Title: Wuthering Souls

Disclaimers: Sadly, I do not own anything or anybody related to CSI.

A/N: Well, this chapter was written and ready for posting for a while now but after what had happened in FMN (even though I couldn't watch it…yet, the news were enough)…my body, my mind, my heart and my passion became so numb, I couldn't bring myself to read, let alone write stories :(. But then, the dust settled down a little and slight hope seemed to arise on the horizon. Funny, how faint hint of hope can fuel my passion again. So I decided that GSR is alive! Must be :)

So here is the fifth chapter, and if you like it, please let me know because as they say, it makes me happy :)

Chapter Five

2 March 2001 at 8 am, at the Luxor Casino-Hotel, Las Vegas, the USA

It was hard not to notice that the supervisor and his subordinate were on different page. Even they tried to keep their voices down as much as their passion made it possible, their gestures and tones revealed the real situation for those who cared enough to watch or listened to them.

"You have to try…until we figure out this crazy…"

"Really? I didn't choose your body! I didn't choose this life either! I want mine back!"

"We agreed!"

Neither Grissom nor Sara heard the prayer in Egyptian to the Aten, "O sole god without equal! You are alone, shining in your form of the living Aten. Risen, radiant, distant and near who let us see what only you can see…"

If Sara and Grissom had not tried so desperately to be private and enigmatic, probably no one would have paid attention to their tactful arguing but it was in human nature that whenever one heard whispering, they automatically started eavesdropping. And for the priest who had only his ears to perceive the happenings around, this arguing was like a whisper right into his ear.

"Splendid you rise in heaven's lightland, o living Aten, creator of life! You are gracious, great, glistering and high overhead. Your rays embrace the lands to the limit of all that you made. Though you are far, your rays are on earth. Though one sees you, your strides are unseen. Your rays caress our land. But at night, Earth is in darkness as if in death; one sleeps in chambers, heads covered, one eye does not see another. Were they robbed of their goods that are under their heads but people would not remark it. Light the way, mark the way, let me find the crystal, help me destroy it, o living Aten, show me, show me…you witness it all…"

"Would this be your statement, sir?" Brass asked Priest Selim trying to disguise his discomfort in front of this weird man.

"Sorry?"

"I heard you murmuring something, I thought…"

The first thought Priest Selim wanted to voice was that most people tried humor when they did not understand something but he was in a foreign country after all so he was willing to give the proper respect to its residents.

"I was just praying…" he stopped for a second. He highly doubted that this Jim Brass from Las Vegas Police Department had any idea who Aten was so he needed a good response, "…for Hem-netjer Fadil."

"Then your prayer got heard. I've just talked to the paramedics. Mr.…um…Fadil, so he didn't get injured seriously."

"Thank you, Aten!"

Brass stood there perplexedly. This guy misunderstood his name? But neither Jim nor Brass rhymed with Aten. He decided to let it go.

"But a check-up would be well advised…so the paramedics said."

"Sire, we don't have money…"

"But you have insurance, don't ya?"

"We don't have that either, so we thank Aten for his care and continue our journey."

Ah, so this guy thinks that the paramedic's name is Aten. Brass thought that it was funny but he did not correct the priest. He was though so much.

"Look, Vegas doesn't leave anybody on the street," Brass said.

"Indeed," the priest said dubiously as he turned his head to the right.

The captain looked at the direction that priest turned and saw what he seemed to see. Behind the whole crime scene, there was a man with matted hair and dirty skin rolling his sole belonging, a shopping trolley full of stuff. How this blind man had noticed that homeless man, Brass did not know but the detective got flooded with a sudden creepy feeling. There was something disconcerting about this guy.

Brass carefully looked around as if he feared of getting caught. What the hell are they doing there? he muttered when he spotted Grissom and Sara about twenty feet away. Then, not so discreetly he cleared his throat.

"Sorry, we just had to…"

Brass glanced at Grissom, "Gil, I have some eyewitnesses I have to talk to. I'll leave you with Mr. Kazim…again. But I need Sara so she can try to speak to Mr. Fadil, he has a light head injury. Nothing serious."

