For a moment, Sara kept very still. Her heart was screaming at her to respond to his embrace and sink into his chest, but her mind was yelling out that this was yet another figment of her imagination. He wasn't really here holding her. He was just some conjured- up image that her tired mind had created so that she would be able to deal with this case. Yes that was it. Then why was she seeking the comfort of an imaginary Grissom? If he wasn't here, then was she asleep?

"Sara?" he whispered, his low voice husky against her ears. Closing her eyes, Sara tried to memorize every detail of this beautiful mirage, if anything it would live with her forever, something she could recall when the lonely nights came back to claim her nightmarish dark and bleak dreams.

Grissom wrapped his arms tightly around her and pulled her against his chest. The feel of her body against his caused his heart to beat rapidly inside. Having her so close to him was reaping havoc inside his mind, enticing his feelings for her to come simmering up to the surface. "Honey it's okay," he whispered, the sweet endearment coming so easily to his lips.

"You're not here," she whispered into his chest as her cold body soaked up his warmth.

"Of course I'm here," he smiled, pulling her closer just to prove to her he was real.

Lifting her head slightly, she found his eyes with her own. He smiled down at her, his warm breath fanning her face and for a brief moment she could have gladly lost herself in his eyes. Reaching down, he wiped her tears away with his thumbs, his gentle caress causing her eyes to flutter closed.

Sara found herself overcome with his tenderness. He was here, offering her so much of himself freely, and that increased her sadness even more. How long would it be before realization dawned and back away from her yet again? Reaching up to his fingers on her face, she wrapped her own around his hands and pulled them away. Their hands still linked, she took a step back. "Thank you."

"Sara…"

"Grissom" she whispered, silencing his words, "I'm trying to stop feeling the way I do." Releasing his hands she turned away from him.

Grissom watched her carefully, his own heart calling out for him to reach out and pull her back into his arms and reassure her that he did want her. His own feelings refused to leave his tattered soul as they came to his heart with a full and steady rush. "Sara, please listen to me," he started, stepping closer towards her. "I don't know what to do."

"I know," she whispered tearfully, knowing this was just another painful rejection to add to her first. "It's not easy falling out of love with someone. I wish it was Grissom. I'm trying, I really am."

Grissom's heart did a double take. Did she just say love? He could feel his pulse rate rising in his ears as he tried to control his breathing. "Sara please?" Reaching out to her, he placed both hands on her shoulders and turned her around to face him.

"I can't get over you if you keep doing this to me," she told him, her voice bordering on anger. Stepping away from him, she reached a hand up to swipe away the tears that had left their wet tracks down her cheeks. Composing herself, she took a deep breath and straightened up. "Okay, I guess look like hell don't I?"

Grissom watched her with new eyes. Here she was thinking that he didn't return her feelings and now all he needed was her. "You look beautiful," he whispered, causing her eyes to dart up into his. He could see her doubts and he could see the fear burning deeply inside of them. Taking a step closer, he took a hold of her hand. He wrapped his fingers around hers and pulled her closer towards him. "How are you really?"

"Fine," she nodded, forcing a smile to her face. "This case is hard, but I'm okay with it."

"Sara…" he warned worriedly as his eyes drifted to their joined hands. Sara watched him with a newfound awareness. In all the years she had known him, he had never before touched her so intimately as he had done in the past few hours. "Thanks Griss," she whispered quietly. She needed to pull away but his intoxicating essence kept her senses alive, coaxing her closer to his warmth. Her heart was beating so loudly in her chest that she would almost swear he could hear it. She needed to put some distance between them if she was going to deal with their situation, so pulling away from him, she released his hand and stepped backwards.

"I should go," she told him quietly, stepping backwards towards his door. "I'm sorry about all this," she whispered, waving her hand around the space between them.

Silence hung in the air as she turned from him to head towards his door and Grissom could feel the emptiness creeping up into his heart.

"Sara…"

Turning quickly, she watched him cautiously. He had been so warm and so tender, so un-Grissom like and she wasn't sure she knew how she should react to him. She remained silent, waiting for him to speak, knowing that he was struggling to find something to say.

"Where are you going?" he asked feebly, as his heart screamed out at him to tell her the truth just this once, but he silenced it once more into submission.

"Well first I'm gonna call the Jones' and tell them the news," she told him matter of factly. "Then I'm gonna wait for Brass to bring that bastard in for questioning, and then," her voice dropped lower to an angry hiss, "I'm gonna find Ecklie and kick his ass."

Grissom was stunned for a moment, kicking Ecklie's ass was something he would have liked to see, but in her present state he knew she was like a time bomb ready to blow at any second. Thinking quickly, he called out to her again as she opened the door. "Can I at least go with you?"

Sara stopped dead in her tracks, this conversation leaving remnance of a similar one they had not so long ago. She knew he was trying to get back to the way they used to be, but maybe she couldn't feel that way anymore. "You're the supervisor Grissom, you don't have to ask me."

"I know," he nodded, slightly taken aback by her tone.

"Look Griss," she whispered, her body and mind too tired to argue, "we're friends again okay, you've made it clear that's all we'll ever be, so can we please just get this over with and move on?" Walking out into the corridor, she turned to wait for him to follow.

Grissom's heart sank into the pit of his stomach, but he remained silent, unable to react to her words. Walking over to join her, they walked silently side by side. Soon Brass would bring Martin Clark in, and the Jones' would be coming in to make a formal identification. When this was all over then maybe they could put the past behind them and start anew.

TBC…..