"Management Issues"

August 13, 2005 (Day 113)
The Grissoms'
7:24 a.m.

As Gil hurried from the bedroom to the front door, Sara took off in hot pursuit. "Honey, you can't leave for Anger Management class until we deal with this."

"Deal with what?" He innocently asked while dreading the topic. "Greg will be here to pick me up any minute and..."

"He can wait." Slipping her hand into his she guided him down the hall towards the living room. "You may have managed to avoid it last night, but I know you snuck out there when I was in the shower. You had a bottle of water in your hand and I smelled banana on your breath." Forcefully, she tugged him along. "Come on, it's time for a little systematic desensitization therapy. You're spending five minutes in here with me and we'll work our way up from there if we have to."

With trepidation he let her lead him into the center of the living room. "Look…I know it's irrational but…" He averted his eyes. "…it's still so fresh in my mind. It was a lot easier being with you in Tahoe than being back here at the scene of the crime." Glancing around, the images of Sara frightened and pleading for him to stop yelling surrounded him. "I feel like I tainted this whole part of the house with ugly memories. Standing here with you…I feel horrible all over again."

"We've lived here almost seven months," She told him while placing her arms around his neck. "Thirty minutes of ugliness can't negate all the great times. You're remorseful and you're proving it by taking action. I've forgiven you. We've discussed it in depth. We've come to terms with it." She watched as he slowly returned his gaze to hers. "We need to move forward, not linger in the past. Okay?" Smoothing her hand across his cheek, she said, "Now kiss me and we'll have a new happy memory to associate with this room."

Unable to fulfill her request, he sorrowfully he confessed, "I can still see the glass breaking and hear your scream."

In a compassionate voice, she assured him, "I hear the words in your letters to me and I see my husband…a man who loves me with all his heart." With encouragement flowing from her eyes, she moved closer, urging him once more, "Kiss me." She grazed her lips over his. "I'm right here."

Closing his eyes, he eased into a tender kiss, which they lingered over until Sara pulled away and viciously sneezed. "Sorry!" She declared while dashing to the kitchen to grab a napkin.

Laughing, Gil watched her running with her hands covering her phlegmy face. "Was that part of your systematic desensitization plan too?"

After cleaning herself up from the mega-sneeze, she answered, "No, but seeing you laugh in the living room made it worth the embarrassment." Grabbing a second napkin, she continued to blow. "I sneezed like this in the shower too. I thought I cleared out my head but apparently not. I hope I didn't catch something in Tahoe."

"I do recall you touching a door handle at the realtor's office and forgetting to use hand sanitizer afterwards."

"Why didn't you tell me!" She yelped.

Staring at his germphobic wife, he sighed, "Honey…that was a joke."

A playful knock on the front door ended their banter.

"It's Greg," Gil announced while heading down the hall to grab the door. On his way he heard Sara sneeze again. "Gesundheit!" He yelled back as he pulled open the door.

"Is someone sick?" Doris the always curious neighbor insisted on knowing. "Is it your wife?"

"Hey, Gris!" Greg greeted from behind the neighbor who had eclipsed him like a NASCAR racer on the way up to the door.

"Oh hello, Doris," Gil politely greeted while noting she had an armful of newspapers. "And Greg."

Turning, Doris unloaded the papers in Greg's arms. "I saw this boy coming to your door so I figured you were up. Why didn't you ask me to pick up your papers? You work for the police department. You should know it's not wise to let your papers and mail pile up."

Greg found the lecture highly amusing and joined in. "He didn't tell me he was going away either and he's my boss! Guess where they were?"

Always up for a secret, Doris played along. "Where?"

"Belated honeymoon in Tahoe." Greg grinned with delight. "Boss, I hope it doesn't make you angry that I spilled the beans." Reaching out, he dumped the papers into Grissom's arms.

Grissom rolled his eyes. "I wondered how long it would take for you to crack the first anger joke. Thanks for overachieving and nailing it before I make it to the car." He explained to a very concerned Doris, "Greg and I are required to attend an Anger Management course as part of training. He's here to pick me up."

"Oh," She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey, there," Sara greeted with a couple of napkins in her hand just in case.

"Bubala!" Doris shoved Grissom out of the way. "Look at you…you're coming down with something."

