Grissom stepped out of the cool breezes of the night into the warmer, bright lights of the CSI lab. The lab. In the past years, he had probably spent more time here than at home. Everything that he knew ….. and loved, was here. Catherine, Warrick, Nick, even Greg. And then there was Sara. The girl who could make his head spin and his heart race. Where is she? Have I seen her recently? Is she still mad at me?

"Excuse me? Mr. Grissom?" A quiet voice brought him back to reality. Grissom turned around to see the secretary standing behind him.

"Yes?"

"There's someone here to see you. She's waiting in your office."

"Umm thank you."

"No problem" and with that she turned and went back to her desk. She? He hadn't remembered making any appointments today. It can't be Sara. Why would she let the secretary know? All these things he kept pondering while he made his way through the corridors to his office. As he rounded the corner he bumped into Nick.

"Hey Gris, have you met your little lady yet?"

"What?" He turned around, but Nick had already left. Who the heck is in my office?

When he went into his office, the first thing he noticed was a large red school backpack strewn on his couch. He turned his attention to a young girl sitting next to his desk, with her head drooped over a large book. She appeared to be asleep.

"Alex?" He said placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Huh?" She slowly lifted her head, and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She turned around and looked up at his face. She immediately through her arms around his neck. "Uncle Grissom!"

"Alex" he said pulling her into a hug. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at home with your mum?" Suddenly her eyes glazed over with tears, and he pulled her closer. "What is it Alex? What's happened?"

Sniffing she wiped the tears from her face. "I…it….its mum. She's sick again. She thought it would be best for me to come here after school. The doctor's say she's gonnna be in there for a couple weeks. Uncle Grissom!" And she was hit by another wave of fresh tears."

"Awww Alex, don't cry. It'll be alright. The doctors are doing the best they can and they are taking very good care of your mum." His hands were rubbing her back, trying to calm her down. She looked pulled back and looked up at him.

"Umm Uncle Grissom? Do you think I could stay with you? I don't really know where else to go at last minute?" Her eyes burned into his, and threatened to spill over again.

"Shhhh of course you can. I'll call the hospital to make sure it's alright with your mum."

"Oh thank you so much! I promise that I won't be any trouble, and I'll stay out of your way!"

"It's alright, but ummm is it alright if you stay here for tonight. I'm working graveyard shift tonight. But you can use my couch, and I can get you a blanket and a pillow from somewhere and -"

" - I'll be fine thanks. But I need to freshen up. Is there a washroom around here?"

Getting up he pointed out the office window. "Yeah. Down the hall and second door on the left."

Alex got up and made her way to the door, when she made a quick detour to Grissom's desk where he had started on his paperwork. "Thank you" she whispered as she planted a quick kiss on his cheek, before heading to the washroom.

"Uncle?"

Grissom's head shot up as he heard the comment. Warrick stood in the doorway holding a stack of reports.

"Aren't you an only child?"

"Yeah" the shortness of his answer convinced Warrick that, that was the end of the conversation.

"Yeah, I better be going, see yah!" Warrick hesitantly excused himself after quickly slipping his reports onto Grissom's desk.