a/n: hello! im so glad with all the feedback that i thought i'd update early...that and sparklin-strawberries (lmfao em) wont let me be until i update. so here it is. and to clear things up, a) im not british. and b) this does NOT portray griss as fatherly. well i hope it doesn't... feedback please!


Sara was wrapped in a blanket sitting on Grissom's leather couch. She could see him busying him self in the kitchen, making hot chocolate for the both of them. She pulled the blanket closer around herself, feeling slightly self conscious for some reason. She'd only been in Grissom's townhouse once, and that had been for a case.

She felt better now that her little breakdown was over. She hated breaking down in front of Grissom. It happened all too much. The Strip Strangler case, her DUI, the Adam Trent case…

He probably thinks I'm so weak. I always break down when he's around. Then again, he's the only one who can put me back together...

Grissom brought two steaming mugs of hot chocolate into the living room area, handing one to Sara. He looked into her eyes and saw pain in them for one fleeting moment, then it was replaced with a placid look of practised numbness.

She's been through so much in her life…she didn't deserve it. She's a smart, intelligent, amazing woman…

Grissom stopped himself, realizing that his brain was going places where he didn't want to explore at the moment. He sat down opposite her in an armchair.

"Feel better?" He asked softly. She took a sip from the mug and nodded.

"Good." He said, mirroring her and taking a sip too. Normally, Grissom wasn't a hot chocolate drinker, but he had a feeling it would be better than tea or coffee…less caffeine. And plus, he thought Sara might enjoy it.

"Sara…I'm not a people person. And it's not that I only care about you when I have too. I care, I just have trouble…expressing that. If I only cared about you as a supervisor, you wouldn't be here." He said. Sara thought about it for a second.

As in his apartment 'here'? Or Vegas 'here? Or emotionally 'here'? God, the man is so confusing!

She sighed. She shouldn't have burst out on him like that. But honestly, Gil Grissom could get on peoples nerves sometimes.

"I know you care. I shouldn't have said that…I'm sorry," She said, setting down her mug. She looked out the window to see the sun just beginning to rise, no more than a purple haze seeping over the mountains. So beautiful in its wondrous morning ritual. Sometimes...sometimes just when she thought coming to Vegas was a bad idea, something like this happened. Grissom would open up, she'd get a promotion...she'd realize just how beautiful it was here.

"You know…I don't think what they think..." She said so quietly Grissom almost didn't hear her. "I don't think that you don't have feelings, or you're a 'robot', Grissom. I…I think you have a big heart." She spoke the latter a little louder.

Grissom was slightly taken aback at this statement. Sara thought he had a heart! She was pretty much the only one who had ever said that to him. He wanted her to see that big heart, to be a part of it, but it was so hard to get past the walls he had put up around it. But bit by bit, over the years, she had wormed her way in.

"You're the only one who thinks that, I'm afraid." He said, equally as quiet.

Gil, get a grip! His head screamed. Sara had his feelings going crazy. How did she do this? How could she get inside his mind, make him believe that nothing could go wrong if he let his feelings show...One part of him wanted to be with her, and the other wanted him to live his life of solitude. And for the first time, the first half was out-winning the second.

He looked at her, sitting on his couch wrapped in his blanket. She looked exhausted, yet utterly beautiful in an odd sort of way. Then again, she always looked beautiful to Grissom. Her hair fell about her face, framing her dark eyes perfectly. There was only one thing on his mind.

She needs me. She needs this heart…she's trying to tell me that…

And that was exactly what Sara had meant, although she didn't know Grissom would figure it out. She was completely and utterly unsure of his feelings for her. Some days she was sure of his feelings toward her, then the next she was just another face, just another person.

"You're not okay, are you Sara?" Grissom said, getting up and slowly taking a seat beside her on the couch. She stared at her hands, bringing forth his memory of her DUI.

I hate seeing her like this. She needs me…He felt a strong pull from his stomach.

With this revelation, Grissom placed one hand under her chin, gently pulling her to look into his eyes. They searched her face, looking for what he needed to know. He found it. Her eyes said it all. She needed to be fixed, and he realized he needed to be the one to fix her.

She shivered a little at his touch; almost a lover's caress. She bit the inside of her lip at the feeling of being under his strong gaze. His eyes were so intense, so serious, so emotional. She could see raw emotion in those cerulean blue irises.

"You're not okay." He said again, this time more of a statement, having seen the pain in her eyes. He then proceeded to do the only thing that he could think of to help. He brought his face closer to hers, searching her eyes for permission. He found no objection, and his lips softly met hers in one beautiful moment that neither would forget.

Grissom's hand found its way to the delicate skin between her jaw line and neck. It was a slow kiss, so chaste yet full of meaning. He pulled away after a moment, resting his head on top of hers. The rational part of his brain was yelling, 'What the hell are you doing? 'And the other was saying, 'Shut up. Shut up, Shut up, shut up. Nothing matters now, except her.'

His head muddled with self-arguement, he held Sara until she fell asleep. He agreed with himself on one thing -- she needed him; and for now he was going to help her how he could.


a/n: yayyy, some good ol' gsr. hee hee -smiles shyly- we all love a good bout of gsr. some angst coming up, sorry but its gsr; you gotta expect it! don't worry, all shall work out! please please please revieww!