A/N: I'm updating as fast as I can but this Driver's Ed class is holding me back. I'll use this weekend to post the next couple of chapters. Thank for reading.

Chapter Two: This Week's Heated Debate

"Catherine, we have got to hit up Julius' tonight," said Warrick Brown filing into the Crime Lab's conference room to take his usual seat at the head of the table.

"Is there even a chance that I would miss a round of Flaming Gladiators," questioned Catherine Willows. The red headed crime scene investigator could hardly imagine a week without their Friday night rendezvous. She doubted Julius' could either.

"Depends. Are we talking about those bartenders you flirt with or the free drinks," laughed Warrick as Nick Stokes entered the room to take his seat next to Catherine.

"Catherine and Warrick in yet another heated debate," sighed Nick turning to Greg Sanders who joyfully bounced into the room.

"This week in the Willows-Brown debate," started Greg in a pathetic impersonation of a news anchor. "What is going on between Las Vegas' finest, Grissom and Sidle?"

"Tom Brokaw has a point," laughed Catherine while ushering Greg to his seat so she could get to hers. "We have the graveyard shift supervisor Gil Grissom sitting back in his corner of ambiguousness and obliviousness, while the sultry and patient CSI Sara Sidle stares him head on."

"From what I've heard, there have been some punches thrown in the ring recently. Sara hasn't even looked at Grissom since he went off on her last Thursday," commented Warrick, reaching for his coffee cup.

The others were surprised at the comment. This was the first any one of them had heard about an argument of any kind, but they should have assumed as much. Just a few days ago, they bore witness to Grissom dismissing Sara from a case so they wouldn't have to work together. Sara refused to give a reason for her dismissal, but maintained the feeling that the team shouldn't worry.

"State your source," inquired Nick. "I didn't hear anything about an argument."

"Yeah, and we agreed not to hold back on Grissom-Sidle news," added Greg.

"Conrad Ecklie," stated Warrick after a moment's silence.

The team was about to argue the cited source's likelihood of uttering such gossip when she walked in.

The room fell silent.

Sara took her usual seat across from Catherine, and sat ready for tonight's meeting.

Having mustered up enough courage to speak, Greg asked, "Lagging behind tonight, Sar?"

The former lab technician and devoted member of the Sara Sidle Fan Club had barely braced himself for the sure to be angry response when he noticed what her attire. In fact, they had all noticed what she was wearing and couldn't find the words to question, comment, or argue. Maybe it was how her khaki shorts revealed every square inch of her finely toned legs, or how her crimson 'CIA' baby tee gave the illusion that her breasts were bigger than they were, or maybe it was how her usually straight hair had been transformed into chestnut brown ringlets sparkling under the fluorescent lights with a honey hue. They just stared, and that was exactly what Sara wanted. To throw them off balance.

"Quite an ensemble there, Sar," stated Catherine with a smile. "If Grissom doesn't notice those legs…"

That was precisely what she wanted.

"Damn! You look amazing, Sara."

"Mm…mm…mm! You look…wow!"

"What did you do?"

"Sorry, guys." Sara apologized for her late arrival as if she was deaf to their comments. "I've been shopping all morning, and well, this new apartment has to be filled with something and the closet is just begging for new clothes."

She crossed her long bare legs and reached to tie her new black tennis shoes. "Do you like it?" A look of hopefulness filled her face as she prayed for their approval.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Let's take a step back," yelled Nick. "This is the first we're hearing of any new apartment. When did you change up on us?"

Positions reversed, and now it was her friends looking at her in need of an answer. Even Sara had to admit that she never mentioned moving to another apartment. They assumed it must have slipped her mind after her latest episode with Grissom, but she knew it was all part of her plan. The shock of the news would have to be genuine to affect Grissom.

"Last Thursday is when I bought it, but I moved in over the weekend," confessed Sara, adjusting her shirt to cover a new belly button ring.

Before Nick and Catherine could argue the sterling addition to her body, Gil Grissom strode to his seat at the head of the table.

TBC