Title: Culture Shock
Author: IrishDachsie

Pairing: Grissom/Sara

Rating: NC17
Disclaimer: I own Philip Morrissey and the members of Pittsburgh’s CSI team…that is all.
A/N: Okay…this is a crossover fic between CSI and Queer as Folk. Bizarre idea? Yeah…but, it’s probably not what you think. And…yes, I’ve kept Brian Mobley as sheriff. Basically, because I know absolutely nothing about the new one…*shrug*.

Grissom stared at the man standing in his office. "What do you mean, I have to go to Pittsburgh?"

The sheriff smirked and leaned against the wall. "They’ve requested your assistance. Apparently, they have a murder…body’s infested with insects. They want you."

He sighed heavily. "I’m not the only Entomologist in the States…I have a case I’m working on here…"

Mobley grinned and shook his head. "They want you, Gil. Catherine can take over your case…go home and pack. You and Sidle will be leaving in the morning."

Grissom’s head snapped up. "What?"

"You have to take someone with you. What good would it do if you processed their evidence for them, only to have their local CSI’s screw the entire case up?"

"Warrick…"

"Warrick and Nick are backlogged with their own cases. Catherine will have to take over while the two of you are gone." He flipped through the file he was holding. "Besides…you’ll enjoy this. Bug infestation…Grissom’s delight."

"Brian, it’s their case."

Mobley chuckled. "It’s your case now. They can’t figure out anything. You and Sidle have complete jurisdiction." He tossed the file onto Grissom’s desk.

Grissom stared after Mobley as he walked out of the office.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Sara?"

Sara looked towards the door of the breakroom to find Grissom standing in the doorway holding a folder. "We have a case?"

Nick slipped into the room as Grissom took a couple of steps forward. "Excuse me, Griss…"

Grissom barely acknowledged the young man as he opened the folder. "Male DB, 29, insects present…"

Sara’s eyes widened. "ID?"

Grissom nodded slowly. "Philip Morrissey, multiple gunshots to upper torso…" He looked up from the folder and sighed. "We leave in the morning. You need to go home and pack."

Her coffee spilled over the lip of her mug as she set it down on the table. "What?"

"Pittsburgh. They’ve requested assistance in the insect department. They’re unable to progress further in the case. We have complete jurisdiction. Go home, get ready. I’ll pick you up in two hours."

"Pittsburgh? Man, I love Pittsburgh! I haven’t been there in years…"

Sara looked over at Nick. "Then…YOU go. I have no interest in going…"

"Cool!"

Grissom stared at Sara as he spoke to the young man. "Nick, you’re backlogged…Sara is the only one who’s free…"

Sara stood slowly and met Grissom’s stare. "Great…" He noticed a hint of sarcasm in her tone.

Grissom shrugged his shoulders. "Mobley’s orders…not mine…"

"Even better…" She muttered as she walked past her supervisor and down the hall.

"What’s with her?"

Grissom tore his eyes from the hall and glared at the Texan. "Nick…back to work."

Nick watched as Grissom left the room quickly. "Damn…what’s with him?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

She sat stiffly in her seat and stared out the window. He watched her curiously. Handing her a folder, he nudged her arm.

"Relax…it’s just a plane." He offered her a weak smile.

"It’s not the plane that bothers me." She moved her arm away from him.

His smile faded as he bit his lip. "Uh…here’s a copy of the case file…you…um…you might want to take a look at it…" He held the folder and waited for her to take it. She didn’t. "Or…maybe not."

He dropped the folder on her lap and stood up.

"Nowhere to run on a plane, Grissom…"

Suddenly very irritated with her tone, he glared at her. "I am not running, Sidle. I’m going to the lavatory. I didn’t realize I had to log my movements."

She returned his glare with an icy one of her own. "Did I ask you where you were going?"

Without another word, he slid out of the row of seats and walked down the aisle. She shook her head lightly and picked up the folder as she glanced at the woman smiling at her from across the aisle.

