Piecing it together

Grissom felt his headache start to worsen and he popped two painkillers for it in the car before going back into the lab. He had a feeling they weren't going to work, but right now he would take any port in this storm that wasn't going to end any time soon.

He wondered how long he could keep it from Ecklie that the LVPD Lab had found another family member for Catherine, it really wasn't anyone fault but knowing Ecklie he would find a way to blame him for it. For now, if Ecklie asked why Catherine was not on the case he was going to tell him that she felt to involved in the case to stay objective and bowed out. It's not a total lie, thought Grissom getting what had been collected from Jenna and going inside. He walked into DNA first thing and handed the swab to Wendy.

"Jenna bit whoever attacked her and I think she made have gotten a chunk of him. Can you see if this has unknown DNA on it?"

"Sure, it could take a little time though to separate the DNA though and run it through CODIS," said Wendy.

"Try to step it up a little please, we have less than seventy two hours before this creep gets ten million dollars for Katie," said Grissom.

"Yes sir." Wendy turned back to her scope and started studying the swab. Grissom went over into the layout room where Warrick was working, looking over photos from the scene.

"Anything?" asked Grissom.

"Found this," said Warrick he showed Grissom a photo of the jacket he had pulled from the dumpster. "Blood on it matches Jenna and you see the marks on it, it's where she clawed at him. He had to ditch the jacket after she got blood on it and ruined it. I sent a swab from inside of the jacket for DNA, but he tossed it in a dumpster so I don't think we'll get any DNA from inside it though. Wendy was gonna try through."

"I hope she gets something from it. Does Hodges have a trace report yet?" asked Grissom.

"I do right here," said Hodges walking into the layout room. "Now if you ignore what could have rubbed off on the clothing in the dumpster, I noticed some dust on the jacket, ran it through the GCMS and it came back has steel dust, found in any number of steel mills in the greater Vegas area, the same trace was also found on Katie's pajama's and on Jenna's clothing," said Hodges.

"Well that narrows it down to what…anywhere that works with steel?" asked Warrick.

"I'm sorry it's not more," said Hodges sounding truly apologetic.

"It's more than we had before," said Grissom. "Have Ronnie and Tatum come back yet?"

"Tatum is in AV with Archie and Ronnie is looking through credit card receipts from a flower shop a few blocks away from the scene. They matched a type of crystal found in vases there with what Nick collected at the scene," said Warrick.

"Good," said Grissom and he went over to AV where Tatum and Archie were glue to a screen.

"Shop had outside cameras so where just waiting for someone to come out carrying our flowers," said Tatum before Grissom could get anything out.

"What's the time frame?" asked Grissom.

"The flowers were very fresh, so they had to be bought the day of. We're at eight am yesterday and working from there," said Tatum.

"The casino cameras were a waste, he kept the flowers in his face the whole time," said Archie.

"So it could have been someone who knew the casino?" asked Grissom.

"Or who knew that cameras and casinos go hand in hand," said Archie. Grissom sighed.

"Let me know the second you find something," said Grissom feeling the bands tighten in his head. We have the clues yet nothing and fits together at all! Grissom went into his office with the duplicate photos of the crime scene and a quick copy of the notes he had taken from Nick's interview with Jenna while he was at the hospital and started to look through them and thought.

The attack was quick and vicious, it was also planned, and they knew Jenna was going to be there…but the person who knocked at the door according to Jenna asked if the suite was Catherine's

. Grissom frowned, sat back in his chair and looked at his desk and tried to figure out what was bothering him other than the case. Over the years the amount of personal photos had grown and he looked at them. One was with the whole team after they had been brought back together, the one next to that was just of him and Sara at a forensic conference the summer they had started seeing each other.

The last photo he had on his desk was taken at Katie's Christening with him, Sara, Greg, Jenna and Katie. Jenna was holding Katie and Grissom looked at mother and daughter, god she's a splitting image of her mother almost if Katie was just a bit darker she…Grissom's train of thought came to a halt and he looked at the photo of Katie and Jenna and than he looked at the team photo with Catherine. He stared at them, Jenna and Catherine didn't look alike at all, but Katie was white and to someone who didn't know better…they could assume that Katie was Catherine's.

He picked up the photos and headed into AV to get a second opinion, Archie and Greg were friends after all. Tatum and Archie looked up at him.

"We don't have anything yet," said Tatum.

"Archie, refresh my memory what nationality is Jenna again? Italian and Mexican right. That's why she's on the tan side?" Archie looked up at him trying to figure out where his boss was going with this.

