Thanks to my beta Kegel for looking this over! Longer chapter this time, enjoy!

Chapter Eight: Rationalization

Things were getting better slowly with time. The bruises were fading, the abrasions healing, and her moods were changing for the better. Her mind was still shaky, however, the events of the recent past still as indistinct as it had been when everything had first happened. She could remember slight details, but never who, never where, and the only notion of 'when' had come to her from external sources. It was a part of her life that was completely gone, something she feared she would never get back. Yet that was not the worst of it.

The worst part was there was a possibility of this happening again. She didn't remember her attacker, couldn't identify him…or her. Didn't even know the gender of her assailant, or what they had done. Even the events that had panned out afterwards, of how she ended up at Greg's; even that in itself was thoroughly muddled.

But despite her fear she had done her best to move on, trying to forget what had happened. It should have been easy, considering she did not remember, but that seemed to only make matters worse. That was why she preferred work; it kept her mind busy, allowed her the type of release she was seeking. It gave her back her confidence. That was what she needed the most.

Greg had met up with her shortly after, running over the details of their latest case. Sara listened with mild interest, already knowing most of what he was saying. She watched him with slight amusement as he continued to rattle off the notes in the case file. His words came to a stuttering stop as he finally met her gaze, blushing slightly. "What?"

"I read the case file earlier," she told him sweetly, laughing at his puzzled expression.

"Why didn't you stop me then?"

She shrugged, continuing to smile. "You seemed so ambitious. I didn't want to spoil the moment for you."

"Thanks," Greg responded, flopping back on the couch. "But this does leave us with no suspect. We've ruled everyone out."

"Sometimes a case is cold," she told him, taking a seat next to him. "Sometimes we just have to wait for that one missing piece of the puzzle, and everything will pan out then."

That's what she wanted to believe, what she needed to believe. That one single missing piece of information would solve all of her problems. She had a lot of problems at the moment. Sara shook her head, banishing the thoughts away, turning to Greg as he asked his next question.

"So what do we do now?"

"Are we on break or something?" Grissom cut off any chances of her answering, the man entering the break room.

"As a matter of fact, yes," Sara nodded. "Overdue for break actually," she turned to face Greg then. "Do you want to go grab something to eat?"

"Food?" he wondered, then nodded, "I could go for some food. I haven't eaten anything normal for over a week now."

"Define normal," Grissom asked, taking a sip of his freshly poured coffee with a grimace. "You need to get your stuff back in here."

"Lost the coffee with the pay cut," Greg mocked him sweetly. "I could get it back with a raise, you know."

"Really? Well, I'll keep that in mind."

"Means no," Sara whispered over her shoulder, causing him to shrug.

"Can't blame a guy for trying."

She smiled, watching him. "So where do you want to go? I'm not quite sure what place around here serves 'normal' food."

"I have been on a diet of macaroni and cheese and fish sticks, I swear that kid doesn't eat anything else."

"Well, those are considered normal enough around here," Grissom responded.

"I want meat, real meat," he explained, "A steak or a rack of lamb maybe. Baby back ribs…I swear I'm not hungry."

None of that sounded appetizing to Sara, but she forced a smile. She supposed she could put up with it for the time being. "There's a restaurant not far from here that serves stuff like that, but it's pricey."

Greg was shaking his head though, "Nah, let's just hit up the diner. Cheap, good and fast."

"So you two are seriously going off on a break?" Grissom wondered, watching them.

"We have an hour," Greg told him. "Why? Would you like to join us?"

Sara felt her heart skip a beat; she had wanted to spend the time alone with Greg. She needed to talk about all that had happened between them, and it would feel oddly uncomfortable to have her boss around when she did. But her concerns were lessened in the next moment.

"I've never really enjoyed the diner," Grissom confessed, allowing Sara to let out a sigh.

Greg was tapping her shoulder, motioning for her to follow as he helped her off the couch. "The sooner we get going, the sooner we can be there."

