The two men had settled in at their table and were waiting for service. Grissom had expected Jim to give him the 'how ya doing' routine but actually seemed a little pre-occupied.

"So what did you have last night?" he asked Jim.

"Paperwork mostly. And some follow-up from a case last week. Ran into Glyn at the hospital. Sounded like she had a rough one."

"Yeah, I was relieved that she handled it as well as she did," replied Grissom. "Catherine always goes over the top on those cases. But Glyn seemed to take it okay."

"Well, uh….I, uh….well we ate lunch together and she seemed okay then."

They were interrupted by the waitress and placed their orders. After she finished the conversation continued.

"You had lunch with her?" Grissom was surprised. Jim usually ate lunch at his desk.

"Yeah, at the hospital she seemed like she could use a break so I thought, what the hell…Thing is…. Well, I know it's a dumb idea but I was thinking of asking her on a date."

Wow, Grissom thought. Jim never talks about dating. His ex burned him so bad, Grissom wasn't even sure he liked women anymore. Oh, he'd show up at the 'office parties' or departmental functions with a real looker on his arm but never seemed too interested in them and never the same one twice. Gil suspected Jim was hiring high class call girls, 'escorts', for the evenings, partly to avoid coming stag and partly to silently thumb his nose at office politics. And here he is talking to me about asking Glyn out. ME? "You asking permission to date my CSI?" Grissom quipped.

"Yeah, Papa Bear, Don't want you greeting me on the front steps with a sawed off in your hands." The two men shared a smile at the image of Gil Grissom chasing off the ardent suitor, Jim Brass, with a shot gun in hand. "But seriously, what do you think….I mean, is it as dumb as it sounds to me….why would a gorgeous gal like her go out with a bum like me?"

"Well, Jim…..I'm not sure I'm the guy to talk to here. I mean….I don't have a good track record here. But you know, I wasted years before I found the courage to reach out to Sara and those could have been really great years. I can't get them back. If you think there's a connection between you and Glyn, do something about it. Don't be a fool like I was."

"I ….gosh, this personal stuff is hard….she isn't like… well, she's different...not a bimbo or anything. I mean, she's easy to talk with. You known it's been such a long time since a woman...well, you know, since I've felt this way….But there's no way she's going to want any part of me."

"Haven't had much of a chance to get to know her. Actually, its my fault. I can't quit thinking about her as Sara's replacement. Its getting better but…..anyway, I'm trying to give her the benefit of the doubt; maybe you should too."

"She's okay, Gil. But I can understand its hard for you. Give it time."

"Everybody keeps telling me that. Sometimes I'm not sure. But I want to put it behind me...not Sara, I'll always love her. But I need to get past the pain. I need to be me again."

As Jim listened to his friend he thought how much he had changed. He wasn't sure what 'me' Gil wanted to be again but Jim suspected that his friend was forever changed by his love and loss of Sara. "Well, don't know if it helps any but you seem to be doing better now then when you first came back. Just give yourself time, Gil. What's that old saying, 'time heals all wounds'?

Gil looked at his friend and thought about how much Jim had been through. Maybe he knew what he was talking about. Gil sure hoped so.

Grissom made his way back to the lab. He wanted to check on Nick's progress and see what O'Brien and Greg had been able to find out. Nick was in the garage. "Oh, hey boss. Just finishing up. I'll get it all written up but basically the speeding car must have caught the rear fender of the Camero that the guys were driving. That knocked the front of the car into the rear of Thelma Eaton's Pontiac. Then the BMW scraped along the side of both cars. Mrs. Eaton was caught between the two cars and the two guys were knocked down by the impact and then run over as the BMW ran up the side of the cars. The damage would have been bad under any circs but with the increased speed of the BMW, it was devastating. What I don't get is how the driver couldn't have felt it all. I mean, he had to have known he'd hit the cars and probably the people too. This is just wrong, wrong in so many ways."

"Yeah…." Gris said as he looked at the cars. "Let's just solve it so the families can at least have closure and the jackass goes to jail."

