Chapter 2

Saturday May 8th, 2010
McCarren International Airport
5:45 p.m.

"Why I'll be, if it isn't Catherine Willow. Damn, you're looking good."

Catherine smiled as she turned around and saw Mike Metcalf standing behind her. "Hello again Mike."

"Ms. Willows." he greeted more respectfully. "Welcome back to Vegas."

"Thanks."

"You're the last to arrive; Dr. Grissom and Mr. Stokes are waiting for us at Baggage Claim," Metcalf explained as they turned and made their way towards the area in question.

"Thanks, so how are you Mike?"

"Good, good. Busy as always. Made Detective a few months ago."

"Congratulations."

"Thanks," Mike smiled at her. "What about you Ms. Willows? How are you?"

"I'm fantastic. Loving Miami."

"Miami sure does seem to love you back," Mike agreed with a smirk and Catherine laughed. She knew she looked good, that was no secret. Miami sun and working days had left her with a healthy glow; her hair was more of a strawberry blonde now than the blonde it had been during her time in Vegas. The sunlight brought out her natural red highlights, and the years in Florida had left them practically taking over her hair color.

"That it does," Catherine agreed with a smile as they entered the baggage claim area and Mike walked towards the carousel where her luggage would be coming.

"I'll go get the other two and we'll be back in a sec."

"No problem," she answered and he nodded before turning and heading over to where he left the two men. Seeing them standing away from him and talking to each other he smiled slightly. The smile fading immediately. He wasn't on the Task Force, part of the reason he had volunteered to come get the three from the airport and take them to their hotel and then the lab. But that didn't mean he wasn't aware of just what the appearance of these three would mean to some of the members of the Task Force, and more especially to members of the Lab and CSIs. He'd have to be blind to not realize what this meant. After all, these three had left years before, with reason of course, but without explanations or goodbyes really. Leaving behind the others to go down with the ship. He had watched from the sidelines as the Crime Lab went down to the depths of hell and managed to claw their way back up, especially those members who had once worked with these three on a regular basis. Especially Sidle and Brown.

"Gentlemen," he greeted and they turned towards him. "Ms. Willows is here. I told her I'd come get you."

"Thanks," Nick answered with a nod and Metcalf did a mental double take once more, it was still strange to hear the Texas accent he once had ten times more pronounced now.

"No problem. Dr. Grissom," he greeted the older man and got a nod in return. Turning he walked with them towards where Ms. Willows was and slowed down as they approached the carousel and the two men continued. Catherine turned and shared a hug with Grissom before turning to Nick and smiling slightly before sharing a brief hug with him. Hmm...perhaps Stokes wasn't as over what happened as he appeared to be earlier.

"Everyone set?" he asked stepping forward and seeing their nods he turned to lead them to his car. "Your rooms have been arranged at the Tangiers, after you drop your stuff off and are ready, I'll take you over to the Lab. The Sheriff will meet and explain things to you then."

"Tangiers?" Catherine asked with a frown. "How is the lab able to cover the price of three rooms at the Tangiers?"

"Mr. Braun offered the use of three rooms as a favor to the Lab." Mike explained as they loaded everything into his trunk before getting into the car, Catherine taking shotgun.

On the way to the hotel, the three compared notes about their lives over the past five years, the basics really, and Mike wrote much of it to memory in case O'Riley or the others on the task force asked. Letting them get settled in their rooms, they came back downstairs to where he was at the bar with a coke thirty minutes later. Getting back in his car he took them back to the lab and dropped them off, the sheriff having called and apologized that he was unable to meet them. Leaving them to find their way to the break room, Mike went back to work.

Saturday May 8th, 2010
CSI Break Room
6:45 p.m.

"Blue Hawaiian coffee, is there a better wake-up call in the world?" Greg smiled as he sunk into a chair with his cup of the newly brewed drink.

"There is but I'm not about to tell you what it is," drawled Liz with a smirk from where she was leaning up against the doorframe leading into the break room.

"Lizzie girl," Greg grinned at her. "Come, sit. Have some coffee. Maybe the two of us can get Davey here to have some and get rid of that perpetual frown of his."

Liz walked over and poured herself a cup of Greg's coffee before taking the seat opposite him. "So...how do you guys feel about having these three back? I mean you were here with them before they left. I've only met one of them briefly."

"Could be worse. Could have Hodges back being the little prick he was then," Greg shrugged nonchalantly.

"Bite me Sanders," Hodges snapped as he sat down on the couch. "And I'm surprised you're acting like this is no big deal. I'm stressed and they all treated me like the smallest blip on their radars back then. You were one of the 'gang' they ran out on," he continued with another frown.

