Alison sat in front of her mirror with Ethan on her lap.

"Alright, what set of earrings do you think I should wear." She asked, pointing at the set of Earrings. Ethan tilted his head.

"These ones." Alison laughed.

"Those ones, you always pick those ones." She said, tickling his said causing him to squeal.

"They're the sparkliest." Alison kissed her cheek.

"You're right. They are the sparkliest." She grabbed the earrings that were selected. She jumped ever so slightly when she noticed Greg. He was leaning against the doorway, watching them.

"You know we don't have to go to this." He said. She could feel the tension in him at the idea of them being in public.

"I know, but all your friends at the lab are going to be there." Her words didn't seem to relax him any more than before. "Ethan, why don't you go grab out a few of your toys that you will want to play with Michael when he gets here." Michael was Wendy and Hodge's son, about the same ages as Ethan. It was decided that it would be easier if the two kids and Wendy's sister stayed here while the parents were at the dinner. Ethan nodded, hopping off Alison's dress and running for his room. She turned around in her chair, so she was facing Greg. "I don't understand what changed from last week when we made these plans." Greg's jaw worked.

"Apart from you getting hijacked in a med chopper and almost dying." Alison closed her eyes.

"Yes, besides that."

"Maybe the fact that this isn't some normal dinner. She's trying to be reelected as Sharif, and the daughter of the New York Police commissioner is going to be there. There is no way that the press is going to not take your picture." He walked into the room. "I'd be like the president's daughter was going." Alison rolled her eyes.

"Maybe if Erin was going but not me. They'd be more likely to recognize you from your books than me." Alison stood up, her dress swishing. "Besides. My name isn't on the ticket, and neither is yours. Russell got us the tickets." Alison reached out and gently grabbed his arm.

"If you don't feel safe about going tonight, then we can stay. But if you are doing this because of me, then don't." Greg closed his eyes.

"Are you sure?" Alison smiled.

"Yes."

Greg grew tenser as they got closer to the hotel. They should be here. Alison was doing her best to seem relaxed, but she could feel the tension in her hand holding onto his arm. Right as he was about to enter the hotel, Russell exited.

"Sanders. I'm glad I caught you two." Greg looked down at Alison.

"What's up?" Greg asked.

"There's a triple around the corner, and we need to head over there. Hodges and Wendy volunteered to work the lab since most of the CSI's are out because of this event tonight." Alison looked down at her dress and heels.

"I'm going to need to change." She said.

"Morgan has a change of close for you already at the crime scene." Alison nodded.

"I have my converse in the car. Let me go get them." She turned, walking away. Greg looked at Russell.

"If Morgan is already at that scene and Hodges and Wendy are working the lab, why us." Russell shrugged his shoulder.

"You're the best." Greg stared at him.

"Enough of that. What's the real reason." Russel leaned close.

"I hear a few reporters in there mention that Alison was going to be here tonight." Greg's eyes instantly shot around them.

"How?"

"Apparently, the Sharif let it slip to them. I thought that it might be better if you never made it." Greg nodded. "I'm sorry if I overstepped." Greg waved him off.

"It's fine. I should go check on her." He said, being careful not to use Alison's name. Russel agreed, and Greg ran back to the car where Alison was getting out with her classic covers on, and her hair returned to a ponytail. He smiled and her, and she blushed.

"What?" She asked around a smile. Greg walked over and kissed her.

"That outfit just makes me think of the second time we met." Alison laughed and took his hand, heading in the direction of the crime scene. Morgan met them at the entrance to the motel, handing Alison a bag.

"Thanks." She said, taking the bag and getting changed while Greg and Morgan headed to join Russell.

"This is detective Morano." Russel said, introducing them. On-off, the man nodded his head.

"Russell. You know my partner, Mike Crenshaw."

"You care to tell some of my CSI's what you told me."

"Uh, Mike and I have been working undercover, a drug-op. Our target is a dealer named Donny Price." Greg looked over at Russell, not knowing the name.

"Small-time hood big-time scumbag," Russell explained.

"Not anymore." The other officer chimed in. "We had a buy set up here tonight. Found him and the bodyguard shot in the head. Girlfriends are dead too. Drugs and cash gone."

"Sounds like a textbook drug rip-off," Morgan said.

"I agree," Greg said. "So, what's the situation." Russell took a deep breath.

"The girlfriend who's dead. She happens to be the wife of Jack Gillmor. Who is friends with Sharif and Speaking at her event tonight?" Greg let out a whistle.

"I can see how this is going to be messy."

Alison walked up to the dumpster.

"Up you go." She said to Greg. He raised an eyebrow.

"My dear, I believe it is your turn." Alison put her hands on her hips.

"Whatever happened to chivalry."

