A month later I coughed feeling worse by the hour. Shift started and I thought I could work through the way I felt, but I was soon proved wrong. I coughed again feeling the headache I had throb. The break room couch seemed more and more alluring. I went in laying down during my break closing my eyes not caring who came in.

Catherine threw Greg an apple as she came in to get her drink from the fridge. He laughed taking a bite when he looked over seeing me.

"Hey Sara." He said

Catherine walked over looking at me.

"She's sleeping." Catherine said, quietly. "Grissom said she seemed under the weather."

Greg walked over putting his hand on my head.

"She's warm."

"Let's leave her alone." She said

Greg nodded walking out quietly with her. I moved my head onto the couch pillow as they left.

Grissom walked out of his office with some papers when Catherine and Greg walked over.

"I found Sara." She said

"Oh, good." Grissom said

"You are right she is under the weather."

Grissom looked at her.

"She has a fever. We found her laying down on the couch in the break room." Greg said

"Okay, I'll go talk to her."

They walked away as Grissom made his way into the break room. He spotted me walking over to the couch. He could tell I had a fever by the redness in my face.

He leaned over touching my knee shaking it in hopes that I would wake up. I moved winching as my head went to a new level of pain.

"Sara?" Grissom said

I opened my eyes looking at him.

"Honey, why don't you go home?"

I sat up holding my head.

"You can't do anything here when you're sick."

"Do you have any aspirin?"

"In my desk." He said

I grabbed hold of the couch arm standing almost falling back, but Grissom caught my arm standing me up. I walked past him out the door to his office. He watched me go frowning.

I took some aspirin then went back to work. My headache eased up a bit and I was able to concentrate. Catherine came in to the room I was working walking over without a word touching my head.

"Wow, you are on fire!" She said

I put my hand on my head then I coughed.

"I hardly feel it." I said

"Sara, Grissom told you to go home."

"I know, I just wanted to work." I said

She sighed knowing arguing was not going to make a difference. Half an hour later I walked down the hallway falling to the floor. I tried to get up, but gravity pushed me down.

"Sara, are you all right?!" Judy, the front desk receptionist asked.

She knelt down touching my neck.

"April, call Gil Grissom!" She shouted

She moved my hair from my face feeling the heat radiating off my skin. Grissom ran down the hallway with Brass following behind.

"What happened?!" Grissom asked, kneeling down on my right side.

"I don't know. She just fell over!" Judy said "Is she all right?!"

Grissom turned me over lifting me up against him. He touched my head then looked at Judy.

"Judy, will you get a glass of water and a cloth?"

"Yes!"

Brass knelt down where Judy had been.

"Should we call an ambulance?!" He asked

"No, I can take her home." Grissom said, tenderly touching my cheek and head. Brass watched with interest watching his friend display feelings. Judy ran over with a cup of water and a cloth. Grissom put the cloth in the water then he ran it over my cheek and forehead getting a response out of me. I moved opening my eyes seeing him.

"Sara, I am taking you home." He said

I slowly nodded closing my eyes putting my head against his chest. Judy took the cloth back as he picked me up without a word. He walked out to his car unlocking it he deposited me inside. I moved coughing as he talked to Brass outside then he came in looking at me.

"I'm taking you to my place."

I nodded closing my eyes. He sighed starting the engine driving back to his house. I woke later wrapped in a blanket on his couch. He walked over sitting down touching my head.

"Where am I?" I asked

"My place." He said, lifting a glass of water. I took two pills he gave me then I drank water. "How do you feel?"

"Like….I was run over." I said, touching my head.

He nodded understanding. I closed my eyes feeling his lips touch my head.

"You'll get sick." I said

"I don't care." He said

He watched me go to sleep then he went to work at his desk. The TV was on when I woke again seeing a police car chasing another car along a dirt road. The smell of food caught my attention. Grissom came in carrying a bowl sitting on the coffee table he set the bowl down beside him.