Grissom and Sara silently nodded. This time they concentrated on their roles. The woman followed Brass while the man helped the priest to his feet.

"So…um…how can I call you Mr. Kazim? Father or…Priest?" she struggled in Grissom's body. She felt dull as she had no idea how to call an Egyptian priest and she doubted Grissom would have the same problem.

"In my culture the proper salutation is Hem-netjer Selim which means that Selim is the servant of God but in your culture its equivalent is Priest. So you can call me as you wish, sire."

"Oh, all right. So Hem-netjer Selim, could you tell me how all this happened?"

"Very quickly."

"Could you specify it, please?"

"I'm not a very good eyewitness, Miss…"

"Sidle…I…I mean…Mr. Grissom. In…in our culture it is Mister for men and Miss is for women…so Mr. Grissom," she desperately tried to save the situation.

Hint of smile appeared on the priest's face. "Oh, I'm sorry Mister Grissom."

"So?"

"Hem-netjer Fadil and I were sitting here and praying when suddenly Hem-netjer Fadil jumped up and shouted. Our haversacks were taken. He ran after them and then silence."

"I will need a list of your belongings that were stolen."

"I can tell you right now. Our passports, two sets of clothes, bread and water…four golden goblets and one golden ring with a ruby."

The priest did not mention some things that had been in their sacks, they had been things that police would not look for.

"Goblets? For what? And what about the ring…must be expensive."

"They are very old and yes, the ring is a jewel of great worth but the goblets were for personal use."

The pen in the masculine fingers was jotting down the information this poor priest gave her. "So you think the robbers knew what were in your bags?"

"If they can see through materials then I think they did. But only Aten can see everything."

"Oh. I can assure you that we will do everything to get those items back to you, Hem-netjer Selim."

"Thank you."

"May I have your address, please?"

"El-Amarna."

"I mean where do you live in Las Vegas?"

"Well, only Aten knows. We have just arrived and we wanted to sell the ring and live from the money we would have gotten but at the moment I can't give you an address."

This piece of news floored Sara. These priests had arrived here just hours ago and the first adventure they had had to experience was a robbery that had taken away the chance to find a decent place to live. Just what kind of a picture they had got about Las Vegas.

She felt both shame and anger. What kind of a sick bastard could rob a priest anyway? She looked at the direction where Grissom was supposed to talk to Priest Fadil. Sara was expected him to be busy with the case but their eyes met.

Sara saw that Grissom excused himself and almost ran to her. For the second time in an hour, the woman took the man's arm and pulled him aside.

"Greg texted me…I mean texted you."

"What did he want?"

"He is coming here…would you please fill me in?"

"Why is he coming here? Can't it wait until we get back to the Lab?"

"Evidently not, he was over-eager to see you…again…"

"What do you insinuate…again?"

From the background, Hem-netjer Selim cleared his throat.

"Can we leave now?"

Sara knew that they had nowhere to go and she felt responsible for them somehow. She would not sleep knowing that these priests had to sleep on a bench. Forgetting again about their situation she turned to Grissom.

"Grisso…Sara, we have to help them. Hem-netjer Selim and Hem-netjer Fadil have no money, they lost everything."

"Hem-netjer Selim, would you excuse us for a minute?"

"Sure," he said but he perked up his ears.

Priest Fadil joined Priest Selim while Sara and Grissom walked a few feet away. Grissom told her that he had a friend who ran a small but cozy inn on the outskirt of the city. He promised Sara that only a call from him and the two priests could live there at least for a few days and pay later. In the meanwhile they were going to find their belongings and case solved.

"So call the hotel," Sara became zealous for the development.

"At the moment, I am you, remember? So you have to call the inn. Ask for Marianne Scott."

Sara tried very hard to hide her resurfacing jealousy but she was sure that she failed at it; still, she wanted to know where this acquaintanceship came from. She needed to know why this woman was going to do such a big favor to Gil Grissom.

"Marianne Scott?"

