"Shit" was all Nick said and Sara and Greg looked shocked
"Yeah I know. I just saw Griss. He's on his way out to pick up something Cath had on hold or something for her." Warrick produced a list. "He's got us all jobs to do. We're lucky it's so quiet tonight. Sara, you have to decorate. Greg get some music. Nick keep Lindsey occupied and out of the break room"
"What are you doing?"
"I'm picking up the cake and decorations for Sara. Let's move, move, move!"
Nick gave a mock salute and left the room. Warrick left shortly after informing Sara he would be as quick as possible. Sara and Greg set about choosing music but were interrupted a few minutes later by Nick who came panting into the lab
"I've lost her!"
"WHAT!" exclaimed Sara and Greg in one voice and scrambled off their seats and all arrived at the door at the same time.
"Hold it," yelled Warrick who had just appeared in front of them, "What's happened"
"Lindsey's gone"
"What!? How hard is it to watch a ten year old?"
"You should try watching her"
"Ok. Split up page us if you find anything"
@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@
At the shops Grissom had arrived at his destination. He approached the assistant
"Hi, I'm here to pick up a package for Ms. Willows..."
@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@
After ten minutes of searching Nick was starting to get worried. He was so absorbed in his thoughts he walked straight into Grissom, who was partially hidden behind a large box.
"Watch it Nick. Where's the fire?"
"Sorry Griss. I'm looking for Lindsey"
"Where is she?"
"I don't know. If I knew I wouldn't be looking!"
"Warrick said Lindsey was Sara, Sara said she was with Greg, Greg said she was with you and you don't know where she is!?"
"Yep that's about it"
Before Grissom could say more Nicks pager went off.
"Thank God. Greg's found her. She's in his lab"
"Right then Nick. Keep her in there. I'll be in the break room. Tell Sara she needs to start decorating, Warrick that he has to put the cake in the fridge and Greg that his Boom box and music needs to be in the break room in the next 10 minutes or it will be permanently disabled"
"Righty-o Boss"
Nick left in the direction of the Greg's lab. Grissom sighed and headed in the opposite direction toward the break room.
@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#
Nick entered Greg's lab to find Lindsey getting a hug from Sara and a telling off from Warrick at the time.
"Yo Warrick stop the lecture. Grissom wants you and Sara in the break room ASAP. Oh and Greg, Grissom says that if your boom box isn't in the break room in the next ten minutes he will personally destroy it"
The three trooped out of the room leaving Nick and Lindsey alone.
"Right Linds. Do you know how to dust for fingerprints?"
@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@
About one hour later...
When Greg returned to his lab to fetch Lindsey and Nick all he saw was purple.
"Wow. What happened here?"
"Hi Uncle Greg" said Lindsey; her hair had a slight purple tinge from all the dusting.
"Hey Greg" said Nick sheepishly
"I quite liked it the colour it was..." Greg started but the happiness in Lindsey's face made him stop. He hadn't seen her this happy since Catherine's accident, and besides it was her birthday. "Grissom want you both in the break room"
" 'K." responded Lindsey and skipped out of the room, she turned only to ask, "Are you coming?" to Nick and Greg before continuing up the corridor.
She stopped at the door of the break room waiting for them to catch up. When she opened the door she was greeted with a blast of noise.
"Happy Birthday Lindsey!"
There were at least 20 people in the room. Most of which Lindsey didn't know. She beamed with pleasure and allowed herself to he carried over to the table by Warrick on which a cake and large box had been placed.
"Open it!" called Greg unable to contain himself.
Lindsey climbed onto a chair so she was the right height to be able to see the bow. Someone handed her a pair of scissors and she cut the ribbon on the top of the box and opened the lid. At first all it looked like was a ball of fluff but then it moved
"It's a puppy!" she exclaimed and Sara stepped forward to help her get it out of the box and then placed it on the floor.
"What are you going to call it?" she asked
Lindsey sat in silence just staring at the puppy. It was completely white apart from a dark brown patch over its left eye.
"Patch" she decided, "It suits him"
@#@#@##@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#
An hour later...
The cake had been cut and everyone had left apart from Grissom, Sara, Warrick, Nick, Greg and Detective Jim Brass. They stood in the far corner of the room watching Lindsey play with Patch who Greg was calling 'Lindsey's shadow'.
A knock on the door broke the silence. Eight heads turned towards the door.