"Yeah." Grissom sat the photo down of Jenna and Katie.

"Do they look alike to you? If you were to see them on the street, would you assume mother and daughter?" Archie looked at the photo.

"Katie and Jenna look alike in the face, but if it were just a passing on the street and looking at skin color alone…at the risk of sounding a bit racist…no I don't think I would assume mother and daughter, but Greg's white. Hence Katie's white, even Jenna jokes about the fact that she has a white girl," said Archie. Grissom handed him the photo of Catherine and put it next to Katie.

"Would you assume on passing that they are mother and daughter?" Archie frowned and looked.

"Well, maybe I would if it were just a passing on the street type deal and not really looking at them," said Archie. Tatum frowned.

"Where are we going with this exactly? Katie's mixed; genetics say she was bounded to either going to look more Caucasian or more Mexican. What does that have to do with the case?" Grissom looked at the photos in his hands and said it more to himself than to Archie and Tatum.

"I think we may have a very serious case of mistaken identity."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Thanks," said Jenna taking a change of clothes and shower kit from Sara. Greg had given Sara a key to the house and she got him and Jenna a change of clothes, a shower kit and some of his Blue Hawaiian in a thermos. Greg was chugging a cup right now to stay awake, he was tried but at the same time he didn't want to go to sleep. Kari kissed on her forehead and tried to joke with her.

"Can't let you go on TV looking like that now can we." She gestured to Jenna's hospital gown and messed up ponytail. Jenna let out something between a laugh and sob.

"I'm surprised the PR asshole isn't here with a makeup and wardrobe crew. Is it alright to take a shower?" asked Jenna looking at Nick.

"We got all the physical evidence we could from you, so I don't see a shower hurting anything," said Nick. Greg helped Jenna unhook her IV and she went into the bathroom for a shower.

Greg closed the door behind her and looked at his parents, they had only been here a few hours and seemed to be holding it together better than he and Jenna were. They filled Noah, Kari and Sara in on everything, including what happened with Jenna's mother and the press conference that was to happen in about two hours. Noah sighed and looked at Greg.

"You won't change your mind about this press conference will you?' Greg nodded.

"They think it's the best thing we can do for Katie," said Greg.

"I just think it's a load of crap that you can't speak for your own daughter," said Noah.

"Mr. Sanders I understand why you feel that way, but this could be the best thing they do for Katie. By getting the story out, it's likely that someone who has seen Katie to come forward," said Sara.

Spoken like a CSI…can take the girl away from CSI, but you can't take the CSI out of the girl, thought Greg with a small grin.

"I know that, but still it's really unfair," said Kari stirring her coffee.

"I'll take unfair if we get Katie home," said Greg throwing his cup away.

"Mr. Stokes…" started Kari.

"Nick, just call me Nick."

"Well Nick, whoever took my granddaughter have they tried to contact you guys again since the first call? I mean they ask for money and than don't tell us where they want it, what sense does that make?"

"We believe that they'll contact us again when the seventy two hours is up and they want the money. Until than it's really just wait and see what they'll do." Noah groaned and left the room. Kari frowned.

"He's smoking again…he started up again after what happened with Greg and he hasn't touched one for almost a year until you called us sweetheart." Greg felt a little bad that he had driven his dad to smoking again, but right now he was debating going downstairs and asking his dad if he could have one to calm his nerves.

Jenna came out the bathroom dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a blue tee shirt The bruises on her face looked worse now since she was cleaned up, she looked the way he felt, scared and lost. Now he was having second thoughts about asking her to go out there and deal with a bunch of media hounds. But he knew that she had made up her mind to this and nothing was going to change her mind. Greg went say something to her when Milhow came into the room looking sheepish.

"I'm sorry to bother you all, but I need to talk to Jenna alone."

"Why?" asked Jenna. Kari glared at him and Milhow let out a little cough.

"It's prep for what the reporters are going to ask you and how to react." Jenna rolled her eyes at him and looked at Greg.

"Can Greg stay with me please?" Milhow frowned.

"It's best that we do this one on one." Greg took her hand.

"Honey I'll be right outside if you need me." She nodded and everyone filed out the room. Milhow shut the door a little harder than needed when everyone left the room. Sara glared at the door.

"God the PR jerks became larger assholes since I left."

"Yeah no shit," said Nick. Kari twisted her wedding ring and frowned.

"It's unfair that you two are being asked to go through this separate." Greg sat down in a chair and sighed.

