The Search by SLynn

Disclaimer: Not mine, not mine, not mine.

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

Night Six

Their first stop upon returning was to go straight to the DNA lab. After that it was trace. They dropped off their findings without elaborating and then, en masse, headed straight for Catherine's office. It wasn't a surprise to find Sofia there with her waiting for their return.

The lab was alive with a steady buzz of gossip and speculation about what had or had not been found. Rumors were already circulating ranging from that they'd found both Greg and Grissom's bodies floating in a creek to that they'd both been found alive and well. Neither of course was true, hardly any of them were even close, but neither Sara, Nick nor Warrick made a single comment on them until first speaking with Catherine.

"Well?" she asked standing up as soon as they came into the room.

Sofia looked as nervous as Catherine. Scared that they were both about to be told the absolute worst.

"No luck," Warrick said after shutting the door soundly behind him.

"But no bodies," Catherine returned sounding relieved and returning to her seat.

"Right," Warrick said nodding.

"Did you find anything?" Sofia asked.

"Yeah actually," Nick answered, "We know now that they stayed on the first trail. Found Greg's phone near the creek embankment so we think that he might have fell in and got out again."

"But you're not positive," Sofia cut in to which Nick shook his head.

"He's alive," Sara said firmly. "Both of them. We don't know what Greg was doing in that creek but he climbed out, we've got proof."

"Sara," Warrick said to her for what couldn't have been the first time, "its speculation. We don't know…"

"The phone was found next to that tree," she started, "and we know he hit that tree while he was in the water. He must have gotten out and then dropped it."

"That's a good theory," Warrick argued, "I just think…"

"And we know that they slept near that creek," Sara said cutting him off once more, "That Grissom, probably, left directions to where they were going and that he made Greg a crutch. We know that."

Catherine looked first from Sara to Nick and then Warrick. Nick, she could tell, believed like Sara. That they were both alive and still moving. Warrick seemed less certain. He wanted more proof before he'd get his hopes too high.

"Did you get anything else?" Sofia asked, effectively defusing the situation.

"Some blood evidence and a swatch of what looked like denim," Nick answered again. "We dropped them off with Mia and Hodges. They're both probably Greg's."

"Did you rush them?" Catherine asked, knowing they had even before they all nodded in near unison.

"Brass sent out patrols on the one-oh-eight and the five-fifteen," Warrick said now, "the trail looks like it's heading for one or the other. Thought they may be on it now."

"Good," Catherine said smiling, hopeful herself.

"We're going to go down the one-oh-eight tomorrow and see if we can find out if that trail hits it or not," Nick supplied.

"What time?" Sofia asked.

"Early," Sara answered. "As soon as shift ends."

"We'll all go," Catherine said in a tone that put any argument to rest. "But now I want everyone working their current cases. Okay?"

Everyone nodded, stood to go, Sofia included. Before Sara could leave Catherine asked her to wait. Sitting back down, expecting this to have happened sooner, Sara tried to reign in her temper.

"Ecklie asked me today why you were contacting Kathleen Faulkner," Catherine said flatly.

"I told you…"

"I told him," Catherine said holding up a hand and silencing her momentarily, "that I asked you too."

"What?"

"I told him that she had called here first and asked to speak with you. I saw nothing wrong with that since aside from Nick you know Greg better then the rest of us and you spoke to her at my request."

"Catherine…"

"I doubt Ecklie will ask you himself, but in case he does I expect you to say just that."

Sara nodded and accepted it.

"Why don't you take the night off?" Catherine asked now. "We'll be fine and you can use the rest before tomorrow."

"I'd really rather stay," Sara said evenly.

"Good," Catherine said and it was clear she wasn't finished yet. "I need to ask you something else and I'm not really sure how to do it."

Sara looked at her in surprise, but didn't speak. She knew Catherine was working out the wording in her head and she could be patient.

"I got a call today from a Greg Sanders."

Sara raised an eyebrow at her but continued to hold her tongue.

"He said he was Greg's father but..."

"You weren't sure," Sara supplied.

She shrugged and waited for Sara to give her something.

"I don't know how much I can tell you. Greg's really never said much about him."

"But you were the only one who knew they'd never met," Catherine stated as fact.

"Yeah," Sara said with a shrug, "I guess so."

"What did he say?"

"Why is it so important?" Sara asked in return.

"Because I need to know if this man is really his father and not some reporter making guesses and trying to get more information."

Sara nodded now, understanding that.

