Catalyst
By: BonnieLass
Chapter One: Cave Dwellers
Disclaimer – I don't own any character that you recognize. If you have any problem with the ones I made up, please contact my flame department.
Summary – G/S, N/OC. A fellow criminalist finds a body, and gives Grissom a run for his money.
The Nevada sun was bathing the bent backs of students in its almost too warm glow. Several students from nearby UNLV were digging in a network of caves outside of Vegas. Two students were working diligently in a corner of the florescent lit cave. Both were discussing something in excited whispers.
"Uh, Doc McAlester, we think we found something." One of the students called out. The woman in charge of the dig looked up from the sifter. She turned and gestured for someone to take over. Doc McAlester dusted off her worn blue jeans. One of the straps of her tank top fell down her arm, presenting even more skin to the gaze of the two frat boys. She pulled it back up, self-conciously. She breathed out a sigh as she walked into the cave. She pushed her now useless Oakley's onto the top of her head, pushing back some of her escaped russet curls out of her green eyes.
"Whatca find, Sean?" She asked, moving some stray locks of hair out of her face. She walked over to the two seniors, smiling easily.
"A burial."
"What? That's impossible." She knelt and looked at what they had pointed out.
"See, Doc, there's the eye socket and the brow ridge. Don't know what that is, though." The other man, Kevin, pointed out.
"Holy shit," she muttered taking out a brush and began removing some debris away from the skull. "Everyone stop what you're doing and go wait at the cave mouth." She ordered the other students. Kevin and Sean exchanged a glance and left with the other students. Doctor McAlester stood and flipped her phone open. She dialed a number and waited. "Hi, I'm calling for Gil Grissom. My name is Jessica McAlester. Tell him it's an emergency."
Gil Grissom and Nick Stokes step out of Grissom's Denali, not sure what they were in for. Nick certainly wasn't ready to see a young woman leaping and hugging Grissom. The woman looked about 30 with the brightest green eyes he had ever seen. He was even more shocked when the woman called Grissom, Uncle Gil.
"Nicky, this is Doctor Jessica McAlester."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Nicky." Jessica grinned and held out her hand.
"My name is Nick Stokes, Doctor McAlester."
"Please, call me Jessica, Nick."
"Jess, stop flirting and tell me what you thought was such an emergency?" Grissom stared levelly at the woman.
"We were digging in this cave," Jessica turned and walked toward the cave, "when a couple of my students, Sean and Kevin," she gestured to two frat boys leaning against a dusty truck. They both had their arms crossed and watched the trio, "found a human skull."
"Could it have been a burial?" Nick asked, eyeing the two frat boys through his sunglasses. Jessica turned to him, her glasses firmly in place and she was smirking.
"Humans didn't live in this area, Nick. Plus your DB had this rattling around her skull." Handing a small plastic bag to Nick, she headed towards the cave.
"Is that a 9mm?" Grissom speculated, as he looked over Nick's shoulder.
I'm not a ballistics expert, Uncle Gil." She called over her shoulder. "Bad enough my strata has been messed with and been turned into a crime scene."
"Whoa, easy there girl, no one's gonna upset your strata."
"People used these caves as storage. Who? We don't know. And that strata gives me a timeline. Then some asshole decides to execute some show girl, for all I know, and ruins my artifacts!" She removed her glasses and glared at Nick. "So my strata is already fucked."
"Hey, Doc, you need our help?" One of the boys called out.
"Kevin, I thought I told you two to go home?" She reprimanded the two, never taking her eyes off Nick. Soon Kevin and Sean left the scene in a cloud of dust.
"Didn't know you had a fan club, Jess." Grissom chuckled.
"Very funny, Uncle Gil." She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "You might wanna put a hat on, Nicky." She grinned and rubbed his head. "We wouldn't want to ruin your hairdo."
"Jess, you still talk too much." Grissom smiled and pointed to the cave. "Shall we?"
"Fine, Uncle Gil. Well, gentleman, welcome to cave number 4." She spread her arms as they walked into the cave. She led them to a remote corner of the cave with lights rigged around the scene. She handed Grissom several notes written in neat, precise handwriting.
