Feasibility Study
Written by: Ms Maggs / Edited by: KJT

Chapter 83: Losing It – Part 12

August 23, 2005 (Day 123)
Madison City Park
5:27 a.m.

Since they were wide awake from the night's excitement when five a.m. rolled around, Nick and Sean kept their plans to go running together. They weren't concerned about leaving the others at home because there was still a police car out front of the house while Warrick finished processing the Gleason home.

When the sun started rising, Nick noticed Sean panting hard and decided to lead him to the park and show him where he caught Tyler Gleason. Using his flashlight, he pointed out the blood drips across the sidewalk that led to the bushes where he found the perp hiding. "See that…the only way he could have made it easier would have been to draw me a map."

Having caught his breath, Sean's eyes followed the drips and then focused on a branch of the bush. "And there's some blood on that branch too. Didn't he realize he was giving himself away?"

"Well we know he's not much of a thinker or he wouldn't be committing crimes in the first place, right?"

"True."

"If he were smart, while he was running, he would have taken off his shirt and bound it around the gash on his arm. That way, the blood would have been absorbed by the fabric and not hit the ground until the shirt reached saturation point."

Sean pictured the scenario. "But even still, you would have lost him temporarily and that might have been enough for him to get away."

"Right. Then I would have looked for other clues…shoe prints, disturbed foliage. When you're running you can't or don't have the time to stop those things from happening."

"So now I know what to do if guys are ever chasing me and I'm cut." He took a seat on a nearby park bench. "But what if they're faster than me so even with a head start they'll eventually catch up?"

"Then you need to outsmart 'em." Nick took the space next to him. "You could give them a fake trail to follow…one that leads to a dead end. There's this movie, I'm sure you haven't seen it because it's rated R and real scary. It's called The Shining. There's this little boy in it, he's about five I'd guess, and he's trying to outrun the man chasing him." He decided to omit the fact it was the boy's psychotic father doing the chasing and that he was wielding an axe. "It takes place in Colorado in the winter, and the boy realizes he's leaving a perfect trail of footprints in the snow." Nick shrugged, "Kind of hard to not leave prints under those conditions, right?"

"If the snow is falling fast enough, the prints won't stay for long."

"But they'll stay long enough for the guy chasing you to follow them." After glancing at his watch, Nick continued relaying the details. "So here's what the boy does…he backtracks about ten steps, carefully stepping into his old prints, and then when he's near a bush, he jumps and hides behind it. In the movie they're in this wicked cool hedge maze."

"So the man follows the prints forward while the boy goes in a different direction."

"Exactly." Nick was proud of the deduction.

"What happens in the end?"

"The guy gets lost in the maze looking for the boy and freezes to death." Patting Sean on the back Nick pleaded, "Now do me a favor…don't go looking to watch the movie on the sly, because the movie is rated R and you're only twelve, and I know your mom wouldn't want you to see it. And, most importantly, I'll be the one who gets in trouble for telling you about it. We already got in trouble over the rope lessons."

"I promise."

"Okay, we need to head back." Nick stood, stretched his hamstrings and then started jogging. "I can not be late for work today because I was late yesterday for the first time ever."

Sean kept up the pace. "Thanks for taking me running, Uncle Nick."

"Hey…you never called me Uncle before, only Kenna does that. Don't get me wrong, it's cool. I was just surprised to hear it coming from you before it's official."

Without filtering his response, Sean explained, "After watching Aunt Carrie cry when she was worried about you, and knowing even though you didn't have a weapon, that you took off after the guy who was scaring her…I'm positive the two of you are definitely going through with the wedding."

"You got that right," He laughed. "I'd have to be held hostage or imprisoned not to show up for the wedding."

"I think the only thing that would keep Aunt Carrie from showing up would be if she couldn't find her wedding shoes."

"See…you're a funny guy, Sean. So don't be dogging yourself." He gently teased, "You need to use some of that on Lindsay Willows. She's a lot like her mom and appreciates a great sense of humor."

"I can't believe she may live next door." The idea excited him and terrified him.

Running the home stretch, Nick told his future-nephew, "You two could be like Mary Jane Watson and Peter Parker in the Spiderman movie. They were neighbors."

"Except I don't have a cool Superhero alter-ego."

"Maybe not yet…" He intentionally sped up, "But it's only a matter of time. Now keep up the pace, 'cause you're in training. And remember this quote…there's a fine line between being an ordinary man and an extraordinary hero."

Sean pushed to catch up. "With great power, comes great responsibility!"

"And with great responsibility, comes a stomachache some days." He laughed as he ran. "They never show Spiderman popping Maalox, but I'm sure he did."

"Hey, Uncle Nick…" He paused his speech to catch his breath. "But Spiderman doesn't get the girl in the movie. He has to sacrifice a personal life for his job."

When they reached the front yard, they stopped running and Nick addressed the boy's concern. "Here's the thing…the movies are just summaries, they're not exactly true to the legend. It's the comic books that tell the whole story. In reality, MJ and Peter weren't neighbors. MJ's aunt was Peter's neighbor, and that's how she knew Peter…from visiting her aunt. And MJ wasn't even his first love. Peter is madly in love with Gwen Stacy. Gwen's dad was a cop, and he figured out Peter was Spiderman and gave his blessing to the relationship. Unfortunately, during a fight between Spiderman and Doc Octopus, Gwen's dad died saving a child. In his dying breath he asked Spiderman to take care of Gwen." Suddenly he was reminded of Carrie's dad asking him to protect his little girl and lost his train of thought.

"Did Spiderman dump Gwen for MJ?" Perplexed he remarked, "That doesn't seem like something he would do."

