Part 3

Willow followed Grissom back into the break room for end of shift paperwork. God she couldn't wait to get to sleep and then talk to Giles about the body. There had to be something supernatural about a young man looking old.

Lorne had told them about his experience in Vegas when he first learned that Buffy and Willow were moving there. The whole time growing up she just assumed that Sunnydale was the only place these demonic things happened. I mean she hadn't heard about all the stuff that Angel battled in LA. How did these big cities keep the weird stuff out of the news?

"So are you thinking of coming back tomorrow?" Gil asked with a slight smile.

Willow grinned at him, "Wouldn't miss it."

"Oh good, Gil didn't scare you off." Catherine said with a smile as she caught up with them in the hallways.

"Nope it's been a very interesting first day."

"So I hear." Sara smiled when she joined up. "So any theories as to how a twenty five year old aged so much?"

Willow gave her a slight smile, "Not that I'm willing to admit to yet."

"God, Grissom you've only had her for one night and she already sounds like you." Catherine smiled at Gil.

"Who had who and why do I always miss the good stuff?" Greg asked from the lab doorway and Nick chuckled as he and Warrick joined the others.

Grissom just raised his eyebrow and looked at Greg.

Greg grinned and went back into the lab. "I'm going."

Nick flashed Willow a smile, "So, Willow...are you gonna join us for the traditional rookie breakfast?"

Warrick smiled as he looked down and shook his head.

"Yep. It's tradition that we welcome the new rookie by taking them out to breakfast." Nick continued.

Willow looked at the smiling faces and then concentrated on Nick's. "Let me guess...the rookie gets stuck with the check."

Sara started to laugh at Nick's mock shocked expression.

"Willow, Willow, Willow. I'm shocked and hurt that you would think so little of us." Nick shook his head and sighed.

Willow grinned, "Well, actually...It's just you I think would make me pay."

"That's just cold." Nick said with a smile.

Warrick laughed. "Ouch. Score for Willow."

"Think she's got your number, Nicky." Gil said as he patted him on his back. "Come on. Let's have that breakfast. It's on Nick."

Nick smiled, shook his head and mumbled.

~~~~

Giles looked up from the counter as the bell over the shop's door tinkled. He smiled when he saw Willow enter just in front of Buffy.

"You're here early. I wasn't expecting you until later, Willow."

Willow shrugged. "Figured I could help out here while you and Buffy do your training in the back."

Buffy rolled her eyes, "Not to mention Miss Criminalistic wants to get a head start on researching."

Giles' brow wrinkled. "I didn't think you were assigned to the robbery."

"I wasn't. Found an interesting body last night or rather early this morning."

Giles went into Watcher mode, "You, you think there may be supernatural causes?"

Buffy nodded, "It was definitely tingle worthy just not Slayer wiggins worthy."

Willow took pity on Giles at his look of confusion. "Buffy was assigned the case as well. She got slight wiggins at the scene but something is definitely up. There's not a mummy exhibit touring around Vegas is there?"

"Good Lord! Was the body mummified?"

"Nope just aged. A LOT. At least his outsides were. The autopsy hasn't been performed yet. Oh and I talked to the person assigned to the pawnshop. The necklace that you described wasn't listed as missing. Are you sure it was the Joker's Wild Pawnshop?"

Giles rubbed his forehead, "Yes, Benjamin was very distraught. He repeated the name of the shop two or three times."

Willow looked over at Buffy, "You don't think that someone at the pawnshop took the necklace and the robbery was just a coincidence do you?"

Buffy shrugged, "Don't know. I guess I could check the report the person assigned to the robbery did. I'll have to be careful. It's not connected to any of the homicide cases I'm working on and as a rookie I doubt robbery will just let me read their reports."

"Since when has that ever stopped you before?"

Buffy smiled, "It hasn't, I said I had to be careful not that I couldn't do it."

Willow turned to Giles, "Did Benjamin tell anyone that he was pawning it? I mean maybe someone else went to the shop and got it before he could reclaim it."

Giles nodded, "I don't know I'll ask him. I'd like to think he has more sense than that but sometimes he's too trusting."

The sound of the bell interrupted their conversation as some customers entered the shop. Willow motioned for Giles and Buffy to go ahead into the back and that she'd take care of the customers.

"Hi, can I help you?"

"Do you have skink root and essence of rose thorn?"

Willow rolled her eyes as she turned from the customer. Since coming to Vegas Giles must have sold about a thousand ingredients for love potions. That and good luck charms. It was very rare a real practicing Wiccan came into the store.

Willow got the ingredients the ladies were looking for and rang them up. "Come again."

Xander held open the door for the departing ladies as he was coming into the store.

Willow smiled as the women all gave Xander's butt a quick look as they walked by. "Hey Xander. If any of those ladies offer you a drink politely decline."

Xander groaned as he sat down, "Don't tell me...love potions."

"Giles' best seller. You okay?"

"Yeah. Just a tough day on the site yesterday. Who knew owning a construction business would have so much paperwork and you know business type stuff to do?"

"Is your brain too fried to help with research?"

Xander looked at her through his lashes, "If I said yes would it get me out of it?"

Willow smiled, "Nope, I'd just give you the books with more pictures than words."

"Thought so. So, in Vegas a few weeks and already we have a big bad to defeat? I think it's a world's record."

"Nope, at least I don't think so. Anyway my case last night was strange and I want to rule out supernatural or at least know what it might be. It's not like I can go to my supervisor and say hey guess what you know that body we found this morning well it appears it's related to demonic activity that is rampant in Vegas."

"I'd love to be there when you tell Mr. Science that."