"I am?" Sara looked to her husband for confirmation.

Greg and Grissom glanced over and simultaneously said, "You look fine."

"Men…what they know could fit in a thimble." She brought her hand to Sara's forehead. "I'm a grandmother eight times over…I know these things. You're getting a fever."

"I am?" Sara panicked. "I never get sick."

Doctor Doris wasted no time making her diagnosis. "It's the flu."

"I can't get the flu!" Sara shrieked. "I already missed a week of work!"

"More importantly," Doris reminded her, "Your husband won't be in the mood to shtup if your sinuses are draining all over him and you're hacking up a lung! Then how will you make a baby?"

"Whoa! Whoa!" Greg cried out while pointing to himself. "Not in front of the boy. I don't need that kind of visual this early in the morning. My best friend's grandmother spoke Yiddish. I'm no shlemil, I know what shtup means."

Doris pointed to Greg's hair. "Then you'll know what I mean when I say your hair makes you look meshuga!"

A lover of trivia, Sara guessed, "I'm thinking it means he looks like a lost member of Duran Duran transported to my door from the 80's in a time machine or…crazy."

Greg informed her, "Crazy is the proper translation and for your information, Duran Duran still tour."

Grissom stuffed the newspapers in his wife's arms. "We're going to be late." He kissed her cheek. "I hear the Anger Management instructor gets really pissed off when people are tardy. Bye, Honey."

"Bye, Honey!" Greg mocked before blowing her a kiss and following Grissom to the car. "Hey, Gris, I just blew your wife a kiss. Does that make you…angry?"

Convinced Sara was getting sicker by the minute, Doris said, "What you need is a big bowl of matzo ball soup. I'm getting my nails and toes done at nine, but as soon as I get home, I'll whip you up a batch. You can't be out of commission during prime fertility time."

Creeped out by the virtual stranger's knowledge of her ovaries, Sara stammered, "How…um…how do you know I'm…"

"Remember? I'm a grandmother eight times over…I know everything." She smiled as she squeezed Sara's cheek. "One more day and you'll be ripe."

Catherine's House
7:45 a.m.

In the doorway, Warrick gave Catherine one last squeeze. "You be sure to tell Lindsay why I couldn't come to pick her up from camp with you. I feel bad because I promised her I'd be there to hear all about it on the way home."

"She'll be disappointed to see only me," Catherine sighed. "But she'll be happy about your promotion."

Warrick walked her to the car. "This is good though…it will give the two of you a chance for some girl talk. You can't do that when I'm around."

Opening her door, Catherine asked, "It's a four hour drive home…think we'll manage to avoid an argument?"

Knowing the odds were slim at best, he feigned optimism as he held the door for her to climb in her silver Audi TT Roadster. "Just keep cool if boys come up in the discussion. Don't jump to conclusions and don't act like you don't trust her. She's a good kid."

"I know she is." Catherine nodded. "She's not me."

"Letting her go to sleepaway camp was a good move." He leaned in for a quick kiss. "Definitely earned you some trust points."

After taking a deep breath she managed a confident smile. "Call me after your big meeting. I want to know how Nick takes the news and if Grissom is on Cloud Nine being officially declared Master Criminalist. Between the successful honeymoon and his new job title, he should be flying high."

Excalibur Hotel and Casino
Normandy Meeting Room
7:50 a.m.

Walking through the medieval themed casino on their way to the meeting rooms, Grissom remarked, "Gotta love Vegas. Only here would an Anger Management class meet in a place touting one of the most violent periods in history."

"I like the irony," Greg countered. "It's serves as a reminder that people have come a long way in settling their differences." Pointing at a poster of Knights jousting, he explained, "We use to hop on horses and joust, now we hire lawyers and sue."

"Not really a huge leap in civility." Grissom chuckled, "Let's not mention what I just said to Nick since Carrie is a lawyer."

"Carrie invited Tawny and I over for brunch on Sunday."

"I bet that will make Tawny happy," Grissom replied. "It further legitimizes her as your significant other.

Bringing her into the lab to meet everyone was a nice move too. She needs to feel secure."

"Yeah, well…I uh…kind of blew it in the security department on Thursday." Standing outside the meeting room, Greg confessed, "Out of left field I brought up paternity testing and she flipped. She actually said she didn't need me in her life, that she would get her old job back and not let me see the baby. She stormed out and everything. I chased her from club to club until I found her and convinced her to come back."