The question refocused Nick. "No, of course not, they were totally committed to one another. But being a hero's girl isn't safe and Gwen was a popular target for bad guys wanting revenge on Spiderman. Kind of ironic since her dad thought she was safe with him because he was a crime fighter, huh? Anyway…one day she was kidnapped by The Green Goblin. The Goblin dropped her off the Brooklyn Bridge, and although Spiderman caught her by the ankle with a web at the last second, her neck snapped from the jolt and she died. Spiderman was haunted by the fact he didn't protect her from being kidnapped or save her from dying. Eventually he avenged her death by going after The Goblin, who ended up dying when he was impaled by his own Green Glider during their final battle. Just like in the movie, Harry believed Spiderman killed his father and vowed revenge. So you see…some of it's like the movie and some of it's not. Comic Books are where the real story is…they're written kind of like the soap operas my sisters used to watch, but guys don't admit that."

Enjoying the bonding session, Sean remarked, "I see a lot of Spiderman in you, Uncle Nick."

Nick laughed from the boy's compliment. "Well thanks, Sean. He and I are the same height, five foot ten. Only a real Spiderman Dork knows that…so, welcome to the club." Putting his arm around his future-nephew's shoulder he started walking to the house. "Beyond height I don't think he and I have much in common."

Sean was quick to point out, "You're a crime fighter."

"True."

"And last night when you thought Aunt Carrie was in danger, you took off after the bad guy. Just like Spiderman protects MJ in the movies."

He smirked thinking…and later I punched the shit out of a guy who called Carrie a bitch and shoved her. Spidey would have done the same for MJ. "Yeah…I'll give you that one…anyone touches your Aunt, they're feeling my wrath. But I don't even want to think about that, so change the subject."

At the door Sean inquired, "Did you read Superman stuff too? What's the story there?"

"Excuse me?" Insulted, he chided the lad as they walked through the front door. "No…I did not read Superman stuff too." In full comic geek glory, he explained, "My loyalty was pledged to Spiderman and Marvel comics. Superman was DC comics." When he noticed Carrie listening to his nerdy declaration, he expounded, "I never related to Superman…he was too perfect and stoic…he didn't wear his heart on his sleeve like Spiderman. Superman is like your Grissom of Superheroes. Spiderman, on the other hand, oozed vulnerability and compassion…and messed up a lot more."

Carrie laughed. "And you're the same height as Spiderman…five foot ten."

Sean and Nick looked at each other, then at Carrie while shouting, "Dork!"

"How did you know that Spidey and I are height twins?" In awe of her superhero knowledge, Nick crossed the room and took her in his arms.

"After we moved in together, I found your Marvel Comics Encyclopedia and read it to get to know you better. I loved your notes in the margins." She laughed in his arms. "I had no idea comic books were like soap operas! Those guys fall in love, they have fights with their girlfriends, they go to their day jobs, they find out their women are in peril, they save the day, have sex, and then it starts all over again. They get married, get girls pregnant, and of course the villain makes the girl lose the baby or kidnaps her and even kills her. The guys vow revenge, they fight. Unbelievable! It's like Days of Our Superheroes."

"You read my Marvel Comics Encyclopedia to get to know me better." Nick dropped to one knee, "Will you marry me! Wait…we already covered that." Grinning uncontrollably, he glanced over his shoulder. "Hit the shower, Sean. I've got business here and it's gonna be mushy." He jumped to his feet ready to smooch. "I'm a little sweaty, but…"

"Hey!" Sean couldn't resist. "Why don't you hang from Ryan's pull-up bar in the backyard and have her kiss you upside down, just like in the movie! You could even put the sprinkler on to get the rain effect! It would help with the sweat issue too."

Carrie saw Nick's intrigued expression and raced for the backdoor. "I haven't showered for work yet so, I'm game to get drenched and kiss ya! That was the best part of the movie."

Nick pointed at his favorite nephew-to-be. "I owe you for that one, Boy Wonder! Right now…you are my Superhero." At the door he yelled, "And one day, if she doesn't let you slip through her fingers, Lindsay is going to be very grateful for your overactive imagination."

Sean beamed with a combination of pride and hope when he looked out the front window and saw the For Sale sign next door.

The Grissoms'
6:08 a.m.

Still buzzing from the pregnancy revelation, Gil wanted to do something special for his ecstatic, albeit petrified, wife. So, with great care, he prepared the ultimate breakfast in bed for a mother-to-be who had woken up ten minutes ago with a terribly full bladder.

"Here you are, Honey," He announced as he carried in the breakfast tray grinning.

Lounging in bed reading a pregnancy book, Sara sat up and prepared for the delivery. "I can tell by your expression this will be good." When the tray was placed over her lap she wasn't disappointed. "Orange juice, a pre-natal vitamin, a bowl of chocolate ice cream and a pickle…very nice."

"Thank you." He took a seat on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Physically?" She asked after swallowing her sip of juice. "Terrific." Staring at the open book and the page on episiotomies she shivered, "Mentally, I'm terrified. But I'm spending the day with Tawny and we're going to discuss pregnancy and baby stuff non-stop while we're prepping the townhouse and brainstorming decorating ideas. So, I'm sure I'll feel more comfortable by this evening."

"Biologically it's not a complicated process."

Through a sunny smile she reminded him, "You're not the one squeezing the bowling ball out of your crotch."

He glanced at his watch. "I should really get to the office."

"Have a nice day, Dr. Biology." She grabbed her hearty pickle and chomped. "The blastocyst and I will be fine."

Standing up he sighed. "Just as I suspected…you harvested my seed and now I'm obsolete."

"Not true!" She grabbed a spoon and dipped it in her ice cream. "I'll keep you around as my slave. Because I'm going to need a lot more chocolate delivered as the pregnancy progresses."

