When your cover is blown

Vegas-2005

Nick was finally able to start working the background checks on Jenna and the staff at the bakery. He gave Greg the task of trying to track down the victim's missing credit card, hopefully some alone time would cool Greg off. He came back to the Jeep five minutes later, even more pissed off than he had been before. Nick knew better than to ask.

"For two people who haven't talked in years, they sure know how to push each other's buttons," thought Nick shifting through some more paperwork. He hated this end of the job, but someone had to do it and the overtime would be worth it. He took a sip of his coffee and started reading up on Jenna Bianchi. She had taken over the bakery from her mother a few years ago and despite it being on rocky ground financially when she took over it, she was able to turn that around rather quickly by getting some of the wedding chapels and hotels in town to sign contracts with her, she was their main provider of cakes and other desserts for special events. She was even signed with Sam Braun and his hotel chain.

"Girl knows her business alright, to get her foot in the door with Sam at her age!" thought Nick. A few more pages showed that she had created quite a name for herself in the wedding market, no small feat for a town based on the quickie weddings. Nick sighed, nothing here to show the makings of a killer. He tossed the file aside and went to the next one. Catherine and Sara walked in looking for a coffee fix.

"How goes the cake murder?" asked Catherine. Nick shrugged.

"Not going anywhere right now. Did you know that this bakery is Sam's cake dealer?" Catherine paused.

"I remember Sam telling me about a bakery that made him a cake shaped and decorated perfectly to look like a $100 chip. I think he said something like, 'talent like that needs to be in my casino.' Sam calls them up when he wants something buzz worthy." She sat down and stacked the files out of the way so Sara could sit too.

"Hey what's up with Greg, he's all sorts of foul right now?" asked Sara. Nick shrugged and buried his face in a file.

"Greggo just needs a nap." Catherine looked at Nick and smiled.

"Nicky." He lowered the file and liar was written all over his face. "You are a horrible liar and always will be. Now what's Greg's issue, everyone in the lab has noticed his nasty mood and it's depressing. Spill, so we can fix it."

"You can't tell anyone." Sara and Catherine leaned in. "Greg and Jenna, the owner of our crime scene, used to have a thing, from what I've heard ended badly and now they take turns being pissy with each other and I think the score is Jenna 2 Greg 0. And if Greg's this moody, I think he still has a thing for her and she probably still has a thing for him considering how fast she wants him gone when were around," said Nick.

"NO FREAKING WAY!" The group turned around and saw Hodges standing in the doorway with his mouth hanging open.

"The hot café lady and Sanders!!!! There is no god, none, not if Sanders was able to date that. Well screw it…wasted hours getting that number and I find out she's Sander's leftovers. Well he can have her back," snapped Hodges walking out of the break room. Nick dropped his head to the table.

"Greg's gonna kill me."

Greg was going over all the credit records for Linda Stesiak, since she left the hotel to right now it showed no activity. An alert had been put on all her credit cards and ATM card, someone would be dumb enough to use them sooner or later or else why bother taking them. He shifted back in his seat and took a sip of his tea when Hodges came in slamming in.

"She's yours I don't want her, if she was dating you something must be horribly wrong with her, I will not take your sloppy seconds Sanders." Greg almost dropped his tea.

"What the hell are you going on about Hodges?" Even though Greg had a good feeling where this was going he wanted to know how the hell Hodges found out about him and Jenna.

"You and the super hot bakery owner had a thing I heard Nick telling Sara and Catherine. There is no god, none at all if you were able to score with that. But, I have to ask, just to satisfy my curiosity what was she like in bed? I heard Mexican woman are crazy," said Hodges. Greg slammed down his mug and out of the room.

"I'll take that has a yes," called Hodges. Greg marched into the break room and found a sheepish looking Nick and a guilty looking Catherine and Sara.

"What the hell Nick? You told Hodges, which for all intents and purposes means the whole lab will know now. It was private, and I kept it that way for a reason. How would you feel if something you wanted private was known by everyone? Oh wait you should know, how did you feel when your fling with Kristy was lab fodder? Felt great didn't?" Nick stood up and slammed the file down and Sara and Catherine knew that Greg had bit off more than he could chew.

"First of all, don't you ever bring Kristy again, ever. Second of all, I didn't mean for Hodges to find out, but every one here has noticed your pissy mood involving this case and it's getting old. You either talk to her and I mean really talk to her or get over it and stop being an asshole," snapped Nick.