Stunned by the sudden overshare, Grissom searched for the right thing to say. "Are you concerned about her strong reaction to paternity testing? Do you think it means…"

"No, that wasn't the reason she freaked." Sighing, he explained, "She thought I wanted the test because I didn't believe her that the she wasn't having unprotected sex with other guys. It flashed her back to her mom not believing her molestation accusations."

"Ah." Grissom nodded. "Makes sense when you factor that into the equation." A little confused, he asked, "Still…she has to be confused if you say you believe her but still want the test."

"No, once I had a chance to explain, she understood." Waiting until a group of three walked by, Greg admitted, "There was another guy about a week before me, a businessman from New York, showed her a really nice night on the town and they ended up back in his room." He saw concern sweep over Grissom's face. "It wasn't unprotected and I believe that, not only because I believe her…" Again he had to pause to let several meeting goers enter the room.

"Why don't we step over to that corner," Grissom suggested.

Once they arrived in the secluded spot, Greg finished the story. "When the guy was getting dressed, his wedding ring slipped out of his pants pocket. He lied about being married. When Tawny busted him he told her he had a great wife and three kids back home, but he'd love to see her every month when he comes to town. A guy like that isn't looking for the complications of a paternity lawsuit."

"I'd agree." Grissom ran his hand over his beard while thinking. "So you just want to ensure there wasn't an accident. The odds are incredibly low, but if I were in your position I'd do the same thing."

Greg checked his watch and saw that they still had time. "We're testing for paternity in four weeks. If, against all odds, it's the other guy's baby, I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm getting more attached to her every day. Hell, I almost slipped the L word twice. I'm taking her out to meet my folks before the test." The issue weighing heavy on his mind, he confessed, "It's obvious the other guy isn't going to want anything to do with her and the kid…but the thought of another guy's baby…I don't know if I can manage that."

Not expecting a heavy discussion after Greg started the day in such a playful mood, Grissom was once again scrambling. "Well…um…biological ties are strong, but there are plenty of men who aren't related to the children they are helping raise, who would argue that their paternal instincts are just as developed and the bond as strong. Look at Warrick for example, Lindsay went so far as to declare him her stepfather on TV when it's not even true. He's clearly a father to her in her mind. Parents who adopt children I'm sure would tell you the same. Conversely, many biologically related parents walk away from their children and never look back."

"Yeah…I hear what you're saying." Greg breathed deep. "It's a lot to think about in a really short period of time." With conviction he said, "I do know that if the test isn't in my favor I'm not going to throw her out on the street. I won't abandon her like her mother did. No, I'll see her through this and see what happens. I don't know if I can assume someone else's role as the father, but I think it's one of those things that I can't possibly decide until the baby arrives and I see how I feel."

Placing a hand on Greg's weighted shoulder, he said, "I think you're doing the very best you can under some pretty tough circumstances. I'm proud of you."

"Really?" He asked with skepticism in his voice.

"Absolutely." Grissom lightened the mood with a smile. "I think you're doing a frabjous job."

Greg recognized the word from one of his mother's favorite books and recited, "And hast thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"

"Now I'm even prouder!" Grissom announced. "Do me a favor and make sure you drop that word in front of Sara."

"My mom loved reading Through the Looking Glass to me. She has an original copy from 1872." Smiling again, Greg told him, "It's been handed down and she always said when I have a child one day she'll give it to me."

"My mom had a pretty old copy too," Grissom replied without guarding the information. "It had an inscription to her from her grandmother. I didn't think to keep it to pass down…mostly because I didn't ever think I'd have a child. I uh…donated all her books to the local library when she passed on."

"Whoa…" Greg stared at his mentor. "That honeymoon really did something to you. You just shared something personal with me. I wasn't even sure you had parents. Most people think you were hatched on an alien planet and landed here. Who are you and what have you done with Grissom?"

"I'm evolving…like a caterpillar into a butterfly." He laughed heartily. "Who does that quote belong to?"

Proudly, he replied, "That would be Greg Sanders."

"I guess I absorbed it." Now that the levity was returning, he teased, "So was the passion-fueled make up lovin' everything you hoped it would be?"

