A/N: So, I hope I don't kill the fun of a CSI fic with this one. It's actually the first CSI fic I've ever gotten this far with, so if it sucks...Uh, do something... R&R

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI or anything affiliated with it...Accept the tapes, games, and fanfics...Besides, if I did own CSI, do you really think that GSR wouldn't have happened yet? Pfft.

Rating: T

Couples: Griss/Sara, Warrick/Catherin, Nick/Sofia...Though so far, it's only GSR and will most likely stay that way. This is just a warning...

Time Setting: Sometime in season six or seven

Sara had returned home, after a long talk with the lab Director. Receiving a day or two's leave definitely wasn't as bad as getting fired would have been. Inserting the key into her doorknob, Sara unlocked it and stepped inside. A deep breath escaped her lips once inside. As she leaned against the now closed door, thoughts of better things she could have said washed through her mind, whipping away anything that didn't have to do with Erik and the case.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was a rather cold night in Las Vegas, the sky threatening to open up on them any moment. It would have been horrible if it did, just the fact that it would be so cold was enough to scary anybody.

After a few moments of sitting alone in her car, Sara Sidle flipped off the engine of her Tahoe and exited the car. She was met by a bitter cold clashing with her skin once she did so however. A small sigh expelled from her mouth before she moved to walk inside the Las Vegas Crime Lab, hoping there would be some form of heat inside.

Unfortunately for Sara, the inside of the building was no warmer than the outside. Typical...She Thought, a slight roll of her eyes showed that it was in fact typical. She had been rather anxious to return to work, seeing as Grissom had made her leave again that morning in hopes that she would get some sleep.

It had been another one of thoughs cases. One of the ones Sara Sidle had obsessed over since she started working. It was pretty much a dead case by now, there was a large lack of evidence, and Chroix was gone. Taking in a deep breath of cold air, Sara began to make her way to the brake room.

"Tired?" Greg asked smugly, a small smirk growing on his face as he watched the yawning brunette enter the brake room and head strait for the horrible coffee that was already there. Only when Sara was tired would she drink that grim stuff, or perhaps it was because Greg was sitting right there and she didn't dare steal his secret coffee in plain site of the younger CSI.

"Shut up." She said groggily, sitting in on the couch facing the window. Peering out intently, Sara watched as multiple white coated lab rats rushed by. Greg was tempted to say something else, but decided against it, seeing as Sara wasn't exactly in the mood. Lifting the cup to her lips, Sara took a sip of the gross black stuff in her cup that tasted uncannily like murky water. It was cold, dark, and tasted dirty. Hell, for all she knew by the taste, it could have very well been murky water...

Pulling her brown eyes away from the dark liquid, Sara saw the figure of her Supervisor, Gil Grissom, enter the office. Sara's heart sank as he looked at her for a moment, then turned to Catherine.

"We are obviously missing something with the Chroix case." He said after a short sigh, "But we don't need everybody on it."

Tossing a file in front of Catherine, "419 at the Four Aces." He said, tossing copy's to Warrick and Greg. "You two are on this one too. Nick, you've got your own DB, kid was found dead in front of her computer."

A smile encased Nick's face as he looked over at the expressionless CSI on the couch. Greg threw a wad of balled up paper at Sara's head. Hitting his mark and receiving a glare from her put a rather large grin on his face before he walked out of the room. Looking at the paper for a moment, Sara finally picked in up. Using her slender fingers, she pulled apart the note, exposing what was written inside.

"I'm awake..." The note read. A small huff exited Sara's mouth as she through the wrinkled piece of paper onto the coffee table in front of her. Nick was next to rise and leave. "I always get the kids." He said in a fake whine. Grissom simply shrugged, a un-amused frown forming on his features.

Sara's heart sank again, that would mean that she and Grissom would be working this case alone. Together...Without Anyone else around...

She had yet to realize that were actually alone in the room, until he spoke. "So, are you ready?" Sara snapped out of it rather quickly after that, brown eyes moving to him in moments. Not needing to give this much thought, a small nod took over. Effortlessly lifting herself from the couch, she tossed the Styrofoam cup in the plastic lined trash can and proceeded out the door. Blue eyes fallowing her figure out the door, Grissom watched her for a moment, a small smile trying to fight it's way onto his face. But he soon rushed after her, seeing as she showed no signs of stopping.

