Nick was safely put into the ambulance after his gut wrenching experience in the coffin buried under ground. Everyone including Grissom let their shoulders sag with exhaustion as we all watched Catherine and Warrick climb in giving him comfort as the ambulance drove away. I lowered my head letting the day's events hit me like a brick.

Grissom took a breath looking around at his people relieved that this was not a recovery mission. He saw Ecklie walk over to him.

"Gil, I am sorry."

"I want my team back."

Ecklie sighed nodding then he looked over.

"It looks like one of your team needs you."

Grissom looked over seeing me kneeling down on the ground with my head hunched over.

"I'll talk to you later." He said, walking over to me.

I had my eyes closed as I felt someone kneel down touching my back.

"Sara, are you okay?"

I wanted to fall into him, but I knew that would be making a bigger scene than I already was. He knelt down trying to look at me.

"Does she need an ambulance?" Ecklie asked

"She's not responding." Grissom said "Sara?"

I heard him, but I was to exhausted the answer. He knelt down again trying to look at me. He looked at Ecklie who knelt down as well.

"Hey Sara!" Ecklie called

I finally couldn't hold myself up. Grissom caught me as I fell towards him. He pulled me against him almost cradling me moving my hair back. Ecklie got his phone standing looking at me as he called 911. Grissom touched my pulse then he tried to rouse me.

He climbed into the ambulance looking at me as the EMT worked beside him. His hand touched my cold one.

I moved opening my eyes blinking seeing the ceiling then I looked over at the strange man looking at me.

"No." I said

"What's her name?" The man asked

"Sara." Grissom said, seeing the signs that I was going to freak-out.

"Sara, I am John. You collapsed and we are taking you to the hospital." He said

"No….Noo!" I screamed, trying to get free. He tried to stop me, but it was not working.

"I'm going to give her a shot." John said

"Let me." Grissom said, moving over to his spot as John moved further in the van. Grissom took my arms making me stop. "Sara, everything will be fine."

I breathed in and out fast staring at him.

"You're safe." He said

"Don't make me go!" I said, almost crying.

"It's going to be okay." He said

I started crying loudly as Grissom tried to calm me down.

"John, can I sit on the stretcher?"

"Yes."

Grissom moved leaning over me on the stretcher. He sighed moving closer then I felt him lay over me in a hug. I was warm and comforted by his caring about me. He closed his eyes laying his head to the side feeling the ambulance racing to the hospital. I closed my eyes laying my head against his head. After a few minutes he moved back leaning over me again seeing I was sleeping.

The doctor checked me telling Grissom I was in shock and suffering from complete exhaustion. He entered the room I was in. He didn't want to wake me, but the impulse to take my hand was to great. He watched me move my head to the side as his hand took my limp one. He rubbed my fingers lifting my hand up.

I slowly opened my eyes seeing him leaning down kissing my hand slowly.

"Gris?" I said, weakly.

He stood back up looking at me.

"Hey."

"Can I go home?"

"Not yet." He said

"When?"

"Soon."

I closed my eyes feeling drowsy. Grissom laid my hand back down not touching me causing me to moan as I opened my eyes again.

"You stopped touching me." I said

"I should let you sleep."

I looked at him scared reaching for his hand which he took.

"Please don't leave." I said

"I want to stay, but I need to go home and sleep." He said

"Stay with me." I said

He looked at me knowing that if he did stay that would be bringing our relationship up a level. My eyes enticed him to stay.

"Move over." He said

I moved over slowly feeling him climb over sitting beside me. I laid my head against his chest feeling him move around getting comfortable. He sat still bringing his hand up to my hair.

"I am glad you're here." I said

"Me to, now go to sleep." He said, quietly.

I sighed looking at the door across the room.

"Gris, do you like me?"

"Yes."

"How much?"

"Sara, you need to rest." He said

"Please tell me."

"I like you very much."

"Do you like me more than Warrick?"

He smiled faintly smoothing my hair.

"I like no one more than Warrick." He said

I moved smoothing my cheek against his shirt.

"Are you cold?" He asked

"No."

"You're shaking." He said, moving his arms around me.

I closed my eyes feeling giddy over his arms around me. His warm breath hit my forehead.

Grissom for his part was enjoying the close proximity and when he wrapped his arms around me was what he always wanted to do. The touching was becoming comfortable even though he could hear warning bells go off.

"It must be shock." He said, softly.