"My husband infuriates me too at times…"

Sara narrowed her eyes. "He is NOT my husband…"

She turned her attention to the folder and began studying the contents. When Grissom returned, she said nothing as she pulled out a pen and began to take notes on the case in hand.

With a heavy sigh, he reached for his own copy as he pulled his pen from the inner pocket of his jacket.

The woman across the aisle smiled widely as she resumed reading her book.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

They stood at the counter of Hertz after picking up their baggage at Pittsburgh International Airport. Sara tapped her fingers on the black countertop as the associate checked the computer for their reservation.

"What was the name again?"

"Grissom."

"Hm…I’m not seeing a ‘Grissom’…could you spell that for me?"

Taking a deep breath and tightening his grip on the handle of his carry-on bag, Grissom chewed his bottom lip. "G-R-I-S-S-O-M…"

"Oh…there it is…being billed to the Las Vegas Metro Police Department?"

Sara snorted, wondering how they could’ve misspelled ‘Grissom’. Grissom cast her an annoyed glance before replying to the man behind the counter.

"Yes…that’s it."

The associate’s eyes darted between the man and the woman as he printed off the invoice. Placing the paper on the counter, he handed Grissom a pen. "I just need you to sign beside of the ‘x’…"

Grissom quickly scribbled his name on the line.

"I’ll just have Joe pull the car around for you…"

"Thank you." He pushed the paper across the counter and handed the young man his pen. Grabbing his bags, he looked at the brunette standing beside of him. "Let’s go…"

She followed him through the crowd of people as she juggled her bags. Looking over his shoulder, he watched her struggle as she navigated through the crowd for a moment before turning around and reaching for her bag.

"I’ll take it for you…"

"Grissom, I’m perfectly capable of carrying my own bags…"

He narrowed his eyes and pulled the bag from her grasp. "I’m just trying to be nice, Sara…"

"Why? I mean, all of the sudden…"

He shook his head slowly as he readjusted the load. "Come on…let’s go find our car…and get checked into the hotel, okay?"

She smirked as she followed him outside to the curb where their maroon Ford Taurus awaited patiently.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Grissom took the paper envelope from the hotel desk clerk, shook the two keycards out, and handed one to Sara. At her concerned look, he sighed deeply.

"Sara…it’s a suite. Two separate bedrooms, kitchenette, living area…" Sara relaxed slightly. "Mobley is going to save every penny he can…you know that."

She nodded quickly and took the keycard from his hand. "Shouldn’t we get unpacked and get started?"

He ushered her to the elevator and pushed the button. Turning around, he looked out the glass doors of the entrance. "You may want to change clothes…"

"Why?"

"Dark sky…dropping temperature…could mean snow later…"

"Could also mean that the sun went behind a cloud…" She chuckled lightly at his expression. "I checked the weather forecast before we left…it’s not calling for snow…"

He gave her a slight nod and gently pushed her through the elevator’s open doors. "Well…at least dress a little warmer. This isn’t Vegas…"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As they walked through the front door of the Police Bureau, a couple of officers sifted through groups of people meandering around the lobby.

"Dr. Grissom?"

Grissom turned towards the voice and offered a brief nod of acknowledgement. Extending his arm, he shook the officer’s hand and introduced himself.

"Gil Grissom…this is Sara Sidle, she’ll be helping me through this investigation."

Sara smiled at the young man as he turned to look at her briefly before turning back to Grissom. "Andy Clark…this is my partner, Curt Blyton. We sure are glad that you were able to come out…we seemed to have hit a brick wall."

The two Las Vegas investigators followed their escorts through the building as Officer Clark answered their questions. Stopping outside of the morgue, Clark turned to look at them.

"Chief told us that you have complete jurisdiction over this case…"

Grissom merely nodded.

"If there’s anything we can do to help…please let us know."

"Thank you, Officer. I think the first thing we need is…to see the body and any and all insects that were collected from the corpse and scene."

