DISCLAIMER:Don't own it... No money made... Just for fun and enjoyment.

SUMMARY: Sequel to Displacement. The CSI team and their recently hired coroner Stephanie are back to work solving cases, sharing companionship and generally making their way through the dire world of criminal investigation with humor and friendship... This one will show the development of the relationship between Grissom and Sara and there should be some other surprises down the road as well. Romance/Drama/Angst/Mature Situations

RATING: M for Mature - I'm starting this one out at "M", since we won't be waiting quite so long for the smut this time out ;) Also, there is a sprinkling of language throughout the story.

A/N: Believe it or not... The story is finally winding down LOL But just to show I am still evil, there's some other trouble I wanted to stir up :D

REVIEWS: I am always looking for ways to improve my writing, and your reviews let me know if I am hitting my mark. Thank you in advance for the time you take to read & review this story.


Chapter 56

It had been a very long night, and Sara was ready to put away her gear, log the last of the evidence, drop off her photo-cards to A/V and finally clock out for the day. She just had to stop off at the front desk to sign herself back in, and tackle those final tasks of the day.

As soon as her pen hit the paper, Judy, the receptionist, was in front of her asking a question. "Hey Sara… Do you know that guy over there? 'Cause he's trying to see Warrick, and if it's just someone here to serve him with more papers, I don't want to bother the poor g-…"

Sara's gaze went to where Judy was pointing, as she tried to ignore the outpouring of words which flowed from the woman with rapid fire efficiency. When her eyes settled on the familiar figure, Sara cut her off. "I've got it, Judy."

Sara made her way across the waiting area to the man dressed in a very expensive, obviously tailored suit and flashed one of those sly smiles, "Well, it must be important…" He turned in time to see the smile still playing on her face. "I mean, to get you out of your ivory tower, and all."

"It's only concrete, and I think it's more gray than ivory." He flashed his own killer smile, and reached out to offer her his hand. "But yes, it is important. I'm just having a little trouble finding Warrick to deliver the news, though. I don't suppose you could help me with that?"

"Aw geez… I wish I could, but he's out on a scene out in Seven Hills. Probably gonna be pullin' a double from the sounds of it." Sara was genuinely sorry for not being able to help.

He shook his head with his disappointment, "Man, I was really hoping to get his signature on these and have them filed by day's end."

Before Sara had a chance to come up with anything else, her attention was being drawn by someone calling her name. "Sara… Do you have the combination to Warrick's locker?"

"Hey Sofia…" Sara was confused as to why the detective would need that information. "Why?"

She smiled at the two as she walked closer to them in the waiting area, "Ah, well, I'm on my way back out to the scene, and the guy's already run through his spare coveralls at the scene. Real mess out there." Sara nodded her understanding.

She was about to answer the woman's question when a thought dawned her. "I can get in his locker… Sofia? Have you met Stephan, yet?"

Sofia smiled as she ducked her gaze to the floor momentarily, "Ah, not formally, no."

"I'm sorry… Stephan, this is Det. Sofia Curtis." Sara waited for Stephan to extend his hand to the woman, before she continued. "Sofia, this is Stephan Tompkins… He's Stephanie's friend from college, and the guy who's been representing Warrick." Sara watched as the two shook hands and acknowledged each other's presence.

"You're the epi-pen angel… Good to meet you… Under better circumstances, anyway." Stephan was just being himself, but Sara could sense that he was laying on the charm.

"Just luck, really, and thanks." Sara smirked in the interaction, but she had other plans at the moment.

"Hey Sofia, can you get Stephan out to the scene? He has some papers for Warrick to sign, and if Mohamed won't come to the mountain, then-…"

"We can bring the mountain to him… Sure, but I'll warn you, this is not the kind of thing most people are able to handle. I've already lost three uniforms because they couldn't stomach the mess." Sofia seemed to be enjoying the conversation a little more than normal.

"I'd have to come straight back to town, so I maybe I could follow you over?" Stephan asked.

"Actually, I rode over with Sanders, so my car is still at the scene. I was going to catch a ride back with the day shift guys who're going to out to help process." Sofia looked around for the two men who were supposed to be meeting her there, but found no one.

"Problem solved, then. I'll just wait for you here and then I'll drive over there with you." Stephan smiled at his suggestion and found Sofia returning the gesture.

"Right… So, I'll get his other bag from the locker room and be right back." Sara smirked and turned to walk back into the lab.

