Laws of Motion – Book 3
Written by: Ms. Maggs/Edited by: KJT

Chapter 16

Monday – October 3, 2005
Crime Lab Locker Room

6:40 am

"Sanders!" Nick called out in surprise. "You're here early."

As he sat retying his worn blue Puma sneakers, Greg replied, "My boss is a hard ass, so I thought I'd suck up by getting some work done before his annoyingly mandatory morning meeting." Looking up, he deadpanned, "Oh…I thought that you were Archie." Then he laughed. "Did ya miss me this weekend, Bro?"

"No." Nick opened his locker.

"How was your weekend?"

"Real fun. I wanted to take Carrie's mind off losin' the baby, so we took Sean, Ryan and Kenna campin' and I asked the Grissoms to join us." He smiled. "It worked, she had a great time. We all did, even Flash and Binda were buds by the end."

"I'm sure Gris was in bug heaven in the woods."

"Totally. Him and Sean…"

"He and Sean."

"You and Sean are both annoying with your grammar correction BS."

"You want to know how my weekend was, Jocko?" Bursting at the seams, Greg stood up, shut his locker and for the first time ever, one upped Nick, "I got drunk, broke the law, bonded with a buddy, did a little surfing, watched two gorgeous and deliciously naked chicks get it on, had risqué sex, won a foosball marathon, got wasted to celebrate, played strip poker and since the girls lost – was treated to a live version of Girls Gone Wild, enjoyed a little sexual relations, went for a midnight skinny dip to rinse the chocolate sauce off my body, then passed out naked on a pool lounge chair holding a Corona and a bag of Doritos." After a gulp of air he sweetly said, "Dude…it was the college weekend I always wanted and never had! Finally, I was in with the party crowd and just as I always suspected…it rocked! That was one of the best weekends of my life."

"What?" Dumbfounded, Nick queried, "I thought you went to San Marino for the Dwyer funeral?"

"Yeah." Greg's bright smile filled the dimly lit locker room. "Charlie would have beenso proud of me for hanging loose on his funeral weekend."

"Californians," Nick muttered. Then, as his co-worker walked out of the room snickering, he yelled, "Hey, Frat Boy! Did you really break the law!"

"It's okay, not only didn't they press charges, Charlie's mom gave me a free ten year membership to Wildfire for being a bad boy."

The Blakes

7:00 am

"Lindsay!" Sean rushed across the lawn to meet his before-school running partner. "You're not going to believe it! This weekend, I did something really, really bad!"

"That's funny, because I did something really, really good." Seeing her friend's excitement, she offered, "You go first."

When they started jogging, Sean said, "Dr. Grissom had this great idea to tell a ghost story."

"I'm sure it wasn't hard for him to come across creepy."

Sitting around the roaring campfire that Nick had built with the boys, Gil spookily asked, "Does anyone want to hear a scary story?" He had waited until McKenna was asleep in the motorhome to make the offer.

"You can try to scare me," Ryan said as he stuffed another marshmallow onto his stick. "But you won't."

Carrie scurried over to sit with Nick, who was holding his arms open. "Ready!" Then she turned around and nibbled on his earlobe before whispering a secret.

"What about you, Sean?" Gil queried in his creepiest voice. "Would you rather go inside with your sister?"

"Uh…no…of course not." The quivering teen sat a little taller. "I'm old enough to handle a scary story."

"You better have an extra pair of shorts ready, Bro," Ryan snickered.

"Very well then." Gil took a seat behind Sara and coaxed her to lean back against his chest so he could wrap his arms around her and murmur in her ear.

"I thought you were telling ascary story, not a love story," Ryan groaned. "Enough lovey-dovey stuff already."

Gil immediately obliged the impatient boy. "About a year ago, I was called out to this camping area to process a case…a grisly murder. A young teenage Boy Scout was found dead with a spear in his chest and his head three feet away."

"Gil!" Carrie panicked, "I'm sorry, but I don't think this is appropriate for thirteen year olds."

"Carr…" Nick snuggled her closer. "They're not kids anymore, they can handle it. These are the kind of stories guys tell each other when they're on scout trips and stuff. They need the practice." He pressed a kiss to her cheek. "It's cool…really, just relax."

"Oh…okay." Carrie buried her head in Nick's chest. "Sorry for interrupting."

Staring at Sean, Gil continued. "The Troop Leader said the boy had gone missing on a night hike when he left the group to go to the bathroom. They heard something like a pained animal howling and then the boy's frantic scream. When they ran toward the scream they saw a large figure running off and found the scout's backpack dripping with fresh blood." Lowering his voice to a frightful pitch, he said, "When I was processing the body, I saw claw marks and found both human and non-human hair on his bug-infested corpse."

"Uh…" Sean scrambled to get up. "I um…have to go to the bathroom."

"Don't go inside!" Nick warned. "You'll wake up Kenna. Use a tree like a real man."

Sean started walking out of the clearing. "Don't wait for me, keep telling the story!"

Ryan made chicken noises and flapped his arms. "Told you he couldn't handle it."

