Looking at the clock in his office, Grissom realized his shift ended 30 minutes ago.

He didn't have much desire to stick around in his office. He closed the laptop on his desk, hit the lights and walked down to the locker room. He had brought Sara here but wasn't sure if she had found her ride home yet. As he walked into the locker room he saw her sitting on the bench looking at a photo. He leaned into the doorframe.

"What's that?"

She looked up at him and sighed. "Nothing important." She smiled and placed the picture gently into the front pocket of her satchel.

"I figured I'd drive you back home."

"Oh it's ok, I can take the bus. It's not that far."

"I'm not sure if you've looked outside recently, it's really coming down out there now. I'll drive you."

She contemplated longer than she should have had to. Bus stops in the rain vs revisiting a painful rejection from the man she loved? Tough choice.

"Really, it's fine."

"I wasn't asking, Sara." With that, he pulled himself from the door frame and waved his hand motioning for her to stand up and get moving.

It was important to him she got home safe. He had some very protective traits at times. It was endearing and occasionally a turn on. To hear him demand anything of her. Unless it was an work assignment. Those were lame. She stood up and waited for him to walk out the door. She turned to his locker, slipped the picture inside on the top shelf. She rested her hand over his name plate on the locker.

"Goodbye Gil." she said to herself. She mustered a half-smile and walked out.

The time he spent in his office was supposed to give him the clarity he needed to move forward. But it felt as if he had just sat there for eternity with no real answer. Now he had a 10 minute drive with her to get her home. He knew she'd give him the drive without pressure to talk. Although he'd done nothing to deserve it. She had given him all night. The thought of living day by day without her was agony. But knowing he was causing her pain was also agony. He never wanted to hurt her. He just wanted to love her. But he didn't know how to do that. He didn't know how to love her, be her support and her boss. There were rules against this for reasons.

You already treat her different…

It was a truth he couldn't ignore. He tried to pair her with him whenever he could. He often overlapped their days off only for the sake of them having more similar days in the office.

Just a few days ago, his decision was so easy. He couldn't risk it. Simple as that. Surely she'd grow tired of him and leave him for someone younger. He couldn't take it if she broke him that way. The only way to avoid it was to avoid the relationship altogether.

His mind raced to find moments of justification where she had hurt him in the past. But he surprisingly found himself finding nothing. Somehow he had convinced himself she would be his demise. Yet all of his history showed he had done all the hurting. Not her. He rejected her, pushed her away, singled her out in the lab at times, made her feel unwanted when it was complete opposite of his true feelings. But never once had she made him feel small, or unwanted or undesirable. Somehow she had always managed to be there for him even when he pushed her away. Yet he was the one struggling to trust her love. But she'd had enough. His words he was sure echoed in her head, "I couldn't do it." Cowering before ever really giving it a chance. And now it was too late. For all the worry he had that one day she would take her love and give it to someone else, he found himself in that predicament anyway. Going back to San Fransisco meant moving on. Not just from Vegas, but from him.

You idiot.

Just before pulling into her complex, the rain really started pelting. He squinted his eyes desperate to see the road in front of him. They got lucky with a spot near her front door.

"Do you want to wait in here until it dies down some?"

She looked out the window and the looming clouds covering the sky. It didn't look like it'd be letting up anytime soon.

"Its okay. I'll make a run for it. I don't want to keep you."

"Oh wait, Catherine left this in my truck yesterday."

He leaned over the middle console bending backwards to grab the umbrella laying on the back seat. His manly scent wafting across Sara's face as she turned to see what he was grabbing. She stared at his chest. So close. To just lay with him. What it must feel like to put her head on his chest. He rocked back into his seat with a smile. Successful at grabbing the umbrella.

"Here we go. Wait there, I'll come around. I'll uh…I'll walk you to your door." He said quickly. Not giving her a chance to deny his gesture. As he rounded the corner of the Tahoe she could see him blow out a deep breath and his smile was gone. As was hers. Here it comes. The rejection I'm still not prepared to hear.

He fumbled to hold open the umbrella over her door while also opening it for her. Determined to let as little of the rain as possible fall on her. Holding the umbrella in his left hand, he ushered her forward with his right. She felt his hand across the small of her back. She loved how big his hands felt on her tiny back.

Stepping up to the door, he did his best to cover her as she pulled out her keys and went to unlock the door. The cold rain hitting his back making him wince. He was always cold. Except for when he had her. She was his source of warmth.

Now or never, Gil.

He leaned forward, putting his hand over hers on the door knob.

"Sara."

She stopped. She was certain her heart stopped along with her lungs. Waiting to hear his next syllable.

"Ask me again." he said softly.

She slowly turned around. Confused with tears on the ledge of her eyelids. Locking on his deep blue eyes. Widen with fear.

"What?"

"Ask me again. Earlier tonight I asked you to stay and you said only if…"

"You give me a reason…"