Issues by SLynn

Disclaimer: I own only the thoughts in my head and the characters you don't recognize.

Chapter 6: Revelations

Twenty minutes later Sara, Greg, Warrick and Nick were still awaiting their assignments in the break room. Nick had tried talking to each of them in turn, but couldn't get anything beyond one or two replies. He had no idea what had been going on but was determined to find out.

Grissom and Catherine finally arrived. Catherine still looked angry and Grissom looked more pensive then usual. Looking at them both Greg knew she had to have told him.

Without explanation on why they were late Grissom began the meeting. It was quick and to the point, but left a lot unsaid. Warrick and Catherine were working the Sanchez case. Nick and Sara were looking into a dead homeless man found off the strip and Greg was to help Amy with the backlog of evidence in the lab.

Only Nick showed any kind of reaction to that last part, but before he could say anything about it Grissom had wrapped it up and left. Catherine followed him out, leaving the original four still in the room.

"What the hell?" Nick asked Greg.

"I'll explain on the way," Sara answered him but looking instead at Greg. Uncharacteristically she kissed him once on the cheek not caring that Warrick and Nick and whoever was walking by might see it. Concern for him was the only thing on her mind.

"Let's go," she continued, grabbing Nick by the arm and leading him out before he could question or protest further.

"So it must be serious then," Warrick said in an even tone when it was just them left.

"What?"

"You and Sara."

"Yeah, I guess so." Greg replied, sitting back down and rubbing his hands over the back of his head in frustration. "It just so complicated."

"Women usually are."

Greg laughed.

"Speaking of which, I've got one waiting for me. Catherine's on a roll tonight, should be interesting."

"Good luck."

"You too man," Warrick said as he left.

Deciding that delay would only make things worse, Greg headed down to the DNA lab.

"I told you," Amy said as she saw him enter, "I can't tell you anything."

"Good thing I'm not here to ask then."

"Okay, I'll bite," she said looking up at him good naturedly. "Why are you here?"

"Because I'm not allowed out in the field right now and you're swamped."

Amy looked at him strangely.

"Is that a joke?"

Greg just shook his head, as he traded his own jacket for a lab coat.

"This side of the counter?" she asked, pointing down for emphasis.

"Just tell me what needs doing."

"Greg," she said seriously "what happened? You haven't worked in here for like ever."

"Yeah, I think I've forgotten what most of this stuff does."

He was trying to joke with her, make her stop looking at him so sadly, but it wasn't working.

"Are you okay?"

"Amy," Greg said as seriously as he could "please stop asking questions. I'm working here tonight, with you, probably at least until Friday. After that, I don't know. I'll tell you all about it later; I just need to start doing something right now."

"I haven't started those back there yet. I was going to after I took a break."

"Thank you."

Amy said no more. They worked in relative silence for another hour before Amy decided to take that break. She asked him to join her, but he'd refused. Greg had fallen right back into the groove of working in the lab and it was the best thing for him. He needed to be doing something familiar that kept his head occupied just enough so he didn't have the inclination to brood. Brooding was bad.

Not long after Amy left, Grissom joined him.

"This isn't a punishment," he said from the doorway.

Greg didn't even look up.

"That's funny, because it feels that way."

"Greg, you can't be in the field until after your review board. I told you that. Most of the evidence being handled elsewhere is from the Sanchez case. That's the only reason I asked you to work here tonight."

"So it has nothing to do with Sara and me?" Greg asked, finally looking up.

"No. You're entitled to have a private life."

"How come I feel a but coming on?"

"But," Grissom said, with a slight nod of the head "considering the circumstances the two of you should have informed either me or Catherine sooner."

"Okay, let me see if I've got all of this. I can have a private life as long as it doesn't involve seeing a psychiatrist or dating a co-worker. Then I have to inform you, or Catherine in your place."

"Greg, I don't think you…"

"Is there a handbook for this, because if there are any other stipulations, I should really be reading up on them."

"Greg…"

"And does this only apply to me, because I know a surprising lot about who's dating who around here and I don't remember them lining up at your door to ask permission."

"Come to my office," Grissom said as he turned to go. Greg was getting louder by the second and he couldn't continue this with him out in the relative open.

Greg ripped off his gloves and followed him out.

Sitting down now in what he was starting to feel was his chair, he watched as Grissom shut the door and leaned on the desk in front of him.

"I understand you're angry," Grissom started, putting up a hand for silence to allow him to continue. "I would be angry too. This is in no way meant to undermine any relationship you may be involved in. The problem here is that Sara was in a supervisory position over you when this may have started. That is the only problem. The review board will have read both of your statements by Friday and are going to ask questions."

Greg had begun to calm down, was listening again.

"Greg," Grissom said very calmly "your stories have to match exactly."

Greg blinked at him, not sure if he'd understood that. It had sounded an awful lot like Gil Grissom had just told him to lie. To his superiors.

"Knowing both of you," Grissom continued "I'm sure that this relationship didn't start until well after Sara had asked to be removed as your trainer. Like two to three months after."

Greg understood now.

"Of course not," he answered.

Actually, it was less then a month.

True, they didn't talk about it or make anything official between them until after she'd made the request, but emotionally, at least for him, he'd long been attached to her.

Before that they had spent one night together, not long after his initial diagnosis, but it could hardly be called the start of their relationship.

"Good," Grissom said getting to his feet.

Greg did likewise and left without another word. On the way back to the lab he ran into Nick.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked quietly as he fell in step beside him.

"Tell you what?"

"About knowing the victim?"

"Shock I guess," Greg answered. Sara must have told him. It was pretty typical Nick. He didn't seem concerned that Greg was seeing a shrink, just concerned about his general wellbeing. He really was a good friend.

"Well, I know you have Sara but if you need to talk about it, let me know."

"Thanks man," Greg said, detouring off into the lab.

"You knew her?" Amy asked, back from break and having heard them outside the door.

Greg nodded and she said nothing more.

After that the shift flew by. He'd forgotten how quickly time seemed to pass in the lab. It was so different from the field where minutes could sometimes feel like hours. Before he knew it it was time to go home. Time for him and Sara to sit down and work out what they were going to say in another two days.