Thank you to everyone for their reviews. I tried to have a break from writing but my brain wouldn't let me!...

Half an hour later, Grissom came to a slow stop outside of the computer room. Hovering in the doorway for a few seconds, he debated with himself before entering inside. "Hey," he said softly.

Sara's head snapped up quickly, squinting the dizziness from her eyes. "I, er, I haven't found anything yet. I've been searching for her for the last 3 days, and still nothing." She told him hopelessly. "How can someone not know their daughter is missing?"

He sighed heavily as he came in to take the seat beside her. He couldn't hide the fact that he was deeply concerned that she would soon burn herself out just like she had done not so long ago. "Sara," he started quietly, causing her to turn towards him questioningly. "How are you handling this?"

"Fine," she snapped, and turned back towards the screen again.

"Okay," he tried again, "So when do you sleep?"

"I don't sleep."

"Everyone sleeps," he protested, shifting a little closer. "Look, I'm worried about you…"

"You?" she laughed, her voice dripping with barely contained sarcasm, "Worried about me?"

"Yeah."

"Don't be," she told him, "I'm fine. I'll sleep when I have to."

"Sara?"

"Look," she groaned softly, dropping her hands from the keyboard to fall into her lap. Her heart swam with his stinging rejection, the humiliation still raw inside her. "I owe you an apology."

"Me? What for?" He watched her face pale even further as she closed her eyes slowly and found his hand hovering over hers, but pulled it away again when she struggled to speak.

"I'm sorry I asked you to," she stopped, took a breath before trying again. "I shouldn't have asked you to have dinner with me. It was unprofessional and I apologize." Keeping her eyes carefully averted from his, she continued in what she hoped was a convincing voice. "If I've made you uncomfortable working with me, I'll understand if you want me to transfer to another department. Just don't make it some place that you know I'll hate, okay?"

"Sara.." his voice was barely audible over his tumbling emotions that reared up into his eyes. How could she even think he'd do that to her? Didn't she know him at all? He struggled with so many different words, but none sounded appropriate for the situation. So, taking a breath, he settled on something simple, "I don't want you to transfer."

Sara's heart ached when she heard his strained voice in her ears. She had thought that at one time they'd shared a special connection, but after his behavior over the last year, she doubted very much that it had been real at all. Nodding curtly, she avoided turning to look into his eyes, knowing that he would read hers so easily. So silently, she returned her hands to the keyboard and prayed he would leave her alone, leaving her to deal and move on.

Grissom watched her silently for a few moments before finding the courage to speak her name. He hadn't expected her to be so edgy with him. He had hoped blindly that he could have returned back to the lab, healthy and whole and somehow erase the last year as if it had never happened. "I'm sorry," he whispered softly, seeing her automatically stiffen with his words.

"You don't have to apologize to me Grissom," she told him calmly, even though inside she was trembling like a leaf.

"Yeah, I think I do," he sighed sadly. Lifting up a tentative hand, he placed it on her shoulder. The heat from her body seeped into his fingers bringing him a momentary relief from the coldness that had surrounded his heart for so many lonely years. He could see the inner battle within her eyes when she suddenly turned to watch him. "I have been so immersed in my own personal demons that I neglected to notice that I'd failed you as a friend."

"It's okay," she whispered, nodding slowly when she realized that for him this was a huge step. Some of the sorrow slipped away from her heart and she suddenly realized that she would rather have him in her life as a friend instead of not having him at all. Reaching up her hand, she squeezed his fingers on her shoulder and offered him a small smile. "You don't have to apologize to me, but thanks anyway."

Letting out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding, Grissom linked his fingers through hers. Taking their joined hands, he placed them to his lips for a brief kiss before releasing her. "Are we going to be okay?"

"Yeah," she smiled, her first genuine smile in a very long time. "I think we are."

Offering her a smile of his own, he pushed back in his chair and stood up beside her. "I'll be in Trace if you need me."

"Okay," she nodded, her voice shattering into shock as she turned back to the screen. Maybe there was some brief hope after all. Maybe they could salvage the friendship they once had.

Grissom stepped away from her and turned around to walk towards the door. He looked back inside briefly before leaving the room. For the first time in over a year, his heart released a huge weight of heaviness and regret. He hoped they could be friends again before they took a tentative step forward. A major step that he realized would come to them sooner or later, knowing that he was losing himself to her more and more each day.

When she was once again alone, Sara sat back in her chair. Looking down at her fingers, they still burned from his kiss and she found herself lifting her hand to press them to her lips. Closing her eyes, she sniffed back the sudden tears that threatened to engulf her. Shaking herself mentally, she returned to the screen and began sifting through the lists of missing persons, hoping she could end this torment for the girls family as well as her own.

An hour later, Grissom finally made it back from the Trace lab and into his office. He had been stopped by what seemed to be every single employee in the entire lab that offered him welcome backs and mentioned his new appearance. Closing his office door, he walked over to his desk and sank into the chair behind it. A knock sounded on his door and he looked up with a resounding groan. "Yeah?"

The door opened slowly and Sara poked her head around the door, her expression one of excitement and relief, "I found her."

"Come in," he grinned, motioning her to come closer. "Close the door behind you," he murmured, cautiously trying to see behind her.

"It's okay," she grinned, her obvious delight shining in her eyes. "I headed them all off at the door. I told them you were busy."

"Thanks," he sighed gratefully before smiling up into her eyes.

The intimacy of the situation suddenly rang alarm bells inside her heart. The last thing she wanted was to show him too much of herself too soon and lose him again, so she let the smile fall from her face and returned to business. "Brass is waiting for me outside. Do you want to come with us to see her parents?"

"I have to handle things here," he sighed, "will you be all right?"

"Of course," she told him as she plastered a false smile onto her face. "I'll see you later."

"Sara," he called before she reached the door. His voice stopped her in mid flow and she turned around to watch him intently. "If this becomes too much…."

"It won't," she told him, shaking her head as she pulled his door open.

"If it does Sara, promise me you will step away?"

His words sank into her heart and for one brief moment she almost admitted how much this case was affecting her, instead nodded silently, hoping he hadn't seen the flicker of doubt flash inside her eyes. Closing his door again, she took a deep breath and pushed the smile back to her lips. She could do this.