Foretold by SLynn

Summary: A woman walks into the crime lab only to tell Greg Sanders about her murder, a murder he's going to solve. Is she just playing games or is it something more?

Spoilers: Through 'Gum Drops'

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I'm just borrowing and will return them all when I'm done, virtually untouched.

Notes: Thanks RivenSky and Tripp3235 for the help! Oh and TakeDown2 gets the special prize for finding Amy! Also, change made... thanks Kristafied.

"Never assume the obvious is true."
William Safire

Chapter 22: Observation

"Detective Brass was looking for you earlier."

Both Greg and Sara stopped at Judy's desk, having just gotten back from their scene.

"Is he still here?" Greg asked.

"Yes," she nodded. "I think he's in Dr. Grissom's office."

"Thanks," Greg returned, starting on his way again.

"He probably just wants to let you know about the investigation," Sara tried assuring him.

"Or interrogate me some more."

"Was it that bad?"

"You ever have a root canal?"

Sara grabbed hold of his arm and turned him towards her.

"Are you alright?" she asked, hoping the seriousness of her voice would compel him to respond in kind.

"I'm fine."

"You keep saying your fine but…"

"Because I am," he cut in.

Sara sighed.

Seeing she wasn't going to be convinced until they had this out, Greg pulled her into the nearest available room and shut the door behind them.

"Yes," he began, "I was scared. I was petrified. I didn't think I was going to make it out of there, but I did. And I'm okay."

"Yes but…"

"No buts," he cut in again. "I don't need hand holding or coddling or anything like that. I just need everyone to let me do my job."

"Greg, that's fine. I understand that. But I thought you could at least talk to me… tell me…"

"I want to," he admitted, "but I'm going to need some time first. Sara, this is all pretty new still with us. Not that it isn't great but… I don't know… I'm not used to just sharing things like this with anyone else."

"Me either," Sara echoed, understanding him very well.

"And, you know, I've never had anything like this happen to me before. I've never had a gun…"

Greg left the rest unsaid.

"I'm just saying that you can tell me. That I want you to trust… what?"

He had turned around as she was talking, waving her off for silence.

"What?" she repeated.

"Huh," was all he said, but not in response to her.

"Greg, what is it?"

"He didn't hold the gun on me the whole time."

"I don't understand."

"Only at the end," Greg went on. "Just when he told me to turn around."

"What are you saying?" Sara asked, understanding only in part.

"I don't think he was ever going to shoot me."

"Did you tell Brass this?"

"No," Greg said, shaking his head and still trying to visualize it in his head. "I didn't. I didn't think about it then."

Sara looked like she wanted to say more but Greg already had his hand on the door, ready to go. A quick walk took them both to Grissom's office where Greg tapped twice on the door before uncharacteristically letting himself in.

"Sorry," he said immediately, surprising both Grissom and Brass.

"No, it's alright," Grissom returned, waving both Greg and Sara further inside.

Sara hesitated a moment, not sure if she should join them, but Greg turned back to her and smiled expectantly making it much easier to continue.

"I was looking for you anyway," Brass said, turning in his chair towards Greg.

"Judy told us," Greg said, with a nod. "And I needed to talk to you. I think I need to change my statement."

"Change your statement?" Grissom echoed unbelievingly.

"Not drastically," Greg returned. "I just… Sara and I were talking about it and I remembered something…"

"New details?" Brass interrupted, notebook already in hand. "Something he told you?"

"No," Greg answered, "but, okay it sounds like nothing, I know this and I'm not trying to rationalize this in my head or anything like that…"

"Greg," Grissom cut in.

"Sorry," Greg said instinctively, knowing exactly by Grissom's tone he'd been rambling. "I realized that he never really held the gun on me."

"What do you mean?" Brass asked.

"I mean that I don't think he'd planned on hurting me at all. And why not? I was alone. I was unarmed. I wasn't there on official business and for all he knew, no one knew where I was. He got away with Lydia Juarez's murder for fifteen years, so why didn't he think he'd get away with mine?"