Officer Blyton pushed the metal doors open. "Right this way."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Grissom turned from the specimen jar in his hand when the door opened. "Find anything on the body?"

Sara held out the evidence bags she was carrying. "Six shots to the chest, one to the stomach…and…one to the…groin."

Grissom raised an eyebrow and placed the jar on the counter in front of him. "Anything else?"

She nodded slowly. "Ligature marks…neck, wrists. A bluish-gray fiber embedded in the skin of the left wrist. Four broken ribs, shattered left patella." She sat down beside of him and sighed. "This man was tortured, Griss…"

He watched her face studiously. As she met his eyes, he offered her the briefest hint of a smile. "Want to know what I found?"

She glanced at the jars and nodded. He picked up one small jar and held it out to her. Taking the container into her hand, she tilted it gently to get a better look.

"That…is an Agapetus tomus. A species of caddisfly found in Westmoreland and Somerset counties."

Her eyes darted to his. "We’re in Allegheny…"

"Westmoreland is the next county over…"

"So…what does that tell us?"

He shrugged his shoulders and took the jar from her hand. "Nothing much, really. It’s an aquatic insect. He was in Westmoreland last week. Probably at the lake…it’s been warm for the past few weeks."

She offered him a small smile. "So, why did you tell me to dress warmly?"

He picked up the next jar without looking at her. "It’s been getting cooler at a steady rate. Take a look at this one…"

"It’s a maggot…"

"A very young maggot."

She turned her head quickly and stared at him. "He was moved…"

A genuine smile appeared on his face. "Philip Morrissey was found on Liberty Avenue…three nights ago. Going by these…" He motioned towards the specimen jars containing several insects. "…he’s been dead for at least 6 days."

"Who found him?"

He flipped through the file, running his finger down the page. "Justin Taylor…works at the Liberty Diner."

"Well…let’s go see what Justin can remember."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Deb! Could I get my breakfast please? I’m kind of in a hurry!"

Debbie Novotny glared at the young man and pulled a pen out of her bright red, curly-tressed wig. "Hang onto your dick, okay Brian? I’m just a little busy here…"

Brian Kinney rolled his eyes dramatically. "I normally have someone else hold it for me…"

She snorted as she wrote down another order and slid it to the short-order cook. "He’s busy too."

A blonde young man rounded the corner with an empty coffee pot. He cursed under his breath as he started another pot.

Debbie looked at him while she popped her gum. "What’s wrong, Sunshine?"

"Fucker in the booth by the window. He grabbed my ass as I walked by…"

Debbie cackled as Justin kept rambling on. "Work it, baby. Get good tips that way."

"Yeah…and I get a bruised ass to fuck." Brian complained loudly.

Justin shook his head in slight amusement as the door opened. Emmett Honeycutt and Ted Schmidt walked through the door, talking animatedly about the latest episode of Gay as Blazes.

Brian groaned lightly. "Oh look…the king and queen of gay internet porn…"

Emmett scoffed at Brian as he grabbed a lemon bar from the pie dish on the counter. "You’re just jealous that I have men absolutely falling over themselves to get to me…and not you anymore."

Justin chuckled as he poured a cup of coffee for Ted. "He only needs one…"

Debbie glanced at the door as it opened again. "Wow! Now…he’s cute…"

All heads followed Deb’s gaze. Emmett tapped Brian on the shoulder. "Gay or straight?"

Brian’s brown eyes widened. "Mine."

Ted stared at Brian in disbelief. "What? He’s obviously older than you. At least ten years…I thought you preferred them ten years younger."

Justin crossed his arms over his chest.

Brian straightened his tie and stood up. "An ass that nice…can’t be ten years older than me."

He walked over to the gentleman and stopped directly in front of him. "I’m Brian…"

Blue eyes stared at him. The man took a step backwards to regain some of his personal space.

"Gil Grissom, this is Sara Sidle…we’re looking for Justin Taylor."

