MoggieNote: It's a little long winded and that would be my fault. Trying to juggle a few things at once and not having a clear head, it's turned into a soap opera. Lol. Sorry. But it's explaining the case and coming to an end. So I hope it makes sense.

Chapter 22

They all sat around the table, discussing tiny things that ranged from conversations on work life, family and past experiences. Dinner was served and glasses were refilled. Conversation was focused on their wedding days, this being because they were on their honeymoons.

"White and pink." Lucy Gardener confessed with a grimace.

Allison laughed. "What's wrong with white and pink?"

Lucy sighed and poked at her peas. "Pink was my mothers way of telling me to be more feminine."

Sara and Allison shared a smile.

"My mother did the same thing." Sara looked around the table and smiled at Grissom as he turned his head towards her.

-Time to make up some wedding plans-

"She told me that if I didn't have a feminine colour at my wedding, then she wouldn't come." Sara laughed. "I nearly died."

Grissom smirked and reached for his half glass of wine. -I wonder where she's going with this, but it's highly amusing-

Brass looked at Grissom and grinned. "You nervous?"

"No. She knows how to tell a story." He confidently replied.

Sara gave the table and broad grin and raised her eyebrows, readying herself for an on the spot story, from scratch. -Well, not all from scratch-

"You could practically see my mother's hamster mill working overtime, because she knows I'm not a feminine colour kind of girl. She wanted me in pink and purple dresses while I was growing up."

Grissom looked at her in amusement. -Really? Now that's something I didn't know. I wonder if that part was true-

"Good God!" Allison exclaimed, covering her mouth in mock shock. "I had a nightmare about that once. My mother took charge of my wedding, and she made us all wear green!"

Sara gasped and laughed. "No Way!"

Lucy giggled and ducked her head. "I'm thinking pink isn't so bad now I'm hearing this."

Robert, Lucy's husband, chuckled at his wife and raised his glass. "To normal weddings, and Thank God," He said empathically. "It's only for one special day."

They all raised their glasses. "Here, here."

Allison set her glass down and smiled across the table at Sara. "So what happened Sara?"

Sara sipped her wine and smiled brightly. "White, but with blue. I told my mother that she either love the blue, or I was going to introduce black."

Grissom chuckled, playing his part in this make believe world. "You can guess which colour we went with."

"I think white and blue mix well. I bet is was a wonderful day." Lucy commented, watching Grissom and Sara from her seat between Ian and Robert.

"It was." Sara looked at Grissom and smiled.

-If only it was the real thing they were discussing- Sara sighed inwardly. But she didn't want to get hopes up that was surely too soon to start thinking about.

"I sense a distinct calmness between you two." Brass observed when the table had cleared and the other couples were talking to other hotel residents around the dining room. Ian was out on the balcony smoking and talking to a woman that no one recognised.

-That a good or bad thing?- Sara's eyes wrinkled around the edges. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"You think we can't manage 'calmness' Jim?" Grissom inquired with a raised eyebrow, his right hand clasping Sara's left and his left hand holding a fresh glass of white wine.

"I think that over the last few years, it's been difficult to determine whether you are at piece with each other, or ready to maim each other."

Sara broke out with a grin and turned her head to look away. "I wouldn't say maim so lightly."

Grissom cleared his throat, all of a sudden he was feeling nervous. -She really wanted to 'maim' me?-

Brass laughed heartily. "Not so happy huh, Sara?"

"Oh, that was at least two weeks ago. Things change." She assured him, squeezing Grissom's hand.

"I'm glad to hear that." Grissom murmured. -At least she doesn't want to hurt me for the moment. That's a good sign-

Looking around the room to spy on the two couples whereabouts, Brass turned his head in Ian's direction. He was too far away to even attempt to listen in to the conversation the man was having with a young woman. They were both smiling, so all was good.

"How are things on the frontline?" Brass asked.

"Quiet." Grissom grumbled, now he was thinking about the case, and he didn't want to be. -As odd as it sounds, I'm more interested in how to close this case tonight and make tomorrow night memorable for Sara-

"Are you sure you've got the right guy Jim?" Sara asked. "Because no matter how much information we collect on this guy, I can't find a thing wrong."

Grissom sighed, toying with Sara's fingers on the table. "As far as police record or misconduct at work, he's never stepped a foot out of place. He had an affair with his secretary, but that wasn't illegal, just stupid."

