Disclaimer: I still don't own CSI and I am beginning to think I never will.

Caution: Contains spoilers for Mea Culpa if you haven't seen it and don't want it ruined, don't read this. This takes place directly after Mea Culpa.

Breaking Grissom

Chapter Five: Back to Vegas

Sara wandered alone on the streets of Marina Del Rey for a few hours. Strangers passed her on the streets, a few stopping to ask if she was okay. She ignored them and continued her lonely journey through the streets. She didn't want anything to do with anyone at that moment. Finally, she got tired and called for a cab to take her back to the airport. She didn't care how long she had to wait, she wanted to go back to Las Vegas. She suddenly wanted to be far away from Marina Del Rey and one Gilbert Grissom.

Sara flew back to Vegas and went to the crime lab. She hoped that she could get her job back because now it was the only thing she had. She went straight to Ecklie's office, avoiding the questioning glances from those that knew her.

"So, look who came crawling back," Ecklie smiled as Sara entered his office.

"Just tell me if I still have a job here or not," Sara was in no mood for Ecklie's games.

"Well, I would say no, but I'll let you have your job back as a favor to someone," Ecklie told her.

"Really? Who?" Sara asked, surprised.

"I can't say, just take the job or leave it," Ecklie said.

"I'll take it," Sara smiled, "thank you."

"But beware, Sidle, I'll have my eye on you, one slip up and you're gone," Ecklie warned as she left.

"Don't worry about me," Sara assured him.

Ecklie watched as she walked away. He had only done Grissom the favor of letting Sara keep her job because he felt a little guilty. Of course he'd never tell anyone that, but it was the truth. When Grissom had called, Ecklie made seem as though he wouldn't even consider giving her the job, but finally relented because of his guilt.

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"Sara, what are you doing here?" Greg asked when he spotted Sara walking through the lab.

"I work here, what else would I be doing?" Sara asked.

"I thought you quit," Greg said.

"Well you thought wrong," Sara told him, "I still work here."

"Good to see you back," Greg smiled, "we missed you, even if you were only gone a few days. It was really sad around here with you and Grissom both gone."

"I missed you too, Greg," Sara said.

"Sara, you're back," Nick came around the corner.

"Yes I am, I didn't know you were back on graveyard," Sara hugged her friend.

"Yeah, when you left, Ecklie stuck me and Warrick back on nightshift," Nick smiled.

"I'm back too," Sara smiled too.

"It's like we're all reunited, except for Grissom," Greg said sadly.

"And I wouldn't count on him ever coming back," Sara stated coldly.

"How would you know that?" Nick asked.

Sara sighed, "I went to California, to Marina Del Rey. I saw Grissom and he seemed pretty set on not coming back. We got into a sort of fight and he told me to leave."

"You went to Grissom's home?" Greg asked, surprised.

"I went there once, when I was still living in California, I didn't meet his mother at the time, but I remembered where he lived," Sara explained, "I was just, I was really hurt that he left without saying goodbye. And now he is mad at me."

"I'm sorry Sara, I know he was a good friend," Nick looked genuinely sorry for her.

"The key word there being 'was'," Sara said, angrily.

"I know you're upset, Sara, but maybe Grissom has a really good reason for leaving like he did," Nick offered.

"I don't think he even understands his reasoning," Sara sighed, "but I appreciate that you want to help Nicky."

"Anytime," Nick flashed her a smile, "I'm just glad you decided you wanted to come back here. Things would get pretty boring without you around. Who else can I complain to about the way things are falling apart?"

"It really wouldn't have been worth hanging around if you weren't here, it's one thing to lose one of our own, but losing two of you guys, it would have really sucked," Greg added.

"Well it's good to know that I am wanted here," Sara smiled, "what do you guys say we go get a cup of coffee?"

"Sara?" Catherine ran into the trio.

"Yes," Sara answered, glad for a distraction. She didn't want to cry again.

"There's a call for you," Catherine explained, "in my office."