"I think he is more upset, considering that statement he just made to you. I've never heard him talk to you that way since I joined here," Liz countered softly.

"She's right. Sorry about that David," Greg sighed as he set his cup down. "I can't believe they're going to be back here after all this time. But I'm more worried about Sara and Warrick. I mean yeah, I worked with them and considered them good friends, even a possible family. Although compared to the family we have now, it doesn't compare..." Greg shrugged. "But even if I wasn't apart of a family with all of them, Sara and Warrick were once upon a time."

"Yeah, the five of them were pretty close, especially before the split," David agreed

"I can only imagine what you guys are going through," commented Liz sadly. "I don't know much about what it was like before I came but judging by the fact that neither Sara nor Rick talk about it I can only imagine how hard this is on them. What about Lindsey? How is she going to feel about having her mother back in town after all this time? I only met Catherine once for a few minutes and let's just say she didn't leave me with the best of impressions about her."

"Once upon a time she was a great person," Greg spoke up as he leaned back in his chair and looked at the blonde woman across from him. "Being a supervisor changed her. She wanted Days, and thought she had to prove herself to Ecklie to get it. She also was always being compared to Griss, wasn't a good place to be. It just pushed her too far. Then after BPKC came...all of us were drained with the case, we had just gotten the second half of the real one a few months earlier. Add to that how the lab was beginning to go downhill...it changed all of us. For her it wasn't a change for the better sadly."

"That's the truth. I was happier to work with you towards the end, and back then I hated your guts," David agreed.

"Feeling was mutual there buddy boy," Greg smiled and David just rolled his eyes. "As for Linds...I don't know how she'll handle this. But at the same time, she's not the kid she was five-years-ago. She's amazingly matured, a lot like her mother at times. That is the Catherine we knew way back when...and she's got the support of all of us, but especially the support of you and Sara," Greg shrugged once more.

"Well, I just hope that she's lost a bit of the attitude I ran into when we first met," commented Liz. "I was there to visit my friend Calleigh and Catherine was less than pleasant with me for some reason. And Lindsey is definitely a great kid. She might actually manage to get two different scholarships to University if she keeps going the way that she is."

"That's right; she and the team have a competition coming up, don't they?" David asked with a smile.

"They have the championships coming up at this point. I've been helping them as much as I can in my off time but it looks like that time may be even more limited now," sighed Liz.

"I'm sure she and the team understand," Greg assured her before taking a quick breath. "Get ready guys, here they come," he continued as he watched the three people making their way towards the break room over Liz's shoulder,

"Greg?" Nick began as they reached the doorway and he saw the younger man. "Hey, how are you?" he asked with a smile.

"I'm good," Greg answered from where he sat as Liz moved over to sit next to Hodges on the couch. "Let me introduce the others," he continued glancing over at his teammates. "Well, one you don't know." he continued with a smile.

"Hodges?" Catherine asked surprised to see him.

"Ms. Willows." David greeted. "Grissom, Stokes," he continued with a nod to each of them, still managing to frown at them.

"Nice to see you again, David," Grissom spoke before looking over at Greg and smiling slight. "Greg."

"Griss," Greg countered. "This is Liz Fabrey," he continued as he looked over at Liz. "Liz, this is Catherine Willows, Gil Grissom, and Nick Stokes."

"Mr. Grissom, Mr. Stokes," Liz greeted quietly before turning a slightly hostile glare in Catherine's direction. "Ms. Willows," she greeted coldly.

"Nice to meet you Ms. Fabrey," Nick answered as Catherine narrowed her eyes and regarded the other woman.

"Sorry we're late," Sara's voice came from behind the three and they turned to see her and Warrick. "We were talking with O'Riley," she continued as she came into the room, Warrick right behind her.

"You're only two minutes late," Greg teased and Sara just rolled her eyes as she walked around the room to smack his head and continue over to the coffee pot as Warrick stopped by the three.

"Cath, Nick, Griss," Warrick greeted the three.

"Hey Warrick," Nick smiled and Warrick smiled back slightly. "Hey Sar," he continued and she looked up from the two cups of coffee she was fixing to give a half sort of smile.

"Well, we may as well get started, shouldn't we?" Warrick asked as he walked over to take a cup that Sara was holding for him. "Have introductions been made?"

"Yes," Grissom nodded.

"Shouldn't we wait for the supervisors to get here?" Catherine pointed out and the five exchanged looks before Sara took a drink of her coffee.

"They're already here," Liz informed her coldly.

