Okay...chapter three time. I would like to thank csi-sam-sanders for reviewing again and here's the next chapter. Btw I don't own CSI or anything related to it...happy?

Chapter 3
More "Slaps" and a Possible Problem

"How would you know?" Greg asked while raising an eyebrow. This girl was good. No, wait strike that...extremely good.

"Look, I told Grissom this in the break room while you were calling Norway. I read eyes Greg and yours tell me that this isn't you..." Adriana said as she felt butterflies in her stomach as she said this. She wasn't being herself yet in front of him but she couldn't risk it. He moved closer to her end of the table and she backed away slightly. He noticed it but shrugged it off and kept his eyes on hers. His brown eyes scanned hers, trying to do the same thing but having no luck. She grinned as she understood what he was trying to do and thought of what to say. "What do mine tell you?"

"I don't know..." Greg began. Adriana grinned even more and shook her head.

"You see Greg...it isn't easy...but after you get the hang of it, you can't stop no matter how hard you try. I sometimes don't like being able to do this but this has more ups than downs..." she responded. "Or so my father tells me anyway...I've never kept track of it and I don't plan to...I don't want to know if it's a burden or a blessing..."

"You just know you do it and that is that..." Greg said with a small smile.

"Right," she responded with another grin. "But seriously Greg, think it through...something is stopping you from being who you really are..."

"Like what?" Greg asked. When he talked to her, it felt like talking to a therapist but this one wasn't all lectury about anything. She just talked and if he'd just let her...she just might listen...

"Fear..." Adri said shakily. "Something happened to you at the lab and though you've let go a bit...you still can't get over it..." Greg was shocked at her precision about her answer but then again, her father talks to Brass often so she would know that something happened to him. Greg took a deep breath and she could see the sadness brimming in his eyes.

"About two years ago, I was working at DNA when I smelled something funny. I turned around to see what it was when I suddenly flew out of DNA. I was at the hospital for about a week or two with burns on my back and a few cuts on my face. My hands shook like mad for the weeks after the incident until one day it stopped. People keep saying that after that, I've changed somewhat...I don't see it..." Greg responded, hoping that Adri wouldn't judge him. Adri's eyes widened slightly as she realized that he was the one that was injured in the lab explosion. She thought it had been someone else...

"I'm sorry...but you shouldn't be disapointed that it happened. It wasn't your fault and nothing could've stopped it...I apologize for the cliché...I hate to use them...but I also want you to know that maybe the whole reason you don't see that you've changed could be because you don't want to see it. Your fear could be that if you go back to being the person you once were, you could be at risk of it happening again and that's not it. Things happen Greg and you shouldn't change because of it...and this is experience talking," Adriana said seriously.

"What happened to you?"

"Well, one day I was doing something back in a theater in Puerto Rico when a stage lamp fell in a spot where I was standing in about five seconds prior to its fall. Not long after that, one of the explosions for a perfomace backfired and something that had flown away from its original position due to the that, broke the galss I was painting, shards of glass landed on me. My face was full of cuts and I had a severe through and through in my stomach. I was so afraid of it happening again, I stopped doing what I had been doing and changed everything about myself, I even lived here in Vegas with my father, due to some buisness he had here, to try and forget the incident. One day, I met someone who taught me that I was better off being my old self than the one I invented. I did some thinking and slowly acted how I used to be, completely replacing my invention. When the time came to move back to Puerto Rico, I had gotten over it and was ready to be me again since I knew that changing who I was wasn't going to stop the bad things that were meant to happen to me happen..."

"Wow..." Greg said as he started to think again. He scanned her face and remembered that earlier she had no makeup on and recalled seeing no scars. "Your face looks flawless...I can't even tell..."

"That's why I will always owe a big thank you to my uncle...he's the best plastic surgeon in Puerto Rico and thanks to him...I don't have any scars..." Adriana said. "Even the through and through isn't visible. Just a little from behind but that's it...but to sum it up...Greg, changing who you are won't stop things from happening." His eyes had gone from the table to hers constantly for the past few minutes and he still couldn't believe that the girl before him had witnessed a situation similar to his. Small world, he thought at the back of his mind. "I'm going to keep my big mouth shut...you deserve the silence..." Greg just looked up and saw that she had left. On her napkin she had written 'Bathroom, I'll be back in about five.' Greg smiled to himself slightly as he noticed that she seemed to think of everything. He thought for a while and excatly five minutes later, Adriana came back.

