Disclaimer: Nothing has changed. I only own this in my dreams. Sigh.

A/N: As mentioned before you needn't have read True to your heart to understand this, but it helps, especially as this is the last chapter that happens before that tale. The next chapter will be dealing with the aftermath.

Chapter 3: All work and no play…

It was with a heavy heart that Sara walked back into work, much as a child does after a long fun-filled weekend.

The week spent with her family had both relaxed and saddened her. Relaxed because they were fun and loved her, calmed her down and let her expend some of the tension that had built in the two years she had spent working in Vegas. Saddened, for seeing her 'new' self reflected in their eyes had been a sobering experience. She realised that she had changed more than she had thought and not in a good way. Yes, her work had driven her in San Francisco just as much as it had here in Vegas, but there had been balance. Days spent lying on the beach, free evenings - and when was the last time she really had one of those prior to her family's visit- spent at the movies or the theatre. Above all there had been her circle of friends and her family.

And she could turn her work persona off. Walking along the streets of San Francisco, watching the people laughing and enjoying the sunshine, it was easy to see why you did what you did. There was relief from the horrors and desperation you saw during your working hours.

The same could not be said for Vegas. Not for nothing did people say that any and every vice could and would be fulfilled here. Never mind the higher crime rate, in a city built around and for the casinos it was not possible to relax. The lights were too bright, the contrasts too glaring, an air of desperation in the eyes of all the gamblers speaking more of fortunes lost than won. It was a harsh ad unforgiving place. Maybe that was why Sara never really felt at home there.

In all honesty she no longer knew why she had come in the first place. Well, that wasn't precisely true. She was fully aware why she had followed Grissom's summons, an odd mixture of flattered pride and infatuation.

She had always had a thing for the intellectual type.. And Grissom could be very passionate when talking about bugs, it was her mistake to assume that that passion would translate into other areas of his life. Deep in her heart she had already known this before coming to Vegas. However the rational voice inside her had been drowned out by the sheer pleasure of being personally requested as investigator by one of the most eminent crime scene investigators in the country. The position every csi would give their right hand for. And she had got it.

In the heat of the moment it had been easy to leave everything behind, uproot her life, give away her cat and move from the water to the desert. She hadn't realised or maybe hadn't wanted to realise how much she had left behind and sacrificed on the altar of her career. At least until Marie had come and rather vociferously called her on it. Maybe it was time for a change.

"Hey Sara!" Warrick's angry voice pulled her from her thoughts. Surprised, she turned and waited for him to catch up. He seemed mad, though she was hard put to figure out why seeing as she hadn't been in at all in the last couple of days and to her knowledge there were no unresolved issues between them.

By that time Warrick had caught up with her. "Where the hell have you been? I called you on Friday. You were supposed to come in and take over."

Sara furrowed her brow. She vaguely remembered the message on her answer machine but had dismissed it as a joke.

"Warrick, you phoned and stated you wanted me to come in and take over, because you had 'quote' met a hot chick."

"So, where were you?"

"I had a one-week holiday remember. I said goodbye to everybody the day I left."

"So what were you doing that was so important, Sara? Painting your toenails?"

She could only stare at him in disbelief. Was he serious? It saddened her that a long-time colleague thought so little of her.

"You know? Whatever!" Warrick groused. "Serves me right for calling you." And with last insult he turned and stalked off, presumably to greener pastures.

Sara sighed to herself and shrugged.

"What got his knickers in a twist?" A new voice asked behind her.

Sara turned once more, a beautiful smile already forming on her face, striking the young man behind her dumb with amazement.

"Hey, Greggo." She tilted her head at him, for the first time really looking at him. It had surprised her how much she had missed him while she way away. He never failed to brighten her day with his weird habits and quips. Pity he was so young.

"Ah, you know. Warrick got pissed because I didn't come running when he snapped his fingers and couple of days ago."

Now it was Greg's turn to frown. "I thought you were on holiday?"

She beamed at him once more, unconsciously making his week. "Yeah, I was."

"Ah well, water under the bridge. Anything exciting happen while I was gone?"

"Hmm, there was this one case. A stoned up ex-hippie found a glowing body in the desert. Tried to converse with it for a while, but eventually came down and ran screaming for the nearest policeman. Funny as hell, apparently. The squad were still laughing about it when Nick and Catherine arrived on the scene."

