Only one more chapter left to go. Thanks for sticking around for the ride. I love reading all of your comments. They just make my day, and inspire me to write more. So the more you review the quicker I write, it's my fuel that keeps me going. :D

Chapter shout-out goes to: LizzySidle for her entertaing reviews :)


Chapter Ten: Closure

"Steven Joysen, age 22," Brass read off the statement with a sigh, "Thought he could make a quick buck by popping off his favorite club."

"Wait a minute," Nick glanced at him sharply, "he's a member?"

"Four years now, guy went through a nasty divorce, lost everything to his ex," Brass shook his head in amazement. People confused him sometimes, astonished and outraged him at others, but mostly sickened him with their dark and cruel nature. "He fell into dept last month," Brass held his hands up, "he wanted the money."

"Well," Nick said with a sigh, glancing around at the now empty club, "thanks to his ingenious thought we now have two civilians and one officer injured. Plus whoever is after Sara and Greg now know that Greg tipped us off, which makes our job even harder."

He flipped the yellow page over, leaving a clean sheet to write on. Nick wasted no time in jotting down several more notes, "It doesn't help that one of your guys initiated the gunfire."

"They were not my guys," Brass cut him off sharply. "My boys are looking for our suspects. At any rate, Joysen had a gun. Little to say that it wasn't a real gun, but a cop sees a guy slouching in with a gun raised, they are going handle the situation."

"And you call firing down a night club handling the situation?" Nick wondered, closing the small notebook.

"Let's not get into it," Brass warned. "Grissom called from the lab, there were tracking devices on both Greg and Sara's personal vehicles, he's checking the company's as we speak."

"Tracking devices on company cars?" Nick laughed, "These guys are desperate, not stupid."

"Stupid or not, one of them has been inside the lab," Brass reminded him. "Warrick is over at Greg's place looking for anything out of the ordinary; Catherine is taking Sara's place. It'll be safer to keep the two of them were we can keep an eye on them, at least until we can find these creeps."

"And that could take, what? Months? Years maybe…that's not logical."

Brass nodded, knowing the Texan was right. "We know where they reside, place looks lived in, but there is a good chance they've fled the state already. If they are still around, we'll find them. It's only temporary, keeping Greg and Sara at the lab. A day at the most, just long enough that we can clear them to go home."

"At any rate," Nick nodded towards him, "I'm glad that I'm out here and not stuck in the lab with Sara."

Brass laughed, but if only the two men had known what had been going on at the exact moment they would have held their tongues. There was little chance that Nick could have been more right, for Sara was beyond livid.

Grissom had long ago given up any hope of understanding her, rubbing his head as she continued to rant and rave. Greg sat in the corner, on the couch unmoving. His head was buried in his hands, and if the older man had the nerve to guess, Greg was crying. But it wasn't as he thought as the young CSI lifted his head, leaning back against the couch.

It as clear he was agitated, upset, and emotionally strained, his faraway gaze a fair notion that the man was paying little to no attention to the brunette who was clearly upset. "Like hell I am staying here," she breathed crisply.

For the past hour now she had been pacing the break room, switching between voicing her own opinion and shooting insults at Greg who took everything in quietly. He knew Sara was pissed at him; in all the years he had known her she had been quite angry a few different times. This, this was beyond angry; it had in fact entered a whole new dimension of fury.

"I don't think you fully understand the situation," Grissom interrupted her, but she was quick to cut him off.

"I understand perfectly well," Sara snapped, "I understand that Greg lied, and by doing so he put me directly into danger, I understand that he continued to lie even after he knew what was really going on."

"Sara…"

Greg was surprised he even tried to speak, and regretted it soon after she turned around, near fire in her eyes. "Don't even start."

"He made a mistake Sara," Grissom caught her attention once again.

"Damn right he did," she huffed, shaking her head.

"Can you stop talking about me in third person?" Greg pleaded, "I'm sitting right here."

"If you don't like it, leave," Sara replied crisply.

"This is the break room Sara," Greg reminded her, spreading his hands out. "Everyone has free reign here."

"Then I'll leave."

Grissom shut his eyes, cursing inwardly. "Don't leave this room," he huffed lightly to Greg, already moving to follow the retreating form.

His head fell back into his hands, drawing in a deep breath. He hadn't been able to get more than a handful of words out since arriving, and the stress was mounting. Why would no one let him talk? Then again, why did anyone care? It was obvious everyone saw him as the child of the group.

There was nothing he could do, nothing that anyone would let him do on his own. Constantly watched, monitored, instructed on what to do. The field had seemed like a pleasant opportunity, and truthfully he enjoyed the work, loved it beyond what he could really say. But the position he was placed in was unfair.

