DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters, much to my dismay.

FEEDBACK: Any and all feedback welcome. (Thank you to all those who have commented on my other pieces. So very much appreciated!!)

SUMMARY: Greg embarks on a relationship with a new lab tech who has replaced Wendy. But what happens when the new girl's past comes back to haunt her?

AUTHORS' NOTES: My first piece on something other than GSR. References to Bodies in Motion, Fannysmackin', Post Mortem, and Empty Eyes. Turned into a story I wasn't quite expecting, but it's my first attempt at a CSI fanfic with an actual sort of plot.

Chapter 1 – Heads Up

Where most of the criminalists felt their age at times, they could look to Greg Sanders as their fountain of youth, always bubbly, always smiling. True, Greg was now in his thirties, but he still managed to maintain his childlike innocence and upbeat attitude.

But yet behind the silly grins and cheery words, Greg was missing something. He had lost that sparkle a little while ago, after he nearly died, after he took someone's life. But he persisted in trying to see the world as a good place. He still tried to have hope that most people would do the right thing. He tried to have faith that the bad guys would get justice. And he tried to believe that he would find someone he could care about, who would care about him as well. He had been reluctant to pursue anything after everything that had happened with Demetrius James. He wasn't sure what anyone would think after the act that was ruled excusable; he wasn't sure what he thought of himself anymore.

His crush on Sara Sidle had kept him going, offering him someone he could think about at night while he lay in bed, someone who had accepted what had happened because she had seen the results firsthand. She had been there, not to process the scene, but to be there for him after the attack, to stroke his hair, to make sure he was okay. He'd often wonder what it would be like to put his arms around her, hold her close, fall in love and have a life together.

But two very important things soon put a damper on his unrequited crush. First he found out that she was dating, very happily, his supervisor, and had been for a long time, right under everyone's noses. And not too soon after this revelation, she was gone, disappeared, never having said goodbye. Her dating Grissom he may have been able to handle, albeit grudgingly, but having her gone completely made the chances of never having her a reality. He had grown so accustomed to her beautiful smile and the way she took him under her wing that her absence shook him. The crush he could nurse in secret ended in a grinding halt without her presence to fuel it.

His demeanor towards the man he once idolized had changed dramatically, partly because he blamed Grissom for not being able to stop Sara from leaving. But he wondered to himself who he was angrier with; Grissom for actually having what Greg had wanted for years, or himself for pining over something he knew was clearly out of reach.

Or maybe, just maybe, it was because he had put all his hopes into the impossible so that he would never have to worry about finding the real thing. Sara's unattainable status had become easier for him to deal with than looking and being rejected for the truth he kept hidden.

He settled on Grissom for the time being, because it was easier to face.

When Sara had been transferred to the swing shift, there had been rumors circulating that they would soon replace her position. Now Sara was gone for good, and he wondered if they would replace her altogether. Wendy Simms, one of the current lab techs, had already stepped up, following in Greg's footsteps doing field work to try to secure a position as a CSI level one. She would soon do her final proficiency, and if she passed, there would be a spot open in the field, and a spot open in the lab.

So technically, Greg considered, that left two options for someone new, maybe someone his age, maybe someone of the female persuasion.

He could hope, right?

A familiar voice cut through his concentration, though admittedly it was more distraction at this point.

"Hey man, got some news. It's pretty good." Nick Stokes came into the lab with a spring in his step, pulling up a seat near Greg who was trying to look busy with his eyes fixed on a microscope. Greg welcomed the newest distraction, looking up at the Texan who today had a mischievous sparkle in his brown eyes.

"Oh yeah? Like, gossip good?" Greg pushed his chair away from the scope to look up at Nick expectantly.

"Oh yeah, man. Check it out. New hire on the graveyard shift. They've started looking for Wendy's replacement, so they are bringing in a temp to see if they fit the bill. And it's a female. Young female." Nick rattled off the stats in his familiar drawl, hanging on the "young" part to emphasize why this was some tasty info.

"No kidding," Greg considered. "Got any info on this chick?"

"Sure do." Nick rubbed his hands together as he prepared to indulge Greg, feeling privileged that he was able to sneak a peek at the file before anyone else.

Greg tried to contain his curiosity so as not to appear too eager. "You gonna tell me?"

Knowing Greg, Nick knew that the younger CSI was a lot more interested than he was displaying. He had known Greg Sanders far too long and knew when he was trying to play cool. "What's it worth to you?"

Greg knew this game well. He had often lured people in when presenting lab results and now finally understood how irksome this tactic could be. "Come on man, that ain't fair. Coming in here all, 'I've got news' and then holding out. It's unethical." He crossed his arms over his chest, trying to appear nonchalant.

Nick chuckled at being able to rattle Greg so easily. "Alright, alright. What I know so far is that her name is Tessa, she's thirty, she's from the East Coast, single, never married." He counted off all the facts he knew on his fingers as if talking about evidence. "Apparently she was recommended by a colleague of Grissom's on that sabbatical he took at Williams College."

Greg liked what he heard so far, a female around his age and single. Didn't hurt in the least that she was a science nerd, into all the lab stuff like he was. But that was only half the battle. "Got any idea what she looks like?"

For a second Nick looked a little sheepish at not having all the information to hold over his eager friend. "No man, haven't found that out yet."

In this line of work, this new girl could either be smoking hot or completely creepy, with any number of possibilities in between. The business of death and crime brings out all types. "Hm. Well, do you know when she starts?"

Nick perked up at having more information that he could pass on. "Apparently she's coming by tonight to fill out some paperwork and stuff, and she starts tomorrow. So you may wanna lift your head from the microscope at some point tonight, keep your eyes peeled." Feeling he relayed to Greg all the pertinent information, Nick stood to leave.

Greg's curiosity at a new hire turned to wariness of his also single friend. "So hey, why are you giving me the heads up?"

A wide smile spread across Nick's face as he put his hands on Greg's shoulders, mimicking a back rub reserved for boxers in a fight. He spoke in a low voice as he leaned in to Greg's ear. "I just figured I'd give you a fair shot, you know, give us a level playing field there, champ." He stood back up and slapped Greg's back, clearly proud of his victory speech.

Greg hung his head to hide his sardonic smirk, shaking his head in mock defeat. "You are a true friend, Nick."

"Anytime, bro. Anytime." And with that Nick spun on his heels, disappearing down the hall, leaving Greg with some new thoughts to ruminate while trying to focus on doing his job. His attention clearly shot at this point, Greg decided on a break, because no work was going to get done with his head in such a fog. At least in the break room he could hide behind a magazine and not risk getting caught zoning out. With a heavy sigh, Greg left the microscope and stray thoughts of Sara behind him.