Greg grabbed the last print out and turned to face the waiting CSIs, wishing he had better news. "Please tell me you've got something," Catherine said.
"Wish that I could, but I didn't have much to work with," he replied. "I ran the bloody prints that Sara pulled from the back door through AFIS and came up empty. Whoever the killer is, they don't have a record. There were three other sets of prints pulled from the scene near the bodies. Two, I was able to identify as belonging to the vics, but I ran the other set through AFIS. They didn't match up either."
"The third set of prints probably belong to their daughter, Lacey," Catherine said.
Catherine sat back knowing that this piece of information would bring on a whole new set of questions. She didn't have to wait long. "Grissom has a niece?" Nick asked. Catherine nodded. "That's where you went, isn't it?"
She nodded again. "We went to pick her up from school." She saw the others were going to start asking more questions. "That's all the questions I'm going to answer right now." Turning back to Greg she asked, "Did you find anything else?"
"Sorry, that's all there was," he replied. "The only blood at the scene belonged to the victims."
Catherine sighed. "All right. You guys go home and get some sleep. Nick, Sara, I need you guys to come in early for the autopsy." The others nodded and filed out behind Catherine. All of them disheartened, that there wasn't more they could do.
*****************************
Catherine sighed as she pulled up outside Lindsey's school. Her mood cheered a little, however, when she saw her daughter's smiling face. "Hi, mommy," she said cheerfully as she climbed into the car.
"Hey, baby, how was school today?" she asked. She drove home, listening to Lindsey chatter on happily about her day. Catherine was glad that her daughter seemed to be coping better with her fathers death. There had been no fights so far this year and she was once again enjoying school.
When the pair got home, Catherine led Lindsey into the living room and sat her down on the couch. "What's wrong, mommy?" Lindsey asked.
Catherine didn't know where to begin. "Do you remember Uncle Gil's niece, Lacey? She used to come over and play with you when you were real little." Catherine watched her daughter try to remember. She wasn't sure Lindsey would actually remember. She had been four the last time Lacey had been over.
"Does she have pretty red hair?" Lindsey asked.
Catherine nodded. "Yes, she does."
"I remember her," Lindsey said excitedly. "She used to bring her dolls over so I could play with them."
"That's right, honey."
Lindsey was about to say something else when she noticed how red her mother's eyes were. "What's wrong, mommy?" she asked again.
"Honey, Lacey's parents were killed today." Catherine watched as her daughter digested this piece of information.
"That means that Uncle Gil's sister died, right?" Lindsey asked.
"That's right."
Lindsey was silent for a few minutes, before she said determinedly, "We need to take care of them, like you took care of me after daddy died."
"That's right, baby," Catherine replied, tears forming in her eyes. She pulled her daughter close and hugged her tight.
************************
Catherine and Lindsey stood in front of Gil's door. "Remember what I told you," Catherine started.
"I know, mom," Lindsey interrupted, rolling her eyes. "Don't ask Lacey about her parents. I'm not stupid."
"I'm sorry, baby," Catherine replied, giving her daughter a smile, before knocking on the door.
**************
Grissom woke with a start, wondering why he was so uncomfortable. He realized that he had fallen asleep on the couch with Lacey in his lap. Hearing a knock at the door, he glanced at the clock and realized it must be Catherine. "Come in," he called as loudly as he dared, not wanting to startle Lacey.
Catherine opened the door and stopped at the sight in front of her. She wished she had her camera with her. The pair on the couch was just too adorable. Lindsey, not able to see from behind her mother, called out, "Uncle Gil!"
Lacey bolted upright at the exclamation. Grissom quickly laid a hand on her arm and said quietly, "It's just Cath and Lindsey." Taking a few calming breaths, she nodded, letting her uncle know she was okay.
"Hi, Aunt Cath," Lacey said, falling back on her onetime nickname for the older woman. "Hey, Lindsey, remember me?"
The young girl nodded. "You used to play dolls with me."
"That's right. Now if you don't mind, I think I'm just going to hop in the shower real quick," Lacey said and left the room.
"Linds, why don't you watch TV while Uncle Gil and I get dinner ready?" Catherine said. Lindsey nodded and settled herself on the couch as the adults made their way to the kitchen.
"How's she holding up?" Catherine asked, as soon as Lindsey was out of earshot.
"About as well as can be expected," Gil replied as he rummaged through the fridge for salad ingredients. "She had a nightmare and ended up on the couch with me. Do you have any leads on the case?"
