Disclaimer: These characters are the property of CBS, inc.

Spoiler: Unbearable

I hope you are hanging in there. I am having some crazy fun with this. I have almost forgot the debacle of last Thursday night. Your reviews brighten my day tremendously. Thanks for taking the time.

Sheila

Afraid of the Light

Chapter 3

Sara woke up to the sun shining brightly in her face. It surprised her. The shades in her bedroom were heavy and always closed, necessary tools for a person working the night shift. She rolled and found the sheets to be stiff. The comforter smelled like laundry soap just like that time she went to the conference in Encino and stayed at the—"

She sat up straight, blinking, as her eyes adjusted to the impersonal walls of a hotel room. She looked around, and there was another bed, also unmade. The bathroom door opened and he walked out in his dress slacks, hair wet, and a sleeveless T, a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth. He smelled clean, the steamy heat of the shower following behind him. He saw her sitting up and he smiled, revealing a foamy mouth.

"What in the hell happened?" She tried to settle her breathing.

He turned around and ducked back into the bathroom, returning seconds later without the toothbrush. "You were tired and you feel asleep. So I left you."

"How did I get up here?"

"Come on now, Sara. Think back. You brought me to The Sands, helped me check in, and then realized you locked your keys in the truck. Since it is a county vehicle, you wouldn't let me jimmy the lock. So we came up here, and called a locksmith. You were fried. I thought my office was the only place where people didn't sleep, but you make us look like slackers. So I told you to lie down, and said I would wait for the locksmith. When I came back, you were out. I shook you but you were dead to the world. And you were snoring. Loud, girl, loud."

Sara blushed, and narrowed her eyes at him.

"I figured you were too tired to drive even if I woke you so I put a blanket over you, and left you there."

"At least nobody knows." She rubbed her eyes.

"Yeah, about that. Your boss called a few hours ago. You didn't wake up so I took the call."

She dropped the hands from her face and stared at him.

He threw his arms up. "What! I thought maybe he had something."

"He thinks I slept with you?" Her voice was incredulous.

"No, no. I told him what happened. I have to admit that he was very grumpy about it. Told me to send you home immediately. I said you were too tired to make it home. So then he said he was on his way to come get you. You guys have some interesting boundaries here in Vegas. Your boss always dictate your life outside of work?"

She closed her eyes. "What happened next?"

"I told him to go suck an egg. Said you were just fine. Told him you would call the minute you woke up. He asked me which hotel I was at and so I lied and told him Caesar's Palace. You don't think he really went there, do you?"

"You sent him on a wild goose chase?"

He shrugged. "Maybe."

"He is Gil Grissom. People do not do this to him." She spoke slowly, trying to control the unidentified panic rising in her throat.

He cocked his head. "Maybe they should sometimes. It's no good for a man to be perched on a pedestal too long. They forget things standing up there; like what they can control and what they can't."

"You…don't know. You have only been here a few hours and already you think you have us figured out."

He smiled. "Occupational hazard, I guess."

"It's very complicated, Danny. There are layers." She got up and stretched.

"There are always layers. But the emotions at the surface often tell an interesting story, don't you agree?" Danny put his suit coat on. "This town know how to make a good Puerto Rican breakfast?"

"Manny's. Right off the strip."

He clapped his hands. "Fresh tortillas, black beans, eggs. Come on. I'm treating."

He turned to find her still standing where he left her.

"You want to shower first?"

She wore a puzzled look. Then shook her head and followed him out the door.

……………………………………………………………………………………..

Danny looked up from a plate of huevos rancheros. "Hey. Sorry to hear about your mom killing your dad. Must have been rough."

She blinked, a forkful of egg frozen inches from her mouth. She put her fork down. "Well, I had to tell him something. I didn't want him to share my real family with him."

Danny nodded. "Ah, I see. Makes sense. I was just asking 'cause I lost my parents at age 11. Car accident. It's hard growing up with strangers. Not often do I find someone who understands that."

She stared down at her plate. "Do you think it still lives in who you are today?"