"Thanks," Sara walked down the hall.

"Hello," Sara picked up the phone.

"Sara, thank goodness," the other voice said.

"Grissom?" Sara asked.

"Sara, look, I'm sorry," Grissom started, "you took all the trouble to come out here and see me and I just turned you away. It was stupid of me."

"I don't know if I should even be talking to you right now," Sara snapped, "I'm mad and I might say something I will regret later."

"Don't hang up, Sara," Grissom pleaded, "it was wrong, I know it was. I'm sorry I was stupid. I just had this all planned out in my head that when I left Vegas, I would do it suddenly, without notice, and I would never look back. I guess in my plan, I had never thought that anyone might come after me. I never thought I would hurt anyone."

Sara sighed softly, "You thought you could just slip away and no one would notice?"

"Like I said, I didn't really think this all the way through," Grissom said.

"So come back, we still want you here Grissom," Sara told him.

"I'm sorry, but so long as Conrad Ecklie is in Las Vegas, I will not be," Grissom sighed now.

"Damn Ecklie, he just screwed our whole world up," Sara seethed, "I wish he would just give up and leave."

"Don't count on it, he loves his job, he gets to torture me and the people closest to me now that I am gone," Grissom advised.

"I know. All we can do is just wait for him to screw up and get fired, and that may never happen," Sara shook her head.

"It's late, I should be getting off the phone now," Grissom said, "I'm so sorry Sara, and thank you for letting me apologize."

"Goodnight Grissom," Sara hung up.

At that moment, Sara wished she could make Conrad Ecklie disappear off the face of the earth. He seemed to be the cause of all the problems she was having right now. He was a terrible person, and now she understood why Grissom always hated him. It suddenly hit her who had asked Ecklie to let her stay here. It was Grissom, she remembered him saying something about calling Ecklie when she left. Sara smiled briefly to herself, grateful that he had somehow convinced Ecklie to let her keep her job. She desperately wished she could convince Grissom to return, but knew it would never happen with Ecklie around.

"We couldn't wait any longer, what did Grissom say?" Greg asked, bursting into the office.

Sara smiled, "Well aren't you the nosy one?"

"We all want to know," Nick said, Catherine and now Warrick present too.

"He apologized to me and basically said that the only chance he'd come back is if Ecklie was gone," Sara started, "he also said he's sorry if he hurt anyone in the way he left."

"So there's no chance that he's coming back," Warrick said sadly.

"This is all because of Conrad Ecklie, too bad we can't get rid of him," Greg mused.

"I think if we leave Ecklie to his devices for long enough, he'll screw things up around here so bad that they'll fire him," Catherine reasoned, "he's already had the job only a few days and has things around here all screwed up. First splitting up night shift, then bringing us back together."

"I hope you're right," Sara said, "I'd love to see Ecklie run out of here."

"I think we all would," Nick smiled, "that'd be the day."

"What are we talking about?" Jim Brass found the CSIs gathered in what used to be Gil Grissom's office.

"Ecklie," Sara told him.

"And how much we hate him," Greg added.

"You guys should start a club, you'd get a lot of members from here," Brass laughed.

"I think the whole lab might join," Catherine smiled.

"It's too bad he screwed things up around here, I don't know about you guys, but I'm missing Grissom," Brass sighed.

"We all are," Sara said, "but the only way he's coming back is if we get rid of Ecklie."

"Wouldn't it be nice if we could just take him out? I mean we could all be pretty good at hiding evidence," Greg mused.

"Don't even say that, what if someone hears you?" Nick warned.

"Yeah, imagine if someone heard you say that and then somehow Ecklie did turn up dead, you'd suspect number one," Warrick said.

"Ha, we'd all be suspects, even Grissom, the entire crime lab hates the guy," Brass shook his head, "talk about the wrong man for the job."

A/N: I meant to update sooner, but I went home for the weekend and my family decided to celebrate my birthday (which is Tuesday). So I never hardly had a chance to sit down at my computer. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this latest chapter.