Gil shifted his gaze to Ryan. "When I was processing, a park ranger came over and told me that over the years, campers had reported a strange creature…some described it as half-wolf, half-man. This creature had been seen running on his hind legs through the forest wielding a deadly sharp spear and howling and grunting." He gripped Sara tighter. "The Boy Scout wasn't the first fatality either...over the past five years, three teenage boys have gone missing in this area."

"Nice going, Uncle Nick," Ryan glared at him. "You brought us to a murder zone."

"I didn't know," Nick replied in a voice heavy with concern. Pulling Carrie closer still, he gulped. "Why didn't you tell me, Gris?"

"Because I didn't realize this was the place until I was here and then I had a great idea." In an authentically maniacal voice Gil said, "I thought maybe since the creature likes teenage boys, we could catch him if we used Ryan and Sean as bait."

"What!" Ryan blared. "I knew you were a psycho!"

"We could tie them to trees and hide," Gil excitedly explained as he pulled a length of rope from behind his back. "We could hang some of those steaks we have in the fridge so the creature smells blood."

"You're nuts, Gris!" Nick yelled. "I'm not letting you use my nephews as bait!"

Suddenly a creature's howl cut through the night.

"Looks like we won't have to tie anyone to a tree after all." Gil's cackle filled the forest along with Flash's howl. He had the dog tied to a tree waiting to play his role. "Sean's already out there."

The howl got louder and when Sean's wail pierced the air, Ryan jumped to his feet and screamed like a little girl. "Save him, Uncle Nick!"

Just as planned, Sean came running from the trees dripping with ketchup. "Help! It's trying to kill me!"

"Are you trying to kill me!" Lindsay asked as she doubled over with laughter. "Please tell me you got that on video."

"Yep, Aunt Carrie planned and secretly taped the whole thing because she wanted to teach Ryan a lesson after he scared McKenna with a non-poisonous snake." Proudly, Sean announced, "She even got a close up of the pee stain on his jeans."

"You have to let me take that to Trinity on show and tell day," Lindsay joked. "It's about time that jock was taught a lesson."

BPAC

7:55 am

Just as they had planned the previous afternoon when they were scheming to expose Drew as a luster and settle things once and for all, Tawny showed up for work wearing a low-cut, tight red dress ten before the boss's punctual eight a.m. daily start time.

"You look sinfully good, Darling," Becca wistfully remarked.

"Really? I gained another two pounds, which would explain why I felt huge all weekend." Tawny patted her belly. "I felt like every girl who didn't know me at the club just thought I was fat. Those bitches were giving me that 'she shouldn't be wearing that' stare."

"Oh please, you'll probably even look gorgeous while giving birth." Becca fiddled with her friend's hair. "During your next therapy session, I think you should discuss how your body image is directly correlated to your self-esteem and develop a strategy with your therapist for coping with your pregnancy weight gain so you don't end up depressed."

"Can you write that down what you said so I can just hand it to Dr. M?"

"Sure thing, girlfriend."

After fluffing her boobs, Tawny took a seat on the edge of Drew's desk, right next to her newest BFF. "Chuckles was too cute this morning. He couldn't wait to go to work and tell Nick about his Frat Boy weekend and he was hoping for a homicide so he'd get to hang with Tony in the field."

"Oh my god, Tony was positively glowing last night. He said he hadn't had that much fun in years."

"Greg is still thanking me for all the naughtiness. He even said he'll do the laundry all month." She giggled, "So we definitely need to do it again on their next weekend off, because I don't feel like cleaning the bathrooms for a while."

Becca winked, "I'll buy some edible body mousse. What's your favorite flavor?"

"Strawberry or mango is fine with me."

"While our antics were definitely Tony's favorite part of the weekend, he had a really great time buddying around with Hoj." Reaching over, Becca moved one of Tawny's spaghetti straps off her shoulder. "I give him a neck and shoulder massage every evening, and last night there was zero tension in that man's muscles. Some nights he comes home from work with knots the size of baseballs."

"They see some bad stuff in the field. It's really hard mentally and physically."

"Yeah, and…ooh! Here comes loverboy! Pout your ruby red lips, girlfriend."

With the Wall Street Journal tucked under his arm, Drew strolled in the office holding his briefcase and a small Godiva shopping bag. "Morning…" As he removed his Ray Bans, his eyes focused on Tawny, who was wearing his favorite devil red dress. "…Ladies. Uh, what are you two doin' here an hour early?"

"Morning, Drew," they sang like a couple of giddy teenage girls.

"We have a problem," Becca announced.

"What kind of…" Drew cleared his throat and tore his eyes away from Tawny's chest. "…problem?"

"There's a rat in these new BPAC offices you rented for us," Tawny answered. "It's been scurrying all over the place."

"A rat?"

"A big one," clarified Becca. "And we want him caught."

"Well, no worries, Ladies." Flashing a Texas-sized smile, Drew set down his things, placed his suit jacket in the closet next to his office tie collection and said, "Just show me where the little bastard is and I'll nab him for ya."