"I had a fantasy about being your slave once." Bending over he kissed her chocolate flavored mouth. "The context was a little different though."

Greg's Apartment
6:10a.m.

When his alarm rang, and Greg didn't flinch. So, Tawny, who was already awake from having to use the bathroom five minutes earlier, yelled near his ear, "Chuckles!"

He bolted upright babbling, "I can't find…why are you…what…" After glancing around, he saw that he was in bed with Tawny and finally heard his alarm clock. "Oh." After noting the time and pressing the snooze bar he fell back against the sheets. "Being dependable and responsible really bites when you're exhausted."

"I don't think anyone would blame you for calling in for a personal day. When was the last time you took one? You've had less than three hours sleep. Should you really be carrying a gun when you're dog-tired?"

With a furrowed brow he replied, "Thanks for putting that paranoid thought in my head. You know I hate carrying a gun ever."

Feeling bad she snuggled up close. "I didn't mean to make you paranoid. I just meant that you have a valid reason to call in for a personal day. Nick is a safety guy. He'll understand why you shouldn't be out in the field when you're exhausted. You know what…forget what I said about the gun. You shouldn't go because when you're sleepy you could mess up processing evidence and blow an entire case. Is that better?"

"Jeez!" Sitting up he gawked at her. "Got any other gems to make me feel confident?"

She obliged. "Maybe you should interview with the recruiter. You don't have to carry a gun in a research lab."

After yawning he quipped, "I don't know…nerd rage can be vicious. I think I would pack heat just in case someone misplaces their pocket protector and melts down." Suddenly the events of the previous night hit him. "Tell me I dreamt we're having twins."

She held up two fingers and shook her head. "It's reality."

"How are you feeling?" He felt bad for not remembering to ask first thing and lunged to lie down beside her, pulling her close.

"Don't even think of apologizing again," She warned. "Remember what the doctor said."

"How did you…right…my eyes gave me away." He moved in for some Eskimo kisses. "So are you and Sara still planning on hanging out today and going to the Townhouse to get some decorating ideas?"

"Yep."

"Call me as much as you want, but at least twice." He cuddled closer. "I want to know that you're feeling okay."

"I promise, but remember, I'm fine and the only thing I'm restricted from doing is making love with you for a few days."

"Sorry…at least a year."

"OH! First it was 7 months, then a year, and now it's at least a year." She whimpered, "Honey…I'm not used to excessive dry spells. I'll explode."

"Not if I take care of you."

She laughed. "And I suppose you'll expect something in return."

"That's entirely optional. If you're not up to it, don't worry, I can handle myself." He managed to keep a straight face even though he was cracking up on the inside. "Yeah…I mastered the skill circa 1990. It was easy once I took matters into my own hands. Then, when I started applying myself daily, the results came quick. Did I ever tell you about my high school steady, Pamela HANDerson? Quite a handful, that one! Really jerked me around though, so I broke it off when I left for college. Not to toot my own horn but, I was a hot guy and thought it was about time I shared myself with others."

Shaking with laughter she asked, "What happened when you got to college?"

He sighed and spoke nostalgically, "By the second week I started to long for Pamela Handerson. I had this reoccurring ache that wouldn't go away. I finally realized it was because she wasn't in my life anymore. I won't go into the gory details, but suffice it to say she just had this way of holding me and making me feel better. Anyway, one night, after I realized there was no one else out there for me, Pamela Handerson and I decided to join forces again. The makeup sex really took it out of me. I was spent."

"You're killin' me, Chuckles! I really wish I had written that down. Because it's totally quotable."

"Yeah, sure…you want it in writing so you can giggle about it with your goofy girlfriends." He laughed. "Trust me, you don't have to compare notes on that one…Gris, Nick and I, we're all very different personalities, but we're guys. We all have plenty of experience in that area."

After pecking his sunny smile, she whispered, "Promise me, if your ass is dragging, you'll tell Nick so he won't put you in the field packing a pistol."

"I promise." He grabbed one more kiss and then tossed the covers.

One glance at his boxer shorts and she giggled. "Looks like you're packing right now, Chuck. Must have been the heady conversation." In a sultry tone she offered, "Do you and Pamela prefer to go it alone in the shower, or would you like me, the latest, best and last love of your life, to lend a hand?"

"Okay, now I'm glad my alarm went off." Bright eyed, he extended his hand, motioning for her to join him. "I always wanted a three-way. Who knew this would be my lucky day!" When she slipped her left hand in his right he joked, "So what do you think of Pamela now that you've met her?"

"HA! You're on a roll today, Baby!"

Crime Lab
6:40 a.m.

When Grissom walked into the locker room he saw Nick stowing his belongings. "Morning," He greeted in a cheery tone. Partly because he was happy to see his co-worker looking much better than he did the day before, but mostly because he was still on cloud nine from the baby news.

"Hey, Gris." Nick shut his locker and leaned against it. "Yes, even though I got about four hours sleep before the incident, I'm doing fine."

"Incident?" He opened his locker. "What incident?"

"You didn't hear?" He cocked his head. "Hell, there must be a knot in the grapevine this morning. It happened last night when I was staying at Wendy's. Carrie was up late with her nose buried in legal briefs when this creepy kid from next door decided to stand outside the kitchen window to leer at her while doing the five knuckle shuffle. Carrie called in a 443 when I chased the guy. I found him hiding in a park a few blocks away. Warrick and Sofia processed the scene."

After putting his ID badge around his neck, Grissom shut his locker. "That is a busy night. Are the children okay?"

"Listen to you." Nick smiled at his co-worker. "Such a paternal question. Yes, thanks for asking. Oh, and Gris…" He started laughing. "I know you've been feeding Sean's voracious intellectual appetite with books for months, but guess what…he wants to borrow one of my books now. Apparently your library is not as extensive as you thought."

