Chapter Four: Within a Shadow

The hotel wasn't bad, not in the least bit; it was actually sort of nice. That in itself was a long shot, seeing that in most cases the only way Sara ended up in a hotel room was to process it. She couldn't even remember the last time she spent the night in one.

Sara made a face as they walked through the double doors, the tile clicking beneath her shoes. They had spent most of the night at the crime lab, running over evidence, photos, and anything else that needed processing. She found herself several different times tracking Greg down, only to find him back in the DNA lab with Mikayla. Of course he announced each time he was only working on the case, but she had her doubts.

It was insanely ridiculous. They weren't married, or even dating. Why did she feel suddenly as though she had to compete for his attention? It had crossed her mind more than once, asking Greg out, for a drink, a bite to eat. A few times she had, but only when he was too far buried in his work to assess the question rationally.

What harm would it do now, if she were to just let the topic slip out? They needed to eat, and drinks weren't too far off that subject either. She brushed her hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ear as they came to the counter.

All she had was her one small bag, something Greg had hassled her about. He had expected more, seeing that she took so long in getting ready. Sara had fallen back on the excuse that she had fallen asleep after going home, his phone call waking her up. Whether Greg believed that or not she didn't know for certain.

"One hotel room," Greg said with a sigh, pulling out a credit card. He let it drop on the countertop. "Two beds."

"We don't need two beds," Sara spoke up suddenly, coming up next to him. She closed her eyes, cursing herself mentally as she thought over what she had just said. Then again if it ended up with them sharing a bed…she blushed as Greg turned to look at her, one eyebrow raised in a dumbfounded expression.

"We're professional right…we can save money. After all the crime lab isn't paying for anything."

Greg blinked, considering the option as he faced the counter once more. "One bed then, I guess," he nodded, handing the card to the Clerk, who let out a smile as he began to enter the information into the computer.

Sara let out a breath, leaning against the counter as she faced the door. She had barely gotten out of that one, but was giddy about the simple fact that she and Greg would be sharing a bed now….one small bed…

"You know what would be neat?" she spoke up quickly, turning to meet his tired gaze. "A suite."

"A suite?" Greg questioned, watching her.

Sara nodded, fingers curling around into fists behind her back as she tried to keep her hands from shaking. "Yeah." She shrugged her shoulders. "I just figured that since we came all the way out here, and since it's only for one night…why not?"

Letting out another sigh he faced the front again, too tired to really argue. "Make that a suite then."

There was no one around; he had made certain of the fact before crossing over the barricades, moving slowly, his lights turned off. If anyone saw him there wouldn't be much suspicion, after all, a police car at the scene of a crime. No one would think twice.

That was unless another officer caught him out here, but then again the schedule showed no one even near the area for several more hours. He should be in clear. Parking in front of the crime scene tape he turned the vehicle off, sitting for a moment in the darkness, only thinking about what he was going to do.

The sharp ringing split through the darkness, making him jump as he gripped the steering wheel. Once calmed down he let out a curse, fishing for the small device that had fallen in between the seats.

"Mckinely," he spoke softly although there was no one else around to overhear. He already knew who it was, even before the voice started speaking. There was only one person that would be calling him on his own personal cell phone at this hour.

"Are you there?"

Mckinely nodded, answering in affirmation at the same time as he glanced around the desolate area, the voice continuing at the other end. "Make sure it looks real."

"The first one looked real enough," Mckinely snapped back, before gaining composure once again. It wasn't wise to bite the hand that was feeding you. "I know what to do. What about my money?"

"You'll get your money when the job is finished.

"You said I would have the first half by this point, and I haven't seen a dime. I need that money."

"You can quit now and I'll let the police there know who's responsible for that girl's death, or you can follow through and get your money in full. I've been planning this far too long to have you backing out now."

The line went dead before he could say another word. It was probably for the best, because at the moment he was beginning to have his doubts. The girl had been easy to take care of, easy to pose. So now why was he having second thoughts? Did his conscious wait until now to start speaking up?

Still, he was more afraid of what would happen if he didn't cooperate. Getting caught wasn't exactly a fear of his…he needed the money, and the risk was worth taking. But in cases like this he preferred to be the one in charge, making all the calls. Now he was dependent on his cell phone, waiting for instructions from someone that could very well be halfway across the world by now.

With a sigh he stepped out of his car, the night air chilling him as he closed the door. Everything was in the trunk, just waiting for him. He knew full well that by the time the team arrived from Vegas, everything would be gone. With nothing to look at it, it wouldn't give him any time to complete his given task. The warning still hung in his mind, fresh as ever. 'Make it look real'. And he would…he really would.

"It's not bad," Sara remarked, making her way through the room. "It's kind of nice actually."

"It should be," Greg complained, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "For the price we paid." He kicked off his shoes, flopping back onto the bed, one hand resting above his head. "We should be treated like royalty."

Sara wandered back over, pausing at the foot of the bed to watch him. "You tired?"

Greg nodded vaguely, a yawn adding to his efforts. "Very…"

"What about eating? You haven't had anything all day."

"Mikayla and I took a short break," he explained, resting on top of the covers. One hand rubbed his forehead, as though as he was trying to chase away a headache. "You were looking over the phone records then."

"Oh…" Sara bit her lip, turning away so that Greg wouldn't be able to see the disappointment that ate away at her. So Greg had taken lunch…and hadn't even offered her something. She was, at this point in time, starving, seeing that she had worked straight through instead.

"You're not hungry now then, I'll assume."

Greg let out a groan, opening one eye to watch her. "If you don't want to go alone I'll come, but I won't eat anything."