"Relax, Greg, the diner isn't going anywhere," she answered with a laugh, growing quiet for a moment shortly after. The question had been burning on her mind, but she wasn't sure how to ask it, or even if she should. Finally she drew in a breath, forcing the uneasy question out into the open.

"You're off Friday, right?"

"That I am," he answered without missing a beat, his buoyant appearance showing that he had not analyzed the question any deeper than what he had first perceived it.

"Did you want to go do something?" Sara continued, clearing her throat quickly. "I mean, I'm off, too, I figured we could spend some time together. If you don't want to, that's okay, I just thought…"

Greg came to a stop, facing her. "Are you asking me out?"

"No," she said quickly, shaking her head.

"Oh," he nodded, smiling a little. "Because if you were, that might change my answer."

"Well, I'm not," she clarified, stammering over her own words. "But let's say theoretically I was. What would you have said then?"

"Theoretically…I would have said yes," Greg told her. "But you're not asking me out, are you?"

"Of course not," she shook her head. "Or maybe I am."

"Which one is it?"

"You're a CSI now, put the evidence together. What does it tell you?"

Greg smiled, leaning in closer to her now. "I say you are. So I say yes, but we would have to make it a double date."

Sara frowned, watching him. "What?"

He was laughing now, pulling away as he continued down the hall. "I'll have Chase with me."

"Oh," she nodded quickly, following after him. She had forgotten about him, she had to admit. Sara still wasn't used to the idea of Greg having a son. "Well, we can do it some other time," she started.

"Why?" Greg wondered, coming to another stop. "I mean, there are things we can do here together."

"Greg, this is Las Vegas. What is there for a kid to do?"

"Well, there's the aquarium at Mandalay Bay, Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden, the water park. Plus I want to take him by that preschool Catherine mentioned, look into getting him signed up."

"I thought Susan didn't want him going to a preschool," Sara commented.

"Susan's not going to know," Greg told her quietly, heading off once more.

"Wait," Sara called after him, hurrying to catch up with him. "How does that work out? She's his mother, surely she's going to find out?"

"I drop him off after she goes off to work, pick him up before she gets back. I'll doubt she'll notice, it's not like she interrogates the kid about his day. I have to do something though; I can't work all night, then watch him all day."

Sara nodded slowly, understanding his side. "Doesn't sound like too bad of a day, We should get going though," she muttered, checking the time. "We've already wasted fifteen minutes."

"Already gone," he told her with a short smile, leaving her standing there contemplating over what she had just agreed to.

Catherine pushed a strand of hair from her face as she walked through the door, Nick shortly behind her. She had never eaten here before, but had heard good remarks about the food served, and surely Sara enjoyed it enough to come here several times. Several people were in front of them, all waiting to be seated, the hostess' busy talking to several patrons as once. It would be a moment before they got a chance to speak.

Catherine turned her attention instead to the promoted menu on the sign adorning the entryway, the specials listed, the price being displayed the end. She let out a low whistle, shaking her head. "Cost a fortune to eat here."

"Yeah," Nick agreed quietly. "Some people have a fortune. It's Vegas. You don't come here when you're broke."

"You think Sara actually had the money for something like this?" Catherine asked him. "It seems a bit out of her league."

Nick frowned at her, shaking his head. Apparently it was a touchy subject for him. "Sara's finances aren't any of your concern. I think it's about time you let up on her a bit."

Catherine rolled her eyes in response. Like she had never heard that one before. It wasn't that she had it out for the woman…more of the fact that it was difficult for Catherine to work with women. They reminded her too much of…well herself. Of course, most of her life had revolved around careers of working for or with men, so it was no real surprise.

"Actually," she voiced quietly, "it could have everything to do with it. If Sara couldn't afford this, why would she come here? Somebody else would be paying, which would imply a suspect."

"Come on, Catherine," Nick shook his head. "Why would Sara lie?"

