Chapter 1
_____________________________________________________
--Grissom sat alone and restless in his 'townhouse'. It was a long week or long month was more like it. Sara was doing better but still wouldn't discuss what happened to anyone. Catherine tried to keep Grissom posted but there was nothing to give updates on. Sara was too stubborn and private to talk about her feelings, that's the way she liked it.
--Sara didn't withdraw or become depressed she only went back to normal. She slept only a few hours a night then got up to read. She ate very little. Work was challenging and kept her busy. She still came in early and left late. Day after day she put on a smile to reassure her friends she was okay. She was, for now anyway. Life was normal for Sara. But for Grissom that was another story.
"Good evening Gris. I trust that you slept well." Catherine walked in with a big smile on her face. She knew that he probably didn't sleep at all judging by the dark circles under his eyes.
"I had a good night's rest, thank you Catherine." Liar.
"Anything interesting tonight or do we have to entertain ourselves?"
"We'll see. Has she said anything to you?"
"Gil its going to take time."
"Why don't you just be brazen like always. You're good at that." Grissom said with a cocked eyebrow.
"I know you admire my way with people so trust me when I say, it will take time. You don't just reveal your darkest secret on a whim. Secrets are so powerful that because they make you feel so utterly vulnerable that you try to keep at a distant. Take a page from your own book Grissom. Would you like to be place in a situation like that?"
"No."
"Okay then, don't push it."
--Everyone arrived within the next ten minutes and began their idle chitchat before work started.
"Okay let's get started. Where's Sara?" Grissom desperately searched the room. He hated losing sight of her.
"We left her in the locker room. I can go get her."
"Thanks Nick."
--In the locker room Sara sat with her hands on her knees and her head down. Nick tapped her shoulder and she nearly jumped three feet.
"Nick don't do that!"
"Sorry but Grissom wanted me to come get you, shift has started."
"What? What time is it?"
"Four past five."
--Sara looked at her watch. Damn thing stopped working. It figures. Nick walked Sara into the meeting room.
"Sorry Grissom, my watch stopped working. Had it forever and now it stops. Sorry."
"Its okay Sara. If you had it forever then it was overdue for a battery." Grissom smiled. He didn't want to come down too harshly on her. She had been through enough.
--Sara took her seat next to Catherine and Warrick.
"All right. Tonight we are all on one case. It is top priority. There was an officer shooting. Brass said that its a mad house down there with the press. We need to collect the evidence fast. They already have a suspect in custody."
"Which is?"
"The guy they were chasing."
"They? How many officers were shot?"
"Just the one but his partner was with him. That's another thing; he is an eyewitness but I want evidence first. Are we clear?"
--Grissom got a series of nods from around the table. "Good. Let's go. Sara I want you to ride with me."
--She looked directly at him. "Why can't I just ride with Warrick?"
"I want you with me. I will meet you at the car."
--Before Sara could argue the matter was dismissed. Sara grabbed her stuff and headed for Grissom's Tahoe. Grissom finally came just when Sara was starting to get annoyed.
"Its about time."
"Sorry Sara, but I had to get something." Grissom held up a metal case.
"Well I wanted to get to the scene before it rains."
--Grissom looked up to the sky. Dark clouds threatened to release their wrath on Las Vegas. Funny but he didn't even notice until she mentioned it. "Well let's go. You drive."
"Fine."
"What is that?" Sara asked as she drove.
"New equipment. I thought you might enjoy seeing it first, that's why I asked you to ride with me."
"I remember it as a command not a question." She replied.
"Do you want to know how it works or not?" Grissom didn't mean to sound so mean but it just came out that way.
"Yeah. First what is it?"
--Grissom cocked a smile at her response. She was just as curious as he was. "It is a spectrum analysis pictograph. It takes pictures of the crime scene at different wavelengths revealing anything and everything. In a sense it is a giant X-ray of light."
"Why will it be useful at this scene?"
"Well like I said the suspect was running. So we have a wide range to investigate. Anything could have happened between the time the chase started to the murder. They could have stopped for coffee for all we know."