"You seem to think of everything," Greg said as he looked up and met her eyes. Adriana gave him a confused look until he pointed to the written napkin.

"Oh! That..." Adriana said with a small blush. "And in response to your statement, I don't..."

"Really?" asked Greg. "Why's that?"

"Something I don't want to share right now..." Adriana responded. Greg took it as a cue to change subject and did so.

The next evening at the lab...

Greg walked in with a little more pep in his step and he had Adri to thank for that. After Greg changed the subject they talked a little about what lead them to Vegas. After Adri dropped him off at the lab earlier that day, he could tell that he wasn't going to regret telling her all that he did. He looked around for a sign of Adri and after seeing none, settled down in the break room with the file from Norway. It had been an hour and still no sign of Adri, soon his cell rang and he answered, thinking it was Grissom.

"Sanders," he said to person on the other line.

"Greg?" asked a weak female voice.

"Adri?" he asked, getting slightly concerned she sounded preocupied.

"Yeah, it's me...look, I'm going to be a little late...I guess you've noticed it a little already but I just got caught up on something and I'm making my way there right now," she responded before sneezing.

"Are you all right?" Greg asked at the sound of the sneeze.

"Yeah, it's just a momentary allergy attack that I get about once every so often...I'll be fine Greg, just cover for me...I'll be right there...Bye," Adriana said as she hung up, leaving Greg with about a hundred questions in his head. At that Grissom came in and noticed that Adri wasn't there.

"Where's Adriana?" asked Grissom.

"Oh, she's uh...in the bathroom. She should be back later," Greg said, thinking quickly.

"Page me when she gets here," Grissom said while leaving. Greg had the deep feeling in his gut that Grissom knew that he had been lied to...but he just couldn't understand his boss sometimes. At that last thought, Adri burst through the break room doors, flopping down on the nearest chair, not realizing that Greg was all ready on it.

"Hello to you too," Greg whispered as she opened her eyes suddenly. She got up in a flash and apologized profusely as she tried to hide the blush creeping onto her cheeks.

"I am so sorry...I'm just..." she began, trying to speak.

"Ah, it's all right...it's not like it's the first time it's happened..." Greg said as she finally calmed down. She sat down across from him and began to snack on some chocolate kisses.

"Feel free to have some," Adriana said as she placed the bag on the table and got to work. Greg took some chocolates and Grissom came in admiring the pair that was hard at work.

"Nice of you to come Adri," Grissom began, causing her to glare at Greg before turning to Grissom.

"My apologies...I was off doing my other thing and got caught in a traffic jam..." Adri responded, causing Grissom to raise an eyebrow. "I know I need to dedicate myself to this full time but I also have something else that requires my attention..." Grissom nodded, understanding now and decided to have a word with Brass to see if he had anything to add.

"All right then...I just wanted to see if you had your priorities straight..." Grissom said as he left the room. Adriana picked up the Italy file and procceded to work on it when Catherine walked in to see how they were doing.

"Well?" she asked as she turned to her fave ex lab tech turned CSI and the newbie.

"I've got nothing..." Greg began.

"I do..." Adriana said as she pulled out phone records. "According to these she recieved a few calls from a local hotel. The Lab called and got guest registries, which should be here..." Adriana continued as she pulled out another mound of papers. She began to leaf through the pages effortlessly and quickly. Catherine stared, completly amazed. "Speed reading course. I took it once on my own and then my father made me take it again..." she explained as she finally found what she was looking for. All right, the phones in each hotel room have their own extentions and the one the Italian vic recieved calls from...was from the same room which was being occupied by our main suspect, Anthony Carter."

"He's got the oportunity in one of the cases then..." Catherine said flatly.

"I haven't checked the phone records for the Norwegan victim..." Greg said as he began to go through the papers he had on his side of the table. "Here," he said as he handed them over to Adri. "I'll check the vic and you check the hotel's numbers. I know you can't read the language well but your eyes could help me out on this one..."

"No prob," Adriana said as she began to scan the pages. She stopped abruptly and grinned. "Hello Mr. Carter..."

"He's there too?" Greg cried as he got off his chair and walked over to read what she was reading.

"That's something they failed to note in the records..." Adriana said as she read the Italian files. "It's not here."

"Norway doesn't have it either..." Greg said as he looked his file over. "Think they were bribed to not write it down?"

"Nah," Catherine interjected. "If that were true, we'd be in the group as well and as far as I know...nothing has come that could add to that theory..."