"Yeah. Married once. One Affair. Divorced. Then he hit the straight and narrow. Since then, he's been the modal citizen and a very successful couple psychiatrist." Sara added.

"We don't have anything to go on." Grissom raised his left hand and scratched his beard. "It may be that we just have the wrong guy."

-I'm starting to think that Sara may be right about the disappearances. Maybe they all just left to start over some place else-

Brass shook his head. "Sheridan is adamant."

Sara looked across the table at Allison, Sean and the Grangers. "I still think that they just up and left."

"The missing couples?" Brass furrowed his brows in thought. "I didn't see anything in the FBI profiles that would suggest that."

"Neither did we, but it's a certain possibility." Grissom pondered for a moment, casually intertwining his fingers with Sara's. "They all left with no note, or told anyone where they were going. They just up and left. In your friends interpretation," He referred to Sheridan. "The kidnapper snatched them. But I don't see it. If they were kidnapped, why are we looking at just this one guy?"

"Good question." Sara nodded. "We should be looking for several accomplices. One man against two. I don't think they would have just left with him. Let alone there is an abundant lack of evidence."

Brass sighed and rubbed his face. "I'll look into the families a bit more. See if I missed something."

"That would help Jim. We're just not sure what we can do. All we can do, is watch the others. We're not trained to take down a kidnapper without the police present. We work the scene, collect the evidence. You know this Jim. I'm still trying to fathom why Sara and I are here in the first place." Grissom gave his old friend a questioning stare.

Shrugging like he didn't know a thing, Brass grasped his empty glass and stood. "If you'll excuse me, I need a refill."

Settling back in her chair, Sara smiled. This caught Grissom's attention. He leaned to his side, moving closer to her so he could whisper. "Why the smile? Something amusing?"

Turning her head towards him slowly, she raised one eyebrow. "Amusing? No." She smiled and tilted her head to the right, looking at him.

"What?" He smirked, reaching up to wipe at his bottom lip subconsciously.

Not answering, Sara closed her eyes and shook her head before glancing away.

"Sara," He called with a low melody attached. "Tell me something, my dear, just what are you thinking about?"

A grin spread across her face and she blushed, turning her head back to him, bringing their faces close together. "White and blue." She raised her eyes to his. "That was a true story too. Just without their being a wedding."

"Woman talk?" He inquired curiously. Sara nodded and he chuckled. "The little girl telling her mother about the handsome prince she was going to marry and what her perfect wedding would be like."

"Hmm, you do know what this means, don't you?" She looked at him with a glint in her eyes.

-I think we just stepped into a time warp- Grissom's brain babbled. "Did you just, like, propose?"

Sara burst out laughing and pressed a kiss to his lips before turning away and standing. -That didn't sound like the Grissom she knew, but it was funny-

"Come with me honey. I want to see the stars." She tugged on their still entwined hands.

"As long as you tell me what this means." He stood and followed her to the balcony.

Smiling over her shoulder at him, she weaved them around the tables and people in the room and across the dance floor. In no time at all, they were walking through the open doors that were big enough to fit on a giants home.

The night sky was glistening with stars. On this side of the building, the lack of illuminated lights from the Strip, brought out the fantastic view of the hills and the suburbs with lamps on corners.

"You know what this means." Sara smiled up at him when his arms surrounded her from behind.

"Hmm, what are we talking about?" He hummed against her cheek, looking out at the night sky.

She sighed happily. "We just had a personal conversation with six people. Five of which we don't know all that well. And neither of us freaked out. Plus," She laughed quietly. "I can't believe you thought I proposed."

"It was a misunderstanding. I got my hopes up for a second." He mock mumbled into the soft skin of her neck.

Sara laughed out loud this time. "Oh honey, I'm so sorry." She teased him and turned in his arms, taking his face into her hands and beaming up at him. "We have this all wrong, you know that, right?" She referred to the male female roles they had switched.

Grissom took her hands in his and pulled them from his cheeks, gently releasing them to pull her into his arms to hold her. "It's a little soon to be thinking about weddings and wedding plans. Let's do what you suggested. Let's take this slow."

"Hmm, a man after my own heart." She murmured, resting her cheek on his shoulder..

Holding her tightly to him, he sighed. "I already have your heart."

"Yes you do." She pulled back slightly to look up at him again. "And I have yours."

Grissom nodded before dipping his head forward to steal a quick kiss. "Let's go back and order some desert. I feel like a sugar-fix is needed."