"Well…don't get me wrong, the lovin' was great, but the trauma preceding it was way worse than I thought it would be and if I had to do it over again, I'd skip both to keep the peace." Deciding to drop the ruse, Greg inquired, "Did you feel the same way after making up with Sara in Tahoe? I uh…know the honeymoon started out as a fight."

"See...I shouldn't have asked you the question because that made you feel like you could ask me the same question and now I feel obligated to answer it." It was the exact scenario he had discussed with Dr. Myers.

"Why did you ask me the question?" Greg prodded.

"Because I was curious if you felt the same way I did."

"Well, that's why I'm asking you!" He broke into an easy laugh. "This is called sharing. Chicks do it all the time. It doesn't come as naturally for us guys, but that doesn't make us any less curious. It's rude to expect to get information but never give any in return." Settling down, he said, "Hey, this is probably a good time to mention this. I uh…I need to switch to Days to be in sync with Tawny's work schedule so I'm puttin' in a bid. It's not you I want to leave, it's the hours. I'm really going to miss working with you, but it's the best thing for my…for lack of a better word, family." Hoping he wasn't upset, he joked, "Are you angry that I want to leave your team?"

"Not at all." Grinning, he replied, "This afternoon we're announcing that I'm leaving the position of supervisor for a new job as Master Criminalist. I'll be working day hours too. Warrick will be the new graveyard supervisor as of August 22nd."

"Now I'm really glad I'm switching. No offense to Warrick, but…I don't want to be anywhere near Catherine when he starts ordering her around."

Crime Lab
Nick Stokes' Office

9:21 a.m.

Sara walked into the office holding a box of Kleenex. "Hey, Nick. I'm back."

"What the hell happened?" He urgently asked, while jumping up from behind his desk. "Warrick said you guys were having a great time when he spoke to you in Tahoe, but you look like hell, your eyes are red and you're carrying a box of tissues."

"Oh!" Sara realized the evidence looked suspicious. "I'm coming down with something. My omnipotent nosy neighbor says it's the flu."

Folding his arms across his chest, he stood in front of her. "Then why did you come in?"

Lowering her eyes to the floor, she explained, "I feel really bad about bolting town and leaving you short-staffed. I knew Trey was gone for most of the week and…"

"Stop, okay." He flashed his trademark smile. "Once in almost six years you do something irresponsible on the job, I'm not going to hold it against you." Nudging her he teased, "But you never would have taken off unexpectedly without telling the boss you were leaving when you worked for Grissom."

"What would have been the point?" She laughingly replied. "He was the reason I was here."

"For one, he might have thought to chase ya'." Nick laughed with her. "See how effective it was this time?"

"Yeah," She nodded. "But I don't plan on ever disappearing again, so it's a moot point."

Excalibur Hotel and Casino
Normandy Meeting Room
9:55 a.m.

Seated in the back of the room, Greg and Grissom listened intently to the presenter, Monica Reynolds, a serene looking forty-something woman wearing an unassuming grey pantsuit and her waist-length brown hair in a simple ponytail.

"People use a variety of both conscious and unconscious processes to deal with their angry feelings. The three main approaches are expressing, suppressing and calming. Expressing your angry feelings in an assertive, non-aggressive manner is the healthiest way. Unexpressed anger is what gets people into trouble…it can lead to physiological and psychological problems as well as passive-aggressive and outwardly aggressive behavior. When we return from our ten minute break, we'll explore ways to effectively express anger. I'll see you back here at 10:10. Thank you."

Irving, the three-hundred pound man covered in leather, piercings and tattoos, sitting to the left of Greg jumped up from his chair and snapped, "How about moving your chair and your big hair so I can get by?"

Greg politely turned to the gentleman and replied, "That sounds a little angry. Irving, don't you think there's a more effective way to express your request?"

The man responded by grunting and sliding Greg's chair, with Greg still in it, tightly against the table and stomping past.

His solar plexuses stunned, Greg gasped, "I guess Irving hasn't absorbed the lesson yet."

Grissom shook his head, "I bet that kind of behavior got you stuffed in a few lockers back in the day. You do realize some of the attendees are here under court order, right?"

"Duly noted," Greg replied as he slid his chair away from the table and enjoyed unconstricted breathing. "But I wasn't scared because I knew you'd have my back."

