Lauren's A/N: AN- school has gotten really stressful lately- so I want to thank Les, who always yells at me to get my head out of here and back on the important things, like posting. Some days I realy wonder where I'd be with out the catharsis of my fic communities. Thanks for always being there.

Leslie's A/N: (grumbles) School. BAH! Bah to you! Go Pats, go Sox. I love you Boston, I love you Lauren.


The morning light was filtering in the diner as their orders came. A few moments of silence covered the booth's three occupants as they began to eat, savoring the taste of something other than the lab's sludge. Grissom carefully swallowed and looked at Greg. "So what are you thinking, Greg"

Greg's eyes widened. He didn't actually expect to be consulted about this. He thought they asked him as a courtesy. Or as an excuse to keep his mouth zipped. A possible fifth and sixth nucleotide was either the biggest discovery in science, or the biggest mix up. He swallowed a mouthful and coughed. "Well, I re-ran the test after I finished Swing shift's samples for the night. We did have a mix up, but it's not what we thought. There was some contaminate in one of the swabs I initially ran- the test tube actually had held Gak when it was used for Day's outreach program for science in the local school district. I'm thinking the day's tech didn't realize it had been used when it was returned to the lab and it got mixed in with the clean vials. I re-ran everything with what I KNEW was sterile equipment and it came back as an unidentified organic. The extra nucleotides were still there." Greg blushed a bit"I don't get it. It's not supposed to be possible."

"From what we know of nature, no. But theoretically it's not impossible." Sara speared some fruit, holding up her fork. "Just because we can't have it doesn't mean it's not possible." The table buzzed with her obvious double entendre for a second before Grissom cleared his throat and continued.

"Brass is still working on the background checks for the house and the bodies. We still can't identify- they're not in AFIS. He's going to try facial recognition and dental match, but he's still got them labeled as John Does." He sighed and put his hands flat on the table. "We need to document everything from here on out. If those truly ARE new nucleotides we could have just fumbled on one of the biggest discoveries in scientific history. But the fact remains that we know nothing about them."

"You know, what if they're manufactured? Like the last few elements on the periodic table" Sara mused out loud. "Stealing a discovery like that could definitely be a motive."

"Very true, but we need to proceed with caution." Grissom agreed, wondering why he hadn't thought of scientific espionage before.

"Um, Griss" Greg asked, Nervously pushing his breakfast around.

"What Greg"

"I don't know how many people you want to know about this, but a few months ago Archie was telling me about a few guys he knows that are tech experts, but apparently they know some experts in the odder aspects of science. Maybe... maybe we could use some help here"

Grissom made a point of outwardly showing that he was really considering the option, but frowned. "We're not in over our heads, yet, Greg. We're not the number two lab in the nation for no reason. If I think we could use a hand, maybe we'll consult these people. See if you can get some more information on them, though."

"I don't mean to jump to conclusions but..." The woman started, opening the over, poking at what was baking in the dish.

"But..." The man took the bait and ducked into the refrigerator to attempt to locate a cucumber. "We have no cucumbers by the way Dana."

"But it looks like the substance that we've come into contact with before. The substance that was secreted when"

"You're kidding."

"I'm not."

"You're kidding" He said, placing two plates down on the table, walking to another cabinet, rummaging through it for William's dinnerware. "This can't be possible. I don't want it to be possible." He continued as he popped open a Gerber container and poured it into his son's plastic bowl.

"And I do? Thus far, they don't know what it is. They've run it twice, and it's coming up unidentified."

Her husband spun around and raised a brow at her in question. "I may have snuck a look at tech's notes." She shrugged in explanation.

The man's face broke out in a grin. "Snooping on the sneak-tip." He winked at her. "I taught you so well." He moved over to her and pecked her on top of the head, causing her to laugh.

"Don't flatter yourself." She stated, opening the oven again, pulling the dish out and setting it on the counter. "We should talk about this though. Let the guys know. Tell Walter at the very least. See if there are any new blips on the radar so to speak." She threw over her shoulder as she continued to prepare dinner.

