Precious Things by SLynn

Spoilers: Up to 'Nesting Dolls'

Rating: R for violence and disturbing content

Disclaimer: Not mine – well, some are mine, just not the ones you recognize.

Chapter 4: Findings

Warrick gave him only minimal grief on the way to the morgue. He'd figured there had to be something wrong, or finally right, for Greg and Sara to get caught making out in the lab. It dawned on him that Greg and Sara were so good at keeping their relationship under wraps that he'd only seen them kiss once before and that had been a peck on the cheek. But wrong or right it wasn't his place to ask.

Doc Robbins didn't have anything new to tell them. He confirmed that she had been strangled and raped. No semen was present, but the bruising was severe. It had all the markings of repeated abuse. Brass had a lead on who the parents of the girl might be. The Haas' had reported their fourteen year old daughter Cynthia, who matched the description, missing three days ago. After Greg and Warrick processed the body, they'd be coming to the morgue to identify her.

Processing bodies was the worst part of the job in Greg's opinion. You basically combed it over in search of any and everything that may or may not be important. And referring to a body as an 'it' was the only way Greg made it through the whole process some days. Days like today. If he didn't objectify the body in some way he thought he might just lose it. Processing a body was time consuming, meticulous and intimate work. You literally looked, touched, and groomed every part of another human being. A newly deceased human being. Today, a fourteen year old girl.

This time they didn't come up empty handed. They got a number of beige fibers from her hair that looked like they could be from a carpet. Aside from that they got some dirt that looked like it was from the site and some skin under her finger nails.

That gave them both the most hope.

She'd fought back and hopefully they had enough to get a DNA match. Back at the lab, Greg opted to drop off the skin sample while Warrick headed to trace with the fibers.

"So," Greg said as he came inside, "you and Dave take your breaks together?"

"That's just so funny," Amy said not looking up from what she was doing, "You know you sound like a second grader right?"

Greg didn't respond, just set down his latest on the counter.

"From the new case?" she asked picking it up.

"Yep," Greg answered, coming around to her side and peaking through the microscope. "Found that under her nails. She fought with someone, hopefully it's our guy."

"Get out of my space," she said gently pushing him away from the scope, "That's not yours."

"Fine," he said sounding hurt, "Geez Amy, you're a bit…"

"The next word out of your mouth better not begin with the letter 'b'."

"It wasn't," Greg said, pushing his lips together to fight off a smile, "I was going to say moody."

"Right."

"Well?"

"Well what?" she almost snapped back.

He just looked at her, his point proved.

"Okay, I'm a bit tense. But are you really one to talk?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked sharply.

It was her turn to stare at him.

"Yeah, well I haven't exactly had a stellar night. Or day. Or week."

"We'll start a support group."

Greg smiled at her.

"Seriously, what's up? I know you and Nick aren't fighting because you showed up together."

"No we're fine. I know I'm driving him nuts, but otherwise we're good. It's just, I got my invitation today for Jennifer's wedding. I supposed to be a bride's maid but I don't think I even want to go."

"I know you two aren't close but she is your sister."

"I know," Amy said nodding her head, "I know. And yeah, we aren't exactly friends. I think it's because we're so close in age. With Jen and me everything is a competition."

"So what? Her getting married first means she wins?"

"No," Amy said in a way that confirmed it as true, "No, that's not it. It's too much to get into."

Greg had no siblings but several cousins around his own age so he thought he could understand that. At least a little bit.

"So, what's with you?" she asked in return.

"Mostly this case," he answered his confession as true as hers.

"Well then, let me see what I can do with this."

Greg gave her another smile before heading out the door. He stopped before he was completely gone and turned back momentarily.

"Oh Amy," he said catching her attention, "We are going to have to talk about this whole 'Dave' thing, you know that right?"

"Goodbye Sanders," she said in a singsong voice.

"Goodbye Chen."

Greg made his way to the all purpose room where he found Nick and Warrick discussing the case.

"Brass called," Warrick said upon seeing him, "Victim was Cynthia Haas. Her parents confirmed it."

Greg suddenly grew more solemn. The relative good mood he'd begun erased by the news.

"Found something," Nick said calling back his attention, "got some hair off of the back of her shirt. Might be cat hair. I was just fixing to take it to Amy."