"Yeah…I could have taken him." Rolling his eyes, he grabbed his cell phone. "I'm stepping into the hall to call Sara. Try to stay alive."

Crime Lab
Layout Room
10:02 a.m.

"Hi, Honey," Sara answered in a nasally rasp.

"Wow…you really are getting sick," Gil replied with shock in his voice.

"Yep, Doris was right." Turning off her ALS she took a break from processing. "You know what else she predicted?" Chuckling, she told him, "She said tomorrow I would be ripe for shtuping and fertilizing."

"Who needs science when we've got Doris? I could have saved a hundred bucks on the monitor. Do you think she wants to consult for the lab? I have a few cold cases we could throw her way."

"I'll ask her later when I pick up my matzo ball soup." Taking a seat on a stool, she inquired, "How's class?"

"A few minutes ago, Greg incited a guy who could snap him like a twig, but other than that it's been uneventful and educational."

"Good." She smiled. "Thanks for going."

"Least I could do."

"Hold…" Moving the phone away she rushed to sneeze in the corner of the room away from the displayed evidence.

"That sounded productive."

Reaching into her lab coat she grabbed some tissues. "Damn…I almost got my DNA on the evidence." Tossing her wad of mucous-filled tissue into the trash, she moaned, "Tomorrow's going to be our big fertility day and I'm going to look and sound so awful, you're not going to want to come near me."

"Honey, fear not…you could never be unattractive to me and I've never had a problem rising to a challenge."

"Okay then…" She giggled, "I won't worry about being un-shtupable."

"Break's over and I need to make sure Greg doesn't lecture any more ex-cons. Love you."

"Love you too." Slipping the phone into her pocket, she blissfully sighed and then choked mercilessly on her sinus drainage.

Excalibur Hotel and Casino
Normandy Meeting Room
11:58 a.m.

As the first of the six Saturday sessions was wrapping up, the facilitator gave a preview of the next lesson's material.

"Next week we'll explore and model strategies for keeping anger at bay, such as deep breathing, visual imagery and yoga-based exercises. If anyone is interested in exploring yoga in depth, I have cards for my yoga studio on the table by the door. Attendees of this seminar are entitled to one free introductory class. Thank you and I look forward to seeing all of you next week."

Greg wasted no time scooting in his chair to let Irving the Intolerant march out of the room. "Bye, Irving, see you next week!" He pleasantly called out to the man who ignored him completely.

Grissom gaped at his insane co-worker. "You really have a death wish, don't you?"

"I was reaching out and being supportive like Monica suggested." Greg stood up and waited for Grissom to do the same. "You planning on giving Yoga a try?"

"I will if Irving does," He quipped while heading for the door.

Hyped up on coffee, Greg announced, "You know what I think would be relaxing after being cooped up in here for four hours? Some Texas Hold 'Em. What do you say? The cards are calling me! But I'll understand if you're scared, because I'm quite the shark."

"You want to play poker with me?" Grissom confirmed in an amused tone. "Eh…I don't know. I'm not..."

"We drove together, so I can't stay if you don't." He checked his watch. "Come on, don't be a wuss. You don't have to be at work for your meeting for two hours. We'll play a few hands, I'll clean up and then we can go."

His competitive juices flowing and still smarting from his Scrabble loss, Grissom's lips curved into a delightful smirk. "Okay, you twisted my arm. I'll give poker a shot."

"Luckily you can afford to lose."

As they left the room and walked toward the casino floor, Grissom sarcastically questioned the arrogant boy, "Remind me again…which is better a full house or a flush?"

"Oh grasshopper…"Greg snickered, "This is going to be fun."

"Indeed," Grissom responded, fully prepared to take Greg's money since he was full of himself and not catching a clue.

Embry-Riddle University
Flagstaff, Arizona
Champions Softball Camp
12:32 p.m.

Anxious to see Lindsay, Catherine followed the check-out signs leading to the dormitories.

"Mom!" Lindsay yelled from a second floor window. "In here."

Lifting her sunglasses, Catherine was happy to see her daughter looking healthy and happy. "Be right there!" Fear number one behind her, she proceeded inside hoping to find no signs of bad judgment or inappropriate activity. Warrick's words echoed in her head… Don't jump to conclusions and don't act like you don't trust her. She's a good kid.