Sara smirked. "You're not going to go all hyper on me, are you?"

He scoffed and started leading them back to the table where the others had reconvened after their break. "Like I'd go hyper on sugar."

Raising a sceptical eyebrow at his back, Sara shook her head. "We'll see."

"Two Chocolate Ice Mountains please." He ordered, catching a waiter before he left the table with the other's orders.

"Of course sir." The waiter totted off towards the kitchens.

Allison eyed Sara and Grissom closely when the Grangers and Ian had left the table for the evening. Brass was at the bar with Sean, both retrieving fresh drinks. Coffee this time, as enough alcohol was walking the streets and back to their rooms at this time of the night. They didn't need to add to the hangovers that were bound to be present in the morning.

When Brass and Sean returned to the table, they hit off a sports know it all challenge and Grissom got dragged in. Though he didn't mind. He was very knowledgeable on the Baseball front.

Sara tapped Grissom's thigh.

"Hmm?" He leaned his head back towards her, still listening to Brass and Sean's battle of the sports talk.

"Something's wrong." She whispered into his ear, glancing at Allison.

Grissom watched as Allison got Sean's attention and said something to him. Grissom and Sara watched them closely and with sudden sinking stomachs, they were rumbled. Their cover, that is.

"You two aren't married?" Sean blurted in confusion, looking from his wife to Grissom.

Brass's eyebrow flew up to his hairline.

Sara stared at Sean, then Allison, trying to think of something to say.

"I heard you talking, over there, on the balcony." Allison said, slight accusation in her voice.

"Um." Sara frowned and looked to Brass.

"Guess it was too good to be true." He shrugged, setting his drink down and looked around them. "It is only one day before you leave, so you might as well tell them now."

Grissom looked down at his hand on Sara's. Her hand that was still resting on his thigh. -He's right. I just hope Sara isn't rattled by them suddenly figuring it all out-

"Um." Sara searched and searched, but no words would come out. -I can't think. This was more serious than Ecklie discovering them. This was some serious FBI situation and they had to explain that they were part of an investigation and could very well be in danger- Her brain was about to burnout when she heard Grissom take the reins.

"This may surprise you." He sighed, making eye contact with them. "This isn't really our honeymoon. It's true, Sara and I are not married." He glanced at Sara and smiled reassuringly. His attention turned back to the Grangers. "We're undercover."

Allison and Sean stared at them.

Brass chuckled. "It's a shocker."

"You know?" Allison spluttered, not sure who to look at.

"I put them up to this whole thing." Brass admitted. "Though is wasn't my idea. Originally, this is an FBI operation. We're here because they needed someone who was good at blending in and collecting circumstantial evidence."

"That's where we come in." Grissom said with ease. "We, that is, Sara and I, are not cops or FBI."

"What are you then?" Sean asked, confused and not sure how to take this all in.

"CSI." Grissom answered.

"CSI?" Allison was completely confused.

"Crime Scene Investigator. We work here in Vegas. At the Crime Lab." Grissom looked up at the dining room entrance to make sure no one was around, especially Ian and the Gardeners.

"Vegas!" Sean and Allison exclaimed.

"Then, that guy?" Allison thought back to last week. "That guy in the street. That creepy man that was talking to you…"

Brass cleared his throat to gain some composure. He was finding this amusing, though he could tell that Grissom and Sara weren't so amused. "That would be Conrad Ecklie. He works at the Crime Lab, though he works Dayshift. Gil and Sara work the Nightshift."

"And you?" Sean inquired, a deep frown showing clearly upon his forehead.

"Cop. I'm Captain Jim Brass. Vegas PD. I'm the real deal. Gil and Sara here are just being used as pawns in the FBI chess game. They needed them to make friends and get in on Dr. Jenkins gigs." Brass explained, though not very elegantly.

Sara sighed and played with her napkin. "What he means is, we were brought here to observe Ian."

"Why?" Allison shook her head. -This was all too much-

"People have gone missing." Grissom began. "Couples to be exact. Newly weds on their honeymoons. They all had contact with Dr. Jenkins at some time or another. Within weeks of couple counselling and contact with Jenkins, they have vanished."

"Oh God. What happened to them?" Allison gasped.

-That's what we are trying to find out- Sara grumbled to herself. This was pleasant and she was tired. The last thing she wanted to do was lose a good friendship. Whether it was inevitable or not.