I didn't say a thing as I laid against him. He closed his eyes thinking I had fallen asleep. I moved my head making him open his eyes looking down at me. I lifted my face looking at him. He moved over some leaning over me putting his lips over mine. I nipped at his lips then he started kissing me slowly. I sighed as he pulled me towards him pressing his lips more onto mine. I pulled him gently over to me more. He stopped kissing me touching the button to make the bed go down a little then he moved back the blanket back moving to lean over me pulling the blanket back up.

I pulled him back down kissing him hearing him groan. He moved back breathing faster.

"Am…I hurting you?"

"No."

"Sara, do you want me to…?"

I looked at him touching his hair.

"I have dreamed of you doing this."

"Not in a hospital." He said, smiling.

"No."

He kissed me again then moved to my neck. I gasped closing my eyes letting him kiss me. He stopped sighing as I opened my eyes seeing him move holding his body up with his hand as he kept his head lowered breathing deeply.

"Gris, what's wrong?"

"I can't do this." He said, lifting his head up looking at me.

"You don't want to?"

"Yes, I do, but this is wrong."

He got off the bed standing.

"You're leaving?" I asked

"I have to." He said, looking at me before walking out. I watched him leave then I just laid there alone thinking about how much I missed him.

A week later I sat in the break room with some coffee in my cold hands looking at nothing. Warrick came in seeing me. I jumped as he sat down beside me.

"You okay?" He asked

"Yeah, fine."

"Nick is doing great."

"Good." I said, getting up.

He said nothing else watching me feeling something was wrong.

I searched for Grissom seeing him leaning over a microscope in the lab looking at a slide. He looked up seeing me then he looked down.

"Grissom I finished the report."

"Good, come look at this." He said, moving letting me see. I walked over looking at the slide seeing a beetle on the plate. Grissom came to stand behind me.

"What am I looking at?"

"Look at the hind legs of the beetle. There is an egg sac."

"Oh." I said

His breath on my neck was distracting me. Grissom was oblivious to the reaction I was getting as he looked down as well.

"That's neat." I said, standing.

He smiled nodding. I moved letting him sit again looking at the beetle.

"How are you doing?" He asked, glancing at me.

"Good."

He sat back looking at me. I leaned against the counter looking at him.

"How are you?"

"Fine." He said

"Well then great."

I fidgeted as he continued to look at me.

"You look better." He said

"Thank you."

"Sara?"

I looked at him watching him stand taking my hand leading me to a corner that was hard to see from in the hallway.

"I want to apologize for what almost happened."

"No need, it's okay." I said, backing up.

"Your not are you?" He asked

"What?"

"Okay."

"No, I am fine."

He observed me as I looked down.

"Look, I have spent countless hours thinking about kissing you and it happened. It was unexpected and I enjoyed it, but I knew it was also the moment we were in. So it is okay. I know we are not supposed to be together."

He stayed silent watching me.

"You're very beautiful." He said, calmly.

I almost fell to the ground as he said that. My mouth opened as my eyes widened.

"Did you just say that?"

He nodded.

"Grissom, stop this." I said

He took my arm pulling me to him. His hands went to my cheeks.

"Sara, you are beautiful."

A tear went down my cheek as I shook my head.

"No, don't do this now."

"Come to my office."

I made him let me go as I stood back.

"This is to much."

"Please?" He asked

I wiped my cheek sniffing.

"I want to kiss you and I can't do it here." He said, looking over at the hallway.

I stood still staring at him. A knock at the door made Grissom look over.

"Gil, are you free for a meeting in half an hour?" Catherine asked

"Yes."

"Good, we'll meet in Ecklie's office."

"Okay."

She walked out leaving us alone. Grissom cleared his throat looking at me. His hand reached out for mine. I looked down at it slowly taking it. He smiled walking past me leading me out letting go of my hand to walk beside me. He let me enter the room before he walked in closing the door. I backed up looking at him. He pulled the blinds down turning the office light off coming over to me. I swallowed feeling his hands rest on my waist.

His breathing was calm and relaxing. I felt his lips touch mine slowly moving them. I felt my senses reel. My arms stayed at my sides letting him have control. He moved back looking at me in the dim light. He led me to his couch as we both sat down. I watched him move over to kissing me again. He pushed me back against the cushions climbing over me. I sighed feeling his hands go under my shirt rubbing my back. His body sank down resting on me as he kissed me.

"Sara…..I love you." He said, breathing deeply.

"I love you." I said, caught up in the moment.

"I will never hurt you again."

His lips went to my neck.

"Do you trust me?" He asked

"Yes."

"I can't live without you." He said "If…something happened to you, I don't think I could take it."

"I feel the same way."

He kissed me again this time it was more passionate. He moved back as I breathed in and out fast.

"You're….meeting!" I said

"What?"

