Greg sighed as he walked to his locker. It had been a very tough few weeks at the crime lab. There had been some very difficult cases and all three shifts had been maxing out on their overtime. As Greg opened his locker, he sighed again. It was a sigh of pure exhaustion and mental fatigue. Slowly he reached for his jacket and shrugged it on. He was looking forward to just going home and falling into bed. He was off duty for the next two days and ineligible to work any overtime. He was planning on taking full advantage of it. Closing his locker door, he turned to leave just as Morgan walked into the room. Reflexively, Greg stood up a little straighter. Seeing Morgan always perked him up. As usual, he tried to ignore his feelings for Morgan that bubbled under the surface, but he had been failing more often lately.
Greg noticed Morgan was nowhere near her bubbly self. She barely mustered up a smile as she walked over to her locker. Her shoulders were slumped and she slowly reached for her purse. Greg wanted to find out what was bothering her and somehow make it better. "Are you okay, Morgan? Hard shift?" He reached out with the first words he could think of.

To his surprise, he saw her shoulders slump even further and start to shake. Morgan was crying! It took Greg by surprise. He knew Morgan did not like to show weakness at work. He felt an even greater need to comfort her. He took two quick strides to stand beside her. Tentatively he put his right arm around her shoulders.
When Morgan realized Greg's arm was around her she was startled and stopped crying. Momentarily she stiffened up, embarrassed she had let her emotions get the best of her. Then she gave in to her fatigue and the horror she'd recently witnessed. She laid her head on Greg's shoulder and put an arm around his waist. Right now she wanted comfort from someone who understood how the horror of the job can affect the mind. Greg had always been there to offer comfort when she needed it even though she always tried to keep her emotions in check when she was at work. She was still embarrassed about breaking down on her first job back after being kidnapped. Greg had given her a hug then and she manged to quickly compose herself. Today, with the double shifts, fatigue and her latest case rattling her, she let her guard down, but just for a second.

With a deep breath, Morgan pulled her arm back and stood up straight. She managed to look Greg in the eye. "Thanks so much, I needed that. I have had so much trouble with the last few cases. Young children who didn't deserve to have what happened to them." she closed her eyes, shaking her head and pushing the memory away. "The fatigue is really taking a toll on me. I really need to take a little break, get some sleep and be a normal person for a few days." She pinched the bridge of her nose and took another deep breath before looking back at Greg. "I've got two days off and I plan on using those to my full advantage." She gave him a sad smile and turned back to close her locker.

Greg walked out with her, changing the topic to Morgan's days off. He was trying to think of a way to suggest they get together over the next two days, He wondered if Morgan didn't want to think about work at all and he'd be a reminder of work. It was a cop out,and he knew it.

Greg walked Morgan all the way to her car. There was an awkward silence while she moved to unlock her car door. Greg saw Morgan was still a bit shaky and still felt the need to make sure Morgan was not going to be too upset on the drive home. When she opened the door, Greg spoke up, "Hey Morgan, if you need anything over the next couple of days, or just want to talk, I'm here."

"Thanks Greg," replied Morgan, grateful for knowing someone cared about her. "I'm just going to try to forget about work for the next little while. I think I'm a bit burnt out, that's all." She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile and sat down in the driver's seat.

On the way home, Morgan found herself not thinking of her latest case, but about Greg. Just by being there today, he made her feel better. They had both experienced the horrors of the job and sometimes comfort comes from someone who can relate. She smiled as she thought of him coming up and putting his arm around her. Of course she had to have been crying at the time, she thought ruefully. She started thinking of some of her favorite times with Greg. She smiled as she thought of their flirting. She and Greg has such great times together. Why can't they do it more often out of work? Oh right. It would probably just make work more difficult or weird.