"If you would have asked me two years ago, I would have said no. But more and more, I see my past in the decisions I make in my life today. You know, private guy, no long term relationships, tough persona. My boss says it might even explain why I am driven to do this work."

"It doesn't seem fair really. At some point, we should be released from the nightmare."

He looked up and thought about it. "I don't know. It helps me to not run from it anymore. It's part of me I think so I try to use it. It makes me good at I do. I have even used it to reach people."

"How'd that work out?"

"Actually, Sara, it works pretty good."

"I'm just so angry all the time. How do you do it? You seem so even."

He laughed and almost choked on a piece of tortilla. "Well, I guess you could call me a master of disguise. I hide it well."

"I'm all over the place. Blow-ups. Attitude. Crying. I am an emotional tornado sometimes, and it drives people away. Wish I could hide it better."

"I don't know. Grissom doesn't look like he's going anywhere."

She rolled her eyes. "You have no idea the mess I have made of that relationship."

His eyebrows rose. "You have the hots for grumpy guy? What is it about women and their bosses?"

Sara's face colored and she couldn't meet his eyes.

"Hey Sara. I'm an idiot. I'm sure he's great guy if I got to know him."

She chuckled. "He's a workaholic. He's divorced from his emotions. He's enigmatic. Never shares anything about himself. He likes to display his brilliance at the expense of others. And I have heard him described as arrogant too many times to count."

"Wow! Great guy. I bet there's a line outside his door."

"You'd be surprised. He's currently seeing the female equivalent of himself. Woman in the lab. You'll probably meet her. Beautiful blonde, Stiff as a board. We call her the Vulcan."

"And here I thought that lab guys were all a bunch of nerds."

She wrinkled her nose and flicked black beans at him off her fork.

He threw his arm up to defend himself. "Hey! This is my favorite blue suit."

"I bet they think you're a pain in the ass back in New York."

He brushed the black beans off his breast pocket. "You have no idea. But at least there, nobody throws food at a person."

"Seriously, Danny, I think I am ready for Hatfield today. I won't let him get to me this time."

"Oh no. We're going to switch it up. Hatfield can only dream about you today. Grumpy guy, I mean Grissom, and I will take a run at him."

"I have to admit I am a little bit relieved"

"All right, Sara. Let's go get 'em." He was up and at the cash register before she could finish swallowing.

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

Grissom and Taylor conferred in harsh whispers in the corner of the room. Grissom stood arms folded looking at Danny out of the corner of his eye. Danny, on the other hand, was more animated, gesticulating his points with his arms.

Sara observed them through the observation mirror. The door opened behind her and then Brass was standing next to her. "You think they are ready for Hatfield?"

"Give them a minute. They appear to be discussing strategy."

He leaned close to her ear. "You want to explain to me why Grissom was calling me at 5 a.m. ranting about you and the FBI agent."

She snorted and shook her head. Never taking her eyes off the quarrelling men, she said, "Well, Jim. On the weekends, I like to have sex with anonymous men, and this weekend, I was so busy working…well, you know, I didn't have time. Last night I was beside myself with lust, ready to explode, and Agent Taylor was available and so I said, 'your place or mine' and he said—"

"Stop." Brass winced. "You're grossing me out."

"You asked."

"You know, the two of you are a bona fide mess. He goes out with the Vulcan, and you play footsy with Agent Dreamy Eyes. The two of you go atomic every time you're in the same room together. Pull it together, Sara. This is a big case. Let's keep the bugman focused, okay? We need him. We need both of you."

Sara bit her lip. She knew that this had to be her last case. Brass was right. It was clear that working with Grissom had become untenable. She resisted the hot tears that threatened her eyes. "They look ready to me, Brass. Send him in."

……………………………………………………………………………………………

"Hatfield, long time, no see." Danny got up and escorted him to a chair.

"Agent Taylor," the small man said.

"You remember me. What a treat. A man of your stature."

Hatfield turned to Grissom. "You must be the celebrated Dr. Grissom. I have been an admirer of your work for some time."

Grissom bowed his head slightly but said nothing.

