A/N: Written because I really love Racefh853629. Happy Birthday!

October 13, 2006. 2:12 PM; PST

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"Thanks Warrick," Tess said as she leaned across the center console in his wife's car and gave him an awkward hug. "I owe you one."

"Me too," Jamie piped up from the back seat. Neither had been aware that she'd even woken up. She leaned over the back of his seat and dropped a big kiss on his cheek and then scrambled out of the car. "Come on Mommy we gotta go check on uncle Greg!"

"Thanks again," Tess offered as she went to grab her bags out of the back of the car. "I'll see you later."

"You can leave those there," he offered with a warm smile. "You're gonna need a ride back to Greg's house later."

"Okay, I guess I owe you more than one," she said and gave him a smile before climbing out of the car and looking around over her shoulder for her daughter. When she spotted her she leaned back into the car and said, "Thanks again. Really."

She and Jamie were almost in the building before she even thought about stopping to hear if he'd had any sort of response. Frankly with Greg laying in a hospital bed little else mattered to her at the moment. She walked swiftly up to the reception desk and asked, "Greg Sanders?"

"We can't give out his room information to anyone but family," the squat middle-aged woman said, looking over the edge of her glasses. "What's your relation?"

"His supervisor," she stated squarely. "Gil Grissom called me and asked me to come down. This is Greg's niece. We want to see him. Now."

"Whatever you say Miss," the woman said, obviously trying avoid the confrontation. "Room thirty-six eleven."

"Thanks," Tess said as she pushed her purse up on her shoulder and grabbed Jamie's hand. "This way sweetie."

They walked into Greg's room all of five minutes later and were surprised to see him sitting up in his bed watching television. It wasn't a pretty sight, regardless of how alert he seemed to be. His face was swollen and bruised. There were visible bruises and gashes littered across his face, neck, and what was visible of his shoulders.

"Uncle Greg!" Jamie shrieked as she dove onto the bed next to him. "I was worried about you."

"I'm fine kid," he said, pulling her into a hug so tight that Tess heard him wince from the pain. "I didn't know if I should expect you two."

"Tell me what happened," Tess said, sitting on the edge of his bed. The image in front of her was a little too familiar. Greg laying in a hospital bed with his arms wrapped around Jamie. "And I mean detailed."

Greg gestured to Jamie and raised his eyebrows. Obviously asking Tess exactly how detailed she wanted him to be given present company. Tess simply bit her lip and then offered him a glare. There wasn't any way she was going to let him get out of this explanation. She had been too scared. Way too scared.

"Jamie, honey," she said gently. "Can you walk up the hall and see if you see anyone from Greg's work in the waiting room. But stay off of the elevator, okay?"

"I don't wanna leave," she said with a pout. Tess watched as her manipulative little daughter looked up at Greg with the biggest puppy-dog eyes she'd ever seen. "I wanna be here with uncle Greg."

"Now," Tess warned. Her tone was stern, one she saved for serious occasions. "Go, if you find any of them I want you to say 'hi' and tell them it's good to see them again. Use your manners."

"But," Tess didn't give her daughter much of a chance to argue before giving her another of her patented 'I mean business' looks. "Yes ma'am."

Tess didn't have much time after watching her daughter scoot out of the hospital room before another figure appeared in the door. She groaned audibly, teenager style. "I just wanted to thank you again," the man said, regarding Greg. "I owe you my life. We're on our way back home now. Don't forget you promised to stop by and visit."

"I will," Greg promised. "You be careful there. Keep off that leg until it heals."

"Sure thing," the gentlemen said. He winked at Tess and disappeared from their sight just as fast as he'd come.

"That's the guy--" Greg started to say as Tess cut him off. She did something that neither had been expecting. Something that neither one of them had really put much consideration into before.

A full moment passed before either of them really realized that their lips were pressed firmly together.

"Uh, oh..." Tess said awkwardly as she pulled away. They both coughed awkwardly before she spoke up again. "So, that was the guy you saved?"

"He acts like I'm some sort of hero," Greg commented, looking past Tess towards the hallway where he saw the faint outline of a tiny auburn-headed girl. "I'm no hero."

"Greg that man owes you his life," Tess reminded him, pulling back to a safe distance but locking her fingers around his. "To him you are."

"I killed a kid Tess," Greg said bluntly. "Did they tell you that? I hit a college kid with my car and killed him. I'm no hero–I'm a common murderer."

"I wasn't there Greg," Tess said, looking him squarely in the eyes. "And you know I'm the last person who would ever tell you you were in the right if you weren't. But I don't believe that you're a murderer Greg. If this kid lost his life maybe he shouldn't have been beating an innocent man in the street."

"I'm not faultless you know," Greg informed her. "Sometimes I'm the bad guy."

"Not this time." The details didn't matter to her anymore. They hadn't really mattered from the minute she saw the man Greg had saved walk into the room. That man was alive because of Greg and that was all that mattered. Regardless of any of the other facts. That man was alive because of Greg.