************
That night, as Morgan slept, the images started to come. Slowly at first, but then more and more and more graphic. First there were small flashes, a hand, a foot, a gun. Then the images started becoming clearer. Beautiful chestnut brown hair, a doll covered in blood and a teddy bear. The dead little girls, killed by their own mother. Morgan tossed and turned and tried to will the images go away. But they were persistent. She'd just get back to sleep and be woken up, tortured by another image of the girls.

By morning Morgan's bed sheets were a tangled mess. Morgan felt like a tangled mess herself. Her head hurt and she just wanted to go back to sleep, but no matter how she tried, she couldn't get back to sleep. She stood up and instinctively reached for her phone, expecting to see a work related text. Sure enough, she had a text from Greg. "How are you doing this morning?" Was all it said. It still made Morgan smile. For some reason she wanted to reach out to him. She had a bad night and there was nothing to be ashamed about it.

She texted back, "Pretty rough, had some bad dreams."

Quickly Greg replied, "That's tough, do you want me to bring you coffee to cheer you up?"

Morgan paused. Did she really want Greg to come over? Yes, but having just him over, and not other members of the team may be a bit weird. Did she want to open her self to the possibility of more with Greg? "Yes" came the reply from deep inside her brain. Mentally she debated with herself. "You've gone for beer with him before. You have a great time with him. He can really help you cheer you up. He's been in the same situation as you did. You're not asking him to marry you, he's going to bring you coffee, just say yes." Her brain finally decided on an answer so she texted him back affirmative.

"Time to hit the shower Brody!" She said once she replied. "Gotta look presentable." She hopped in the shower, a smile on her face, anticipating the morning, or technically evening.

She'd just toweled herself off when she heard the buzzer announce Greg had entered her building. She answered the call, "Hey Greg, I've just gotten out of the shower. I'll unlock the door, come one in. I'll be out soon."

Greg stood back as the condo building entrance door opened. Mentally he tried to shake the picture of a wet Morgan wearing nothing but a towel. He was a little apprehensive opening the door to her condo, not wanting to intrude on anything. He opened her condo door and found Morgan walking towards the door. She was fresh from the shower, wet hair combed neatly. He had never seen her without her makeup before. His breath caught in his throat. She was stunning. Too bad he hadn't arrived 15 minutes earlier and found her in the shower. Greg coloured a little at the thought.

Morgan didn't notice Greg's reaction. She was focused on the tray with 2 coffee cups clutched in his hand. She relieved him of the coffee tray and beckoned for him to follow her. Happily he followed her into her kitchen.

"I really needed this coffee!" said Morgan gratefully as she took a swig of her coffee. She handed Greg's coffee to him as he opened up the bag of food he'd also purchased. She smiled as he handed her a container of chocolate chip pancakes. "This looks pretty good too, although I would have been just as happy with coffee and your company." She looked down at the table, realizing she sounded a little sappy. She sneaked a look at Greg, who was concentrating a little too hard on getting his container out of the take out bag. Maybe it was time for Morgan to suggest they go out on a real date sometime. He'd brought her breakfast on his day off. That had to mean something.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Greg asked quietly. Morgan choked on her coffee, coughing a bit before she realized he was talking about her rough night and not her thoughts these past few minutes.

Morgan actually found it a relief to talk about her nightmares instead of her feelings. She immediately started telling Greg about her last shift. "You know we processed a crime scene with two young kids last night, right?" Greg nodded as he opened his take out container and started to dig into his food. "Well, it was a mom with postpartum psychosis. She took the lives of her two babies. One 3 and the other one was almost 1 year. It was awful, walking in to see David beside the 3 year old. The mom had posed the child with all of her dolls and stuffed animals. You could just see how beautiful this little girl was. Curly brown hair, beautiful skin and dead." Morgan took a deep breath and composed herself. Greg had stopped eating and listened intently as Morgan continued.