"One of your books?" His curiosity hooked and his library insulted, he prodded, "Which one?"

"My Marvel Comics Encyclopedia," Nick proudly informed him.

Satisfied that his library wasn't lacking, Grissom rolled his eyes then turned for the door. "Yes, he would have to outsource that. Even though I'm an Entomologist, I was a Superman fan. Spiderman didn't become popular until I was older."

"I pegged you as Superman fan."

As he walked out the door he yelled back, "I'll see you in fifteen at your morning staff meeting."

Once Grissom was gone, Nick re-opened his locker to retrieve his supplies.

"Morning, Boss!" Greg strutted in and tossed his backpack on the bench. "Nice to see you on time for a change." He opened his locker laughing.

"I've got a present for you, Greggo." Nick pulled a shiny new pack of sixty-four Crayola crayons from his locker and handed it to his friend. "But don't be thinkin' about doing crayon whippets now, because you'll end up being late for the conformist morning routine."

Greg smiled at the box and the sentiment.

"Thanks for yesterday, Buddy." He nodded. "For everything."

"Anytime, Bro." Unable to resist, he cracked open the box and took a whiff. "Yep…just as good as I remember." He held out the open box. "Wanna a hit?"

"I feel like I'm back in college." Chuckling, he took the box and a sniff. "Damn, that's good." When he lowered the box he said, "Here check this out." Nick retrieved his lavender aroma therapy spray and spritzed it in the air. "It's for my office when I'm tense."

"Lavender," Greg immediately called it. "I may need to borrow that. I predict a lot of tension in my future."

"Good nose. And you can borrow it anytime."

Having witnessed the entire exchange, Warrick finally remarked, "Hey, girls! What's next? Gonna do some catalog shopping?" Strolling over he laughed at the looks on his friends' faces. "If you really want to put that lavender aroma to good use, Stokes, spray it in your skanky-ass boots."

Greg informed his lockermates, "I've never been one to deny my feminine side, but only a real man could do this." From his backpack he grabbed the framed photo of the ultrasound and smacked the magnet-side against the inside of his locker door. "How many heads are better than one?"

"Two. No." Warrick looked on in disbelief. "Twins?"

"Holy hell, Greggo!" Nick moved in to stare at the picture. "When you set out to screw up, you aim high."

"What can I say…it's the Scandinavian Badass in me." He broke out laughing. "You know my grandpa got my grandma pregnant and had to leave Norway because of the scandal. It's genetic. I'll show you the DNA marker for it later."

"Congratulations, Pal." Nick gave him a brotherly pat to the back.

"Yeah…same from me." Warrick stared at the goofy guy in front of him. "Are you really ready for that?"

"Hell no!" He shut his locker. "I passed out cold in the ER last night when I found out."

"What were you doing in the ER?" Nick asked with concern in his voice.

"Tawny…she had this bleeding episode and we thought we were losing the baby. We were there half the night." He shuddered thinking about the scare. "Instead we found out we were having twins."

Nick commented, "That had to freak you out good…the bleeding I mean. What caused it? One of my sisters had a problem the whole time she was pregnant. Everyone was on edge for nine months. Are you sure you're okay to be here today? If you need a day…"

"I'm fine, really and she is too." For the first time Greg didn't feel guilty about the cause. "Guys…let me educate you on women. When they're pregnant, the increased estrogen level ravages their bodies in many ways. In this instance, we didn't know it, but the exterior of Tawny's cervix was severely inflamed. Well, on a good day, Tawny can barely handle all that I have to offer in bed." He puffed out his chest. "But last night, during our intense love session, turns out I was indeed too much for her delicate body. It wasn't my fault, just a combination of circumstances, and it didn't harm the baby in any way. But it did give us a good scare."

"Oh!" Stunned by the revelation, Nick blurted, "OH! You made your pregnant girlfriend bleed during sex? That would totally freak me out!" He shivered. "But you seem calm. Maybe it's just me…I'm probably still traumatized about that from college."

Warrick and Greg exchanged shocked glances and Warrick remarked, "Care to explain?"

Greg followed up with, "Mr. Responsibility made a girl pregnant in college? Don't you think you owe me an apology for giving me crap about being irresponsible, ya big hypocrite!"

"Sorry to disappoint you, Sanders, but no…that's not what I meant." Nick glanced around and then spoke quietly. "In college I sorta had this reputation as the go-to guy when a girl was tired of waiting to be de-flowered. You know…word got around I was a gentleman with skills."

"What a hardship," Greg rolled his eyes.

Warrick put a foot up on the bench and folded his arms across his chest. "You get college credit for that, Man?"

Greg answered, "No way was that offered for college credit, because if it was, I would have taken it every semester. I bet he did it for his Eagle Scout service project…the humanitarian badge."

"Don't be dissin' my scouting accomplishments." Nick teased, "Sanders, you were probably tossed out as a Webelo for being a non-conformist."

"No, I quit as a Webelo, because I couldn't stomach the dress code." It was actually true. "And those right-wing nutjobs wanted me to wear a hat and mess up my hair. Luckily my mom couldn't handle the structure either and yanked my ass out of there."

Nick guffawed, "Exactly how many times in your life has your mommy come to your rescue, Greggy? I know she flew out when you had the sniffles last year. One of these days you should really try saving your own ass."

"What the hell is a Webelo?" Warrick stared at the two men speaking a foreign language. "Must be some kind of rich white-boy cult. Stokes are you ever gonna explain your cryptic comment about the girl in college?"