Debbie’s mouth dropped open and she slapped Justin’s head. "What the hell did you do, Sunshine?"

"Ow! Dammit Deb! I didn’t do anything."

Sara chuckled as she stepped forward. "We’re Criminalists from Las Vegas investigating the murder of Philip Morrissey…we just need to ask a few questions."

Grissom’s eyes remained on Brian, unsure of the reason for the attention. His eyes quickly shifted across the room as Debbie spoke.

"You fucking idiot!" A dishtowel flew through the air to smack Brian in the face. "Readjust your gaydar!"

Grissom stared intently at the woman, one eyebrow raised. She laughed and popped her gum again.

"Sorry ‘bout that." She pointed at Brian and continued. "Meet the stereotypical gay male…after any dick he can get hold of…"

Grissom glanced at Brian. Subconsciously, he took a step closer to Sara as Brian unabashedly allowed his eyes to travel over Grissom’s body. Sara bit her lip to hold the laughter inside.

Brian rubbed his thumb over his lip as he stared at the man in front of him. Grissom put his arm around Sara’s waist without thinking. Debbie continued on with her rambling.

"It’s obvious that you’re devoted to this woman…it’s obvious to him too…he just doesn’t give a shit…" She cackled loudly as Grissom blushed heavily.

"Uh…Justin? Would you care to come outside with us for just a couple of minutes?"

Justin winked at Brian and mouthed two words silently. Not yours.

Brian snarled at the blonde youth and watched him exit the diner with the two investigators.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Justin stuffed his hands in his pockets as he rocked back and forth on his heels. "I already told the cops everything…"

Sara smiled and nodded her head. "Yeah, we know. We just need to hear it for ourselves, you know?"

He shrugged his shoulders lightly and offered the brunette a smile. "Sure."

Grissom cleared his throat softly. "Did you know Philip Morrissey?"

"No, not really. I mean…I’d seen him at Babylon a couple of times…but, that’s about it."

"Babylon?"

Justin smiled, showing them a perfect row of teeth. "Yeah…it’s the local gay club here."

Grissom nodded and made a mental note of the dance club. "When was the last time you saw him there?"

"I don’t know which day it was…it was one day last week though. He left with this guy…haven’t seen him since."

"This…guy…that he left with…do you know him?"

"Well, he’s a Babylon regular. There just about every other night. Always leaves with a different guy…"

Grissom raised an eyebrow. "So, you’d know him if you saw him again?"

"Sure…"

Sara tilted her head as she watched Justin. She couldn’t help but smile at the boy. "Do you think he’ll be there tonight?"

"Probably…though, it is Dyke Night…"

Grissom’s brow furrowed. "Dyke Night?"

"Yeah…Babylon is normally full of gay men. Once in a while, they have Dyke Night…all the lesbians come in…have a good time…"

"Uh-huh…"

"I can take you there tonight…point him out to you, if you want to talk to him."

Sara nodded as she cast a quick glance to Grissom. "We would like to talk to him."

"Okay. Uh…meet me here about 10 tonight…I’ll take you." He flashed a brilliant smile at Grissom. "I’ll try to keep Brian at home tonight…I might be able to shuttle him off to Michael…"

Grissom chuckled lightly as his face darkened a couple of shades. Justin grinned at the investigator before moving back to the diner’s door. He turned quickly and nodded. "You know…Deb’s right. You two do make a nice couple…if you’re into hetero, that is…"

Grissom stared at Justin’s back as he walked back into the diner. Feeling a light tug on the sleeve of his jacket, he turned his head to the left. "Uh…have we processed all of the evidence?"

She flashed him a gap-toothed grin. "Well, I left some things with Trace to go over…"

"Okay. Uh…let’s head back to the lab and see what we have." He glanced back at the diner. "He said…ten o’clock tonight?"

