Okay, okay...new chappie, hope you all enjoy it...kegal, you are awesome:)Tried and true reviewer and reader, and I thank you for it...props going out to ya:D

Remember, happy reviewing makes people happy, and I'm open to suggestions, hints, tips, and questions (if you're confised) but no flaming...it only takes a few seconds to write a review, so feel free hint hint...hahahaha...anyways, here it is.

CHAPTER 3: BACK TO SCHOOL

"Ugh, I thought I'd never be back here", groaned Greg as he and Sara got out of his car and headed with a stream of students towards the large metal doors. Greg looked about at all the teenage students that wandered the grounds, and he grinned and blushed slightly as he saw a few of the girls stare at him as he passed. Sara, too, got some attention from a few of the teenage guys that were there, but they both paid little attention, them being school kids and all. They walked side by side through the halls, and turned into the Principle's office.

The secretary looked at them from over a stack of papers, and perked up. "Oh, you must be the CSI's. Mr. Logan Kippler will be with you momentarily."

She gestured to a chair, where Sara and Greg gratefully seated themselves. Greg spoke again. "Seriously, I did not want to ever come back to high school. College was my time to enjoy myself."

Sara smiled towards him. "Greg, why do you have this vendetta against high school? Did a pretty girl shoot you down in front of a crowd? Did someone pants you? Tell me."

Greg shot her a daring look. "I'll tell you on one condition."

Sara reflected the look. "Uh oh. What's the challenge?"

"You have to promise to go swimming with me after we wrap up this case."

Sara looked into his eyes, and not seeing anything but innocence and delight, she took his hand and shook it firmly, business-like. "Sanders, you got yourself a deal." Greg's face lit up with the boyish charms she had been enchanted with for years now. "So, tell me why you hated high school so much."

Greg took in a breath, his face serious again. "Well, this reminds me of when I got bet up by those guys. The pain didn't scare me, the fact that I had nearly died didn't scare me…not as much as the fear I had of making that phone call."

"What call?" Sara had become engrossed in his tale, his voice full of the same intense emotions he used when he sang under his breath, or when he just whispered sweet nothings into her ear. This was a different tone, one of lamenting and woe, but still just as involving as ever, even only after a few seconds of tale-telling.

"The call I had to make home to my mom." Greg chuckled at how he had cried in front of Grissom when he had told him of his torment from it. Grissom knew this story already. "She had never even known I was in the field. She just knew that little Gregory was safely working in the lab, where she didn't have to worry about me getting shot, ran over, or otherwise harmed. That's why she never even found out about the lab explosion."

Sara shook herself to reality. "What does that have to do with your bitterness towards high school?"

"Everything", he said. "My mom wanted a big family…a lot more children than what she was able to have. I was the only one. So, my mom protected me however possible, no matter how overboard it was, or how miserable it made me. So, it seemed a preposterous idea to let me on the football team, even though I was good at it. I could show up people on the basketball court too, but I might hurt myself." Greg's voice was heavy with bitterness, a cold she had never heard from him before. "That's why I was known as the chess champion of my school. I was only good at chemistry and brainy activities. That was all I was allowed to do. That's why high school sucks for me. When I went to college…"

"You got freedom to do what you wanted, away from your mother". Sara finished the story for him, and he nodded. He smiled widely, as if he were relieved he had told the story, and this made Sara smile in turn.

As if reading her mind, he replied, "Thanks for listening Sara. I appreciate it."

Sara wrapped her arms around his one right arm, and rubbed a hand against it. "I don't mind. I'm glad you feel better."

She felt him shudder with numerous sneezes, and he replied, "I wooden go that far…ugh, stoobid code."

She chuckled at his cold-induced speech problems, but still kept him hugged close, keeping him warm until they heard their names being called. They got up and entered the room they were being led into. It was spacious, and the décor along with the warm sunshine created a glow about the room, making it comfortably warm for a shivering Greg. Sara glanced at him worriedly, but decided to worry after the interviews. They sat across the desk from a man in his early forties, of a big husky build, and a face that was more than a little intimidating, but he spoke with a kindness and willingness to help. He couldn't help but remind the both of them of Nick.

"Welcome, Mr. Sanders and Ms. Sidle." Greeted Mr. Kippler, "I've been informed why you're here, and it is a tragedy what has happened. Please, any way I can help you let me know."