"You're the ones who interrupted me!" He shut his locker and said, "Unbeknownst to me, this one particular virgin, had a partially intact hymen. She didn't know it either." Still squicked by the memory he winced. "Blood everywhere when we were done. She flipped, I flipped. It was like a scene from a horror movie except we survived the sex…usually the couple gets killed doin' it. Even though I knew I didn't do anything wrong or hurt her, it really messed with my head for a while…both of 'em." Shaking it off he informed the two captivated listeners, "After that, I removed my De-Flowerer shingle and exclusively dated loose women…until Carrie of course."

"Thank you!" Greg pointed at Nick. "I told Tawny it messed with my mind. I told her I wasn't touching her for at least a year, and she thinks I'm crazy. You have to call her and tell her that story."

"Sure, Greggo, right after lunch I'll call up the mother of your children and discuss my sex history…NOT. Yeah…sorry, Tawny doesn't need to know anything about my sex life."

And while he thought…too late, pal, your fiancée already fed her classified information, Greg tapped his watch with his index finger. "If you don't hurry, you're going to be late for the conformist morning meeting."

"What?" He glanced at his sports watch and took off running. "Shit!"

Conference Room 3
7:00 a.m.

Pete and Jas sat next to each other in the empty room.

"Looks like the boss is gonna be late again," Jas remarked.

"He did have a rough day yesterday." Pete studied his co-worker's smile. "Maybe he's having a hard time getting out of bed this morning."

"I know I did." A smirk pounced on Jas's lips

Pete grinned wildly. "Luckily I was there to help you."

"SORRY!" Nick flew into the room.

Greg strolled in behind him and remembering Nick's lecture the day before, managed not to make a smart-ass remark.

Grissom appeared right after Greg. "I hope I'm not late. I hear the boss hates that."

"We're all right on time," Nick announced as he took a seat next to Greg. "This morning, we're going to focus on The Dollhouse Case and since our resident Master Criminalist is in charge, he's going to lead our Conformist Morning Routine today. Gris…" In a perfect show of political savvy, he motioned to the open chair at the head of the table.

"Thanks, Nick." Grissom took a seat. "Since my position is new and this process for working a case is new, this will be a learning experience for all of us. As always our primary purpose is to solve the case, but I'm also looking at how we can solve it most efficiently both while we're working it and in hindsight. You are the primary team and while you're working this case, any regular work will be covered by others."

Nick raised his index finger looking to cut in and when Grissom nodded he did. "If you have something from an existing case that you need shifted then, you need to bring it to me after this meeting. We don't want anything to fall by the wayside, it just shouldn't be handled by you at the moment. Okay?"

Jas raised her hand. "Who do we actually report to while we work the Priority Case? You or Grissom?"

Grissom fielded the question. "Nick is your Supervisor, but I have the ultimate say on how the case is handled. If I tell you something is priority, you take it as Gospel. If you need to schedule a vacation day, you talk to Nick…just don't ask for any vacation until this case is solved."

Trying to operate in the gray, Nick clarified, "So, my people are still my responsibility, but you just get to use them as you see fit, when you see fit, and without consulting me. You've commandeered me and my team. You say jump, we say how high."

"Exactly." Grissom smiled with pride. "Being the Master has its privileges." Then he flipped open his file. "First, I'll cover the autopsy report. Tox results indicate our victim was given a lethal dose of GHB." The mention of the drug momentarily snapped Grissom back to Tahoe and Sara's near-death experience, but he shook it off and returned to the case without missing a beat. "So we know our killer had access to GHB."

"Who doesn't in this town?" Greg interjected. "Anyone can buy Liquid X on the street, in clubs, at parties. Just stroll in and ask the first shady character you see where you can get some Salty Water and you'll have it as soon as you cough up the cash." He saw Jas staring at him. "I'm not speaking from personal experience. It's my job to know this."

Jas smiled. "I wasn't thinking that. I just never heard Salty Water before."

Nick prompted. "Hit it, Greggo."

"Salty Water, Gamma 10, Grievous Bodily Harm, Woman's Viagra, Firewater, Swirl, Verve, G-riffick, Great Hormones at Bedtime, Easy Lay…there's a hundred of them." Shaking his head he said, "But they're all the same chemical compound…Gamma Butyrolactone…commonly known as floor stripper mixed with drain cleaner. Nice huh?"

Grissom nodded. "Actually that was very nice, Greg. Now tell us how the Salty Water is packaged."

"Small plastic bottle…like the travel ones you see in hotels. Depending on the concentration of the mix, usually a dose is a capful. The more money you pay, the higher the concentration and the better the effects."

Grissom prompted, "And those effects are…"

"It depends how the dose is delivered, if it's with alcohol the effects are intensified. Depends on the weight of the vic, what she has in her stomach, and if she's on any other meds." Talking to Jas specifically he said, "In the street lingo of my peeps, someone is considered in a 'G Hold' when they're losing muscle control and pass out. They're in a 'G Hole' when they start having breathing problems and are lapsing into a coma."

In an introspective tone Grissom added, "And a person can go from normal, to a 'G Hold' to a 'G Hole' to death, in a very short amount of time."

Nick knew exactly what Grissom was referring to and it made him shudder thinking of Sara rapidly cycling through that process. "Okay, so…the good news is, little Brittany didn't see anything coming. She fell asleep, lapsed into a coma and died very quickly."

"Yes." Grissom nodded. "So why place the bag over her head? Anyone?"

Pete took it. "To de-personalize the victim. Maybe he couldn't go through with the rape if he could see her face."

"So he's a necrophiliac too," Jas commented.

"No." Grissom explained, "David's final findings show the rape occurred while death was imminent. The body wouldn't have appeared corpse like."

Nick blurted in disgust, "No, it just would have appeared like the tiny lifeless body of a five year old girl."

