AN: Thanks for the reviews and the continued support, here is the next chapter. Enjoy!

Genre: Romance, Hurt/Comfort
Rating: Low T
Spoilers: Back half of season 7 and subtle mention of season 8 premiere
Timeline: Empty Eyes (Season 7, Episode 18) - Dead Doll (Season 8, Episode 1)
Warnings: Implied Adult Behavior
Main Parings: GSR
Minor Parings: None
Other Characters: Heather, Team (All mention only)

Chapter 7: There for her

Flashback

After walking out of the lab, which he realized his arm was still around her and he honestly didn't really care at the moment who saw, because the woman he loved needed that comfort, they stop at the passenger side of his vehicle before Sara spoke softly. "My vehicle…."

He cuts her off while bringing his hand up to cup her cheek, and if she wasn't feeling as defeated as she felt in that moment, she probably would have acted shocked at his action. But her energy was so completely drained to really react or care if other people were watching the gesture, or maybe a part of her just didn't care anymore who was watching them.

"I'm not letting you drive like this. I'm taking you home, and if anybody asks, you can just tell them you needed a ride, which is the truth. Plus, anybody who saw you during our shifts would understand. Right now it's about your well-being and not what other people think anyways, so please let me…."

It was Sara's turn to cut him off, which she did manage a small smile while doing it, he was so cute when he's trying to comfort her/take care of her. "It's ok. If you got no problem with it, then I don't either. Take me home, Griss."

He nodded with a smile, the first one since before he got called in to work the horrific case they just had, which he didn't want to call Sara to be a part of it, knowing how it would affect her, but he had no other choice, she was the last one available and he needed the help.

"Gladly."

He did one more surprising act, well at least when it came to being out in the open and in the lab's parking lot no less, he kissed her forehead before opening the passenger door for her.

She gets in, then he shuts the door before going to the driver's side and getting in the vehicle himself, ready to take both of them home.

When they stepped inside the apartment, Hank, who is usually all giddy and wagging his tail so much his butt was shaking, could sense the mood of his 'mommy', so he was a little calmer, but his tail was still wagging.

After greeting their dog, Grissom led Sara to the couch, where she sat down with a heavy sigh.

He cups her cheek and asks with a smile. "You need anything to eat or drink?"

He already knew the answer before he even asked the question, but he was being polite, and that's one of the things she loves about him, along with his caring and loving nature towards her, especially when she needed it the most.

She shook her head with a small smile. "No thank you, I'm good."

He nodded while leaning down to kiss her on the forehead before pulling back, then after taking his hand off her cheek, he headed down to the kitchen then bedroom.

It was about 10 minutes later before Sara saw Grissom again, and when she did, he asked for her hand. "Come with me, please."

Really not in the mood to get up from her spot on the couch, but seeing the caring/gentle look in his eyes, she nodded while placing her hand in his, letting him help her up before letting him lead her down the stairs, through the dining room area, down the hall, passing the second bedroom, which they were using as a shared home office, then passing a closet, a guest bathroom until they finally reached their room at the end of the hall.

After they walked in, he led her to the master bathroom, where she saw a tub full of bubbles.

Now she was never really the bubble bath type of woman, but when cases were really hard on her, she does enjoy them a little more, and even more so when Grissom puts it together and joins her.

She kissed his cheek before she tried leading him to the tub, but he wouldn't budge, so she looked back with a questioning look.

"I made this for you."

She stepped towards him with a smirk. "Well lucky for you I like to share."

He smiled as he asked. "You sure?"

She moved her hands to the buttons of his shirt as she spoke softly, almost pleading really. "I really need you close to me right now."

Seeing it was something she desperately wanted and needed, he just nodded his acceptance while she finished taking off his shirt.

When the bath was done, they changed into their sleeping clothes, cuddled in bed and she whispered. "Thank you for tonight."

"You're welcome, honey. And anytime."

She slowly closed her eyes, hoping she'll be able to sleep without any major nightmares, but before she did fall asleep, she whispered one more thing. "I love you."