"We found evidence that the husband knew his wife was having some very severe mental issues and he had told her that she was being crazy and stupid. He mentioned to us that his wife's doctor told her she needed to go on antidepressants and see a psychiatrist. He actually told us that he forbade the wife from taking the pills and seeing a shrink because only mental freaks do that. Can you believe that? His wife killed his two kids and herself not because she had postpartum psychosis but because her husband actually forbade her from seeking help. Those kids did not need to die." Her voice rose in anger and she let a tear run down her cheek. She didn't care if Greg saw it.

Across the table, Greg reached for her hand. "That is awful. These cases are some of the worst parts of the job. We all get involved in a case that gets personal. It just proves we are human" Morgan looked down at his hand, resting over hers. She moved her hand to squeeze his.

"I know, but with kids, this one really hit home. It gets me thinking, do I really want kids? With all of the evil in this world? How can we bring children into a world like this?"

She had meant "we" in general, but Greg widened his eyes and drew his hands back in surrender. Trying to lighten the mood, he said threw up his hands and said,"Woah, Brody. I just came offering breakfast, not to have babies!"

Morgan laughed. "Sorry, Sanders. Didn't mean to scare you! I know how men frighten easy when the womenfolk start talking about babies." she wiggled her eyebrows up and down when she said that.

Greg looked at Morgan, his gaze serious. "You'd be wonderful mom, perhaps a little overcautious. There is no way the nature of our careers would not affect our parenting. But I've seen you working with children. Any kid would be lucky to have you as a mommy." He smiled at her when he said the last part.

"Thanks, but I'm nowhere ready to have a baby now. Apparently it is a two person job and I'm still flying solo." The conversation was starting to veer into territory she and Greg never ventured into. but she pressed on, being honest.

"That makes two of us." Stated Greg as he picked up his fork and resumed eating. He was starting to feel a little uneasy as well. Here he was in a beautiful woman's apartment and he was reminding himself he was nearing forty and still single. He then realized he'd said the last bit out loud. Quickly he added, "So I come to cheer you up and end up having a little pity party about my age. Good friend I am."

"You aren't forty yet, and you've got plenty time to find someone. I'm the one who has to worry about my eggs drying up. Or so my mom likes to remind me." Morgan shrugged, picking up her fork to continue eating. "She says I'm single because I work in Law Enforcement. She's still a little jaded because of her and my dad." A thought crept into Morgan's mind. Herr mom had never understood exactly what her dad did and why he worked so hard. Maybe there is a better chance of a couple working out if they both are in law enforcement- and work the crazy night shift? They know what each other is going through. Morgan had always looked at it from her mom's perspective before. She'd turned that line of thought on and flipped it around, seeing it from another perspective for the first time.

They talked a little more, dancing around the question of them, together. But the more Morgan sat and talked with Greg, the happier she seemed to get. Pretty soon they were laughing and joking about nothing, flirting as usual.

To Greg, it seemed Morgan wasn't just flirting, but sending him signals. "Does she actually want more? " He thought as they moved from the kitchen table to the couch facing the television.

"I"m not keeping you from anything? Am I?" Asked Morgan, trying to reassure herself that Greg wanted to be here.

"Couldn't think of a better place to be on my day off." Said Greg, sitting beside her on the couch. He left just enough space so Morgan wouldn't feel like he was coming on to her, but he still craved her closeness.

Morgan flipped on the TV and they channel surfed until they found the first thing they both agreed to watch. They watched it for about 2 minutes before they started talking again.

They talked about nothing and everything for the next 15 minutes, They were facing each other now, instead of the TV. Greg had put his arm on the back of the couch, towards her. Their opposite knees, resting on the couch were lightly touching. Morgan had felt a fluttering in her stomach when their knees had first made contact and was secretly thrilled that Greg didn't move his leg away.

