Chapter 8

A/N: Welcome to the next instalment. I hope you enjoy. Thanks for all those who continue to give me support. I am loving it.

Disclaimer: Once again I admit that I don't own anything CSI. It's so sad.

Coming Clean

Catherine was not able to talk to the others until breakfast after shift. Las Vegas decided to turn on the crime that night and they had barely seen each other after assignments were handed out. In fact it had been a long time since they had all had to go solo on cases due to the sheer number of them. So it was that a series of phone calls ensured that they would all meet at the diner for breakfast and to talk.

They settled into their favourite booth and placed their orders. No-one spoke until they had all taken a grateful sip of their coffee.

"Ok Cath, what is this all about?" Warrick asked the question that was on all their minds.

"We need to talk about Grissom" she stated, glancing at all three in turn.

"Is something wrong? He isn't coming back is he? I knew it. I….." Greg's ramblings were cut off by Nick's hand on his arm.

"Let her finish man" he told him.

"I called in to see Grissom after shift yesterday and he told me that he knew it was Sara that did the bug infested case he had been sent by the Washington FBI and he accused me of knowing where she was all along."

She was not surprised to see matching looks of worry on their faces so she held up her hand to keep them quiet.

"He wanted to know why we…." she broke off and gestured around the table to include all of them. "Why we, even though I only found out a few weeks ago, didn't tell him that we knew where she was or that we had been in contact."

"How did he know for sure it was Sara?" Greg asked.

"You said he guessed that she was in Washington with the FBI because of one particular case, I mean he only guessed right?" Nick pointed out. "What would have made him think we were in contact with Sara anyway, or know where she is?"

"He said he knew it was Sara by the way the report was written Greg. He said it had no mistakes in it and it could have been written by him." She told the youngest member of the team.

"And he's not stupid Nick." She continued, glaring at the Texan. "He knows how close you guys and Sara are. I guess he figured that you would find her and contact her eventually."

The look Catherine gave them made them feel uncomfortable.

"Come on guys, even when he's sick Grissom is still the best CSI around. Plus he knows you all pretty well."

Nick, Greg and Warrick all nodded in agreement.

"Wait a sec! Am I to assume that the reason we are all here is because you told him that he was right, that Sara is in Washington with the FBI?" Greg paused, a slightly puzzled look on his face. "I mean, does he know for sure we know where she is or is he just guessing, because if he's just guessing then we are in the clear." He looked around the table.

Catherine chuckled at Greg's expression. "He knows for sure Greg. Sara told him."

She sat back in her seat, a grin on her face as she watched various emotions flash over their faces. Greg was horrified and then looked scared. Nick looked shocked and then resignation settled in. It was Warrick's expression that had her intrigued though.

After the initial shock his mouth had curved up into a smile. Why was Warrick smiling?

Catherine had an idea why, so she asked the question.

"It was you, wasn't it Warrick?"

Greg and Nick looked from Warrick to Catherine and then settled back on Warrick. Now they were confused.

When he nodded, the smile never leaving his face, she knew why, though by the expressions on the faces of the other two they didn't have a clue what was going on.

"Grissom told me Sara ripped him a new one for not taking care of himself. You can feel proud of yourself Warrick because he also told me they were going to try to repair their friendship." She smiled at him but the smile didn't reach her eyes.

"You want to know the best thing. He had a smile on his face when he told me, he even laughed about her telling him off. That's the first time I have seen him smile in more than six months."

They waited for her to continue.

"The thing is…..could we have prevented everything that has happened in the last few months if you had just told him that Sara was ok, or where she was?"

Warrick shook his head.

"I don't think it would have made a lot of difference Cath. I think it was Sara's leaving that was the problem, where or how she was, wasn't the issue. She left and she took a piece of Grissom with her, you know? I guess he knew he'd blown it and that must'a hurt bad. He chose the direction he took when she left, I don't think that knowing where she was would have changed a thing."

Nick, Greg and Catherine stared at him. Finally Nick put his hand on his friend's shoulder.

" Wow 'Rick, when did you get so insightful man?"

Greg shook his head before adding, "Well, I for one hope it works and we can get the old Grissom back because I sure as hell don't like the one we got now."

"That's for sure" Catherine and Nick said at the same time.

"Well, I guess only time will tell. Come on let's go get some sleep." Warrick said as he stood to leave.

They paid for the meals they had hardly touched and headed to their cars then home, each thinking about what they had discussed and the possible outcome.