This story was written for a challenge on YTDAWonFB. There were no length limitations but it did have to include the following items:

The dialogue phrase "an oasis in the middle of a wasteland."
Bruises
Carpe Diem

Dripping wet hair
Hallucination

I tried to make it in line with spoilers and other snippets we've gotten about the premiere so if you are spoiler free – don't read.

THIRTEEN X ONE

Greg Sanders parked his car in the first available spot and ran through the opening of the automatic doors to the emergency room at Desert Palms. He scanned the area looking for her. A nurse he had become friendly with passed by and he tapped her arm to get her attention.

"Hey Maya..didn't mean to scare you sorry."

"Greg. It's okay I was just bringing these x-rays to Dr. Patel in room 3. I didn't see you there," she replied sweetly. It was no secret that Maya held a soft spot for Greg ever since they met a couple of months ago while he was on a case. She had hoped that their few marathon phone conversations would turn into something more but he always seemed to be too busy for anything else.

"I'm looking for a Morgan Brody. She would be here with her father, Undersheriff Ecklie."

"Room 3 where I'm headed." She motioned down the hall and Greg followed her. He saw Morgan outside the room with her head down and her hands in her lap. He approached apprehensively. He could see blood on her shirt and he was afraid for her. Not that he was overly fond of Ecklie but he thought the world of Morgan. Tentative reports were connecting Ecklie's shooting with the kidnapping of DB Russell's granddaughter and all roads were leading back to Jeff McKeen. Morgan's eyes looked up at Greg when she heard Maya's voice. He shook his head no to her question and sat down next to Morgan.

"Are you okay?"

"It happened so fast. We were saying good night to David and his mother. We were going to walk. I guess he wanted to talk or something. I heard a noise and then he just collapsed on top of me." Tears were streaking down her face. "I think he blocked me."

"Sounds like a fatherly thing to do you know protect your kid."

"I never thought of him like that. Father." Morgan shook her head. "What if I was wrong?" Greg took her hand.

"I'm sure you will have plenty of time to find out." Greg smiled at her. They stood as the doctor walked out of the room. He explained to Morgan and Greg that the bullet had entered the left side of Ecklie's chest but appeared to have not damaged the heart. The bullet was lodged in an area that he felt confident that they could remove without further complications.

"We are prepping him for surgery but if you would like to go in and see him for a minute that would be fine," the doctor said and then excused himself. Morgan took a deep breath and walked to the exam room door. Greg's phone started to vibrate and he stepped away from Morgan to answer it. She watched him for a minute and then went in to see her father alone. She really could have used her friend's support at that moment but knew in her heart that she had to do this one on her own.

Greg closed his phone and turned to see Morgan in the room with Ecklie. He smiled as she took her father's hand in hers. Not wanting to intrude on their moment and grateful that he didn't have to see Ecklie, Greg left to meet up with Sara at DB's house.

"What do you have for me Sara?" DB asked stopping his pacing. She held up a jar with a small paint chip in it. "Paint chip?" he asked taking it from her hands. "Interesting."

"Found it under the bed. I have Greg coming over to oversee the rest of the processing but I have a situation I need to attend to."

"Sara I need all hands on deck for this." She touched his arm gently.

"I know and I will be back as soon as I can. Trust me that I am not downplaying your granddaughter's kidnapping."

"Okay and sorry. Should have known better." Sara smiled and started down the walkway. "Hey find out where Nick is while you're at it," he yelled.

"That's where I'm headed," she replied to no one. She walked over to Greg's car as he was getting out. "We found a paint chip and a note that read 'karma'. I need you to run point on this."

"Where are you off too?" Greg asked.

"To find the wayward son."

Sara fumbled around the passenger seat to find the phone she had tossed after getting the directions for the bar that Nick was at. "Sidle," she yelled into it.

"Grissom."

"It's legally Sidle," she said with a half smirk.

"You have to keep reminding me of that."

"You know the reason why I didn't take your name."

"Yeah, yeah some bull about not being taken seriously with people attaching another word to your name like Grissom Junior, Grissom-ette, Grissom's main squeeze."

"Well you only have to hear Greg say that to you once dear." He laughed.

"Did I catch you at a bad time? You sound like you're in the car."

"Trying to find this bar called Carpe Diem where your best student is drowning his sorrows and apparently connected with the side of the bar and a flying barstool or some other damn foolish thing," Sara replied turning down a desolate looking street.

"Seize the day huh?" Grissom replied lounging on the bed. He had arrived to his hotel room after another day of lectures on Walden's Pond. When Sara had called him about Ecklie's shooting and the child's kidnapping allegedly at the bidding of former Undersheriff McKeen, Grissom wanted to hop on a plane and assist in putting the bastard on death row. It took some convincing but Sara managed to get him to see that his presence could be a hindrance to the investigation as much as she needed him personally.