"Maybe they just didn't notice it in the rush," Warrick suggested as he came in for a cup of coffee. He had overheard a bit of the conversation already.

"Warrick's got a point," Adriana said in agreement. "Everybody's seems to have worked these cases though thorughly, but in some sort of rush..."

"Well not this one..." Greg said as he looked at the first page of the Norway file.

"Well Greg," Adri said. "That was the first case so they must've put in a lot more time into it but as the killings progressed and he became a serial, everyone tried everything quickly to see if they had the capability to catch him and so far...none of these places had any luck with it..."

"It's not about luck you know..." Warrick began.

"Yeah, leave that to the gamblers," Adri said without thinking. She then slapped her forhead as she realized what she said. "I am so sorry Warrick, I didn't mean it the way it sounded..."

"No, it's okay," Warrick said reassuringly. "I know you didn't mean it..."

"Still...I'm sorry," Adri said as she changed the page on her notepad to a fresh one. Catherine decided to leave and check on her evidence with Mia.

"How's it coming along?" asked Warrick as he looked over Adri's shoulder.

"Easy..." Adri said in response. "I've translated harder things..."

"What about you Greggo?" Warrick asked as he moved to Greg's side of the table.

"Without having you looking over my shoulder I could do better..." Greg commented as he looked up and glanced at Adri. She looked pretty much the same as last night, sweatpants and a tank top. Her was up in a bun again and she had no earings. He also noticed some fresh sweat on her back and a half empty bottle of water in her bag. "Why are you going to the gym when you're perfectly slim?"

"Oh?" Adri said as she snapped out of her trance. "Oh...I don't go to the gym..." Adri responded after a while.

"Then what's with the sweatpants?" Greg asked.

"You know that curiosity killed the cat right?" Adriana said as she got up and pulled out something from her bag.

"You're not going to tell me are you?" Greg asked, Adriana smirked. He was catching on...

"Nope," Adriana said. "I'll be right back," she finished saying as she walked out of the room. Greg returned his gaze to the files before him, missing the prefectly excecuted flip in the hall. Warrick raised his brow in confusion but decided to leave that alone. He kept drinking his coffee in silence and Adriana came back, knee high sweats on instead of the long ones. "Much better," she said to no one in particular. She sat down on the table and proceeded to work. Warrick just eyed her curiously and she noticed. "Penny for your thoughts Warr?"

"No...I'm fine Adriana," he answered. "I'm going to leave you two to work..."

"Later Warrick," Greg and Adriana responded in unision but failed to notice. After a shared work silence, Greg put his pen down and looked at Adriana. She looked up after a while, knowing that something was on his mind that didn't involve the file before him.

"I'll ask the same thing I asked Warrick, penny for your thoughts?" she said as she returned her focus on the papers before her.

"What do you mean by that?" Greg asked. "I thought you hated clichés..."

"Yeah but this one happens to be one of the few I use..."

"Look, I was wondering...why are you being so secretitive about what you're doing outside of the lab?"

"Well Greg," Adriana said as she put her pen down for a moment. "I guess it has something to do with the fact that after this case is cracked...I won't be needed and you won't be seeing my horrid face anymore..." she said as she got back down to work.

"Your face isn't horrid..." Greg said as she bit her lip. Uh-oh...she let something slip. "It's adorable..."

"Thank you," Adri responded. For trying to change the truth that's imbeded in my head...she finished in her thoughts.

"I'm serious..." Greg said as he sensed something wrong in this picture. He quickly diverted the subject to the original one and to give thought to Adri's reaction later. "I mean, we might need you later on..."

"Yeah, when the next international serial killer strikes..." Adri said with a sarcastice tone.

"Oh come on...you're input is something we could use..."

"On Pluto..."

"Why do you always do that?"

"Do what? Dodge compliments?"

"Yes."

"I've never thought of myself as of much use..." she said, quickly regretting it. She had let something else slip. Greg just looked at her in shock, he couldn't believe what she had said. Something was terribly wrong in her head...where was the girl he met yesterday? "Sorry..." Adriana said as she got up and started to walk away. Greg got up and grabbed her arm gently and turned her to face him. He swore he could read her eyes just then and see all the fear they held. Adri's mind was racing, she tried to read him but having a hard time. Greg then let her go and she relaxed slightly. "I tend to talk too much when it comes to my work..."

"You sure it's just that?" Greg asked as he raised a brow. She nodded and gave him half a smile. Greg shook it off, wondering if she was trying to hide anything else. He tried to imitate the way she looked at him but had no luck.

