Author: Joyce

Title: New Options

Disclaimer: They are not mine. Enough said.

Note: This short one-shot drabble has been drifting around in my mind for some time now and I decided to write it and post it. It takes place after Sara asks Grissom to dinner in 3.22 Play with Fire. This is my Swarrick continuation of that episode. Enjoy!

New Options

Walking away from Grissom's office she wondered why this hurt so much. She should have seen it coming, he would never give her a chance, he would never give them a chance. Walking into the locker room she found her friend on the exact same spot were she had left him.

"How did it go?" Warrick asked, looking oddly nervous.

Sighing she sat down next to him.

"He told me he didn't know what to do about this thing we have between us. Then he told me we couldn't have dinner."

"I'm sorry," the tall man said, grabbing her hand to comfort her and she leaned against him, letting him offer his support.

"He's never going to stop hurting me, is he?" she wanted to know from him and he shrugged.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "I don't think he does it on purpose, he just doesn't know any better, Sara."

"Right," she said while nodding, clinging to him a bit harder and he let her, used to the fact that he was her rock, her confidant.

"I need to move on," she eventually whispered and he gazed down, seeing her look up at him with big eyes. Eyes that showed him how much his boss had hurt her, how vulnerable she was.

"Maybe," he just told her and he leaned down and placed a short friendly kiss on her lips. When he pulled back the hurt in her eyes was replaced by shock.

"You kissed me," she said rather pointlessly and he grinned somewhat shyly.

"I know," he eventually admitted, continuing in the same shy manner. "I just want you to know that if you're ever ready to move on then...Well, then you'll have options."

"Options?" she questioned and he stood up and held out his hand.

"I'll be there," he said simply before he asked her; "Want me to take you home?"

She contemplated the offer for a moment before she took his hand, feeling somewhat better when she looked into those green eyes full of worry, care and something else. Something that she had missed all along.

"I'd like that," she said while smiling up at him. "You're a great friend, Warrick."

He tightened his hold on her hand in response and when they walked past Grissom's office she looked at her boss once more. What she saw was a man engrossed in his work and then she glanced up at the man holding her hand.

"I'll think about those options," she promised him and the smile he gave her made her feel good for the first time in a long while.

The End.