A/N: I hope I don't make Sara seem too insecure in this chapter. I DO think she was able to get over a lot of her insecurities and hang-ups, otherwise she would have never been able to be with Grissom at all. And I do think they had a very stable, loving relationship. But there were a lot of things beating her down this season, and I think at this point, it was enough to make her cave a little. Let me know :)

Spoilers for episode 7x23, The Good, the Bad and the Dominatrix

One week.

Seven days.

One hundred and sixty-eight hours.

That's how long it had been since I told Grissom, cheekily, but truthfully, that honesty was always the best policy. And in one week – seven days – one hundred and sixty-eight hours – he'd apparently already forgotten. I had spent the previous night alone, wondering where he was but never receiving a phone call. My questions had been answered via lab gossip, and now I was fully expecting to spend another night alone.

I should have just gone back to my apartment. I was almost about to gather up Hank and his things and do just that, when the opening and closing of the front door made me still. He came in without a word, and I listened to him undress and crawl into bed beside me.

"Move over," he whispered.

My anger must have been reflected in my face, because when I rolled over to face him, he stopped dead in surprise. He sighed, sat down slowly and stared at his hands.

"We need to talk."

"Was it worth it?" I demanded testily. "The risk of your reputation, your career… you know, all those things you can't risk for me?"

His blue eyes were wide, and my words lingered in the air between us. I hadn't meant for it to come bursting out like that, but I guess I had had too much time to think about it.

"I should have told you," he said softly.

"Why didn't you?"

Another ringing demand.

"I told you, Sara," he said, trying to keep calm. "I… I have trouble discussing my emotions with you."

"I told you," I shot back. "That all I wanted was honesty from you. I mean, Jesus… what was I supposed to think?"

He stared at me.

"I didn't sleep with her."

I gave him a look that clearly said, as if that helps, and swallowed hard.

"You never have?"

He paused. That said enough. I rolled back over, leaving him to stare at my back. I heard rustling, but no fingers or hands reached out to touch me. He must have been sitting up, looking down on me as he spoke. I kept my eyes firmly fixed on the bedside lamp.

"She's my friend, Sara," he said evenly. "She needed me."

I sighed in frustration and rolled back over, shaking my head as I looked at him.

"I told you I get it," I said. "And I do. I'm not blaming you for what you did for her. You would have never forgiven yourself had you not been there for her. As a friend."

"Then what is, honey?" he pleaded. "Please explain."

He really didn't understand, did he? He was so clueless to the idea that in helping Heather, he had hurt me in the process. And it all came back to honesty.

"You dropped everything for her," I began. "Disregarded everything else—"

"I'd do that for you," he cut in.

I pressed my lips tight. I wanted to challenge him by asking exactly when the last time he'd done such a thing was, but we both knew what I was thinking without words – the time when he'd done exactly the opposite. Dropped everything, including me, and left it behind, to take care of himself. And that had been okay. But now that I'd seen him do it for someone else, I wondered if he'd ever be capable of doing it for me.

"Why don't you trust me?" I said in a whisper.

"I do, Sara—"

"No," I cut in, shaking my head. "You don't. Not really. You trust me to share your home, share your bed… raise your dog. But if you can't really trust me… then what are we doing?"

I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder, and he turned me over to face him. I wished there weren't tears in my eyes.

"We're learning," he said softly. "Every step of the way, we're learning. Every hurdle and bump and obstacle."

I shook my head against the pillow.

"I don't know if that's enough."

For the first time, I saw fear in his eyes, and it surprised me. My mind went crazy searching for what he possibly could be frightened of, but when I got there, I knew it was true. He was afraid of losing me.

"You want the honest-to-God truth?" he asked.

My breath caught in my throat, so I only nodded.

"You are the only person I've ever loved," he said. "You will be the only person I ever love, because the thought of life without you is… unimaginable."

I exhaled, willing myself not to cry.

"I'm sorry for how I acted," he said. "Not for what I did, but how I acted, and how I treated you. Because I didn't stop to think how this might have affected you, and that was the very worst thing I could do. I love you, Sara. I love you, and I'm sorry."

He took a deep breath.

"And… I hope that's enough," he finished. "But if it's not… well…"

When I spoke, my voice came out in a tiny, wavering whisper.

"It's more than enough."

I could literally see the relief wash over him like a tidal wave. Our broken hearts reached out for each other and held on for dear life, refusing to let go for the rest of the night and into the morning.

There was nothing like the threat of losing someone, to make you realize what really mattered.