She shook her head despondently, unable to come up with a good answer. There was no reason for Sara to lie. Then again it could be that she didn't remember, but that case in scenario was highly unlikely. The brunette had mentioned being here several times before. Surely she would have remembered if it happened that often.

"We'll be with you in one moment," the waitress spoke suddenly, coming up to the pair. "Just the two of you?"

"Yes," Catherine nodded, pulling out her ID. "The two of us would like to speak with your manager."

The color drained from the lady's face, her gaze switching between the two of them. "This doesn't have anything to do with that body that was found here, does it?"

It was Catherine's turn to look perplexed, the response running through her mind several times. "What body?"

Dinner had been…difficult. Everything had gone fine at first, the two giving their orders and passing light talk around as they waited for their food. Greg had been following her case quietly; he hadn't been allowed to help, but it didn't stop him from inquiring about all the details. He felt guilt, mostly to the cause that he knew more about what had happened than Sara did. Yet what was worse was the fact he couldn't tell her. Grissom was unhappy enough of the fact that he was keeping tabs on the case; it would only make it worse for the wear if Sara found out the details as well.

Greg still held a strong position that she should know. He would want to know, if it had been him that it had happened to. But Grissom and Ecklie were keeping it professional. If it had been another victim, they wouldn't have said anything, not until they found out what was really going on. It kept the case secure, kept evidence safe. If word of mouth passed along the inside details, especially now, with no suspect leads, it could be devastating. So it was with that concept that Greg agreed to keep quiet.

But Sara hadn't asked for any details, for which he was thankful. Greg wasn't sure what he would have told her if she did. Lying was not one of his best traits, and it seemed he did even worse when facing Sara. Instead she had brought up the issues between them. Greg had never thought there were any, his concern growing as she stuttered over her words. Had he done something to burden her?

"What is it?"

Sara shook her head then, trying to forget what she had said earlier. "It's nothing…"

"Sara?"

There was concern in his voice, and Greg could feel none the different. Something was bothering her, and it was more than just the case. She met his gaze, offering up a small smile, as if to reassure him.

"I was just thinking…about that kiss," she muttered quietly, turning away as she began to blush.

At first it had confused him, and then he remembered. "Oh…"

"I know I don't remember it," she said quickly, hands folding together in her lap as she looked everywhere but his face. "I was just thinking…thinking about it a lot, about why it happened, and I…" she took another breath here, stuttering over her words again, apologizing as though she was trying to right a wrong.

Greg reached across the table then, grasping her hand, the movement causing her to finally look up at him. "Sara, it's alright. You weren't in the right state of mind. It meant nothing, don't worry."

It more or less was the truth, but her expression dampened as she nodded, a nod that almost seemed forced. Part of Greg speculated that she had wanted to hear something different. Like she wanted him to vouch that it did mean something. It had meant something…but he couldn't admit to that. Sara had been hurt, nearly delusional. To him it felt as though he had taken advantage of her, even if she had been the instigator.

The rest of the meal had been eaten in awkward silence, the hunger gone from him even as he took his first bite. Who could eat after something like that? Still he forced down half of his meal, boxing up the rest with a confession that his eyes had been bigger than his stomach. It was probably true in some case, his stomach had been tied in a knot so tight it was probably only a portion of its original size.

It wasn't till after dinner, once they got outside that Sara stopped him, offering a small apology. Greg knew she hadn't meant to cause troubled waters between them, and the stress lessened as he gave his own apology as well. Whatever was said and done was back in the diner, it wouldn't follow them back to the lab.

Work helped with that matter as well. Enveloped in the case once more they began scanning all of the old evidence, one last shot of finding a lead before they were forced to mark it as a cold case. All talk was business now, aside from the stray joke or two that managed to weave its way in. It kept the night going, and before long the first signs of morning were creeping its way in.

Letting out a sigh Greg leaned back in the chair, his eyes drifting to the clock. Normally he would be here for several more hours yet, but lately he had fallen into the easy routine of going home early. So far Ecklie had let it slide with little fuss because Greg spent his spare hours at home keeping up with paperwork. In fact Grissom had commented that Ecklie particularly liked it; the lab had never been kept up so well before in that department. Greg wasn't sure if it was welcoming news or not. Filling out forms while raising a kid wasn't his idea of fun.

