Chapter 2

"Cath, I can't reach it. Can you hold my legs?" Nick shouted as he leaned over the side of the large scrap yard compressor. "Are you sure it's turned off?" Nick asked worriedly.

Catherine laughed and took hold of his legs firmly. "Its off Nick don't worry." Catherine looked up as Nick leaned further over the edge and with one quick lunge forward he grabbed it.

"Gotcha." Nick said triumphantly as he pulled back slowly and lifted out a boot with a grin on his face. He looked down at Catherine and his grin grew. Catherine wasn't looking at his face, but a lot lower. "Cath, stop staring." Catherine blinked quickly and looked up noticing she'd just been caught staring at his ass.

She blushed and let his legs go. She reached up with a large evidence bag, which Nick placed the boot in. "Ready?" She asked pulling the bag down to have a look.

"Yep, now we can open the door." Nick climbed down and walked pass with his charming Texan smile. "You look nice tonight Catherine."

Catherine laughed lightly as she followed him to the door of the compressor. "Nicholas Stokes stop flirting with me."

Nick laughed and shook his head. "Hey you were the one staring at my ass, so don't go blaming me. You started it." He said as he pulled the door open with a tug and jumped back as the contents fell out.

"Nice one Nick." Catherine said with a shake of her head and a smile.

"I got multiples and sketches so don't go there." Nick picked up his camera and took some more pictures before getting started to comb through the mess of mangled metal and flesh.

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Once Sara entered her house with the trooper following she kicked off her shoes and walked over to the fridge, retrieving a bottle of water. Turning the to the trooper who stood at her door looking in. "Come in Max, make yourself at home and help yourself to drink and what ever there is in the fridge. I'm going to lay down for a while."

Max walked in and shut her door and smiled as she made her way to her room. Once her bedroom door closed, Max grabbed a bottle of water himself and sat down on the couch and turned the TV on, keeping it low.

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The large metal freezer sat in the centre of the garage all by itself with one person looking over it, Gil Grissom. He had been sitting on a tall stool staring at the strange item for just over an hour. His legs crossed over as he leaned his chin into his left palm. His glasses held loosely in his right hand.

Warrick had been standing in the doorway to the garage for a few minutes now and noticed that Grissom wasn't actually looking directly at the freezer, but behind it. He seemed to be thinking about something else completely. Warrick pushed of the doorframe and walked up to him, making clacking noises with his shoes on the hard concrete floor as he walked. Grissom sat up quickly and put his glasses back on.

"You alright Griss, you seemed spaced for a while there?" Warrick asked as he stood beside the older man and watched as he wiped his sleeve over his forehead and took a deep breath.

"I'm fine Warrick. Did you get anything from the fence?" He asked and stood to walk towards the freezer.

"Yeah, I found what kind of pliers cut the hole and I also found the missing piece." Grissom turned around in surprise.

"Really, Where?" Warrick smiled.

"A few yards away from the fence. It was on the other side to where we were working, lying in some kind of barrel." Warrick pulled out a result sheet from the folder he was holding and read from it. "The pliers seemed to be coated in some sort of specially made car engine oil. Greg's still running tests." He looked up to see Grissom looking down at the freezer lost in thought. "Grissom."

Grissom's head snapped up and nodded. "Page me when Greg has the results. I'll be in my office." Grissom turned and walked out the garage with his hands deep in his jacket pockets, but kept his head up. Warrick couldn't help but look worried with concern for his friend.

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Sara had fallen asleep instantly. The stuff the EMT's gave her seemed to make her drowsy and tired. She was just getting into the 4th hour of sleep when her phone rang. Her hand came out of the sheets and grabbed it, pulling it back into the bed and answering it with her head under her pillow.

"Yeah?" She answered sleepily.

Silence. Nothing but breathing could be heard.

"Hello?"

The sound of a throat being cleared and a heavy swallow floated down the line to Sara's ears.

"Griss, stop stalling." Sara said as she pulled the covers from her head and moving to rest her head on top of the pillow.

Grissom was shocked into even more silence. He wasn't sure what he was going to say when she picked up, but was completely speechless that she knew it was him.

"I can hang up you know." Sara stated as her eyes started to open slowly.

Grissom took a deep breath and swallowed again, trying to think.

"Bye Griss." Sara hung up and buried her head in the other pillow across the bed. The phone rang again and growled at the peace of plastic as she found it again and answered. "I'm not playing this game anymore ok? So unless your going to actually use words instead of muffled sounds I'm hanging up again."

Grissom found his voice. "How are you?" His tone felt forced, but it was a 'Good start' he thought.

"Tired." Sara tried to sit up and groaned at the ache in her arm.

"Sorry.I.I just wanted to make sure you were ok." Grissom stammered and cleared his throat as he tried to think of something else to say.

"I've felt better." Sara gave up on trying to get comfortable and got up. She walked into the bathroom still holding her cell and quickly washed her face before asking. "You alright Griss? You seem.actually I can't tell over the phone, but something seems wrong." Sara walked back into her room and pulled out some clean clothes and got changed.

"I'm fine. I was just ringing.to.see how you were.that's all. Are you coming into work later? If you're not up to it get some more rest." Grissom quickly reeled off after a stuttering started.

Sara smiled as she pulled her sweatshirt over her head. "I'll be in soon. Max will bring me in." Sara made her way into the living room and motioned for Max to get ready to go.

"Ok, Bye."

"Bye Griss." Sara hung up and put her phone in her coat pocket as she slipped her arm slowly into it. Max turned the TV off and grabbed his keys.

"Ready Miss. Sidle?" Max asked as he walked to the door.

"Yep and call me Sara"

"Ok Sara, Let's go." Sara locked her door after her and followed Max to his patrol car.

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