"You collected evidence?" Nick asked, looking up from the uncovered body.
"I wanted to make sure what I found was worth Uncle Gil's attention. Plus, I was bored."
"How did you know what to do?" Nick was shocked.
"I'm a criminalist for the Washington D.C. police. Teaching is my side hobby." She looked down at Nick, a small blush gracing her cheeks. "You've got my notes, have fun. So I'll wait outside." She smiled at Grissom and left the pair alone.
"Uncle Gil?" Raising an eyebrow, Nick chuckled at Grissom.
"I helped her father raise her after her mother left." Gil sighed. "Let's get to work."
After a couple of hours they stepped out into the noticeably cooler Nevada night. They found Jessica sitting in the cab of her truck, chatting to the officer that had arrived soon after they did. "Uncle Gil, how was it?"
"Good. How else could it go?" Grissom cocked his head and Jessica laughed. "Don't laugh, Jess. I'm going to put you to work." Grissom led Jess away from their audience.
"Eh?" She took a step back.
"You're going to piece her back together again."
"Don't you have coroners to do this? Plus I've got classes to teach."
"You could do this in your sleep, Jess. I need you. One of our coroner's is on vacation, and autopsy is swamped."
"Let me go to my house and get my kit, and shower." She sighed and smiled at Grissom. He smiled back and walked to his Denali. "You so owe me, Uncle Gil."
"You know how to get there?"
"It can't be too hard; you gave me directions once upon a time."
"Nick will be going with you. Don't be too long."
"Fine, Uncle Gil." Grissom nodded to Nick, who followed Jessica.
"Throw your kit in the back. Uncle Gil is taking the evidence with him?"
"Yes."
"Good." She smiled widely, throwing a bag in the bed of her truck.
"Obey all speed limits, Jess." Grissom warned before pulling away in his Denali. Jess laughed and shook her head as he pulled away.
"What he won't know won't hurt him, eh Nicky?"
"Whatever you say, Jessie." Nick matched her smile with one of his own. "Let's see what this little foreign engine can do."
"What till you see my baby." She started the truck, an impish grin on her face.
"So, Nick, how long have you been working with Uncle Gil?"
"About five years now."
"What do you know about this Sara Sidle?"
"She's a good person. Why do you want to know?"
"Because he's been talking about Sara for years, but he won't tell me how he feels about her." Jess talked keeping her eyes on the road.
"Theirs is an interesting relationship. Everyone on the grave shift think that there is a mutual attraction. Something came to a head some months ago. But neither one is talking about it."
"Sounds like my uncle. He's a very private person, as you well know." At Nick's bark of laughter, she smiled a little. "But I think he may need a sharp kick in the ass. He loves her, Nick. I know it."
"How?"
"The way he talks about her. It's the way his voice changes when she comes up in the conversation. It's that tone."
"So what do you want me to do about it?"
"Let me talk to Sara, please."
"Why is this so important, Jess?"
"Gil helped my father out with me after my mother decided to leave. My father died seven years ago. Uncle Gil is the only family I have left." She licked her lips, "I want to see him happy."
"And you think Sara will make him happy?"
"That's really up to them. I'm just planning on being the catalyst." She focused back on the road, her hands tightening on the steering wheel, almost imperceptibly. Nick saw her knuckles whitening and a lone tear slide down her cheek. He reached over and wiped it away. Jessica shot a shocked look at him. "Why did you do that?"
"I can't stand to see a woman cry."
"We're here." She pulled the truck into the drive. She looked over at Nick, who had gone deathly white.
"You live here?"
"Yes, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, just a friend of mine lived here."
"The prostitute?"
"How did you know?"
"My real estate agent informed me. He made a point of it in fact. Plus, Uncle Gil told me." She opened her door, "You okay, Nick?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"If you want you can stay out here." She pulled her bag out of the bed. "I won't make you come in."
"I'll come in." Nick took a deep breath and entered the house.