A small smile was plastered onto Sara's face once the sound of his footsteps hit her ears. He was behind her, and she knew it. Breathe was running through her head again, ever since she heard it on the radio, it haunted her. Everywhere she went, it would pop up at the most random moments. Even when she sung along to it, the song wouldn't leave her, it only became harder to ignore. Pulling up next to her, Griss secretly watched her, hoping desperately that she wouldn't catch him looking. What would be worse than having to explain why he was staring at her so intently. Just the thought gave the Graveyard supervisor a reason to shudder. He had kept it a secret for so long, no way he was going to be caught doing something so mindless. Yet still, he couldn't quite pull his eyes away. Though, once she pushed open to door to the outside, the change in lighting forced him to look away from her.

It was still freezing. Dry and cold, typical weather for a winter night in the dessert. It was a pity she felt the way she did about the man next to her, or else she might have killed him for convincing her to move to Vegas. She left her cozy home in San Francisco for this? Wrapping her jacket around her tightly, Sara watched her breath meet the frigged air. "Where exactly are we going?" She questioned, looking over at him quickly with one of her "Sara doesn't know" expressions. A small smirk took over his face at her words. "Someone reported an abandoned car...It Matches the description of our suspects." Sara smiled, the thought of getting closer to catching Erik Chroix was obviously exiting her. Grissom of course, took this moment to observe her again. Even though it was only a second, it was something he could hold onto if she didn't smile again for the rest of the night.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sara climbed into the SUV, it was cold in there too...That Was until Grissom slid the keys into the ignition and started up the truck, allowing a surge of warm air to flow through the SUV. A small sigh escaped her lips for the hundredth time this shift. And it just started. Not a good sign.

"So," He began, starting to pull out of the CSI parking lot. Sara looked over at him, perking up at the thought of exchanging words with him. "Let's review the case..." Sara dropped her shoulders, obviously disappointed with the subject of this conversation. "What do we know so far?" He asked, ignoring the fact that she was bored.

"Okay, suspect kills his wife, after beating her for years." Sara's tone was already starting to go in a downward spiral. "She was found in a rental locker at an arcade, suggesting he either worked there or spent time there." He intruded, adding the next bit of the story. "Why would you hide a body where some kid is going to find it?" Sara questioned, shaking her head. But when he didn't answer, she looked over, wondering what was going through his mind. Sara pondered this question, still not getting an answer out of him, until she heard the sound of rain drops hitting the roof of the SUV. "Great." She muttered, looking out the rain-stained window at the now rapidly falling rain. "Looks like we may get a little wet." He pointed out bluntly, observing the water droplets on the windshield. Sara looked over at him, a seemingly annoyed expression encased on her face. As a small smirk took over, Grissom pulled the SUV up next to a taped-off car. It was a black 2006 Mustang, a very nice car. Convertible, lucky too that the hood was up, or the two CSIs wouldn't have a chance in hell of finding usable evidence. Flipping up their hoods, the two stepped out of the SUV and onto the wet asphalt below. Sara could barely hear anything over the echo of the rain hitting her jacket, she had to listen really closely, and stay near Grissom, in order to hear what he was saying.

After checking the outside of the car, Grissom had the guy pop the trunk. But what caught his attention wasn't what was in the trunk, it was the sound that was coming from it. The almost mocking sound of a clock. Tick, tock, tick, tock. Counting away the seconds of someone's life. "Sara!" He yelled over the rain, hoping desperately that she would hear him. But she didn't, Sara was too engrossed in collecting fibers found on the front seat to hear him. The roar of the rain didn't help much either. Backing up as fast as he could without falling, he ran around the car and yanked her out of the car. A small, well concealed, yelp of pain escaped Sara's lips as he jerked her out of the car... "What the hell!" She asked, now at least ten feet away from the car. By the time she had actually come to her sense and figured out what was going on around her, he had already dragged her a considerable distance. But she didn't need him to answer that question. No. It was answered for her when a extremely strong heat hit her face. The horrible sound the car made rang through their ears as a tower of fire rose above the car, trampling it's victim. In this case, just the car. Watching, Grissom stopped, figuring they were far enough away now. Sara stood next to him, brown eyes reflecting the wave of flame. Struggling to catch her breath, Sara thought about how close she was to being in the middle of it. Actually, if he hadn't of pulled her out of the car, not just the Mustang would be missed.

A sharp pain shot through her fore-head as a fragment of melted car sliced through her skin. Stunned and confused, she fell backward. Bracing herself for the impact, the moment she would collide with the soggy ground, but she found herself stopping before she got that far. After noticing she was falling, he caught her. Although he didn't know he could be that quick. Pulling her back up to her feet, Grissom held her steady to she wouldn't tumble over again. "You okay?" He asked, examining the slash on her head. "Yeah, I'm fine." She lied, covering the bloody cut with a slender hand. Actually, she wasn't okay.

--------------------------------------------------

A/N: So, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter...Forgive me if it's so out of character that you wanted to pull your hair out...Or, your arm off, or something...Please R&R