She was starting to feel like she was back in high school, sitting in the basement of her home, waiting for her crush to make a move. The conversation suddenly died.
Greg felt the mood change. He could feel the anticipation in the air. He knew he wasn't misreading Morgan. He needed to work up the courage to make his move.
Morgan spoke first. "Greg," she said slowly, "Have you ever though about, you know," she suddenly lost her nerve as she played with the fringe on the blanket lying atop the couch. Without speaking, Greg pulled her hand away from the fringe and gathered her free hand and took both of her hands in his. This gave Morgan the courage to go on. "You are someone very special in my life. Coming over here on your day off to make sure I'm doing okay, bringing me breakfast. Perhaps we should explore, maybe..." She trailed off as Greg moved in a bit closer and then stopped.

Secretly Greg was enjoying watching Morgan fumble over her words. He was glad it wasn't him for a change. But he needed to hear what she wanted. He needed to know that his feelings were reciprocated. In the back of his mind, Greg knew the dreaded, "but I just want to be friends" could still be said.

Morgan continued, deciding to go for it. "Look Greg, you are an awesome guy, great looking, funny and so thoughtful. I really like you, maybe we should, like, explore actually dating each other?" She lifted her head a bit and took a peek at Greg's face.

There was a hint of a smile on his face as he reached his hand to Morgan's cheek, followed by his head lowering, lips meeting hers.

It was a soft kiss at first. Morgans lips met his and she put her hand on the back of his head, running her fingers through his hair as she kissed him. She deepened the kiss, marveling how wonderful it felt.

Greg's free hand reached for Morgan's waist, as his other hand still rested on her cheek. He loved the feeling of having her so close. Just then Morgan shifted her weight forward, catching Greg off guard. but without breaking the kiss, she gently moved forward, causing Greg to lay back on the couch. Morgan followed him, deepening the kiss even further. She sighed Greg's name as he broke contact and moved his lips down her neck.

Just over a month had passed since that wonderful night in Morgan's apartment. Morgan and Greg had decided to keep things quiet and not tell anyone at work they were dating. Their relationship was still new and they didn't want the extra scrutiny. They were as professional as possible at work, but when on their time off, they enjoyed each other's company.

Morgan thought she was better at keeping things professional at work. She'd taken to calling Greg, "Sanders" most times she acknowledged him. They kept flirting to a minimum and just tried to go about their jobs. Nick and the others had noticed a shift in their behaviour but nobody could quite figure out what that shift meant. Sara and Nick had discussed it one slow night coming back from a crime scene.

"I think the chemistry is gone between them. They just seem like work colleagues." Said Sara as Nick drove.

"I still see Greg checking her out when she's not looking. He still has it bad for her." Replied Nick.

"Maybe Morgan has been dating someone?" The idea had just come to Sara's mind. " That's a possibility. She's off limits now and Greg would respect that. Maybe the next time I work with her, I'll ask her if she's seeing anyone."Sara paused for a second and turned towards Nick. "You don't think that Greg asked her out and she turned him down, do you?"

"Ha!" Nick laughed, as he made a left turn. "There is no way that guy has the guts to ask her out. He's had a crush on her since she got here. If he hadn't made a move in the last year, there's no way he'd make one now."

"I think you're selling Greg short. I think he's being very smart and cautious. Maybe he's weighing the pros and cons about being in a work relationship. Sara replied. "Poor Greg."

"I guess we won't get our answer unless we walk on them making out in the break room."

it was a Thursday night and Nick had been called into work early. He had just stopped by his favourite coffee shop, right beside the megaplex movie theater. Mentally he cursed himself for stopping at this particular coffee place earlier than normal. A movie was just getting out and there were people everywhere. He stood in the long line and pulled his phone out of his pocket.

"Hey Sara," he drawled, "Are you coming in early too?"

"Yeah," she replied. "why?

"I'm getting coffee, want one?"