"Got to be a geek bar. Only Nick," Sara said taking a right and seeing the bar sign up ahead.

"Carp. Reminds of the case I was working on right after I proposed to you," Grissom recalled fondly. "Catherine had come by my office with a cooler full of carp. She caught me daydreaming and I got a bit too excited about processing the fish."

"Proposing to me with a bee sting and then getting hot and bothered by a carp. Who did I marry," Sara said teasing. "Hey Gil, I'm here. I don't see any signs of Nick. Couple of cop cars though."

"I hope he didn't do anything foolish," Grissom replied. Sara took the phone from her ear as she conferred with the two uniforms at the scene. She could hear Grissom calling her name.

"I'm back and it seems that they brought Nick to the station for his well-being," Sara said none too happy.

"Honey go easy on him," Grissom cautioned.

"Honey I am totally in control of my temper," Sara replied through gritted teeth. Grissom winced a little. Her calling him honey was never a good sign. Hated to think that he was actually happy he wasn't on the receiving end of her impending wrath.

"Well as long as you are in control." Sara closed up her phone without replying. She was none too happy about this latest development and fully intended on kicking Nick's ass when this was all over.

"Did you get the license plate of the truck that ran you over?" Sara asked as she got into the driver's side of her car. Nick winced as he tried to put the towel to his split lip.

"You're a riot Alice."

"What the hell were you thinking?"

"Women don't understand," Nick said rolling his eyes. "Warrick would have understood." Sara glanced over at him angrily.

"No he wouldn't. Warrick was all about the job. About his commitment. He died doing his job. The bruises you have on your face was all about you running away from the job," Sara replied getting out of the car. She slammed the door and walked over to the passenger side. She opened the door roughly and Nick thought for a moment that it might come unhinged. She stood outside for a moment or two collecting her thoughts.

Nick put his head down as a wave of pain threatened to engulf it. He knew she was right. He knew that Warrick fought until his last breath for what he believed in. Nick just wasn't sure anymore what it was he himself did in fact believe in. He looked up and waited for her to speak.

"Nick, you and I know full well what it feels like to have to come to terms with our demons. You were able to do it while still helping others. I had to step away, regroup and then come back to fight another day."

"You had so much more to deal with. And Warrick..man…I should have shot McKeen dead when I had the chance," Nick said stumbling out of the car. Sara grabbed hold of him to steady him on his feet.

"I need you to put that all aside Nick. You can't make this personal. The one mistake Warrick made was thinking it was some sort of vendetta on his part to get Gedda and then the department mole. It cost him his life. Ecklie's hurt and DB's granddaughter has been taken. I can't lose you too." Nick looked up and saw such sadness in her eyes at that moment. He nodded and straightened himself up.

"I can't promise you I will be here tomorrow."

"I know. We'll worry about that then okay? Now let's go finish processing DB's house. Greg wants to get back to Morgan," Sara said leading the way.

Greg was relieved to be able to get back to the hospital to check on Morgan and of course Ecklie. He went to the closest waiting room and found Hodges' mother Olivia sitting next to Morgan. "Has he come out of surgery yet?" Morgan looked up.

"Yes. The doctor came out a while ago and said that things went very well considering. We are just waiting for the okay to go and see him," Morgan stated. Greg took a seat next to her and the three engaged in some small talk while they waited.

"I've grown quite fond of Conrad," Olivia said. "I'm glad he's going to be okay. I'm glad you two will get a chance to grow together. I'm glad I will get to hear that great sense of humor again."

"Ecklie? A sense of humor?" Greg asked shocked.

"Oh yes he can be quite funny when he relaxes. He thinks he has to put on this act for political reasons, you know the spiel. But deep down he's very sensitive and funny," Olivia replied. Greg shrugged his shoulders and they fell into a comfortable silence.

About a half hour later, a nurse came out and said that Ecklie was awake and was up to seeing visitors. Morgan grabbed Greg's hand and dragged him in with her. Olivia followed. They gathered around the bed. Morgan had let go of Greg's hand and he tried to stand back a ways while Olivia and Morgan stood on the right side. Morgan was holding his hand. Ecklie looked to her and smiled.

"I was worried about you. You okay?" Morgan nodded. "Good. I wouldn't have wanted anything to happen to you."

"I know Dad."

"We are all just glad that you are going to be fine Conrad," Olivia said stepping a little closer. Ecklie looked at her groggily. A nurse came in to check on his IV. She noticed he seemed to be tiring.

