Disclaimer: I own nothing. *Weeps sadly.* However, Lana is mine (joys of OC's) and that's about all. Hopefully you guys enjoy this story, because it's becoming entertaining writing it. As always for those who may not know me, Review are love. Like it, Hate it, want to burn it down, please let me know. Got ideas or maybe have a funny thought that you would like to see in a story? Let me know! I try to be accommodating as long as it's not too obscure our off my plan for the story.

Thanks!

Love, V.

-CSI-Hodges-Grissom-Sara-Nick-Warrick-Brass-Greg-Morgan-Lana-

Four months have passed since Lana's unlikely return to Vegas; Life in Las Vegas returned mostly to the same pattern that Lana had remembered. Go to work, see the flashing lights from the strip, the night walkers, day drinkers and wanna be millionaires all the while dealing with a crime scene and than go home, curl up on the couch with a drink of some sort of her own, and relax enough until she could fall asleep

Digging through her locker to get her normal clothing and get ready to head out to the morning sun, she can already feel the presence beside her before she sees him. Closing her locker, she immediately turns towards the smiling sable haired man, who just can't contain his excitement to be out of the lab. "So, day off tomorrow. You want to go do anything fun? I know of a killer restaurant that you just have to try. We should go."

"As much as I would love to join you for dinner, I'm afraid I already have plans Nick. Sorry, but not really" teasing the taller man slightly, knowing he would get her jest, as her sapphire blue eyes flash playfully. "I have a date."

"A date? You have only been back in Vegas for less than 6 months. How can you possibly have a date?" Shutting his locker loudly, Nick crosses his arms staring her down, though trying to maintain his 'I'm just asking, I'm not protective' tone that was failing horribly. "How long have you known this guy? You know, you can never be too careful. Have you looked him up yet to make sure he doesn't have a record."

"Do you mean is he a serial killer? I don't know Nick. That's typically not the first question that I ask." She quips back, knowing the steely gaze that he is giving her-the brotherly look- as she so dubbed it. The look when your brother is trying to decide if the man dating his sister is good enough look. "Nick, relax. I'm a big girl. I can date if I want to without you feeling the need to run a thorough background check on him and his family."

Nick's eyes squint at her, understanding the jab she just made to an old boyfriend when she was in her late teens. "Now, hold the phone. You can't fault me for that Elle. I knew that boy was bad news."

"He was 26 and had a motorcycle, of course he was bad news." Stopping him before he could say more and trick her into revealing details, Lana waves goodbye around the corner of the locker room door-frame, "goodnight nick."

Dressed to a T, as if he would ever dress any less, David Hodges walks into one of his favorite Italian restaurants, thankfully sans-mother this evening, he is escorted to the lounge (bar) until his table is ready. Ordering a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Korbin Vineyard, Hodges glances around that the people around him when he notices a woman who catches his attention.

At the far end of the bar, long deep reddish brown wavy hair entrances his vision even though he could not see the face that belonged to it. A deep purple, off the shoulders top, drapes down her arms, hiding the light tanned arms hidden beneath. Black capri leggings stop in the middle of the well toned calves, again reflecting the lightly tanned legs and the look finished off with black ballet type flats. His gaze is momentarily disrupted as his glass of ordered wine is placed in front of him, and without thought his line of sight almost instantly falls back on the woman.

Slim, thin fingers run through the red silky hair, likely smoothing any stray hairs into place before reaching for the low ball glass that is in front of her, filled with a dark liquid, obviously some sort of booze. The least you can do is say hello.

Now many may call him a cold heartless, sadistic bastard and in truth, he probably was, at work anyway but it didn't mean that he is oblivious to the opposite gender. Grabbing his wine glass, David slowly makes his way down the bar to where she's perched in her chair. He slows to a halt when he's about 5 feet away. Clearing his throat to introduce himself, he is suddenly silenced when he is staring into all too familiar sapphire blue eyes. "Hodges?"

"Lana?" Wait, this can't be right. It can't be Lana. "What, what are you doing here. Weren't you on some date tonight?" He distinctly heard her mention a date when he was in the locker room, as Nick got all huffy when she left. Looking around, it was obvious though, that there was no other person waiting with her.

Before she is able to mutter another word, a waiter approaches them. "Ma'am your table is ready. Would you like me to make it a table for 2?"

"I uh-" swallowing sharply, Lana grabs her cup and ducks away from him. David is left standing there in shock as she slips past him and disappears with the waiter. Table for 2? But wasn't she-

What just happened?!