"It's that time, isn't it?" Sara asked quietly, seeing the change in his demeanor.

He nodded, giving her a sad smile. "Yeah…I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow night."

"Why don't I go with you?"

"Where?" he questioned, sitting up in his chair. He hadn't expected the offer, and for a moment it had thrown him off. "Home?"

She nodded, sliding the papers back into the folders. "We could finish reviewing the notes we have, compare some of the documents. Do that instead of filling out paperwork. You said Chase normally sleeps a few hours longer after you get back."

"Yeah," Greg nodded, fighting off a yawn. He didn't want to tell her that was when he had been getting his sleep. Normally he did the paperwork while Chase was awake. "Sure, that sounds good."

"I'll get my things then."

He was left there wondering to what he had just agreed to. Sara was coming over to his place, and while that wasn't as strange as many other endeavors he had encountered, it had been certainly different, mainly because she had been the one asking, as opposed to him. Part of him screamed it was a bad move, both for the case at hand involving Sara and his involvement, but also for what was going on between them. He would not lie; there were feelings for Sara. They had always been there, but they had withdrawn over the years as she hadn't fully returned his outlandish affection.

Yet things were different…he couldn't explain how, and part of him was worried that this wonderful feeling that was growing inside of him would be destroyed if they moved too quickly. Maybe he should call it off, for both of their sakes, and as he was about to agree she had returned. This destroyed any resolution that he had had a moment before.

"My car or yours?" he asked feebly.

"Yours," she said with a laugh. "I can always catch a taxi on my way out. The fare is cheaper with one person, as opposed to two."

He gave a short smile, moving to his feet. That much was true, but he hated the prospect of Sara having to pay for a ride. "I'll just drive you back to the lab when we're done."

"It's not a problem," she convinced him, taking the lead as they moved out of the room.

"Nor is it for me," he reminded her. "Chase and I have to go shopping, it'll be on the way to the store."

"If you're sure."

"I am."

It was final. Sara gave in with a small smile, sliding into the passenger seat. The rest of the drive was fairly quiet. They talked, but it was sparingly and light, more of a jovial atmosphere as they fought the early morning traffic. It made Greg glad to work the hours he did; traffic was always bad in Vegas, a combination of not only the number of drivers, but the number of drivers that had no clue of how to drive in Vegas. He was lucky; most of the idiots were not out this early in the morning.

"The place is kind of a mess," he apologized as they pulled up.

"I've seen it before," she reminded him.

"True, but it's worse now. I still haven't moved all the extra stuff out into storage yet, they're kind of sitting wherever they fit."

She laughed, following him up the stairs. "As long as you have a place to sit, and the bathroom isn't infected with some terminal disease, I think I'm good."

"Bathroom clean, check," he nodded, moving up the last flight of stairs. "Susan took care of that. Place to sit, we might need to negotiate that one."

Her comment came shortly after he had first heard the noise. "Sound's like Chase is already awake."

Greg nodded, grimacing as they drew closer to his door. "Awake and cranky," he commented, the irregular cries muffled behind the door. He could feel some sympathy. The poor kid had been down with a cold the last few days, but Greg was starting to get worn down from the constant routine. "Is it too late to go back to work?"

She was only slightly amused by the joke as Greg worked the key into the lock. As soon as they opened the door they were met with the cries full force, as well as a frazzled Susan, the woman nearly in tears herself. Chase sat on the couch halfway entangled in a blanket, his whimpering cries interrupted by a cough. Susan herself was pacing around the kitchen in circles, muttering to herself in words that could hardly be heard over the ruckus.

"What is going on?"

