Another update. Thanks to those who are reviewing! Though the number of reviews has gone down with every chapter I write, it still means a lot to me that there are some people reading. Enjoy!

(Oh, before I forgot…anyone interested in being my beta?)

Chapter 6

"Grissom." He turned at the sound of his named being called. "I'm about to go interview Jacob Wright's girlfriend. Want to join?" Sara asked nonchalantly.

He glanced back down at the file in his hand, after realizing it was Sara. "I'll meet you there. I've got some work to review," he replied without even glancing up.

Sara stopped and stared at his retreating back in bewilderment as he strode down the corridor toward his office. She sighed inwardly. She promised herself that no matter what she felt or how pissed she was at Grissom, she would not let it affect her job, and she'd be dammed if she broke that promise.

As she entered the interrogation room, she gave a small smile to the red-head sitting in front of her. "Tara Reed? My name is Sara Sidle."

Grissom sighed and reread his notes over again. After the autopsy, it was confirmed that Officer Preston was killed due to a single gunshot penetrating the left ventricle of the heart. For Jacob Wright, however, COD was multiple stab wounds—the fatal one nicking the aorta. Tossing the autopsy file to the side, he picked up another one and leaned back.

Grease found on the handle of the dagger. Grease found on Jacob Wright's hands. Suicide possibly? He could have killed Officer Preston with the gun, and then committed suicide? Grissom frowned and scratched his head. That doesn't make any sense. The dagger was found by the door, and the stab wounds weren't consistent of a suicide. And plus, if he was the only one there, where was the pizza?

He tossed the file on top of the autopsy one, shuffling everything around on his desk. He squinted at the four profiles he had, each one containing information on people involved with the case: Jacob Wright; Benjamin Preston; Marie Wright—victim's mother; and Tara Reed—victim's girlfriend.

Just as he opened the first folder, there was a knock on his door. "Hey, Grissom."

The youngest of his CSIs stared back at him. "Come in, Greg. What have you got?"

Greg strode inside and dramatically landed in one of the chairs in front of Grissom. "I finally finished processing the victim's car," he explained, handing Grissom the file.

"And?" he asked, reaching out to take it from him.

"Only two sets of fingerprints. One belonged to the victim, and the other belonged to his girlfriend."

Grissom shrugged, "Not surprising."

"But get this…" Greg continued, "The prints found on the steering wheel belonged to the girlfriend. If the victim was really delivering a pizza, wouldn't he be the one driving?"

Grissom's tongue pressed against the back of his teeth, lips jutting forward as he scanned Greg's results. Greg smiled, "Did I break the case again?"

Grissom glanced at Tara Reed's file. Brother: Travis Reed. Record: Involved in gang shooting March 2004. Six months probation. Minor. Arresting officer: Benjamin Preston.

"Not yet."

"We met in science class. Jake and I are both very into schoolwork. We both were nerds—yet popular, too. I was having trouble in science—it's my weakest subject—and he helped me understand it. And…it just kind of went forward from then on."

Sara nodded at the victim's girlfriend. "And did you see Jake the night he died?"

She shook her head, "He was working late that night. He always calls me after he gets off of work, and when he didn't, I just figured he forgot and was tired."

"Does he usually forget to call you?"

"No…but…" Tara sniffed, "I should have realized something was wrong…"

Sara stared at her, trying to decipher if the young woman in front of her was in fact genuine. "It's—"

"—No! You don't get it. I loved him." Tara shook her head, "I know 18 is a young age to be in love, but we were." She swiped her eyes, "This wasn't suppose to happen…"

Sara cocked one eyebrow at Tara's words, "What wasn't suppose to happen?"

The suspect in question's head snapped up at Sara's inquiry. "No! I mean, no…I meant that he wasn't suppose to die. We had our entire lives ahead of us, he was my soul mate—my intellectual equal."

Sara visibly cringed.

"I fell in love with Jake, because I can learn from him everyday. He wasn't like other boys our age—he was smart and mature. He wasn't exactly the most attractive guy in school or the most outgoing, but I loved him because of it—not in spite of. Do you know how it feels when you've lost your best friend, teacher, and lover all at the same time, Miss Sidle?"

'I must have done something to piss someone off,' Sara thought miserably. First, Nick, Warrick, and Catherine have a case dealing with a boss/subordinate affair, and now she had to sit here and listen to some teenage girl tell her what it's like to be in love with someone that she's lost. Her soul mate—her intellectual equal. While she's never lost Grissom, she sure as hell never had him either. 'If you only knew, Tara. If you only knew…'

"Tara, with all due respect, this interrogation isn't about how much you loved your boyfriend."

"Love. Not loved—love."

Sara frowned. It was almost as if she was trying to justify his death with her love. "Is there something you're not telling me?" she asked cautiously.

"No," she sniffed. "Are we done?"

Sara nodded as the officer opened the door to escort her out. As she was just about to exit the room, a figure seemed to block her path yet again. "Sara."

"Checking up on my interrogations yet again, Grissom?" she replied lightly.

Grissom frowned, "Actually, I was watching from the observation room."

Her eyebrows raised in thought. 'I wonder how much he heard.' She leaned against the door frame and sighed, "Well, I don't think I got much from her anyway. She mostly babbled on about how much she loved him."

"A little too much if you ask me."

Though her initial thoughts were the same, that thought coming from Grissom seemed to spark a bit of irritation. "What are you saying? She was lying about her love for him?"

"Nooo," Grissom drawled. "I'm saying she could be the killer." He paused, "Or accomplice."

Sara frowned and forced her way through him and into the hallway. "Unbelievable," she muttered.

"Excuse me?" Grissom turned to face her.

