Morning Ripped You Away

Sara woke in a blissful mess. Her legs tangled in a combination of Grissom and the sheets and her arms, seemingly, were wrapped around him as his were wrapped around her. She frowned and swore to herself as she remembered she had work tonight. She looked up at Grissom and jumped a little to see him staring down at her. He grinned.

"Did I startle you?" He asked. She shook her head.

"Of course not! I just realized we had work." Grissom laughed.

"Ya think?"

Sara was a little shocked by his reaction. He wasn't usually this comfortable around her. Of course there was to an extent but Grissom never used 'ya' so casually. But then again they did just put away a serial killer, she was ecstatic too.

"And by the way, I'd be clean if it wasn't for you yesterday!" She cried. Grissom stopped laughing.

"You mean you didn't like it?" He asked. Sara threw her pillow at him.

"Of course not!" Now Grissom looked hurt.

"I loved it." And Sara kissed him.

"I still don't get it."

One month later and Catherine was still hooked on the Miniature Killer. Grissom now shrugged it off whenever she came to him with her concern about the case, but still he felt his gut flutter when she did.

"Catherine stop worrying about it. If we get another miniature then we will work our hardest to get him. But as far as I'm concerned John Claudine is the killer and will remain so until evidence proves otherwise." Grissom assured her.

"But the evidence never said he was the killer," she countered. Grissom sighed and took off his glasses.

"The evidence never said any one was the killer either," he replied laying the final piece of his paperwork down and taking his first break in three days. Catherine nodded curtly and left his office, muttering curses under her breath.

In the break room he found Warrick and Greg laughing at Nick for dropping coffee all over his shirt.

"Oh screw you guys," he tried to sound mad but couldn't help but let a few chuckles in between each word. Grissom rose an eyebrow in amusement.

"You all seem to be more in tune. Did I miss something?" He asked. Greg chuckled.

"Other than the fact Warrick got Nick to spill coffee all over himself after mentioning a few rumors about Mia and Hodges going out," Nick almost tripped to the garbage can. "Then no." After checking his beeper, Warrick was laughing as he got up.

"Sorry, but I got a hit and run to attend. See you tonight sweetie," he said sarcastically to Nick, who was frantically wiping his shirt with a napkin.

"Yea love you too, hunnybuns," he replied in the same tone. Nick and Warrick always teased each other with the nicknames ever since they worked on a case which involved aliens. Because of this the rumor mill was fuming with gossip that Warrick and Nick were 'dating'. This quickly dissolved when Nick started hitting on Mia.

"I guess since the Miniature Killer was caught and the lab seems to be slow, we just don't have as much tension as normal," Nick explained. Greg smiled.

"Guess you could say that," he said, got up, and left with Nick trailing behind him. Grissom grabbed a cup of coffee and made his way back to his office.

Maybe Nick and Greg are right. Things are a bit too slow around here.

But the pleasant thought was interrupted by an excited Catherine.

"We got a tape of the Miniature Killer."

Grissom let the full cup of coffee fall to his feet.

"Seeeeeee there!" Archie pointed at the figure.

"But I thought the plant didn't have an cameras," Grissom said looking at the small figure on the screen. Catherine shook her head.

"Well, I guess Raymundo Suarez was a bit paranoid. The camera is one you could be at Walmart. Maybe he was on to the killer and installed it himself," Catherine explained. Grissom grimaced. Archie will have the video cleaned up in no time. He probably had copies in places Grissom never even heard of. It seems Grissom had been caught in a fix.

"I think I am going to go home," he announced. Catherine turned to him, shocked.

"But, Grissom, you usually are here all night trying to figure this out." Grissom nodded.

"Yes, of course, but I think I should go home and evaluate some things before I put another innocent man in jail," and with that Grissom turned around and left Catherine confused.

"No one said John Claudine was innocent," she said turning back to Archie who only shrugged.

"But this will."

It was a disaster. He should have been more careful. He should have checked the place for cameras. He shouldn't have been so stupid to think this was over. He sighed deeply and grabbed the few things he needed. His gun for example. When the CSIs figure out it was him he'll need protection and a plan.

He smiled. He'd have that all figured out when he obtained the only person that meant anything to him. He just had to wait for her to come home.

"Oh my god!"

Archie's mouth was on the floor.

"What is it?" Wendy asked.

"It's Grissom."

"What's Gris..."

Wendy's eyes widened.

"Oh, that's Grissom."

Archie nodded grimly.

"How could it be?"

"We're going to have to tell the team. It will crush them," Archie stated. Wendy nodded and used the table for support.

"That bastard was right under our noses!"