"I love you too." He ran his hand up and down her arm. "Now try and get some sleep. I'll be here if you need me."

She nodded while snuggling closer to him, if that was even possible, before slowly falling asleep, feeling safe and protected from the man that she loves, who would do anything to make sure she was ok.

Flashback

When he stepped into the apartment that day after leaving Heather's house, he sees Sara cleaning, a clear sign she was still upset with him, especially when she had cleaned just a few days ago.

He shut the door with a sigh before speaking softly. "Sara, she needed a friend."

She stopped what she was doing before turning to him with a nod. "I get that, and I guess in some way I understand it had to be you to help her out, which that's not what I am upset about. I'm glad you are the type of person who helps out those in need. It's the fact that you didn't call to let me know that you wouldn't be home last night or at the lab and that I had to hear where you were from the rumor mill. We are supposed to be a team, even outside of the lab, right?"

He sighed again, this time at himself for being so stupid, while walking up to her. "Yes, you're right and I'm really sorry, Sara." She nodded as she looked down, and he continued, wanting to be completely clear about something. "But you know that nothing happened with her last night, right?"

She looked up almost instantly and responded with no doubt in her eyes. "Of course, nothing happened with her, I know you would never cheat on me. I do trust you after all." He sighed in relief that she would know he would never cheat on her, she then sighed before asking. "So, how is she now?"

"I think if she gets to have a relationship with her granddaughter, she's going to be ok."

"Good, I hope things work out for her."

As she started to walk to the stairs to go down to the kitchen area, Grissom followed her. "You really mean that, don't you?"

She turned around to look at him with a raised eyebrow. "What, you think I'm that mean?"

"No, of course not. But I did sense a certain vibe you had with her at the hospital. One I don't think I ever felt between you and another woman before."

Sure, there were other woman he could see her getting jealous over when he talked about his past, even if it was only a platonic relationship, which most of them were. But he could definitely sense a different type of jealousy when it came to Heather.

"Well, there is a reason for that."

Grissom raised an eyebrow as he asked. "Oh really, which is?"

"She's the only one you never talked about before." Grissom was about to open his mouth, but she continued before he could, knowing how he was going to respond to that. "The only one I admit never wanted to hear about when it came to the two of you."

As she looked down again, he walked up to her, lifted her chin up before cupping her cheek with a smile and love in her eyes. "Sara, when I said nothing happened last night. I can also say nothing happened any other night as well."

It felt like a weight had been lifted off of Sara when she finally heard him admit that nothing had ever happened between them after years of hearing the rumors, which she never put too much stalk when it came to rumors, but she just could never shake the ones that involved him and Heather, no matter how hard she tried.

Now there was something else she needed to know, even though she was feeling sick on asking. "Did you ever want something to happen with her?"

Knowing she needed to hear the whole truth, he replied with honesty. "While at first there was an attraction and I found her intriguing and interesting, no I didn't." Another weight had just been lifted off of Sara as he finished. "Because there was only one woman I ever wanted, and that's you. It's been you from day one, I just couldn't..."

She cuts him off while cupping his cheek. "I know your reasoning, we've already been over this. And it's been you from day one too for me." He smiled as he brings her closer, then she smirked as she moved her arms so they were around his neck. "So, is it safe to say she never rattled you then?"

He looked at her in surprise. "What makes you say that?"

She cleared her throat before telling him what Catherine had said to her while they were working the crime scene.

He shook his head with a slight frown, sad she had to hear that, then he replied as he brings her even closer to him, whispering with passion in his tone. "No honey, you're the only one who can rattle me. Still rattles me."

Her smile was cut off when their lips touched, and after it was deepened a few times, they pull back and place their foreheads together to catch their breaths, and once they had it back, he asks. "Are we ok?"

"Yeah, we'll be fine, just next time, call, ok?"

