Disclaimer: The Pact belongs to Jodi Picault, Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet and CSI is owned by Jerry and other rich people.
A/N: I think I'll start adding the quotes now… If it's not allowed, let me know.
A woman's hopes are woven of sunbeams; a shadow annihilates them.
- George Eliot, Felix Holt
8:01 am.
Grissom walked down the corridors, a man on a mission. The Mayor wanted this to go away, fine. He'd make it go away. He'd find the truth, bring it to light, let the victim speak. And then the case would go through court and justice would be served.
Easier said than done.
Grissom halted mid-stride and stepped back. Two familiar figures were in the layout room, one leaning over the table, examining a shirt with a magnifying glass; the other leant against the wall, trying not to yawn.
"What are you two doing here?" Grissom asked. Two heads snapped up to stare at him.
"Oh, hey, Griss," Nick waved wearily. "Didn't think you'd still be here." Val also waved, but turned her attention back to the bloodstained shirt without saying anything. "Suicide jumper," Nick explained to his boss, who had raised an enquiring eyebrow.
"He didn't jump." Val said, smiling. "He was pushed." Nick rolled his eyes.
Grissom frowned; whatever was happening here, it was going right over his head. "So, you assigned yourself this case without my permission?"
Val lifted her head, startled. "Well, we were there when he hit the pavement…"
Nick shrugged, and spoke over the top of Val. "Ecklie just walked up, saw us there, and handed us the papers."
Grissom frowned. "Ecklie gave you this case?"
Nick nodded, his frown just as perplexed as Grissom's. "Weird, I know."
"Isn't Day Shift already stretched to the limit with all those multiple murder case?" Val asked absently, tweezing something off the shirt and bagging it. "Or maybe he's just trying to get out of the work on another case?"
"Valerie, you don't know Ecklie," Grissom warned. "He let you two have this case for a reason." Grissom paused for a moment to let his words sink in. "Just be careful. He could be trying to get you in trouble with the DA for taking over one of his cases. Or something along those lines. When processing this suicide jumper…"
"Murder victim," Val corrected. Nick sighed heavily and shrugged at Grissom. Grissom got the impression that Val had been arguing with Nick for a while about this one. Grissom didn't envy him.
"… this murder victim, then," Grissom amended, prompting another sigh from Nick, "'Wisely and slow'."
"'They stumble that run fast'," Val said, not taking her eyes from the shirt.
So the temp knew Shakespeare. Interesting. But there was little time for Grissom to be impressed - his beeper went off. Warrick was back from the scene. Without another word Grissom turned and was gone.
Grissom found Warrick in the Evidence Room, signing paperwork and logging in what he'd found at the scene. Grissom stood in the doorway and waited.
Warrick didn't even turn around, but he knew Grissom was standing there. "Did the kids make it?" He asked.
"One of them didn't." Grissom said. "The girl."
Warrick put down the pen and turned away from the boxes of evidence he'd gathered. "Well, a .45 to the head wouldn't leave you with much chance of survival, would it." His voice was heavy, laden with fatigue and sadness.
Grissom frowned at Warrick. "You sound tired."
Warrick nodded. "I am, but that doesn't mean I did a half-hearted attempt at the scene. I've got everything - photos, samples, the gun…" He sighed heavily. "But this is one case I'm not looking forward to doing."
Grissom nodded. "I know. The Mayor…"
"Forget the Mayor," Warrick interrupted calmly, barely controlling his temper, "I'm more worried about these kids and their families." He looked up at his supervisor. "When did you get in?"
"About twenty minutes ago," Grissom said, his face a blank mask. Focused on the case at hand, thoughts of Sara barely entered his mind. "I'm going to go with Brass to the hospital to interview the survivor."
Warrick sighed again. "We really need everyone working on this. I can't do this alone."
Grissom nodded, and turned to go. "Call Sara, then. Tell her to come in."
"What about Nick? And Val?"
Grissom shrugged. "They're working on another case right now. Ecklie went over my head." He'd have to confront Conrad sometime today - the Day Shift Supervisor would be spoiling for a fight. Especially after word got out that the Mayor asked Grissom's team to help with this double-suicide case first. It wasn't going to be pretty.
"But I haven't finished logging this in yet," Warrick frowned, jerking his thumb over his shoulder to indicate the evidence he had brought in. "Couldn't you do it?"
Sara, standing in to doorway to his office, her arms by her sides. A tender, slightly bashful smile on her face. Breathless, like she'd been running. That single statement…
"No, Warrick. I can't."
A/N: Wondering what's going on? Blame Nerwen and Tinuviel for the ending of Tunnel Vision. Ubiquitous fluff, I tell you.