"Right this way," Becca said in a breathy voice as she sauntered out of the office with Tawny on her heels. "We saw him hovering around Tawny's desk recently. I think he's hiding in the piles of donation boxes we stored in here. "

As Drew lifted the first box full of art supplies, Becca said, "Wait…you have a meeting this morning, I don't want you to ruin your shirt. There's paint and stuff in those boxes. You should take it off."

"Right." He set down the box and worked open the buttons on his shirt. "Good thing Carrie's not here, she always gets tense when I take my shirt off." He handed it to Tawny. "Thanks, CC."

Becca coughed.

"Ah, ah, ah." Tawny waved her finger. "No nicknames, remember. I'll go stick this in your office."

Laughing, Drew returned to lifting boxes. "Sorry. Old habits are hard to break." Seein' you holding my shirt made me think of the past.

"I think we're getting close to finding him," Becca groaned. Then, when she saw Tawny return with a Godiva chocolate, she struggled not to laugh.

"Mmmm these truffles are soooooooo good. I hope you don't mind that I snatched one, Drew."

"Not at all. Eat as many as you want."

Becca mouthed behind Drew's back 'so you get nice and fat'. "I'm going to go grab Starbucks for us to celebrate the capture. Be back in a while!"

"Ooh! There he is!" Tawny dropped to her knees beside Drew and grabbed his shoulder. "Look over here!"

When he turned, Drew found himself an inch away from Tawny. "Uh…" His eyes floated south for a glance at her cleavage. "Where?"

"He's not in my chest, I know that for a fact."

"Sorry." Grinning, Drew raised his gaze, "It's hard not to look when they're right there."

"You're still attracted to me!" Tawny blurted. "Don't bother lying. I've seen it in your eyes lately…among other places. Like the other day when we you called me Farrah." Her eyes shifted lower. "And right now."

After a quick check of the door, he heatedly answered, "C'mon…I'd have to have brain damage not to be attracted to you in that dress, especially while I have my shirt off two inches from your breasts. Why are you wearing that dress here anyway? You know it was my favorite. Are you comin' on to me?"

"No, I wanted to test you."

"Set me up to fail is more like it." Suddenly it all made sense. "I'm the rat, aren't I?" He huffed, "Just because I think you're hot in that dress doesn't mean I want to cheat on my wife, no more than you thinkin' I look hot with my shirt off makes you ready to cheat on Greg."

"I never said you look…" When she saw him roll his eyes, she snipped, "Fine, but the problem is, you keep flirting with me, and other people, like Becca, are noticing."

"If I'm bein' flirty with you, it's because you're bein' flirty with me."

"Not on purpose!"

"Well me either."

"We have to stop."

"I agree."

"Good." She shoved her hands on her hips.

"Good." He mimicked her, stuffing his hands on his hips as well.

"No more flirting!" Tawny demanded.

"None!"

After twenty seconds of intense staring, Tawny squeaked, "Are you feeding me chocolate so I'll get fat and you'll find me unattractive?"

"What?" He laughed from the belly like it was the most absurd idea he'd ever heard.

"Are you!"

"Yeah."

"I can't believe you!" She shoved him hard.

"I think it's only making your breasts bigger though," he chuckled. "I'm sorry. I try not to feel anything, I really do. I focus on the fact that you're pregnant with Greg's kids and that things at home are really goin' well with Lissa, but it doesn't work. My mind still wanders. So, I'm hopin' that when you're really showin' this feeling will finally disappear because it's physically triggered. It only happens when I see you. It's not like I fantasize about you leavin' Greg and me leavin' Lissa so we can run off together. Men are visual creatures by nature and I'm a red-blooded guy. Hell, I got a little hot watchin' my lesbian sister kiss her girlfriend."

"Seriously?"

"Shamefully, yes."

Sighing she said, "I should quit BPAC."

"No, c'mon, I don't want you to quit." Feeling like an idiot, he said, "This is stupid, we're not teenagers, we can control our hormones. And if you quit, everyone will wonder why and get suspicious, because everyone knows you're happy here. If Lissa asked me about it, she'd probably see it in my eyes and you'd act nervous when Greg asked you."

"True."

"And you like workin' here and it's a great job for you, because you're learnin' a lot from Becca and Carrie."

"I really do love it." Tawny smiled. "Okay, I'll stay, but we have to change some things."

"Like you don't wear that dress or anything like it ever again."

"I promise." Her smile widened. "And let's make the office a Godiva free zone."

"Deal."

"And the nickname thing…"

"I promise I'll try harder." He flashed a reassuring smile. "It'll work."

"I hope so, because I feel really bad. Becca and I talked about it. I know I like the attention. She's says it's because of a Daddy issue and because I'm insecure about being pregnant and becoming unattractive for the first time in my life, but…my point is, I know it's been just as much my fault as yours, so…"

"Honestly, I think it's just one of these things that seems like it exists, but really doesn't. You know…because we know it's so forbidden, it's building into this intense feeling, but if we actually tried it, the reality would be that it's nothin' special. It wouldn't be as good as we remember because we're not mentally attracted to each other anymore, because we're both deeply committed to our spouses."

"You're right."