"Hi I'm Kathleen", the woman at the door said. She sounded Australian. She looked at blank expressions on their faces and added, "The new CSI"
"Yeah I know. I just saw Griss. He's on his way out to pick up something Cath had on hold or something for her." Warrick produced a list. "He's got us all jobs to do. We're lucky it's so quiet tonight. Sara, you have to decorate. Greg get some music. Nick keep Lindsey occupied and out of the break room"
"What are you doing?"
"I'm picking up the cake and decorations for Sara. Let's move, move, move!"
Nick gave a mock salute and left the room. Warrick left shortly after informing Sara he would be as quick as possible. Sara and Greg set about choosing music but were interrupted a few minutes later by Nick who came panting into the lab
"I've lost her!"
"WHAT!" exclaimed Sara and Greg in one voice and scrambled off their seats and all arrived at the door at the same time.
"Hold it," yelled Warrick who had just appeared in front of them, "What's happened"
"Lindsey's gone"
"What!? How hard is it to watch a ten year old?"
"You should try watching her"
"Ok. Split up page us if you find anything"
@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@
At the shops Grissom had arrived at his destination. He approached the assistant
"Hi, I'm here to pick up a package for Ms. Willows..."
@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@
After ten minutes of searching Nick was starting to get worried. He was so absorbed in his thoughts he walked straight into Grissom, who was partially hidden behind a large box.
"Watch it Nick. Where's the fire?"
"Sorry Griss. I'm looking for Lindsey"
"Where is she?"
"I don't know. If I knew I wouldn't be looking!"
"Warrick said Lindsey was Sara, Sara said she was with Greg, Greg said she was with you and you don't know where she is!?"
"Yep that's about it"
Before Grissom could say more Nicks pager went off.
"Thank God. Greg's found her. She's in his lab"
"Right then Nick. Keep her in there. I'll be in the break room. Tell Sara she needs to start decorating, Warrick that he has to put the cake in the fridge and Greg that his Boom box and music needs to be in the break room in the next 10 minutes or it will be permanently disabled"
"Righty-o Boss"
Nick left in the direction of the Greg's lab. Grissom sighed and headed in the opposite direction toward the break room.
@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#
Nick entered Greg's lab to find Lindsey getting a hug from Sara and a telling off from Warrick at the time.
"Yo Warrick stop the lecture. Grissom wants you and Sara in the break room ASAP. Oh and Greg, Grissom says that if your boom box isn't in the break room in the next ten minutes he will personally destroy it"
The three trooped out of the room leaving Nick and Lindsey alone.
"Right Linds. Do you know how to dust for fingerprints?"
@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@
About one hour later...
When Greg returned to his lab to fetch Lindsey and Nick all he saw was purple.
"Wow. What happened here?"
"Hi Uncle Greg" said Lindsey; her hair had a slight purple tinge from all the dusting.
"Hey Greg" said Nick sheepishly
"I quite liked it the colour it was..." Greg started but the happiness in Lindsey's face made him stop. He hadn't seen her this happy since Catherine's accident, and besides it was her birthday. "Grissom want you both in the break room"
" 'K." responded Lindsey and skipped out of the room, she turned only to ask, "Are you coming?" to Nick and Greg before continuing up the corridor.
She stopped at the door of the break room waiting for them to catch up. When she opened the door she was greeted with a blast of noise.
"Happy Birthday Lindsey!"
There were at least 20 people in the room. Most of which Lindsey didn't know. She beamed with pleasure and allowed herself to he carried over to the table by Warrick on which a cake and large box had been placed.
"Open it!" called Greg unable to contain himself.
Lindsey climbed onto a chair so she was the right height to be able to see the bow. Someone handed her a pair of scissors and she cut the ribbon on the top of the box and opened the lid. At first all it looked like was a ball of fluff but then it moved
"It's a puppy!" she exclaimed and Sara stepped forward to help her get it out of the box and then placed it on the floor.
"What are you going to call it?" she asked
Lindsey sat in silence just staring at the puppy. It was completely white apart from a dark brown patch over its left eye.
"Patch" she decided, "It suits him"
@#@#@##@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#
An hour later...
The cake had been cut and everyone had left apart from Grissom, Sara, Warrick, Nick, Greg and Detective Jim Brass. They stood in the far corner of the room watching Lindsey play with Patch who Greg was calling 'Lindsey's shadow'.
A knock on the door broke the silence. Eight heads turned towards the door.
"Hi I'm Kathleen", the woman at the door said. She sounded Australian. She looked at blank expressions on their faces and added, "The new CSI"