Just What I Needed
Chapter 8
I don't own CSI but I do love to play with them! It's the sincerest form of flattery!
I acknowledge that both life and my muse are fickle bitches. Hopefully life will resume normalcy soon!
A quick check of the weather revealed that the drive to Vegas would be very slow and a little treacherous due to the ongoing storms.
Grissom had offered to have Archie fly up with some equipment, and it seemed to make sense to get someone in as quickly as possible.
After bringing Ecklie up to speed on the situation, a helicopter was scheduled and Archie packed up his gear to help discover what information might be hidden on the microchip.
Charlie decided to take a break and offered to take her two new friends out for lunch. She was intrigued by the couple. They were clearly in love, but still had some awkward moments between them. She wanted to know their story.
At the diner on the edge of town, they sat down to coffee and some real diner food.
"So," Charlie began tentatively, "How did you two kids meet?"
"Well," Sara began, not used to talking too much about their relationship, but thoroughly enjoying thinking about it, "We met at school!"
Grissom chuckled.
"Well, not quite, dear," he said, "Some of us were in school."
It was Charlie's turn to chuckle.
"No, seriously, you two intrigue me, how did you meet?"
"Doctor Grissom was a lecturer at the University I attended. I enjoyed his lecture so much I tried to get him to go out for dinner with me."
"And you were successful?" Charlie asked.
"Well," Sara answered, "You could say that. He came for dinner and breakfast, and lunch."
"Sara," Grissom chided, "You are implying far too much!"
"Well then what really happened?" Charlie asked Grissom.
"I did go for dinner and we stayed up all night talking. I slept on the couch," he said, a twinkle in his eye. "I thought I was too old for her."
"Age is all in the mind," Charlie said, smiling broadly at the spark she saw between the two of them. "So then you were together forever?"
"No," Sara said, "He lived in Vegas and I lived in San Francisco. He was so awkward when he left, I only heard from him in email for the first little while. I thought maybe I had read him wrong."
"No," Grissom said, "You didn't!"
"Well, after about 3 months of emails, I got a voice mail one afternoon that said he was coming to the University and wanted to see me. I was so happy, I couldn't wait to see him."
"So he showed up and you rekindled your romance?" Charlie asked.
"No, not quite," Grissom said, shaking his head.
"Oh this is going to get good now isn't it?" Charlie asked.
"I showed up to the party he invited me to, only to find him on the arm of this blonde Professor Miller. I thought she was his date!"
"Oh no, you cad!" Charlie said to Grissom, jokingly.
"Well, I tried to high-tail it out of the party, but ended up bumping in to a cocktail waiter and drew so much attention to myself that the whole room knew I was there!"
"Did you go rescue her?" Charlie asked.
"Yes," Grissom said, "She looked so forlorn, wearing a beautiful blue dress, her hair up, and completely soaked in champagne."
"I tried to play it off," Sara said, "But I failed."
As they enjoyed the rest of their meal, Sara and Grissom took turns describing their on again, off again affair and how they had taken so long to finally be on the same page at the same time.
"But I'm not letting her go now."
"You kids are perfect together. I wish you all the best in your relationship. You only get one soul-mate and it seems that you two have found yours!"
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Tony thought he had come into Las Vegas quietly, but he had not noticed the Secret Service agent who had been tailing him since he left his apartment.
The rental car made a quick exit from McCarran airport and headed north. He didn't need GPS. He'd made this trip so many times, he was sure he could do the drive in his sleep.
All of his plans were coming together. Giada was gone, no one else could tell his secret. As long as he got the chip, he would be in the clear.
He should have checked the weather first.
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The chopper landed in the field behind the sheriff's station. Archie stepped out and grabbed the cases that were being handed to him by the blonde man in the back seat.
"Thanks Greg," Archie said as the last box was passed out to him, "I don't know how I could have done this without you!"
"No worries!" Greg Sanders answered, "I needed to get away anyhow."
"Well, you know a lot about this stuff too, so I guess you were the best choice."
"Let's solve this crime," Greg said, excited to be out of Vegas and anticipating seeing Sara. He was surprised to hear that she was here already, but he realized that she was Grissom's favorite and knew she would have been the first one that he would have called in for help.
Archie noticed Greg cranking his neck around trying to look in the windows of the brick building.
"What are you looking for?" Archie asked.
"Oh, I'm just trying to see if Sara is around," he answered, trying to be nonchalant.
"Give it up dude," Archie laughed, "You just aren't her type!"
"Hey now," Greg answered, "I'm just trying to find my friend."
They packed up the gear and headed in to the building.
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Archie and Greg quickly set up their equipment in an evidence room and found Darryl.
The three young men returned to the room and Darryl asked if he could watch.
They took the chip and placed it in the specialized scanner, then began the process of waiting for it to download.
Archie excused himself to use the restroom while they waited.
"So," Greg asked Darryl, "Have you seen a pretty brunette hanging around?"
"Oh you mean Dr. Grissom's girlfriend Sara?" Darryl asked innocently.
"Um, yeah," Greg answered, momentarily stunned by the revelation, "Dr Grissom's girlfriend." His heart sank.
"Oh yeah, they went to lunch with Sheriff Charlie, they will be back shortly."
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Archie walked back into the room a few minutes later.
"What's the matter bro? You look like you just lost your best friend."
"Ah, no, just deep in thought," Greg answered.
"Looks like we have a winner!" Archie said, changing the subject, "Check out that file!"
"Let's call Grissom and get him back over here," Greg said, not knowing quite what he was looking at.
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Upon arrival back at the station, Grissom and Sara immediately noticed that the chopper had arrived.
"Oh good!" Sara said, "Archie is here, let's get to work."
That's Sara, Grissom thought, always wanting to solve the case.
They entered the office and asked the receptionist where the technician had set up. She told them where to find him.
They strolled back to the evidence room, and just as they got to the door Grissom's phone started ringing.
"It's Greg," he said, "Grissom," he answered the phone.
As they stepped through the door, they saw Archie and Greg with their faces up against a computer screen trying to make sense of a document.
Sara, one step behind Grissom, came through the door next and stopped dead seeing Greg beside Archie.
"Uh," she stammered, "Hi guys."
"Hello you!" Greg said, giving Sara a funny look.
I'm so busted, she thought, so busted.
"Did you find something?" Grissom asked.
"Yes," Archie answered, trying to ignore the heavy stare going on between Greg and Sara, "But we are not sure what it is!"
"Well, let's take a closer look then," Grissom said as he approached the screen.
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Charlie broke the silence in the room as she entered.
"Well boys," she announced, "I hope you brought your jammies, cause you are going to be stuck here for the night."
Greg and Archie looked puzzled.
"Big storms in the area," Charlie enlightened them, "Small aircraft are grounded for now. You'd be best to wait until morning."
Good, thought Greg, now I'm going to get to the bottom of this!
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A/N OK this is going to be coming to an end in about three chapters. Look for the answers to unfold for you! And how is Greg going to use this information? Sounds like he might be holding ALL the cards!