"Practice...you might be able to do it someday..." Adriana said as she sat back down.

"You think so?" Greg asked as he walked around.

"Yep," she responded as she pulled her MP3 player out of her bag.

"You're going to listen to music and ignore me?"

"What? You got anything better?"

"Well, I was hoping we could talk a bit..."

"You're suggesting...?"

"Come on...tell me what you do before you come here! I wanna know!"

"You'd find it stupid...now leave me alone if that's all you're going to ask..."

"Try me..."

"Nope," Adri said as she switched the MP3 player on and lost herself in the music. Catherine walked into the breakroom again, a small smile on her face.

"Greggo!" she called out, Greg turning to her and momentarily forgetting about Adriana. "I need a favor..."

"What kind of favor?" Greg asked. He didn't like where this was going.

"Sam Braun," Cath began.

"Your dad."

"Yes, him. Gave me some tickets to a ballet show so I could take Lindsay but unfourtanately, we're in this case and I can't do it...would you do it for me?"

"A ballet show? Me?"

"I can't ask Sara and none of the others guys would do it."

"What about Adri?"

"Take her with you if she wants to go, from the looks of it, she'd be interested."

"How so?"

"She seems like a sweet, cultured girl. Besides, consider it a 'date.'"

"Oh come on Cath...you're not serious about that last part are you?"

"Give me until the end of the week...which is actually when the show is so I suggest you think it through..." Greg just looked at Catherine with confused eyes as she grinned. "You're going and that's that..."

"Fine..." Greg said as he sat down. He lost this battle for sure...Adri looked up to see him a little frustrated. She decided to get back to work but with the music in her ears. It'd be a lot safer for her if she didn't make conversation for a while. Greg just watched her, his eyes scanning every inch of her that he could see. He still didn't understand why she would consider herself useless.

"Something doesn't add up..." Adri said as she turned off her MP3 and threw her pen. "This guy did it but there's no motive...well, at least in this case..."

"Why don't we look through all the phone directories? That way, we could nail him for the oportunity then, it'd just be a matter of evidence..." Greg suggested. Adri looked up and a smile decorated her features.

"All right then, let's get to the phones," Adri said with a smirk and got up.

"Right back at ya..." Greg said as they began to pick up the files and sort through them.

With Grissom...

"Brass has got the suspect in custody and we're soon getting a warrant to search his house," Grissom told his team in his office. "We've been given his car to work with for the time being."

"That's something..." Nick began.

"Let's get to work, we're on the clock, the only thing that's keeping this guy in custody is DNA evidence..." Grissom said as his cell beeped. "It's Greg and Adriana," he said as he checked the message. "Apparently they've got something...here's the keys Cath," Grissom finished saying as he tossed the keys to said female. She opened the car as the others got to work. Grissom made his way out of the garage to the break room, wondering what they had. As he got closer, he could hear the estatic cries of a female, Adri. Once he came in, they quieted down. "What have you got for me?"

"I was checking the Italian vic's phone records when a number from a local hotel popped up twice, I then checked hotel registries in the file and found Mr. Carter on it," Adri began.

"Same with Norway..." Greg added.

"Greg then suggested that we check the rest of the phone registries to see if we found the same thing..."

"Which was really hard to do but thanks to Adri's speed reading..."

"Just get to the point you two!" Grissom exclaimed, mildly irratated but with a little surprise that Greg had acted like his old self.

"Well, Mr. Carter is in all of the hotel registries and it so happens to be that the call originated from his room," Greg said.

"And I just noticed that all of the calls were made at around the same time..." Adriana added.

"And the day after he made those calls, he checked out..." Greg pointed out. Grissom seemed to understand the rest and grinned.

"Griss!" called out Warrick as he came in. "Nick found a gun in the suspect's back seat and took it to Bobby to compare it to the bullet found in our victim."

"Do you have the others?" asked Adri. Warrick shook his head as Adri went over to a box that was under the table and opened it. "Thought so..." she said as she picked up some evidence bags. "Here's the bullets that were extracted off the other victims. If these are a match to the gun we have, it's case closed," she finished saying as Warrick took the bags and ran off. Greg was slightly disappointed at the sound of those words. He didn't want Adri to leave...

Yeah I know...the thought of Greg at a Ballet show seemed kinda wierd to me at first too...but you'll get it soon...Anyway, I also want to note that I don't mind getting one review everytime I put up a chapter but...I would like it if others showed support as well...with that said, until next chappie!