"Yeah." His gaze fell to Tawny's ruby red lips. "I'm sure if I kissed you right now, we wouldn't feel a thing."

"Me too."

"I'm sure we'd bust a gut laughing afterwards for gettin' so tweaked about this," he said while rising to his feet and extending his hand.

"Totally," Tawny slipped her hand in Drew's, so he could help her to her feet. "I'm so glad we got that off our chests."

"Chests."

They burst out laughing.

"See…" Drew reassured, "just like I said, we're laughing off the silliness of the whole thing."

"So, the feeling's gone?" she queried, while conscious that he was still holding her hand.

"No, not at all," he admitted in a voice raw with honesty. "I really wish it would disappear." His tone growing seriously, Drew said, "I think I should…"

"Try kissing me to make the feeling go away." She meant for it to sound like a question, but omitted the required inquisitive lilt.

Their eyes locked, Drew whispered, "I…I was gonna say I should get out of here and put my shirt back on, but if you think it will help…end it." Grabbing her face, he pulled her mouth to his, kissing her hard, like he used to when they reunited after spending time apart.

A minute later, when her back bumped against the wall, Tawny panicked that he was about to take it further. Grabbing his shoulders, she broke the ravenous kiss and breathlessly pleaded, "Stop…please…"

"What the hell!" Jumping back, he yelled, "Why'd you kiss me back! It was supposed to be unenjoyable so I'd stop thinkin' about how good it used to be!" Panting, he stood gaping at her, hating how much he wanted to kiss her again. "Dammit!"

"How was I supposed to find it unenjoyable when you were kissing me like you just found out that you had twenty-four hours to live and I was the one person on the planet you wanted to spend time with before dying!"

"It felt that way, because it really was the last time I'd ever have with you! I was goin' for closure, remember? And you know my personality, I give everything one hundred and ten percent!"

"I'll give you closure!" Tawny pointed to the door. "Get out!" Straightening her dress she yelled, "Go! Now!"

"I'm goin'!"

"No! Wait!"

"What!" He whirled around.

Tawny rushed over with a tissue. "Lipstick!" Frantically she wiped the smudges.

"Thank you."

After wiping her mouth too she yelled, "Out!" Tossing the tissue at the trash bin, she dropped into her office chair. Kiss to make it go away. Duh! That's as stupid as me sending Greg to San Marino to sleep with Becca and look how well that turned! What the hell is wrong with me! She dropped her head onto her desk to wallow in guilt before calling Dr. Myers, but her wallowing was cut short by the sound of Lissa's cheery voice.

"Surprise!"

After stuffing the final piece of his crisp white dress shirt in his pants, Drew dashed to his office door. "Liss?" His heart pounded in his chest. "What are you doin' here, Darlin'? Didn't you have an appointment with Irving at eight?" The gym was only a few minutes from the new offices. "You're late."

"He called and asked if we could bump it to…" Her eyes focused on a red smudge next to his first closed button. "Honey, you have a stain on your shirt." She moved closer to study it. "Uh…it looks like lipstick." She glanced up. "Not my shade."

"What?"

Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Tawny busy at work in the glass walled office down the hall. The bright red of her husband's ex-lover's dress caught her eye. "I thought you said everyone else comes in at nine?"

"I asked her to come in because we're starting a big project, and…" Before he could finish, Lissa was striding down the hallway with purpose.

"Mornin', Tawny!"

With a death grip on her pen, Tawny glanced up. "Hey! I didn't hear you come in. How's it going? Love your hair that way." Every muscle in her body tensed and she continued to overtalk. "You're dressed for the gym. Are you on your way to see Irving? Tell him I said hi. Did you know that Sofia's moving in with him? Isn't that great! I think it's great. They make such a nice couple."

The sight of a tissue covered in red lipstick on the floor caught the frantic wife's eye and she bent down to pick up. "Have a little problem with you makeup this morning?" Her pulse soared when she focused on girl's barren lips.

"Yeah, I caught a glimpse of me in the glass and thought that shade me look like a clown." A fool is more like it! I'm gonna die right here. "So I grabbed a tissue and wiped it off."

"Really." Lissa dropped the tissue into the trash. "Care to explain how your lipstick got on my husband's shirt?"

"Uh…" Tawny stalled, "I'm sorry, what?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Blondie," Lissa snarled. "Drew has a stain of the same color red as that lipstick and that sexy little number you're wearing. You bitch. You kissed him, didn't you?"

"Uh…I…I think…"

"Darlin'!" Drew hurried over waving a file. "I figured it out. Look! Tawny handed me this file and it had lipstick on it. I musta got it on my finger and I touched my shirt when she told me I had left a button undone this mornin'. Remember…I was rushin' out of the house. Remember?"

"Sorry!" Tawny squealed as adrenaline surged through her veins. "I didn't wash my hands after wiping off my lipstick. I hope your shirt isn't ruined." Now I'm a liar and a cheat.

"I realize this looks kinda funny, Sweetheart," Drew calmly said, "but it's one of those kooky misunderstandings. We're not even alone, Becca's here too."