"It depends on the mind of the killer, Nick." Grissom's voice turned cool. "In a fantasy-driven compulsion the mind can make the victim anything he wants. The vic's body can be the vessel used to fulfill the fantasy, it doesn't necessarily mean his fantasy was a five year old girl. The bag over her head could indicate that he didn't want to acknowledge her age."

Greg asked, "Then why steal the book to get more little girl victims if that's not what he really wanted?"

"Because it worked so well the first time. With the book, he has a list of potential vessels."

Nick reminded him it was personal, "McKenna is in that book."

"Who's McKenna?" Pete asked.

"My niece…future niece."

"Damn." Pete felt a shiver up his spine. "So not only did the vic look like your niece, she's in the book."

Grissom delicately stated, "Remember what I said…the look of the victim isn't necessarily a motivating factor for him. It could just be the ease with which he can acquire the victim."

Nick kept quiet as he thought…that makes me feel better…NOT. He started breathing a little deeper trying to prevent his blood pressure from rising.

Grissom leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table. "Greg, you and Jas are both very new to profiling. There are many types of sexual predators and within each categorization, there are offshoots. I believe our killer used what is called Seductive Bonding…it takes upfront investment and patience. This isn't someone who sees a child and pounces. It's someone who thinks through how to hook a particular child. Let's talk about the dollhouse. We know from Nick's interview with the father, that Brittany wanted one and we know from Mrs. McGuire, the dollhouse maker, that Brittany played with her samples at the craft show for an extended period of time while her parents ordered a dollhouse."

They all listened intently as Grissom bestowed his knowledge, but none more than Nick who related to the scenario personally.

Grissom explained, "The Preferential Sexual Predator courts their victim. The seduction often begins by offering something the child can't normally have or desperately wants…it can be a physical item…giving a child a toy they want but don't have, in our a case…the dollhouse. They may also provide privileges…things the parents wouldn't normally let the child do, in an attempt to win them over. There was chocolate ice cream in Brittany's stomach…perhaps the killer asked her what her favorite food was and offered her some. Unfortunately, with a trusting child, it can be that simple."

Although he was physically sitting at the conference table in the Crime Lab, Nick was mentally back in Texas and back in time. Back to the night Shelly, a twenty-four year old grad student and an acquaintance of his normal babysitter, Dana, watched him while his parents and brother and four of his sisters were at a black-tie wedding.

"Want another candy bar, Nick?" Shelly asked before flashing a sunny smile.

"Really?" He glanced over his shoulder. In a whisper he explained, "I'm not supposed to have candy at night and I'm never allowed two big bars, well, except for holidays."

"Why are you looking over your shoulder, Nick? No one's home, remember. Your sister Barbara is sleeping at her friend's house and everyone else got to go to the wedding because they're older. You're the only one your mom and dad left home, so why not have a little treat to make up for behind left behind?" Reaching into her purse she produced another two Hershey bars. "I know I want another one. And don't worry…I'm not going to tell your parents." She slid the candy over the kitchen counter, positioning it in front of him.

"You're the best babysitter ever!" Snatching the bar he unwrapped it and said, "First you say you don't care about my bedtime and now this. I'm really glad Dana got the Chicken Pox." Overwhelmed with guilt, he lowered his head. "Sorry…I know that's not a nice thing to say. I forgot my manners."

"I won't tell that either." She smiled brightly as she tossed her long blonde hair off her shoulders. "See how that works…you can say or do anything you want and trust me. What do you want to do next?"

"I don't know." He shrugged as he chomped.

"Dana told me you love sports. You want go out back and toss a football?"

"You like sports too!" Nick excitedly exclaimed. "Yeah, I want to throw some ball!" He jumped off the stool. "Let's go!"

"After the predator has the child's attention and admiration, they foster an intimacy with the child by psychologically manipulating them."

"Do you like being the baby of the family, Nick?" Shelly asked as she tossed the football.

Standing on the opposite side of the lit play field his dad had made for him and his brother, Nick caught the ball and replied, "No, it stinks, because I never get to do the stuff everyone else gets to do."

"What about your brother, does he pick on you? Because I have an older brother and he used to pick on me all the time. He was a real jerk. Still is."

"Andy picks on me all the time!" He hurtled the ball. "His friends too. They're nothin' but a bunch of bullies and they're stupid too. But I'm not supposed to call anyone stupid so don't tell I said that either."

"No worries, remember?" She caught the pass. "So, I guess they don't let you play ball with them?"

"Nope."

"Big brothers are jerks. He probably doesn't let you play because you're better than him." Grinning, she launched her next toss. "Great catch!"

"Thanks." He moved his fingers to the laces. "Watch this spiral."

"Wow!" Catching the ball she commented, "You must have pretty big muscles to throw the ball that hard."

"Wanna feel my bicep!"

"Sure."

Nick flexed his right arm and waited for Shelly to walk across the grass. "My brother says it's half the size of his, but he's a big fat liar. It's almost as big as his."

"Once the child appears comfortable, the sexual predator finds ways to introduce subtle sexual innuendo and initiate seemingly innocent physical contact."

"Hmm…I don't know, Nick." Shelly shook her head as she sweetly said, "It doesn't feel that big, but maybe it's because your thick sweatshirt is in the way. Maybe if I saw it…" Before she was done with her sentence he was taking off his grey sweatshirt.

Once again he flexed. "How does it look?"

"Much bigger than it felt through your shirt." Beaming she placed her hand on his flexed muscle and gave it a squeeze. "Feels real good too."

"Thanks!" He lowered his arm.

"How about showing me some of your defensive moves?" She suggested with anticipation in her eyes. "I'll run with the ball and you tackle me."

