A/N: For the disclaimer, see chapter one. So in this chapter, a tragedy strikes our favorite intern and our favorite lab tech, a piece of shocking news is revealed, and Nick and Sara hook up.

Chapter Two: A crappy evening

It was a good evening so far, Anna decided. She was poring over some photos Sara had taken at the crime scene, listening to her Discman. "Hey." Sara sat down next to Anna, lifting her headphones off. "Rolling Stones?"

Anna grinned. "Shostakovich, actually."

"Ah. Classical. That's Grissom's thing."

"What can I say, I'm a big music nerd. So, anyway, this case. I can't tell if it's just a spot on the camera or what, but there's this dark spot in every single one of the pictures." Anna pointed to a shadowy blob in the upper corner of the pictures. "I can't figure out what it is."

"Tell you what, let's have Archie scan that and see if he can't help us." Sara stood and led Anna towards the AV lab.

"So you and Nick..." Anna threw her a look. "Are you...dating?"

"No! Where would you get that idea?" Sara laughed. "Why? Are you interested in him?"

"No way. He's like, twenty years older than I am. I know that my parents were like, fifteen years apart, but that's a little much for me." Anna laughed. "Besides, I have a boyfriend back in Seattle. He's going to be a sophomore at University of Pennsylvania this year."

"Ah, impressive."

"I suppose. I met him at nerd camp when I was fifteen. We both like to ski and we're both kind of nerds and we both liked AC/DC. We kind of just hit it off. It drove me crazy when we first met how he talked. He talked like he was a gangster and it made me want to strangle him."

"Sounds like true love." Sara laughed.

"Well, you and Nick look like you're in love." Anna arched an eyebrow. "Maybe you should give it a shot."

"Right." Sara wrapped an arm around the intern. "You might want to stop sniffing your bro's chemicals." She opened the door to the AV lab. "Archie, I'd like you to meet everybody's new favorite intern."

Sara pulled a red boat-necked shirt over her head just in time to avoid her red lacy bra being seen by Nick.

"Shit Nick, you scared me!" Sara exclaimed, whirling around.

"Hey, sorry." Nick grinned. Then he threw her comment from eight years previous back at her. "Fine shirt." And then the kicker. "And well, just fine." He grabbed his windbreaker and breezed out of the locker room.

Sara stared in wonderment at the door, thinking back to Anna's earlier comment.

Anna was sitting in the parking lot of CSI, the box of Dunkin' Donuts Grissom had so un-slyly requested on the seat next to her. Her silver Motorola flip phone jangled cheerfully in her purse. Anna dug it out of the giant black bag and answered it. "Hello?"

"Anna, I have some bad news." Anna recognized her best friend's voice instantly.

"What is it Jen?" Anna's breath caught. Had something happened to Nate, her boyfriend?

"Nothing's wrong with Nate." Jennifer Anderson always seemed to be able to read Anna's mind. "It's worse. Anna, your mom had a heart attack this morning. She died an hour ago."

Anna's heart stopped. Her mother couldn't be dead. Anna's mother just couldn't be dead. That left her with no one but Greg. Greg's dad had left Anna's mom when he found out she'd cheated on him and Anna didn't know who her dad was. "Uh...Jen, I gotta go find Greg." Anna snapped the phone shut and charged into CSI, dropping the donuts in the break room on her way to the DNA lab.

"Whoa, An, where's the fire?" Greg used his pet name for his little sister. "What's up?"

Tears filled Anna's eyes and spilled over. "Mom." She hiccuped. "This morning, mom." She breathed hard.

"Whoa, whoa, what's going on with mom?" Greg pulled Anna into a hug.

"Mom. This morning. Heart attack." Anna gulped in a huge breath. "They couldn't save her Greg. Mom's dead."

Nick and Sara sat at their usual table at their usual diner for their usual Friday morning breakfast. "We're so predictable." Sara groused as the waitress didn't even bother to take their orders. She just brought them their breakfasts.

"I dunno, it's kind of nice." Nick dug into his eggs and French toast. Sara rolled her eyes and started to cut up her chocolate chip pancakes.

"So, what do you think of the new intern?"

"Anna? She's cool." Nick nodded. "Something about her though. It's not bad. Just...weird. I can't quite place it, you know?"

Sara knew that feeling. "Yeah, I get that." Sara yawned. "Man, I'm tired."

"Hey, after you finish your breakfast I'll take you home. You're not fit to drive." He noticed Sara's eyes close slightly.

"I'm too tired to eat." Sara pushed her breakfast away. "Can we just go home."

"Sure." Nick motioned to the waitress that he wanted their breakfasts boxed up. "Come on, I'll take you home."

Sara just nodded and allowed herself to be led out to Nick's Denali.

Greg stared at the wall of the break room. He and his mother hadn't parted on the best of terms. She'd wanted him to stay in Washington to help raise Anna. She couldn't do it on her own, she'd insisted. Greg said he couldn't stay in Washington. He wanted to be a DNA lab technician for the Las Vegas crime lab. That was his big dream. He'd always sent money back to his mom and Anna so that Anna could have her squash lessons and go skiing and do everything the other kids got to do. Anna was everybody's little princess. She was the very baby of the family. She and Mrs. Sanders had been very close. Anna's body shook as she sobbed in Greg's arms.

"Greg, how could mom be dead?" Anna whispered, her sobs subsiding for a moment.

"I don't know Anna." Greg was quiet. "So, are we going home for a funeral?"

"No." Anna shook her head. "They're going to cremate mom, just like she wanted. No funeral."

Greg nodded. "Hey, you know you'll always have family in me, right kiddo?"

"Yeah." Anna sighed and stood up. "I'd better go get washed up. Sara and I are going to meet up with Archie and see if he found anything on our pictures."

"Okay. If you need some time, I'm sure Grissom won't mind."

"No. I'm fine." Anna strode over to the sink and splashed some cold water over her face. "I just gotta head to the bathroom and touch up my makeup and no one will be the wiser."

Greg lounged in the DNA lab, waiting for the results on Nick and Sara's case. Nick entered the lab. "Hey man, I need some help." Nick said quietly.

Greg wasn't stupid. He'd been wondering since Anna came. He'd heard this story before from Nick, but he'd never considered the possibility before Anna came. "You really think it could be you?" He hedged around the issue.

"The circumstances fit. I mean, college guy had an affair with a woman on the lecture circuit. Married with a son. From Washington. Eighteen years ago. Too similar man."

Greg sighed. Ordinarily he would have dismissed the idea, but after seeing Anna and Nick next to each other...he had to wonder. "Alright. But this stays between us."

Nick waited apprehensively as the results printed out. "Man, I'm not sure about this." Greg glanced fearfully at the printer. "I don't know if I want to see those results."

"I gotta know man." Nick shook his head.

"Alright. One, two, three, look." The two men looked at the printout at the same time. Both turned at least five shades paler then they'd already been. "I guess that makes it official." Greg's voice shook.

"Yeah." Nick was in shock. "Anna's my daughter."