"Cool. Where did you get it?"
"On loan."
"From?"
"Eckley."
"Does he know you have it?"
--By the smile on Grissom's face that was a sure sign that Eckley didn't know. At the scene it was crawling with news reporters. Warrick and Catherine were by the body and Nick was taking pictures.
"I thought you two eloped. What took so long?" Catherine called to them.
"I had to get something. What do you have so far?"
"Well David is coming to get the body before the press can do anymore damage. We can better investigate the body there. Other than that not much. Warrick found the gun but no sign of the other bullet."
"Other bullet?"
"Yeah. Brass took a statement from the victim's partner. He said there were two shots. One from our victim then one from the suspect."
"But our suspect wasn't injured and a gun wasn't on him."
"No so I guess we have a search on our hands."
"That's why I brought this. You two continue until David arrives. Sara you come with me, we have a bullet to find. Nick join us when you are done."
"Okay."
"Okay Sara put these on." He handed her a pair of glasses tinted red. Once ready Grissom turned on the machine and let it do its work. They walked close observing the screen to find anything of interest. Grissom didn't mind the closeness, actually it was welcomed since before she tried so hard to stay away. He loved the intense feeling it gave him. And she always had a nice smell that was almost alluring. Of course when Nick walked up to join them he dismissed his wondering thoughts and concentrated on the task at hand.
"That is so cool! Let me see." Nick exclaimed in excitement.
"Here take my glasses. I need some water. Be right back."
--Grissom could only stare after her.
"This is so cool Gris where did you get it?"
"Eckley. Hey Nick, when you found Sara earlier was she okay?"
"Yeah I thought so. I mean she was just taking a break it looked like to me. Why?"
"No reason."
"So Eckley just gave this to you?"
"No I borrowed it."
"That's pretty sly Grissom. Pretty sly."
--Sara went to the car and peeled off her coat. It was so hot even for a day when it was going to rain. Her head started to hurt real bad looking for the bullet. It must have been the heat and the light. She popped two aspirins for the pain when Warrick came up behind her.
"You okay Sara?"
"Fine. It just so hot. Its only a headache."
"Yeah right." He said with little belief. "Did you find anything yet?"
"No but its a slow process. I better get back or Grissom might send a search team for me."
--Warrick smiled at her joke. It was true Grissom was keeping her close to him ever since she got hurt. Warrick didn't blame him, he was just being protective.
"Did you find anything?" They turned and saw Sara without her coat.
"Are you that hot?" Nick asked.
"Yes I was dying in that thing. Now did you find anything?"
"Actually Nick found some blood. But still no bullet or gun and we are almost finished. We might have to run it again."
"Wait what's that?" Sara pointed and sure enough it was a bullet wedged into the wooden fence.
"Good eyes Sara. Maybe the heat was just distracting you." Nick ginned.
--No sooner had they bagged the bullet when it started to rain. It hit like a flood. Everything washed away. Grissom frantically gathered the equipment and Nick put on his hat. Sara on the other hand only looked to the sky in gratitude. It felt so good. The cool rain hit her skin replenishing her thirst for water. She could have stood there forever, but Nick and Grissom pulled her under the eve of one of the buildings. Thunder boomed surrounding them and lightening flashed above.
"Let's make a run for it!" Nick yelled over the noise. "I'll go first!"
--Nick ran around the corner until he was out of sight. Grissom stared at Sara who was watching the sky. She stood shivering. Her teeth visibly chattering and goosebumps all over her skin.
"I love the rain." She spoke so softly he barely heard her over the thunder. Grissom moved close to her and wrapped his arms around her to keep her warm.
"Take my coat you are going to get sick." Grissom pulled off his coat and put it around her small shoulders.
"Don't you just love the rain?"
--Grissom's eyes settled on her lips. They were turning blue. "Your lips are blue. Come here." He pulled her close to his chest and rubbed her back trying to create heat from the friction. For those few minutes, Grissom held Sara without a care in the world. He hoped it rained forever.
______________________________________________