"I know mom, but if we don't do this and someone out there knows where Katie is and it's the piece of the puzzle we need to fit everything together…right now I'm in agreement with Jenna about selling my soul if it gets Katie home safe." Kari sat down next to her son and took his hand.

"I would do the same thing too sweetheart." Nick and Sara looked at each other and Sara motion with her head that they should go down the hall. Nick followed Sara and she started pacing.

"This sucks. I mean it this sucks a lot, I hate having to sit here and watch them be hurt like this. Nick have they called you with anything yet, any new leads?" asked Sara.

"Sara, you of all people you know how this works. DNA, fingerprints, sorting through the evidence it takes time. And trust me; you think the team is going to rest until she's found? You should know that Grissom is probably hounding Wendy and Mandy and Warrick to work faster…hell I'll be surprised if he doesn't kick them out of there labs and run everything himself."

"You're right…dare me to call him again and see what happens?" asked Sara. Grissom still hadn't checked his voice mail to see that she had called him. A part of her was mad that she had to find this out by the news, but at the same time she knew that Grissom had probably thrown himself headlong into this case was that he wasn't going to stop until they put in the hospital for exhaustion or until they found Katie.

"Gossiping about me?" asked Greg.

"Debating what would happen if I called Grissom while he's working. Where's your mom?" asked Sara.

"She went to save my dad from smoking another cancer stick. Sara thanks for coming out here…sorry it wasn't something slightly happier." She gave Greg another hug.

"I told you would be here for you, I mean come on Greggo, its the least I could do for you considering you were such a gentlemen to not look at me while in the shower." Greg couldn't help it and he started laughing, it was the funniest thing he had heard all day.

"I can't believe that she bought that you didn't look at her," said Nick.

"It was a haz-mat shower man; it was so far from sexy. It really wasn't the greatest way to see someone naked; beside she took her clothes for the guys in the suits not me. Now if she had gotten naked for me it would have been a different story."

"He didn't look his eyes were closed the whole time," said Sara walking down the hall.

"And you know this because?" asked Nick.

"I told him I saw everything," said Sara with a small grin, she found the exit and headed outside to try Grissom again.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Do you have a current picture of Katie with you?" asked Milhow.

"I had one in my purse, but that's in evidence now," said Jenna. She hated this man, he was such a dick. What her and Greg were going through right now didn't matter to him at all.

"It's alright; Sanders gave us one that he had on his cell phone that he took last night. We'll use that one."

"Kari…she may have one in her purse that we took two weeks ago. It's a much better picture of Katie than the one he got on the cell phone. It's Katie at home; um she was playing with our cat." She was trying to give him her teething ring and Gabriel just looked at her like she was crazy. It was the funniest thing watching her try to share with the cat.

"We'll see," said Milhow in a slightly dismissive tone and he reached into his briefcase for something.

"Hey you listen to me asshole," snapped Jenna. Milhow looked at her. "I'm not in the mood to have you treat me like shit right now. I've put up with your half ass 'I care about you' bullshit and your fake pity about my baby missing. Right now is not a good time to get nasty with me, trust me if I could go out there and look for her myself I would and the way I feel right now no mugger or murderer would mess with me. Don't make me take all the pissed off feelings I have built up out on you. Because trust me I have no problems taking this IV pole and shoving it up your ass sideways." Milhow looked at her.

"Ecklie said you had a temper."

"You want to prove him right you'll keep it up." Milhow pulled up a chair and sat down.

"You'll need to keep that in check when being asked questions out there…I figured you being pissed at me is better than you blowing up at a reporter when and if they ask an asinine question." Milhow took a deep breath and went on.

"Now I'm not going to lie to you, this isn't going to be easy. They're probably going to ask you some very personal questions about your life and they'll want to know why we should care about your daughter. But just talk about Katie, she's a baby, your only baby, that she might be the only baby you can have because of the surgery you had last year after having her. Talk about how much you love her and what her being missing has done to you and your family. Do you think you can do this?"

"I don't have a real choice in this do I?" asked Jenna.

"No not really."

"Start asking questions than."

…………………………………………………………………………………………...

"You think that whoever did this took Katie, because they thought she was Cat's kid?" asked Warrick looking at Grissom with skepticism.

Grissom called Warrick into his office about an hour after piecing this together, Grissom had thought about this carefully and it was the only thing that made sense about why Katie was taken and the ransom demand.