Once inside the dorm, Catherine weaved through the crowd of parents and kids and headed for the stairs. A few seconds later she was pleased to see Lindsay rushing to meet her. "Hi, Sweetie!"

"Where's Warrick?" Lindsay excitedly inquired. "I can't wait to tell him about the Most Improved award I got last night!"

"I missed you too." She wrapped her arms around her bubbly daughter and kissed the top of her head. "Warrick couldn't come because something big is going on at the lab. He was really bummed and wanted you to know that he can't wait to hear all about camp."

"What's so important that he couldn't make it?" She asked in a dejected tone. "He promised!"

"It's really good news actually." Catherine put her arm around her daughter's shoulders. "Grissom is taking another position and Warrick has been promoted to Graveyard Supervisor. The Assistant Director called an emergency management meeting to discuss everything and Warrick had to attend."

Shocked, Lindsay froze in the hallway. "Warrick's going to be your boss at work?"

"Aren't you excited for him?"

"For him, yes. But, Mom…" A full panic was brewing. "…you're never going to be able to let him tell you what to do at work. You're too controlling!"

"I'll be fine," Catherine casually replied.

"No! You're going to blow up and he's going to break it off with you and leave."

Catherine managed to remain calm even as her daughter spouted. "I promise…that's not going to happen. We discussed it at length. This will be good for me. It will help me chill out."

"If you mess things up I'll be so…" Upon seeing Jake Tobias, a fourteen year-old boy attending the baseball camp across campus, Lindsay stopped her tirade and smiled at the boy. "Hi."

Catherine stood by watching the exchange.

"Hi, Lindsay," Jake awkwardly rocked on his heels. "My parents are here to pick me up and I uh…I just wanted to make sure I said…um…bye." Nervously he looked at the woman staring him down. "Is this your mom?"

"Yes, I'm the mom," Catherine huffed. "Who are you?" Warrick's voice shouted in her mind… just keep cool if boys come up in the discussion.

Frightened by the overbearing woman, Jake stammered, "I'm Jake…I play baseball and…"

"This is a softball camp," Catherine snipped. "I think you have the wrong equipment for the game."

Lindsay butted in. "Baseball camp is going on at the same time."

Miffed, Catherine stuffed her hands on her hips. "They didn't mention that in the brochure!"

"Mom!" Lindsay attempted to manage her mother. "Jake's dad is a church pastor." Grabbing the boy's hand, she pointed out, "He's wearing a 'What Would Jesus Do' chastity ring."

"Nice cover," Catherine groaned in the tone of a jaded CSI ex-stripper who has heard everything and believes nothing people claim. If only Warrick were here to give him The Look.

"Mother!" Lindsay was appalled.

"I'm sorry! Sorry!" She backpedaled. "It's the job…I'm too jaded."

Jake found his voice. "Lindsay said you are a Crime Scene Investigator. That's such an admirable career. She couldn't stop talking about you and her stepfather and how the two of you work so hard to clean up the streets. That's really cool."

Catherine found herself at a loss for words. "Thanks."

"I uh…need to get going," Jake announced. "Bye, Lindsay." Bashfully, he looked away.

"Bye, Jake." With puppy dog eyes she watched him walk down the hall and when he turned back, she waved like the giddy teen she was supposed to be.

"Nice boy," Catherine managed to squeak out.

"Yeah," She dreamily replied.

"Too bad you won't see him again."

"Why do you say that?"

Catherine shrugged, "Summer camp thing. Even if you're both here a year from now…"

"He lives in Vegas," She happily informed her. "As a CSI, you should know better than to assume before knowing all the facts."

Turning her eyes to the heavens, she moaned, "Oh god."

"Jake says you really shouldn't take the Lord's name in vain."

Catherine shook her head. "This is going to be interesting."

Excalibur Hotel and Casino
Food Court
12:48 p.m.

While Greg sat a table wondering how he managed to lose $500 to his boss in a record breaking amount of time, Grissom returned with a tray of food from McDonald's.

Grinning uncontrollably, Grissom set down the tray and continued the verbal assault he had begun the second they left the casino floor. "A salad and a Diet Coke for me…" He placed his food on his side of the table. "…and a Happy Meal with a milk for the little boy who tried to play cards. I'm told there's a prize inside the bag, so at least you'll walk out of here with something."