"You know what, I'm going to take a nap in my car and maybe when I wake up this will all be a bad dream," said Greg leaving the break room. Sara and Catherine exchanged looks.

"I'll talk to Nick, you take Greg," said Catherine. She went over to Nick. "Come on Nicky let's go for a walk." Sara finished her coffee and sighed.

"Nothing like some good old fashioned Jerry Springer drama to liven a girl's day."

Greg slammed his car door shut and set his cell phone to alarm. He put the seat back and tried to remember a breathing technique he learned ages ago to calm his nerves.

"Fucking Nick telling Sara, Catherine and Hodges now the whole lab going to be a gossiping about I banged the bakery chick. I just asked him to keep it quite and he blabs…bad as freaking Mitch in Stanford."

September 1997-Stanford

Greg sighed and looked at the clock again, almost noon. He looked over at Jenna's empty desk and groaned. Since school started up again their work schedules had shifted a lot. He worked Monday and Wednesday and did class Tuesday and Thursday. Jenna worked all week, but came in late on Monday and Wednesday because of her classes, the only time he really got to see her was on Friday, but he felt like he was competing for her attention. Ever since she started dating Roberto things had become, odd between them.

Odd was the only word Greg could think of to describe what Jenna's attitude towards him the past few months. Sure some times they still went on break together and to lunch on Fridays, but with Roberto there Greg often felt like a third wheel around them. He looked at the Skittle bowl and noticed that the level of candies in it hadn't changed in weeks. He could hardly remember the last time she helped him pull off a prank against Barb or really done anything to goof off. He yawned and went back to work. He was happy that Jenna was dating and that she had found someone who was good to her, but it was almost like his friend was gone and someone else was their, someone he really didn't know. It hurt a little, like getting your fingers slammed in a car door.

"Get over it, she hasn't dated anyone in anyone in almost two years. It's new and exciting for her. Be happy for your friend you wanted her date," thought Greg. He heard the door open and someone laughing and than he heard Jenna speaking in Italian. Greg sat up and watched her walk in with Roberto. He walked Jenna over to her desk and Jenna was going still in Italian. He had to smile, she was cute when she was speaking in Italian.

"Arrivederci."

"Arrivederci." Roberto walked away and Jenna was grinning. She turned to her PC and got hit in the head with a Skittle. She turned and saw Greg grinning.

"You forgot to say hello to me."

"Hello." She turned back to her PC to punch in and Greg pegged her with another Skittle.

"Can I help you?" she sounded annoyed and Greg gave her puppy dog eyes.

"I'm bored."

"What do you want me to do?" Greg frowned she was taking on that tone she normally used with Barb and only Barb.

"Will you play the drinking game with me, Barb's been on a roll today and I'm guessing we could get in at least five rounds." Jenna sighed.

"I don't know. I'm really behind and I promised Mitch I would have this done by the end of day," she gestured to a pile of paper on her desk. Greg sighed.

"Please, pretty please I'll leave you alone the rest of the day." Jenna looked defeated.

"If you get me my water, I'll play." Greg damn near bolted to the break room for the water before she changed her mind.

"What the hell was that about, it was like pulling teeth to get her to play a game that you guys used to play all the time no matter how much work was on the desk. I'm really starting not to like dating Jenna," thought Greg. He headed back to the desk and saw Marv talking to Jenna. Marv was getting married in a few weeks to Laura from HR, thus cracking the mystery of why she came to their side of the room four times a day. Marv came up to Jenna after the beach party and asked to sing at the wedding, Jenna said yes after Marv and Laura both pleaded with her.

"I don' know Marv, I'm starting to have second thoughts about it."

"Please sweetie. It would mean so much to us and you have such a pretty voice."

"I'll try my best if it means so much to you guys." Marv kissed her on the forehead.

"You are a peach." Marv went back to his desk and Greg sat down on Jenna's desk and handed her the water.

"Oh, thank you." She started looking through a file like Greg wasn't their and he felt that 'fingers slamming in the car door' feeling

"So I didn't ask, what are you singing at their wedding?"

"It's for me and them to know and you and everyone else to find out."

"I won't tell a soul."

"Nope." She turned back to the file and Greg was getting ready to head back to his desk out of defeat when Mitch came up to them grinning.

"Good afternoon, Greg, Jen. Greg you're looking very handsome today." Slightly weirder out Greg stepped away from Mitch.

