I know, I know! It's been forever. You guys are awesome to have waited for me. School's been… not fun, I had something that came quite close to a breakdown, homework has been plaguing me day and night, and my cousin won't let me quit tap class, so yeah.

But I'm sure you don't want to hear about my problems, so I'll let you get on to enjoying the problems of our heroes…

There's no excuse whatsoever for the complete and utter lack of content in this chapter, but my yet immature mind told me I should update before everyone think's I've been wiped off the face of the earth. Depending on reviewer response, I'll either replace this chapter later (possibly anwyhere freom 2-6 weeks) or I'll just geep going and leave this as simply a short chapter.

Lillian slept deeply, unheeding of her siblings return home. When she finally jerked awake at six, prompted by the chirping of her alarm clock. She slammed it off, got up and dressed, and went to join her family for dinner.

After a hearty meal of pork steak, mashed potatoes, gravy and peas, she settled down, setting a timer so she wouldn't miss work, and read.

Just as the timer went off at seven thirty, she heard a knock at the door.

"Who is that at this hour?" Her mother asked, standing to let the person in. Lillian was surprised when, minutes later, she re-entered with Catherine Willows.

"Hi, Lillian." She said, grinning in her motherly way. "Sorry for dropping in unexpectedly, but I didn't have your number yet. Since we live in the same neighborhood, I was thinking that we could carpool to work and save a bit on gas."

Lillian was somewhat shocked, but agreed. "Sure," She began, "I'll just need to grab my stuff out of the Jeep."

"Not a problem." Catherine said.

"Oh! I'm sorry… Mom, this is Catherine Willows, CSI. She's a couple ranks ahead of me. Mrs. Willows, My mom, Melody James."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Willows."

"Likewise." Catherine said, shaking Melody's hand.

There was a slightly uncomfortable pause before Catherine nodded. "We should get going." She said. Lillian nodded, hugged her mother goodbye and went out the front door.

She went to her Jeep and took her kit out of the back, placed it carefully in the backseat of Catherine's Tahoe and climbed in the passenger seat. She shifted uncomfortably.

"Dr. James…" Catherine began. Once she was sure she had Lillian's attention, she continued. "Grissom wanted me to pick you up, actually." She said honestly. Lillian looked a the strawberry-blonde. "I don't think I should keep anything from you if you're going to work in this lab effectively with us." Catherine went on. "So I'm telling you as a friend."

"I understand." Lillian said, slightly curtly. She caught herself, paused, and added: "Thank you."

"No problem." Catherine said. Lillian sat back and watched the suburbs fade into the city. They pulled into the gated parking lot and climbed out, heading in to the locker room.

"Hey." Nick and Greg greeted simultaneously.

"Hi guys." Catherine said as she opened her locker to hang up her sweater. Lillian hung back, edging her way around the group.

"Mr. Sanders, shift starts in five minutes, I expect you'll be in the lab by then?" she said, although the command lacked the frost with which Greg had last heard he speak. She walked out of the locker room. Shortly thereafter, Sara walked in.

"Hey, guys, you remember the food we found in the refrigerator? Lillian assumed that they traveled a lot but credit check revealed that no plane tickets of any sort have been bought anytime recently, although it did reveal several purchases at a foreign foods store. We looked into it a bit more, Daniel and Margaret Sweetney's uncle owns the store. He was given custody of the two nineteen years ago when their mother committed suicide."

"Do you think it's probative?" Nick asked, shrugging on his vest.

"I don't know." Sara shrugged. "It could be."

"Lillian." Grissom called out to the girl as she passed by his office, papers in hand.

"Yes, Mr. Grissom?" she asked, stopping.

"You'll be joining us for breakfast this morning, correct?" Grissom asked. Lillian's mind analyzed the situation, remembering the heads-up that Catherine had given her. She had been left without a vehicle to escape in. Mentally, she groaned.

"Of course." She said with a sigh. "You leave me no choice, don't you?"

"There are two primary choices in life; to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them."

"Waitley." Lillian nodded. She sighed. "I'll see you in the morning, then." She turned and left, debating whether to hide a scowl or a smile.