Note: ok, you can thank my inability to read the front of buses for this part getting done at all. Meant to get the shuttlebus from one university campus to another, got on the wrong bus, ended up in a town I'd never heard of and sat down by a lake to write...thanks again for your reviews!
Sheriff Mobley had decided that each of the CSI graveyard shift would have a turn at running the team for the duration of one week. He figured it would give them each a chance to demonstrate their leadership skills, showing him who would be the most suitable replacement for Grissom, should he ever leave. They were given one week's warning, and then Nick had been unleashed on the unsuspecting underworld of Vegas. Though a little hectic, his turn had suffered no major disasters, though he was very relieved to hand over the reins to an eager, scheming, Catherine, who had practically danced around the lab crying 'Whoop-de-doo!' She was currently three days into her shift and absolutely everything had been properly organised. The team were even beginning to miss Grissom's comforting absent-mindedness.
"What do you mean 'Grissom's on vacation'?! Grissom never takes vacation!" Nick was bewildered. Sara, apparently, had called in sick. This seemed even more unlikely to him than Grissom taking a vacation. He glanced at Greg, who seemed as surprised as himself, then at Warrick who seemed so calmly accepting that Nick had to do a double take. He frowned suspiciously at Catherine, taking in the amused expression in her eyes and they way her mouth was twitching as if it wanted to laugh and was being forcibly restrained. She also stood unnecessarily close to Warrick, so that their sides touched. Nick smiled at this. It gave him the connection he needed.
He folded his arms and showed them his best Clever Criminalist face. "Ok. What have you done with them?"
Catherine and Warrick replied at once. "Who?"
Nicky sighed. It was gonna be a tough interrogation.
Sara glared at Grissom. He gulped as he realised the verbal realisation had come at just the wrong time. "Sara, I meant..." he trailed of in the face of her icy stare.
"Jeez...I just...can't believe you did that. You called me her name. I always knew there was something between the two of you!" She turned away, staring into the corner, trying to control herself as she shook with fury. There was a brief silence before he spoke.
"I didn't! And there isn't!" She threw a look at him so angry that he turned off the flashlight so he wouldn't have to face it again. "I only said Catherine's name because I realised why we're here. It's because of her!"
She spun round, her eyes lighting up as she realised what he meant. "Of course!
"Ok," said Nick wearily. "I'm going to tell what I think went down here. Cath, when you realised you were gonna be boss for a week, you immediately saw the change to settle something that had been bugging (no pun intended) you for a long time; the matter of Grissom and Sara. Since it was in your power to send them places, I bet you send them both someplace and then got Warrick to help you trap them.
I have two of the bases covered: victim, suspect....now all I'm lacking is a crime scene." He looked hopefully at his colleagues, who looked at each other. They then simultaneously imitated zipping their mouths shut, childish grins on their faces. Nick groaned.
"Do you think she did it by herself?" Sara asked, gesturing towards their surroundings. Grissom looked around with fresh eyes.
"No. Cath's a small woman, for all she's tough as nails. She'd need help. And not from little Greggo either."
"Nicky's too guileless," said Sara thoughtfully. "So that just leaves us with..."
"Warrick." He nodded his head. She grinned.
"Victim, suspect, crime scene. We solved the case. So, boss, now we can go home." She frowned. "'Cept we can't.