"Yes," he was about to leave it alone but Sara was not satisfied with his answer.

"Are you two friends? I…I just need to know how to act with her…I…I wouldn't be this nosy anyway…I…"

"Yes, she's a friend."

For a change, she would have expected a bit more information on the woman but of course he did not offer any. A friend…could be more and could be less…than just a friend.

After she had swallowed her pride, Sara made the call and to her surprise, it went very well. The woman sounded nice but not old enough to Sara's liking. She was angry at herself for feeling this vulnerable. She could not be jealous of every woman he knew while he probably did not feel anything regarding her friends.

When Sara ended the call, she nodded at Grissom and both walked back to the priests to share the good news. And it really was great news. Las Vegas had already shown them how dangerous it could be, neither of them had wanted another attack. Both priests were very grateful for the CSIs.

Sara agreed to take the Egyptian men to their accommodation as - after all - she looked like Grissom at the moment. She was reluctant to leave the man who used her body, not just because the situation was new for both of them but somehow his closeness offered some comfort that she was not in this surreal condition alone. For the first time, maybe just maybe she could share her fears with someone who surely would understand what she was talking about. Not even mention the fact that this body-swap had created an intimate link between them.

The priests, Sara and Grissom were about to say goodbye when a car came to a halt. The audience did not have to wait long to see what crazy person had just arrived. First a medium-sized carrier appeared and then a lanky young guy with 80's inspired hair that could not be decided if it was blond or brown followed that carrier. He happily jogged toward the woman he had known as Sara Sidle.

"Her Majesty? I got the call you were waiting for. I tried to call you many times but you didn't answer your phone so I dared to pick up Maia for you. And as your shift is almost over, here we are."

Even though Greg shared so much information he succeeded to sputter them in less than ten five seconds. Probably he had known that he would have been cut in by Grissom.

Greg turned his head toward the man close to Sara, "Oh, and hello Grissom."

"Maia? You said Maia?" Priest Fadil asked. This name woke him up hopelessly from his wandering but Priest Selim poked him unperceived.

When Greg lifted the carrier up so the woman could see it, only the supervisor moved quickly to hold the box.

"Thank you, Greg," the man said zealously making Greg surprised.

"Oh."

Almost immediately, both Grissom and Sara realized what had just happened but neither knew how to climb out of this hole. This time the woman could react sooner than the man.

"I…I told Grissom about Maia and it's always fun to meet a beautiful creature," the woman said but the man inside her body still did not know what that carrier contained.

"Ahhh, I didn't know you are a cat man, Grissom," Greg cheered up.

"A cat?" the priests and the woman burst out simultaneously but not for the same reason.

"Yes, a cute Egyptian Mau," Greg proudly said. "I gave her as a present."

"The Goddess Bass," Priest Fadil whispered into the other priest's ear who shushed him.

"Here," Greg gave the woman the carrier.

"Well, take very good care of Maia, Sara," in Grissom's voice she emphasized the word 'very good care' but her heart was crying out for a hug.

Hesitantly though but the captivated soul closed in Grissom's body walked the two priests to the car and after all of them had got into it, she drove away only looking back in the rearview mirror.

Grissom was reluctant to let the woman who used his body go with strangers, not just because the situation was new for them but somehow her closeness offered the only comfort that he was not in this surreal condition alone. For the first time, maybe just maybe he could be brave enough to share his fears with someone who surely would understand what he was talking about. Not even mention the fact that this body-swap had created an intimate link between them.

"So, sweetie. I take you home," Greg's voice conveyed a comical undulation, just as his way of moving.

"Thanks but I can drive myself."

"Hah, but you don't have a car to drive as grumpy Grissom took it so you have to settle for my white horse," he pointed to his blue car.

Grumpy is your… "Neither white nor a horse…"

"But I can whinny if you want me to…I know you love me whinnying."

Letting his eyebrows run up to his hairline, Grissom didn't know how to react. He had to keep it in mind that he had to perform Sara and she probably would never shout Greg down but he was positive that in no time, he was going to crazy if he had to listen to Greg long. Considering that Sara had taken his car, Grissom had no other option left; he had to let Greg take him home. To Sara's apartment.

