"There's nothing in there but a sign of struggle on the bed. No fingerprints were anywhere, especially on the phone that was used, sex was obviously done on the bed and nobody had seen anything. It doesn't make sense, Nick. It really doesn't. I mean, there's no semen on the bed, gloves were used everywhere and the only sign that Ursula was in that room was a strand of her hair on the bed. Nobody checked in or out and nobody on the floor saw them. The windows are clean and don't look used at all. There's not even a body or a note, dammit!"

Nick noticed the same, old frustration and anguish in Maggie's voice as they talked over lunch at the diner a few days after Ursula and her kidnapper called Grissom in his office, telling him of the sudden abduction. No new developments had been disclosed save for Eric Jacobson's capture by Brass and his team (charged with attacking a police officer when asked to come in for questioning, Eric was in custody for striking Brass) and his questioning to be scheduled for later in the afternoon. Maggie wasn't supposed to be in to watch the action between Eric and Brass, but she was going anyway. She didn't mind seeing her ex-boyfriend for the first time in almost a week, but at the same time, it gave her a sick feeling inside, as if he had a hand in the kidnapping and was not going to admit it.

"You're rambling again," Nick finally said carefully after taking a bite out of his sandwich, referring to Maggie's mental defensive walls when she was upset.

"Am not," Maggie retorted, mindlessly spinning her fork in circles around her salad.

"Are too, and it's driving me crazy. I know you too well."

"Stop it, Nick, because I'm not. I'm just worried."

"And that's the problem, Maggie." Nick sighed. "You're too worried. Ursula will be fine. From what I've seen of her, she's a good C.S.I. and can handle being a hostage for a while. After all, she's been almost like one for a long time now, what, with Eric Jacobson looking at her and not you. I've seen it."

"You obviously did not hear Grissom talk about the kidnapper, have you?" Grabbing the salad dressing from the corner of the table, Maggie shook the bottle and opened it, pouring carefully before her hands trembled too hard from the cold fear. "He said that the person used a computerized voice so that he or she could not be recognized. And if it was Eric, then how is it that he was found wandering at Alloy Street without Ursula in sight? He must have had an accomplice if he did it." She blew some frustrated air. "We can't afford to lose another C.S.I., Nick. We just can't!"

"And is hiding her well, if he had the brains to," Nick growled, instinctively tracing a line of bruising on Maggie's arm: healing, fading and yet, showing no end in sight. He also knew that she was right – losing another member of any team could not happen – and felt a need to calm her down. Talk to her like a child: slowly and with reassurance. I can't let her know my feelings. She isn't ready to know mine.

"Possibly," Maggie agreed, shivering with some slight eager anticipation at Nick's touch. If it was a good thing, she could not tell. Her mixed feelings about being with Nick more often still remained as such: assorted and not yet decided on a definite feeling. She decided to stay civil, though, and it served her for the time being.

But, when will it be a problem? I can't play nice-nice forever. I need to make a resolution to this. Either I need to be friends with him and stay that way or hitch up again. I love him still, but I don't know anything anymore. I need to play this, play it by ear. Yes, yes…

"But, why would he kidnap Ursula and not you?" Nick shook his head, wondering.

"Drugs, sex, money, revenge and love are the main causes for murder usually, as Grissom has taught us many times. Kidnapping is almost the same thing. It could be for revenge or even for control. Eric could have needed both because I kicked him out. I was tired of him taking control of me and everything else." Maggie paused. "And as for picking Ursula, you're right, Nick: he's had a knack for her since I introduced him to her. She didn't take to him, thankfully, and life went on."

Nick considered his co-worker's theory. "What do you think Jason wanted?"

The question had Maggie drop her fork with surprise, the mention of her child's father opening up memories she usually kept locked up. "Both, I think. And an obsession with me, for sure. He's been tracing me since after high school when he was not performing. Personally, I was not impressed with his so-called 'magical' skills nor was I happy with his personal traits. He was a gross, insecure man who thought he needed me and would have killed if he needed to. Jealousy was his thing, too. Ursula and I already found out he killed about five people connected with me."

"He did not." Nick's voice was of astonishment and even alarm and disbelief.

"He did so, Nick, and I just found out about the other four recently. Jackie Polsen, a friend of mine, was just one of them. Jason Napolitano also killed Floyd Peterson, who was my mailman for a while when I was in South Carolina. He also got to Xavier, who was some male nurse in New York that wanted to date me, but was found, by one of his co-workers, dead in his office one night. Adam Ulrich was a young student who wanted to be a C.S.I., but was also found dead in an office…mine, actually, when I was in Miami. And yes, I was acquitted of that. Horatio Cane made sure of that!" Maggie saw Nick's face and had to laugh.