"It's okay," Sara shook her head. Even though she wanted his company she didn't need it out of pity. Besides, if he was as tired as he said he was, he could use the rest. "There's a vending machine down the hall, I'll check out what they have."

Greg only nodded as she walked by, Sara pausing at the door to glance over her shoulder. He still hadn't moved, though why she expected him to suddenly jump up and follow her out she didn't know.

The halls were empty, but given the time it wasn't surprising. Most people were still sleeping at five in the morning. In most cases, she would be getting ready to go home, or taking a break before starting another shift. She wrapped her arms around her torso as she passed the vending machine, working her way down the stairs quietly.

She didn't like feeling this way, having her feelings being controlled by someone else. She had given her trust to far too many others before, only to have it broken. It all started back when she was a kid, promises being made and constantly broken by her father, and then the foster homes. Sara had figured that once she was out on her own, things would be different.

Then she met Grissom, and her entire world had turned upside down on her. The more she longed to be near him, the further she was pushed away. She had tried to move on, even taking a step to having her first real boyfriend. That had only backfired, and she had left further behind than ever before.

It wasn't something she wanted to go through again, but it seemed as though every time she pulled herself away, Greg managed to find a way in. But lately…he seemed too distant to notice anything. Sure, he had quite a bit to focus on, just passing his proficiency a few weeks ago. He was still under her charge, and he was learning quite well. Why would his studies be on anything other than his work?

The pool was closed, as well as the spa, even though she had no intentions of swimming on this trip she found herself disappointed. Even though she didn't have her swimsuit, it would have been nice to dip her feet in, or if she was really daring, skinny-dipping was a possibility. Although she doubted that she would get away with it, and the last thing she needed was a charge on her report back home.

Ecklie had wanted her fired, and it was Grissom who had stepped in. It was the only reason she still had a job. She hadn't been truthful with Greg about all that had happened that night, there were many secrets that she still hid from him. She didn't want to keep secrets from him, knowing that a relationship was built on a foundation of trust. But then did it really matter, concerning their single status at the current moment?

With a sigh she headed back up to the room, stopping by the vending machine on her way back. She was hungrier than what was offered there, but she was also very tired as well. The pair had been working exceptionally hard, and the long drive had only worn them out further.

Therefore it was to her surprise to find Greg still awake when she came back in. He was still on the bed, leaning against the pillows that were propped against the headboard of the king sized bed. It was too warm to be under the covers, and he had taken off his shirt, only leaving him in a pair of black jeans.

The window had been left open, but without a breeze it wasn't much help, and the hotel's air conditioning unit was currently down. Greg glanced up as she came in, but only briefly as his eyes darted back down to the book he held in his hands.

"I thought you were resting," Sara commented, coming up behind him to watch over his shoulder. "Logic problems…why am I not surprised?"

Greg grinned, marking off another square. "Believe me, this is resting. I don't have to think."

"The whole point of logic problems is to get you thinking Greg," Sara pointed out, opening the small packet of sunflower seeds.

"Maybe, at least I don't take half an hour to walk to a vending machine that is five feet down the hall."

"I was checking things out," she shot back, moving around to the other side of the bed. "Why does it matter to you?"

He shrugged, growing quiet. "It doesn't really…just got a little worried that's all."

She smiled, but he never saw as she quickly finished up the rest of the bag. Her hunger had barely dissipated, but she was in no real mood to complain, or even try to find something else to eat, even if it meant another $1.25 and a handful of steps down the hallway.

Instead she moved over to the table, tossing the empty bag in the small trashcan as she opened up her suitcase, sighing as she dug through it. Greg looked up from where he was still stretched out, the book now on the bed next to his stomach.

"What's wrong?"

She shook her head as she pulled back, chewing on her bottom lip. "I forgot to pack any pajamas…and I only one change of clothes, ones that I was hoping to change into after we work the scene tomorrow."

"You took an hour and a half to pack, and you forgot pajamas? Amazing."

"Don't say a word," she warned, cutting him off. However she couldn't help but smile when she heard him laughing.

"There's a shirt of mine that you can use," he offered, nodding to his own small bag on the other side of the room. He had dropped it off near the door when they first had come through. "It should be long enough."

Sara nodded her thanks, but didn't move, unsure if he was going to get it for her, or if he minded her going through all of his things. When he didn't move she took it as an indication that he didn't mind. After all, what did he have to hide?

His clothes were neatly folded, with toiletries in a separate bag. It was an unusual twist to the zany lab rat she knew so well. The new Greg was quite different, but not unlikable. She had found herself in indecision, to whether she liked the new Greg better, or if she preferred the old one.

Of course, training Greg in the field had been a big change for her. She enjoyed doing so, and it was fun watching him learn and succeed. He would be a level two before long, and she would help him.

The shirt was clear at the bottom, a long red and white shirt with short sleeves, a silky material. The writing on it was faded, but clearly supported some sort of band and a smile crossed her lips. That wasn't a surprise. She wondered silently what Greg did for music anymore as she wandered into the enlarged bathroom.

Obviously he didn't carry a boom box with him to the scenes he processed, and he no longer brought his MP3 player to work. It seemed as though he the music had left with the old Greg as well.

He was already asleep by the time she came back out, still on top of the covers. She crawled up next to him, head resting on the pillow as she watched his sleep, taking care to give him enough room. His face was pale, and it worried her a little, but she quickly reminded herself it was most likely from overworking, and not getting enough sleep. She certainly couldn't blame him for anything when she had the same faults herself.

Letting out a weary sigh she rolled over on her other side, facing the wall now. When they woke up it wouldn't be too much longer before they could head out to the scene, and once processed, they would be on their way back to Vegas. There wasn't much that could go wrong from here.

TBC