"Great." Greg gladly accepted the free food and worked to open his tiny carton of reduced-fat milk.

Sitting down, Grissom slipped his straw out of its paper wrapper. "Are you angry that you lost your money?"

"Uh…yeah."

"First rule of gambling, Greg." Grissom popped open the lid on his salad. "Never play if you can't afford to lose."

"Thanks for lesson, Dad." He peeked in the bag and retrieved the small bag of fries.

"You're welcome," He replied while swirling non-fat dressing over his salad. "Here's another…I'm taking my winnings, also known as, 'your money that you couldn't afford to lose' and opening a savings account for your child. Fiscal responsibility is something else you'll need to acquire going forward."

"I know…I know," He groaned as he opened up the plastic wrapper holding a toy car.

"Nice wheels."

"Thanks."

Enjoying every moment of the paternal role, Grissom broke some more good news. "You know you're going to have to trade in your brand new sports car you spent your savings on for a baby-worthy vehicle."

Overloaded, he slouched in his chair. "Are you planning on buying me ice cream after this ass-kicking?"

"A double scoop."

Crime Lab
Jim Brass's Office
1:46 p.m.

Her head heavy with congestion, Sara leaned against Brass's open door and knocked.

"Hey!" He jubilantly sang. "It's Bat Girl! Was it as unromantic as Batman made it sound?" It was great to know she was back and happy.

"It was frabjous actually!" Even though she felt horrible, she smiled brightly and approached his desk. "But I'm here to thank you for your support in the darker hours."

Taking her hand out from behind her back she presented a gift box. "This is a little token of my appreciation."

Moved by the gesture, he accepted the long, slender box. "This wasn't necessary."

"Just open it," She goaded before releasing a nasty series of coughs.

"You start smoking two packs a day in Tahoe?" After sliding off the ribbon, he opened the black box and saw an engraved pen with the words, The Brass Man.

Smiling she said, "That's your official superhero name in my book. I'm happy for The Brass Man in my life. Thanks for looking out for me."

The depth of her words and the gift left him stunned. "You're killin' me with this and you're gonna blow my reputation as a hard ass if we keep..."

"Then let's not talk about it anymore," She suggested through a bright smile. "Let's pick up where you started…harassing me about my geeky honeymoon activities."

Stowing the pen safely inside his jacket's interior pocket, he smiled, "I don't care if you played chess until three in the morning every night, I'm glad everything worked out."

"Scrabble actually and…I'm glad it worked out too." Reaching into her lab coat she retrieved more tissues.

"You gettin' sick?"

"Yeah." She blew her nose hard and long and then tossed the last of her tissues in his trash can.

"That's what you get for skinny dipping in the lake."

"He told you about that!" She was livid. "I don't believe it!"

"Ha!" Brass broke out laughing. "No, I was cracking a joke, but now I know it's true. Was that while you watched bats chomp bugs? Were you multi-tasking?"

Flushing with fever and embarrassment, Sara hid her face in her hands.

"Look who's here!" Brass shouted as Grissom entered the office carrying a plastic bag. "Perfect timing! It's Batman the bug-lovin', skinny dippin' Scrabble champion who finally had the common sense to escort his woman home from Tahoe."

Gil stared at his sickly wife. "You told him we had sex in the lake?"

"Doh!" Brass couldn't believe his luck. "Uh…she accidentally slipped about skinny dippin,' but didn't mention it was a contact sport." Raising a brow, he stared at Sara. "How did you get past the germ thing?"

In place of an answer, she violently sneezed into her bare hands. "Excuse me," She moaned without moving her hands. "Ladies Room."

Grissom cringed as he followed her out the door. "You need go home and get some rest."

Her hands still covering the spill, she whined, "Can we talk about this after I wash my face?"

"Sure." He smiled slightly as she hurried toward the Ladies Room. When she was gone, he re-entered the office and handed Jim the white plastic bag. "A souvenir for you."

"What is with you two? You're on your honeymoon and you can't stop thinking about me?" He guffawed. "Hey…who can blame you?" Reaching in, he found a t-shirt and when he unraveled it he read the inscription out loud. "My loser friend went to Tahoe and all he got me was this stupid t-shirt."

"Think it fits?"