"Glad to see you're awake. I have some soup for you."

"You made it?" I asked

"It's an old recipe that my mom used to make when I was sick. I was usually cured by the next day." He said, helping me sit up. He lifted the bowl taking a large spoon out with brown broth on it. I looked at him as he fed me. The broth went down my throat making it feel better.

When he finished I laid back down looking at the TV. He came back sitting down at the end of the couch touching my blanket covered foot. I moved leaning up on my arms looking at him. He looked at me.

"What's wrong?" He asked

I slowly moved over to him putting my head against his chest.

"You are taking such good care of me." I said

"I just want you back at work." He said, kissing my head.

I coughed laying my head back down feeling sleepy. Grissom held me against him as I slept.

He moved the next day not seeing me beside him on the couch.

"Sara?" He called, leaning up on his arms. "Sara, where are you?"

I walked over looking at him dressed.

"Hey." I said

"Hey." He said, getting up walking over touching my head. "No fever."

"Your soup did it again." I said

"I guess so."

"Can you take me home?"

"Okay."

He bathed and dressed for work taking me home to do the same. He watched me dress as he sat on the bed. I walked over to him as he touched my waist with his hands. He pulled me closer placing his head against my stomach. I smiled touching my curled hair.

"What's wrong?" I asked

"I was just thinking how silly it is living like this." He said

"What do you mean?"

He lifted his head looking up at me.

"I mean that you live here and I live where I live. I don't know how you feel, but I would like to see us get a house together."

"Really?!"

He nodded lifting my shirt kissing my stomach making me shiver. I ran my hand through his hair sighing.

"Grissom, I think I would like that."

He stood searching my eyes.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, but why don't we live at your place?"

"You don't want to get a new house?"

"No, I just want to be with you."

He kissed me then hugged me.

A week later I came to work tired because I was to excited to sleep getting boxes for my up and coming move to Grissom's. It was a big step, but I was happy about it.

After drinking my weight in coffee I went to the garage to work. I was knee deep in tire tread when Ecklie came in walking over to me.

"Hello Ecklie." I said, putting some tread in a box.

"Ah Sara, I need to talk to you in my office."

I turned looking up at him.

"What is this about?"

"I don't want to discuss it here."

I watched him leave without another word. I cleaned up my mess walking to his office. He said come in as I knocked going in.

"Close the door." He said

I closed it sitting in a chair.

He got out some file opening it in front of him then he looked at me.

"Sara, I asked you in here because I have been informed that you and supervisor Grissom have become involved with one another."

"What?" I said

"Is this true?"

I swallowed not able to register this. He eyed me patiently.

"No, it is not true!" I said

He got his pen out writing my response down.

"Sara, I should tell you that lying to me will not help. If an investigation is done you and Grissom will lose your jobs."

I stood nodding then I walked out. I leaned against the door thinking about Grissom losing his job.

Grissom stood at his desk looking at a letter when I rushed in slamming the door. He looked at me seeing I looked terrified.

"Sara, what's wrong?!" He asked, facing me.

I walked over shaking as he looked at me in concern touching my arm.

"You can tell me."

"Grissom?"

"Yes?" He said

I looked down shaking my head.

"Sara, what is it?"

"Grissom, something….has happened and….we need to stop seeing each other."

I looked at him in pain as he opened his mouth closing it as he looked at me.

"Now." I said

"What are you talking about?"

"I am breaking up with you."

He watched me walk back to the door.

"Sara!"

I heard him walk over looking at my back.

"Something is going on and you're not telling me."

"Nothing is going on. I just don't want to be with you anymore." I said

He touched my arm turning me around seeing tears coming down my cheeks.

"It's over." I said

His phone started to ring and he let me go to grab it.

"Grissom." He said, looking at me.

Someone talked to him and he looked down.

"I'll be right there." He said, lowering the phone looking at me. "Ecklie wants to see me."

