their white sheets, her back to the door. The only light in the room came from the lamp on her side of the bed. Grissom thought that she couldn't have been asleep for long, if she had even meant to fall asleep at all, or the light would have been off. He slipped off his shoes and placed them next to her smaller ones against the wall. Then he pulled off his shirt and pants and dropped them into the laundry basket leaving him in only his boxer shorts. He pulled back the sheets on his side of the bed and sat on the edge.

"Gil?" Sara uttered groggily.

"Yes dear. Why, who else were you expecting?" He asked slipping under the sheets beside her.

"I don't know. My secret lover maybe?" She quipped, rolling over to face him.

"What, one secret boyfriend isn't enough for you?"

"Hmmm" She pouted and pulled herself closer to him. He placed a gentle kiss on her soft lips. "Don't worry, he has nothing on you." She smiled.

"Is that right?" He chuckled. She nodded and pulled her self closer to him still to rest her head on his shoulder as he laid an arm across her body and began to play with her hair in his fingers. She closed her eyes and sighed sleepily.

"How long have you been home?"

"Long enough to throw Hank off the furniture but that's all." He felt her chuckle slightly. It was a bad habit of Hanks, sitting on the furniture, but one Sara could only really blame herself for. She was too soft on that dog and she knew it.

"You haven't had breakfast?"

"No, but neither have you I noticed." He said, a slight nagging tone to his voice. It was perhaps one of her greatest faults. If Sara was worried or upset or stressed, she would somehow just "forget" to eat and it wasn't something that only Grissom had noticed: The rest of the night shift team had noticed it too, which was a good thing as far as Grissom was concerned, as regrettably it was work that often drove her to neglect herself. At least if everyone was aware of this, they could work together to make sure she took care of herself. But then it also wasn't a trait that was exclusive to Sara. Catherine was certainly known to behave in a similar way, as was he on occasion. Thankfully the boys seemed to have a much healthier appetite, if you could call fast food and coffee healthy.

"I was tired." She defended. "I did walk Hank though. Not far admittedly, but only because we got talking to Mrs Bragg from over the road." She yawned. "Kept rambling on about her cat. We couldn't get away." He could hear her voice fading as she drifted back to sleep. She rolled over in his arms so her back was against his chest and pulled the sheets up further around her as if trying to get herself warm.

"You cold?" He asked adjusting himself to their new position.

"A little." She sighed. He pulled her hair back from her face brushed his hand against her forehead.

"You really hot."

"Ugh not tonight Gil, I'm too tired." She groaned. Grissom simply looked confused. "Besides," She continued. "Saying I'm hot? Hot, doesn't sound right coming from you. You're too much of a gentleman. You must have been spending too much time with Greg." Grissom realised now that she must have misunderstood him and chuckled slightly. He propped himself up on one elbow to lean down and kiss her lightly on the cheek.

"No honey, I mean you feel warm."

"I do?" She lifted the back of her hand to her forehead in a futile attempt to assess her temperature. He ran his hand down her arm, stopping at her wrist and lacing her fingers between his, bringing her hand away from her face resting their arms across her stomach.

"Yeah. Are you feeling ok?" He asked softly, concerned she might be falling ill.

"I don't know." She mumbled. "I had a headache earlier but I took some Tylenol and it's gone now."

"You sure?" He asked, frowning slightly. Thankfully she couldn't see his face, or she would likely have told him that she was fine and that he didn't need to worry. She was not good at having people looking after her and being concerned about her and she defiantly wasn't good at being ill.

"Um-hmm. Just tired."

"Ok." He said, leaning over her to switch off the light, sending the room into relative darkness. "You get some rest. Sleep well."

"You too." She muttered, settling back into his arms. It wasn't long before they were both sleeping but Sara was restless and soon worked her way free from Grissom's body to sprawl out across the mattress. Her constant fidgeting was something Grissom may normally have noticed but the long hours of overtime he had worked (that they had all worked that week for that matter) had taken their toll and he was sleeping much more deeply than he otherwise would have. For that reason, it was not until he turned over to feel the bed empty beside him that he realised she was gone. He glanced at the clock, and on seeing it was far from time to get up, he decided to go and see if she was ok. He slid out of bed and followed the light into the bathroom.

"Sara?" She turned around to look at him and he instantly noticed how pale she was.

"Oh is it time to get up?" She sounded disappointed. "I was hoping to come back to bed."

"No, it's just after twelve. I just came to see if you're ok?" He said stepping towards her and running his hand slowly down her arm. Her skin was warm to the touch and slightly sticky with sweat.

"Oh." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before continuing. "I was feeling sick so I came to get some ginger ale, because Doc. Robbins told me once that it's good for a bad stomach, but I don't think we have any." Her rambling words were quick and her tone slightly whiney.