"I doubt there will ever be a next time, but you got it." He pulls back to cup her cheek again as he ran his thumb up and down it, speaking with love in his eyes. "I really am sorry, I never meant to hurt you. And you know how much I love you, right?"

She nodded with a smile. "I know, and you know how much I love you too?"

"I do."

After looking into each other's eyes, she took his hand and led him towards the hall that would take him to the bedroom, both ready to just forget about last night.

Flashback

48 hours earlier

It had been a very good evening, Grissom had made them a wonderful dinner before they took their evening up to the living room so they could just cuddle and relax on the couch before they had to get to work. And the only thing they both agreed on doing during their evening was that they weren't allowed to talk about work, particularly those miniatures that was still on top of the pile of cases, so they talked about their relationship and how they had managed to last two years, well almost two years, their official two-year mark wasn't until two days from now, but it was still worth mentioning they lasted this long.

She shook her head with a smile as she slipped her fingers through his. "Can you believe we lasted two years?"

He cleared his throat as he ran his thumb over her hand while asking. "Are you really surprised that we have?"

She moved her head up and looked at him with a smile and love in her eyes. "Honestly? No, I knew once we got together, and got over our own insecurities and the awkwardness of first starting out, we would go the distance."

"And you still feel that way?"

She smiled brightly as she moved her hand to cup his cheek. "Yes. Nothing has changed for me from the start of our relationship. Well, ok, one thing I guess you can say has, I love you more than when we started. Although, I don't know how that is even possible when I already loved you so much."

He smiled with a nod, seeing the truth in her eyes. "Good. I'm glad you feel that way."

She then raised an eyebrow as she asked. "Why, is there something you need to tell me?"

He cleared his throat before replying. "Actually, there is something, well really two things, I want to do to solidify our relationship, even more than it already is."

Sara felt her heart speeding up, feeling something big was about to happen, while she asked after clearing her throat. "Ok, and what are those things?"

"Well first off, I feel it's time we tell the team about us."

If he was waiting for her to be surprised or freak out, he probably would have been waiting forever, because the only she did was nod with a smile and reply in a casual tone, like it was no big deal. "Ok."

He chuckled a second later, feeling a little surprised that she didn't have the reaction he was expecting. "Just, Ok? That's all you got?"

She chuckled in return. "What? Did you really expect me to freak out and tell you we shouldn't yet."

"Well… maybe a little."

"But I'm honestly not freaked out...Or surprised that you feel that way." Before he could ask, she continued. "For not being surprised, well I've kind of been getting a looser vibe from you when we do go out, and not only on dates. Remember that crime scene with the turned over red mustang, you took the camera from my shoulders then ran your hand down my arm, which I'm very certain the old Grissom, the one from when we first started dating, wouldn't have done that."

He didn't even think about doing it before he did it, it was an impulse move, even though he knew it was wrong to, especially considering where they were, but in that moment he just couldn't help himself.

He looked at her shyly before clearing his throat. "I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have done that, even if our relationship had been out in the open, it was very unprofessional of me."

She shook her head with a smile. "You see me complaining? No one important saw, so no harm no foul."

She moved closer to kiss him on the lips softly before finishing. "And as for the not freaking out part, well I can't freak out over something I absolutely agree with."

Now he was a little shocked because she had never said anything to him about wanting to tell the team yet, never even hinted that's what she wanted.

"How long have you felt this way?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Let's just say probably longer than you have."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I knew you weren't ready."

He shook his head. "Sara..."

But she cuts him off with a loving/understanding smile as she cups his cheek. "There is a lot more at stake for you than there is for me. I know you needed more time to feel like you were ready/comfortable enough, and that's ok, I was willing to wait." She then smirked. "Up to a point anyway. If we were going on our fourth year in hiding, then I might have said something."

He chuckled then shook his head again before taking her hand with a sigh. "It never would have been that long, I assure you." She nodded with smile, deep down knowing that, before he brings her hand to his lips and kissed it before continuing. "And know that no matter what happens next, you'll still have your job. I'll do everything in my power to ensure that."

