Stay

A/N: Okay, so Beci wrote a fanfic on The Weeping Willows, and hers was CWR. This makes sense since it was a very Catherine episode… but I wanted to take a different angle. So ta-dah, I present to you my newest GSR fic D As I've already said, it's based after the season 5 episode The Weeping Willows.

Dedicated to Beci of course since she gave me the idea. Also dedicated to my friend Katia because she helped me when Madame Muso decided to leave town.

Disclaimer: Don't own any of it…

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Sighing, Gil Grissom took his glasses from their usual perch on his nose and slipped them carefully into his shirt pocket. His eyes shifted from the paperwork on his desk to the figure standing in his door way, a pleasant smile on her face. Without waiting to be asked, she entered closing the door behind herself. Grissom frowned at his colleague's sudden burst of cheer, but did not say a word, pushing the piles on his desk into a neat pile in the centre next to his beloved spider which sat in its tank as always.

"Tough day huh?" Sara continued to smile, perching on the end of his desk, "Still worrying about Catherine?"

Keeping his eyes on her, he sighed again, "She failed to inform us of a key fact on a case. Now that she's a supervisor, she can't afford to make mistakes like that… I thought I could trust her, I thought we were friends," His gaze moved to the floor.

Shaking ever so slightly, Sara lifted his head with her hand and for a moment they sat still sharing a look before Grissom's eyes pulled away again to look at the desk once again. He felt betrayed, hurt and most of all disappointed. It had always been him who told Cath she could do it and that she shouldn't give up, yet here she was possibly throwing it all away, not even telling her closest friend what was going on. Her past was no secret, but Catherine had changed so much since then, and Grissom, and everyone else, knew she was a lot smarter than what she had shown over the past few days. Here he was taking all his Catherine-Troubles out on the one person he cared about most. Sara.

Looking up again, he realized Sara's smile had faded back into her usual solemn expression. Pushing back his chair, he stood up. Sara looked up at him, a look of curiosity playing in her soft brown eyes as he began to walk up and down.

"Grissom, when I needed someone to listen, you stood by me. You know, with the Ecklie thing? And I want you to know I'm there for you now, when you need me," She stood up as he stopped pacing the room, and they stood still a little away from each other, "I don't like seeing you fight with Catherine, and I really don't like seeing you upset,"

It looked like he was trying to think of one of his usual witty yet clever comments but came up with nothing. Sara started for the door, but before she'd reached it, Grissom gently rested a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. Just the word 'Stay' was enough for her to turn back and sit on the table again. He hovered, not quite sure why he had stopped her for leaving, or what he should do. Sara patted the space on the desk next to where she was seated, and reluctantly he sat down. Although it was something he'd certainly never do usually, perching on a desk with Sara felt surprisingly comfortable, even as she rested her head on his shoulder. He wasn't a people-person, but had always known she brought out the best in him. Without thinking, his arm slipped around her and it was then that he found out what it felt like to be close to Sara Sidle. She smiled again.

"I'll stay as long as you need me,"