Through the Darkness

By: Emmithar

Rating: PG

Summary: The Las Vegas Crime Lab finds itself in a race against time when an earthquake trap two of their own in a collapsing structure.

Disclaimer: I don't own them, wish I did though

A/N: Yes, I know, shame on me, shouldn't be starting yet another one. But I can't resist the temptations, and the plot bunnies that won't leave me alone. So enjoy!

Chapter One: Lost

Grissom was the last one in the room; he had stopped off to refill his cup. Giving everyone a short nod in substitute for a greeting, he dropped the file folders on the table.

"I know we have two cases open already, but we just got a call in on a DB across town. I have a conference meeting with Ecklie that I have to attend, and I can't get out of it. Greg needs this case to build up more experience in the field, and I need one person here to work on our other cases. Any volunteers?"

He had said everything in roughly one breath. The other three faces watched him with looks of bewilderment on their faces. Grissom had called the meeting nearly an hour ago. They had been waiting now for near forty-five minutes. Then, after coming in late, he manages to conclude the entire thing in less than a minute.

Sara shrugged easily, "I'll go with Greg," she spoke up before Sofia could. She could see the newest nightshift member give her a sideways glance.

"I guess that means I get to stay here," Sofia chimed in, "I'll try and catch us up on things."

Grissom nodded, "Good," he slid the folders over to Sara, who picked them up, flipping through them. "About twenty miles to the north, take a right at Sam's Grocery store and you'll avoid getting lost. Sofia, those fibers from the Henderson's case is top priority, get them done first, I'll see you all later, Ecklie won't be pleased if I'm late."

With that, the trio watched him turn around, and walk out of the room, only to stop and return, grabbing his coffee before leaving once again. Greg shook his head, watching from his chair as Grissom disappeared around the corner and out of sight. "Well, that was possibly the shortest meeting of my life," he quirked.

"Yeah," Sofia agreed, pushing herself up to a standing position. "Well, you two kids have fun; I'll be in trace just in case you might need me."

Sara nodded to her, "Thanks, but I think we can manage," she turned to Greg as Sofia walked out. "Let's roll."

Greg let out a sigh, holding onto the steering wheel with one hand, the other hanging out of the open window. The light was still red, it had been red for five minutes now, and there was no one else there but them. "These lights need to be censored," he complained, tapping his fingers on the wheel.

Sara shook her head, still reading over the case file. "Just go, no one's coming."

"The light is red Sara," Greg said, glancing over at her.

She shrugged, "And?"

"Going through a red light is illegal," he explained.

"Not when they're busted," she argued, "just treat it like a four way stop."

Greg shook his head, turning back towards the front. "They're not broken, look the lights are changing," he pointed to the other set that had changed from green to yellow.

Next to him, Sara let out a sigh, "We should be there by now."

"Well, he did say take aleft at the grocery store, didn't he? Or was it a right?" Greg wondered as the lights finally changed.

"I think it was left…" Sara started, "No, maybe it was a right, no, I'm sure he said left. Why didn't he just give us directions?"

"I took a left; we should be there, so it was probably a right."

Sara nodded, "More in likely, with our luck."

"You still have the address right?" Greg wondered, pulling into a gas station.

She nodded, "Yeah, why?"

Greg nodded towards a phone booth outside.

"Phone book, directions," Sara gave him a smile as he turned of the car. "Good thinking."

"Well, I am ingenious," Greg stated, unbuckling his seatbelt as he followed Sara out of the car. She turned around to him just as he closed the door, shaking her head.

"Ingenious huh? You just locked the keys in the car."

Greg turned around, pulling on the handle, but sure enough it was locked. He turned back to her, giving her a sheepish smile. "Even we geniuses have our bad days."

"Oh, so this must be a good day then," Sara shook her head, coming over to him. "Sunroof's on this is broken, we can get it open and I'll slide in. Come on, let's look up the address. At least you had sense enough to turn off the car."

Greg nodded, coming up behind her to the booth. "This isn't going to go on my report is it?" he wondered.

