"But Lena it was an accident. I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you." Lena turned to face Jason.
"If you never meant to hurt me you would never have done that. I can't believe you. How can you say it was an accident? Having sex with my best friend is not an accident. How dare you even try to play this off as some small thing that I can just get over?" She glared at him while she gathered her things into her purse. He looked at her with his puppy eyes pleading with her. Gathering her courage she stood up and turned away.
"I'm leaving. It's over and I don't want you to call me or even try to get back together. I can't handle that. Goodbye." And with that she disappeared out the door. Anger filled her as she saw her friend sitting on the front porch, where she had moved once Lena had walked in on them. She looked as if she was going to get up and try and explain things but was silenced when Lena waved her off with her hand.
"Don't even bother Cassy. I can't believe you would do this. I don't even want to look at you right now." Lena ignored her friend's pleas and got into her car and drove off, radio blaring and tears pouring out her eyes, blurring her vision. She continued to drive around Chicago, no destination in mind, simply dreading returning to her empty apartment.
"Oh sorry Mr. Grissom, I was actually just looking for you so I guess this is quite the coincidence," Lena stammered as she steadied herself.
"Oh OK then well let's go into my office and we can talk but I have to let you know that my shift is starting and I can't talk for too long." With that Grissom led the way to his office, Lena in his wake, in awe at his extensive bug collection. Grissom motioned her to take a seat before sitting down himself.
"Interesting collection. Not sure I would want all that in my office but I can see you really enjoy those critters," said Lena as she took her seat across from Grissom. She reached into her purse in search of the evidence bag.
"I realized that I had brought this with me so I though I should bring it over ASAP." She finally found what she was looking for and handed it over the Grissom. Grissom looked it over examining it.
"I didn't contaminate or anything if that is what you are wondering," said Lena defensively. "I'm a CSI. I would never do that."
"I didn't say anything," said Grissom, placing the bag on his desk. "I was just thinking. We have had two previous assaults in the airport. We think that it's the work of a serial killer. I realize that you're here on a vacation but I was wondering if you would be interested in helping us with the investigation. If you don't want to it really isn't a problem but we are short on hands and could use the extra help." Grissom looked at the young woman in front of him. She looked different than he had last seen her. He hadn't quite recognized her when she had run into him before in the hallway. Her hair fell in waves around her shoulders and her wrinkled and dirty clothing had been replaced with a pair of white gaucho pants, a blue polo shirt and a blue jean blazer. Two long strands of pearls and a pair of blue flip-flops rounded out the attire. She looked refreshed and he noticed how attractive she actually was.
"Mr. Grissom I appreciate the offer. But what exactly would you have me doing. I mean are you going to be putting me to work in the lab or have me working as a CSI." She questioned, surprised that he had offered her this opportunity.
"Well, I actually have a few too many people in the lab now and a few of my CSI's are out on assignment so I would need you out in the field," explained Grissom thinking of how Nick and Sarah where out working in a case in the far outskirts of town. The team was stretched thin and a new case had come up so he would need to divide even further.
"Well in that case I would be pleased to help you out with the case," she said, "but I um don't really have anything with me. I hadn't really planned for this."
"Don't worry about that. I know most of the CSI's have extra equipment. You can just buddy up today. If you don't mind, I'd like to put you with Greg Sanders."