"We do have some honey."

"We do?"

"Yes. But we keep it in the kitchen."

"I know." She nodded.

"Well this is the bathroom." He found himself smiling in spite of his concern for her.

"It is?" She groaned. "Ugh Gil, I think maybe I am sick after all." She fell against his body and he wrapped one arm around her, his free hand resting against the side of her face.

"You think?" He said sarcastically. She turned her face into his chest and mumbled something Grissom couldn't quite make out.

"You have a high fever." He said, thinking that a feverish delirium might explain her confusion. "Let's get you back to bed and I'll find that ginger ale for you." He suggested, coaxing her forward and back into their bedroom. He sat he on the edge of the bed and set about turning over and rearranging her pillows.

"I blame Nick for this." She groaned.

"Oh?"

"He was coughing all over me on the way to a scene the other night and then..."

"And then what?" He asked when she didn't continue, kneeling in front of her and resting a hand on her knee looking up at her expectantly.

"I don't know." She frowned, rubbing her aching head. "I guess he went home."

"He did." Grissom confirmed. "I sent him."

"You did?" She smiled. "Well that was nice." She said, her words beginning to slur as tiredness took over her body.

"Lay down." He gently pushed her down on the bed so her head rested on the pillows and pulled the sheets over her. "I'll be right back." She rolled onto her side and nodded with a sleepy sigh. He returned to her a few minutes later with a tall glass of ginger ale and one of water along with a packet of Tylenol. She felt the bed dip as he sat down beside her and then felt a cool hand against her cheek. She pried open her eyes and smiled up at him.

"I have your ginger ale and some more Tylenol. See if we can't get that fever down." He helped her to sit up and handed her the glass, noticing how her hand trembled slightly as she took it from him. When she had finished, he took the glass back and placed it on the bedside table. "Do you want to change your pyjamas?" She shook her head.

"It's so dam hot in here I don't want them on at all." She groaned, pulling at the fabric of her black cami-top.

"As tempting as it is too have you in the nude, I'm not sure that's a good idea." He smiled. She chuckled slightly but it didn't last long.

"Could you pass me the rest of the ginger ale?" She asked, rubbing her hand slowly across stomach.

"Do you feel sick again?"

"I'm not sure I ever stopped."

"Do you want to go to the bathroom?" He asked as her skin turned a sickly grey. He pulled her to her feet before she could answer and began to slowly help her towards the bathroom. They were half way there when she suddenly pushed him away from her and bolted for the toilet, already retching before he reached her side. Despite her body rebelling against her she couldn't bring anything up owing to the fact she hadn't eaten since before she had left for her shift that night. He knelt beside her and placed his hand on her back but she pushed him away, or tired to at least.

"Sara, I've seen you being sick before." He reasoned, understanding instantly why she didn't want him there.

"I don't care." She mumbled, covering her face with her hands. "I didn't want you to see me last time either." He placed his hands on her shoulders, ignoring her protests at him being there, and began massaging them in slow circles, feeling her instantly relax. He ran his hands down he back and round her waist, pulling her body back against his.

"Better?"

"Um-hmm."

"Good." He placed a kiss on the top of her head and lifted her to her feet, keeping one hand around her waist as they walked back to their bedroom. He helped her under the covers then climbed in beside her. "Now get some rest." She nodded and nestled into his side. He watched her as she drifted off to sleep, her breathing growing slower and deeper. Once he was sure she was sleeping he closed his own eyes and drifted off into a light sleep of his own. This time however, he did feel her lying restless beside him. Her tossing and turning and occasional muffled coughing prevented him from sleeping for long so he decided to get up and use his time wisely by completing some work in his study as she slept. He quietly crept from the room and left her to sleep. After working for little less than an hour, he returned to check on her, only to find her still soundly sleeping. She had however worked herself free from the bed sheets. Concerned that she would get cold, he quietly pulled the fabric back over her body. She didn't even stir. He smiled at her, at how beautiful she looked as she slept even when she was unwell, and then satisfied that she was ok, he left her to return to his work. But half an hour later he returned again, only this time he found the bed empty. He quickly glanced around the room, his eyes falling on the bathroom door, which lay slightly ajar, light pouring through the opening. As he grew closer to the room he saw Sara's nightclothes discarded in a heap just inside the door. He pushed the door open further to reveal Sara standing with her back to him wearing a knee length black dress, the zip hanging open at the back.

"Sara?" She turned and smiled at him. "Honey what are you doing?"

"Getting ready to go out." She said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Is this too fancy?" She looked down at the dress and then but up to meet his eyes, Grissom not failing to notice how unfocused they seemed.

