2. Truth

During the rest of her shift, Morgan didn't see Greg anymore. When she left, she sent him a text message, letting him know she was going home, but when she arrived at her house, he still hadn't sent anything back. Annoyed, but also disappointed, she got out of her car and walked up to the front door. After checking if it was locked, she knocked and waited. Nearly a full minute later Melody finally opened the door, immediately closing and locking it again once Morgan had stepped inside.

"You know this has to stop, right?" Morgan said, throwing her car keys on the table as usual. "Where's Dylan?"

"He fell asleep in your bed," Melody told her. "Look, Morgan, I've been thinking about it and it's probably best if Dylan and I just disappear and stay out of your life from now on. I'll miss you, but it's the best thing to do."

Morgan looked at her, her eyebrows raised up high. "The best thing to do? You know what the best thing to do is? Tell everyone the truth! Deal with what the police has to say about your actions and stop running! Every time I see Dylan, I'm surprised he still recognizes me!"

"You haven't changed a bit in twelve years," Melody commented.

"That's not the point."

With a sigh, Melody fell down on Morgan's couch. "I know, I know, I'm sorry! Look, just give me a few days to figure out a plan, okay? I'm not ready to go to the police just yet, even though that might be the best thing to do. I'm just so worried about Dylan once I do that! What's going to happen to him? Will they let him stay with you? Will he have to go to prison as well? And what if…"

"And what if I try to figure out a way to help you, along with my colleagues?" Morgan suggested. "We're all CSI's, maybe my Dad can help…"

"No."

"Come on, Melody, the least we can do, is try!" Morgan protested. "You're not even giving us a chance!"

"Because I already know how that's going to turn out!" Melody called out. "Don't you remember you tried to help me back in LA? Dylan and I only barely got away!"

Morgan fell silent for a moment. Finally, she said: "This team isn't anything like the team in LA. These people here can actually help you. Please let us try, Mel! If not for you, than for Dylan! He shouldn't be on the run with you like this, he should be able to go to school and make friends! He shouldn't have to leave his favorite toys behind every time you decide it's not safe to stay anymore…"

"It's not exactly my decision if it's safe to stay or not," Melody softly reminded her. Morgan sighed. "I know… But, please, Melody, can I at least tell Greg the truth? I think he feels I can't trust him right now and I hate that he's mad at me. He won't tell anyone else, I promise! Please, Mel?"

She gave her best friend her best begging look, which always made her laugh. This time was no exception: after only a few moments, a smile appeared on Melody's face.

"Fine, tell him!" she grinned. "Just don't make me sound too criminal, okay?"

Morgan grinned back at her. "Deal!"

The next day, long before her shift started, Morgan drove Melody's rental car back to the airport and then took a taxi to Greg's house. Surprised, he let her in. "What are you doing here?"

"Would you believe me if I told you I just wanted a kiss?" She gave him a flirty look, which, to her relief, made him smile.

"Well, since I'm such a great kisser, that makes sense of course!" he teasingly grinned. Smiling, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. When they broke apart, she looked at him more seriously. "You're not still mad at me, are you?"

He started to shake 'no' with his head, but then seemed to change his mind. "Maybe a little… Maybe you should give me another reason not to be mad at you anymore…"

"Just one?" she teased him, giving him a quick kiss. He immediately pulled her close and held her tightly. As she felt his lips on hers, she started to relax. A little too much, she suddenly realized. She stopped his hands from going up her back even further and looked at him. "Come on, I've got to tell you something!"

He followed her to his living room and sat down next to her on the couch.

"Okay, here we go!" she said after taking a deep breath. "My friend Melody…"

Greg's phone ringing already interrupted her story there. With a sad look on his face he showed her who was calling him: Russell. She let out a deep sigh. Of course! She leaned back on the couch, waiting as patiently as she could for Greg to finish talking to their supervisor. After he had hung up, she looked at him. "My place after shift?"

She had already understood Russell needed Greg on a case and a new case usually meant they wouldn't have any time to talk until after work hours.

"Yeah, I guess we don't have a choice," Greg said with a sigh. "Do you want me to give you a ride home or to CSI?"

Morgan got her cell phone from her pocket, which just started ringing.

"Actually," she said, after checking the ID, "I think you can take me with you to your crime scene!"

Eight hours of processing the crime scene, labeling bags and taking evidence to the different labs later they finally had a chance to talk again. Since they had to wait for Henry and Hodges to process their evidence, Russell had no problem with the two of them going home, although he did give them a suspicious look when Greg offered to give Morgan a ride home.

"My car wouldn't start," she explained to her supervisor.

"Really? Would you like me to send someone to take a look at your car?" Russell asked. Morgan politely smiled at him. "That won't be necessary since I know why it wouldn't start. Most cars tend not to start when they're out of gas…"

Russell nodded. "I see… Wait, weren't you late yesterday because you had to go out and get gas?"

Morgan froze. Damn it, he was right! She had been late because she had to take a taxi from Greg's house to her own and then drive back to CSI. If she had gotten up a little earlier she would have been right on time, but when she woke up, she was so comfortable in Greg's arms and they figured they had enough time, so…

"Maybe you're right, maybe I should have someone check my car," she quickly said. "I mean: with gas disappearing this fast there must be something wrong with it. Thanks for the idea, Russell!"

Before he could say anything else, she rushed outside. Greg followed her a few minutes later. She gave him a worried look. "Is he onto us?"

"Probably, but I think I managed to convince him that there really is something wrong with your car," he told her. "I just made up a story on how Warrick's car used to have that same problem until they put in a new gas tank. And it's not like he can exactly check with Warrick if I'm telling the truth…"

"You never know, maybe he can talk to ghosts!" Morgan teased him.

"Hey, if there's anyone who can talk to ghosts, it's me!" he reminded her with a smile. "But can we please go now? Before our ghost whisper sees us here and thinks of more difficult questions…"

"Sure," Morgan grinned. She got into Greg's car and looked out the window while he drove to her house. There, she waited for him to get out of his car, so she could take his hand and walk up with him to the front door. She loved holding hands with him, but of course it wasn't something they could do very often.

"So, will you finally tell me about Melody and Dylan?" he asked her as they reached the front door.

"Yes," she said with an affirmative nod. "Let me just get my keys and I'll let you in."

She started going through her bag to find her keys.

"Eh… Morgan?"

"Yeah?" She looked up and saw he had a worried expression on his face. Following his eyes, she finally saw what he saw: the front door was open…

"Oh, no," she whispered. She ran inside. "Melody! Dylan! Where are you? It's okay, it's me, Morgan, and I've only got Greg with me! Melody! Dylan! Dylan!"

She checked every room of her house, but Melody and Dylan were nowhere to be found. On the floor in her bedroom she found the toy car Dylan had showed her yesterday. With tears in her eyes, she looked up at Greg. "He's got them…"