Notes and Disclaimers are at the beginning of Chapter One.
Part Twelve - Back to Work
*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*
"You were right, Greg. This didn't solve anything. Nothing's changed. Andrew's still dead. As for Grissom's team, you were definitely right. Catherine and Sara would hunt me from hell to breakfast. You and Warrick would go back over every shred of evidence with a fine-tooth comb." Margie's image on the television screen in the break room laughed and raised a hand the to bandage on her arm. "Nick's already shot me." She shook her head. "I didn't count on one thing, Grissom. I didn't count on your friends. I hope you know how lucky you are. Andrew, Annie, and I only had each other." She sighed, looking down. She was silent for several minutes. When she finally spoke, it was barely a whisper. "And now I have no one. Treasure what you have, Grissom."
Margie got up and moved off camera. There wasn't a sound in the break room as Grissom left the tape running. A gunshot sounded in the distance, causing everyone except Grissom to jump. He kept watching the video as it ran. After ten minutes, everyone was shifting in their seats, looking anywhere but at Grissom. He didn't turn off the tape until Brass appeared on the screen, turning Margie's VCR off.
Grissom got up from the table and took the tape out of the VCR. He handed it back to Catherine. Before he walked out of the room, he clapped Greg on the shoulder.
"Thanks, Greg."
Greg squirmed in his chair, blushing. Grissom looked at the rest of his team and gave a half smile. "Thanks, guys. For everything."
He left the room. The rest looked at each other. "Is that it?" Sara asked.
Catherine slid the tape back into the evidence bag. "Based on Margie's confession on the tape, with detail, plus the fact that drug was still in his system, Grissom's cleared of any involvement in Annie Jones' death. Margie's death was a suicide. Yeah, that's it."
Greg was picking apart a blank sheet of paper that was sitting on the table. Sara noticed. "What's wrong, Greg?"
The young chemist looked up at her. "I guess I still don't get it."
"Get what?"
"Margie. What she did, what she tried to do."
Warrick slowly shook his head. "On a case like this, Greg, the only person who truly understands is the person who did it."
"So, what, you guys just go back to work and hope that none of your suspects have crazy relatives who plan to frame you five years from now? How do you deal with that?"
The four CSIs looked at each other. None of them had an answer for that, because they usually didn't consider it. Greg sensed the uncomfortable currents in the room and stood. "I think I'm going back to my lab now." He disappeared.
"I honestly didn't know how to answer that," Sara confessed.
"Neither did I." Catherine admitted. "I don't think Grissom would, either."
"What's Grissom going to do now?" Nick asked the question that was on everyone's mind. They all knew, without anyone saying anything, that Grissom had been considering quitting. This whole case had shaken him like no other case had.
"Why don't you ask me that, Nick?" Grissom's voice sounded from the door way behind them. No one had noticed him return.
Nick shifted in his seat as Grissom regarded him with an inquisitive expression on his face. "Okay, what are you going to do now?" he finally repeated.
Grissom gave a half smile. "I'm going to head down to the Rio with Sara to work on a 419. You and Catherine have a 407 out in Henderson. Warrick, you've got a 418 missing person case at the Bellagio." Grissom handed them the assignment slips. "Let's get back to work."
*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*
Finis
[Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who left feedback for me on any of my stories. I really do appreciate it. Now go read other author's fic and/or write some of your own! I'll read it! ;) kyrdwyn]
Part Twelve - Back to Work
*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*
"You were right, Greg. This didn't solve anything. Nothing's changed. Andrew's still dead. As for Grissom's team, you were definitely right. Catherine and Sara would hunt me from hell to breakfast. You and Warrick would go back over every shred of evidence with a fine-tooth comb." Margie's image on the television screen in the break room laughed and raised a hand the to bandage on her arm. "Nick's already shot me." She shook her head. "I didn't count on one thing, Grissom. I didn't count on your friends. I hope you know how lucky you are. Andrew, Annie, and I only had each other." She sighed, looking down. She was silent for several minutes. When she finally spoke, it was barely a whisper. "And now I have no one. Treasure what you have, Grissom."
Margie got up and moved off camera. There wasn't a sound in the break room as Grissom left the tape running. A gunshot sounded in the distance, causing everyone except Grissom to jump. He kept watching the video as it ran. After ten minutes, everyone was shifting in their seats, looking anywhere but at Grissom. He didn't turn off the tape until Brass appeared on the screen, turning Margie's VCR off.
Grissom got up from the table and took the tape out of the VCR. He handed it back to Catherine. Before he walked out of the room, he clapped Greg on the shoulder.
"Thanks, Greg."
Greg squirmed in his chair, blushing. Grissom looked at the rest of his team and gave a half smile. "Thanks, guys. For everything."
He left the room. The rest looked at each other. "Is that it?" Sara asked.
Catherine slid the tape back into the evidence bag. "Based on Margie's confession on the tape, with detail, plus the fact that drug was still in his system, Grissom's cleared of any involvement in Annie Jones' death. Margie's death was a suicide. Yeah, that's it."
Greg was picking apart a blank sheet of paper that was sitting on the table. Sara noticed. "What's wrong, Greg?"
The young chemist looked up at her. "I guess I still don't get it."
"Get what?"
"Margie. What she did, what she tried to do."
Warrick slowly shook his head. "On a case like this, Greg, the only person who truly understands is the person who did it."
"So, what, you guys just go back to work and hope that none of your suspects have crazy relatives who plan to frame you five years from now? How do you deal with that?"
The four CSIs looked at each other. None of them had an answer for that, because they usually didn't consider it. Greg sensed the uncomfortable currents in the room and stood. "I think I'm going back to my lab now." He disappeared.
"I honestly didn't know how to answer that," Sara confessed.
"Neither did I." Catherine admitted. "I don't think Grissom would, either."
"What's Grissom going to do now?" Nick asked the question that was on everyone's mind. They all knew, without anyone saying anything, that Grissom had been considering quitting. This whole case had shaken him like no other case had.
"Why don't you ask me that, Nick?" Grissom's voice sounded from the door way behind them. No one had noticed him return.
Nick shifted in his seat as Grissom regarded him with an inquisitive expression on his face. "Okay, what are you going to do now?" he finally repeated.
Grissom gave a half smile. "I'm going to head down to the Rio with Sara to work on a 419. You and Catherine have a 407 out in Henderson. Warrick, you've got a 418 missing person case at the Bellagio." Grissom handed them the assignment slips. "Let's get back to work."
*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*
Finis
[Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who left feedback for me on any of my stories. I really do appreciate it. Now go read other author's fic and/or write some of your own! I'll read it! ;) kyrdwyn]