Glancing around, Lissa snapped, "I don't see Becca."

"She's…" Miraculously, Becca strolled into the office carrying a tray of Starbucks just in time. "…out gettin' coffee."

"Coffee's here! Oh…hey, Lissa. If I knew you were coming, I would have ordered you something."

Lissa's stomach churned as she stared at Tawny. "So, I was wrong about what happened?"

"Y…yes."

Lowering her gaze, Lissa choked out, "I feel really awful for what I said to you. I hope you'll forgive me."

"No sweat," Tawny sweetly replied. "After everything that's happened, it's totally understandable." Not to mention true! Oh my God, I hate me right now. She feels bad! We made her feel bad when…I'm gonna hurl.

Checking her watch, Lissa said, "If you'll excuse me, I have an appointment with Irving."

"I'll walk you out, Darlin'."

"No, thank you." When she reached the doorway of Tawny's office, Lissa asked, "Becca…why are you and Tawny here so early this mornin'?"

Sensing there was something odd going on, she parroted, "Why are Tawny and I here so early this morning?" When she saw Drew mouth 'big project' she said, "We're working on a big project."

Lissa continued out the door without uttering another word and as soon as the door shut, Tawny reached for her trash bin and threw up her chocolate truffle.

"Are you okay!" Drew rushed forward.

"Stay…right there!" She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Yeah, okay." Becca set her co-workers' coffees on Tawny's desk. "Whatever that was about, I don't want to know." Clutching her latte, she hurried for the door. "I'll be in my office."

"Oh my God! That felt horrible. How did you lie to before and not die from the shame!"

"I didn't have to lie before, remember? She told me to go sleep with someone else. I just didn't share the details. If I had to lie to her all those months, I would have stroked out long ago."

"I feel lower than shit on a shoe!" Tawny clutched her head with both hands. "Five minutes sooner…"

"Don't…don't even think it. If I think about that, I'll die of a heart attack right here and then my brother and your husband will show up to process the place and find your DNA on my tongue and your prints on my chest." Drew grabbed his coffee with a trembling hand. "Holy shit." He took a sip, wishing it was whisky. "Well, there is some good news…"

"What could possibly be good!" she asked before hurling a second time.

"How about I get you a Sprite from the…"

"No!" she barked. "Just tell me the god damn good news and then beat it!"

"You know how when you have the hiccups, if someone gives you a really good scare, they stop?" Clutching his coffee, he headed for the door. "Well, after that scare, the feeling's gone and I'm a hundred and ten percent confident it's never comin' back."

"Good!" After popping in an Altoid, Tawny marched out of her office. "Becca! That's the last time I listen to your stupid advice! Confront the situation head-on, my ass! No wonder Greg always got into trouble hanging out with…" She clutched the wall. "Uh…"

When he saw Tawny stumbling, Drew rushed into the hall.

"Don't…touch…" Before finishing her thought, she fainted in Drew's arms.

"Oh my God!" The sight of Tawny's limp body sent Becca into a panic. "What's wrong!"

Crime Lab

8:22 am

"Good news, Greggo!" Nick walked into the Layout Room waving a slip. "DB in an abandoned house on the outskirts of town. Your frat brother Vartann is already on his way. I have to take you, because Sara, Jas and Sof are otherwise occupied."

"Awesome!" Greg yanked off his gloves and tossed them in the trash. "The day's off to a great start."

"Not for the vic," Nick commented as they started down the hall. "Gunshot wound to the head."

Mercy General – Las Vegas

8:58 am

"Did she hit her head when she fell?" Dr. Sameena Puri queried as she check Tawny's eyes.

"No," Drew quietly replied. "I caught her just in time."

"Are you sure the babies are okay?" Tawny squeaked as she clutched Drew's hand tighter. "Because I feel really weird."

"Two perfect heartbeats on the ultrasound." The doctor clicked off her light. "You told the nurse that you didn't eat anything for breakfast except a chocolate truffle, Mrs. Sanders. That caused a rapid change in your blood sugar, then you experienced intense anxiety over seeing a rat. You were already woozy from the blood sugar issue when the anxiety affected your blood pressure, that's why you passed out. You need to take better care of yourself." Then she looked at the relieved man. "And you need to make sure your wife is eating a healthy breakfast in the morning. The father's responsibilities don't end with insemination."

"I'm not her husband, I'm just her co-worker."

"Sorry," the doctor replied as she typed into the computer. "With the way you were holding her and how you looked so concerned, I just assumed you were." Then she noticed the screen said the patient would be paying cash and her suspicion grew. "Wow, my co-workers would step over my body in the corridor; you must really be a tight group."

Drew released Tawny's hand. "Yeah."

"Good luck with the pregnancy." When she got to the curtain, the doctor scolded, "Remember to be more responsible, Mrs. Sanders. Life isn't just about you anymore."

When the doctor left, Tawny frantically whispered, "Is she trying to make me pass out again! She suspects something."

"She was talkin' about you not eatin' a healthy breakfast is all." Pulling up a chair, Drew softly said, "Has anything changed? Are you ready to pack your bags and leave Greg?"