"Uh…but you're a girl." Confused he informed her, "I'm not supposed to play rough with girls."

"I'm not a girly girl, Nick. I love sports, remember?" Waving the ball out in front of him she taunted, "Or are you just afraid you can't catch me and tackle me?"

"Nuh uh!"

She started running. "I bet you can't!"

Taking off he yelled, "Can too!"

"Of course the child is not experiencing the situation sexually like the predator is. They see the predator as a buddy…someone they can trust. Therefore, these situations which would immediately appear inappropriate to the outsider, don't feel wrong to the child."

Dressed in his navy blue pajama bottoms and white t-shirt, Nick pounced on his bed. "Wanna see my comic book collection?"

"You bet! I love comic books," Shelly enthusiastically replied. "You're probably a Superman guy, but Spiderman is my favorite."

"Get out! Spiderman is my favorite too!" He fanned a few of his latest on the bed. "You really are cool for a girl, Shelly. All my sisters laugh at me and say I'm obsessed with Spiderman. And they make fun of him because he wears tights. What do they know? They watch silly soap operas."

"How can they not love, Spidey? I don't know about those sisters of yours, Nick." Taking a seat on the edge of the bed she picked up one of the comics. "Sure he can't fly like Superman, but who needs to fly when you can spin webs any size and catch thieves just like flies?"

Amused by her references to the show's theme song Nick broke out laughing. "That's right. See, you get it." He crashed against his pillow to read.

Watching him as he lay there focused on the pictures in the book she inquired, "So…did you have a good time tonight, Nick?"

"The best!" He lowered the book.

"Probably because I let you break so many of your parents' rules, huh?" Sighing she remarked, "I bet they would be really mad at you if they found out everything you did."

"Hey…" His smile turned to a frown. "You said you wouldn't tell."

"I won't," She assured the panicky boy. "But I bet they'd punish you if I did, huh?"

"Yes, ma'am." He shuddered at the thought. "Disrespecting my mom and dad is serious business around here. If they knew I was breaking the rules under their roof and hiding it behind their back, I'd get to go to church and school, but nowhere else for weeks. They grounded my sister for the whole month of June when they found out she really got a C in English and she changed her report card to make it look like a B."

"A month? Wow…that's pretty strict." Shelly lay down on the bed next to Nick and raised her comic book. "No wonder you liked breaking the rules so much."

"Yeah." He re-opened his book. "It's fun."

"I really like you, Nick."

"I like you too." He turned the page. "I hope you can always baby-sit instead of Dana." Feeling bad he urged, "But please don't tell her I said that. I like her a lot and she's real nice, but she doesn't let me do all the cool stuff you let me do and she doesn't play ball."

"Yeah…I let you do anything you wanted to tonight, didn't I?" Sitting up next to him, she smiled, "Hey…can we take a turn doing something I want to do?"

"Sure, it's only fair." He lowered his comic and glanced up at her. "What do you want to do?"

"I'm not sure if you've played this game before, but here's how it works…"

"Prior to making the first abusive move, the predator has done such a good job of seducing the child that when they finally do make an overtly sexual overture, the child often feels obligated to comply. This person has been a wonderful friend…someone who has doted on them and showered them with gifts or privileges. The predator may also have planted veiled threats in the child's mind…coercing them without even directly forcing the issue. It's a potent combination of confusion, fear and guilt. So much so, that after the abusive incident has taken place, the child often feels responsible and is overwhelmed with shame."

When he heard his bedroom door open, Nick bolted up in bed. "Mom, is that you!" For two hours he had lain in the dark praying she'd come home.

"Yes, Dear." Still dressed in her party attire, Mrs. Stokes walked over to the bed. "I didn't expect to find you awake. It's after two a.m. Shelly just told us you went to bed right at ten."

Although he desperately wanted to tell his mother what had happened, the words were trapped in his throat. What would Shelly do if he told? And how could he tell on her when she promised not to tell all the things he did that he wasn't supposed to?

"Are you okay, Nicky? You look scared." She sat on the edge of the bed. "Were you having a nightmare when I walked in?"

"Yes." He gulped down the words trying to get out.

Mrs. Stokes placed her hands on her son's shoulders and when she did, she felt him tremble. "Are you shaking?" She placed her hand on his forehead. "You do feel a little warm."

Her comforting touch gave him the courage to confess it all. "Mom…"

Gushing with pride she praised, "Shelly told your dad and me that you were the perfect boy tonight. She said you didn't give her any trouble. As a matter of fact, she said you were an extremely well behaved young man and it was a pleasure babysitting you."

Shelly kept her promise, now he knew for sure she expected him to keep his.

Mrs. Stokes instinctively straightened her son's rumpled hair. "I must confess I thought you might be a little ornery, because you were the only one left home tonight. Your father was certain you would as rambunctious as Jenna's new pony. He even gave Shelly extra tip money because he figured she earned it keeping you under control. Thank you for making us proud. Your daddy said he'd take you for a treat after church tomorrow because of it. Anywhere you want to go…" Her smile widened. "…and without your brother tagging along. Just you and your daddy. How does that sound?"

After hearing her words, his slipped further down his throat.

"Darlin'…you're shaking awfully hard and you're sweating. Are you feeling worse? Let me grab the thermometer and some ice water for you to drink." Bending forward she kissed his clammy forehead. "I'll be back in a few minutes, Nicky, okay?"

Unable to speak, he bobbed his head quickly and once she was gone, he dove under the covers and cried.

"Nick?" Grissom yelled after him while watching him suddenly bolt from the conference room.

