A/N: This is for my friend, Alice… LOVE YOU BUNCHES!

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People say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For me, it seems like it's not there at all. Every day I drag myself to work, sick as it makes me feel, only to avoid him, try not to see him all day. It isn't very hard… we're part of two different worlds… well, different labs, anyway. I work in trace, while he's just a shout away in the DNA lab. Sometimes he passes by, waving and smiling… I don't bother to look up. It's not worth feeling that emptiness in the pit of my stomach. Mostly who comes in here is the CSI's… I want to be one of them. Then maybe Greg would respect me, maybe even feel the way I feel about him. It's awful, how much he can change my life. Everyday, I have a conversation with a CSI that goes something like this:

"The fibers are 100 cotton… the substance is unidentified."

"No, it's Kool-Aid. Greg told us." And then off I go, blushing and turning away and changing the subject. Just his name makes me go crazy… I still remember the first day we met…

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"All right, Alexis. You've met everyone but our Greggo."

"Greggo?"

"Greg Sanders… DNA guy, total goof ball. Sorry you have to meet him!" Sara grins at me and leads me into an empty room. "He should be back soon… have a seat." I sit in the wheelie chair, spinning around as fast as I can… the day's been a blur anyway, so far. I know I'm being childish, but I'm nervous as hell. My first day at a new job always does this to me.

"You're making me really dizzy…" The voice is teasing, but I still feel apologetic.

"I'm sorry, I just…" and everything stops. Sara is saying something, but I can't hear her… what's going on? His face is all I can see… and then it hits me; oh my god. This must be love.

"Hello?" Damn, he's asking me a question and I didn't hear it.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I said, I'm Greg Sanders."

"Greg Sanders…" my emotions leak through to bring a dreamy sigh and high pitch to my voice as I say this. I know I'm red… he looks a little pink, too.

"Right, well… welcome to my lab! I am the lord and master of this little operation and you will obey me!" Again with the light hearted voice, the sparkle in the eyes… he's just as beautiful inside as he is gorgeous on the outside. That will make it harder to forget about him.

"Well Greg, I'm Alexis James. Nice to meet you… see you around!" I rush out of the room, my heart beating rapidly. Every time someone affects me like this, I get hurt. I always fall for these guys who seem too good to be true… and they always are. Every time.

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That's my only thought as I wake up, getting ready for another day at work, another day with him… although it's been a year since I got hired at the crime lab, I still get butterflies in my stomach every time I see him. I've managed to never speak to him much all the year that I've known him, even though I want to every time I see him. I push my cereal away; the city never sleeps and I never eat. I pick up my keys, my thermos of hot chocolate- I never drink coffee, life is already bitter enough- and then make sure my door is locked tightly. Ever since I moved from San Francisco, I've been much more careful. Climbing in my car, start the engine and head towards work.

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Right when I walk in the door, I can tell something is up; everyone is smiling at me, even people I've never spoken to. My partner in trace keeps grinning, and doesn't stop all day.

"What?" She just shakes her head. When shift is almost over, an announcement comes over the speakers.

"Will Sara Sidle, Nick Stokes, Warrick Brown, Catherine Willows and Alexis James please report to the break room immediately?" My heart stops beating; what did I do? Did I totally ruin crucial evidence on a high profile case? My partner winks at me… confused as hell, I pick up my bag and head towards the break room.

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Everyone is already sitting… waiting for me. Feeling stupid, I quickly sit. I start to speak, but I'm afraid to ask what the meeting's about.

"Thanks for coming, everyone." Grissom stand at the head of the table. Sara isn't looking at him. Catherine told me that Grissom sent her a plant… and that's all he'd ever done for her in the year that I'd been there. It had been obvious to me from day one that they were completely in love with each other, so I didn't really need everyone filling me in on their sad non-relationship. Sara once begged to talk to me, and I said she could come over to my place any time… except for then, as usual, she got caught up in a case.

"Sara…" it was painfully obvious by the long pause that Grissom wanted Sara to look at him… when she didn't, he pressed on. "Would you like to tell?"

"No, thank you." She just stares off into space… if Grissom wasn't so heavily guarded, I swear he would have started to cry right there.

"Alexis, will you come up here please?" My knees have never felt so weak. I rise, steadying myself with the table, and I walk to Grissoms' side. He places a hand gently on my shoulder. Am I about to be fired?

"Alexis, what's the best thing that could happen to you right now?" My heart screams, 'For Greg to run in and tell me he loves me.' My mouth says,

"To not be fired." Everyone laughs, and Grissom plucks my nametag off of my neck. Dammit, I am being fired. I close my eyes, trying not to cry, and I feel him put something cold and hard in my hand and something else around my neck. I look into my hand to see the glinting metal of a gun.

"Holy crap…" I can't help but gasp. Why the hell would I need a gun? I look at the thing dangling around my neck… it's a new name tag.

LAS VEGAS POLICE DEPARTMENT

CLARK COUNTY, NEVADA

ALEXIS JAMES

CRIME SCENE ANALYST

C.S.I. LEVEL 1

"Oh my god!" I put my hand to my heart, forgetting that I'm holding the gun. Everyone ducks nervously, but I hardly notice.

"So when I went to that crime scene last month…"

"That was your test, and you passed with flying colors." I can't believe I'm crying. Unable to control myself and feeling stronger than I ever have, I kiss Grissom on the cheek and run out the door.

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"Greg!" I burst into the DNA lab, spotting him with his back turned to him. I run up to him and grab him, giving him the biggest hug I've ever given anyone.

"Greg, did you hear?" He turns, looking shocked. Then he looks at my grinning tear-streaked face and he grins too.

"Hey!" He hugs me back… just that 'hey' and his gentle touch make my heart hammer even more wildly… it's not possible that it could beat any faster without me having a heart attack.

"I got promoted!"

"I know… one second." He pushes my arms off of him and walks over to his mini fridge. What did I do now? My jaw drops as he pulls out a case filled with red roses and babies' breath. "Congratulations…" he hesitates, his face gets red… I want to kiss him, but my mind keeps me in check. Stay away, Alexis…

" Would you like to go to breakfast with me?"

"Now?"

"Now."

Holy crap. What can I do? I could say no, ignoring my heart and my dream for the past year. Or I could say yes, be happy for a few weeks and risk a repeat of San Francisco.

"I'd love to, Greg." His face lights up in a grin and he hugs me again. I hug him too, trying not to get attached to the feeling and ignoring how my heart was telling me how right this felt.

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