"I uh…no, but…" He was slightly taken aback. The dress hugged her slim figure perfectly and she would have looked truly stunning if it was not for her overly pale skin and the dark rims around her tired eyes.

"Good." She tried to stifle a cough but her discomfort was obvious. "I just need you to do up the back for me." She said, turning so her back was facing him again. He smiled and stepped closer to her, resting both hands on her shoulders and leaning close to her so she could feel his breath against her neck as he spoke.

"And I need you to admit that you are ill and to get back into bed so you can start feeling better."

"But our night off." She protested. "You wanted to go and see that show and go for dinner."

"It can wait."

"But you were looking forward to it." Her voice was growing weaker and he could feel her gradually resting her weight against him.

"I was looking forward to spending time with you." He clarified. "And this way I still get to do that and you get to rest and feel better." She turned around to face him and gave him a half convincing smile, resting a palm against his cheek.

"But I feel fine." He gave her a sceptical frown.

"How do you really feel?" He asked taking her hand away from his face and holding it in his. She didn't say anything for a moment, her eyes flicking across his face as she searched his worried expression.

"Ok." She sighed. "I feel horrible. My stomach has this weird empty, churning feeling, my throat is aching and I'm too hot…or cold… ugh I don't even know." He gave her a sympathetic smile. He knew it took a lot for her to admit she wasn't feeling well.

"Let's get you to bed." She nodded. "But first." He ran his hands up her arms to meet the thin straps of her dress and then slowly worked then down her arms again letting the dress fall away from her to land on the floor, leaving her in just her matching black underwear. "Now that's better." He smiled cheekily.

"Don't try and seduce me when I'm sick." She groaned. "Surely there is some sort of rule against that kind of behaviour."

"You know I'm not sure there is." He said, resting his hand against her bare back and leading her back towards the bedroom.

"Well there should be." She said. "And you know what? There should be a rule against getting me sick in the first place too."

"I thought that was Nicks fault?" Grissom asked as her sat her on the edge of the bed and made his way over to the dresser to find her some clean pyjamas.

"It is. But you should have stopped him."

"Next time I will."

"Good because I hate being ill. And on our night off."

"At least with me not being at work I get to look after you." He said standing in front of her now and holding out her clean top. "Arms up." She gave a grumble of protest but did as she was told. He slipped the top over her head and then gestured for her to stand up.

"You know you don't have to dress me." She said as she obediently stepped into the cotton shorts he had picked out for her.

"Too late." He said as he brought them up to rest above her hips. "It's already done." She looked down at herself, then back at Grissom.

"Thank you." He stepped towards her, his hands still resting on her hips and gently placed a kiss on her forehead.

"It's my pleasure." She opened her mouth to reply but instead began coughing again. He gently pushed her down onto the mattresses, waiting for her to stop coughing before handing her the glass of water from her bedside cabinet. "Better?" She nodded and closed her eyes. "You look tired." She nodded again. He guided her body down on the bed and pulled the sheets over her. "Get some rest honey." He brushed the hair back from her face, noticing how warm she still felt. Her hand reached out to pull the sheets closer to her and curled up he legs towards her body. Silently, Grissom came to his feet and leaned over to press his lips again to her cheek before creeping from the room. He walked into the kitchen with a sigh, rubbing a hand across his own forehead. He looked down to see Hank sitting in his path.

"What are we going to do with her hey boy? She's so stubborn." He crouched down and scratched behind the dog's ear. "But we love her don't we, more than anything." Hank cocked his head to one side as if to question this last comment. "Yes even more than you I'm afraid." At this, Hank stood up and walked past Grissom towards the kitchen door, his tail wagging as he went, no doubt off in search of the object of his masters affections. "Hank." Grissom said in a low tone, the dog instantly stopping in his tracks. "Let her sleep." He said as he made his way to the back door, opening it to let Hank outside into the yard. The dog bounded towards him and out into the garden without a second thought about Sara, and Grissom set the door ajar behind him so he could return to the job at hand. He gathered the appropriate ingredients from around the kitchen and then began to chop them up, a task he always found to be rather therapeutic. As he worked he found his mind wandering. He thought of Sara. She was the only person he had ever loved and if he admitted it, it hurt him a little that she was always so resistant to his attempts to help her and look after her, as surely that was what you were supposed to do for the woman you loved. She was a unique and fascinating woman and he had admired her from the moment they had met all those years ago. He had of course always thought she was attractive, but it was her inquisitive mind and thirst for knowledge that had really been the initial attraction. It was only as they grew to know each other better that he realised he wanted more than a simple friendship or working relationship. She was so independent and so strong, despite her past, but at the same time she was one of the most caring and empathetic people he knew. True, this was not always a good thing as it often led to her becoming over involved in cases, but he always knew she had the greatest of intentions. He regretted that he had waited so long to tell he how her how he felt about her, to tell her how amazing she was, that he had let their friendship come so close to breaking point, but that was in the past. This was now, and they were happy.