Grissom was finally heading out to go home when Greg called to him in the parking lot. "Hey, Grissom," panted Greg. "Wanted to let you know…." again gasping for breath, "Jenkins family says the other guy has to be Ricky Rodriguez. They've been friends since Kindergarten and are always together. The second vic was Hispanic, so it fits. O'Brien is with the Rodriguez family now."

"Any connection between them and Thelma Eaton?"

"No," he was finally catching his breath, "but the Jenkins family said the two boys were always going out of their way to be helpful and if they saw her on the side of the road with a flat they would've stopped."

"Okay, Greg. Shift's over. Go home and get some rest and be ready to tackle it tomorrow."

Grissom climbed into his truck and hastily made his way out of the lot. He didn't really want to go home to be at the mercy of memories but he needed to check on Bruno. He decided he'd walk Bruno and then head for bed. He was tired enough that he thought he might be able to sleep. One good thing about having a large dog was that it provided warmth on the other side of the bed. Bruno wasn't Sara but at least he was some company.

Glyn was curled in her favorite chair watching a movie and eating popcorn when her phone rang. "Hello.."

"Uh….Glyn?" the voice asked on the other end.

"Yes, this is Glyn…."

"Bra..uh, its Jim. I, uh… well…"

"Jim?" Glyn was surprised that he called and even more surprised at his apparent inability to talk.

"Yeah, uh….. Look I was wondering, I mean….well, if you don't have plans for the day….well, I mean, would you like to go to a movie or something?" Jim was nervous and the silence on the other end of the call wasn't helping.

Glyn, sitting there in her grubbies, hadn't contemplated getting out again til tomorrow. "Jim, you've caught me off guard," she replied. Damn, might as well be honest she thought. "I'm kind of settled in and curled up with popcorn and a movie here."

"Oh, ah well, okay. Maybe another time then?" Even he recognized how disappointed he sounded. Damn, he thought, you're pathetic.

"I have a better idea….why don't you run by that sandwich shop and pick up some food to go, you know what I like, and come over? We can watch a movie here."

"Ah….okay….is there a movie you'd like to see? I can go by and rent a movie or two on my way over."

"I've got a stack," she laughed. "NetFlix and I are good friends. There might even be one or two that you'll enjoy. So how long do I have to change from a pumpkin to a fairy princess?"

"Half hour….is that long enough? But you can stay a pumpkin, I mean, I'm sure you're a gorgeous pumpkin." He couldn't believe he said that….how lame could he be…...Doofus! Laughter erupted on the other end of the line.

"Okay, I'll stay a pumpkin, then. Thanks. I'll see you soon."

Jim couldn't believe it. That went so much better than he had hoped and she even overlooked his bumbling. He tore into his closet looking for a fresh shirt. Needs to be casual, he thought. She won't be impressed if she's in her grubbies and you show up in designer wear. Oh hell, he thought. I didn't get her address. Swallow pal, he told himself. Do you call her back? No, hey you're a police detective. Do some detecting!

Jim found her place and had knocked on the door. He mentally arranged himself and tried to stay calm. Breathe, he told himself. Man, I feel like I'm in high school again. The door opened and she was standing there, smiling. Jim Brass's heart melted at the sight of her. She was indeed a beautiful pumpkin. He was falling and falling fast. He just hoped he would recover from the inevitable thud at the bottom.

Her eyes savored the man before her. His fire plug stature camouflaged the muscle that she suspected was concealed beneath his shirt. Something within her leapt as her mind contemplated proving her theory. "Jim, come in….." He slid past her and she turned to follow him into her house. Without his suit jacket, Glyn developed a new appreciation for his European cut slacks, defining a nice ass that no man subject to the middle age spread would be expected to still possess. As he reached the middle of her living room and turned to face her, she realized that his slacks exemplified another of his attributes.

Jim swallowed hard noticing her eyeballing him. "I brought the same kind of sandwich you had at lunch. Seemed wrong but I didn't know what else to do, " he said quietly, simultaneously wondering if he wasn't already screwed by getting a woody the minute he saw her.

"That's great. Unless you're hungry now why don't we wait to eat though? I'm not really hungry right now but I know I'll be later."

