Sara came instantly at his call, Nick following her. "What is it, Griss?" She cast her eyes to Olivia and felt her heart breaking for her.
Grissom heard Sara and Nick walk in the door. "What is it, Griss?" He looked up and sighed, gazing between Sara's soft eyes, Nick's frozen body and the girl. "Grab Jim from his office and Warrick, he should be in the breakroom by now. Head over to 1234 South Ridge Lane and check up on everyone there. Tread lightly," he added as they hurried off and looked back at the girl to Nick. "We may have another case on our hands. Now go!" He turned back to the girl sitting next to him, tears falling from her eyes. Letting her cry, he just kept repeating over and over again, "You're all right, we're going to check on your mommy and auntie, there's nothing to be sorry about. Shhhhhh." And finally the tears were slowing after about a minute and Grissom gently pushed the girl away by the shoulders to get a look at her. "Olivia, I need your last name."
She blinked. She'd felt him let her go and glanced up at him. "Collins. Mr. Grissom, what if they haven't found them? What if it is too late?"
Grissom bit his lip, trying to remember any Collinses when her gentle, weary voice called him. "Mr. Grissom, what if they haven't found them? What if it is too late?" His eyes were soft, and felt vulnerable, feeling as if he was going to cry. 'But I don't cry, I don't show emotion' He looked at her straight in the eye, trying to figure out how to tell a girl of such a young age that she may never see her mother alive again. "Olivia, I-I can't promise that we can save your mommy, but if somebody hurt your mommy, than I can promise that I'll do whatever it takes to put that bad person in jail and punsih them for it." Gathering her in his arms again, he heard her tears start again, and his soft shushing to stop the tears.
Olivia curled into him, hoping it wasn't too late, hoping she was wrong. "They're all I have, Mr. Grissom. Where will I go of something happened to them?"
Her body curled in to him, crying against his chest as he held her, feeling even more helpless than she probably was. "They're all I have, Mr. Grissom. Where will I go of something happened to them?" She had him trapped, trapped between guilt and unknowing. He had no absolute answer. "Well," he started, trying his best to be gentle and truthful at the same time. "Some friends of mine will try to find you a good home and send you to live with other kids or with a different mommy and daddy that will love you very, very much. And I promise that I wouldn't let anyone take you that wouldn't protect you." He warmly smiled down at her, hoping to lighten the mood and stop the tears. He didn't do well with tears, tears made him feel vulnerable.
Olivia had an idea then. She glanced up at him. "Mr. Grissom, if something did happen, could- could you and Sara take me home?"
Grissom felt heat crawling up his neck at Olivia's latest idea. "Mr. Grissom, if something did happen, could- could you and Sara take me home?" He was flustered and started stuttering. "O-Olivia, ummm, Miss Sara and I are just, I'm just her boss, we aren't...together. But, uh-if something did happen, then I could always take you in, or Sara, or...but, I mean, Olivia, it wouldn't be both of us." 'Or could it? She said "you and Sara", jeez how young ones can always pin point the direct spot you don't want them to hit.' "I mean, we could always see about getting together to help you, but I mean, we're not, you know, together right now." He smiled shakily back down at the girl and tried to chase what, he was sure of, was left of a rather large spread of red across his cheeks.
Grissom shook his head and laughed, a warming, smiling laugh at her answer. "I'm sorry. I think that came out wrong." He smiled at her knowingly and nodded. "That's alright, nothing to be sorry about." He looked at the time on his watch. 'They should have gotten there by now. I might want to give them a call. Nah, Sara or Nick'll call when they get there.' Coughing, he turned to Olivia again and knew he had to get back on task, breaking this girl's fortress of trust to get what they needed. "Olivia, I-I know your auntie said that your mommy wasn't breathing. Can you tell me what happened before you went into the room? Like, did you hear banging, or was there blood on your auntie or mommy? Things like that so we can help Miss Sara and Mr. Nick." He looked sorrowfully into her eyes, knowing he was only digging deeper into a poor girl's memories that caused her heart to burn.
Nick came in the room and knocked on the door. "Griss, i have to talk to you in privite!" he said looking at the girl, then back at Griss.
She read his thoughts. "Don't feel bad, Mr. Grissom. I needed to talk to someone anyway. I saw the door open, and my auntie was crying. There wasn't much blood on her, but there was a little. I thought I heard a window open. Actually, that may've been what woke me up."
Nick looked at the little girl, then back at grissom. "it'll just take a second, it's also kinda important" he said
Sara came running up behind him just then. You may've been right Nicky. I think Olivia does know Grissom."
"ya! that's what im trying to talk to him about!" he said looking at Sara. (how the F does she know griss?)