Had they all forgotten that he had worked in this area for years? Sure, DNA was a bit of a stretch from field work, but he had made several outings before coming a full fledged CSI. His knowledge of the equipment and procedures were outstanding…he wasn't just some wannabe fresh off the college list.

"Rough night?"

Greg nodded, rubbing his eyes with palms of his hands. He didn't have to look up to know who it was; it was strange that he found solace in someone he barely spoke with. Sofia could hardly be considered a friend, he didn't know the first thing about her, but somehow she always had the simplest advice that seemed to make sense.

"I thought I was doing the right thing…"

The warm aroma of coffee lingered in the air as she took a seat next to him. "Sometimes the right thing isn't always the easiest. Your intentions may have been for the best, but your judgment was a little askew."

"I was just so afraid," Greg admitted meekly, clasping his hands together. "I can understand now why people do certain things sometimes. If it was just me they threatened…I would be okay with that. It was Sara…I guess I forgot that she can take care of herself."

"It's always hard when a loved one is concerned."

Greg laughed sharply, shaking his head. "Maybe…but I blew that one as well. I'll be lucky if she ever talks to me again."

"Give her some time," Sofia nodded towards him, "she loves you enough, everything will work out."

Greg looked up questioningly, but she was already leaving the room. Frowning in distaste he returned to his previous state with a sigh. Even though he had created this mess it still wasn't fair that he had to be confined to this one room. A short stroll down that corridor wouldn't hurt. After all, Sara had left, disregarding orders from her supervisor. What would it hurt if he did the same?

Greg knew the answer to that. Sara wouldn't get in trouble, Grissom never held anything against her. He on the other hand would be reprimanded, hearing the infamous 'for the good of the lab' speech. Greg made a face, leaning back against the couch. All there really was left to do was wait.


"Just calm down," Grissom watched her closely, trying to impose a stern look, but it was failing.

"Don't tell me what to do," Sara warned, pacing the room angrily. "I am not going to stay here and listen to what you have to say. And there is no way in 'hell' that I am going to apologize to Greg. It's not going to happen." She shook her head with a scowl as she continued to pace the room, infuriated with the simple fact that Grissom was just sitting there, as if trying to analyze her as he did with one of his specimens.

"You're being a little unreasonable," Grissom voiced, shifting his legs to the other side of the chair.

"I'm being unreasonable?" Sara asked incredulous, turning to glare at him. "Greg lied, he lied to me, and he lied to the lab. He helped protect known criminals, potential murders. Even worse, he said nothing to me! I trusted him Grissom, and he lied."

"He did it because he cares for you," Grissom pointed out.

"Bullshit," she snapped, turning away from him. "You cannot say that he cares for me. I was stupid to even believe for a second that he did. He's just some irresponsible kid who can't get over his infatuation long enough to do anything right."

"He was afraid Sara. Intimidation is easy when the target is something you cannot protect."

She came to a stop, her arms crossed, hugging her torso tightly. "I don't care, he shouldn't have lied."

Grissom would have continued, but changed his mind as Brass came in surveying the situation. "News?"

"We have them, caught the first two along the streets around the same place Greg ran into them, and the third as he came home. They're on their way in."

"Good," Sara answered sharply. "I can go then?"

It was a rhetorical question, and she didn't wait around for the answer, simply storming out. Grissom rubbed his head as he closed his eyes. It would be another long night, with interrogations to run, paperwork to file, and explanations to prepare for Ecklie. It didn't help that one employee was pissed, and the other in a semi-state of shock. The simple thought got him to wondering, sending the supervisor off to in find the man.

Greg was still in the same place had had left him, and Grissom had to chuckle in spite of himself. He had never expected Greg to listen that well. "We have them, you can go home now."

Greg nodded, already knowing this. His gaze was fixed on the floor, his form slouched over so that his arms were resting on his knees, support most of his weight. Slowly he straightened, moving to his feet with his hands in his pockets. "I think I'm going to take a few days of vacation time…"

"You're not going to try anything, are you?"

Greg laughed, looking up at him. "This is me you're talking about Griss." Greg shook his head, letting out a solemn sigh. "No…I'm not stupid. I just need some time to think…everyone probably needs a break from me anyways."

Grissom watched him leave, a mix of sorrow and confusion settling in the older man's gut. It was clear the man was depressed, but given the circumstances that wasn't unusual. He trusted Greg's word, probably more so than anyone else's at the moment. In a strange, twisted sense he could understand what he had done, and why. Still the question plagued him, what would he have done if it had been him instead of Greg?

TBC