"Yeah…" She waited until Grissom had redirected his eyes to her. "You know…Brian is kind of cute…"

Placing his hand on the small of her back, he ushered her towards the Taurus sitting by the curb. "Not funny, Sara…"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

She came out of her bedroom to find him standing in the living area, his cell phone pressed to his ear. "No, Catherine…" Sensing her presence, he spoke again. "Check the second drawer…I have to go."

He snapped the phone shut and turned around to find Sara leaning against the small bar. His eyes travelled over her body, his heart raced in his chest. "Uh…is that what you’re wearing?"

"No…I thought I’d go change in about five minutes…"

"Oh." He shook his head lightly.

"Yes, Grissom. This is what I’m wearing. Is it okay?"

"Oh…uh…yeah. You look…very nice." He cringed at his own words.

She chuckled lightly and motioned towards his all-black attire. "Is that what you’re wearing?"

"Um…well…"

She grinned as he became flustered. "You look nice, Griss…"

He swallowed and allowed his eyes to go over her yellow blouse and dark jeans again. "I’m…not as colorful as you…"

"Probably a good thing…" She snickered at his puzzled expression. "Considering we are going to a gay bar…"

"Oh…I…"

She walked over to him and gently rested her hand against his chest. "It’ll be okay, Grissom. I’ll protect you from big bad Brian…if he’s there."

Grissom shot her an annoyed look and shook his head. "Sara…"

"Come on, Grissom. I was just joking." She grabbed her coat and tossed his jacket to him. Opening the door, she slipped out before him. "It would be interesting though…don’t you think?"

"No…I don’t…" He tried to keep the smile off of his face as she laughed while they walked down the hall. He didn’t succeed.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

They followed Justin through the line of people standing outside of Babylon, Grissom’s hand placed strategically on Sara’s back. As they reached the front of the line, Justin pulled the rope aside and led them through the door. A large man stopped them just inside.

"You do realize that you just bypassed about 75 people out there…"

Justin smiled and jerked a thumb in the direction of the two people standing behind him. "Yeah, I know, Steve…there is a reason though."

After a brief explanation and confirmation by an inspection of the two investigators’ badges, Steve stepped aside and smirked as Grissom and Sara walked past. He gently touched Sara’s arm as he leaned forward.

"Might want to keep a tight grip on your man in there…"

Sara grinned widely as she nodded. "Thanks…"

As they stepped through the short hall and into the club itself, Grissom’s mouth dropped open. Justin turned around and ran a hand through his short hair. Seeing Grissom’s reaction, he laughed and tugged on the man’s arm.

"Never been in a gay dance club before?"

"Uh…"

Sara laughed loudly. "I’ll take that as a big ‘NO’…"

Justin grinned at Grissom. "You’ll be okay…I promise." He motioned towards the staircase to his left. "Let’s go up…you can see better from up there, and he’ll be on the dancefloor."

Moving Sara in front of him, Grissom rested his hand lightly on Sara’s hip as they walked up the stairs. They pushed their way to the balcony and leaned on the railing as they looked down into the crowd below.

Sara leaned towards Justin’s ear and spoke loudly enough for him to hear her. "You know…this is nice. Nice music…how often do you come here?"

"Is that a pick-up line? Because, if it is…it won’t work on me…" He pointed to a couple of females standing at the bar. "It may work on them, though…"

Sara laughed and shook her head. "No, not a pick-up line. I was just thinking…you can’t be more than 20…"

Justin offered her a wink and turned his attention to Grissom. "I don’t see him yet…but, he should be here…"

Grissom nodded and glanced at the bar. "We’ll wait…"

Sara felt Grissom’s sharp intake of air and turned to look at him. Grissom was staring at the bar, his mouth gaping open, a redness creeping to his neck. She followed his gaze and chuckled before refocusing on him. Raising her hand, she placed her palm on the side of his neck. She rubbed gently to get his attention. He snapped his head back towards her and stared into her eyes.

"Close your mouth, Grissom. It’s just two women making out…" She lowered her hand, instantly missing the heat that had radiated from his skin. She offered him a smile and motioned down to the first floor. "Want to dance?"