Frowning at her Catherine looked around even more confused before glancing back at Warrick and Sara as they leaned against the counter by the coffee pot. "You two?" she asked surprised.

"You seem surprised by that," commented Liz defensively.

"A bit...not because they can't do it." Catherine defended.

"When Tony needed new supervisors, he decided to bring in from the group. Only makes sense it would be us," Sara explained with a shrug to stop further conversation on the topic.

"So Warrick Swing, you nights?" Nick asked before seeing their nods. "Well congratulations," he continued with a grin.

"Thanks," Warrick smiled as Sara took another sip of her coffee. "But we should probably get to work. You guys either obviously didn't meet with Pete, or he forgot to mention about us..." he began as the three took seats at the table.

"He wasn't able to meet with us," Grissom explained and Warrick nodded.

"Press Conference,." he and Sara spoke simultaneously. "Sara's got to go give an update later." he continued as she frowned. "Okay, what do you guys know about the case?"

"The Copycat from 2005 came back in February. He's killed two people a month, and the first for this one. Just like when he first struck in 2005, it seems he makes his own paint, leaves no fingerprints, and no matter how many stake-outs of college campuses you make, you can't catch him."

"And you're seventh victim was a Texas Ranger," Nick continued for Grissom.

"Also the seventh victim was the first to be found near a building, an abandoned warehouse, where you found her blood, and it was determined as the main crime scene," Catherine added and the others nodded.

"Not released to the public is the fact that the victims' hands are tied together with plastic cuffs similar to the ones issued to the police department. We actually traced them back to the manufacturer, and they were part of a shipment sent here to the LVPD. We went back to records and they were said to be delivered, but we can't find the box they were a set of," Sara explained.

"So it may be someone in the force?" Catherine asked.

"We've ruled out everyone currently on staff, along with every employee back until the shipment came in 2006," Greg spoke up.

"Well that sucks," Catherine mused.

"Quite," Warrick agreed. "Okay, so..." he began looking at his watch before looking up to catch Sara's eye and she nodded in understanding. "why don't we split up? Best way to get into the case is to just jump in. Greg, take Nick with you and go see if Mia's got anything. Liz, why don't you and Griss go check in with Al, then Bobby. And David can you take Catherine and get back to work in Trace?"

"Sure thing temporary boss," Greg grinned at Warrick. "Come on Nicky, maybe we can scare the crap out of Jacqui and check on those fingerprints from the warehouse too."

"Mr. Stokes, since your closer would you do us all a favor and smack Greg on the head for us please?" asked Liz with a smirk towards Greg, getting up just as Nick did as she asked and smacked Greg. "Thanks. Looks like you're with me Mr. Grissom," she said stepping in front of Gil.

"Please, just Grissom," he answered with a slight smile. "And it would appear that way," he continued before moving to let her step out of the room ahead of him.

David rolled his eyes and stood before going over to Catherine. "Coming?" he asked before leaving the room.

Catherine just shook her head and followed after him, leaving Warrick and Sara in the break room.

"That went well," Warrick mused.

Sara snorted into her coffee. "Sure it did. David's reverted back to his annoying prick self from his early years, Liz is in protective mode, and Greg's not being his normal self either. We're all going to need breakfast in the morning after this," she continued with a sigh.

"That we are," Warrick agreed with a smile. "Come on, go wow the press with your wit and beauty and make them forget that they're getting absolutely zip from all of us, and I'll go start on that paperwork that is littering my desk."

"Deal," Sara laughed. "See you soon. I'll bring my paperwork and we can try to see who can get the most done first."

"What's the prize?" Warrick asked as she made her way towards the door.

Pausing she looked back at him and smiled wickedly. "That's for me to know and you to find out later," she answered before leaving the room completely. Shaking his head he grabbed his cup and made his way to his office, pausing to remind Archie about the breakfast on the way.

Sunday May 9th, 2010
CSI Break Room
6:58 a.m.

"Long night?" Warrick asked as he looked in on the three 'newbies' in the break room.

"Quite. We were just throwing around the idea of breakfast before going to the hotel to crash," Nick answered.

Warrick nodded and glanced back at Sara as she joined him. "Team breakfast, if you want to come," Sara offered sharing another look with him.

The three exchanged a look before nodding. "Sure, where at?" Nick asked.

"La Porte Court, Henderson. You can follow any of us out there," Sara explained before moving on. "I'm gonna see if Liz wants a ride. She'll probably crash after breakfast anyway," she continued before moving on.

"See you guys outside." Warrick smiled before following after her.