"That'd be great, Nick. Thanks"

Just as Nick hung up, he noticed Greg's SUV parked a little ways away in the parking lot. Squinting, he could just see Greg going to the far side of the car. It looked like he was not alone. Between the people walking by, he couldn't get a good look at who he was with. Unfortunately the driver's door was facing Nick and Greg and the girl went around the passenger side. Nick could make out a blond head, standing by the open passenger door. Just then Greg leaned in for a long and passionate kiss. Nick's eyebrows shot up. "Wow, Greg, nice going man!" He thought. He was a little surprised Greg hadn't mentioned he'd had a date. Greg had been going through quite a dry spell thought about going over and meeting this mystery lady, but then he'd lose his place in line. Right now, he'd rather have the coffee. Nick made a mental note to inquire about this mystery woman the next time he and Greg worked together.

The next night, before shift, Greg walked into the break room to make some coffee. Nick was already sitting at the table in the center of the room, enjoying a before work snack. His eyes lit up as he saw Greg. It was time to interrogate.

"Hey Greg! How was your night off? Do anything interesting?" Nick inquired.

"Not really." Shrugged Greg, turning his back to Nick to grab a coffee mug.

"Oh, I thought I saw you at the movies when I stopped for coffee on my way to work." Nick grinned.

Greg's eyes widened with this information. He'd been spotted at the cinema, damn. Nick was going to ask a ton of question and Greg knew he wasn't going to get off easy. "Yeah, I saw 'Frogger'," he said mentioning a comedy currently playing. Waiting for Nick to mention Morgan's name, mentally Greg braced himself for a barrage of questions regarding their relationship.

"So, who was the hot blond I saw you with and why didn't you say anything, man?" asked Nick. "Pretty cool you had a date. How'd it go?"

Stalling for time, Greg took a sip of coffee. Nick hadn't seen it was Morgan. Maybe he could continue to lie by omission. "It was just a date, nothing really to tell, yet." Replied Greg, hoping that would appease Nick.

"Well, from the lip lock I saw you two in, I expect to be introduced to her soon."

Inwardly Greg laughed. An introduction would certainly surprise Nick. Outwardly, Greg shifted his feet uneasily and looked around the room. He really didn't know what to say without giving away his mystery woman. He and Nick were close, and he wanted to tell Nick. However, he and Morgan weren't really ready for the scrutiny that would inevitably happen whenever the two would work together.

Nick could see Greg was feeling pretty uneasy and he started to feel a little bad for him. The poor guy had a very bad relationship history and he could understand why Greg wanted to keep things quiet. He let Greg off the hook. "Was the movie any good?"

"It was good, nothing special though." Greg replied, just as Morgan and Sara entered the room.

"What was good?" asked Sara, standing in the doorway beside Morgan.

Greg tried to give Morgan an look warning them that they were dangerously close to being caught. Unfortunately, Morgan didn't notice Greg's silent warning.

"The movie, 'Frogger'." said Nick.

"Oh," replied Sara turning to Morgan, "Isn't that the movie you and your mystery friend that you won't talk about saw last night?"

Morgan, still unaware her secret was about to come out, replied, "Yeah, we did."

Greg turned to look at Nick, seeing if he'd put the pieces together. Judging by the raised eyebrows, followed by a big smile that suddenly erupted on his face, he had. Nick leaned back on his chair, put his hands behind his head and grinned widely. He was about to say something when Morgan's phone rang.

"It's Hodges, he's got my trace. I'll see you all later." she said as she turned and walked back outside the door.

Sara looked from Nicks grinning face to Greg's stricken look and immediately knew something was up. "What?" she said simply.

"The hot blond! It was Morgan!" exclaimed Nick excitedly. He got out of his chair and walked over to Greg and heartily patted him on the back. He didn't need confirmation, it was written all over Greg's face.

"What was Morgan?" asked Sara, looking at Nick,quite curious now.

Nick gleefully filled her in, still grinning wildly at finding out the information, as Greg stood by, hands in his pockets. Now that the secret was out, he actually felt a little proud of himself. He would like to let the world to know he was dating Morgan.

Nick reached into his wallet and pulled out a fifty dollar bill. Reaching across the table, he handed it to Sara. "You win," he said. "I didn't think he'd ever make a move."