"Well, Mr. Kippler", started Greg before he sneezed again. The man gestured to a box of tissues on his desk that Greg accepted gratefully. He started again. "We would like to ask you a few questions, and then gather a few of your students and ask them a few questions. Is that all right with…with…youATCHOO!" He sneezed again, grunting in annoyance after the fact.

"Yes, that would be fine, but sir, may I say that I think you're catching a cold?" Mr. Kippler suggested. Greg nodded irritably and Sara laughed.

"Thank you sir, for pointing that out to me, I'll make sure my partner gets lots of rest when he gets home", Sara said, smiling at Greg. "But lets start. What can you tell me about the Steven Lynely, and his relationships…with friends, with other students, teachers…?

"Steven Lynely was unconfident", Logan Kippler started, speaking slowly to find the correct words, "And he wasn't very popular. He spent most of his days with his childhood best friend, Colin Setter. They were inseparable, but they were part of the group of kids that was always picked on. They weren't jocks, so they weren't popular. That is, until a few days ago."

"Why do you say dat?" Greg asked, irked by his clogged sinuses and voice change.

"Well, I noticed that a few days ago, Colin was all alone by his locker, sitting alone at lunch, and no Steven Lynely. Then I started looking out for him, and I saw him hanging out with the popular group of kids. I had no clue why, and when I or the guidance councillor approached Colin about it, he pushed us away."

Sara nodded in reply. "Okay, Mr. Kippler, one last thing. I need you to write down the names of the kids that you say are part of the group that was hanging with Steven." She shoved over a piece of paper.

He agreed, and started scribbling down the names of the 'popular' group. After he finished, and had handed over the list, he added, "What do I need to do now?"

Greg smiled at his kindness and their fortune for his cooperation. "Now, we need you to set ub a sebarade room so we can ask the kids a few quesdions." At the chuckles from Sara, and even Logan Kippler Greg let out a sound of desperation. "Thad's id! I refoose to speak anymore!"

As the giggles subsided, Logan Kippler spoke again. "I will get my secretary on it right away. It should only take a few minutes."

So, after about half of an hour, and a round up over the intercom, the desired students were lined up for interviewing. Sara and Greg (who had contented himself with watching and not speaking), had seated themselves across from a table in a spare study room while the line of students came in, one by one, telling them what they needed to know. The first few popular kids told them nothing, but then came a shy boy, about the same size as Steven, came in. He had messy thin black hair, and thick-rimmed glasses. Sara looked at her file. "Okay, are you Colin Setter?" The boy walked in, and meekly nodded yes as he seated himself in the chair. He hit his elbow hard on the chair as he did so, and he winced. "We're going to ask you a few questions, okay?" Meek nod yes. "Do you know why your friend was stopping hanging around with you?"

The meek little boy spoke with an even meeker voice. "It was because he had a pool."

Greg looked at Sara with reckoning showing on his face. Sara returned the look to him through the corner of her eye. "What do you mean pool? Like a backyard pool?" He shook his head no. "What kind of pool Colin?"

"It was a public pool." He stated just loud enough to hear him. "His parents are rich, and they owned the land. Since Steven and his cousin are close, his cousin said he'd uphold the pool if Steven put in a good word with his parents about him. Something about getting a job at their buildings." Sara opened her mouth to speak, but Greg stopped her. Colin went on. "When the cool kids found out he had his own pool without parents anywhere near the place, they flocked to him, sucked up to him, and just like that, and he's popular." He sighed sadly.

'Wow, this guy seems really…sad' Greg thought looking over the little boy. He sneezed again, and sighed. This was going to be a long night. "Colin, whad was the cousin like wid you and Steven? Did you hang wid him much?"

Colin never moved. "Yes, we used to hang out with him all the time. When Steven and I went swimming we'd talk with him, even invite him for one. He was very uptight though, and kept bugging Steven to get him a job at one of his parents' buildings. He was starting to scare us. I stopped going almost a week and a half ago though, so I haven't seen Steven much, and Doug at all."

"Doug is…the cousin?" Sara asked. He nodded. "Thanks Colin. We may ask you a few more questions after, okay?" Sara asked him, and he nodded on his way out the door. That was all the students. She looked towards her partner. "Greg, we need to interview the cousin. Call Brass to get an address on the guy…get him to meet us at the lab."

Greg sneezed loudly in a series, and promptly held out his cell to Sara. "Berhabs you shood call, Sara. I can'd really speak thad well."

