These characters are not mine. They belong to CBS and the show creators of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. I am only borrowing them for the purpose of my own perverse indulgement (and yours, perhaps!). Tell me what you think!


Gil Grissom's heart had been stopped, he was sure, for the last ten minutes of his life. His mouth had been hanging open slightly as he stared at the girl, mumbling to him the same haunting song her father had sung for them only hours before. A tightness in the back of his throat reminded him every so often to force an agonizing breath into his body. The interrogation room seemed to be spinning. He stared at her hard, his fist clenching fast around nothing. It was all he had left. Nothing.

She didn't seem to notice him. He had to leave. He had done enough damage by yelling. It would only give harm to his cause if he was to stay and... He didn't know what he would do. He stood up and swung around to the door, heaving it open and stopping in the threshold. He had to think about what he knew.

Brass rounded the corner, making a quiet guttural sound as he pushed past Grissom and went into the room. He was sure to close the door behind him because, as much as he hated it, it was his job to remain objective now. In any case, he had very nearly grabbed a bottle of bleach on his way in.

With his back against the wall, Grissom stared fixedly down the corridor in front of him. He did not see the entourage of his team circling in on him, their eyes filling with concern and eagerness to resolve this intoxicatingly personal case. It was a feeling that was becoming alarmingly familiar to each of them.

"Did she spill?" Catherine asked, cocking her head to the side to get a better view of Grissom's expression. Grissom chewed his bottom lip and half shook his head.

They cast their eyes down. Nick started, "There has to be an answer. Somewhere. Somewhere here. In the--"

He stopped. Grissom had walked away and was on a straight line path to his office. Following tentatively, they stopped when they heard his door slam.

Catherine took charge. "I don't want to see a shut eye on any of us until we find out where Sara is. Review everything that we have. Do what you need to do right now and let's get back to business."

They all went in different directions.