Take two on the challenge lines for last week. I just had to write an angst-y one – that and mossley just wouldn't leave me alone ;)

Thanks to Nessa Owen for the beta (go read her latest WIP!)

Do I own them? No. Do I want to? Yeah. Okay, owning them may be a little much but I wouldn't mind going out for coffee with them.

"I don't want to know," Brass sighed, his frustration evident. "All this talk about bicuspids and incisors – just tell me how many guys we are looking at here."

"Captain Brass, I understand your frustration. I'm just here at the sheriff's request; take what you will from my findings – it's not like this kind of case is run of the mill," Dr. Jason Scott signed, his translator verbally relaying his comments to the group before him. Deaf from birth, Jason never quite developed his vocal chords well enough to speak, but over time became experienced in lip reading. "I found at least two – maybe three - distinct impressions, but DNA results from the bites show that there were at least fourattackers."

Another high-profile case meant another case with interference from the sheriff. Four days ago two bodies were found hung from the rafters in awarehouse – both riddled with human bite marks. Labeling the murders as ritualistic, the press began to hound the sheriff's department. Ignoring Grissom and Ecklie's objections against outside interference, Burdick brought in the deaf forensic odontologist and also handpicked the team he wanted handling the case – Grissom, Catherine, Sara and Brass.

"And other than that we have had hundreds of anonymous calls about men chanting in dark cloaks and networks of people offering themselves for testing to the aliens. Only in Vegas does murder become a joke." Catherine raised her arms above her head and stretched. The hours were long and they were wearing thin and her stomach had growled one too many times tonight. "I'm tired. How about we take a break; get something to eat?"

Grissom removed his glasses and closed the file in front of him. "Catherine's right – we're not getting anywhere right now."

"Pizza?"

Jason shook his head and his hands danced fluently. "I've had pizza for the past two days – surely Vegas has more to offer. Burdick is footing the bill while I'm here. Let's get something that we don't have to peel the grease off of."

Thirty minutes later they sat at a dimly lit table in a restaurant three blocks from the lab, sipping on drinks. To everyone's surprise, Grissom offered to translate for Dr. Scott while his translator took his own break for dinner. The change of scenery lightened the mood of the investigators and for just a few moments they were able to forget about the stresses waiting for them at work.

The relaxed setting brought out an even more interesting development. It started out with Jason asking questions of them all - where they came from, where they went to school - but his inquiry quickly became focused on Sara, much to Grissom's dismay.

Reading the movements taught to him at an early age, Grissom repeated Jason's language verbally to Sara. He was learning more about Sara, but not the way he'd envisioned. Suddenly the ice tea in front of him wasn't strong enough to get him through this meal.

"What happened next?" Jason asked.

"Well, apparently he couldn't swim and we were too far out for me to pull us back in, especially since he was freaking out. He put on the remaining life jacket while I had to tread water for an hour before our friends noticed we were missing."

Jim piped in from behind his glass of water. "Did he get a second date?"

"No. But I was promised a good view and he delivered. It was a beautiful place."

"I've been to San Francisco – it's a wonderful area. Why on earth did you …" Grissom paused then, not really wanting to finish Jason's question question, "did you make the move to Vegas?"

He had to hand it to Sara; she kept her eye contact with Jason and answered with very little hesitation. The only indication that the question bothered her was the new smile she plastered on her face. The carefree smile from a moment ago was replaced with one less genuine and maybe even a little sad.

"There were opportunities here that I wanted to explore."

"And were your explorations fruitful?"

"I've been told that 'the best intentions are fraught with disappointment.'"

"Ah. So what kept you from leaving?"

"Stubbornness." At Catherine's snort she looked over and smirked. "Hey, I can admit it. Maybe a little foolishness. But the lab itself is a great opportunity – one that I'm honored to have."

"Are you sorry you came?" At first it struck Grissom as odd that everyone suddenly turned their head towards him. Then realization hit – that was his question, not Jason's. It was the first time that Sara looked at him since they sat down to eat and the confused look on her face made his chest hurt in a way he couldn't describe.

"No, I'm not."

Jason's sudden movement brought Grissom out of his trance and once again he acted as their liaison. "I would consider your stubbornness a good thing. Without it, we would have never met."

Sara's smile was beautiful and shy at that moment. And it was directed toward Jason.

It was when the waiter left the table with their empty plates and Jason offered to teach Sara some signs that Grissom snapped. Everyone saw it coming, even Sara – she was surprised he lasted this long. Jason lifted her hands and slowly helped her sign 'will you have dinner with me'. When Sara looked to him for a translation, Grissom cut in with a flurry of hand signals that stopped the other doctor cold.