"You have….a meeting."

He sighed looking at his lit watch seeing it was almost time.

"Will you stay here until I come back?"

"Yes."

He kissed me again then got up. I recovered watching him turn on the light getting his papers off his desk. He turned the light off again before leaving. I laid still looking at the ceiling then I closed my eyes reeling from this development.

Grissom sat before Ecklie in his office lost in thought. He could not stop thinking about kissing me. Catherine watched him at times curious to know what he was thinking about. She knew something was going on since she see saw him walking with me to his office.

After an hour they came out and Catherine stopped him.

"You okay?"

"Yes, why?" He asked, looking at his watch then at her.

"Because you were elsewhere during the meeting."

"I am fine. Go home get some sleep." He said, walking away.

"Hmm." She said, watching him go.

He walked back to his office opening the door closing it behind him looking over at me lying on the couch. He walked over knowing I was sleeping. Sitting down he touched my arm making me move opening my eyes seeing him.

"Hey." I said

"Hey, I think we should go home."

"Good idea." I said, letting him help me up.

"Want to come to my place?" He asked

I touched his coat then his chin.

"Do you mind if we take this slow?"

"No, I don't. As long as you understand I am interested."

"I do." I said, smiling.

"I'll walk you out." He said

I let him lead me outside to my car. I kissed him then drove off all the while in a shocked daze. The next time I saw him was at work the next shift. He hardly had time to speak to me since we were so busy. I would be working in the lab and seeing him walking by making my heart flutter.

Nick and Warrick asked me to come out for drinks after shift. I agreed to meet them at the bar on the strip, Grissom saw me walking out as he closed his office door.

"Hey." He said, loudly.

I stopped looking at him walk over.

"Hey."

He smiled looking me over.

"Where are you going?"

"Out with Nick and Warrick."

"Oh?"

"They want to take me out for some drinks." I said

He looked at me slowly nodding.

"Be careful." He said

"I will." I said, walking past him. He watched me go thinking.

Nick, Warrick and I went out drinking stopping along the strip. I had to take a cab deciding to go to Grissom's house. He yawned rubbing his eyes as he opened the door seeing me smiling at him drunk.

"Hello." I said

"Hello." He said, blinking as he focused on me. "I see you drank to much."

"I had one glass." I said

I walked in as he closed his door.

"I suspect it was more than a glass."

I smiled at him.

"Do you want some coffee?"

"No." I said

He walked over to me watching as I lifted my hand touching his gray tee shirt.

"You know what I want to do?"

"I think I have an idea."

I searched his eyes.

"I want to…kiss you."

"I think you should sleep."

"Don't you want to kiss me?"

"Is that a trick question?" He asked

I smiled again as he sighed looking at me.

"You need to sleep this off then we will talk."

I was pulled with him to his spare room. He led me in as I tried to kiss him, but he just pushed me to the bed.

"I love you." I said

"I love you to."

I smiled then I fell backwards past out. He leaned over me touching my cheek relieved and disappointed.

The next day he stood looking at me as I slept in the bed. He sipped coffee out of a black cup as I moved moaning holding my head.

"Good afternoon." He said

I groaned lifting my head squinting at him.

"Afternoon?" I asked, quietly.

He walked over sitting on the bed watching me reach out taking the cup from his hands drinking it.

"I feel so bad." I said

"I know."

I laid back down putting my arm over my eyes. He touched my leg watching me.

"Sara, why did you do this?"

"I don't know."

"Is this relationship to much for you?"

I sat up grabbing his arm.

"No, please don't think that."

"Then what?"

"Maybe I am a little overwhelmed."

He nodded.

"I love you, Grissom, and whatever adjustments that need doing then I will deal with them." I said, winching holding my head.

"I want you to stay here and rest. I should make you work, but I would only worry about you there."

"Thank you." I said

He stood leaving.

"Grissom?"

He turned looking back at me.

"Yes?"

"Are you mad at me?"

He looked at his cup in his hand then at me. Sighing he walked over setting his cup on the table next to the bed then he sat on the bed pulling me to him kissing me. I put my arms around him feeling him move back. He looked at me as I kept my eyes closed.

"I am mad at you, but I am also in love with you. One is greater than the other."

I opened my eyes looking at him.

"I also care about you and your well-being. It is a job I take seriously. When I see you doing something like showing up at my place intoxicated it makes me worry about you more." He said "I want to wrap you in bubble wrap, but I can't. If I do seem to be smothering you it is only because I want to take care of you."

"I know."

"Promise me this is the last time you will do this."

"I promise." I said

He nodded before kissing me.