"Do you want to tell him or should I?" Warrick asked a smile fixed on his face.

Greg caught on instantly.

"I don't know if he can take the news."

"What are you two going on about?" Nick asked, looking first from Warrick then to Greg.

"Just Amy's new best friend is all," Greg supplied, "Dave."

Greg was expecting a lot of things, a nod wasn't anywhere on the list.

"Yeah, Hodges. I know."

Warrick even looked a bit shocked.

"You know?" Greg repeated.

"Well, yeah. I've been at the lab every night for the last two weeks. It's the kind of thing you notice."

"And you haven't like, made her stop."

Warrick and Nick both shook their heads at that one.

"Made her? Are you joking?" Nick asked, "After…"

He stopped momentarily, shutting the door and lowering his voice.

"After all the grief I gave her over Archie, you think I'm about to say word one about her talking to Hodges?"

"But that's different," Greg argued.

"No, it's not," Nick returned, "Nothing was going on with Archie and nothing is going on with Hodges. I may not understand her friendship with him but I'm not about to tell her who she can and can't talk too. I'm only making that mistake once."

"But it is different. Archie would never try anything, Hodges I'm not so sure about."

"Greg," Warrick stepped in, "Come on man. He's not that bad."

"Wow," Greg said taking a step back, "It's like I'm in bizarro world. Seriously. Amy's all buddy-buddy with Hodges. Nick's all mellow about it. Grissom's acting like my mother."

"Why's Griss acting like your mom?" Nick asked, completely ignoring the rest of Greg's rant.

Greg blushed realizing he'd just opened the door to a very bad conversation.

"Is this about the reporters?" Nick asked again, still completely serious.

"It's nothing," Greg tried, "Forget it."

Neither of them believed him but did drop the matter. Nick left shortly there after to take his findings to Amy. Warrick had another case to look in on. Greg, use to it, picked up before heading to the break room to grab some coffee.

He stepped inside only to find Amy's new best friend already there. He looked up once from the magazine he was flipping through at Greg's entrance but said nothing. Greg refrained from saying anything to him and poured himself a cup of coffee. It was crap but he was too tired to complain.

Sitting down at the table he was spared the awkward silence by Sara's entrance. She immediately sat down across from him and smiled.

"How's the case?" she asked.

"We got a name, got some fibers and skin. So far, not so bad."

"Good," she said brushing his fingers with hers.

Greg met her eyes and smiled. Between all of the hours they were both putting in, the days off they no longer had together and sheer exhaustion they didn't have a lot of quiet moments. The kiss in the conference room was the first real one they'd shared in a week. It had been longer for other things.

Without realizing it, they'd sat there staring at each other and rubbing each others hands for several minutes. Hodges, mumbling something that sounded like 'get a room' left in a huff bringing them both back to reality.

"You know," he said in a slightly hushed voice, "it is almost six."

"What's your point?"

"My point is that we could probably take off now. No one would notice."

"Greg," she said sounding amused.

"It's not like we haven't put in the hours."

"Are you just trying to get out of your appointment?" she asked, serious now.

"No," he answered equally as serious, "I just want to spend some time with you. Alone. Not in the lab."

Sara looked like she was going to say no. Greg expected her too. It wasn't that Greg didn't take his job seriously, but no one equaled Sara Sidle in that particular area. So when she looked at her watch and then back to him with a smile, he was more then surprised.

"I'll clock us out," she said getting to her feet and walking out the door.

Greg was up seconds later, to the locker room to grab both their things, and in the garage faster then he'd ever done so before. Sara was waiting at the car.

He'd just parked in front of the house when it dawned on him.

"I didn't tell anyone we were leaving," Greg said as they walked up the drive.

"I did," Sara smiled, "Told Grissom we were leaving early to grab breakfast before your appointment."

"You lied to Grissom?" Greg asked, sounding awed as he opened the door.

"No, we'll have breakfast. Just not right now."

Sara shut the door behind them after they'd gotten inside. Greg wasted no time, gently pushed her back up against it and ran his hands from her hips up. He didn't kiss her right away, instead leaned in and nuzzled her ear. She shut her eyes involuntarily as he whispered all the things he wanted to do.

"I don't think we have that much time," she said pushing him back with a smile on her face before taking his hand to lead him back towards their room. "But we'll think of something."