When she wasn't graced with a response, she turned to look at him, finding him leaning against the refrigerator with his head down in thought. "I'm sorry." He replied.

His blue eyes snapped up to seek her green ones. He looked intensely sad. He crossed his arms over his chest and peered down at the linoleum once more. "I am, I'm sorry. I don't think I've really said that yet. I just wanted you to know, and I wanted to thank you."

"Sorry" She asked, stepping closer to him, reaching a hand out and placing it on his arm.

"Yeah. I don't want to make you run and... and..." He stopped for a moment, uncrossed his arms and enveloped her in them. "I hate you as a blonde."

Archie sat down at the computer in his living room and turned on his instant messenger, hoping that his contact would finally be online. It wasn't often that Greg asked him for anything, and if Archie had any sense about him he could tell that Greg's nervousness, combined with the new need-to-know status of Grissom's latest case, had him on edge. He smiled when he saw that he was on. Maybe Archie could get in on the action soon. He IMed.

VidGuy2020: Hey, I need a favor.

Langly took a bite of his doughnut and typed back.

JRamone1981: Did you get a virus on your lab's computer again?

VidGuy2020: No, I learned my lesson. This is a little bigger than that.

JRamone1981: Bigger? I'm listening...

VidGuy2020: Remember a while back you mentioned that you have some friends that are experts in the slightly odd?

Langly dropped his doughnut and yelled for his two friends to get back in the room. When they protested he added profanity. "Look up my stats on VidGuy2020" He demanded as he typed back.

JRamone1981: I think so. What's up?

VidGuy2020: We might be needing their expertise. Our lab director wants to know more about them.

JRamone1981: Well, maybe if you could tell me more about your problem I can tell you if they can help you or not.

"Langly" Frohike shouted from the next computer"He's the AV lab tech in the Vegas Lab" The three men looked around at each other. They were in so much trouble.

"Ok, Ok, let's stay cool" Langly said to the other two dire faces. The reply popped up.

VidGuy2020: Just know it's big. All the fines have been labeled NTK in the last 24hrs.

As Langly began to reply, a loud buzzer started to go off and the small computer set up in the corner held everyone's attention. Byers, in his crisp suit, was the first to reach it. He gulped loudly. "Unidentified substance from the Vegas Metro lab is being run through the FBI database, the computer intercepted it. It's a match to an X-File."

"Shit, Mulder was right." Frohike breathed out. "Has either system noticed this yet" He asked frantically.

Byers typed a few keys. "No. It didn't flag in the FBI system just like we programmed it to, but it flagged in ours. Vegas is getting kicked back no results, but if they do a manual search they'll find it."

"Oh, we're so dead."

"Got nothing." Archie said, nearly startling Greg off of his lab stool. The lab tech looked up, dejectedly, and grabbed the sample up off the counter.

"Damn it. There's no way that something just... doesn't exist. It's impossible."

Archie shrugged and moved forward to look at the sample. "Looks like Gak, remember that stuff"

Greg's head shot up. "Thank you! Yeah dude, I used to throw that crap on the ceiling"

He was cut off abruptly when Grissom entered the room, head in a file. "Anything" Gil asked, eyeing the sample as well.

"Source didn't pan out, we're gonna have to run it through the database manually. Could pan out, but it'll take awhile. I mean... a long while." Greg stressed. Grissom nodded and took the jar from Greg's hand. "I have to get through levels of security and authorization, so I'll need the lab's code..."

"Okay. It's the only piece of concrete evidence we have here, so run it. Page me immediately if anything is found. Hey, have you gone home yet" Grissom asked, pushing his glasses more securely on the bridge of his nose. Greg shook his head in the negative. His boss peered at him through half lidded eyes.

"Well, get some sleep, you look like hell. This can wait a few hours." Grissom concluded and left the lab, head in his file once more.

"I feel so loved." Greg deadpanned, and began searching through the computer anyway. He sent the sample off running, had Archie password protect his computer, and cleaned up the station. He talked with Archie for a few minutes about his Halo status and left the lab, nearing zombie status.