"Do you always expect the worst from people?" she questioned accusingly.

Grissom scoffed and shook his head, "I'm just following the evidence, Sara. Her prints were found on the steering wheel of his car."

"I know, Grissom." Sara pursed her lips, and then spoke again, "We follow the evidence, not our emotions. I get it. But until she's proven guilty, it wouldn't kill you to reserve judgment." At his blank stare, she added, "She seemed genuine about her love."

"Sara…18 is a young age to be falling in love. It took me 47 years."

While a part of her realized Grissom had just shared an intimate piece of information about himself, she instead huffed in response, "Don't doubt the possibility. Although I probably didn't know it back then, I think I fell in love around that age."

Grissom stared as she began to walk away.

"Why else would I have moved to Vegas?" she stated without looking back.

Sara entered the locker room, ready to go home and sleep off her anger and hurt. Instead, she was greeted by a bubbly Greg, and a shirtless Nick.

"Hey!" Greg greeted with his usual smile. "You're going to actually clock out on time today?"

She couldn't help but grin at Greg's playfulness, "Yep. Once in a blue moon I do, Greggo." She opened her locker in search for her purse and jacket.

"In that case, howza 'bout joining Nick and me for some breakfast?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…" Nick chimed in, "who said I wasn't busy?"

Greg rolled his eyes dramatically and jerked his thumb behind him in the vicinity of where Nick was changing, "Like he's got anything to do."

Sara smirked as Nick huffed indignantly.

"Well cowboy? You want to get some breakfast with me and me lady or what?" Greg asked.

"Now who said I didn't have plans?"

Nick and Greg both gave her a pointed look, "Please," they both retorted simultaneously.

Now it was Sara's turn to huff. "Hey!"

Nick smirked and donned a fresh shirt. "We're just yanking your chain, Sar…we know your life is plenty interesting," he quipped sarcastically.

"Yeah, just like that shirt is plenty ugly," Sara shot back.

"Children…children! Stop the hatred!" Both the 'children' shot glares at Greg. "Aw come on, I'm buying?"

Nick laughed, "Since when are you making the big bucks?"

Greg rolled his eyes again, "Well? You guys in or what?"

"Yeah, why not," Nick shrugged, "I guess I can spare an hour to keep you company."

"Oh, how thoughtful…and you, Sara?"

Sara contemplated, "I dunno guys. I kind of—"

"—We know you don't have plans, Sar." Nick smirked and raised his hands in defense at her glare.

"Yeah, come on, Sara. It's been a long shift, with Grissom's new evidence and all."

Sara knew she should just let that statement drop. 'Just ignore it, go home, and get some sleep.' But as much as she wanted not to, she had to ask anyway. "What new evidence? You mean the girlfriend's fingerprints on the steering wheel?"

Greg shrugged and pointed smugly at himself, "Yep, courtesy of hours of processing the victims car by the one and only." Sara mimicked Greg's previous eye roll. "Hey! Don't underestimate that piece of evidence. Right after that, Grissom realized the girlfriend's brother has a record for being in a gang. And guess who the arresting officer was."

Sara stopped midway in putting on her jacket. Grissom forgot to mention that lovely piece of evidence. She quickly shucked her jacket back into her locker and headed for the door.

"Sara?"

"Next time guys!" she said as she disappeared through the doors.

"Was it something I said?" Greg sulked.

Nick chuckled, "Word of advice, next time you want Sara to leave the lab…never mention new evidence."

Greg pouted, "Once in a blue moon my ass."

A knock on his doorframe caused Grissom to look up from his file. He wasn't surprised as Sara strode in and sat down before addressing him. "Greg told me that Tara has a brother with a record."

Grissom nodded and removed his glasses, "Gang-related shooting."

Sara huffed, "So why aren't we bringing him in for interrogation. Or getting a warrant to search his house?"

"Sara…only one thing ties him into this case. The symbol on the dagger and the bandana don't match his former gang. Right now, the only reason he's even called to question is because Benjamin Preston was his arresting officer."

"So? It's just as much evidence as those fingerprints Tara Reed left on the steering wheel!"

Grissom frowned. "Brass is already—"

"I don't believe this, Grissom! You say follow the evidence and now that the evidence points us in a different direction, you—"

"—Sara!"

She shook her head angrily and refused to meet his eyes.

"If you would have let me finish, you would have known that Brass is already out bringing Travis Reed in for questioning."

Though her frown didn't disappear, Sara met Grissom's gaze. "Sorry," she whispered.

Grissom's glare was disapproving. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but I think it's best if I remove you from this case."

Her jaw dropped slightly, and her eyebrows automatically knitted together. "What?"

"It's for your own good, Sara." He repositioned his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose and focused on his file again. "I don't know if it's whether you're relating this case to much, or if you just seem to think I'm heartless, but we obviously aren't getting anything done by working together."

"Neither, Grissom." Her voice dripped with bitterness, "I'm just trying to be objective and not assume before I have all the facts."

He sighed and looked up, "I'm sorry, you can help Warrick, Nick, and Catherine on their decomp case. In the meantime, Greg would be enough assistance for me."

"Fine."

Grissom looked up from the lack of argument on Sara's part. "I'm sorry, Sara."

She stood up, void of all emotion. "Tara called the victim her soul mate—her intellectual equal." She paused, shaking her head at him in more of a disappointed than angry fashion. "I'm not relating the case to myself, Grissom. I was wrong when I once thought you were my soul mate; and you obviously don't see me as an equal."

She walked out without another word. Grissom realized how that's been happening a lot lately—she was always walking away from him.

And it was his fault.

Please review? Constructive criticism is very much welcome, too. Thanks for reading. :)