Title: Las Vegas Knights
A/N: This isn't the original author's note. I have made a few revisions and changed my outline for the story. First off the case file will no longer be the main focus of this story. I am not a criminlist nor do I have a degree in forensics. I realized after a few chapters that if I kept going this route I would soon be talking out of my ass. Instead this will be primarily a G/S romance. Nick Stokes will also meet someone who will appreciate him for the great guy he is. I am honestly NOT a big Nick fan so this fic is my attempt to make him more likable for me. LOL. For those of you who are Nick fans you can tell me how I am doing.
I am attempting something a little different for me in that I will be switching back and forth somewhat between the characters every other chapter or so. Think of it as a CSI episode with an A plot and a B plot. The A plot is G/S and the B plot is Nick. Enjoy.
Please read and review. Remember, a five second review from you can make an author's day. :)
Disclaimer: I write about these characters because I have a deep love and appreciation for the show. I have no intentions of ever making a profit from this. Don't sue. :)
Chapter One:
"Okay this is something you don't see every day," Sara chirped.
"Indeed," Grissom replied. "Jim do we have any idea of what happened here?"
Jim Brass stood by the two CSIs who were staring at the corpse lying in front of them. "I'd say he died fending off a dragon."
"Very funny."
"No idea Grissom. I've never actually have seen anything like this," Brass replied.
Sara narrowed her eyes and knelt down near the corpse. "David have we determined the cause of death?"
The coroner smiled wanly at her. "Well if I were to offer a professional opinion I would say this blow to the head was responsible," he stated as he leaned back to let her take a look.
"Wow even with the helmet on that looks nasty," Sara said referring to a large conical wound that gaped through the helmet the victim was wearing and into his skull.
David nodded. "His temperature is eighty-five degrees so..."
"So that means he has been dead for about nine hours," Sara cut in. "Now we just need to figure out exactly why he was wearing a full suit of armor on a hiking trail at Lake Mead." Sara looked up at Grissom expectantly.
"German Gothic Armor to be exact. Its design was popular in the late 15th century," Grissom added as he spotted something in the grass. With a gloved hand he picked up a sword lying close to the body. He held the weapon up for Sara and Brass to see. The sword appeared to be simple in design and about three feet long. Some kind of ribbon had been tied to the bottom of the hilt as a possible decoration.
"Okay this is just getting stranger by the second. We find a guy dead out here wearing a full suit of armor. Lying beside his body is a sword and is that a shield there too?" Sara asked pointing to something else lying on the ground.
"Yes there is," Grissom replied. "Now this is odd."
Brass chuckled lightly. "You mean you finally see something odd in this case?" he joked.
Grissom held up the sword and pointed to the edges of the weapon. "These edges are blunted. A butter knife would be a more effective cutting weapon than this. Even the tip is dull and rounded."
"Grissom check out his feet," Sara stated.
The older man came and stood next to her. The top of the victim's feet were covered by sollerets, but underneath the metal plates he wore modern day shoes. "Interesting. Tennis shoes. I guess this rules out time travel."
"This armor looks really new, but check out all of those holes in it. Whoever did this to him was really going at it. This guy looks like he took a ton of hits before he was laid out," Brass commented.
"Sara get some impressions of those footprints over there," Grissom requested.
"Griss what kind of weapon do you think did this? Some kind of spike? Its weird."
Grissom regarded him with a raised eyebrow. "Whatever the weapon I can reasonably guess that its medieval."
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On the way back to the lab Grissom sat quietly in the passenger seat while Sara drove. She kept glancing in his direction as if wanting to say something but not knowing how. Finally Grissom sighed in frustration.
"Sara do you have something on your mind?"
She blinked. "Uh no."
"You keep looking at me," he stated plainly.
"Well I am just surprised you put me on this case with you."
"I had no choice," he replied. "Nick and Catherine are doing the case with the movie star, and Warrick is preparing for a court date."
Sara snorted. "And to think I was just starting to feel special," she replied sarcastically.
She gladly let the silence fall between them again. Sara couldn't help but feel a bit melancholy. When she had first come to Las Vegas she had considered Gil Grissom to be one of her best friends. From the moment they met several years before at an Entomology Teaching Seminar they had an instant connection. These days Sara felt more connected to her coffee maker than to Grissom. She didn't know if their friendship could be repaired or even if trying to do so was worth the effort.
"Sara do you mind if we stop and get something to eat?"
