DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters from 'CSI'. They're not my property.


The familiar and busy atmosphere of the club; the snakelike movements of its dancers captivating the majority of male guests; the flow of money and drinks were played out for the thousandth time in front of the eyes of the two new visitors as Grissom and Sara walked inside.

Whether it was seen as empowerment of women using their bodies as tools to control the desire of men or simply the sleazy usage of women for profit, it made Sara cringe.

Walking up to one of the dancers, Grissom pulled out a photograph. "Excuse me," he called the brunette with her back turned to the CSIs.

Turning around, the dancer smiled seductively back at them. "How nice. My mad scientist is back." Her arms were willing to wrap themselves around Grissom but found a place on her waist instead.

Grissom smiled politely back at the familiar young woman while his senses picked up a glance from Sara. He knew she was piling up questions in her mind now.

"Changed your mind about the dance?"

"Well, actually-"

"We're here to ask a few questions," Sara interrupted. Even Grissom wasn't perfect.

"Oh," the seductiveness of the smile was slowly drained away but it did not change the dancer's working attitude. Everyone could be a potential customer. "I'm here to serve," she responded.

"Have you seen this man?" Sara showed the photograph to the young woman.

"No, but you could ask Jasmine over there," the dancer nodded behind them. "She might know."

"Thank you," Sara withdrew the photograph. Having stood close to the runway, with tons of purple glitter falling down as if on a parade, Sara turned her head to her right to see another exotic dancer moving to the music. Watching the movements and their synchronization to the melody, it didn't take Sara a lot of imagination to picture Catherine here. In fact, it appeared easier than she thought.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like a dance?" the dancer tried another move on Grissom.

Had Grissom worn his glasses this time, he would've made the same gesture and removed them for a better view of the woman. She appeared persistent enough and with a good memory at that.

"When I saw you with your friend," the dancer glanced at Sara. "I thought you really had changed your mind. And… with a good companion, I should say," she said and smiled.

This drew Sara's attention back to the young woman in front of them. The dancer's suggestion did not appear interesting to her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name last time," Grissom asked her.

"Lily," the dancer leaned forward. "But you can call me anything you like," she glanced at his tag. "Gil Grissom."

Sara threw them both a look. Another side of Grissom which perhaps she hadn't known about? That would certainly not be a surprise. "Does every dancer have a flower name here?" There wasn't much pleasantness in her voice, though she tried to keep some in it.

"Hey, whatever makes us more interesting…" Lily's arms moved slowly above her head as her eyes returned to Grissom. "And wanting."

"Ok, thanks for your time," Sara kept her politeness and turned around to look for the other dancer. Feeling the absence of Grissom's presence, Sara spun around once more to find Grissom standing in the same spot. "Hey, Grissom!" she called out to him.

That managed to snap the man's attention away as he turned to look at her.

"Coming?" she asked.

"Yeah." He then gave a polite nod to Lily and walked away.

She would've asked the questions later if curiosity wasn't getting the best of her. "Friend?" she couldn't resist.

Grissom shrugged. "Acquaintance," he responded.

Sara smiled briefly. Was Grissom enjoying with teasing her or was there something else involved? Not much thought was left for those questions when they approached another employee of the club. "Are you Jasmine?"

The tall blonde looked back at them, her gaze applying the same layers of "professional seductiveness" as Lily. "Haven't had a couple in a while. What do you have in mind?"

Grissom and Sara looked at each other. Not a tempting offer.

"We're…" Sara turned to Jasmine. "With the Vegas Crime Lab."

"Would like to ask you something," Grissom said.

"Sure," Jasmine crossed her arms. No customers.

Sara showed her the photograph, hoping for a positive identification this time. "Has this man been to this club recently?"

Taking the photograph, Jasmine studied it for a while. "I think so. It looks like him anyway. Don't think he stayed much; came in for a quick lap dance. Lousy tipper," she said and returned the picture.

"Did you take a good look of his face?"

"Guys like that don't go on my favorites list, meaning not a lot of memories, if any," she said, her flat voice matching her answer.

"Nothing distinguishable about him?"

"I have a hundred customers or more each week. Don't remember them all, especially if they're not big tippers or with some… special requests."

"For example?" Sara asked.

Jasmine looked back at Sara. "People's fantasies take on the strangest forms, Miss."

"How strange?"

"You'd be surprised from the requests I get. Men, women…" Jasmine shook her head. "Sometimes even money doesn't cover it."

"Ok. Um, what about these two?" Sara showed a photograph of the two victims.

"This one…" she tapped the face of Brittany, "No. But this one…" she pointed at Jessica. "Yeah, I remember her. She wanted the works. Great tipper." Jasmine smiled.

"Alone?" Grissom asked.

"Yeah."

"Was she here on the same night as him?" Grissom showed the photograph of the suspect.

"I don't know." Her answer an honest one. "Sorry, that's all I got."

"Thank you," Grissom replied. It was a good time for them both to leave.

Soon after, they finally left the crowded strip club, and were met with a beautiful change when the cooler night air greeted them with a gentle brush against their faces. "An exploitation of the female sex minus the actual physical part. Why don't they just make prostitution legal worldwide?"

"It could be considered an art of seduction, Sara. Touch and taste but without going too far."

"Ah, yeah. Like your enchantment with our beauties in there." Sara smirked.

"We are biologically designed to respond to such displays." Grissom responded, letting Sara play with the thought.

Sara took a brief glimpse of her supervisor. "When all else fails, try a scientific explanation, is that it?"

"Hey, it works most of the time." Grissom smiled softly.

Sara chuckled. "This coming from a man who enjoyed a vibrating motel room bed," she said and stole another glimpse from him.

"But not the only one," Grissom managed the same.

The short silence which followed gave Sara enough time to run quickly through a couple of options for a proper answer. "Well… it was nice." She knew her enjoyment of the experience would come back to haunt her.

"So nice in fact that you agreed on another turn." Grissom kept his smile. He relished this. Sara's attempt to conceal the pleasurable experience and its effects on her was a delightful sight to witness.

"It helped me think." She started with excuses.

"About?"

"That's private," she replied.

"Hmm. You never told me what was so funny afterwards."

"I said that I'd probably tell you. Not a definite answer."

"Doesn't mean I'm not willing to ask again."

"How's this: It's a secret."

"Secrets have a way of being spilled."

"Not this one. You ask too much."

Grissom shrugged. "I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious, as Einstein once put it."

"Won't do you much good with this," Sara responded.

"Not this time perhaps."

Sara's stare was longer this time. It was the deep and playful tone with which Grissom's reply was given that drew her eyes on him. But even though her own curiosity was digging inside her, she wouldn't give out so easily; at least, not until Grissom did.