A computer beeped. No one heard it. The computer became impatient and beeped twice. Still, no one noticed. The computer set off a litany of beeps, rousing a sleepy tech-nerd from his resting place on the couch.

"Oh. Crap." Frohike said. His fingers flew over the keyboard in an attempt to intercept the information as it zipped through the system but it was no use. No back channels were being used and all the information being provided was legitimate. If he intercepted the information at such a late point, not only would the federal government be informed, but the Las Vegas lab as well.

Frohike sat back in his swivel chair and watched as one computer made friends with the other, information being exchanged. The coordinates that were available for the unknown substance were transmitted from the FBI's lab to the Las Vegas lab in a flurry of letters and numbers.

"An X-File, what the hell is that" Warrick asked, annoyingly reading over Grissom's shoulder.

"Not quite sure" Grissom answered as he continued to read. Archie's doing some manual research on it. Apparently there's a glitch in the new FBI database."

Nick looked at Grissom, stirring his coffee. "Glitch"

"Yeah, they updated a few months ago. Archie backed up our connection to their database as standard procedure about a year ago right before they updated, so he's going to do a manual search on the saved database. He's estimating the FBI may have lost a whole division." Grissom shook his head, a fan of paper verses computer chip, and kept reading.

"They lost it, or they're hiding it" Nick said quietly, prompting everyone in the room to look at him. "What? You can't tell me that you don't find them suspect, too. Just a little"

"I think you're just a little paranoid, Nick" Sara smiled back.

"In any case, this file seems to confirm some suspicions of mine." Grissom flipped through the stapled pages. "I just need to get in touch with the investigators: Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. Brass is on that."

And like magic, Brass appeared in the break room, quickly rounding the corner, dropping some pages on the table and huffing into a chair. "Yes, he was."

"Was" Sara questioned, handing Brass a cup of coffee.

"Was. The FBI is like Fort Knox when it comes to the X-Files. Apparently we have some "bad information." They say that the X-Files don't exist. Never have, never will." He watched the faces around him fall.

"Ha! See" Nick leaned back, upset that he was actually right for once.

"And even though the files don't exist, the investigators do. Special Agent Fox Mulder and Special Agent Doctor Dana Scully both have warrants out for their arrest. Agent Mulder disappeared after he was found guilty of murder by a military tribunal. They're faxing over pictures now."

Sara took the info and flipped through it before tossing it down on the table. The CSI's each took a moment familiarizing themselves with the information that Jim had found. Or the lack thereof.

"Well then, who's waiting for the fax" Brass questioned as Greg dashed from the room to check for the incoming information. Catherine grinned at his level of spunk and settled back for what she knew would be a few precious moments before she would have to return to work.

Greg ran back to the room, hair disheveled, a pile of papers in hand. "Grissom." He thrust the papers into his supervisor's hand and took a moment to catch his breath. "Is it me or does she look familiar."

Grissom shot his lab tech a patented 'go-away' look, but the young man stood his ground. Grissom would have admired his attitude had his eyes not been attracted to the two security shots. Immediately, he recognized both of them. His demeanor took on a more hostile manner and he smacked the table, shoving the papers over to Jim, whose eyes darkened.

"Kidding me, the editor? With the kid? How" Jim was non-plussed. "Sorry Gil, I just, neither of us got the vibe. Doesn't look like such a dangerous guy."

"Well Jim, looks can be deceiving." Grissom replied bitterly, gathering his papers into a massive heap, then addressing the room. "Sara, Nick, you're with Brass and I. Warrick, Cath, help Greg catalogue the unknown substance. And someone contact PD, have them put out a new APB on Dana Scully and Fox Mulder."

Everyone fluttered off to their respective duties. Sara rising from her chair slower than usual. She wiped the back of her hand against her brow, gathering the cold sweat there, wiping it off onto her jeans.

"Sara" Grissom called, noticing she was lagging behind.

Her head shot up as she looked at him. "Yeah, I'll be right there. Just wanna grab some aspirin. Headache."