Sofia suddenly realized that Sara had walked away, and she looked around for the other woman as she called out to her, "Hold up, Sara… I have to talk to you about something."

She ran to catch up to Sara, who was still smirking at the whole situation. "So, what did you need?"

"Huh? Oh yeah… How's O'Halloran doing?"

Sara shook her head and answered, "Oh fine… The family's all gone now, she's bored to tears, begging to come back to work, and generally driving us all a little crazy, but-…" She was interrupted by the peculiar ringing of her phone to the tune from a show about some cartoon mice, "Speak of the devil… Hey Steph… No, I will not swing by to bring you any case files… No… Yeah, he found me… No… I took care of it… No… No… Ask me again when I've had some sleep… No… Look, I've go-… Okay… Go take a nap… Goodbye."

Sofia was chuckling as they reached the temporary evidence vault and Sara opened the door after closing down her phone. "I can see what you mean… What did she keep asking that you said no to?"

"Bringing her case files, case reviews, photo analysis, tox reports, and anything else that popped into her head… The girl is relentless." Sara shook her head, as she logged her evidence into the vault.

"I can imagine… I hear she got tossed from the hospital within a couple days of coming around?" Sofia was doing her best to keep the small talk going.

"Yeah, and poor Thomas had to spend the last week making it up to the nurses… Though, I'm not sure I would've been any different. Those places make anyone nuts after a while." Sara chuckled at her own admission, and Sofia silently agreed with her.

As Sara stacked the evidence into the crate and closed up the log book, she added one more thing, "But she got hers later… Between her mother and Grissom's, the poor kid didn't stand a chance at getting away with anything. They totally had her number." Sara backed out of the evidence vault and shut the door, making that it was locked before she started to walk away.

"I bet," was all Sofia could come up with to respond to her last comment.

"So, you need Warrick's other gear from his locker?" Sara shepherded Sofia toward the locker room.

"Ah, yeah, I do… Thanks." She thought for a moment as they walked came up with something else to keep the conversation moving forward. "So, you said the family has gone?"

"Yeah, Mary left yesterday morning, early, and Elizabeth caught a late flight back last night. We've got things worked out into shifts for her, in case anything comes up when Thomas is on call at the hospital…" Sara noticed the confused look on Sofia's face as they entered the locker room and she elaborated, "Doc Robbins and his wife are handling the days, Catherine and Warrick trade off on the afternoons and evenings and Grissom and I handle the overnights."

Sofia's expression told Sara that she understood, but she added, "Sounds like you guys have it all worked out… When's she due back to work?"

Sara squinted as she worked out Warrick's combination in her head, answering in a distracted tone. "Ah, well… Probably not for another week, at least. She's still coming down from all the drugs they had her on, and plus her immune system has been compromised, so being in the morgue is not really a safe place for her at the moment." Sara suddenly had the numbers pop into her head and she turned the dial to the appropriate points, opening the door with a smile. "That and the fact that the county coroner told her and Doc Robbins point blank that he will not have her back in there until she is one hundred percent and well rested… I guess someone showed him and the sheriff her caseloads and her hours reports. So, needless to say, they were not thrilled."

Sofia nodded her agreement, "Well, I know that whenever I've had to go down there lately, I never seem to see anyone but her and Robbins… Do we even have other coroners anymore?"

Sara chuffed at the question, "Doesn't seem that way, huh…" She reached into the locker, pulled out the bag that Warrick kept in there, and then held it out for Sofia to take, "Here ya go."

"Oh… Yeah, thanks… I guess I better get going then, huh?" Sofia seemed distracted in her answer and that elicited another smile from Sara.

"Yeah, and hey, thanks for helping Stephan out… It sounded like he had some good news for Warrick, and I figured the poor guy could use it. Ya know?" Sara could not believe she was actually trying to put Sofia Curtis at ease. Things sure have changed around here lately.

"Definitely… I guess I'll see you around later… Have a good one." Sofia slowly walked away from the locker room.

Sara had to laugh at the whole situation, and that was when Grissom chose to stand in the doorway watching something in the hallway when he spoke, "What was that all about?"

Sara shook her head and said with a grin, "I don't know for sure. But I can tell you one thing."

He tilted his head and regarded her with a puzzled expression, "What's that?"

She spoke through the side of her mouth as she moved to stand beside him, taking his arm, "I think Steph is starting to rub off on me." Grissom gave her a disapproving look and shook his head, not really wanting to know exactly what she had meant by that.