"God no."

"See." Drew pushed out a smile. "It meant nothin'. We're human, Tawny. Laughin' and havin' fun caused a momentary lapse in judgment. The important thing is, as soon as it happened we backed off, right? That's a good sign, because back in the day, after kissin' like that, we would have been undressed two seconds later. "

"I still feel horrible," she admitted while staring at the Pulse-Ox monitor. "I can't imagine going home and looking Greg in the eyes."

"Hey!" Becca breezed in. "Here's that bran muffin the nurse suggested. Is everything okay with the babies?" she nervously asked when she saw Tawny's troubled expression.

"Everything's great," the guilt-ridden woman replied as tears streamed from her eyes.

"Becca…" Drew glanced up and took a risk. "In all the times you've been with Greg since he's married Tawny, there's been at least one moment where old feelings took over for just a sec and you two said or did something that wasn't the best idea, right? Be honest."

"Uh…" Thinking of at least six, she replied, "What exactly are you going to do with this information?"

"I'm gonna make Tawny feel a little less guilty about something stupid we did that has no long-term significance."

"Oh my god!" She moved closer. "Did you guys kiss when I went to Starbucks! I wondered what happened to her lipstick. Tongue or…"

"Becca!" Tawny cried, "For crying out loud! This was partly your fault anyway!"

"Yeah, I guess making him lose the shirt while you were dressed like a hottie and then leaving you alone together was a bad idea in hindsight."

"That was your idea?" Drew huffed. "Then you really need to help me out here."

"Please stop crying, Glinda, it's bad for the bambinos. This probably only happened because you were still in party girl mode from this weekend and feeling insecure about your body." When Drew pleaded with his eyes, she caved, "Okay, yes, I'll answer your question…when Hoj was out in San Marino helping his dad move and we were flying high from some really good weed, we had a momentary lapse in judgment that resulted in an almost kiss to see if there were any feelings still there and get closure." She laughed, "Two seconds from a lip lock we realized that was a really retarded idea, not something we really wanted, and Tony would kill him if he found out. So, we laughed it off and returned to watching guy porn, toking, and eating cold pizza. I think that moment is what gave us closure."

"Guy porn?" Tawny and Drew both said.

"That's the part you focused on!" Becca chuckled. "See…like us, you just wanted closure. Now you have it and you'll be chilled around each other like Hoj and me. Feel better, Glinda?"

Tawny nodded and wiped her tears. "About everything except Greg secretly watching guy porn."

"Don't knock it 'til you try it. It's hilarious, and watching it doesn't mean Hoj is bi." To make her friend laugh, Becca said, "Although…when we were skinny dipping, he really did seem to enjoy hangin' with Tony, didn't he? Come to think of it, Tony was really into him too. Uh oh."

3 Black Hill Canyon Drive

9:12 am

"Hoj!" Vartann boisterously greeted his buddy from the other side of the tape. "I was just telling Officer Bundy here that you are a party animal."

Greg gushed from the attention in front of Bundy, one of the muscle-bound cops that liked to give him a hard time. As promised, Tony kept his word and treated him like a buddy in public too. "Dude…keep it down, I'm still recovering."

"Don't worry, I checked his BAC," Nick half-joked to the cop staring at Greg. "He's clean."

"This way, gentlemen." Tony motioned to follow him into the house, which was situated in a desolate ten acre plot. "Someone's been running cocaine through here, but other than that, it's just your typical cluttered shit hole. The call came in on the anonymous tip line…disguised voice, maybe Archie can get something out of the tape."

"So, are we lookin' at a deal gone wrong?" Nick asked.

"That's not the vibe I'm getting," Tony commented as he walked through the open door. "The vic looks like a hayseed who is on vacation from selling insurance in Topeka. No offense to your Kansas-born wife, Sanders, because there's nothing offensive about her."

"Nope, she's perfect," Greg chuckled while pulling on gloves. "But you know that for a fact after this weekend."

"What exactly did the four of you do in San Marino?" Nick finally asked when his curiosity got the best of him. "Sanders has been glowin' all morning. You better not have gotten high again, that's all I have to say, because your 'no-test' window due to the mandatory pot-smoking incident in the basement slams closed in a few weeks, and…"

"Chill out, Stokes." Vartann assured, "The only thing he got high on was life and Corona. He wouldn't even do tequila shots with me."

Nick returned to snapping photos. "Good boy, Greggo."

"No, he definitely wasn't a good boy," Vartann cracked. "Anyway, back to the vic. Look at the guy. He's a fifty-something geek with a wedding ring and a shirt that says 'Number One Grandpa' covering his big belly. Sure, maybe he had a craving, but to end up in a hard core drug stop like this?"

"What's the ETA on a coroner?" Nick asked as he carefully fished for the guy's wallet. "Get a bag ready, Greggo."

"I called it in, but no one's called or showed." Vartann checked his watch. "I'll radio again after you get settled."

"Got it." Nick opened the wallet, "You were close, Vartann. Sam Chelton, fifty-eight, Dubuque, Iowa." He held up a business card. "Life Insurance salesman."