It was the only thing he could think of at the moment, staring from one to the next. Chase was still crying, his hands fervidly rubbing at his eyes. Susan shook her head as she came up to a stop in front of him. "He was up…all…night…long. He would not shut up, I didn't sleep at all. Do you have any idea how important today is?"

"What's wrong with him?" Greg asked, ignoring her last comment.

"He's just being a brat," she answered, slinging her purse over her arm. "Kids do that sometimes, Greg. Something you learn as being a parent. He wanted to sleep in bed with me, I told him no. He's four, more than old enough to sleep on his own, and the last thing I need to do is catch his cold."

"Alright," he let out a sigh. He had learned very quickly how to pick his own battles. This was not one of them. Angering an already irate woman was not a smart thing to do. That was something he had learned years ago working in the lab. "Just go to work, I'll handle it from here."

Susan's gaze was not on him, however, her eyes focusing on Sara behind him. "Who is she?"

Greg shook his head, grabbing her by the arm and guiding her out the door. Part of him was embarrassed. Sara did not need to be subjected to such treatment, nor should she have to put up with a screaming child. Once outside he closed the door behind him, letting out a breath before he continued.

"She's a co-worker. We are finishing some work here. Why does it matter to you?"

"I don't know," she answered coldly. "We are Chase's parents; I don't want him getting confused to who is who."

"Not everyone has the same parents they were born with," Greg pointed out. "People get divorced, people remarry. Or you have people like us, that went our separate ways."

"What are you trying to tell me?"

"Stop trying to dictate my life," he answered coldly. "He is my son, so I will help him, in every way that I can. But you and I? We chose different lives when we left college. We are two, separate, different individuals. I don't tell you what to do with your time, or your job, or your friends. I'd appreciate it if you did the same."

He expected a rebuttal; Susan was not one to back down to challenges. So he was surprised when she nodded instead.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, "I had this fantasy that we could still be a happy family, even after all these years. I keep forgetting that it's too late for that. I'm also not used to having another input on my son. I've been raising him on my own since he was born. It's just been a bad night, that's all. Things will be better after I've gotten some rest."

Greg let out a sigh. He wanted to believe it, but Susan's nature did not change. Still, it was a small respite, and he would take it. He just had to remember to search for apartments online a bit faster. Things would certainly work out better if they weren't always in each other's hair.

"You should get going," he told her quietly, "You'll be late for work."

"My car's almost on empty."

"Right," he nodded, pulling out his wallet. "I almost forgot."

Susan wouldn't get her first paycheck till the end of this week, and she had used her savings to get both her and Chase to Vegas. Until then, Greg had been footing the bill for the basics. Susan promised to pay him back when she got the chance, but part of him doubted that much would happen. Either their funds would be consumed by everyday living, or the woman would pull a guilt trip, claiming to having to pay for everything for the last four years.

He watched her leave, thankful that she at least had her own car that was already paid for. That cut one bill out the matter at least. Slowly he turned and went back inside ready to face what was in store for him. The good news was the fact that if he could get Chase settled, the boy would sleep for a good portion of the day. That meant not only time for him and Sara to finish their work, but also meant a possibility for Greg to sneak in an afternoon nap.

But all thoughts of that died down upon seeing her face. Sara had moved to comfort Chase while he had been outside, her worried gaze meeting his as he came through the door.

"What?" he asked softly, his voice catching in his throat.

"Greg, he's burning up."

"What?"

Greg was completely unaware that he had asked the same question twice, his mind elsewhere as he strode across the gap and leaned over the back of the couch, running his hand along the sniffling boy's forehead, his hand pulling away from the heat that was radiating there.

"What do we do?"

Sara had asked the question, leaving him completely at loss. What did they do? Greg was no doctor, hardly a father, and had no experience with this sort of thing. This just wasn't a simple bug, or ailment the boy had picked up, his fever a clear indicator of that. Chase continued to cry, short heavy coughs breaking it up as he moved closer to Sara, leaning against her chest.

"Greg?"

"We're taking him to the hospital," he breathed, watching as the boy began to shiver.

TBC