Grissom and Brass exchanged looks that were easily read by the other two. They'd been discussing that very thing.

"It's perplexing," Grissom said.

"Do Ecklie and Harper still think Henry Baker was responsible for the Highwayman murders?" Greg asked.

Sara already knew about this. Catherine had briefed them all at the shift meeting prior to Greg's arrival.

"It's looking like it," Brass answered. "And that's why I wanted to talk to you. Those papers you found at his place, did you touch any of them?"

Greg blushed a bit as he nodded his affirmative.

"With or without gloves?"

"I didn't have my gloves with me," Greg admitted, fixing his gaze on Brass so as to avoid both Grissom and Sara who were likely to berate him equally.

"Do you remember which ones you touched?"

"Just the newspaper on top."

Brass nodded, having written a few notes about it, but asked nothing more.

"Alright," Brass said standing, "I've got to get back to the station. Harper's fighting me tooth and nail over this case as it is. He doesn't get much action down in cold cases, but that's why he's there."

Greg perked up at this.

"Nerves," Brass explained without being asked. "Happens to the best of us, and well, even the not so best. See you all later."

After Brass left, Greg and Sara lingered in the office a moment longer.

"Do you think it's closed?" Greg asked Grissom.

"If the evidence supports that Henry Baker did kill these other women then…"

He left the rest unsaid, just settled back in his chair and threw up his hands. But it was what he didn't say that resonated most with both of them.

If Grissom thought he was guilty, he'd have said so.

Greg and Sara didn't get a chance to talk about it any more. That night turned out to be busier than usual. Sara was called out on two different scenes and Greg was still swimming in unsolved cases.

At the end of the night Greg hung around for her in the locker room, glad when she turned up only fifteen minutes late.

"So," he began, sitting beside her as she put her things away, "I was thinking…."

The door opened and Greg immediately clamed up.

Bobby walked past the two of them, smiling as he headed to his locker.

"Hi Sara," he called out, "Greg."

"Long night?" Sara asked him.

"Yes," he nodded, putting his own things away, "but at least its over."

Sara laughed and then turned back to Greg, "What were you saying?"

"Um… I was just…"

"Goodnight guys," Bobby said, waving as he headed out the door.

Greg let out a sigh of relief causing Sara to look at him strangely.

"What?"

"It's nothing… well, okay. Bobby might, just might know that you and I are 'you and I'."

"And?"

"And?" Greg repeated.

"Yeah, and…."

"You don't have a problem with that?"

"Why would I?"

"Because," Greg answered, "you didn't want your lives colliding, remember? Work life. Personal life. Sound familiar?"

"I didn't mean…Greg, people are going to find out. I just meant that we'd have to stay professional around each other at work. That's all."

Before Greg could even think up a response to that, both Warrick and Nick came into the room.

"Good," Warrick called out, "you're still here. We were thinking about grabbing a bite and going over some things."

What they'd be 'going over' didn't need to be said.

"Catherine and Grissom are already at the diner saving us spots," Nick added, "so we'd better hurry up."

"We'll follow behind you," Sara answered for the both of them.

"See you there," Warrick returned, leaving with Nick close behind.

"Ready?" Sara asked, turning back to Greg who looked dumbstruck.

"I didn't think you wanted people to know."

"Why wouldn't I?" Sara asked back, letting her hands come to rest on his shoulders. "I'm not embarrassed about it. You know, just no making out in the locker room."

Greg finally relaxed a bit and smiled.

"What about the layout room?"

"No," Sara answered, pulling him to his feet.

"The garage?"

"Maybe," she returned, pushing the door open for the both of them.

"Really," he returned, eyebrows raised. "You are one complicated woman."

Sara laughed as they made their way down the hall.

"Oh," Sara said as they got into her car together, "just so you know…"

"What?" Greg asked, mildly concerned at her sudden serious tone.

"Warrick and Nick know too."