"His pager was vibrating." Without being asked, Greg provided a cover for Nick. "Yeah…it was Wendy. All this creepy talk with his niece on the missing list has to have him on edge. I'm thinking he wanted to make sure everything is okay without interrupting you, Gris. He has a right to be worried. I'd be worried if I were him. He'll be back when he knows everything is okay." At least that's what he hoped. Considering the topic of Grissom's lecture and the way Nick's hands had been shaking under the table, he had a feeling it wasn't just McKenna on his mind.

The Grissoms'
7:12 a.m.

Sara was sitting at her home office computer, typing dates into a week by week Pregnancy Calendar program, when she saw PryncessT22 pop up on her buddy list. Excited that her friend was awake already that morning, she grabbed the phone. By the time Tawny answered on the third ring Sara was bursting at the seams.

"Morning!"

"Ask me what's new!" Sara prompted in a voice teeming with excitement.

"What's new, girlfriend?"

"I'm pregnant!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!"

The next thirty seconds was a flurry of shrieks and cheers.

Tawny finally shrilled, "I'm going to have a pregnancy buddy!"

"Me too!" Sara gushed not only from the thought of being pregnant, but from having a close friend who cared enough to share in her excitement. "Don't tell Carrie if you happen to talk to her. I didn't want to call her this morning because I figured she would be sleeping in, after spending the night soothing Nick."

"I bet you're right, and don't worry, my lips are sealed!" Giggling Tawny announced, "Our due dates will only be like a month apart. Do you know what this means, Sara! Our kids are going to grow up together, and have play dates together, and be on the same soccer team together!"

"Uh…not so sure about the soccer team." Sara felt it was time to give Tawny a reality check. "Out of the 4 parents involved in this scenario, you're the only one with any proven athletic ability. So how about…our kids will be in Chess Club together!"

"That'll work!"

"How was Greg doing this morning?" She inquired, concerned over her friend's dazed state last night.

"Still in shock over the babies and feeling guilty over the bleeding incident, but I managed to relax him real good before he left for work. I suspect he'll be the most stress-free guy in the lab."

Feeling an impending overshare, Sara warned, "Please refrain from giving me those details about my pseudo kid brother."

"I was talking about a massage, Sara! Get your mind out of the gutter."

"Oh."

"A really deep massage." She giggled. "Didn't miss an inch of his body either. HA!"

"Hanging up if you don't stop."

"Stopping."

Even though she scarfed her meal of ice cream and pickles she was starving. "Hey, you want to meet for breakfast before we head to the townhouse?"

"Sorry, I can't handle public food places right now. I have really bad morning sickness. When all those food smells swirl together I lose it."

"There's something for me to look forward to." She grinned. "I'm so excited about being pregnant right now, I'm actually looking forward to vomiting."

"You could bring breakfast over here, as long as it's not too stinky."

"Okay, what do you want?"

"Two Krispy Kreme glazed originals, and a decaf iced mocha latte." Giggling once more, she informed her pal, "Around here we call that the Booty Call Special."

"I'm only bringing the food," She joked. "I'm not putting out."

Laughing she replied, "No problem, I gave up getting it on with girls when I moved in with Chuckles."

"Oh." Her brows knitted. "I didn't know you were Bi?" Although a lot of strippers were, so it made sense. "Not that I have a problem with…"

"No, I wasn't personally into girls, Sara. I just did it for the money."

"Oh." She ruffled. "Okay, being gay is cool with me, but prostitution…not so much. I'm in law enforcement, Tawny. Does Greg know you…"

"NO!" Riotous laughter shook the phone. "The girls didn't give me the money, the guys in the audience did for kissing girls! It's totally legal to kiss a girl on stage and have some pervert in the audience tip you for it."

"OH! That's fine with me." She joined in the laughter. "Yeah…taking money from perverts to keep you in Iced Mocha Lattes almost has a Robin Hood quality to it."

"HA! I'll see you soon, girlfriend."

"See ya."

When she hung up the phone Sara sat back in her chair and let her overactive imagination wander...my child with Gil is going to grow up with the offspring of Greg and Tawny. That could be a good thing in small doses to loosen up our little Study Bug, but too much and suddenly our kid will become a sexually uninhibited jokester with crazy hair.

Oh my god…what if I have a boy and she has a girl? They could DATE. They could have SEX…without protection…not that my son would do that normally, but if the girl looks like Tawny, he might go for it. They could REPRODUCE! If that happened, Greg and Gil could become father-in-laws to each other's children. They could be grandfathers of the same the child! That's completely freaky.

Wait…what if Nick and Carrie have a baby girl soon after they get married? Nick's daughter and Greg's daughter might vie for the attention of Gil's son, because after all…he's going to be just like his dad…sexy and smart, so what girl wouldn't want him? Yeah…that could definitely be a problem. It might cause friction between all of us. Unless…

If Greg has a son and a daughter, then Nick's daughter could go for Greg's son and Greg's daughter could go for Gil's son. That would work.

Oh…My…God…I've completely lost my mind. I can't believe I'm plotting this out like it could actually happen. I blame the pregnancy hormones…they must act as hallucinogens.

Although…it is entertaining to ponder it. HA! But it's SO not going to happen. Reason number one…there's no way Nick would let his daughter date Greg's son. The odds of that happening hover right up there with attaining world peace. That's the kind of stuff that powers his nightmares. Speaking of nightmares…

What if Brass and Lady Heather have a baby? HA! Their kid would probably tie up all of our kids on the playground. Greg's son would probably like that. What if Lady Heather's daughter was attracted to Gil's son? MY son. Lady Heather and I could end up grandmothers to the same child! Yeah…let's hope Jim has had a vasectomy.

Next Chapter: Losing It - Part 13

Posting: Wednesday night

Teaser: It's part 13...I hope something unlucky doesn't happen.

Thanks for reading and commenting,

Maggs