-CSI-Hodges-Grissom-Sara-Nick-Warrick-Brass-Greg-Morgan-Lana-

The following night

Approaching her locker slowly, clicking the last number into place as Nick sweeps in, casting his typical goofy but inviting grin. "Oh, here's our beautiful Lana. Do tell me, how was your evening last night.?

A roll of her eyes doesn't go unnoticed but simply unmentioned as she smiles over at him." Evening Nick. My evening was fine if you must know."

A shuffle of shoes and than the appearance of the one person Lana really didn't want to see, the one and only David Hodges comes walking in (no doubt to stash his food in his locker and lord knows what else) his gaze flickers over to Lana and Nick before dropping away when he notices that her dark blues are watching his.

"So, you do realize that you have to give me more details than that. Name, what's he do, where'd you go?"

"Ummmm….." Her brain scrambles to think as she looks to Nick knowing that Hodges is listening in. "His name," She smiles as she think of the look of fear that is about to cross Hodges' face, "He is name is David." Lana internally cheers when she hears Hodges begin to cough. "He works the video feed at one the of the casinos. You know, typical dinner and a movie. Nothing big."

Apparently deciding that the date was proper enough, Nick nods. "Good. Good. I'll have to meet him sometime. I'll let you finish getting ready." Then with that Nick is gone, probably out to find Russell or Sara about something.

Grabbing her badge and gun, Lana can feel eyes burning on her back though she tries her best to ignore it but there is only so much one can handle. "What Hodges?"

Sensing the hostility, he sets up his hands in defense. "I didn't say anything"

Walking away from her locker to look him she, she stares as she crosses her arms waiting for the snarky comment she knows is coming. "One it's rude to stare. Two, it's so obvious you want to say something. What is it?"

"Why would you lie to Nick?"

Not quite what I was expecting. She uncrosses her arms and keeps her eye contact with him. "You wouldn't understand Hodges."

"What? Nick offered to take you out to dinner and you declined him with some bogus story. It's not like all of the other dinner dates you had were fakes too."

Seeing her look away but not say anything is almost too good to be true. "Oh Lana, Lana, Lana." Shaking his head, a small spark of amusement sparks in his chest. This is just too good. "You really are that stuck on yourself you have to make up dates. Is there not any men in Vegas good enough for you?"

The cold look immediately shuts him up, before she yanks her bullet proof vest out of her locker and shoving her pack in. "Men don't like to date women who have bigger battles scars then they do." With that said, she shuts her locker and walks out without looking back.

Widened eyes watches her leave, naturally his gaze falls to the 'battle scar' that she had been referring to as she walks by. The long thin scar running near three inches below her ear and then goes down towards her collar bone for another 4 to 5 inches in length. How could he have forgotten-she almost died the night she had gotten it. So that was it. Her scar chases men away.

-some time later on that Las Vegas night-

"It's Hodges. He must have our results in," Sara's dark brown eyes look into the younger womans, a sly smile on her face at her plans of evading the snarky lab tech "I'll row-sham-boe you for it?

"You can't be serious Sara, he paged you for the papers not me." Seeing the glint in Sara's eyes, and never being able to turn down a challenge, Lana smirks a the other woman. "Alright, but you're going down Sidle!" taunting her as hands come up in a battle of rock, paper, scissors.

-5 minutes later—

Staring down the microscope, the sowft *swish* of his door alerts him to a newcomer. His head snaps up in a quick retort to chase whoever was in his lab off when he stares into a pair of familiar blue, all thoughts of snarky comments dying instantly. "Lana, what can I do for you?"

Raising an eyebrow, clearly not in the mood for his games. "You paged Sara saying you had the results from our scene. I came to get them."

"I thought Sara would come get them, here." Pulling the file and passing off the papers, he swears he hears a mumbled "sara cheats" as she flips through them haphazardly. "Thanks."

She was half-way out there door when his brain kicks into gear, "Not everyone is like that." The silent look of confusion from her eggs him on. "Not everyone is scared of a woman with battle wounds bigger than their own."

A slow smile uncurls at the corner of her mouth, her eyes shining in appreciation back at him, "Thanks David."

As odd, unfamiliar warm burst fills his chest once he finds one of her smiles, no t the typical smile she gave everyone, but one in a passing of a friend or a shared secret is directed to him. The first time acknowledged by his teammates (aside from Grissom and even if it wasn't due to his high intelligence since he usually gets looks) that it took him until almost 20 minutes passed to realize that she had called him "David" and not Hodges.