Disclaimer: See Chapter 1 for notes and disclaimers.

Chapter 2: Cool Change B

Sara felt a small amount of vindication watching the LVPD arrest Holly's murderer, but she couldn't help but feel Warrick Brown had at least a ¼ part in her death. She'd written her findings in clear, explicit detail just as she had learned to do at Grissom's seminar. It was, of course, up to him to decide what Warrick's fate would be, but she was confidant he'd make the right decision.

After the group cleared out leaving just the two of them, he cautiously approached her, "Sara, I…I read your report and recommendation."

"I was as fair and objective as I could be under the circumstances," she automatically defended, not realizing she did not have to do that to this man.

"It is excellent work," he acknowledged. "The finest I've seen in a very long time and that is really a lot for me to say because I have some very talented CSIs."

"That really is the highest compliment, Grissom," Sara smiled. "Thank you."

"It is deserved. Now, I have some, as much as I hate it, administrative things to take care of upstairs. I'll see you back at the townhouse," he told her thrusting his keys into her hand. "You head home, drive safely, have a snack, and get some sleep. I'll be there before too long."

"Grissom…" Sara began ready to insist she wasn't tired but saw the futility in that. "I'll see you."

Sara took her rental care and Grissom headed back to his office. He head read and reread Sara's report on Warrick's activities the night Holly was shot. She had recommended termination without service benefits, the harshest penalty allowed beyond prosecution or civil action. Still, he couldn't do it. He could not bring himself to fire Warrick for something he had done only hours before. True, he had not been off gambling, but he had left Holly unattended at that liquor store in favor of working another case. They all, Warrick, Brass, Catherine, and himself, had responsibility in Holly's death, one should not pay for the actions of many.

There was another problem. Even with Warrick still on his staff, he was short one CSI. In the box at the corner of his desk were nearly 50 applications to work the graveyard shift as a CSI in Las Vegas, nearly 50 people from various parts of the United States wanted to work here, with him, for him…that was heavy. Grissom knew though, that he would not have to read any of the papers in that box, he all ready knew exactly which CSI he wanted to fill the empty space. Now all he had to do was get her to say yes.

The lights were off when Grissom arrived back at the townhouse. Sara's purse and kit were on the couch. He placed his kit next to her kit shaking his head at how natural it felt to have someone else's things, Sara's thing, amongst his own. Quietly, he placed the milk and cola he picked up at the store in the refrigerator then headed towards his room.

As he approached he heard a few small, soft noises coming from his room. The sounds piqued his curiosity not because he didn't know the source, but because he did not know why Sara would be in his bedroom. A quick glance into the guest room on his way past answered that, he had never gotten it ready for her. She must have been exhausted to have lain down in his bed.

Grissom's mind only had a few seconds to process his feelings about what seeing Sara in his bed would do to him before her cries grew louder and more desperate. He felt his heart speed up as he quickened his steps to reach her. He did not even think someone else might be in his home harming here, he knew if that were the case the distress call would not be Sara's, or at least not Sara's alone.

If he had walked in on her being held down and tortured he could not have been more surprised or felt more protective. She was lying in his large bed, curled to one side taking up less that a quarter of the space; her thick full hair was pulled back off her face, her slender body only covered with a thin pale blue sheet. She was kicking her legs under that sheet, tossing and turning violently while fighting and clawing her way past some unseen enemy.

He moved to her side pausing only a moment to listen to the sobbed apologies she was making to someone named April. Grissom knelt down next to the bed and reached out to touch her exposed shoulder gently shaking her awake, "Sara," he whispered. "Sara, come on. Wake up now, it's okay."

She started at his touch and the sound of his voice, sitting up like a shot, gasping for air as she continued to cry.

"Sara," Grissom said a bit louder moving to sit on the bed beside her. "Sara, slow down your breathing. Slow down, take in deep breaths." He ran one of his hands up and down her bare arm while the other moved through her hair as he said the soft hypnotic words. "That's it. You're safe. It's okay. Just be easy."

"I know," she whispered after another moment. "I…I failed her, Gris. I…promised her."

"Failed who?" he asked gently. "Promised who?"

"April," Sara whispered snuggling closer to Grissom's chest the minute he made it available. "I…We couldn't place a time of death and her murderer…"

Grissom's arms tightened. He wasn't sure what she meant but he felt certain she was on the edge. This break and his offer to move to Las Vegas could not have come too soon. "Sara, we can only do so much," he offered. "As scientists and as human beings we can only do so much. You can't do more for a victim that the evidence allows."

He felt her nod against him then pull back but only slightly, "The evidence was there just like in your course and in your book. It was textbook, Gris, but they didn't listen to me. They didn't even try and…he's going to go free."

"I'm sorry," he whispered gently rubbing her arm. "Can I get you some water or juice? I bought the soda you like, that Dr. Pepper."

She shook her head, "No, I'm fine. I better get my things together."

"Why?" Grissom asked.

"My work is done," she answered. "I came here to help you investigate Warrick Brown's negligence in Holly Grib's death. I've done my report…"

"Sara…I called you here because I needed you, not just to help me with the internal investigation but…I have to run this unit on my own now. I need someone I trust someone I can count on to be there and do things like I'd like them done," Grissom told her. "I need you to help me learn how to do this. I have an opening on my staff, and it is yours as soon as you say the word. I know this will be just what I need to get things going right on the shift again."

"Grissom, you don't have to…" Sara began.

"The job is yours," Grissom told her. "I want you on my team and more than that I think you might need a change of pace and to…to be doing this work somewhere where you have friends."

Sara smiled gently, "I think it just might work. I've wanted a change. Would I be taking over Warrick's pos…?"

"I didn't dismiss Warrick, Sara," Grissom confided.

"But he was clearly neglectful," she once again began to defend herself and her work.

"You don't have to defend yourself to me. He was negligent, but so was I," Grissom sighed. "In order to fire Warrick I'd have to fire myself as well. I always shadowed the rookies their first few nights, always no matter what anyone said and this time I failed that. I…"

His voice trailed off when Sara pressed a soft hand to his cheek, "Don't. Please don't. It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself."

"I do," he replied. "I always will. All I can do now though is try harder next time, begin again. Tabula Rasa."

"Clean slate," Sara nodded. "We can all do with one every now and then."

"I agree. So does that mean…" he began as she smiled and nodded her head.

"It means we better go rent a storage unit for all the clutter in the guest room since I'll be using it for awhile," she laughed as he rose from the bed.

"I missed that," he said over his shoulder from the doorway as he was exiting the room to give her privacy.

"What?" she inquired. "My smart mouth?"

"No," he said seriously. "The sound of your laughter."