Disclaimer: I don't own CSI.

A/N: This is my first fan fic, so don't be too hard on it! (Please!) But I'd love to know what ya'll think... just don't attack me if this is terrible.

Chapter One

The break room was quieter than usual before shift that night. Nick walked in to find Catherine, Warrick and Sara sitting around the table.

"Hey," he said as he walked to the coffee pot to pour himself a cup. He was about to comment on the silence of the group when he took a sip of coffee.

"Ugh! This stuff tastes like dish water!" he choked out. "Is the machine broken?"

"No, but Greg is. Or at least part of him," Sara said, trying not to yawn. "He broke his leg yesterday when we were checking out the 'missing' hiker case. He got a little too close to the edge of the cliff and the rocks crumbled right out from underneath him. He only fell a few feet down- onto a ledge, but our hiker wasn't so lucky. Turns out Greg's cracked bone cracked our case. We found the hiker dead, down in the canyon below the path. Fell the same way Greg did."

"Whoa. Scary stuff," said Nick.

"Not as scary as this coffee," Warrick complained. "Greg must have moved his secret stash yesterday before his fall. We can't find it anywhere. "

"And we're not drinking that stuff now matter how much we need the caffeine," Catherine said, not sounding any happier than Warrick. "I'll fall asleep on the job first."

"Not a good idea tonight. We may have a break on our serial killer," Grissom said when he walked into the room to hand out assignments.

Catherine read hers disbelievingly, "The serial killer? Did you print these assignments out correctly?"

"Yes I did. And if you can get ready to leave quickly, we can even stop for some decent coffee on the way to the scene."

"But ... Grissom ... the scene is 5 hours away! This guy kills in Vegas. Just Vegas. What links him to a crime in Yerington? If it's the same M. O. it's got to be a copy cat, or just a coincidence."

"Normally, yes. But not when his victim's already been through our morgue. Sidnee Larford was found dead here a week ago. The officials in Yerington found Sidnee Larford dead two hours ago."

"That's impossible," Sara said.

"Of course it is. That's why we've been requested to check it out. A person can't die twice. She's only been identified as Sidnee Larford by a friend, but in the report that was faxed to us there was a picture of the victim. She's identical to our Sidnee. We'll get there and get this sorted out. Whoever this girl is, she can't be Sidnee Larford. She is probably the victim of the person who did kill Sidnee and the four other girls. They all are very similar in physical appearance, all waitresses, all stabbed, all found in the trunks of abandoned cars with their fingers and toes cut off and their mouths sewed closed. We can't find the killer from the evidence at the other scenes, so let's head out to see if we can get him this time. Grab your kits and an overnight bag. Nick and Warrick ride with Catherine. Sara you're with me," Grissom said.

"Uh, Gil, I was hoping we could talk." Catherine said.

Grissom gave an amused smile, "And we can. But not now. We need to be in Yerington tonight."

"So let's talk on the way there. I'll ride with you two. The guys can take care of themselves."

A metallic clattering caused the three of them to look over at Nick and Warrick, who were arguing over who would ride shotgun, and oblivious to the fact that Catherine was no longer riding with them. They'd tossed a coin to settle the matter, but it had gone soaring right into the sink and down the drain.

Warrick laughed, "There goes my lunch money- nice toss Nicky. There's no way you're riding up front now man! Besides you get car sick. Deal with that in the back on your own 'cause I'm sure Cathrine doesn't want anything to do with it."

Nick just scowled.

Sara raised an eyebrow, and barely suppressed a grin. "I don't know about the guys, it sure looks like they could use a chaperone to me," she said turning back to Catherine and Grissom. "Anyway, conference car with you two? No thanks. I'll risk it with the guys- I'll just be sure to grab some extra baggies... incase Nick needs them."

"Gee, thanks Sar" Nick said, slightly annoyed now.

"No problem" she said, slapping him on the back as she walked towards her locker.

Grissom watched her go, surprised at her cheerfulness. He sighed- he'd really hoped the drive up there would give the two of them a chance to talk some things over. He wondered at her decision to change cars. He hoped she was being honest when she said she wanted stay away from a boring conversation between him and Catherine. But maybe it was him she wanted to stay away from, or maybe he was reading to much into her actions. He pulled himself from his thoughts and cleared his throat. "We're leaving in 20 minutes. 15 if you guys want coffee." And with that he walked out of the room to his office.

Two hours on the road revealed Catherine had wanted to talk about a possible shift change. Lindsey was getting older, and Catherine's hours could easily be taken advantage of by a teenager. In the end she decided to stay on the graveyard shift after weighing the pros and cons of a shift change with Grissom. They'd also discussed ways to make her current job position more compatible with being a single mother, though Grissom didn't have much to offer on that topic.

They now sat silently, each lost in their own thoughts. Grissom's once again turned towards Sara. He was seeing not only the road in front of him, but also flashbacks of happier times with Sara. Back in San Francisco. He remembered the first time he'd asked her to dinner. The expression of delight on her face when she accepted his invitation was one he would never forget. The same went for that night. He'd expected it to be awkward at the very least, but she had pleasantly surprised him. The restaurant they went to was informal, but the atmosphere was just right. Outside on a patio, just off the Bay. A band had started up later that evening, and she'd asked him to dance. Dancing was never his thing, and as he later found out, it wasn't Sara's either. But he'd allowed her to drag him out on the dance floor, feeling extremely out of place, but he slowly got into it. By the time they'd sat back down, he'd actually enjoyed the experience.

"Gil watch it!" Catherine yelled.

A large bump jolted Grissom back into the present completely. Looking in his rearview mirror he saw he'd hit an animal of some kind.

In the other car, Sara winced as she saw the animal being torn up by Grissom's tires.

"You alright?" Warrick asked from beside her. They all knew how sensitive she was to things like raw meat. He was slightly surprised she hadn't swerved the car out of shock after seeing that butchering.

"Yeah I'm fine. Nick's the one you should be asking about. Used any of those baggies yet back there?"

"Ha ha," Nick said dryly.

Sara had paled but otherwise she didn't show any sign of even seeing the animal being turned into roadkill. And she really hadn't seen it. She, like Grissom, was focused on other things than the road. She'd been conflicted about driving with him, and downright against driving with both him and Catherine. Things had been uncomfortable with Grissom lately. Their easy friendship had been on and off since she'd asked him out. He withdrew into his shell for weeks, hardly looking at or speaking with her. Then he would suddenly stop shutting her out and everything would be back to normal. Being in a car with him for 5 hours could be bad just as easily as it could be good. Being in a car with him and Catherine for 5 hours was a recipe for a disaster. If anybody could pick up on the unsettled, mutual attraction between Sara and Grissom it was Catherine Willows. Their situation was complicated enough without involving other people in it.

To Be Continued...