Title: You're the One

Summary: Greg hires Nina to be the new lab tech and Grissom upgrades Greg to CSI Level One. His first case has to do with a nine year old boy who was sexually abused and then murdered.

Spoilers: Reference to Burden of Proof.

Notes: Here's the second Episode. I'm trying to keep up maybe an update of every two days because of work and time and money. Wait... money doesn't have anything to do with this so we'll just forget that.

Chapter Five: Roses Say I'm Sorry

I don't want to be around
When you come down
I just wanted you to know
The roses always grow

-- Tonic "Roses"

I'm sorry this happened,
I'm sorry I cared.
I'm sorry you gave up,
It's really not fair.

-- Better Off "I'm Sorry"

WoodlawnCemetery—Wednesday April 14—8:30 am

Droplets of dew still covered the freshly cut grass and the wind blew softly so as not to disturb the grieving visitors. He stood by his car, observing from a distance. If his boss knew he was there he knew he'd get a lecture for making this case personal. He couldn't help it though. How could one not sympathize with the grieving family members who had lost their beloved son, brother, uncle, and friend?

After all it wasn't that long ago he had watched his own brother die before his eyes. He had compared it to lightning at the time. One moment there and the next minute gone. Swept away in a few swift movements, a blur of red and black. The only sound, the screeching tires and his lifeless body making a sickening crack as it hit the pavement. He hadn't even screamed. A few onlookers had, but his brother was silent. He never even had time to scream.

Greg wondered if the little boy had screamed. If the two sadistic men who had tortured him hadn't gotten off on his helplessness. He griped his keys in anger and he felt the blood run between his fingers. It felt better, felt like a way to release his anger and frustration.

The stark white chairs were set up in five neat rows. The casket was made of oak and polished until the mother could see her broken soul in the reflection. White roses laced with baby's breath and greenery sat on top of the small casket and flowed gracefully down all four sides.

White roses.

Odd choice of color for roses at a funeral. But red was always overrated.

At his brothers funeral he had picked out an unusual flower. The florist had told him the name after he selected it, the Bleeding Heart.

He thought it had been perfect.

His mother had broken down at the sight of it.

He remembered reading somewhere that white roses symbolized innocence and purity and youthfulness. Maybe the roses were perfect.

Greg spotted Nina and Cassandra in the crowd of mourners standing next to Catherine and Lindsey. Since finding out their daughters were in the same class the two women had become close friends, leaving Sara to be the odd one out. Poor Sara seemed to be left out of everything. Even the mourning of the victim's. Greg knew for a fact that Grissom had sent sympathy cards to each family and Nick and Warrick had both pitched in to help start funds for the funerals for the five victims. Sara hadn't been included in any plans or arrangements. Sometimes Greg thought she had a right to drink, but he wasn't supposed to know that she did. So he pretended he didn't.

He was debating whether or not to give his condolences to the family or just leave without being noticed when he felt someone tapping his shoulder. He turned around to see the young girl who had answered the door bouncing a baby on her hip all smiles when she believed they were there to tell her that her brother had been found alive.

"I wanted to thank you for catching the men who did this to my baby brother." Her voice was flat, her face lifeless. If her eyes were the window to her soul than she had lost it in the past week. He wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to do. Say your welcome and walk away. He didn't know if he would be able to handle that. "Everything your lab has done for all of us was very generous. If there's anyway I can ever repay you just let me know. Because of you my little Will can rest in peace." Greg had his answer now. He knew what he could say. It wouldn't make things right for this family, but maybe her child could grow up in a loving, caring home.

"There is one thing you could do." He said tentatively a little scared to look her in the eye.

"Anything." She whispered eagerly.

"Don't give up on you son. He'll need you. Always." She looked at him a bit shocked at first, but it soon left her face and a small grain of hope could be spotted in her eyes.

"I never would. He's all I've got. I'd do anything for him." Reassured with that knowledge he tried to smile and pat her comfortingly on the back, but he failed miserably. The smile turned out to be more of a grimace and he felt stupid patting her shoulder.

He retreated to his car. Letting out a breath he didn't even know he had been holding he drove off in search of Sara.

He needed a drink.

The schools were closed for a total of three days.

Monday because the killers had yet to be detained.

Tuesday because the killers had been detained.

Wednesday because all of Las Vegas held a memorial service for the five young children that had been taken all too soon.

Doc Robbins and Nick had found a tiny ruby embedded in the girl's skin and Nina had confirmed it belonged to the ring.

Jason Meegs had been arrested and brought in for questioning on the whereabouts of his partner. While in custody he had gone insane. He yelled out names and screamed of how the end was near and if he didn't finish giving up the children all of the innocents would be lost to the hands of the evil. Brass had jotted down the names as fast as Meegs had shouted them out.

All fifteen were brought in until the two boys identified Marcus Danse as the man who posed as an officer. He was automatically guaranteed four life sentences without the possibility of parole due to the fact all four boys had been under the age of fourteen.. Add to that five counts of murder and to top it off impersonating an officer Brass was almost positive he would get the chair or the gas chamber. Maybe even lethal injection. Personally he hoped for whichever was the most painful.

Things between Nina, Greg, and Nick had been tense since Sunday morning.

Tuesday Derek appeared at the apartment while Nina slept with her arms wrapped tightly around her daughter. He introduced himself to Nick and did everything within his power to prove he would never hurt Cassandra or Nina for that matter. Nick accepted this although he wasn't all that thrilled.

At least Nick and Nina were on friendly speaking terms which was more than could be said for Greg and Nina.

Nick had made them apologize to one another when Cassandra had started to notice something wrong between the two of them.

That had been on Friday.

Things were tense until about Saturday morning when Greg awoke to a steaming plate of bacon on his nightstand. He showed his gratitude by chipping in for the babysitter for the next month.

Nick and Greg both got together and bought a dozen yellow roses—which symbolized friendship—and gave them to Nina. She had taken half and put them in a vase on their kitchen table and the other half sat on her desk in the crime lab.

Despite what Greg had said before

Life did go on.

--finis—

Notes: All right well the second episode is completed and I hope you all enjoyed. I tried to add a bit of Greg angst towards the end. The third installment will be up shortly so be on the lookout. It's called Saying Goodbye. For more Greg and Nick angst read Everything's Not Lost. It centers on their past sins and demons.