"It makes sense if you really think about it. The kidnappers knew that the suite was under Catherine's name, the person who attacked Jenna and took Katie used flowers that according to Jenna he told her they were for Catherine, the ransom call was a direct call to Catherine and the person's who placed the call asked for ten million dollars, only Sam Braun's children would have access to that type of money. Catherine is his only known child that isn't dead or in jail. I think whoever did this, did it to get at Catherine not Greg or Jenna. We've been working this the wrong way since we got the case, we need to look at who want to hurt Catherine or Sam Braun," said Grissom. Warrick sighed.

"Katie lives with Greg and Jenna, she's with them all the time. Why would someone assume that Katie is Cat's kid?"

"Jenna had been meeting with Catherine to get her input on the opening party at the Eclipse. Jenna could of had Katie with her, someone saw them together and assumed based on looks that Katie was Catherine's. It would explain why they asked for ten million." Warrick sighed and thought.

"But Catherine didn't get any money from Sam."

"People assume Warrick, that's why they took Katie."

"Damn," muttered Warrick. "But why attack Jenna."

"She was there and in his way. I need you to pull all of Catherine's case files and her jacket. Any complaints, people with anything against her at all and get me a list ASAP. I need to talk to Jenna and Greg and let them know, Katie may still be alive because someone thinks they have someone else's baby." Grissom went to leave and almost ran into Ecklie.

"Gil, I need to talk to you about where you are on the case," said Ecklie.

"Not now I need to talk to Greg and Jenna."

"You can't talk to Jenna right now I have her in a press conference," said Ecklie. Grissom almost fell over.

"What!"

"I'm trying to get you something to work with here Grissom and if we can get the public interested in this case you may get more leads." Grissom wanted to kill him right now.

"Actually Conrad you may have done them a great disservice. Excuse me," said Grissom heading out of the lab. He felt his phone buzzing in his pocket and noticed that he had missed a voice mail from this morning and from about an hour ago. He would listen to them later; he needed to talk to Greg and Jenna.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"I'm sacred," said Jenna. Greg was sitting behind her and he had his arms wrapped around her waist and she was resting her head on his chest.

"I'll be in the next room watching you, don't be scared kay."

"Have you been able to get a hold of Frankie yet?" asked Jenna. Since he had left the hospital he hadn't answered his cell phone and it was starting to eat at Jenna.

"Nope I'm sorry," said Greg.

"Not your fault," Jenna turned his arms so she was facing him and gave him a hug. "You still love me though."

"I've tried not being in love with you and it was very lonely and a bit boring," said Greg. Milhow poked his head into the room.

"Jenna it's time." She nodded and gave Greg another hug; he hugged her a little tighter.

"I'll be here when you get back." Jenna nodded and stepped out the hug and followed Milhow out of the room. Greg paced the room and Sara came in to be with him.

"Holding up?" she asked.

"Barely." He sat down and she sat next to him. "If I tell you something you have to promise not to tell anyone."

"Cross my heart," said Sara.

"When Jenna got pregnant she couldn't figure out how because she took the pill. She thought maybe they were just a bad batch…I switched her pills. She had me pick them up from the drug store and I just switched them out for something else that looked like her pills, I only did it once and I knew I shouldn't have done it. I was really worried about her leaving after getting the shit beat out of me and just wanted her to stay and I thought it we had a baby that she would stay."

"Oh Greggo," said Sara. He blinked back tears.

"I know it was a dumb thing to do and it was the worst reason in the world to want a baby and that I shouldn't have done it. But when she found out she was pregnant with Katie she came back…I thank god everyday for that. I look at Katie and realize that I owe her so much and how much I love her and now she needs me and I'm not there for her Sara. It's not fair…it's just not fair." Greg put his head in his hands and started to cry. Sara started ruffling his hair.

"I'm not proud of what you did, but I know how much you and Jenna love that baby and what she means to both of you. To be honest I can't think of another little girl being as loved as her. I know that this is hard, but trust me I know the team…they won't throw in the towel and when Katie comes home you can spoil her rotten, I expect you to. Understand me Greggo?"

"Yes Ma'am. Sara…"

"Yeah."

"Thanks for being a good listener."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Jenna got up to the podium and felt herself started to clam up. The room was filled with reporters, mikes, cameras and bright lights. Jenna took a deep breath and looked at the crowd.

"My name is Jenna Bianchi and my daughter Katie Sabrina Sanders was kidnapped last night. We are looking for anyone with any information about Katie to come forward. The LVPD assured me that tips can be called into a hotline and you can stay unknown. My family…we just want Katie to come home safe and sound. She's going to be turning a year old in a few weeks and she needs to be home with her family and the people who love her. Katie is a very sweet, loving and trusting baby and we just want her home." One of the reporters raised his hand and Milhow pointed at him and he stood up.