"Um thanks Mitch. I should get back to work." Greg went back to his desk, but he saw Mitch lean down and said in a voice so soft, Greg almost didn't catch it.

"It must be torture for you my dear girl." Mitch walked away and Greg saw that Jenna went slightly pale and look like she wanted to kill Mitch.

"I have to ask Mitch some questions about this file. Marv can you watch my phone?" asked Jenna.

"No problem." Jenna grabbed her file and followed Mitch to his office and shut the door. Greg picked up some his work and headed to the copier near Mitch's office and listened.

"You promised me," he heard Jenna snap at Mitch.

"It's such a waste though, you two are retarded for each other. He just needs a push in your direction."

"No do not push him in my direction. I'm good with the direction we're going. Please Mitch you promised me." She was pleading with Mitch.

"What the hell did Mitch promise her and what the hell is going on?" thought Greg. He heard Mitch sigh.

"Fine you win."

"Good." Greg got busy making copies and Jenna didn't notice he was their. And she didn't touch her water that afternoon either.

On Friday, Mitch came over to Jenna's desk and plopped himself on the desk.

"So what are you doing for lunch?" Jenna looked like a deer in headlights and Greg started to giggle to himself at the look on her face.

"Going to lunch with Roberto," Mitch shook his head.

"No I told him that you were going to lunch with me and that you and I were going to have a one on one chat." Jenna looked like she wanted to crawl under her desk and die.

"Mitch…no." He grinned and whispered something in her ear. He was still grinning and Jenna looked defeated.

"You're buying and I'm going to order a lot."

"Not a problem my dear girl." He walked away grinning like a moron and Jenna looked at her staple like a weapon. Greg had to laugh out loud.

"What's so damn funny?" asked Jenna.

"Are you seeing Mitch too? He seems to have you wrapped around his finger," Jenna groaned and started getting ready to head out.

"It's nothing." She said using that Barb tone again.

"It's something if he has you jumping through hoops like this." She slammed a drawer.

"It's none of your business," she snapped and Greg felt wounded.

"I'm sorry," he muttered to himself as she walked out the door.

"God she's become a real bitch lately," thought Greg eating his lunch alone in the break room. "She wasn't like this until Roberto…yeah this is all his fault Jenna never acted like this until him." It started right after the beach party, Jenna started distancing herself from him and now it was like she was building a wall to keep away from him.

"Roberto didn't strike you has the jealous type, but who knows what happens outside the office. I swear if I find out he's bullying her…" a host of images that all involved kicking Roberto's ass all the way back to Italy popped into Greg's head and he threw the rest of his lunch out to annoyed to eat it.

Jenna came back around one and looked like she really wanted the ground to swallow her whole and Mitch was grinning like an idiot. She sat down and started to pound her head against the desk.

"You're gonna hurt yourself," said Marv.

"I don't care," she muttered. Marv looked at Greg like Greg should do something, but he was at a total lost. Jenna's phone rang and she answered with her head still on her desk.

"What? What? No I'm not depressed I'm fine. Why did Mitch tell you that? He used the company card, shit Laura had I known that I wouldn't have ordered the desert sampler! No I'm really not depressed, I'm fine." Jenna paused and stood up straight in her chair looking pissed.

"He told you what…that son of…" Jenna swallowed the swear. "I'll be over their in a minute." She hung up the phone and marched over to HR. Greg shared a look with Marv.

"Are you sure woman are worth it? They seem crazy?" asked Greg. Marv laughed.

"They're all crazy, but it's a cute crazy." Twenty minutes later Jenna was following Mitch back to his office, Mitch looked like someone kicked his dog and Jenna looked defeated after some horrible battle. Ten minutes later Jenna was out of Mitch's office and back to her desk. She slumped down in her chair and sighed.

"Hey Greg?" Greg almost jumped; she hadn't started a chat with him in weeks.

"Yeah."

"Umm, can we talk somewhere private during afternoon break? I need to tell you something."

"Stairwell?"

"Stairwell is good," said Jenna and she went back to work . Greg wanted to do a little dance in his chair.

"She wants to talk to me and not to Roberto…hahahahaha…wait what is your issue? You're her friend and this isn't a contest for her."

Jenna was sitting in the stairwell between the fourth and fifth floor. No one really took the stairs up here so it was the most private place in the whole building. Greg plopped down next to her and handed her a bag of Skittles and she gave him the smallest smile.

