A/N: I don't own CSI unfortunately; if I did I would keep the lovely Greg all to myself. Also I don't know much about forensics, so much of what the characters say might be incorrect and if so I apologise.
Grissom sat at his desk as he watched yet another potential CSI walk out of his office, it wasn't that they lacked experience or qualifications but they all lacked enthusiasm, or had too much. He knew that some of them wouldn't stand a week here and he didn't want to waste his time. He looked over the resumes, there was one left, he opened it and scanned the qualifications first, "A's" in everything he noted impressed. He smiled when he saw a recommendation from a professor he knew well.
"Terra is a bright enthusiastic girl who has obvious talent and potential to go far in the field of Crime Scene Investigation she had a bright and inquisitive mind and an excellent memory. I know that she will be sorely missed as a student and I wish her luck in her career as a Crime scene investigator."
Grissom sat there stunned, this professor hardly ever gave good recommendations for people and he knew well enough to take a good recommendation from him seriously. He glanced up at the name at the top of the sheet "Terra Heart". Where had he heard that name before? His eyes widened, it couldn't be her could it? A knock rang on his door,
"Come in." he said automatically. A girl stepped through the door and walked to his desk, Grissom looked up stunned, it was her.
"What are you doing here?" He asked quietly.
"You're the one with my resume, I want a job." She smiled still standing.
"Sit down." He offered still slightly cautious.
"Listen, you work on the case inspired me; so I went to Forensics College, studied and passed. I've changed, and I want to be a CSI." She sighed sitting down.
"You really want a job?" He asked watching her closely for any signs of a lie.
"Yes." She replied honestly.
"Mr. Grissom, sir, Nick and Warrick just called, they need your help on a case." A polite receptionist said knocking and sticking her head around the door.
"Let's see you in the field then." Grissom smiled getting up.
"So have I got the job then?" She asked getting up with a slightly puzzled expression on her face.
"We'll see." He smiled leading the way.
"Hey Gris." Warrick smiled looking up from his camera.
"So, tell all." Grissom smiled.
"The vic's name is Ella Hall, the neighbours reported a disturbance and a scream so the police arrived, busted the front door down to find the her stabbed and bleeding heavily, she's been rushed to the hospital and is reported to be critical. And… with this much blood on the floor… I wouldn't put my money on her lasting too long." Warrick said gesturing to the large quantities of the blood on the carpet inside the victim's house. Warrick's eyes wandered over to Terra questioningly, she smiled and waved a hello.
"How rude of me, Warrick this is Terra Heart, Terra this is Warrick Brown. She's applying for the post on our shift this is a sort of… field interview, unless I say otherwise, she's just another CSI so treat her accordingly." Grissom said seeing Warrick's question before he asked it. Warrick nodded and reached into his kit and pulled out a pair of latex gloves and held them out to Terra, she put them on obligingly.
"I'll get you up to speed shall I?" Warrick asked gesturing to the room around him, Terra nodded and Warrick led her over to the front door.
"The paramedics had a real struggle getting in the door was locked, from the inside." Warrick informed Terra. She frowned looking at the splintered wood around the door jam and the lock.
"So… if the door was locked from the inside then, with the exception of the attacker having a key, this wasn't the point of exit for the attacker, and it also means that our attacker didn't force entry into the house from this door. So… we're looking for a back door or a window?" Terra said thoughtfully.
"A logical guess but you'd be wrong." Warrick grinned.
"Oh?" Terra asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Follow me." Warrick grinned again leading her around the bloody carpet and to the back door which was open.
"This door was locked too when we got here, we managed to open it with the key that was in the lock, so no forced entry there either, and Nicky is just checking on all the windows in the house here." Warrick informed her.
"Nicky?" Terra asked curiously.
"Nick Stokes, nice to meet you." Nick said from behind Terra making her jump. She opened her mouth to speak but Nick got there first, "I overheard Grissom from upstairs, if you get the job Warrick and me are facing danger of being outnumbered." Nick laughed gently, Terra smiled.
"Oh and that's a negative on the windows Warrick, no forced entry at all, no breakings, no nothin'. Our perp was a real Houdini." Nick sighed.
"Okay, let me just run over this once more…" Terra said walking towards the front door where Grissom was standing quietly watching and evaluating her, she tried to ignore him. "If I'm… Ella Hall… I'm at home all by myself, right?" Terra asked looking at Warrick and Nick.
"Yeah, she was a mother but her kids were with her father, she was alone." Nick agreed.
"So I'm on my own, making dinner for myself," She continued glancing into the kitchen area where food lay half prepared. "and what? Someone had to have a key to lock the door after themselves so it wasn't some phony salesman who's really a psycho, it had to be someone she knew, someone she knew well enough to have a key." Terra theorised, she turned to Warrick and Nick.
"But why lock the door after yourself, if whoever this was attacked her why would they lock her in?" Warrick asked.
"Yeah I mean it's not like it would stop the paramedics or police getting in if they were called, so what'd be the point?" Nick pointed out. Terra thought for a moment.
"If you're somewhere familiar… you slip into a routine right? And old habits die hard, if this person had keys then they probably lived here, or did once. They leave and automatically lock the door without thinking about it. You said the father didn't live here right? But if his kids do then I'll bet he still has a key." Terra frowned thoughtfully.
It was the noise of Grissom's pager going off that snapped her from her theory.
"Oooh… 414 over by the MGM grand… I've gotta go, if Sara turns up here tell her to meet me there." Grissom said walking off to his car. The three CSI's stood still for a second before all sprinting after Grissom.
"So have I got the job or what?" Terra called out after him.
"Yeah, congratulations I'll send a message to the office to order you a kit after you fill out some forms. Bye." Grissom shouted back before pulling off in his SUV.
"…Is he always like that?" Terra asked after a few seconds.
"Yeah… you'll get used to that. Welcome to the team Terra." Warrick smiled shaking her by the hand.
"Ow…" Terra winced flexing her hand, she paused for a second and then let out a groan. "Oh man… I'm such an idiot… how could I forget?" She cursed pulling the gloves off and dropping them to the floor, both her hands were coming up in a red rash.
"You're allergic to latex aren't you?" Nick said picking the gloves off of the floor and bagging them.
"Yeah... I'm so used to the gloves in my kit back at college being non-latex that I just forgot." Terra admitted scratching at her hands.
"I'll get you back to the HQ and show you around, and see if we can't get you some proper gloves and kit, might evevn get you something for that rash too... Nick you can finish up here right?" Warrick asked turning to Nick.
"Yeah no problem man, congratulations and all that. Nice theory too I'll see if I can get a hold of the husband, or ex-husband as the case may be." Nick said as he watched Warrick and Terra get into a car and drive off.