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Minutes felt like hours and Grissom was growing antsy. It was almost midnight. He had been processing the scene for over four hours, and he hadn't even ventured upstairs yet. Catherine was with him, but as the hours slid past, he was left wishing he was alone. He needed to be alone to think and compose himself. He needed to be away from work. He never thought he'd hear himself say that. His work is all he's ever known, his safety zone. Now, it was just a burden. He was hoping Catherine was really paying attention to the scene, because he wasn't focusing at all. His mind was fleeting in all directions; the news, Sara, childhood memories, Evelyn.

"So, Gil, may I ask you what your problem was back at the lab?" Catherine asked him, picking up loose fibers from the bed.

"No you may not, Catherine," was his answer. He didn't look at her.

She rolled her eyes. She had moved to the small chair in the corner of the room.

"Okay… Well, then I'm just going to tell you what I think. I think you are having relationship issues. And I don't mean with your bugs. Are you seeing someone? Because, I know you Gil, and nothing else can make you run and hide faster than your own feelings."

"What is it with everybody thinking that they know me all of a sudden?" he spat, more to himself than Catherine. He stopped dusting for fingerprints and wiped his sleeve across his damp forehead. After taking a deep breath, he exhaled loudly.

She glanced at him curiously, but didn't push the issue, for the moment anyway. He could tell she was thinking. She probably knew exactly who he was referring to. He was right.

He continued dusting.

"Now I get it," she continued. "Sara asked you the same thing didn't she? Did she ask you if you were having romantic problems? Women have that sixth sense you know. Anyway, you flipped out… just guessing here… and she got upset and quit. Hmm… I didn't have her pinned as someone who would quit like that, but hey, what do I know right? It's not like we go out for drinks or anything."

She waited for him to respond, but he didn't. He just kept on dusting the same spot. He felt her stare hot on the back of his neck. He turned to face her. She was standing up, leaning to one side, hands on her hips. He was in trouble; when she stood like that, she meant business.

"I should have never let her go in there. I should have done it myself. I would have straightened you out, and we wouldn't be one CSI short tonight."

"I'm going to go talk to her later."

"You better. As far as your 'issues' are concerned, I really hope you work them out soon, it's affecting your job."

"No, it's not," he lied. He knew damn well his brain was not in work mode.

"Sure, whatever you say Griss."

She turned to leave, then turned back.

"Oh, you missed that spot of blood on the wall over there by the bathroom door, and umm, your jar of powder is going to fall of the dresser."

With that said, she left. He got up off his knees quickly to check the wall. Seeing the crimson stain, he walked closer.

Clink.

He shut his eyes and tilted his head back, knowing exactly what that sound was. Looking back in the direction of the dresser, he saw the black powder covering a large portion of the hardwood floor. The empty plastic container rolled under the bed.

"Great, just what I need, another mess to clean up."

--

Walking alone through the lab he started thinking about Sara. He needed to see her, to apologize for the way he acted earlier. He was going to ask her if she would take her job back, he would beg if he had to. That, and he needed somebody to talk to, somebody who wouldn't judge him. He knew he could trust her. As he was about to enter the locker room, Catherine and Conrad Ecklie emerged from around the corner; they were talking quietly. Ecklie looked up from the open manila folder in his hands.

"Gil," Ecklie summoned him.

Still carrying his kit from the scene earlier, he made his way toward the pair.

"Yes Conrad?" sarcasm pouring from his lips.

"I heard about Sidle's resignation, and I will expect…"

"She didn't 'resign'" Grissom interrupted. "She just needs to be talked to, I know she doesn't want to quit. I'm going to drop by her apartment after shift. She'll be back tomorrow."

Grissom glanced over to Catherine. She stood silently, looking back and forth between the two men.

"Fine. But that's not all I need to speak to you about. You've seen the news, I suppose, about the case from some years back. A girl, murdered in a Las Vegas hotel room, found in the bathtub. Her name was…" Ecklie paused to skim through his folder in search of her name.

Evelyn.

"Uh, Evelyn Bennett. Do you know what I'm talking about?" he asked.

"Oh yes, we saw the report earlier before shift," Catherine answered. Obviously, that wasn't what they were discussing before. "What about it?"

"Well," he continued. "The family wants to reopen the case."

Grissom's heart skipped a beat. For all he knew, it stopped completely. He stared blankly at Ecklie, mouth slightly agape. Catherine was just as shocked, but surely not for the same reasons.

"But they just closed her case. I don't understand. They just released the body, why go through that anguish all over again. Investigators have probably probed that case inside out. There's nothing to go on, or it would have been done already."

"Not necessarily," Ecklie held a hand up to prevent Catherine from rambling further. "The body was just released, yes. But… the actual investigation was deemed 'unsolved' a while back, sixteen years ago about. The body and the other evidence was kept preserved, but nothing has been touched since… 1987." He was rifling through the folder again.

Oh, God. I knew it. I knew this was going to happen. Oh… He couldn't keep his feet still. His eyes seemed to take on lives of their own, shifting left and right. He was getting paranoid. Why are they staring at me?

"So, the family has decided to offer the lab a decent sum of money to reopen the case. Apparently the mother got cold feet before they cremated the body. I guess she decided she didn't have the closure she was looking for."

"Well, I guess that makes a little sense. I mean, our technology has really advanced since the 80's and even the 90's; I bet we could find something. But that's not saying we'll ever find the person who killed her. They could be long gone by now," Cath said.

Grissom had yet to say anything.

"I, uh, I can't work that case. I'm sorry, but it's not going to happen," Grissom stammered, sweat coating his face and neck.

"Gil, that's why they chose this lab, they want you." Ecklie raised his voice.

"Well that's too bad, because he's not going anywhere near that case," Detective Jim Brass said, as he came up behind Ecklie and Catherine.

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" Catherine demanded.

Grissom dropped his head and squeezed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat.

"Evelyn Bennett was my girlfriend."

Ahh, there's a little bit for you... I know you probably figured out that much already, but if not... SURPRISE!! Well, I know it's not telling you much, but I promise you will learn A LOT in the next chapter!

So, if you really want to know, gimme some love and review. The more reviews, the faster the update. Hope you like it so far.