Greg and Brass sat in front of the cousin in the interrogation room, and only Greg's congested breathing broke the silence. "Okay sir, I'm Jim Brass from the LVPD, this is Greg Sanders from the crime lab, we would like to ask you a few questions."

"Sure dude, whatever, I don't mind…hey, do you have a cold?" He referred to Greg, who simply nodded. "What do you want to ask?"
"Tell us all you know aboud the pool that your liddle cousin keebs in the abandoned pard of town", Greg stated. "Where did you ged the exberience to operade the right equibment to clean a pool?"

"I once worked at the public pool in our old neighbourhood in another city. I got lots of experience and when my cousin asked me to keep up the old one in that part of town, I was happy to help for a certain price."

"Oh? And what price was that?" Brass eyed him like a hawk.

"He paid me his allowance, which is almost more of a salary in a week than mine is in a month! For that money, I was happy to do my service. And don't worry, his parents paid for all the supplies such as electricity and chlorine. Also, he said he'd put in a good word with his folks, try and get me a good job." Sara shut her mouth again.

Brass had more to say. "Did Steven say why he wanted to have a pool? Was it for his friends?"

He spoke again. "Yeah dude, he said something 'bout impressing the popular crew once and for all. That was only about two weeks ago though. Usually he just went there with his little friend with the glasses. Don't know his name. Anyways, that stopped and a group of other youngsters came, they didn't treat him as good, but he seemed fine with it. Haven't seen the little guy since then."

"Okay, thank you, stay around, I may want to ask you a few more questions later on." Brass said as he usually did.

"Thank you", Greg said as they all rose from the table and left the room. Greg was the last one to leave, and as he did so, Grissom met him.

"Greg, I have the results on the bullets and the owner of the property." He said as he walked alongside Greg. "Do you want the results now?"

"Led's waid and find Sara add Nick first", said Greg, turning towards one of the little conference rooms where Sara and Nick were talking about the case. Grissom followed him, and Sara and Nick looked up at them.

"Hey Grissom, Greg", Nick greeted warmly, to which he got a gruff 'Hey' from Grissom, and another sneezing fit from Greg. "Hey buddy, you got a cold?" Nick said.

"They should promode you Nick", Greg said dryly and irritably, "Your power of deduction is fascinating." The look of hurt from Nick caused a hasty apology from Greg. "I'm sorry Nick. This code is making me feel preddy crummy."

Nick chuckled. "That's okay Greggo…I just have 'rides' to make fun of you for 'duh' 'nexd' week." He laughed, as did Sara, and even Greg grinned. Grissom just seemed bitter, intent on only Sara. Nick's laughing settled. "Okay, Steven Lynely is still not awake yet, but they expect him to wake up in the next twenty-four hours. So, until then, we can try and find out who did this the old scientific way."

"It's the only way. Eyewitnesses are too unreliable anyways. So, as I was telling Greg, I have the results from the property owner and the bullets."

"The property is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Lynely, I assume?" Greg spoke up, remembering the interviews he had had.

Grissom eyed him suspiciously. "Right, Greg. Now, the bullets belonged to a .9 mm. I asked Mandy to run it through the guns database, see if she could pinpoint who in Las Vegas has that particular gun."

Sara then added herself in the conversation. "We spoke to the students, and Steven Lynely and his friend Colin Setter were not very popular. The pool gave Steven Lynely a means by which he became popular, but his cousin Doug Lynely was also using Steven to get in good with the rich side of the family. Steven wasn't being fast enough, and according to Colin Setter, he was starting to get scary, angry."

"So, where so we stand?" Greg asked. "We have Doug Lynely, who was doing nothing wid his life, living off of his cousins allowance and the agreement that Steven would try and set him up with a job with his parends? Dat's weak. I think there's more to this story than we're seeing."

"What do you think then, Greg?" Grissom asked.

"I'm not sure", Greg said simply. "I just think that there is more to this story than we see. I want to go back to the crime scene, and look around."

"Fine Greg", Grissom said. "Nick will go with you."

Sara looked at Greg. "Actually, Griss, I was planning on…"

"Nick goes with Greg." That was that. The three CSI's looked at Grissom with a look of shock at his sudden outburst of impatience. Greg and Nick started to shuffle out of the room, and as he passed, Nick gave Grissom a very questioning look, while Greg stared after Sara. When they had gone, Grissom pointed at Sara. "We need to talk. Now."