The Search by SLynn

Disclaimer: Not mine, not mine, not mine.

Notes: Thanks to everyone who has read this… I'll be thanking you all in another chapter. Okay – mine own ignorance of the show is well, showing. I'm going to assume (probably incorrectly, but hell it's my story) that Grissom's parents are both dead. If I'm wrong, please kindly let me know. Thanks!

Spoilers: Everything up to 'Nesting Dolls' in Season 5 although I doubt seriously I drag all that up.

Day Two

It was pretty much what Nick had expected to happen. Sara had shown back up at the site not long after her shift ended. Warrick, Catherine, Brass, and a few others beside himself had been up all night as well. Half of night shift had volunteered to search but they weren't needed. Local cadets were coming in around ten to do just that. Nick only hoped by then they'd have an idea which way to look.

"Warrick, Nick," Catherine said catching his attention. He'd been staring at the spot the body, long since gone, had been hoping to find some trace of where to go next. "I need to get back to the lab. Don't stay too long you both need some rest. Shift starts at four and it doesn't begin here."

They both nodded, Sara now at their side. She wasn't really listening but seemingly doing exactly what Nick had been before. Looking for a starting place.

Nick and Warrick both promised to pack it up soon and whether or not she believed them she smiled and left but not before wishing them luck.

Warrick walked her up to her car, having something else to discuss, momentarily leaving Nick and Sara alone.

"Nothing?" she asked.

"Not a thing," Nick answered, "I've been standing here like an hour."

"Doing what?"

"Trying to think like Greg."

Sara looked at him odd.

"I gave up trying to think like Griss years ago," Nick said somewhat truthfully to which Sara laughed.

"Hard to replicate," Sara agreed.

"Well, Greg isn't that much easier."

Nick squatted down now, going through the motions once more.

"The body was here."

"Okay," Sara said leaning down as well, "Grissom's been letting Greg take the lead lately, build his confidence, so he'd probably be where you are."

"Right," Nick nodded and then shook his head. "I don't know. I can't think anymore. They could have gone anywhere."

Warrick came up behind him, standing still and looking off in the distance.

"What do you think that is?" he asked pointing straight ahead.

Nick and Sara both stood and turned as one.

"It was a stabbing right?" Sara asked.

"Yeah," Nick answered, "and that certainly is shiny."

Warrick gave him a small smile.

It took nearly twenty minutes to get there. It was much further away then it had seemed from the scene. Once there, crossing several small hills, the three of them had a hard time finding the object and an even harder time discerning which way they'd come from. Today however they were prepared. They'd brought short wave radios in place of the phones and had left a crime scene tape trail in their wake.

"I've got footprints," Warrick confirmed over his radio to Brass, "Two sets. We've got their starting point."

"Stay there," Brass said briefly.

"Why don't you two head home?" Sara asked.

"No way," Nick argued. "I'm going to at least see this thing started."

"Yeah," Warrick agreed, "Can't quit now."

"Where was Catherine going in such a hurry?" she asked as they continued to search.

Finding the initial tracks was easy. Griss and Greg had been there, that was easy to see. They'd trampled all over the area they now stood probably doing exactly what had the three of them had, looking for that object.

"Ecklie left it to her to call Greg's family."

"What?" Nick asked, momentarily looking over to him. "That's his job."

"Yeah," Warrick said, "I know. He said since she knew Greg and all she should be the one to break the news."

"There's nothing to break yet," Sara mumbled.

They continued on in silence, looking for the next lead.

"Looks like I got a trail here," Sara said calling them over.

"Yeah," Nick agreed, "More tracks too."

"They probably took this thinking it was taking them back. Slopes the same grade. It all looks the same out here."

"It was hot," Nick continued, "They had to have been tired, not normally at work during the day. You know Greg was talking non-stop annoying the crap out of Grissom."

Both men laughed but Sara shot them both a contemptuous look.

"Lay off," she defending, "he's not that bad."

"We are talking about Sanders right?" Nick joked.

"Yes," Sara said evenly, "Neither of you have worked with him for months. He's actually pretty quiet at scenes."

"Just no where else," Warrick said.

Sara rolled her eyes and started down the path.

"Whoa," Nick said taking hold of her shoulder, "we need to wait for Brass."

"Why? We've waited long enough."

"No," Nick argued, "Come on Sara. We wait. Greg and Grissom are already lost; they don't need to be looking for us as well."

Sara relented, but just barely.

It was going to be a very long day.


Catherine took a deep breath.

She'd been at her desk now for half an hour trying to work up the nerve to just do it. Personnel had given her Greg's emergency contact information, his mother and step-father in New York. Now, number in hand, she still had no idea what she was going to say to either of them.

