Title: An Unknown Audition

Disclaimer: CSI belong to someone else…not me...I lend them occasionally and make then do my bidding. The lyrics in this part are for the song 'Collide' By Howie Day

Dedication: For Kegel.

"Welcome back Nicky," Warrick said as Nick jogged into the breifing room twenty minutes late for shift.

"Thanks man," Nick smiled before looking at Grissom. "Please say you have work for us. I never thought I'd miss work but three days off just to rewrite that stupid script. It was fine the first time round. And I missed that high profile murder, man I wanted in on that."

"There are always other bodies in Vegas Nick. Forget about the case you missed and concentrate on the one I give you. You and Sara have a decomp in a bathtub. Daughter came home after a weekend away and found her sister then. David and Brass are already making their way there."

Sara threw a questioning look at Grissom, this was the first time in months she hadn't been paired with Greg for a case. Greg couldn't work solo so unless Grissom had another case…

"I have paperwork to do, so find me in my office if I'm needed. Greg…" Grissom turned to the youngest CSI

"Yeah. I get it, the lab is backlogged and there are no other cases so I can guess where I'm going." Greg didn't sound thrilled by the prospect of working in the lab with Hodges but he threw a smile at everyone as he left the room. "Guess you'll all know where I am. See you guys later."

"Hey Griss, give the kid a break. Sara and Greg could have dealt with the decomp. I wouldn't have minded missing out." Nick said quietly and he looked at the card Grissom gave him that held all the information he had about the scene.

"Then you would have been here going over cold cases and the lab would still have been back-logged. That wouldn't have been pratical." Grissom sighed knowing that sending Greg back to the lab even for one shift would grate at the other CSI's.

"What about me and Catherine?" Warrick asked trying to defuse some of the tension that was slowly mounting.

"You're on Ecklie's project tonight. You and Cath have to read though the script and start thinking about auditions and casting people. Ecklie has said you have only a week to give him the names." Grissom replied before heading towards his office. "All of you better get started."

An hour later Catherine stared helplessly at the script. One week. The had one week to find people willing to act in front of an audience AND decide who was going to be who.

"This is going to be one hell of a long week isn't it." Warrick sighed and he stared at the long list of character names he had complied though out the reading.

"Okay," Catherine said as she took a steadying breath. "Small chunks. The main characters are…"

"Ryan and Sophie, our leads. Ryan's family, his Mom Emily, Pa John, brother Michael. Ryan's best mate Daniel. Sophie's family, Mom Patricia, Pa Derrick, Grandmother Catherine, do you think they were trying to hint something?" Warrick smiled as the familiar name cropped up.

"They better not have been." Catherine said with no humour in her voice. "Anyone else?"

"Sophie's two mates Karen and Libby." Warrick finished the main list. "We also have some small one or two liners as well"

"This is going to take forever. How are we meant to find people willing to act? The play's good, but we also have to find a male lead who can sing. It's impossible." Catherine sighed as she folded her arms across the table and rested her head on them.

"Not impossible, just difficult. Lets grab a coffee, go see how the others are doing and then come back and brain storm," Warrick suggested standing up and pushing Catherine to her feet.

"Okay, okay, I'm going," Catherine stood and lead the way to the break room.

"How's the casting going?" Nick asked from where he was sat holding a cup of steaming liquid.

"Don't ask. Nice script by the way." Catherine said grabbing a cup and filling it before sitting opposite Nick.

"How's the case? And where's Sara?" Warrick asked joining them.

"Sara's gone to talk to Greg. I think she a bit weird not working Greg after doing every case she's been given in the last few months with him. She's spent her break in the lab with him going over the case and sweet talking him into hurrying our results through." Nick answered. "In fact I better go get her so we can try and wrap the case up."

"We'll come too," Catherine got up to follow. "We should start sorting auditions and casting but I can't bare going back yet. At least a detour will give me another few minutes to think up ways to kill Ecklie."

The three of them were not surprised by the noise that filtered into the corridor the closer the got to the lab. What surprised them was the song that was playing. A bit to mellow for Greg's usual tastes.

"I'm open, you're closed.

Where I follow, you'll go

I worry I won't see your face

Light up again.

Even the best fall down sometimes

Even the wrong words seem to rhyme

Out of the doubt that fills your mind

I somehow find

You and I collide."

Sara looked up from where she was laughing and seeing their faced laughed harder.

"I…I…You have an audience." Sara managed before she started laughing again as Greg's face steadily grew to a dark pink.

Catherine turned to Warrick and smiled. "Maybe it wont be as hard as you thought."

"Me, you were the one who…" Warrick stopped as Catherine cut him off.

"I think we have our Sophie and Ryan."

"Congrats guys," Catherine called out as she and Warrick left discussing working the other characters around Ryan and Sophie, leaving a nearly hysterical Nick and a very confused Sara and Greg sat wondering what on earth just happened.

Wow..I didn't expect so many review! Okay I need another..hmmm...8 before the next update. If I get them for when I get back from babysitting I'll put up the next part late tonight. So hit thew button and let me knowwhat you think...R2R's for the last chapter will be sent out later today. I havent forgotten all you lovely people- Lenna