Disclaimer: Don't own them, never have, never will. However…CSI say that they normally base the cases on the show on real life incidents. I have taken a leaf out of the producer's book and have done the same. All crimes, incidents, etc referred to by the team are from when I worked for the New Zealand Police. Some are ones I personally dealt with, others we're dealt with by friends of mine, either in Response or SOCO.

A/N: This will be the second to last chapter so, please let me know what you think and leave a review…I know from the amount of people who have this on alert that a lot of people are reading, but only a small faithful few are reviewing. But to those who have been reviewing many thanks.

Also, this is a bit of a lighter chapter - though we needed a few laughs after all the emotional stuff. KaS


Chapter Seven

Sara couldn't help but be nervous getting ready for work that night. Sure, it was going back to her friends and a job she loved, but now that they knew the secret she and Gil had kept from them for the past six years she couldn't help but worry that they would treat her differently, even though she knew she was being slightly paranoid and irrational.

Grissom watched patiently for a bit while Sara fidgeted waiting for the time to pass before they meet the team at the dinner. When he could stand her restlessness no longer he approached her slowly from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Calm down" He whispered in her ear. "Everything will be fine, trust me".

"Yes, but…"

"No butts. Besides, you've been in touch with Catherine while we've been on leave - has she treated you any different?"

"No" Sara had to admit.

"So let's just enjoy some time with our friends before work, ok honey?"

Was this really the same Grissom she'd worked with for the last 6 years? Sara thought.

"Ok" was all she said out loud.

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Sara and Gil were the last ones to arrive at the dinner that the night shift frequented, and made there way to where the rest of the team were sitting in a booth in the back.

"Hi Guys" Sara greeted the team as they approached.

"Hey you two - welcome - Warrick move over and let them sit down" Catherine ordered.

'Well I guess nothing much has changed after all' Sara thought as Warrick slid along the booth and the two of them sat down.

"What you having?" Nick asked "We're just about to place our order"

"Anything with meat in it" Grissom joked

"Gil!" Both girls exclaimed together.

"Sorry"

"Sara - what do you want?" Nick redirected his question.

"Blueberry pancake stack, please Nick"

"Gil?"

"Bacon & Eggs"

"You know it's a good thing this place serves 24hour breakfast" Brass commented.

"Why else do you think that we always eat here?" Greg commented.

"Point taken."

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The team were all digging into there meals and as a result it was fairly quiet for a short period of time.

"So, what's been happening on the work front while we've been on leave?" Sara asked around a mouthful of pancakes.

"Well," Nick started, "Remember that 'dumb ass of Vegas crim competition' that Sophia had going?"

"Personally I think we've too many nominations already, but go on" Grissom commented.

"Well, after breakfast Greg & I are going to interview our suspect in Desert palms."

"Don't you mean victim?" Sara asked.

"No, the suspects in hospital"

"What happened to him?"

"Well, he decided to commit armed robbery with a garden implement - he's recovering from a gun shot wound as we speak"

"What?!? How?!?" Grissom & Sara exclaimed together.

"Yes, our genius decided to hold up a firearms dealers shop…..with a machete!" Nick finished.

Sara just completely doubled up in laughter over at that.

"What's the old saying - those that live by the sword are killed by the bullets of those that don't" Grissom added.

"Yeah well, we've got to interview our suspect, who may also be considered a victim if his lawyer has his way, now that he's out of the surgery to remove the bullet."

"How can a robber be a victim?" Sara asked.

"Lawyer's claiming that the gun used by the actual victim was excessive force for self defence" Nick said.

"Just another reason why I hate lawyers" Sara commented.

"Well, if you think that's good," Sophia said, "While Catherine and I we're processing our scene…"

"What did you guys have?" Gil asked

"Some idiot decided it'd be fun to throw a rock from the side of an over bridge -it smashed through the windscreen of a vehicle passing below and killed the driver" Catherine answered.

"Lovely" Sara commented.

"Anyway," Sophia continued, "While we we're at the scene this bystander comes up to me and asks me "Could you look into my vehicle accident for me? You see, I was driving along the footpath, and this idiot of a woman drove out of her driveway and hit me - and I want to press charges against her because it's her fault cause she wasn't looking where she was going!"

"She was driving on the footpath?" Brass asked.

"Exactly what I said" Sophia answered.

At that, everyone was laughing so hard that the other people in the dinner were starting to look strangely at them.

"Do people ever think about what they're admitting to when they talk to us?" Sara wondered.

"Well, if you think that's a laugh," Brass said "Try this one. A guy came into the station the other day and I was called over to the reception, cause I happened to be passing and the guy insisted on speaking to a police officer - you know the type"

"All to well" Warrick said.

"Well, he says, I need to report my motorbike stolen. So I gave him the forms and said 'here, fill these in' then he says 'I got a slight problem with these forms officer"

"What was the problem?" Grissom asked.

"Ahh, you see officer, it's like this. I got two bikes' we'll say for illustration purposes that one is a Honda registration ABC111 and the second in a Suzuki registration XYZ999. 'And well, the Honda's been stolen, but my licence plates on that bike had expired, so I decided to switch the plates with my Suzuki - my Honda rego ABC111 was stolen, but it had the plates XYZ999 on it when it was stolen"

"Did you happen to mention to him the one or two criminal offences, involved in that?" Sophia asked.

"Oh yeah." Brass said.

"How did you file it just out of curiosity?" Catherine asked.

"Filed the bike stolen with no-plates using the VIN number, then added in the plates as a stolen item attached to the bike"

"Smart"

"Then I gave the guy a lecture on the laws he'd broken and started the paperwork for that as well."

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They chatted about other interesting cases for awhile over their food, and then sat with cups of coffee for awhile.

Then, during a lull in conversation, Catherine cleared her throat, and looked over at Grissom and Sara, (Whilst the first had his arm around the second's shoulder).

"What Catherine?" Grissom asked.

"Well, you see" Catherine began, "While you've been on leave, we've been working on a couple of presents for you - just to you know, show you both that we care."

"Catherine…" Sara began.

"No, let me finish. We're going to give them to you now, but we want you to wait till after work in the morning, when you're alone to open them. They're kind of personal, so only Archie and I have seen the finished product"

"You've really got me curious now" Grissom said.

"Ditto" Sara added.

"Yeah well, if you like them, we all helped" Greg said.

"And if you hate them, it was Catherine's idea - blame her" Warrick stated.

"But, if you do like them little sis, we'd like to see the finished product after you've had first view" Nick said.

"So what are they?" Sara asked.

"We're not saying" Brass said.

"But, now that we're all finished, once we've paid, meet me at my car and I'll give them to you" Catherine said "But remember to leave them until after shift to open"

"Ok" Grissom agreed.

TBC


A/N: Haha! And you all thought I was going to show you Gil & Sara's reaction to the photos in this chapter…well, you just have to wait till the next time.

Also, when I was in the NZ police, me and my unit partner Helen (Shout out to ya PENNEY!!) used to run our own 'dumb ass criminal of the year' competition annually. The guy who held up a gun shop with a machete was our 2006 winner (Probably not an honour to aim for however).