A/N Once again thanks to Amorith and Ash for being the beautiful betas that they are, and also the people who took the time to review the first chapter, it really does mean a lot to hear that you're reading, and best of all, liking what you're reading.
Chapter 2
"Ugh," was all Sara could think of to say when they approached their scene.
"Mmm," Grissom agreed quietly before ducking down towards the body and examining it more closely.
Sara pulled out her camera and started taking her procedural shots.
"Nasty eh?" Brass said, coming to stand next to the brunette.
She nodded and glanced at him, "Nice bugs."
Brass shuddered dramatically, making Sara smile a little, "I'm no expert," he began, "But I'd say that this isn't such a fresh crime scene - something's telling me she's been here a while."
Sara grinned, "Maybe it's the smell, Brass."
He raised his eyebrows in mock surprise, "Oh yeah!" he said sarcastically.
Sarcasm was the best type of humour any of them could come up with at the ungodly hour, under the circumstances.
"Who found her?" Sara asked.
"Road patrol - pulled over some guy for speeding and got a wafting wind of it. Looks over and sees the hoard of flies." he swatted a couple of flies away from his face to make his point, "And figured he should get one of the rangers out here to get rid of what he suspected was an animal. Both got a nasty surprise when they realised what it was."
Sara was examining their surroundings while listening to Brass and nodded at him when he finished his explanation, "Okay, thanks Brass." The detective left her to her crime scene, watching silently as the two scientists did what they were born to do. He went back to one of the squad cars and was handed a cup of coffee - they'd be here for a while.
~~
The ride back to the lab was made in silence, both Grissom and Sara lost in their own thoughts until Sara glanced momentarily away from the road ahead and towards Grissom, "We'll have to wait and see what Doc Robbins says but I don't think that was a bite mark on her leg."
Grissom nodded, "Looked more like it was cut off with a scalpel or knife or something similar to that." Another minute of silence filled the car as they began thinking again. "A preliminary - educated - guess would have me say she's been there at least a week - maybe two."
"And by the looks of it she was dumped there - that's not the primary crime scene. well, that's my preliminary educated guess anyway - since you're allowing them," she grinned slyly.
Grissom threw a small smile her way before staring back at the road in front of him, "We'll know more soon - let's not get ahead of ourselves."
Sara wanted to tell him that he was the one who started thinking before they had all the facts but decided against it - instead, she focussed her attention back to her driving and tried her hardest not to think of how horrific their new Jane Doe's last moments of life must have been.
~~
Grissom found Sara in the dark room processing the photo's she had taken from the crime scene. Annoyingly, there had been hardly any evidence for them to collect. Grissom had gotten his bugs and Sara had taken her photos, but apart from that they'd struck out.
She turned slightly as he came to walk up behind her, looking at some photos over her shoulder. "There wasn't anything else to do, so I thought I'd take a look at these - see if we missed anything while we were there."
Grissom nodded and leant against the workbench beside her, "Did you find anything?"
She shook her head and continued to sort through the photos in front of her, occasionally hanging one up on the string line above her to dry.
The room was completely dark except for the soft red glow that illuminated from the single light bulb in the middle of the roof. She sighed softly and leant against the opposite end of the workbench, looking at him and noticing for the first time that he had been staring at her. She expected him to say something, but he didn't. She allowed her eyes to wander around the room and then finally come back to meet his.
"I hate it when it's like this," she said quietly. She saw him raise his eyebrows in a silent question, "Nowhere to run with the case," she explained.
He smiled, "It's only the beginning - and I know you like a challenge."
"Yeah that's me," she said, her tone of voice confusing him.
Grissom looked at his watch and then back up at her, "Shift finished an hour ago."
She nodded, "Is that why you came to find me?"
Grissom studied her for a moment. Under the deep red light he couldn't work out the details in her expression but he saw the sadness clearly enough.
"Are you alright?"
She laughed a little, "That's the second time you've asked me that tonight - that's got to be a record."
"Sara."
"I'm fine," she said lightly, not wanting to get into an argument, "Sometimes it just hits me, you know? It's not anything in particular - just everything building up I suppose. But seeing that girl just lying out there in teared up clothes - and the bugs." she shivered involuntarily, "I don't think I'll ever get used to it. I don't think I want to ever get used to it either." She looked at him and detected a hint of sadness across his own features. Thinking that she'd said something wrong she moved forward and touched his arm, "Sorry, I didn't mean."
He looked at her hand, which quickly left his arm, and then at her, "You know - this affects me too, Sara. I - I.." he stammered a little, "I'm not a robot," he finished, remembering an angry accusation once thrown at him by Warrick.
"Oh Grissom I know that - you know that I know that," she said seriously, "You're just the master when it comes to hiding what you really feel."
He looked up at her sharply, trying to see whether there was spite behind her words - but all he found was sincere concern. "Not always," he practically whispered.
She smiled a little, "Yeah sometimes you stuff up, but not as much as the rest of us. me," she laughed, "not nearly as much as me."
"Sara, you're a naturally emotional person - sometimes that's a really good thing to have. You're passionate."
"But. sometimes I need to be a little less," she finished for him, "I know, but it's difficult," she added softly.
Grissom sighed a little and reached out with both hands to hold her gently by the shoulders. He looked at her - she gazed back. Finally, he said, "Come on, you should go home and get some sleep now so you're fresh for tonight - we don't want to let this case run away from us because we were a little tired do we?" He grinned at her.
She rolled her eyes and smiled, "No Mr. Grissom," she drawled and turned to walk towards the door. When she got there she turned back and smiled, "Thanks. I'll um, I'll see you tonight."
"Good night Sara."
TBC