Grissom, to her surprise, had her listed as his contact. It was touching and strange all at once. He'd never told her that she was his contact and she'd never expected it. Catherine knew his mother had passed away a few years ago but thought there had to be someone better for the job then her. He had to have some other family somewhere. But knowing Grissom, his other family was likely right here in the lab. They were his other family. She was.

Picking up the phone for the fourth time Catherine finally dialed the number. It was three hours later in New York, nearly two o'clock and she wondered briefly if anyone was even home. She suddenly realized Greg had never talked about his mother. She hadn't even known he had a stepfather. The only family Greg Sanders had ever mentioned to her or anyone as far as she was aware was his Papa Olaf.

On the third ring a woman answered.

"Faulkner residence. How may I help you?"

Catherine only hesitated briefly. Of course it wouldn't be Sanders. Stepfather after all.

"Yes, hello. I'm Catherine Willows. I'm trying to reach Kiersten Faulkner."

"What is this regarding?"

"It's about her son, Greg. I work with him at the Las Vegas Crime Lab."

"One moment."

Catherine listened to the heavy silence mentally preparing herself for what she'd have to say. She was still optimistic but had to be serious. She had to be honest.

This wasn't going to be easy.


Nick left not long after the official search began right around noon. He was exhausted, had to be at work in four hours but found that he just couldn't go home. Instead he drove to Greg's place.

Knowing exactly where Greg kept his spare key, Nick let himself in. He'd told Greg three of four thousand times that the first place robbers look is under the door mat but Greg wouldn't move it.

Opening the door Nick was nearly knocked over by Chloe.

"Hey girl," he said leaning down and scratching her behind the ear.

He remembered when Greg had picked her out. Greg loved that dog. Adored was closer to the truth. He'd gotten her after he'd been in the house a week. Greg had been so excited about the place, but after a week said it was too big. At least it was too big a place for just him. Too big and too quiet, so he'd bought Chloe.

Nick made his way to the kitchen letting the Labrador out the back door into the yard before getting her some clean water and food.

Looking around the place he'd never seen it so empty. Greg still didn't have enough furniture to fill the space but Nick hadn't really noticed till now. And Greg was right, it was quiet. It was so quiet. Every time he'd been there before it had always seemed louder, fuller even, probably because Greg really could talk a mile a minute and had a habit of moving about continuously from one spot to the next.

Nick let out a sigh and rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. He had really expected them to be back by now. None of it felt like it was really happening. He kept expecting to see Greg any moment now. To get a call from Griss saying that they were at the lab. It had almost been a full day and it was really sinking in.

Officially they were missing.


Sara was mad.

Soaking wet and angry she'd gone back to the lab to change. She should have gone home but didn't want too. Keeping busy was her only option and the only place she could do that was at work.

The search had been going well. They'd been making progress and then it had started to rain. They had no choice but to call it off. None.

Worst of all, the footprints were all going to be gone tomorrow. They still had the trail but what if it petered out? What if Grissom and Greg took another detour? What if, by some freak chance they weren't even on that trail? They'd found nothing but footprints to suggest they were and suddenly that didn't seem like enough.

They'd been an hour away from calling in a helicopter but then that damn rain had started to fall and ruined it.

Sara was so mad.

"Called for rain?" Warrick asked.

"How'd you guess?" Sara returned without a trace of humor.

Catherine came in and taking in her appearance decided not to ask how it had gone.

"Where's Nick?" she asked instead.

"Sorry," he answered for himself, "traffic."

"Did you get any sleep?" she asked immediately.

He looked horrible and if she wasn't mistaken, he was still wearing the clothes she'd last seen him in.

"No," Nick said with a shake of his head, "I stopped to check on Chloe."

"I forgot," Sara said, "How is she?"

"Good, lonely I think."

"Who is she?" Catherine asked beating Warrick to the punch.

"Greg's dog," Nick answered.

"At least he's got that," Catherine sighed.

Now all three of them were staring at her.

"Has Greg ever mentioned his mother to any of you?" Catherine asked now.

Warrick shook his head. Nick looked down at his hands and Sara nodded slightly.

"What a piece of work," Catherine muttered. "I can not believe that the woman I spoke to today had anything to do with the Greg Sanders we know."

"That bad?" Warrick asked.

"Greg and his mother don't exactly get along," was all Nick would offer.

Glancing over at Sara he had a feeling she might know as much if not more of the story then he did. It wasn't something Greg had ever talked about often, but when he had it hadn't been pretty.

"I know he isn't listed, but does anyone know where I could reach his father?" Catherine asked.

Nick didn't have an answer to that one. Neither did Warrick.

"Greg's never met his father," Sara said flatly, looking down as she spoke.

The four of them sat in silence for a full ten minutes.

It was going to be another long night.