"Has a ransom been asked for?"

"Yes and we do have it, but we need who has Katie to tell us where she is and where we can drop off the ransom, all me and her father want is Katie back and I promise them they will get what they want with no tricks. We just want Katie home." Milhow pointed at another reporter and she asked her question.

"If you could talk to your daughter what would you say to her?" Milhow went to say something to the reporter about the fact she was asking questions that were off limits when Jenna cut him off.

"Katie-monster its mommy...daddy and I are looking for you and we're going to bring you home soon I promise we miss you so much. But you need to be a good girl until you come home. We love you very much and…" Jenna's eyes started watering and she pushed herself away from the podium and ran out of the room.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Hailie had the TV on for back ground noise and Nora was playing on the floor with Remy. She was a very good baby, other than the occasionally mutterings for mama and dada she was very quite. Hailie was making some soup for her and Nora when the news came on and the reporter started announcing what the news was going to be.

"Breaking news about the kidnapping of Katie Sanders, we will be going live momentarily to a press conference being held with the mother of Katie Sanders." Nora started babbling a bit louder and she heard the baby crawl over to the TV and start to smack at the screen.

"Mama mama!!"

"Sweetie don't do that," said Hailie.

"We have been following the this story all day, eleven month old Katie Sanders was kidnapped late last night from after the opening party at the Eclipse hotel and casino. Her mother Jenna Bianchi was attacked during the kidnapping and she will now be speaking us at a live press conference from Desert Palms Hospital."

Nora hit the TV screen again and Hailie turned off the stove and put the soup in bowls for both of them and she added ice to Nora's soup so it wouldn't burn her.

"My name is Jenna Bianchi and my daughter Katie Sabrina Sanders was kidnapped last night. We are looking for anyone with any information about Katie to come forward. The LVPD assured me that tips can be called into a hotline and you can stay unknown. My family…we just want Katie to come home safe and sound. She's going to be turning a year old in a few weeks and she needs to be home with her family and the people who love her. Katie is a very sweet, loving and trusting baby and we just want her home." Poor woman, who would do such a horrible thing like kidnap a baby?

"Mama mama mama!!" Nora was smacking the screen and she was getting whiny and fussy.

"Oh it's alright sweetie, I'm coming." Nora started to whine louder and she hit the screen again.

"Katie-monster its mommy...daddy and I are looking for you and we're going to bring you home soon I promise we miss you so much. But you need to be a good girl until you come home. We love you very much and…" The sounds of someone running away and the voice of a man telling the reporters that there would be no more questions and him dismissing the reporters. Nora went into full out temper tantrum and she started hitting the TV screen harder and just shrieking.

"MAMA MAMA MAMA MAMA!!" Hailie went into the living room and picked Nora up and she tried to calm the baby down.

"Oh shush sweetie…what's wrong? It's alright don't cry honey." Katie was furious, her mommy was right there and she wanted her mommy. Mommy looked so sad…I miss you too mommy…I wanna come home. Katie started sucking her thumb and let the nice lady rub her back and feed her dinner. I wanna go home.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

He sat in his hotel room and watched the press conference and felt his blood start to boil. That son of bitch…he lied to me! He told me that the baby belonged to that Nazi bitch. He started to pace the room and couldn't believe that he had been duped like this. He picked up his cell and called his partner. Pick up, pick up come on pick up you lying son of a bitch!

"Hello."

"You tricked me you son of bitch! We got the wrong kid!"

"Would you keep your voice down? Hotel's have very thin walls."

"You told me she had a daughter?"

"Yes I did, you assumed the baby, not me," said his partner slightly mocking him.

"You set me up?"

"Well you don't think that people will think that I did this? Especially considering your past."

"You son of bitch."

"Now calm down…if you keep your temper in check we'll have our money and than you can go on whatever crazy revenge mission you want afterwards. Until than you sit there in that room and chill out. Do you understand me?"

"Whatever," he hung up the phone and started to pace again. God I was such a moron and I got Hailie into this mess now! That woman and her baby had nothing to do with what he really wanted. But she was with her and they seemed to be friends. Maybe he could still get what he wanted through that woman and her kid.

Leo Finley paced the hotel room and fumed that he hadn't gotten Catherine Willows's kid and how much he was going to enjoy getting back at her for ruining his life.

Notes-Leo Finley is from 1000 Days on Earth and needless to say he was really pissed off at Catherine.

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