Disclaimer: The characters belong to Alliance, CBS and a whole bunch of people I wish I was. I don't make money from this. I do it for fun.
"Post Script"
Grissom stared at the girl's body. She had been strangled to death. Her strawberry blonde hair and lithe form had struck a chord. Or maybe it was just the fact that Jackson had called to tell him Wembly Teague had confessed to Cat's long ago death. Teague was dying of cancer, divine revenge at least that was Teague's theory. Doc Robbins had finished the autopsy and the evidence was collected. Now they would study the evidence and let it speak to them to find justice for this poor unfortunate soul. Grissom had offered to clean up, so the doctor could grab some dinner.
Greg stood in the doorway. He hadn't meant to interrupt, and now he felt like he had walked in on a secret. Grissom was peculiar and a very private person, but Greg saw a different person before him. A master; gentle skilled hands checked the water temperature; or so it seemed to Greg. Smooth practiced hands, efficient, almost loving in their care. The body was still a person to Grissom, and that, to Greg, was anomalous. Lost in this thought, Greg didn't notice Grissom had rounded the table, and seeing Greg in the doorway, fixed him with an expectant stare.
"What are you doing here, Greg?" Grissom's voice startled him.
"Uh, looking for Sara. I've got the results on that residue she found at the robbery." Greg whispered.
"She's not here."
"Oh, I thought …. Well, she said she was looking for you and Doc Robbins said…"
Grissom interrupted. "Why are you whispering?"
"It's seemed like the thing to do, you know, out of respect." Greg shrugged, feeling stupid.
"They're dead, Greg." Said Grissom resuming his work. "They won't mind."
"Oh, yeah, I guess you're right." Greg always felt stupid around Grissom. He would get nervous and do something stupid, like ramble. "How can you do this?"
"What? Clean up the table after an autopsy?" Grissom gestured noncommittally. "I was an M.E. in L.A. and I used to do autopsies. I did clean up at the morgue to work my way through school."
"No." Greg shook his head, frowning. "How can you go to scene after scene and see these people on the worst day of their lives? Doesn't it bother you?"
"Why are you here, Greg?"
"I'm looking for Sara." Greg was puzzled; was Grissom trying to get rid of him?
"No, Greg. Why are you here?" Grissom paused and looked at him, an unreadable expression on his face. "You are a talented chemist. Why work in a forensics lab? You could make more money working in a research lab somewhere."
"I want to be where the action is." Greg said lamely.
Grissom stopped and studied Greg crossing his arms with a look of skepticism. "Really? Analyzing chemicals in the middle of the nigh isn't really that action packed."
Greg stared at the floor. Why couldn't he be intelligent around these people? Of course he knew the answer, they just made him nervous. Especially Grissom.
Grissom gave him an odd look. "Science geek to science geek, Greg. Why are you here; the truth?"
Greg sighed. "It's goofy, but I want to help."
"Help what?" Greg didn't answer. But Grissom continued anyway. "Help save the world? Make it safe for future generations by apprehending all the monsters of the world? Defending the innocent with science and riding the world of evil?"
"Yeah." Greg grinned weakly. "Kind of corny, huh?"
"No. Everyone wants to be a hero…"
Whatever Grissom intended to say next was cut off by the arrival of Nick and Sara.
"Hey boss, we got those prints back from CODIS." Nick said waving a few papers.
"Hey, Gris, have you seen…" Sara stopped.
"I have your results, Sara." Mumbled Greg; he handed her a thick envelop and turned to leave. He paused at the door to look at Grissom. Greg could have sworn he heard Grissom finish his thought.
"Me too, Greg."