-1Disclaimer: I do not own CSI. There I said it. Happy, now? sob

A/N: A theme is developing in my head. Each chapter starts with a non-Sara/Greg bit, to provide some info as to how the others are faring. I will not be very sympathetic with the other CSI's. As you might have already been able to tell. Sara always seems like something of a stepchild to me. And Greg gives the same impression. As if they are in the group but not of the group. If you get what I mean.

Chapter 4

A tall blond, blue-eyed man stormed into the CSI laboratory, demanding answers at once or there would be hell to pay. He was trailed by a beautiful, pale brunette carrying a sleeping toddler.

Coincidentally, Lorraine was again on duty and remembered them from their visit a week before: "Hello, Mr. Samuels. Mr. Grissom asked me to keep an eye out for you. He's expecting you in the ready room. There is also a couch you can put the baby on. I'll be bringing coffee and something to eat along in a minute." She smiled at them. Ryan, unsure how to continue now that his tirade was interrupted, sagged.

The brunette patted his arm and took over. "That would be wonderful. Please call me Marie and this is Ryan, my husband. Susie is shattered. As are we. But we need answers. If you could just point us in the right direction, we'll be fine. And coffee would be greatly appreciated. Ryan here lives on it. He hasn't had a cup in over three hours."

Lorraine smiled: "Just like Sara. She drives Greg round the bend because she keeps liberating his good coffee." The receptionists eyes darkened. "He's the other CSI that's missing. Well he's not really a CSI. Works in the labs here. "

"Sara's told us about him." Marie's face went serious: "Then you haven't heard anything yet? We had hoped that there would be some answers by the time we got here."

"No, the firemen are still trying to put out the fires. I'm not sure if I should tell you this, but there's been a second explosion. A building has collapsed and now they are even more reluctant to let anybody near enough to search the surrounding area. They fear that the ground has become unstable and have people checking the tunnels as we speak."

Marie swayed in place, glad when Ryan put his hand to the small of her back to steady her. Lorraine seeing this, continued immediately: "Mr. Grissom is waiting. It's the third door on the left down that corridor. He's sure to know more."

Ryan thanked her, worry for his little sister gnawing at his gut and moved his family down the hall and to the ready room.

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Grissom's first impression of Sara's brother was that of barely controlled worry and anger. He understood the former, but was slightly confused by the latter.

"Mr. Samuels?"

Ryan's eyes swung around and practically pinned Sara's boss to the wall. The amount of hostility in his gaze surprised Grissom. A tiny, second thought running through his mind was that the rage had to be very obvious for him to notice, as he was not exactly known for his people skills.

"Yes, that's me." Any further introductions were cut short by Nick, Warrick and Catherine entering the ready room. Ryan's only response was a raised a eyebrow as he mentally allocated names to faces from what Sara had been telling him.

"Let me make the introductions." Grissom started. "This is Sara's emergency contact Ryan Samuels. I'm sorry but I don't know your family's names. Or how you are related to Sara."

"Surprise, surprise." Ryan muttered.

Marie gave him the look and took over - again. "My name is Marie Samuels. And this is our daughter and Sara's goddaughter Susie. She's four."

As one Warrick, Catherine and Grissom's jaws dropped. Nick had been expecting something of the sort, having been privy to Sara's interaction with the family when they had been in Vegas.

"But Sara hates children." It had slipped out before Warrick could help himself. Milliseconds later he fervently wished he had been able to keep his big mouth shut, when Ryan and Marie both fixed him with a laser glare.

"And how would you know?" Marie hissed. "You never even talk to her. She might as well be invisible for all you care. All work and no play and all that rot."

"Now see here." Catherine snapped, not about to let some stuck up friend of Sara's lash out at Warrick. "What do you know? You're not even from here. Sara is our colleague." She smiled patronisingly at the little brunette quivering with rage. "I am sure we know all there is to know about Sara."

'Oh oh.' Nick thought, having wisely kept his mouth shut. After seeing Sara interact with the Samuels he had had the thought that there was more to Miss Sidle than they had all assumed. He had been making an effort to get to know her better, but more often than not work and his colleagues had got in the way. Judging by the way Ryan was keeping a tight lock on Marie's arm, Catherine should thank all her lucky stars that she was still alive. Marie looked ready to rip her heart out.

This was the scene Brass walked in on. Grissom standing uncomfortably by the table, very obviously wishing he was anywhere else, preferably Timbuktu. Warrick by the door, jaw hanging down. A tall man holding back a little brunette who looked like she wanted to commit bodily harm, preferably on Catherine who was standing in front of her, arms crossed, with an ugly smirk on her face. And on the sofa lay a little angel, sleeping through the entire thing.

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As the sun passed overhead, Sara looked down worriedly at Greg. They had shifted positions to be more comfortable. Greg now lay with his head in her lap. He had gone a truly alarming shade of pasty in the last few hours as they waited and waited to be rescued. It became more and more evident as time wore on that Greg had internal bleeding. And there was nothing Sara could do about it.

'I can't believe this is happening in the middle of Vegas. How stupid is that?'

Gently Sara stroked Greg's hair, attempting to hold him in the here and now.

"Don't stop talking." Greg whispered, without opening his eyes.

Sara attempted to stroke away the frown of pain on his forehead and cleared her throat. "Where was I? Ah yes, I told you the story about Marie and I decorating the principal's house with shaving foam, right? So glad we weren't caught then. I would have been expelled and then where would I be?"

"You would have found a way." Greg managed to say, breathing shallowly. Sara smiled. Even when he was so hurt he couldn't even open his eyes, he still managed to make her feel good about herself.

"Thank you. Round about that time, Ryan decided we had too much time on our hands."

"I'm not surprised. I was thinking the same thing."

"Well, uni was not that challenging. So Ryan got the two of us involved in the big brother scheme."

Greg's eyes opened in surprise and he couldn't hide a slight smirk. "Aren't you the wrong sex for that?"

Sara managed a giggle. "Well, yeah. But Ryan had been badgering his boss for months to extend the scheme to girls. He was only looking for responsible girls to convince him completely."

"And he settled for you guys instead." Greg quipped weakly.

Fortunately he had kept his eyes closed this time, or he would have seen Sara bite back tears with a vengeance. 'Even when he is - no I'm not even going to think it - he still manages to tease and make me laugh.'

Swallowing past the lump in her throat, Sara managed to mock-growl: "I'll have you know that we were great big sisters."

Greg reached up and gently squeezed the hand cradling his head. "Never doubted it for a second."

Reversing her hand slightly, Sara laced her fingers with Greg's and continued to regale him with tales of her time as a big sister.