Slightly shorter chapter, but needed to move the story along.

x X x

He handed her a roll of tape with a heavy sigh.

"I don't really know what I expected. I mean, he's Grissom, you know."

Sara nodded in agreement, taping up the box.

"But, I guess I just thought with this new welfare thing that he would have something useful to offer."

Greg, perched on another box, kicked out pitifully at the one she was securing. Sara stood up, tucking an escaped stand of hair behind her ear, and fixed him with an affectionate look.

"You know that Grissom cares about you." She assured him. "He's just not good at the emotional stuff."

Greg snorted dismissively at the comment.

"Yeah, no kidding."

x X x

"So, what exactly did you say to him?" Catherine asked, handing him a mug of coffee and sinking down in the chair opposite his desk.

Grissom accepted the drink, nursing it carefully between his hands.

"I told him about the lab's long-term sick leave policy, and I suggested a couple of places that can provide financial support if he needs it. And I suggested he speak to the PEAP counsellor."

Catherine blinked at him.

"He doesn't even know if it's cancerous yet." She pointed out. "Did you try to reassure him, to point out that he's young and healthy and it could be nothing to worry about?"

This time it was Grissom's turn to look surprised.

"No." He admitted weakly. When she rolled her eyes, he winced. "I told you, I'm not good at this."

x X x

"You know that, whatever this is, you're going to have our support. Including Grissom – even if he's bad at saying it." Sara assured him as they slid yet another packaged box to the side of the room with the others. With most of her belongings now stashed away, her little apartment suddenly looked much bigger.

"I know that." Greg agreed, dragging the toe of his boot across the floor. "I'm just scared."

Exhaling deeply, Sara moved over to him and wrapped him into a hug, which he willingly reciprocated.

"Thanks." He mumbled into her hair.

x X x

"What do I say?" He asked, an undeniable tremor to his voice.

She released a heavy sigh as she was dialling.

"You tell him that you're available to talk and whatever support he needs, he will have it."

She punctuated her statement by brandishing the phone at him, nodding encouragingly when he stared warily at it.

x X x

They broke apart and Greg extracted the cell phone from his pocket.

"It's Grissom." He shot Sara a knowing look. She smiled, nudging him wordlessly.

As he answered, she moved to the other side of her apartment to give him some space, but kept a cautious eye on him from afar.

Despite her assurances to him, she was scared.

Unlike most people, Greg had broken down her defences without even trying and made himself quite comfortable in her heart. To her own surprise, she found that she was comfortable with him there.

She wasn't ready to lose him.

x X x

"Hey!"

Sara looked up at the holler, blinking in surprise.

"Sorry?" She asked. Catherine's lips twitched into a smile, but the concerned frown on her forehead remained in place.

"Are you alright?" She asked, giving her colleague a once-over.

"I'm fine." Sara half-smiled, going back to the notes she had been pretending to read.

Catherine continued to stare at her, not buying the response for a second. Sara looked tired and her usual laser-beam-like focus was nowhere to be seen today. There was clearly something on her mind.

"Have you spoken to Greg?"

The question was posed quietly, with another lurking just beneath it.

Sara lifted her head again, scrutinising the blonde's words with surprise.

"Have you?" She asked at last, silently confirming Cath's suspicions.

"No." Catherine answered, moving around the bench to stand beside Sara. "But I've spoken to Grissom."

Sara nodded in understanding, a tight smile crossing her lips.

"You, uh, you were the one who told him to phone Greg this morning." She realised with a soft chuckle. Catherine shrugged.

"He just needed a nudge." She agreed. "How is Greg?"

"He's okay." Sara swallowed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear in a move that Catherine was beginning to recognise as a sign of nerves. "He's just anxious about the results of his tests. If it is cancer..."

She trailed off, tears springing to her own eyes against her will. Seeing the sudden upset the conversation had caused, Catherine didn't hesitate before wrapping her into a hug.

"Greg's young and healthy. He'll be fine, whatever this is." She mumbled, dragging a hand through Sara's hair. She felt the brunette nod against her shoulder, before the younger woman shuffled out of the embrace, embarrassment written on her features at being caught in such a vulnerable moment.

"I'm sorry." She murmured, wiping at her eyes.

"Don't apologise to me, honey." Catherine smiled, rubbing her arms. Sara sniffed, uncomfortable with being so exposed in the glass-walled lab.

"I'm just scared." She confessed quietly. "He's my best friend; I love him."

Catherine felt her heart constrict. She knew that Greg and Sara had a special sort of relationship, that much was obvious; but she'd never heard the cagey brunette put a name to it before. She suspected that Greg hadn't either.

"Don't let him hear you talking like that." She joked softly. "He might start getting ideas about the two of you again."