Author's note: I'm really sorry if this isn't technically right. I only know what I can guess at from the show, so apologies. Anyway, for all you Nick/Sara shippers, you'll just have to be patient! Something's coming, but I'm not telling you what. This is mostly detail, but it will flesh out eventually. Sometime. Promise!

There wasn't much they could do at the scene, the car was empty, the engine dead, so while the car was being transported to the CSI garage, they went with Brass to the listed address for the girl.

Sara was looking over the rap sheet for Fai McKinley. Not that there was a lot. Twenty- two, single, Sara wasn't sure whether she had forgotten to update the license, or whether the wedding ring had been a red herring. No convictions, no offences. Nothing out of the ordinary, nothing to give any clue as to why she had been tortured and cremated alive.

The address was a small rental apartment in an older part of town, the block low and sprawling, probably housing at least a hundred apartments. The blue chipped door, on the third floor had a singing doorbell. Brass ignored it, knocking on the door instead.

A petite red head answered the door, her look surprisingly bright considering it was coming up to five in the morning.

'Can I help you guys? I was just off to work.' She asked, looking between the three of them.

'I'm Detective Brass, LVPD, this is Warrick Brown and Sara Sidle of Criminalystics.'

Her look showed her confusion, large hazel eyes searching Brass's for a clue as to what this was all about.

'What's your name?'

'Emily Watson.'

'Ms Watson, do you know Fai McKinley?'

'Uh yeah- she's my room mate. Is she in some kind of trouble?'

'When was the last time you saw her?'

'Uh, a couple of days ago I guess. I went to visit my mom, I just got back late last night.'

'Can we come in?' Sara asked, thinking before they got any more into this, it would be better to get off the doorstep.

The lounge was tiny, cramped with a sofa and two chairs. Emily waved in general at the chairs. Sara took a single, Warrick and Brass making do with the sofa.

'Can I get you guys a drink?' She asked, out of a politeness that even the anticipation of bad news hadn't knocked yet.

They all shook their heads.

'We found Ms McKinley's car, abandoned, out near the highway.' Brass told Emily once she had taken a seat.

'Is she.is she ok?'

'I'm sorry to say that we think she's dead.' Brass told her simply, not dressing up the words in any way, because nothing could take away from the impact of the words.

'Think?' Emily asked, unsure what he meant.

'A body was found two nights ago, matching Ms McKinley's description. We would have to run tests to make sure it's her.' Sara filled in, holding the girl's desperate gaze. Sara didn't think it would help to mention that in her gut, she knew it was Fai McKinley's body they had found.

'But you're pretty certain- otherwise you wouldn't be here.' Emily said, thinking out loud.

A single nod from Sara was all she needed for a tear to trickle down the girl's cheek, collecting at the corner of her mouth, soon joined by another.

'Tell me it wasn't her.' She all but whispered, begging Sara, making her heart pound loudly, uncomfortably in her chest. Looking for hope, knowing in her heart that there wasn't any.

'I'm sorry.' Sara said, holding her gaze even though all she wanted to do was look away, get away from the stiflingly cramped room.

Brass and Warrick stayed silent, seeing the connection Sara had already forged, letting her run with it for now. Warrick eventually got to his feet, started looking at pictures on the wall, ignored by the two girls.

'How long have you known Fai?' Sara asked, referring to the girl with her first name almost unconsciously. Emily didn't know her roommate as Ms McKinley, would likely tell more talking about the girl she did know.

'Since we were little. Preschool near enough. We grew up together, ended up at college together.'

'You go to college?'

'Yeah. We're seniors. Fai's doing her teaching degree. She always wanted to be a teacher.'

'What are you doing?'

'Child Psychology. I want to work with kids as well, but I don't think I could teach.'

'Where did you grow up?'

'Bluewater, California. It's a little town on the coast between LA and San Francisco. We always said we'd get away, come to a city. Don't know how we ended up here, it just seemed to fit.'

'Was Fai a good roommate?'

'The best. I suppose we've known each other too long to be shocked by each other. She was neat, tidy, I'm the messy one. It just worked.'

'Did Fai have a boyfriend?'

'No one serious. She dated, occasionally. Guys she met at her job. She was a barmaid at one of the Casinos on the strip.'

'Which one?'

'Um Caesars, I think was her latest one. She moved around quite a lot. Liked a challenge.'

Sara wasn't taking notes, knowing one of the others was.

'There was a ring.with the body.' Sara said hesitantly, wanting to see if it sparked a reaction.

Emily smiled a little, although it was the sad smile of someone reminiscing. 'On her wedding finger?' she guessed, not seeming to connect that in doing so she was further confirming that it was the body of her friend 'She wore it as a deterrent in case she didn't like the guy. We both did it. Girl's night out or whatever, when you don't want to be bothered by a guy.'

Sara nodded. She'd done it herself, still did occasionally, although occasional was a strong word for her social life.

'Is her family still in Bluewater?'

'No. Her parents are both dead, died a few years ago. Her brother lives in New York.' 'Do you have a phone number, some way we can contact him?'

'Sure.' Emily got up, then hesitated. 'I suppose you'll wanna see her room?' She asked Sara. She nodded, following the girl. Warrick and Brass stayed for then, wanting to get as much from the connection Sara had with the girl as possible. They could do the full search of her room later.

The bedroom was as cramped as the front room. A double bed had somehow been forced in, leaving room only for a tiny dresser under the small window. While Emily got the address book from her room, Sara looked around Fai's, just taking in the generals for now. The walls were a dark blue, and Sara wondered if they had been painted that colour before or after the girls moved in. On the wall over the bed, neat italic writing in white was painted onto the wall, the first few lines of a poem she recognised but couldn't place. "Standing still. Reminiscing. A time. A place. Far from here"

On the windowsill were crowded dozens of photos. Family shots, shots of Fai and Emily, some alone, some with other friends Almost all in some bar or another, alcohol featuring heavily in them. Some with another family in, two little kids and a baby. The brother's family, maybe?