"Definitely!" Brass retorted. "And it may even be the right size."

Interstate 40
3: 54 p.m.

Much to their mutual surprise, Catherine and Lindsay managed to drive for hours and not exchange an unkind or suspicious word. Of course it helped that half the time Lindsay had her ear buds planted firmly in her ears while Catherine listened to the car radio.

The ring of Catherine's cell phone was a welcome sound and she quickly retrieved it from her purse, positioned next to her. "How's it goin', Boss?"

"It's official," Warrick replied, "Nick was really cool about it, said he was happy we'd be peers again. JoAnn was psyched because she has supervisor seniority now that Gris has moved on. But her Swing shift team isn't as experienced as my Grave shift so we'll see who is tops in the long run. Brass sent an e-mail notifying everyone of the changes."

Grinning, she said, "I can't wait to hear what the gossip mill has to say about me working for you."

"It's already starting," He assured her. "In other scandalous news, Greg is moving to Days and both Trey and Nina are moving to Grave with us."

"We're losing Greggy!" She took the news hard. "Who is going to kiss the ground I walk on?"

"Don't worry, Baby, I'll squeeze it in at home from time to time."

"Well okay then." She glanced over at Lindsay and realized she was asleep. "And how is Master Grissom?"

"As predicted, he's pumped." Shifting gears, he asked, "More importantly, how is Linds? Did she have a great time? Did she understand why I couldn't be there?"

"She had a fabulous time. She won the Most Improved Player award for working the hardest all week." Proudly, she said, "I wish you could have seen how psyched she was to tell me…well actually, she wanted to tell you but I played the part of the stand-in very nicely."

"That's great."

"Yeah…" Sighing, she added, "…then I met the boy she hung out with all week."

"Oh shit."

"Relax…I didn't say or do anything too bad. You would have been proud of me." After verifying once again that her daughter was asleep, Catherine said, "Get this…the boy is the son of pastor in Vegas ...not a corny chapel minister but a real one in charge of a big church. Oh and the boy wears a 'What Would Jesus Do' chastity ring."

"You're kidding."

"Uh…no." Laughing, she said, "Can you imagine if daddy finds out his son is dating the daughter of an ex-dancer/addict who is divorced and living in sin with a recovering gambler?"

"Hey…from what I recall my grandma sayin'…Jesus hung with sinners like us, so there you go."

"She wants to join the church youth group," She informed him in an exasperated tone. "Is this some kind of karma thing? I was worried she would turn out loose like me and now she's going evangelical?"

"Relax…she's just wants to join to impress the boy."

"Oh that relaxes me." She groaned. "But hey…he's the son of minister, right? He can't be too bad."

"You'd think…just don't ask me about the girl I dated who was the daughter of a Baptist preacher." Laughing at the memory, he expounded, "She had me hearing angels sing by the time she was done with my body!"

"Oh god."

Crime Lab
Grissoms' Office
4:10 p.m.

Practically crawling to her husband's office, Sara entered and begged, "Take me home. I'm too weak to drive. It's flu. Doris was right. I had Doc take my temperature…103."

"You should have been home hours ago," He chided while grabbing his keys. "We'll have to stop at Walgreens and get you something to take because we don't have anything at the house."

"No, I have Robitussin at home, remember? I bought it as a fertility enhancer." As soon as she could, she latched onto him. "Think it will be too risqué if I hold onto you as we walk out of the building?"

"Not as scandalous as me standing next to you while you hit the floor." Slipping his arm around her waist, he teased, "And you had to insist that I kiss you this morning."

"Sorry. I really hope you don't catch this." She held on for dear life. "I can't believe how fast this hit me."

"Flu is like that…hits you out of the blue. That's why epidemics used to get so out of control, there wasn't enough warning to avoid infected people." He glanced over at her. "You really look awful. Since I've known you, I've never seen you look this bad…not even when you were in that GHB induced near coma."

"Thanks, Honey…for the compliment and the terrible memory." Still maintaining her sense of humor she whispered, "But I'm still shtupable, right?"

"Sure," He answered with less confidence than he had earlier. "After all, it's for a good cause so how could I not cooperate?"

"Anyway, we don't have to worry until morning." After choking on a wad of phlegm, she remarked, "I'm sure I'll be much better by then."