"You better go."

"No, not until we talk." He said

"I don't want to talk to you! I want to be left alone!" I said, opening the door running out.

Grissom came out in the hallway watching me run away. He didn't know what was going on, but he had a feeling as if it had something to do with Ecklie.

Grissom tried to call me after I went home, but I would not answer. The doorbell went off and I got up from the couch answering the door seeing Grissom. He pushed his way in and I shut the door leaning against it looking down.

"Ecklie has informed me that an investigation is happening." He said, looking at me. "You knew about that, didn't you?"

I nodded slowly.

"Sara, it doesn't matter." He said, coming over to me. "None of it matters. If I do lose my job I can lecture."

I walked past him to the kitchen counter. He walked over waiting for me to talk.

"I don't want to be with you anymore." I said

"Sara, I love you. You can't let Ecklie scare you." He said

I turned looking at him.

"Do you love me?" He asked

I felt tears come down my cheeks as I stared at him.

"No." I said

He came closer to me touching my cheek. I closed my eyes then opened them looking into his.

"You do love me." He said

"I can't let them fire you. That's why I have decided to stop seeing you."

"No, we can work this out." He said

"It's over." I said

He shook his head moving closer kissing me. I kissed him back with every ounce of strength I had. He moved back looking at me. I pushed him back walking to the door opening it.

"Goodbye." I said

He stood there then he walked over looking at me. I looked down as he walked out without another word. I shut the door crying against it as he stood feeling the loss already.

The investigation opened the next week and closed with us on probation. There were times that Grissom looked at me a minute to long as we crossed paths in the hallway, but I never saw him alone.

Catherine walked with Grissom to his office a week later talking about a case. She had noticed he seemed troubled about something lately.

He put his papers on his desk sitting down relaxing for a minute.

"Gil, can we talk about something?" She asked, sitting down in a chair in front of his desk.

"What about?"

"Look, I don't want to be nosy, but you seem…subdued. Is this about Sara?"

He sighed rubbing his head.

"She won't talk to me."

"Obviously she's trying to protect you." She said "I'm sorry this happened."

"Me to." He said "I know she still cares."

"Leave it alone, Gil. Ecklie may not be doing an investigation now, but he still could open it up again."

Grissom walked out to leave after shift when he saw me talking to a cop outside. He watched as I laughed and the man laughed. I glanced over seeing him then I talked again to the handsome cop.

"So would you like to come have a drink with me?" He asked

"Um sure."

"Great, wait ten minutes and I'll meet you out here." He said, before walking back to the building. Grissom nodded at him as he walked past him. I looked at Grissom then I walked over to my car. Grissom walked over looking at me.

"Hello Sara." He said

I closed my eyes feeling the pain in my heart. I took a breath turning to look at him.

"Hello."

"How are things?"

"Good." I said "You?"

"Great." He said

I nodded.

"Going out?"

"Yes." I said

He looked back at the building then back at me.

"I miss you."

A twinge inside made me winch as I looked down.

"Thank you." I said

He stepped closer as I raised my hands to stop him.

"Please…..stay away!"

"Sara."

I looked at him.

"I am not going to hurt you."

"I can't move on if you keep doing this." I said

"Move on? Sara, I don't want to move on. I still love you."

I put my hand to my mouth sniffing. The cop came out that I was going out with seeing us.

"Everything all right?"

I nodded crying as Grissom looked at me. The cop looked at Grissom as he turned walking away. I watched him leave broken hearted.

Grissom stirred some sugar into some a cup of tea as he stood at his kitchen counter. He thought about me as he slowly moved his spoon around the steaming liquid. He looked down at it when a pounding on his door distracted him. He walked over opening it seeing me dripping wet shaking with a cut on my head.

"Can….I come in?" I asked, holding myself.

"Yes." He said

I slowly walked in as he shut the door looking at me up and down.

"Are you all right?"