"And I'll do the same for you."

"Sara..."

She cuts him off. "Although, you are too valuable to lose your job at the lab, surly they see that."

"I don't know. I'm a boss who got involved with a subordinate, that can't look too great for the lab in that aspect."

"It could also go the other way, I'm a subordinate who got involved with the boss." He nodded as he looked down, then she brings his chin back up with a smile. "And I don't regret a single moment we've shared together, and if I have to find something else to do, then so be it. I'm ready to face whatever consequences as long as I'm with you."

No hesitation, he nodded with a smile. "Me too, which brings me into the second thing I wanted to say to you." He paused for a moment, but right as he was about to speak again, his phone rang, so he sighed as he moved, which made Sara move from him, so he could reach it from the coffee table. "Excuse me for a moment." He answered his phone a second later. "Grissom...Yes, ok, I'll be there soon. Alright, bye." After he hung up, he turns to look at her. "Duty has called early."

"Ok. And if you want, I'll meet you there."

"Alright, I'll text you the address."

After she nodded, they leaned towards one another and kissed softly before he gets up, wanting to change before he left the apartment, then just as he got to the stairs to go down, Sara asked. "Hey Griss, what was that second thing you wanted to talk to me about?"

He waved it off with a smile. "Don't worry about it, we can talk about it some other time, along with when we should tell the team about us."

She smiled with another nod. "Sounds good. I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when we tell them we've been dating right under their noses, some CSI's they are."

He chuckles before reminding her. "Remember we are also CSI's, so we know how to cover our tracks just as well, maybe even a little better, than they are at uncovering them."

Sara chuckled with one more nod. "That is true."

After one more look, he turned and headed down the stairs to go to the bedroom.

When he got in the room, he closed the door, headed to his side of the dresser, opened the first drawer, which would have his socks and boxers in, then slipped his hand in so it went under his socks before pulling out a small box.

A moment later, he pulls a ring out of his pants pocket and placed it back into the small box and looked at with a sigh, sad that his chance of proposing got delayed. But then again, their two-year anniversary was coming up, so maybe it was a blessing in disguise that he would have to wait.

He closed the box, placed it back under his socks, closed the drawer before opening another drawer so he could grab his pants then shirt and started changing before heading out the door once he was ready.

End of Flashback

Present time

Grissom, with his head down and hands clasped, was sitting in the waiting area at the hospital. He couldn't believe just 48 hours earlier they were talking about telling the team about them and now he was waiting on life-or-death news towards the woman he loved, the only woman he ever loved or will ever love.

His thoughts about their time together last two years were running through his mind when he hears his name being called. "Dr. Grissom?"

He lifted his head up before standing up, then cleared his throat from the emotions he was feeling. "Yes Doctor, how is she?"

"Besides a little dehydrated, cuts and bruises, I have no reason to believe she'll make a full recovery physically. She did sustain a fractured arm, and we'll schedule to cast it when she wakes up, but she's going to be ok. She's a strong woman."

Grissom nodded with a smile. "Yes, she is. Can I see her?"

"Yes, but please don't disturb her, she still needs rest."

"Of course." They shook hands while Grissom thanked him.

Once they released one another's hands, Grissom was told what room number she would be in before the doctor went one way while Grissom went the other.

He stopped at the closed door and closed his eyes once he got there, trying to prepare himself for what he was about to see, but honestly it couldn't be worse than what he saw in the desert and during the first part of the helicopter ride when she had been unresponsive for what felt like forever before her eyes did finally open.

He shook his head, wanting to get rid of that memory forever, and opened his eyes back up before he opened the door and slipped into the room, his breath hitching a little at seeing the woman he loved in a hospital bed with her injured arm in a sling. He then slowly walked towards the bed, grabbed a chair and placed it as close to it as possible before sitting down on it, and just watched her chest rise and fall as she slept while hearing the machine that was showing her steady heartbeat.