"That's fine," he said as she took the food from him and turned to walk to the kitchen. As he watched her he was forced to recognize that he wasn't hungry right now either, at least not for food.

She asked him to make a choice from the stack and he pulled out a Harrison Ford movie, the one where he was President, but he really didn't care what they watched. He had a feeling he wouldn't be concentrating on the movie anyway. She put it in the DVD player and settled in on the sofa. He was careful to sit down close but not too close to her. Damn, where do I put my hands, he thought. He didn't want to sit there with his hands in his lap like a kid waiting to see the principal. But he didn't want to seem too familiar either. As the movie began tried to watch but was intensely aware of her presence next to him….her smell, her movements, even her breathing. As the movie continued, she very slowly eased her way in his direction until he felt her against his arm. Hmmmm, now what? he thought. He lifted his arm behind her, resting it along the back of the sofa and she nestled into his side, resting her head against his shoulder. Jim sat, stunned. What do I do now? He wondered. Fear paralyzed him. All he could do was try to control his breathing.

Glyn was enjoying this. Several men had pursued her after her husband had died but she had quickly grasped what their only interest was. She wasn't interested in a meaningless fling. But Jim seemed genuine. She hadn't seen a guy this nervous about approaching her since her first week of college when her future husband asked her out. Jim really was kind of cute with it. She'd begun to think of him as a teddy bear, which made him seem vulnerable. . But this was too much fun and she was going to tease him a little while longer. Didn't want to be cruel though. She sensed that his feelings were tender and calling her had been a big deal to him. However, she couldn't deny herself a little fun.

After a few minutes, Jim let his hand slip off the back of the sofa and onto her shoulder. God, he thought, this is torture. I feel like I'm sixteen again and going to unload in my drawers. But I'll never know what she feels about me if I don't try. Don't be so afraid. But he was afraid…..afraid he might screw the whole thing up.

She snuggled her head on his shoulder, just to let him know that his touch was welcome. He turned his head ever so slightly to peek at her face only to get caught. She was looking up at him, straight into his brown eyes. They seemed to be twinkling and fearful simultaneously. She also saw his desire and somewhere deep within her felt a stir that she hadn't felt in a very long time. Neither was sure who initiated it, but they found themselves locked in a kiss. It was slow and gentle at first and then more insistent as each became more confident. Slowly they pulled away and she rested her head again against his shoulder. Jim's arm found its way down, around her waist and he pulled her closer to him. The movie was ending and they were content to sit there as the credits rolled down the screen. His lips found the top of her head as he gently kissed her there and then rested his head. He couldn't remember when he's ever felt so happy or content in a moment. He wished they could just stay there, his arm around her and the heat of her body spreading over his side and across his chest. She felt safe and warm and content in his embrace. Her hand found its way around to his chest and rested there, over his heart. Slowly, peacefully, they drifted to sleep.

A few hours later Jim woke up to a numb arm. Her breathing was steady, indicating that she was still asleep. But he needed to move his arm. First he nuzzled his lips against her head. She began to stir. Her face turned toward his and blessed him with a smile. Her face moved closer to his as her eyes invited him. Her hand inched its way up and behind his head and encouraged him closer. He closed his eyes as his lips found hers and he lost himself in the warmth of her mouth. After a long, satisfying and promise filled kiss, he inched away. "…..uh...well, Glyn, I don't want this to be an office romance that's over before it gets started. I mean, I'm not sure what it is, exactly…..right now…..but, at least for me, it feels like it could be something special. I don't want to botch it before we have a chance to see….."

"Do you really believe we'd be sitting here now if I thought all you wanted was a fling? You are a special man, Jim Brass, and I want to know you better. We'll take our time and build on tonight." She stroked the side of his face with the back of her fingers as she spoke. He placed his hand over hers and brought it around to his lips and kissed them. Pleasure at his touch was obvious in her countenance and Jim's heart swelled until he thought it might explode."

"Let's check out those sandwiches," she said, "suddenly I'm hungry."

"Yeah, and then I should go before I lose my resolve to be a good boy," Jim jested.