Sara giggled. "Glowing huh? Must be a real interesting explanation."

Greg grinned. "Turned out the guy was growing glow in the dark Chinese fungi and got wasted while harvesting them. And then Nick fell right into the pile as well."

Sara burst out laughing. "Damn, I wish I'd seen that."

He fidgeted for a second then screwed up his courage and went for broke. "Look, Sara, you just came in and maybe you want a coffee. Do you want a coffee? Cause I just made a fresh pot and if you want some coffee then you could - have some", he finished lamely, mentally berating himself for his utter lack of suaveness. But then again Sara seemed to have that effect on him.

Sara smiled once more. "Sure Greg. Coffee sounds good. Lead the way. And you can tell me more about Nick and the magic mushrooms."

There was an extra bounce in Greg's step as he followed Sara to the break room, quite happy to postpone some of Warrick's evidence. It wasn't really urgent and the moron had been mean to Sara.

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Nick once more blindly walked down the hallway, coffee in one hand, stack of printouts in the other. Sometimes it felt that this was all he ever did. Endlessly walking around, solving crimes, putting the perps behind bars, some more walking around. Realistically he knew that this was not true. But it certainly felt like it sometimes. Crime scene followed crime scene, murder followed murder with no end in sight as if there was a bottomless pit of depravity bubbling beneath the streets of Vegas, repaying all they put away with interest.

He missed the open vistas of his home with an almost physical ache, the wide expanses that streamed towards the horizon where earth met sky. He had had to leave, couldn't stay where he would never be more than the youngest son of the Stokes clan, lost in the shadow of airforce brothers and doctor sisters. He'd wanted to make something of himself and had gone against the wishes of his mother and family, had moved east to the city that was open 24/7. To the bright lights of Vegas.

Maybe it was time to leave before he was forced to pay a price he couldn't afford.

Nick stopped in his tracks as he heard a completely unknown sound and confusedly looked around searching for the source. Then he saw it. Sara laughing a full out belly laugh, holding her sides as if they ached from the motion. She was sitting with Greg in the break room, the man beside her beaming as he watched her laugh. Nick had the odd sensation that he knew what it was that Greg had been telling here. But then again he had had a chuckle about the magic mushroom thing himself, one he was showered and didn't feel itchy all over anymore.

It struck him, that work had been quieter and to be honest much more boring while Sara was away on her holiday. Looking at her though she had deserved it, she looked relaxed in a way he had never seen

He'd missed her storming about the place bringing a passion to her work rarely seen otherwise. It was a delight to see, although he worried sometimes that she would burn out. That passion could only burn so long. But maybe that was one of the reasons Greg made such an effort to cheer her up.

Shrugging his shoulders, Nick focussed back on his case with a much lighter heart, a spring in his step that had been missing before.

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The day had turned out not half bad, Sara reflected later that night. For once nobody had been murdered, and they had been kept busy with old cases and a small heist in the jewellery district, that had turned into an insurance scam. Slow night in all. She had been able to spend some time just talking with Nick and Greg. Joking around. Warrick still wasn't talking to her and Catherine was apparently away with her father for the night. Now shift was nearly over and barring any catastrophes she could-

"Sara! Get in here." Her boss called.

Sara silently admonished herself. She should have known better than to rely on fate not to throw a wrench in the plans.

"Coming."

"Bring Greg with you." Came the surprising response from Grissom.

After collecting the lab tech, Sara joined the others in the break room, waiting to be told what the rush was for.

Grissom looked tired, one hand rubbing his forehead. "Slow nights over." He ignored the moans from his teams and continued. "Day shift can't take over, so it is up to us. Nick and Warrick, you guys have a break-in that turned nasty over on the east side. I am taking the museum heist at the Marriott. Which leaves a murder for Sara on Henderson. Greg, you wanted in the field, this is your chance. Three vics, Sara needs help. Get to it."

Greg shared an incredulously happy smile with Sara.

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And that my friends is where you should move on over to True to your heart to find out what happens next. There are some idiosyncracies but I am getting to those soon, so don't let it bother you too much. And as always, please let me know what you think. Sayonara.