"Not yet," Catherine replied, "but we should know more after the autopsy." Grissom nodded and the pair continued their dinner preparations in silence.
******************
Catherine looked around the table and was surprised by how much they looked like an ordinary family. 'Mom, dad, and two kids,' she thought with smile. "So, Lacey, how do you like high school?" she asked, breaking the silence.
"It's okay," Lacey replied. "I really enjoy my classes."
"What are your favorite classes?" Lindsey asked. "Mine are art and science."
"Science is my favorite, too," Lacey replied, earning a grin from the younger girl. "But math is a close second."
"What kind of science classes have you taken?" Catherine asked.
"Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. All advanced placement," Lacey added, shyly.
"That's great," Catherine said giving her a smile. "Do you know what you want to study in college?"
"Well, I've been thinking about a majoring in Chemistry with a minor in Criminal Justice," she replied.
"Uh oh," Catherine said, shooting Grissom a smirk. "Looks like you've got a future CSI on your hands."
Her comment caused Lacey to blush and Grissom to get an excited look on his face. "Well, I bet she'd make a great CSI," he stated, causing Lacey's cheeks to get even redder.
"Yeah, well, dad wants me to…" Lacey trailed off as she realized what she said. Clearing her throat, she tried to start again, "I mean he *wanted*…" She pushed her chair back from the table. "I'm sorry, I can't…" was all she managed to say before she fled from the room.
Grissom was about to get up and follow her when Catherine put her hand on his. "I think she needs a little time to herself." Grissom shot an uncertain glance at the doorway, but decided Catherine probably knew what she was talking about.
Lindsey stood up, trying to sneak away quietly when she heard her mother say, "Where are you going, Lindsey?"
"To the bathroom," Lindsey replied. Catherine nodded and turned back to her conversation with Gil. Breathing a sigh of relief, Lindsey made her way down the hallway. Listening at the closed door, she heard soft crying coming from inside. Pushing open the door, she found Lacey crying on the bed. Climbing up on the bed, Lindsey curled herself behind the older girl's form. "It'll be okay," she whispered in Lacey's ear.
She felt Lacey take her hand and give it a squeeze. "Thanks," the older girl whispered back.
********************
"I hope Lindsey's not sick," Catherine said when her daughter still hadn't returned to the table.
"Why don't you go check on her," Grissom suggested. "I'll clear the table."
Catherine nodded and made her way to the bathroom. The door was open and Lindsey was nowhere to be found. She looked in Grissom's office, but the only living things in there were his bugs. The only place left to check was his bedroom. Cracking open the door, she found the two girls sitting on the bed. Lacey was braiding Lindsey's hair and the two seemed to be having a serious discussion. "There you are," she said, announcing her present.
Lindsey looked up, guilt written across her face. "Hi, mommy."
"I thought you were going to the bathroom," Catherine said, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I was, but…I…um," Lindsey trailed off.
"It's okay, Aunt Cath," Lacey jumped in. "Lindsey was just cheering me up."
A soft smile formed on Catherine's face. "I hate to break this up, but we've got to go Linds."
Lindsey sighed. "All right. Can Lacey come over and play sometime?"
"It's up to Lacey, honey," her mother replied.
"I'd love to," Lacey said, putting the finishing touches on the younger girl's hair.
"Yay!" Lindsey cheered. She gave the older girl a hug and followed her mother out of the bedroom.
************************
When Lacey exited the bedroom a few minutes later she saw her uncle getting ready for work. "Uncle Gil," she said softly.
Turning at the sound of her voice, Grissom asked, "Lacey, are you okay to stay alone while I'm work?"
Rolling her eyes, she replied, "I'm almost seventeen, Uncle Gil."
Grissom nodded. "Sorry, I'm new to this whole thing."
"I know. Actually, that's what I came out here for."
"What's wrong?" Grissom asked.
There was a silence and then Lacey blurted out, "Can I come to work with you tonight? Normally, I wouldn't ask and I'm really okay to stay here by myself, I just really don't want to be by myself tonight. I mean, I understand if you can't, but I figured I might as well ask."
When she paused to take a breath, Grissom quickly broke in, "Lacey, it's okay. You can come with me tonight if you'd like. You'll have to stay in my office or the break room though."
Lacey nodded happily. "That's fine. I just don't want to be alone right now."
Giving her a hug, Grissom replied, "I understand. We'd better get going though or I'm going to be late." Lacey nodded and the pair headed out the door.