"So spill what's going on?" He opened his Reese cups and waited. She seemed so nervous and he could never remember her being this way around him ever.

"Oh this is so awkward, it's even more awkward than the time my mom tired to tell me about sex," said Jenna.

"Well if that's what we're here to talk about, you're a little late. I got that talk when I was fourteen and the key advice passed on to me by my father was to 'keep it in my pants,'" said Greg.. Jenna looked at him and started laughing uncontrollable.

"That's good advice."

"Seriously Jen, what's up? You've been weird all day."

"Day…try the last three months have been weird." She sighed and looked him in the eyes.

"I got a little tipsy at the beach party and I told Mitch…I told Mitch that I used to have a crush on you." Greg jaw dropped. "Like when you first started here and before things with you and Dana got serious. But, he blew it out of proportion and you know how office gossip is and I was really trying to curtail it and failed and I'm sure soon the whole office will be talking about it and I wanted you to hear it from me before it got out of control. I mean it was over a year ago and I'm dating someone, so I'm over it. And I hope I haven't freaked you out." Jenna downed the Skittles like a shot of tequila and Greg had to laugh.

"That's it."

"That's it." Greg shook his head.

"You just couldn't resist the Sanders' charm is all. No fault of your own." Jenna looked at him.

"You're not cocky at all."

"What can I say, I know I'm hot." Jenna gave him a little shove and Greg had to know something. "So is that why you've been avoiding me and all the fun things we used to do like it's a bomb?"

"What?"

"Look I'm not going to lie, you've been kind of a bitch towards me lately and not fun at all. I was really starting to miss my friend and I just want to know if your bitchyness was a way to curtail Mitch and the gossip." Jenna looked really ashamed and Greg thought she was going to cry. "I'm sorry I said you were a bitch, but.." Jenna hugged him.

"I was a bitch and I'm sorry that I was a bitch towards you. I was really trying to stop the gossip and I got carried away. Can you forgive me?" Greg hugged her back and felt something like butterflies in his stomach.

"She smells really nice…" Greg stepped out the hug and looked at her.

"Considering you were trying so hard to spare me from the gossip rag, I can forgive you. Jenna grinned and Greg couldn't help but feel his mood improve.

"So you wanna add a new rule to the drinking game?" asked Jenna.

"And that would be?"

"Every time Mitch does something annoying you drink a whole glass."

"Deal." They shook on it.

Greg has started to doze off when Sara came a knocking. Greg groaned and saw her peaking in his passenger window and motioning that he should let her in, Greg rolled down the window

"Go away, I just wanna sleep I've been up for over twenty four hours now." He went to roll it back up and Sara put her hand in the window.

"Let me in or get a bat and make you let me in." Greg groaned and opened the door Sara got in and looked at Greg.

"You look like hell," said Sara

"Well I feel like I've been there all week and the week just started." Sara looked at him.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that someone your clearly still in love with wants to throw you out of the room every time they see you?"

"Maybe, I don't know. It's like I see her and everything good that happened between is there and then I open my mouth or she opens hers and everything about our relationship that hurt me comes back, I just don't know," Greg leaned back in his seat and looked at Sara. "That ever happen to you?"

"Yep and it sucks a lot. But, if the good moments outweigh the bad, shouldn't that be what you hold on too, the good moments?" Greg nodded.

"It's just really hard too."

"Well, tell me some of the good moments you had. I mean you can still remember the good ones right?" asked Sara. Greg gave her a small smile.

"I never forgot them." Greg thought for a moment. "There was this time we went out to dinner," Sara got comfortable in the seat.

"I punched out, so start talking."

Writer's notes-The updates may take awhile longer, I have four weeks left of school and while writing this during my math class is much more fun than listening to the Prof drone on about equations I should pay attention and try to graduate college (Go senior year) on top of other papers to write

Oh and Kristy (for those who don't know) she was cough a lady of the night that Nick was seeing in Season 1. She was killed, Nick was blamed, and I can picture the lab rats gossiping about it, because what else do they have to do?

Yeah Jenna was a bitch wasn't she, hopeful though you can understand her decision to act that way.

I may have to change the rating in a few chapters, due to some future steamy moments. So please stick with me, good parts are coming. And yes I do remember that someone was killed, I'm enjoying writing how they got together though. I promise the murder will be resolved.

Love it, hate it, review it please. -