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Chapter 2: The Beginning

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The next day Sara came into the lab a shell of her normal self. Grissom's words wouldn't leave her mind: "Everything must be perfect for when she arrives." He had someone coming… No, not just someone, a woman whom he obviously cared for very much. Realizing that there was no room in his heart left for her, she wondered how she could live out the rest of her time here in Vegas.

She was shaken from her thoughts when Judy called her name at the front desk.

"Ms. Sidle, someone left a present for you."

'A present?' she thought. 'Who would leave a present for me?'

Judy pointed to the other side of the counter, and when Sara saw what awaited her, she was awestruck. Sitting on the countertop was a beautiful crystal vase in which sat a single red rose and a stalk of baby's breath. Walking over to it, Sara admired the intricate details of the carved glass, and took in the scent of the flower. Smiling to herself, she couldn't help but wonder who would send her something so breathtakingly beautiful.

It was then that she noticed the envelope sitting next to the vase. With only her name scrawled on the front, she opened it and read its contents. It read:

I know roses are your favorite… Enjoy.

Merry Christmas, Sara.

Signed, your Not-So-Secret Admirer

Intrigued and excited by the gift, Sara took the vase and the envelope, thanked Judy, and headed towards Grissom's office to start her long night ahead.

When she entered his office and come to the desk, she didn't find a regular assignment sheet as she'd expected. Instead she found yet another envelope with her name written across the front. Opening it, she found a letter, handwritten on a piece of stationary. Sitting in the desk chair, she read:

Dear Sara,

Merry Christmas!

I'm sorry I'm not here to spend it with you, but as I said on the phone, I have someone very special coming in this evening, and I want everything to be perfect for her arrival. Thank you for helping to make that possible.

'You're welcome,' she thought bitterly. Shaking her head and gathering her strength, she continued to read.

As for your assignment, I'm afraid I have to send you on a bit of a wild goose chase. We've got a 408. A young woman is missing, and unfortunately, no one seems to know very much about her. Before I go any further, I know that this is strange, but it's Christmas Day, and on such a day nothing is more important than family. On that note, your scene is in front of the Hotel Monaco, where she was first spotted. The people there will be able to help you more.

Good luck, and Merry Christmas!

Grissom

Looking up, Sara shook her head in confusion. "First spotted"? Shouldn't he have said, "last spotted"? And how could no one know anything about a missing person?

"Oh, well," she sighed. "Let's get this over with."

Going out to her car, she was pleasantly surprised to see another rose set on the front windshield of her car. Smiling, she set it in the vase with the other and climbed in, ready to take on anything.

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