"What are you saying to him?" Sara asked. When Grissom ignored her question she looked to Catherine who just swiped a strand of hair away from her face and shrugged.

"What are doing?"

"I'm asking her out."

"Here? In front of everyone? I don't feel comfortable translating this. Besides, we are in the middle of an investigation."

"She's a remarkable woman and I want to know her better. We're away from the lab, we're having dinner and from the looks of it, she's having a good time. The investigation - is that the only reason?"

Grissom paused, wondering if he was that transparent. "It's reason enough."

"For now," Jason signed, without malice. "Dr. Grissom, I will ask her." He wiped his mouth with his napkin and stood. "I'll trust that you'll extend my apologies for leaving so abruptly. I'll meet you guys back at the lab." With once last smile in Sara's direction, Jason turned and left the table.

"What happened? Where is he going?"

"I assume to the lab. He asked me to extend his apology and he'll meet us there later."

Catherine straightened up and threw him a disbelieving look. She wasn't buying this nonchalant attitude and from the looks of it, neither was Sara. "Gil, what the hell went on here?"

"It was nothing."

"Nothing?" Sara asked. "What did he say that would bring this on?"

"He wanted to take you out to dinner."

"Uh, oh." Brass finally made his presence known but his utterance earned him the scrutiny of the two ladies at the table. "What?"

Sara turned her head back to Grissom, her mouth slowly opening in realization. "What did you say to him?"

"That this isn't the place for that. We're supposed to be working."

"We're on break, in a restaurant, having dinner." Sara opened her mouth to say more but promptly shut it, tapping her lips with the tips of her fingers in an attempt to hold in the awful words waiting to spill out. "What is your problem?" She couldn't hold them all in.

Just a few short minutes ago things were fine. Well, they weren't fine but they were okay. Jason was just a flirt then, not a suitor. Grissom looked across the table at Jim and Catherine. They were staring at them with rapt attention – the only thing missing was a pail of popcorn. "We shouldn't do this here."

"Why? You had no problem with them being here when you created this scene – what's the difference?"

"I'm not talking about this here."

"Well, I'm not going to talk about it at all."

"So it's here or nothing?"

"It's nothing. There is no reason why this should be a topic of conversation between us."

"Sara…"

"You can't have it both ways," she whispered solemnly.

"He's deaf. The communication barrier can be … difficult. He can only give you but so much." Even he knew that he was grasping for straws with that last comment. He'd never felt as embarrassed or as shamed as he did at this moment. The fact that his love for this woman could make him do such a ridiculous thing angered him.

"I think that we're proof that communication barriers exist even between the hearing. Deafness wouldn't have been an issue with me. It saddens me that you would think differently." Her words settled on him as he watched her stand and slide into her jacket. It didn't take a genius to know that she was talking about him and his old hearing issues rather than Jason's. "Grissom, it's time – well past time, actually. I'm going to accept his dinner invitation."

And then she was gone. Feeling uncomfortable with the turn of events, Brass looked on, feigning interest in the dessert cart that passed by. Catherine's focus remained on Grissom, who continued to stare at Sara's vacated seat with a look of disbelief.

"Gil-" she started.

"Why don't you two go back to the lab. I'll be with you guys shortly."

"Okay." She placed a hand on his forearm and gave it a firm squeeze. Turning to Brass she motioned to the entrance. "Let's go."

Brass walked up to Grissom and leaned down to his ear. "Gil. My house. After shift. I'll have a tumbler waiting for you. Attendance is mandatory."

"You think he'll be okay?" Jim asked once they passed the hostess desk.

Catherine shook her head sadly. What was surprising about this evening was the lack of surprise. They had played this song and dance for years and everyone knew one day the song would end. She just wished it ended differently. "I don't know. She didn't have to be so harsh."

"Neither did he. He's my friend, too, but you know he brought this on himself."

"Yeah."

They turned to glance at their friend one last time before leaving and the sight of him still staring at the seat saddened them both. The man they knew to be strong and resilient was now sitting in the middle of a room filled with people talking, laughing, loving – and looking more alone than ever before. The only person that could make this right moved on right before their eyes and neither could deny the pride they felt at her decision. Taking sides was never an option - the battle between friendship and the right thing to do would be ugly. When Grissom picked up Sara's discarded napkin from the chair, they could see him take a shaky breath and that moment revealed a part of him neither were familiar with. Sara's absence weighed on him and they could do nothing but stand there while the cracks in their friend's heart became too deep and wide to remain whole. When it finally broke, they watched as the pieces fluttered through the air.

What? You want another chapter? Yeah, okay.