"It died 5 dumpsters ago. Now up you go." Alison rolled her eyes, hopping into the dumpster.

"Do you really think that Jack murdered his wife?" She asked.

"I mean, the Sharifs speech lasted according to the recording a little over 18 minutes. You and I walked it. He had more than enough time to commit the murder and make it back to the event." Alison looked over at him.

"Unfortunately, that gives us 10 dumpsters between the hotel and our crime scene where he could dump whatever he used to keep the blood off his clothes." Greg shook his head.

"Got to admit a fundraiser for the Sharif is a perfect alibi. I mean, the place was full of politicians and cops." Alison turned back to the trash.

"Hey, look at this." She handed over a set of warmups.

"Considering all the blood on them, I think it's safe to say our search is over." Alison moved a few more bags.

"I can do one better." She said after taking a picture.

"I have the murder weapon." She reached down, lifting up the stick. "It's not a baseball bat. It's a hockey stick." Greg tilted his head.

"Didn't Russell say something about Gillmor owning a hockey team?"

"I don't know, but this just got a lot more interesting."

Greg sat at his desk. Looking over several reports. They had been able to clear Gillmor, but this setup was elaborate. Not some simple coverup. Alison walked into the office, handing him a cup of coffee. He took a sip then grimaced.

"I see that they have not kept up my high standards of coffee here." Alison didn't respond, and he looked up at her. "What's up." Alison took a deep breath.

"The gun traced back to a cop discharging their weapon during a domestic dispute."

"What happened to the gun."

"After the case was tossed, it was returned to the officer."

"Who was the officer." Alison looked down at her report.

"A Jeffrey McKeen." Greg shot out of his chair, grabbing the report. He could feel his hands start to shake. "Greg, what's wrong." He ignored her question.

"Have you told anyone else?"

"No. Who is he." Greg didn't answer, heading for the main conference room where Nick was working.

"Alison just traced the gun back to Jeffrey McKeen."

"You got to be kidding me."

"Who's Jeffrey McKeen?" Alison said, having followed Greg into the office.

"He's the Former undersheriff, now serving life," Greg said, still looking at Nick.

"He killed Warrick Brown." Nick said. Alison looked over at Greg.

"You said he was killed but not by a cop." Greg shook his head.

"It happened right before I moved to New York."

"So, if McKeen's in prison, how does his gun end up committing all these murders?" She asked.

"He must have had someone do it for him," Greg said.

"But what does he gain." Nick held up his hand.

"Wait, one of our victims took over McKeen's old turf." Greg snapped his fingers.

"Maybe he controlling it from the inside like the Godfather."

"If that's the case," Nick added. "Then he's got people working for him on the outside."

"What should we do?" Alison asked.

"We should take this to Russell and see what he can do," Nick said.

"But remember, we don't know how deep this thing goes," Greg said.

Alison sat on the couch with Ethan asleep next to her. She was reading through Greg's latest book outline. It had been a long night, and she wasn't ready to fall asleep. Greg was staying late at the office. So she came home to be with Ethan. McKeen's man on the outside had turned up dead, and the lieutenant of VIS was marked as dirty. This was all going to blow up. She had seen this before with the Blue templar. She shook her head. They had killed her brother Joe. Alison ran her hand through Ethan's messy mop of hair. What would Joe think of her if he saw her now? He always said that she would find someone even after everything that happened. He would have liked Greg that she knew. They had the same sense of humor. Though Greg's was a little darker than Joe's. If Joe was still alive, would it have taken so long to find out about his son? Stella brought him to Alison's wedding. Would he have recognized him? Alison shook her head, whipping the few tears from her eyes. There was no point in thinking about the what if's in life. She reached over, grabbing her phone. She should give her dad a call. Before she got the chance, her phone rang. She smiled at Greg's face popping up on the screen.

"Hey, how…"

"Where are you." Greg cut her off.

"At the house." She answered, her body going tense.

"Is Ethan with you." The hair on the back of her neck shot up.

"Yes."

"Not just in the house do you see him." She looked over at her son.

"Yes, he's asleep on the couch next to me."

"Alison, listen to me very carefully. Russel's granddaughter was kidnapped, and Morgan's dad was shot. It looks like McKeen is cracking down on the CSI time that put him away and cracked down on his operation this week."

"Meaning your name is on that list."

"I want you to grab Ethan and bring him to the lab."

"What about other dirty cops."

"It's better than having you two alone in that house." Suddenly the relaxing quiet of the night turned into a spotlight on her. She looked to her left, seeing that the curtains were open. With the lamp next to her on, she and Ethan could clearly be seen by someone looking in on them.

"Okay, I love you." She hung the phone up and, in a smooth motion, reached over and turned the light off, plunging the house into darkness.