It was a few minutes later, and he couldn't hold back any longer, he moved his hand towards her uninjured arm and took her hand in his and whispered with tears in his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Sara." Then he did something he hadn't done since he was nine years old when he found out his father had died, he cried.

It was no more than an hour or two later since he took his spot by her bedside, which felt like forever, before he felt her hand move in his and her eyes started to flutter open.

He smiled with tears in his eyes as he moved his other hand to her cheek and ran his thumb up and down it.

"Hey, honey."

When she finally got her eyes to stay open and registered on where she was, she whispered. "Hi."

He smiled wider, hearing that beautiful voice even though it was low. "It's good to see those beautiful eyes open. How are you feeling? Do I need to get the doctor?"

She shook her head while squeezing his hand, not wanting him out of her sight for the moment. "No, I'm ok. Please don't leave."

"I'm not going anywhere, honey."

She sighed in content and closed her eyes for a minute before looking at him again and asking. "Did you guys catch her?"

Not wanting to talk about this right now, but knowing she needed to know, he nodded. "Yes, and she's never going to hurt anyone ever again."

He tried to push the guilt away from the moment they found her, but no matter how hard he tried, it was still in his eyes, and trying to keep that from Sara was not easy, even in her current state, because at this point in their relationship she knew him better than anyone. He might even go as far as saying even better than himself, so she said something, seeing that look in his eyes.

"Gilbert Arthur Grissom, you have nothing to feel guilty about, this wasn't your fault, you didn't…"

He cuts her off with emotion. "She was at the crime scene, she saw my hand run down your arm, she saw how much I love you. She wanted to punish me so she took the one person she knew would hurt the most if I lost her." She was going to speak, but he finished in almost tears. "If I had never said anything to you, then maybe...then..."

He trailed off as he looked down, sniffling, and she spoke with a determined look. "And if you had never said anything to me, then I wouldn't have had, for the most part anyways, the best two years of my life." When he looked into her eyes again and she continued. "Tell me this, if you hadn't said anything to me, and she still somehow managed to do what she did, would you still be sitting here with guilt?"

"Probably even more so because then I could have lost you without you knowing how I felt."

"See there, you would have felt guilty either way, but I'm telling you, you don't have to be. I don't blame you, not now or ever. You didn't do this to me, she did, and like you said, she was caught and she's never going to hurt anyone else again."

He trusted her words, but it was still going to take time for him, for them, to get over this, so he nodded as he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it before speaking softly. "I'll try and get over how I feel, but it's going to take time."

She nodded with a smile as she squeezed his hand. "I don't doubt that."

After a moment of silence, she then asked, seeing something else in his eyes. "What is it? What else did I miss?"

He also didn't want to talk about this now, but he assumed that when the team can show up here they are all going to want answers to that certain comment he made, so he knew he should get her prepared.

"They know about us. Or at least I think they do."

She raised an eyebrow as she asked. "You think? Why, what happened?"

"I kind of blurted it out, well technically what I said, in a nutshell, was that you were the only woman I ever loved, so whether they think we are together by that statement is still undetermined, but my best bet is that..."

She cuts him off. "They know."

He nodded, then sighed. "I'm sorry, I know we had planned on telling them together."

"It's ok." She then sighed. "Now we have to prepare to face the music."

"Personally and professionally."

"You ready for that?"

"Yes, I meant what I said when talked about this two days ago, I don't want to hide us anymore."

"I don't either. But you know, I'll admit I am going to miss the secrecy just a little."

He chuckled. "Me too."

When they calmed down, he could see her eyes were getting a little heavy again, so he leaned down and kissed her forehead before whispering against it. "Why don't you get a little more rest before you get bombarded with questions."

As much as she wanted to fight rest, she knew she needed it, so she nodded. "Ok. You'll stay with me, right?"

He pulled back so he could look into her eyes with a smile. "Always. I love you."

As she closed her eyes, she whispered. "I love you too."

A moment later she was out again, and he sat there the whole time, being thankful that he didn't lose the only woman he ever loved.

AN: Thanks for reading and please review.