Hatfield surveyed the room with his pale eyes. "No Sara? I was so looking forward to seeing her."

"Well, Hatfield, you weren't very respectful to her yesterday. I think she must have found something better to do." Danny kept a slightly amused smile on his face.

Hatfield looked straight into the mirror. "Sara, I know you're back there. Don't hide from me. It's such a cruel thing to do when someone cares for you so much."

"Hatfield!" Danny was startled by the force in Grissom's voice. "CSI Sidle is not there."

Hatfield blinked at Grissom. "Like a lion protecting his pride. I would have thought that you were too detached to play that role. Or is Sara special to you? I certainly find her to be."

Grissom let out a breath and sat down across from the man. "Now you are going to tell me that you and I are actually a lot alike."

Hatfield smiled. "Very good, Dr. Grissom. Scientists. Eager to study. Eager to learn. Objective observers of the natural world. Brilliant. Curious to try new things. Manipulate conditions to provide more stimulation, more satisfaction."

"I'm not a killer."

"But you could be. So easily. It merely requires courage to seek beyond what is safe, predictable."

"I like predictable."

"But it won't work for you once Sara is gone. I can tell that just by looking at your eyes."

Grissom flushed. He worked to keep his composure.

Hatfield turned to Danny. "You see, Orphan Boy, as usual, you are looking too hard at the all the wrong things. That is why you are always spinning your wheels."

Danny looked away for a moment and licked his lips. "Well then, why don't you illuminate me, Hatfield?"

"I don't lie. When I say that I didn't kill those girls I am telling you the truth. I only like to watch."

"Watch what?" Danny leaned across the table.

"You, Dr. Grissom, the two bit homicide detective who pushed me yesterday; I like to call him Copper not Brass 'cause he's a copper. I like to watch you wallow in your frustrations, your inadequacies. It's amusing."

"Hatfield, you must be the life of every party. How do the ladies resist your charms?"

"Ask Sara. She'll be able to tell you soon enough."

Danny Taylor let out a low whistle. Grissom shook his head, and opened the file in front of him. "Okay, Hatfield, we are going to go through this case by case."

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

Finally they sat down together, all of them. Grissom and Brass at one end of the table, Sara and Danny on the other side.

"Three hours. Did we get anywhere in that time?" Sara was surprised to hear such frustration in Grissom's voice.

"Forensics, Grissom. We get him through forensics." Danny pushed the file across the table.

Grissom massaged the bridge of his nose. "We've done this before, Taylor. We know that forensics are the key." He pushed the file back.

"Play nice, boys." Brass loosened his tie and leaned back in his chair. "What does Greg say?"

Sara sighed. "He has almost nothing. No DNA. Fibers are inconclusive."

"If he killed her, tortured her over days, how do we not have DNA?" Grissom glared at her across the table. Brass blinked at the energy he directed at Sara.

"He only likes to watch." Danny said softly.

Grissom looked at him. "What does that mean?"

"I don't know. If he has a partner, there would still be DNA, right?"

Grissom shook his head. "Someone would really have to know what they were doing to avoid it."

"Then we go back to the evidence. Rework all of it." Sara's eyes locked with Grissom.

"We have both done that, Sara."

"This is what we do." She threw her arms out. "We don't have another way."

"So that's it then." He pulled the glasses from his face and glared at her.

"Yeah, Grissom, it's over." She pushed away from the table and stood up.

"Whoa, kids. While the dinner theater is entertaining, we are not done by any means." Brass reached over to pull Sara back into her chair.

"I say we take a break. Come back together later on." Danny stood up, file in hand. He turned at the door. "Sara, you know a good place to get a sandwich around here?"

"Wally's on Central has good hoagies."

"Still don't have a car." He smiled at her.

"I could use something." Sara got up to follow him out. "You guys want anything?"

"Yes, I want you to drop him off at the nearest rental car agency. You're a criminalist not a chauffeur."

Sara shook her head at him, and followed Danny out the door.

Brass looked at Grissom with an odd smile playing on his lips. "Watching you talk to Sara is like watching a drunk trapeze artist performing without a net."

TBC