There was one poster, on the back of the door, of an Alfa Romeo Spider according to its label. A red sports car, looking shiny and inviting, against a back drop of a dark sunset. A dream, a fantasy. One that had no hope of ever coming true now.

School books, files of paper were stacked on what little available floor space was available. The built in wardrobe had a floor length mirror on the inside of the door, filled to the limit with a collection of clothes ranging from smart suits to jogging pants and sweatshirts. On the floor two rows of shoes were arranged neatly.

Everything in the room, despite the amount of stuff and the lack of space, was all arranged neatly. The only thing of value in the room was a laptop, plugged in but not on, sitting on top of the dresser. The only TV seemed to be in the lounge, no Hi-Fi or musical stuff that Sara had seen. Did she like the quiet?

'Fai was a neat freak.' Emily said from the doorway. She had been crying again, explaining why she had been longer than necessary. In her hand was a small book, covered in a silk material, decorated with tiny beads. Her hand visibly shook still, her eyes red, fresh tears still forcing their way out. 'I can't believe she's really dead. It might not be here, might it? It could be someone else, someone who looked like Fai.couldn't it?' She looked at Sara for confirmation, searched her eyes, for something, Sara wasn't sure of. Looking away quickly when she didn't get what she wanted.

'She was my best friend. We did everything together. I don't know what to do without her.'

'I'm so sorry.' Sara whispered, looking around the room because she couldn't bear to look at the girl anymore.

Emily wandered into the room, over to the windowsill, looking at the pictures. 'That's her brother- Justin.' Emily said pointing to the family picture Sara had guessed at earlier. 'He was twelve years older than her. She was a mistake, one her parents always joked about. Fai loved being the baby of the family, right up till high school, and her parents forgot she wasn't a baby anymore.'

She was silent for a moment, studying the pictures, the memories. 'I can't believe how many of these photos are in a bar.' She finally said, with a small, semi-embarrassed laugh. 'It's not all we did. Honest. Fai just had to be a little drunk before you could get her to pose for a photo.'

The blond in the photos was always grinning, dimples showing on both cheeks. 'When did she go blond?' Sara asked, studying one picture in particular, of the two girls with another man, a tall fit guy, who was looking down at Fai when the picture was taken.

'High school. Her rebellion against her parents. Brunette to blond in one easy swoop. Her mom went mental. She had a tattoo, a few piercings, her mom eventually forgetting to be shocked. She stopped soon after, but she kept her hair like that, said she liked it better.' Emily finished with a shrug. She looked at Sara, then looked down at the photo she was still studying.

'That's Jared, a friend from her course. They dated briefly, but worked better at being friends than lovers. They used to argue all the time, about anything, but he doted on her.'

Sara wondered if the devotion had turned deadly when it hadn't been returned. 'What happened to her?' Emily asked, her voice faltering as she looked out of the window. They looked out onto another block of flats.

Sara had been wondering when she would ask, but found her voice suddenly faltering, words failing her. The usual words, the words that offered comfort and sympathy couldn't be said. It was quick; she didn't feel a thing. Because Fai had felt it, had died alone and in pain.

She cleared her throat, wanting, willing something, some words to come. 'She was.she was set alight.'

Uncomprehending eyes took in hers, held hers, shock growing in them as she realised what she was being told. 'Set alight?'

'Someone doused her in gas, then set her alight.' Sara elaborated, then wished she hadn't, waiting fearfully for the reaction.

The sobs came in an angry torrent, collapsing Emily at the knees so she would have crashed to the floor if Sara hadn't caught her.

It was bright outside when they left the house, in silence, leaving behind a wrecked life, and few clues to what had happened to Fai McKinley.

The hopelessness of the case was leaving Sara feeling drained, not helped by the lack of sleep in the last few days. The last thing she needed was to report to Grissom how much they didn't have. Warrick, either seeing or guessing her feelings told her he'd go, and then they'd have breakfast. She went to wait in the break room after picking up her stuff.

Nick and Catherine were already there, watching the news. 'Hey, how's the case going?' Catherine asked as Sara collapsed into one of the seats.

'Not great.' Sara mumbled, her head already settled in her arms. She couldn't get the look on Emily's face out of her mind.

Catherine and Nick exchanged worried glanced. This wasn't the Sara they were used to.

'Coming for Breakfast?' Catherine eventually asked.

'Yeah, Warrick'll be here in a minute.' Sara mumbled into her coat sleeve, not bothering, and not having the energy to bother, to lift her head.

'We heard you identified the body.' Nick said into the silence. A short sharp nod was all the response he got.

It was obvious Sara was in less of a talking mood than she usually was.

Warrick walked into the silence, feeling the strain. 'Come on, I hear Bacon calling my name.' He announced.

'Grissom coming?' Catherine asked.

'No, said he had paperwork to catch up on.' Warrick answered.

Sara honestly didn't think she had the energy, but finally got to her feet, with a little help from the table. She was completely drained, never before had talking to relatives and friends left her feeling so out of it as holding Emily had, listening to the deep heart wrenching sobs coming from a part of the soul that should never be allowed to be hurt.

On their way out, for some unexplained reason other than he might have guessed by the look on her face, Nick took hold of one of her hands, giving it a squeeze. Sara looked over at him, but he didn't say anything. Just offered a smile of hope. It was better than all the coffee in the world, just then, for making everything seem just that little bit less hopeless.

The poem mentioned is made up. Which explains why it's so bad! If Caesars isn't a casino, then sorry- I had a block as to a name of a casino on the strip!