"We're not sure." Grissom sat up. "I know this isn't what you had in mind when you met us, but believe us, we are still trying to get comfortable with the whole honeymoon and marriage angle. It's different for us as we don't usually turn up until after the fact. We clean up after the cops and we have people who clean up after us."

"Mr and Mrs Granger, I need you to keep this quiet. Please don't speak to anyone about this. If you do, you could put Gil and Sara in danger." Brass advised.

"But you don't know it was Ian, do you?" Allison was getting upset. "He couldn't do something like that… could he?"

Sara placed her napkin on the table and looked up. "It takes all kinds to commit murder and kidnap people, Ally. You've heard of the term 'It's always the quiet ones'? That's actually been proven right in many cases."

"Oh God." Allison whispered. She stood and looked anywhere but at the others. "Sean."

Sean looked up and nodded. "Um, yeah. Um. Please excuse us."

Grissom and Brass nodded, whereas Sara followed Allison with her eyes and a frown plastered on her face.

"That went well." Brass murmured.

Standing in the living area of their room, Sara took in everything as she tried to slow down her thought processes. Grissom was in the bedroom folding his clothes and packing things away that he wasn't going to be using on their last day.

-This is a mess- Sara started pacing the carpet, absently twisting her watch around her wrist.

They were still stuck in the case, though they were going home soon. It was stupid. They had nothing. All the information they had gather from talks about friendships, family, work, interests. It was all exactly what was in the suspect profile.

"How are we supposed to catch a criminal with no evidence?" She cursed when she couldn't find an answer to her question.

"We don't crunch evidence to fit a theory Sara." Grissom called from the bedroom.

"I know that." She sighed, still pacing. "No evidence. Not even a theory! We have nothing, and we are still stick in this fancy land."

"It was a nice dream while it last though." Grissom chuckled.

Sara turned to the open doors to spot him folding a t-shirt. She eyed him silently for a few minutes before making her way towards him. "Dream?" -I hope I'm not hearing this-

Grissom looked up. "Oh!" He chuckled and shook his head. "Not us Sara. The whole case."

-Oh. Right. I knew that- Damn insecurity, she thought tiredly.

"Think about the case, but take out the worrying." He suggested, rolling up a pair of socks. "Stop think about Ally and Sean's reactions. It's clouding your judgement."

"I can't help it." She groaned in frustration and threw herself onto the bed, collapsing Grissom's neat pile of socks and shirts.

"Hey hey, I'm packing her lady. Move over to your side." He mock complained, gathering his socks and shirts into a messy pile.

Sara turned her head to him. "Didn't know we had designated sides. And what about the case? We have nothing to go on. I swear, to you, that they got bored of their families meddling and their jobs, and just grabbed what they could carry and left."

"You're awfully cute when you ramble." He commented softly, still working on the piles of clothes she had crashed.

"Ugh!" She groaned in distaste. "Gil!"

Chuckling, he abandoned his packing and crawled onto the bed to lay beside her.

"So what now?" Sara asked, her tone light despite the anxiety she was feeling.

"Well, I thought we could organise a breakfast for tomorrow and try and smooth things over with Sean and Allison." Grissom answered, pushing the suitcase back so it wasn't digging into his back.

Sara smiled. -He is so clueless-

"No, I meant when we go back." she explained.

"Oh." Grissom offered as an answer, removing his glasses in his trademark gesture. "I don't know." he answered honestly.

"Makes a change." Sara laughed. "You usually know everything."

Grissom could sense the worry in her voice now and knew he was the cause. Her anxiety had gone from the case to the Grangers, then to them.

-How can I make her trust me?- he asked himself. -How about you stop playing with her head- His inner voice said back.

"I don't know about knowing 'everything." he said, putting his arms around her. "But I do know that I'd be an idiot to let you go."

"Can't say I disagree with that." Sara smiled.

"We'll just have to see how it goes, but if I have any say in it, it will go well." he said, his smile chasing away any of Sara's doubts.

Pulling out of the embrace, Sara got up and headed towards the door. "Lets go build some bridges with Sean and Allison." she said, unable to hold the smile in as she remembered thinking the same thing about the two of them before they left.

"Lets." Grissom said taking her hand when he reached her. "I'm think I'm finally getting the hang of this talking thing." he smiled as he closed the door.

They were going to make an appearance in person at Allison and Sean's door and organise breakfast. It wouldn't take more than a few minutes and then they could get a good nights sleep and worry about what to say in the morning.