"Greg was named after his father," Sara offered now, still not comfortable telling what she knew was something of a secret. But still, she saw the necessity of it. She just hoped Greg would once they found him. "They'd never met. Greg told me his father came here about a year ago looking for him but he wouldn't go see him."

"Where does he live, do you know?"

"San Francisco."

"Didn't Greg go to college there?" Catherine asked.

"Yeah," Sara said not willing to let go of any more information then that. Knowing if she said anymore she was crossing a line.

But Catherine seemed to take it at face value.

"Is that where he said he was calling from?" Sara asked and Catherine nodded.

"What did he ask? What did you say?"

"He asked if it was true. What we knew. If we expected to find him alive. Knew Greg's full name, date of birth but not much else. I told him I couldn't release any more information but now…"

"Now you're thinking of calling him back," Sara finished.

"I am," Catherine said.

"I'm not sure Greg would want that."

"I know," Catherine said quietly. She'd been debating it in her head all night. "But he is his father…"

"Who Greg has never met," Sara added.

"Still."

Sara shrugged and said no more. It was Catherine's call at this point.

"Are we done?" Sara asked growing impatient.

Catherine smiled and said nothing more, just nodded indicating they were. Sara was relieved. She got up and left without another word heading down the hall towards DNA.

"Got anything yet?" Sara asked Mia who looked up at her taken aback.

"You're going to have to give me a little more time," Mia returned with a soft smile. "I'm not a miracle worker."

"How long?" Sara asked.

Mia blinked a few times, taken back. Sara meant business. Meant it now and she wasn't exactly use to demands like this. She was only here early as a courtesy but this was going too far.

"Well?" Sara asked again when she didn't get an answer.

"It takes time. I can tell you that the blood type is a match for Greg, O positive."

"Anything else?"

"Actually," Mia said with a slight nod, "the blood sample was diluted."

"It was out in the rain," Sara supplied but Mia was already shaking her head.

"No, it wasn't that. It was some type of chemical. Nick took it over to Hodges just before you came in."

"Thanks," Sara said as she made her way out.

"I'll page you when I know," Mia called out and Sara smiled at her in thanks.

Hurrying now down to the trace lab, Nick was still inside as if his presence alone might hurry Hodges along.

David Hodges looked up on seeing Sara enter and let out a very audible sigh.

"I'm telling you the same thing I told Stokes, not that he listened," Hodges said as he looked back into his microscope, "but I can only work so fast."

Nick rolled his eyes and Sara smiled at him. They knew there was no love lost between Greg and Hodges, but they'd hoped for better considering Grissom was involved as well. They waited regardless. They'd stay there all night if they had too.

"Interesting," Hodges said as he pulled away from the slides.

"What?" Nick asked stepping closer.

"Isopropyl alcohol," Hodges said stepping back and letting Nick look.

"In his blood?" Nick asked as he peered into the scope.

"Probably on," Hodges guessed.

"Rubbing alcohol," Sara said with a nod, "That's what was diluting the sample?"

Hodges nodded.

"Makes sense," Nick said stepping back and letting Sara look. "If Greg cut his leg deep enough to need a crutch, to leave trace amounts of blood that lasted through at least one night of rain, they had to clean it with something. Make sure it didn't get infected."

"That swatch of fabric," Hodges offered now moving to another microscope, "is definitely denim. Not much else I can give you there."

"Thanks," Sara said and Nick echoed the sentiment before they both left.

"So," Nick said as they walked off towards the break room, "what did Cath say?"

"Not much," Sara said preferring to keep it quiet.

Nick just nodded and didn't press.

Archie came up to them almost as soon as they were in the door.

"Did you guys find anything today?" he asked.

"Nothing substantial," Nick said now opting for Warrick's casual optimist approach, "but enough to go back out tomorrow."

"So you think they're still…"

"Yeah," Sara said firmly, "I do."

Archie smiled at her and left the room ready to work. It was all he needed to hear.

Warrick joined them not long after they'd arrived, sitting down heavily on the couch. They all looked and felt exhausted but would have been happy to have somewhere to go. No one wanted to stay idle. Unfortunately tonight the criminals weren't cooperating.

"Can't we just drive out there now?" Sara asked after several minutes of silence.

"No," Catherine said from the doorway startling them all. "We need to stay here ready for any case that might come in. We can't do that from all the way out there."

Sara nodded reluctantly. It had been worth a try.

Again there was silence.

"Anyone hungry?" Nick asked.

Soon they were all back at the diner down the street on a break. They all ordered and chatted about non-issues throughout the meal.

No one wanted to say just how long of a night they were in for.