"Nah, technically we're not at the scene yet, so I can't start grading you yet. But it will provide for wonderful blackmail whenever I need something."

"Harsh," Greg told her as she flipped the book open.

"So, we're here," she pointed once figuring things out. "We need to go back two blocks and take a right, and if we go straight we'll run right into it."

Greg nodded, following her finger. "But we don't want to run into it, right?"

She turned around, giving him an uncanny glance. He laughed, turning back to the car. "Ready for some car mountaineering?" he asked, rubbing his hands together.

Sara patted him on the back as she walked past him. "There is a reason why people say 'never let a man do a woman's job'," she told him.

"Car mountaineering is a woman's thing?" Greg asked, giving her a boost up on to the roof, "Since when?"

"Since I came along, of course," Sara grinned at him as she worked the roof open. Sure enough it slid open quite easily, and she crawled inside, hitting the unlock button. Greg gave her a nod of approval as he climbed in.

"Outstanding, I give you an 8.7," he grinned, starting the car up again.

"8.7? That's all, after all I did?" she wondered, turning her attention back to the file.

"Hey, your form was off, better luck next time."

She shook her head, putting her feet up on the dash. "Let's just get to our scene," she told him with a smile.

It didn't take too much longer to get there. Brass met them outside, briefing them quickly on what happened.

"Sister says she returned from a three day camp, came in, found this. Name is Mark Tery, 37 years of age. Brother was the main guardian, but he was discreet, didn't get out much apparently. David puts TOD at about five days ago."

Sara nodded, letting Greg take the lead into the old factory building. She took a quick look around the place, frowning. "What is this place exactly?"

"From what I understand, an old wheat mill. Sister says that our vic bought it several years ago off of some guy who was selling it cheap. Turned it into a house, or tried to anyways," Brass commented.

Greg nodded as they came up along the DB. "Kind of fell short huh?" he wondered, shaking his head.

Brass nodded, "Yeah, well, I've got to go, have another call to get to. I have two officers outside if you need anything."

Sara waved him a short goodbye as she started taking photos. "Greg, you see that by his left eye? Get a swab of it, will you?"

Greg nodded, opening his case. "It looks like honey," he commented, closing the tip. "Smell's like it too," he added.

"Just don't go eating it," she warned him, glancing up suddenly. "Did you feel that?"

Greg met her gaze, shrugging his shoulders. "Feel what?"

The ground suddenly lurched under them, dropping Greg to his knees. But as soon as it started, it had come to a stop. Sara looked up at him alarmingly, "You feel it that time?"

Greg nodded, holding out his hand, "Okay, no worries, no one's hurt. It's all good."

She let out a sigh, "Let's just hope there isn't another one," she glanced up towards the roof where the hanging lights were still swinging. Shivering slightly she turned back towards the body. "Let's get this done with; I don't want to be in here any longer than we have too."

Greg agreed, going back to work. It wasn't long before both had forgotten about the earlier incident. David had already been back to pick up the DB, leaving Sara and Greg to finish processing the scene.

Sara looked up as Greg called her over. "What does that look like?" he asked.

"Blood spatter," she gave him a grin, "good eye."

"That's what I thought, but if he was shot here, how did he end up over there? David says that the body had no signs of being moved."

"Could mean that this blow didn't kill him, or that this belongs to the killer."

Greg nodded, reaching over to swab the blood when the ground suddenly heaved under them again. This time much harsher than before. Greg and Sara both found themselves on the ground, trying to balance themselves out as it continued.

Sara glanced up at Greg as he grabbed her arm, "Under the table," he yelled, nodding towards the corner. "Go," he pushed her in front of her, the pair half crawling, half rolling as a light fixture smashed into the ground not too far away. They were halfway there when the lights went out, leaving them in darkness as Greg continued to push Sara forward, despite her hesitation. Above them, the roof groaned as it collapsed inward, hanging on itself for a moment before plunging to the ground.

TBC