"I'm so good it's scary," Vartann boasted. "But Becca already told you that, right, Hoj?"

"She didn't have to tell me, Dude," Greg laughed. "I heard her moaning."

"Seriously," Nick glanced up at his laughing co-workers. "Either shut the hell up or let me in on the jokes." When they quieted, his disappointment showed. "I was kinda hopin' you'd share."

"Can't." Vartann stuffed a stick of gum in his mouth. "What happens in San Marino, stays in San Marino, right, Hoj?"

"That's right."

The detective headed for the front door. "I'll step out and get an ETA on the coroner."

"Sorry, Bro," Greg held open the evidence bag. "We promised our wives we wouldn't tell."

"Oh, now that just makes my imagination run wild," Nick confessed as he returned to searching the wallet.

"I know!" Greg rejoiced, "For once I'm the guy with the hush-hush weekend and you're dying of curiosity. I waited eight years for this moment and I'm savoring it, so don't expect me to end your suffering."

"Okay, Greggo, fair enough." Nick held up another card. "Check it out, he has a medical ID card. He has a pacemaker."

"Not the kind of guy who looks to score a lot of blow."

"So, how does an insurance salesman grandpa with a pacemaker end up in a drop house with a bullet in his third eye?"

"Wrong place, wrong time?"

Mercy General – Las Vegas

9:20 am

"Look at the time, Drew." Tawny pointed to the clock as they waited for the discharge clerk to return to her desk in the ER lobby. "You had a meeting at nine."

"That's why I sent Becca back to the office, so she could reschedule that." Seated next to her, he said, "Your health is more important than any meeting."

"Thanks. I'm…"

"Tawny?" Sara walked over with her kit. "What are you doing here?"

"Sara!" Tawny willed the discharge clerk to stay away. "What are you doing here?"

"I just finished processing a victim." Sara's eyes moved to Drew. "Is everything okay? You both looked freaked."

"Mr. Stokes…" The clerk handed over a receipt. "I'll just need you to sign at the bottom of the form and then you and your wife can be on your way."

Drew laughed, "It's so funny, everyone here keeps thinkin' we're married just because I seem to care that a pregnant woman fainted." He signed quickly. "Have a good day, Ma'am."

"Fainted?" Considering Carrie's loss, Sara's concern grew. "Are the babies okay?"

"They're fine." Tawny stood and walked over to Sara. "Stupidly, I forgot to eat breakfast this morning and passed out. Thankfully, Drew caught me before I hit the ground."

"Wow, SuperDrew to the rescue again," Sara remarked while studying a lipstick stain on the man's shirt. "If you're not delivering babies in hotel hallways, you're protecting unborn children."

"Seems that way, huh?" he smiled.

"I messed up his superhero shirt in the process," Tawny pointed to the red mark that she knew Sara had been studying. "Becca saw the whole thing happen and said it scared her to death. I didn't call Greg, because he's in the best mood and I didn't want him to worry. With what happened to Nick and Carrie, I knew he'd think the worst and flip out."

"Definitely." Sara hugged her friend. "Wow…you're still shaking."

"Yeah, I'm frazzled." When the embrace ended Tawny said, "I'll tell Greg tonight after he's home and relaxed, so if you…"

"I won't say anything."

"Thanks."

"You should stop by and see the new BPAC offices while you're in the neighborhood," Drew suggested.

"I'd really love to, but I have to get back to the lab with samples."

3 Black Hill Canyon Drive

9:27 am

"It's going to take all day to process this place," Greg grumbled as he bagged another sample.

"I called Sofia," Nick replied. "She's about an hour out. Sara's workin' Jas through her first rape case and I don't want to pull them off that for Grandpa. Grandpa's dead, the rape victim's alive and her attacker's more likely to strike again sooner."

"The man is wise beyond his years," Vartann said as he gloved up. "I'm stuck here too, so give me something easy to do."

"You never offer to help when it's just me," Nick joked. "But your good buddy Hoj whines and you've got a pair of gloves on stat."

"I've helped Sara too," Vartann reminded his buddy.

"Ah, I get it." Nick started printing the refrigerator door. "You only help damsels in distress."

BPAC

9:34 a.m.

"Welcome back," Becca greeted her co-workers as they strolled in with a take-out bag from the coffee shop around the corner. "Drew, I pushed your ten o'clock to tomorrow, same time. Tawny…I know this is going to make you feel like shit, but Greg sent you a dozen red roses, they're on your desk. Tony sent me some too."

"Awww." Becca was right, Tawny's heart ached as she sniffed their sweet scent. "I can't believe he sent me flowers. I don't deserve flowers," she cried. "I don't deserve him."

"C'mon, girlfriend. Check it out, the office got a donation." Becca pointed to the conference room. "A TV/DVD player combo."

"In a minute."

"Who gave us the TV?" Drew asked as he entered the room with Becca to check it out. "Nice picture."

"This was attached and addressed to you, so I didn't open it." Becca handed over the large white envelope. "I just took the TV out of the box so I could watch The View."