"Who was the last person?" Nick asked quietly, trying to make the other people in the diner stop staring at them again with normal conversation, whispering words that were not considered such.

"Another co-worker on mine, if you want to call her that, named Maria. She was our cleaning lady for the offices in Georgia. She was found dead outside of my office. And the thing is, I still didn't really put two-and-two together until after I moved out of here the last time. Ursula and I just got to talking and we started investigating everything. Took Michael with us and we started going through the old files and putting the odd puzzle together."

"And it all pointed to Michael's father?"

"Yes, without a doubt, Nick. Without a doubt, Jason Napolitano killed not only my parents, out of pettiness and spite for me, but also murdered five people who were connected to me. Jackie the C.S.I., Floyd the mailman, Xavier the nurse, Adam the student and Maria the cleaning lady: all of their lives taken away because they contacted me almost every single day of their lives, somehow touched me and made me smile. It made me guilty for a while, but I thought it over. Somehow, it's still kind of my fault, being alive and all, and it made me wonder for a while if killing myself when I was a child should have been the way to go. But, here I am, obviously alive, and I have a son. No sense in thinking about that now, seeing as how it's the past and it won't come back."

Nick was silent, thinking over Maggie's words as he continued to eat his sandwich. Then, out of the blue, he said, "You're still rambling, you know that?"

Maggie smiled a toothy grin, almost laughing, and shook her head, black and white strands waving in the air conditioning. "Am not and you know it. You're just making excuses and trying to get me to laugh."

"No, no, now it's my turn to deny everything. I'm not trying to get you to laugh. You're just thinking it's funny. And you are long-winded. Are you sure you're not nervous?"

"Haha, Nick, this isn't funny. I'm not nervous. I'm just…"

"What?"

"I don't know. Ok, ok, I'm nervous. Happy now, Mr. Know-It-All?"

"Yes." Nick beamed, as if the nickname given to him had fitted the persona perfectly, and showed it off, teasing Maggie inexorably until a cell phone rang.

"It's mine," Maggie said reassuringly, seeing hers in the purse light up, as Nick picked his up to see if someone was calling him (and the others in the diner continued to stare at them). "Hello?"

"Hey there, Maggie." The cool voice of Brass filled her ears, making her smile. "Eric Jacobson is ready for interrogation in half an hour. I know you're not supposed to be there when it's going on, but Assistant Director Ecklie is relenting. Care to come still?"

"We'll be there soon." Hanging up the cell phone and placing it back in her purse, Maggie, still sensing Brass' ironic statement, smiled at Nick and answered his silent inquiries. "That was Brass. Ecklie is letting me watch the interrogation after all, as if I wasn't going to sneak in anyway. Still interested in coming with me?"

"To see that bastard crack and confess his crimes under Brass? Sure, I'll come." Nick motioned for a red-haired waitress to come over so that they could pay for lunch. Taking the paper bill from the girl as she walked away, he added, "I'll pay."

Maggie tried grabbing the paper from Nick, almost dunking her breasts in the salad dressing left on her plate. "No, I can pay my half."

The other C.S.I. raised the paper bill high in his hands, as if to keep Maggie from grabbing it, and laughed hysterically. "No, I'll pay. You can do it next time…unless you can cook for me."

"I'll have to ask my brother and Brass and Grissom for visiting rights, since Michael and I staying with him and his family for protection from this kidnapper, you…you…"

"You what?" Nick laughed again and took some money out of his wallet, waving the waitress down quickly before Maggie grabbed everything. "Keep the change," he called out to the waitress as she walked away, smiling at her.

"You…you…" Maggie found no words to insult him, so sat down, calmed, and sighed. "Let's go. I want to watch this. I got some things to do."

"Like what?" Nick asked, curious as he prepared to leave.

"I want to grab Greg and head back to the original crime scene," was the reply. "I'm pretty sure Grissom will let me go. Fresh eyes, remember? And Greg needs some experience in the field. He gets it, but I think he needs a little more before he could be promoted."

"You're tough on him," Nick pointed out. He then got up and held out his hand so that Maggie could get out of her booth seat. She accepted it, taking her purse and walking out with Nick.

"I've also trained C.S.I.'s before." Maggie rolled her eyes at the observation, knowing that she was breaking some rules when she thought about going back to the motel.

Behind them, Maggie also noticed, an elderly gentleman talked with the same waitress that served them. As the duo left, she heard him say to his server pouring coffee, "Those two sure get into arguments a lot."