"Maybe we should let the Undersheriff rest now. You can come back in the morning." Morgan gave his hand a squeeze and stepped out of the way so Olivia could give him a kiss on the forehead. Greg just waved and walked towards the doorway. Olivia gave him one last smile and joined the other two.

"You are an oasis in the middle of a wasteland," Ecklie said sweetly. All three looked at him and then at each other. They all seemed rather confused.

"I think he was talking to you," Morgan said to Olivia.

"No, I thought he was talking to you," replied Olivia.

"Then why was he looking at me?" Greg chimed in. They gave each other another look and then turned to the door. "You're right Olivia. He's a funny guy."

"Hey Sara thanks for everything," DB said as they walked out together from the police station. "You really were a rock when I needed it tonight."

"We're a team. A family. That's what we do."

"Yeah," DB replied reflectively. "Do you think Nick will be back to work?"

"Nick's a cowboy tried and true. He'll come around." DB nodded.

"Good. You going home now?"

"Yes gotta pick up the dog from the sitter. New talk show starting today. Guy from Survivor. Busy life I lead," Sara said a bit sadly.

"Hey when am I going to meet that infamous husband of yours?" DB asked.

"Soon I hope," she said and then turned towards her car. DB stood for a moment and watched her thankful that the ordeal had ended well.

Sara had picked Hank up at the sitter and once they got home decided they needed to take a walk and soak up some nature to cleanse her mind. They stopped at the park that was about a mile away and sat down on the bench. It was nice to see children playing. It reminded her that there were some good things still left to see in the world. She turned to look upwards into the sun when its rays were blocked by someone coming towards her. She blinked a couple of times trying to make out who it was. Hank had been busy peeing behind a tree so his senses were busy elsewhere. A smile beamed across her face as the vision came closer.

"I thought someone spiked my water and I was having a hallucination," she said as the man sat down next to her. "You weren't due in for another week."

"Well with everything that was going on I thought you needed me home sooner." He gave her a kiss on the cheek. She turned to get their lips together but Hank had finished his pee and wanted Grissom's attention.

"I always want you close but I know it can't always be like that." The melancholy in her voice did not go unnoticed by her husband. He knew that their eternal struggle to appease each other wasn't making either of them very happy. He knew they would have to sit down and seriously discuss their future. Were they going to stay in Vegas or go somewhere else. But that was a discussion for another time.

"So tell me everything that happened. How's Ecklie and DB's granddaughter." Sara filled him in on what she hadn't told him in their previous conversations. "You know Sara I can't say that I miss this."

"I know. You found you can solve puzzles anywhere. I understand that."

"Do you still feel you have something to prove here?" He asked knowing that was part of her reasoning in returning to Vegas to work. She thought for a moment and wondered if she really did. She was about to say how she felt when the skies opened up in a freak rainstorm. Grissom yelled for Hank and they semi jogged home since Grissom had also walked to the park. Arriving inside, Sara went to get some towels.

"Here use this to wipe Hank's paws and the blue one is for your hair," Sara said dispensing the linen. Grissom wiped off the dog's paws and then released him so he could go into the kitchen and eat. Grissom quickly wiped his hair and arms and threw his towel on the back of the couch.

"Here let me," he said taking the towel from Sara and running it up her and down her arms and across the front of her shirt. Her shiver was not just due to the cool air. He then ran the towel through her dripping wet hair, massaging her scalp.

"Oh that feels so good Gil. I don't think I've had a moment's rest in I don't know when."

"Then come over here," he said leading her to the couch. "Sit down and I will fix you something to eat."

"Thanks but I'm not really hungry right now. Could use a bit more massaging if you wouldn't mind," she flashed him one of her irresistible smiles. He walked over and slid in behind her on the couch.

"Where would you like me to massage first?" he said in his best sexy voice.

"Normally I would love this little seduction thing you're trying but I really want a massage so work your magical fingers on my neck and shoulders." Grissom pouted for a moment and then relented and did as he wife asked.

"Feeling better?" he asked after a while. Sara sighed contently.

"Yes and give me another ten minutes and then try your sexy voice again and I may concede to your advances."

"You may concede? Cut the dirty talk or I won't be able to control myself," he said dryly.

"Okay I won't talk. I'll just use my lips for other things." She turned to him and kissed the baseline of his neck and started moving up towards his ear. Grissom fidgeted at bit. Now we're getting somewhere he thought. Just as Sara was about to nibble on his ear, Grissom stopped her with a question.

"Hey Sara what happened to this Finlay person you've been mentioning?" Sara looked at him and bit her bottom lip….