"Gil." Sara's soft voice broke his thoughts and he quickly looked up from the pot he was mindlessly stirring.

"Sara, are you ok honey?" She nodded and came further into the kitchen to sit at one of the stools at the breakfast bar. She was wearing one of Grissom's old college sweatshirts over her pyjamas and it drowned her small frame, almost completely covering her shorts. Grissom couldn't help but smile at how adorable she looked. "I just came to see where you were."

"I thought some soup might help you feel better." He could sense she was about to object to the idea of food so stopped her before she had the chance. "You have to eat." He said firmly. "It's my mothers recipe: Chicken soup, just without the chicken."

"So really it's just vegetable soup." She teased.

"Well yes, I suppose it is." Grissom shrugged. He returned to stirring the soup but could see her out of the corner of his eye, pulling the sleeves of the jumper down over her hands and wrapping her arms around her body. "I could bring it to you in bed. I don't want you to get cold."

"No it's ok. I'm fine here." He nodded. "Where's Hank?" She asked after a moment.

"I let him outside. I didn't want him to disturb you." She smiled. He was always so thoughtful, so kind. She silently watched him as he set out two bowls and cut some generous slices of bread. She often found herself just watching him, admiring how he worked, be it at home or in the lab, and she knew he did the same to her. She had never pulled him up on it, not wanting to be hypocritical, but she had caught him watching her countless times.

"Can I help you with anything?" She asked.

"No dear. It's almost ready." He looked up at her with a smile. "Besides, you're not feeling well and I'm supposed to be looking after you." He placed one of the bowls in front of her and then settled himself beside her with his own.

"Smells good." She said as she spooned some of the liquid to her mouth and inhaled the warm fragrant steam. They ate quietly for a while before Grissom spoke.

"So are you feeling any better?"

"I don't feel quite so sick anymore but pretty much the same apart from that."

"Have you taken anything?"

"I took some more Tylenol when I got up. I'm sure it's just a virus. 'Flu or something." She moved her spoon aimlessly back and forth through her remaining soup.

"You don't have to finish it." He offered.

"Huh?"

"The soup. You don't have to finish it."

"Oh." She looked a little guilty. "It is delicious Gil," She assured him. "I guess I'm just not that hungry." She ran a hand across her aching head. "I think I might go and lay down again."

"Ok." He said, tenderly running a hand down her arm. She stood up and tucked her hair back away from her face.

"Will you come?" She asked shyly.

"Of course I will." He smiled. "Just let me clean up here." She nodded and made her way slowly back up to their bedroom. It only took Grissom ten minutes to get the kitchen into a reasonable sate but by the time he had finished he found his place on the bed had already been occupied. He walked into the room to find Sara lightly dozing with Hank laid beside her, his head resting on her ankles. He must have snuck back inside while they where eating. He slipped in beside the pair, disturbing Hank so he stood up and repositioned himself at the foot of the bed leaving plenty of room for the three of them. He picked up his book and glasses from the side of the bed and silently began to read. He felt Sara move beside him. She peeked her eye's open and a small smile fell across her lips.

"Hi." She breathed.

"Hi." He began to close his book but she stopped him.

"No. Keep reading." She pushed herself up in the bed and Grissom lifted his arm so she could rest against him, her head on his shoulder, his arm now resting across her body. "Hmmm, this is nice." She sighed, nestling further into him and closing her eyes. He kissed the top of her head.

"Much better than anything else we had planned." She chuckled slightly, but she had to admit she did agree to a point. Just being here in his arms was something she had waited a long time for and she still relished it.

"What are you reading?" Her tired voice was barely above a whisper. In response Grissom began to quietly read a passage from his book. As he had hoped it would, the gentle lilt of his voice soon made Sara drift off to sleep. He quietly removed his glasses and lay them down beside his book. He glanced down at Hank who was still sleeping at their feet. Strictly speaking he shouldn't be there, but it somehow seemed right that he was and Grissom certainly had no intention of getting up to move him. He slipped his arm further down Sara's back and gently slid her down the bed. She gave a sleepy sigh and he feared he had woken her but his fear was soon banished as she turned onto her side and settled into a comfortable position. He reached out to flick off the light and then curled his body around hers.

"Feel better Sara." He whispered. "Sleep well my love."

Ok so there you have it. It was a little long and rambly I'm affraid but I hope you enjoyed it anyway!? This is the first time I have tried to write proper fluff so I would really, really appreciate your feedback. Your reviews make me happy :)

Thanks for reading.