Chapter 2 written by Mel

Sara woke Hannah up around 8:00. The sun had already set a while ago and the cold winter night air was just starting to set in. Hannah lived in New York City, so this was nothing to her. The girls got dressed fairly quickly, and got to the lab about a half an hour early. Sara had planned on this, so she had time to show Hannah around before shift started.

After Sara had gotten Hannah a visitor's badge, the two set off, Sara giving Hannah a quick tour.

"That's the break room," Sara was saying as they walked past it. "Don't mind the mess, It's always like that. Here's the DNA Lab," she said, walking in. "Hi Greg." She waved to her co-worker who's shift had started an hour before hers. "This is Hannah, my cousin. She's working on becoming a CSI."

Greg looked up from the DNA he was supposed to be analyzing. "Hi," he said to her and smiled.

"Hi," Hannah said to Greg. She was pulled in by his charm. Then she whispered in Sara's ear. "He's cute."

Sara smiled at this. Hannah was always a big flirt. Greg had returned to his work and Hannah was watching him intently.

"Well, moving on," Sara said, leading Hannah out into the hallway.

"Why didn't you let me stay and talk to him?" Hannah asked.

"Two reasons. Number one, he has work to do. Number two, you don't have time if you want to see the rest of the lab. Now if you really want to talk to him, you can do it after shift's over."

"Oh," Hannah replied looking a little crestfallen. "Wait!"

"What?"

"Can I go in and ask him if he wants to go for a drink later?"

"Sure," Sara replied, annoyed. "But make it quick."

Sara stood out in the hallway leaning against the wall while Hannah went in the DNA lab again. Sara could see everything through the glass window, but she couldn't hear a thing. About a minute later, she emerged with a big grin on her face.

"Yes!" she said, thrilled.

"Good. You done?"

"Yup," she said. She still was wearing that smile, nothing could erase it.

"Okay then. Now over here is ballistics, that's the drying area, there's identification, that's the chemistry part, there's trace and QD, and that's evidence storage," Sara told her cousin, walking past each respectable part of the lab.

Sara looked at her watch. "Ooh, 5 minutes 'till shift starts. Come on." They both walked back to the break room to find every member of the CSI unit there. "Hi guys. This is my cousin Hannah, and she's going to be with me tonight. Hannah, that's Grissom, Catherine, Warrick, and Nick. Hannah's training to be CSI, so help her out. She knows a lot already though."

Sara looked over at her cousin. Hannah was paying no attention to Sara at all, she was staring at Nick with the same look on her face when she first laid eyes on Greg. It looked as though she couldn't decide who was better looking. She could almost see the wheels turning inside her head as to ask Nick out for a drink after words and blow off Greg. But she didn't normally do that, so she would be going with Greg tonight.

"Hannah," Sara said, breaking her out of her reverie.

"Oh! Yeah," she said, snapping back to the relevant conversation. "I already know a lot about crime scenes and stuff."

"Well, that's good," said Grissom, getting up. "Sara, I got a new case for you. D.B. in the Mandalay Bay hotel. Victim's female, about twenty four years of age. Looks like she died by strangulation David says. Get on it."

"Ok," she said to Grissom. "Any identification?"

"No. Brass is still working on it."

"Okay then. Come on Hannah."

The two walked outside and got into one of the lab's Tahoes. Sara drove, while Hannah sat and waited impatiently.

"You drive like mom." Hannah said. "Man, if I was in that seat right now I'd be at least be pushing sixty-five."

"If it was my car," Sara began, "I would be too, but this is a company car, and I don't wasn't to answer questions or do paperwork if we crash because of wreck less driving."

Hannah thought for a moment. "That doses make sense," She said, finally understanding. "Right."

The two were quiet for a minute, then Hannah spoke up. "I see what you mean about Nick."

"What?"

"I see why you like him."

"I don't--"

"Just tell him," Hannah said, cutting Sara off. "You do and you know it. There's nothing wrong with letting a little love show."