The question was whether this young guy knew where his Sara lived or not. He almost begged for a negative answer.

"Follow me…your limousine is ready. I take you want to go home on the shorter route. Maia is excited."

"Um…yeah."

Shorter route? Why? Would ever Sara choose the longer one…just for fun? Did they spend time together? At Sara's home? And just what did they do there? And a cat? Really? Maia? What strange name for a cat. And why was she in a hospital? And why did Greg give Maia to Sara? Just what kind of a relationship did they have? He was angry at himself for feeling this vulnerable. He could not be jealous of every guy she knew while she probably did not feel anything regarding for his friends.

A friend…could be more and could be less…than just a friend.

So many questions and so few…or no answers.

Hesitantly though but the man in female body walked to Greg's car with Maia in his hand and after all of them had got into it, Greg offered the key to Sara so the woman drove away only looking back in the rearview mirror.

CSI-GSR- CSI-GSR- CSI-GSR- CSI-GSR- CSI-GSR- CSI-GSR- CSI-GSR- CSI-GSR- CSI-GSR- CSI-GSR

2 March 2001 at 3 pm, Room 52, at the Dante-Hotel, Las Vegas, the USA

After the CSI had checked them into the inn and given them $100, the priests had lunch and now they were on their knees praying. Both priests had been reluctant to accept the help but the man had insisted that they should accept the money. They had agreed to call it as a loan.

"Your rays nurse all fields when you shine we live, we grow for you. You made the seasons to foster all that you made, winter to cool us, heat that we taste you. You made the far sky to shine therein, to behold all that you made, you alone, shining in your form of living Aten. Risen, radiant, distant, near. Bless you for showing us your power, your highness. Thank you for showing us our destiny. For you Aten, for your kingdom."

For long minutes, neither priest moved or spoke. The prayer was sacred for them and it demanded respect before and after its performance. When it was allowed to speak, Priest Fadil could not stay silent any longer.

"When did you realize?"

"I trusted Aten and he sent them to us. I knew noting happens without a reason."

"Aten guided us to the shiniest place of Las Vegas."

"And Aten sent the robbers, too."

"But now we don't have anything, we are…"

"Aten cares for us. You are alive and we found them, Hem-netjer Fadil. We didn't have to seek for them, they found us."

"Are you sure they are who we are looking for?"

"I heard them, I felt their agitation, their confusion and the female has a cat. A Mau. The sacred goddess of grace and poise, fertility and motherhood… Bass. And her name is Maia…The picture is complete. We don't need more evidence."

"What if we are wrong?"

"The evidence never lies, Hem-netjer Fadil."

"Yes. When I heard the name 'Maia'…I knew, too. That wet-nurse of Tutankhaten, Maia started it all."

"That's not entirely true. She knew about the crystal, used it but she wasn't the first who used it or created it."

"What do you mean?"

"Hem-netjer Fadil, we traveled a long journey, are through so much, it's time to sleep and tomorrow, we are going to live our fate and complete our mission."

"This man was so kind to us, it is hard to believe that he used the crystal."

"This man is a woman inside, that's why he was so kind. You can't let them fool you. Don't forget that we have to follow our ancient rituals. We need the female first to…."

"But we lost all the ingredients for the substance and…"

"We knew it won't be easy. So many of us failed before but we won't!"

"So we start with the female but in her body there is a male soul living that makes her body stronger."

"Still, how strong a female could be? And his soul is insecure at the moment, it will weaken the body."

"How do we do it?"

"First we should get all the ingredients. We will need pine wood bark, some corroded bronze, vinegar, iron-sulphate and finally insect eggs. All can be found in Las Vegas."

"Well, insect eggs are not very easy to get…"

"Hem-netjer Fadil, I spotted our couple without eyes so why are you this scared? Aten will show us where to find it, now sleep Hem-netjer Fadil, sleep."

TBC