"You're asking me?" she inquired, surprised.
"Of course."
She shrugged. "Sure lets stop somewhere. You have something in mind?"
"Yeah there is a little deli up here on the that serves great sandwiches. They have some vegetarian cuisine too."
He pointed the way and soon enough they were seated in a booth awaiting their orders. Grissom was reviewing his notes he had taken from earlier that evening.
Sara stared at him feeling slightly irked. "This isn't too difficult is it?"
"Whats not too difficult?" he asked without looking at her.
"Eating together. Its not painful."
Grissom looked at her and smiled. "We haven't gotten our food yet. You are making assumptions."
Sara groaned and stretched out on her booth bringing both legs up to rest on the seat. A few minutes later his club sandwich and her salad arrived. The two CSIs ate in silence, each pretending to be paying attention to their current case file. When they finished their meal Sara flashed Grissom a knowing smile.
Grissom shook his head with a smile and laid down enough money on the table for both of their lunches.
"I can pay for mine," she said.
"Don't worry about it. Consider it your reward for being Employee of the Month."
"I didn't know we have Employees of the Month?" she replied in a confused tone.
"We don't. But you are appreciated."
Sara sighed. "Sometimes I just don't understand you Grissom," she said as they left the restaurant.
"I never said that eating with you would be painful Sara," Grissom said softly when they reached the Tahoe.
"Lets just get back to the lab. I am curious to see what Doc Robbins has found on our body."
Grissom nodded sadly and got in the vehicle.
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"Whats up Doc?" Sara quipped.
Al Robbins glared and pointed his scalpel at her. "Sara you better hope you don't ever end up on this table!"
Sara flashed him a toothy grin. "You got anything for me?"
"Well I can tell you with a certainty that this kid didn't come from King Arthur's Court." He pointed to the victim's personal items. "I am confident that knights didn't wear X-Men t-shirts at the Round Table. No wallet or any identification anywhere on him however."
"Bummer. You know, he was wearing sneakers too. Do you have any idea what kind of weapon killed him?"
Robbins shook his head. "No idea. However, I can tell you that it was some type of conical weapon. Here take a look at these wounds all over his body. The blow to the head is what killed him but he took quite a beating before he died."
Sara leaned over the body and examined several of the open lesions on the victim's body. "You know its like he was stabbed with something round and pointed. These on his body aren't very deep compared to the one on his head," she commented curiously.
"Well the metal on his helmet was actually quite a bit thinner than the chest and arm pieces he wore. That piece of armor wouldn't have been able to withstand heavy blows like the rest of the set."
Sara studied the boy's face for several moments. "He doesn't look older than fifteen or sixteen. He had his whole life ahead of him," she said softly.
Al Robbins simply nodded and waited for Sara to speak again.
Soon enough she cleared her throat. "First we need to find out who he is. You mind if I take the armor and his personals off of your hands?" Sara asked.
"Not at all," Robbins replied at he began cutting at the boy's chest.
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"Hey Sara!" Warrick shouted from behind her as she left the autopsy room.
Sara turned around and waited for him. "Hi Warrick."
He smiled when he caught up to her. "Hey Nick wanted me to tell you that he won't be able to make breakfast with you."
She frowned. "Why didn't he call me?"
Warrick shrugged lightly. "Said you wouldn't answer your phone."
Sara pulled out her cell and looked at it. "Oh I had the ringer off. Okay thanks for letting me know. Did he give a reason?"
Warrick's grin widened. "Yeah he says that he and Catherine have more evidence to collect on that Gypsy Stone case."
Sara narrowed her eyes slightly. "Are you talking about that movie star thing? You know I never even heard of her until this happened."
Warrick chuckled. "She has been in a few decent B Movies. Have you seen 'Campus House Slaughter' or 'Beach Blood Bath'? Oh and she also starred in 'I'm In Love With A Zombie'. Great movies," he said seriously.
"Warrick please tell me you are joking?" Sara pleaded. "Did you actually just tell me there is a movie out there called 'I'm In Love With A Zombie'?" Sara sputtered somewhat surprised.
"Yeah. Very deep plot too. I bet you would enjoy it," he quipped as he walked away.
Sara groaned as she pushed her cart of evidence towards the first empty lab she could find. Setting each piece of armor out on the table she prepared to dust them all for prints. Since Nick had called off their breakfast she planned to put in some more overtime.
To Be Continued...