I nodded looking down. He came closer lifting my head looking at the cut.

"When did this happen?"

"I…was attacked."

"Attacked! By who?!"

"I…don't know."

He sighed getting his cell phone dialing.

"Jim, its Grissom. Sara just showed up with a cut on her head. She said she was attacked, but does not know by who."

I slowly walked into his living room while he talked. He hung up walking in looking at me then he went to his bedroom getting a large towel wrapping it around me.

"Now, tell me what happened." He said

I felt his hands go up and down my arms.

"I…was walking….to my car…and it happened."

"Someone attacked you."

I nodded. He looked at my cut again.

"I'll get some bandages."

He left me again and I sat down in a chair. He came back kneeling down getting some peroxide dabbing my head.

"Where was the cop that you went out with?"

I shook more avoiding his stare.

"Sara, did he attack you?"

"Can…I take a bath?"

"Not until you tell me the truth."

I stood trying to avoid him. He stood watching me shake as I walked over to the wall. The doorbell went off making me back up looking at the door.

"Whose that?!" I asked

"Brass." He said, walking to the door. I watched him answer the door letting Brass in. They stood talking as I went to the couch laying down. Brass walked in seeing me as Grissom stayed back.

"Hey Sara."

I watched him come over sitting on the coffee table.

"What's going on?"

"I was…attacked." I said

"Grissom told me. Who attacked you?"

I rolled over not facing him. He looked over at Grissom then at me.

"Sara, you can't avoid this."

"I don't want to talk about it." I said

"You need to tell me."

I slowly moved my hand showing him I had a piece of a shirt badge. He took it looking at it.

"Did you rip it off him?"

I nodded.

"We…went for a drink….at the Stinger Club. I decided to leave….and he attacked me."

"He attacked you on the street?" Grissom asked

"No, he pulled me into the small alleyway between the….buildings and attacked me. I got away."

"Who was it?" Brass asked

"Officer Stevens." I said

Brass got up looking at me then he motioned for Grissom to follow. The door closed and Grissom came back in.

"You need some warm clothes."

I sat up watching him move around. He came back with some sweats and a shirt for me. I stood walking over slowly taking them.

"Thank you."

"You can take that bath now."

"Okay."

He watched me walk past him to the bedroom then I stopped turning to look at him.

"Something wrong?" He asked, walking over.

I dropped the clothes on the floor moving closer to him. He stayed still breathing slowly as I leaned in kissing him. He kissed me hearing the rain pick up outside. He slid his hand to my back pushing me against him. All I wanted to do was fall against him. He moved back searching my eyes.

"Can…you help me take my clothes off?" I asked

"Yes."

He helped me into the bedroom forgetting the clothes on the floor. I moved in his bed waking as a loud clap of thunder crashed down outside. It was still dim outside and the breeze coming from the opened window was cool. I moved over to my side feeling the bandage that Grissom put over my cut earlier. He lay on his back breathing deeply. I looked at his bare chest half covered by a blanket rise and fall. He seemed at peace. I thought about my evening thinking about what had happened. Closing my eyes I remembered the cold angry eyes of Stevens and how he pushed me causing me to fall. A shiver went through my body. Grissom moved to his side not facing me. I moved closer putting my head against his back listening to his heartbeat.

He was dressed when I woke standing by the wall looking at me. I smiled faintly at him laying my head against his pillow.

"How long have you been up?" I asked

"A little while. I just wanted to look at you." He said, coming over sitting on the bed. I rolled over to my back. "Sara, I want us to be together."

"How?"

"I have been thinking and I think you should move to day shift."

I sat up holding the blanket against my chest.

"Day shift?"

"Honey, I don't want you to, but Ecklie cannot do anything if you move to day shift. He can't touch us."

"I'll never see you."

"We will."

I sighed looking down then I looked at him nodding. He kissed me then got up as his cell phone rang.

I laid back down on the bed looking at the celling.

"Day shift." I said