"Right," Sara replied. What was she going on about? Maybe there was a little truth to that statement, though.

Their conversation was cut off when Sara pulled into the Mandalay Bay parking lot. There were police cars everywhere. Sara got her field kit out, nodded to the policeman, and headed up the elevator to room three-hundred sixty-four. When they arrived at the room, they were greeted by a very mangled body of a woman lying in a pool of blood. She nodded to Brass who was standing by the scene. "I got it now." He left, leaving Sara and Hannah to their work.

Hannah was staring at the body with a little bit of morbid curiosity and some sickness. This was the first real crime scene in the real world that Hannah had been to. This wasn't a cheap imitation for learning purposes. This was the real thing. Nevertheless, Hannah was careful not to disturb any of the possible evidence. Thankfully, she had learned enough to know how to handle this. Well, Sara told herself, if she didn't she would have never let her come in the first place. Besides, Hannah had just graduated with her degree.

Sara opened her field kit and snapped on some gloves, then handed a pair to Hannah. She took them and put them on as well. "Hannah, you know how to dust for prints, right?" Sara asked her.

"Yes," she replied.

"Well, then take this," Sara said, handing Hannah some fingerprint powder and a brush, "and start doing the bathroom door handle over there. And please try to be extra careful, because this is a real crime scene. And if you screw up, it will be my neck on the line, not yours, and I don't think that'd help our friendship very much."

"Okay. Got it," Hannah said. "I promise I'll do it right."

"Good." Sara got her camera out and began to take pictures of the body. She took multiples from every angle. She put her camera down for a second to rest, but her cell phone rang. She looked at it and the caller ID said Grissom, Gil. She answered it.

"Sidle."

She expected to hear Grissom's voice, but all she heard was static. The reception was really bad. "I'll call you back in a second," she said into the receiver, then hung up.

"Hannah?"

"Yeah?" She said, looking up from the doorknob.

"Is it okay if I leave you here for a second? The reception sucks in here."

"I'll be fine."

"Okay." Sara walked past Hannah and out into the hallway. She punched in Grissom's phone number, and he picked up.

"Grissom."

"Sidle. What did you want?"

"I just wanted to say--"

But at that moment, a bloodcurling scream drowned out Grissom's voice. It was coming from room three-hundred sixty-four, the crime scene, where Hannah was.

"HANNAH!" Sara screamed. She ran back in to the room and found Hannah, but not how she expected. Hannah was on the floor and lying in a pool of blood. Her own blood. There was a big black kitchen knife stuck in her chest and blood was streaming out of the wound.

"HANNAH!" Sara said again, dropping to her knees. Up close she could see that she had more than one puncture, as if she had been stabbed more than once. She picked up Hannah's hand and a silent tear rolled down her face.

Sara quickly ended the call to Grissom and through the static on her phone dialed 911. She informed the operator where she was and which room. The operator stated a ambulance would be there in less than five minutes.

"Hannah, can you here me. Hannah?"

Hannah spoke in a raspy voice. "He went. Out. The fire escape. And Sara?" "Yes?" She whispered. "Just. Give him. A. Chance." There was blood coming out of Hannah's mouth now, and she was struggling to keep her head up. "There's. Nothing wrong. With. Letting a little. Love show."

"Hannah stay with me, don't give up, be strong, you can pull through this" Sara begged her cousin.

"Sara," Hannah whispered.

"Yes?"

"Promise me."

"Promise you what? Whatever it is I'll do it. Anything."

"Don't be afraid of love.promise me.when you find love you won't run from it." "I promise Hannah. I promise you with all my heart."

With this, Hannah's head fell onto the rug with a surprisingly loud clunk, and her hand went limp. Sara remained holding on to Hannah's limp hand. Tears were now rolling down her cheeks as if the Hoover Dam had suddenly broke. She would get that man if it killed her in the process. She would want justice for Hannah.