"Thanks, I'll be in my office." He wanted to call and check on Lissa.

Meanwhile, in her office, Tawny opened the card from Greg.

Thanks for the fun this weekend.
No, I'm not just talking about the fun we had with dessert toppings.
Can't wait to see you tonight. I love you, Princess

"Dammit." Tawny's tears activated. "You're right, Becca! I feel like crap."

"Come see the new TV!" Becca yelled from the conference room. "We can make fun of Star Jones! That always cheers me up."

"Okay." Still clutching the card, Tawny moped into the room. "What did your card say?"

"Thanks for the fun this weekend. No, I'm not just talking about the fun we had with dessert toppings. Can't wait to see you tonight. I love you, Becks."

"Mine too, except for the name of course."

"They must be working together."

"Ladies…" Drew walked in waving a plastic case. "That envelope didn't have anything but this DVD with a note that said 'gather your officemates and try out your new TV'."

"Weird." Becca grabbed the remote and switched to DVD mode. "How's Lissa? Is everything cool?"

"She didn't answer." Drew popped in the disc and stepped back.

After a few seconds of black screen, the words 'I hope you enjoy this surprise' appeared on the screen.

"Cool. A video card," Tawny remarked, happy to have something to take her mind off the morning's spectacular blunder.

"Is that it?" Becca asked when the screen went black again. "Seems like a lot of trouble when they could have written a note instead."

"Uh…" Drew pointed to the screen where the words 'Sex, Lies and Videotape – The Office Edition' flashed in red. "What the…"

"Oh my God!" Tawny dropped Greg's card as she watched her kiss with Drew play out on the big screen while the words 'The Sex' blinked.

"You said you just kissed!" Becca blasted. "That looks like sex against the wall to me. Really good sex."

"No!" Tawny shrieked, "I was grabbed his shoulders to tell him to stop, not for leverage! You'll see he…oh! It cut out before Drew pulled away!"

Becca stared at the video which had abruptly switched to Lissa arriving and subsequently being placated by Tawny and Drew. The words 'The Lies' flashed in the corner of the TV the entire time the deceived wife was on screen.

"This isn't happening." Drew gripped the edge of the table. "No way."

Tawny's cheeks were soaked by the time the final message appeared 'The Videotape…know anyone else who might find a copy interesting? I do! Silly Princess, there goes your fairy tale ending!' "How…" She trembled. "Who's behind this?"

"Don't go hysterical." Fearing she'd pass out again, Becca grabbed her sobbing friend. "You need to stay calm for the babies, remember?" She clutched her tight.

"The blinds were all closed, so they couldn't have taped from the outside." Drew rushed to Tawny's office. "The camera has to be in here." He tore through the place and when he found nothing, he grabbed a broom and used the handle to knock out the ceiling tiles. "Right there, god dammit!" Standing on a chair, he grabbed the surveillance camera. "Somebody's been watchin' our every move and today they struck gold. But who would…" His gaze snapped to Becca. "I'll be damned. You set us up."

"What!" Becca incredulously replied as Tawny lurched out of her arms. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You still want Greg and you know the only way it will happen is if he leaves Tawny." Anger erupting inside him, Drew stepped down from the chair. "You encouraged Tawny to confront me. You led me in here. You suggested I take off my shirt so it wouldn't get dirty…and then you left us alone." His voice turned icy. "You bitch."

Author's Notes:

Becca…guilty bitch who has been patiently waiting to strike OR unjustly accused. Exactly how many people have a grudge against Tawny, Greg, Becca and/or Drew. Maybe more than we even know about. They really need a CSI to figure things out, but…yeah, that's a tricky one considering the casefile. I'm sure you can imagine what Nick's reaction would be, not to mention Greg's. However, when you have to turn to someone for help, you always can count on the Master Criminalist's discretion. Watch the list of suspects grow as Grissom works to figure out whodunit.

This 'Goodbye Kiss' drama was inspired by the movie First Knight and the scene where Lancelot bids Guinevere farewell forever with one last (spectacularly steamy) kiss, promising to leave her alone for the rest of her life…only to get busted immediately afterwards. Not a great movie, but my favorite big screen kiss of all time (only in the widescreen version though, because when it's chopped, you can't see the kiss building in their eyes across the room). Then I saw Brokeback Mountain and the Jack & Ennis first reunion kiss…whoa…First Knight is now in second place.

To quote Drew "Well, there is some good news…" For those who have missed Dr. Myers, she's baaaaaaaaaack! Will she be able to save everyone or every marriage involved in this mess that's about to get messier? Time will tell…

At least the Sean scene was happy and cute!

We weren't supposed to get to all this for 2 or 3 chappies, but I sensed the fluff fest was getting old, so I forged ahead!

Thanks to:

KJT for her plotting contributions as well as her usual stellar editing!

Patricia, Michael, Emily, Reonyea, guineverekay, maeve, Kirsten, Ricki, Deb, Leddy, Kate, Debbie, Michelle and Lisa for signing the guestbook and/or emailing! You really helped!

Next Chapter: Things get a little heated. Posting: Friday, 9/8

Maggs