Lyrics of Hope (3?)

(Author Notes: No songs this time. Songs will return next chapter though. Enjoy.)

Greg had been working quite diligently on the pile of evidence when he heard the footfalls. They sounded like Grissom's, one of the ways he always knew to turn on the music. Just as he was about to hit the play button to his CD player, he happened to glance up and caught sight of the man of his dreams. The furious anger was a large shock, since trips to the body farm usually left him with a creepy but satisfied smile afterwards.

The reason for the anger quickly became apart when he felt a touch to his hand, a furry touch. Whipping his head around to see the tarantula that he had just fed this evening now making his way a crossed his hand wasn't what he expected to find, well, ever. Gil was very careful to keep his pet contained, for her safety more than for concern for his coworkers.

The sound of the lab door swinging open loudly made him shift his chair around, but carefully keeping the escapee on his hand so she didn't go missing again. Griss was on him way before he could get a sentence out from his mouth.

"Just feed her, Greg. That was the only task I gave you! Was it too much for you to be able to put a few crickets in the cage and then put it away? Did you think I wouldn't notice her cage on the floor broken! You should have at least cleaned it up!" The man looked pissed, and Greg just looked confused.

He knew he put it up on the shelf; he and Catherine had glanced at it before they left, and it wasn't even close to falling. "But Griss I didn-" He didn't even get a chance to finish his sentence before his supervisor cut him off. "Don't try to say you didn't do it Sanders! Sara came to me and told me she seen you going into my office and before you came out she heard a crash and was going to go and check before you came bustling out!"

Greg didn't even have a chance to stop the older man before he was taking his tarantula, and storming off towards his office again, likely to clean up the glass, and find a temporary home for his pet until then. He didn't even glance back at the lab tech that was not only humiliated but hurt. It felt like tons of eyes were on him, and likely they were. Even Hodges looked a bit confused and shocked.

It didn't matter though. Instead Greg just turned back to the sample he was working on, slumped and looking worse than he did even after pulling triple shift.

Word traveled fast around such a tiny place. It was like a school yard for crying out loud. It was as if no one had anything better to do than start trouble. However, Catherine was glad this was the case today. It didn't take long for the news to reach her, from Archie's mouth, and with any luck she could contain this quickly and get Grissom to apologize before Greg lost his entire spirit.

It seemed such a waste to have such a happy, energetic boy moping around, and already she was missing his flirting and playful manner. It had taken a few moments to get Greg to confirm the story over some blood evidence, but he had after a moment. Now it was time to put one Gil Grissom in his place.

Knocking on the door, Catherine pushed it open long before she could get some sort of signal that is was okay. A quick glance told her the room was empty except for the man behind the desk who still had dark storm clouds overhead. With an eye roll she stepped forward and placed both her hands on the desk, leaning forward.

"So, what happened to not jumping the gun? Listening to the only thing that can't lie? Where is the evidence Gil?" Tsking loudly at the lack of response, not that she waited long for one, Catherine stood again. Head shaking, and pacing she stared at the ceiling. "You are absolutely unbelievable! You preach about how unreliable witnesses are and then you go and accuse someone without proof."

"It isn't the same Catherine. The witness was Sara; she is part of my staff. Besides, who else would be in my office? Greg is the one who was supposed to be in here, feeding her, and then he had her with him in his lab. I did follow the evidence." He kept his head down, staring at some long overdue paperwork. He wasn't even angry anymore, just disappointed. He had figured Greg might be able to do this, but if he couldn't, what kind of relationship would they ever have if he did in fact agree to it.

"Yes and lets talk about how reliable Sara is. She is a scorned woman, who is so desperate for attention that she'd do just about anything. Now you are paying attention to Greg and that is obvious. It just so happens I was in your office too, with Greg, when he came to feed your spider. Then, as Hodges' can attest, he sat in his lab the rest of the time. If you don't believe your own personal ass kisser then maybe you should try printing some of that glass."

Was it indeed possible? He didn't want to believe that Sara would do something like that but she did have a tendency didn't she? He hadn't wanted to believe she'd drink and drive either, but she had. Then she constantly let her emotions override her judgment in cases.

Both were startled from their musings when a knock came to the door and Archie poked his head in. "Ah Catherine? Grissom? I have something you might want to see." Catherine looked like she already knew what it was and looked proud of herself. Grissom just looked wary but he followed them both with no problems.

After Catherine had left with a plea for him to get the surveillance of the hallway he had went to work immediately. It didn't take long for Archie to find what Catherine was looking for. Now with all three of them settled in he turned it on.

On the screen it was easy to see Greg and Catherine walk into the supervisor's office, come back out, both talking and laughing and walk off down the hall. However, the fact that Sara entered the same room not even two minutes after was what they all had their eyes glued to. After she came out, looking satisfied, Archie fast forward the tape. Zooming in he pointed at the screen, "And this here would be your escapee, would it not Boss?"

Catherine looked both pleased and relieved, turning her attention to Gil who just stood there, looking torn between relief and guilt. It was nice to believe Greg wasn't responsible for the mess, and that he was indeed reliable, and could be trusted. Of course, now he had to both apologize and... Get rid of Sara. If she was capable of something like this, what was to stop her from manipulating the evidence to her whim?

Without so much as a word he turned and walked back out. Not far though, just over to the DNA lab, where Greg, still looking like a kicked puppy, and deeply involved in his work sat. "You know, I think I might have grown used to all the noise in here. It is odd not to hear it…" Okay so it wasn't an apology, yet, but it got the other's attention.

Now he had to deal with that adorable confused look on the boy's face, which seemed ready to either bolt or apologize profusely for something that he didn't actually do. Sighing Grissom took a seat on one of the stools in the room. "I... I wanted to say I'm sorry for doubting you Greg. I put my thoughts before the evidence, and accused you without solid proof."

The look of utter relief and contentment that showed up on the still incredibly young face made a smile come to Gil's. He could picture waking up to that look every morning, year after year. "So I figured, to make up for it, you might let me take you out for breakfast later, on me?"

TBC

Ha! There. You know, three chapters are way more than I've ever written for one story before. I think I might actually be able to finish this one. Sorry for any mistakes made and everything. I don't have an actual beta, so anything I messed up... pretend I didn't?