The diverted his eyes and shook his head. "No…I…uh…no."

She grinned brightly, clearly amused at his embarrassment. A light tap on her shoulder broke her grin. She turned from Grissom to find Justin pointing down into the crowd.

"There he is…"

"Which one?" She shuddered lightly as she felt Grissom move closer to her.

"The hottie in the lime green beater…"

Sara bit her lip when she felt Grissom’s chest brush against her back as he leaned behind her to talk to Justin.

"Do you know his name?"

"Darrin, I think…or Darrell…something like that. Want me to go down and get him for you?"

"What?"

Justin held his hand up and smiled. "Wait here, I’ll be right back."

As they watched Justin bound down the stairs, Grissom placed his hand on the railing. Turning his eyes to the brunette, he pulled away quickly as he realized he was still standing behind her, with her back pressed against his chest.

He moved to her side and watched in amazement as Justin went down to talk to the guy in the lime green shirt. Sara shook her head in amusement as the blonde youth easily talked the man into following him.

"He’s a good kid…"

Grissom chewed the inside of his cheek. "He’s too young to be in here though…"

"Grissom…you can’t put an age on homosexuality…"

"I’m not…" He looked at her as he motioned towards the bar behind them. "You have to be 21 to legally enter a club that has a liquor license."

Looking over his shoulder, she smiled. "They’re here…"

Grissom turned around and came eye to eye with the dark haired man. Justin stood on his tip-toes and loudly introduced them. "Drake, this is Grissom and Sara. Grissom, Sara…Drake."

Grissom nodded at Drake. "Can we talk to you for a couple of minutes?"

Drake’s body continued to move to the beat of the music. "Sure…"

"Outside?"

Drake’s eyes roamed over Grissom’s torso before shifting back to the eyes staring back at him. He shot Grissom a wink and nodded. "Lead the way…"

"Follow Justin…"

Drake licked his lips. "Ooh, a Drake-sandwich…"

Grissom stared at the man’s back as Justin and Drake made their way back downstairs. Sara rubbed his back in a comforting manner as she attempted to stifle her laughter. "You’re definitely making a hit here…"

"Not the hit I wanted…" He muttered and followed the two boys down the stairs and out the door.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Drake leaned against the brick wall and smiled suggestively. "So…what can I do for you?"

Sara stepped forward and stared at the man. "You could tell us about Philip Morrissey."

"Who?"

Grissom pulled a picture out of his jacket pocket and handed it to Drake. "Philip Morrissey…"

Drake looked down at the photo, his smile quickly fading. "Oh, damn. I don’t know what happened to him, I didn’t even know his name…"

Grissom raised an eyebrow, silently requesting for Drake to continue. "I picked him up inside…we left the club. Started fooling around out back…some cops pulled up…we took off in separate directions. That was the last time I saw him."

"Can you show us where this took place?"

Drake nodded quickly and started walking. "We have to go around the block though…"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sara was snapping pictures as Grissom snapped on a pair of latex gloves and began collecting what could be construed as evidence. Hearing Drake’s snort, Grissom looked up.

"Sorry…it’s just. Well, do you always carry latex with you?"

Sara bit back a smile as Grissom focused back on the task at hand. "Part of the job…"

Grissom tilted his head and stared at a sliver of wood. "Sara?"

She knelt beside of him and followed his gaze. "What did you find?"

He held up the sliver which had a dark red tint to it. "Looks like blood…"

She darted her eyes along the pavement. "Anything else?"

"Semen stains. But, that could be from another encounter…"

Sara swabbed the area and stood up. As she glanced down the alley, she saw a dark green dumpster pushed up against the brick. Tapping Grissom on the shoulder, she pointed towards the object and began walking towards it.

He helped her sift through the contents. "It’s probably been emptied since the disappearance."

She nodded and walked to the side. As she looked behind the metal container, she grinned. "Emptied…but not cleaned around, or underneath…"

He smiled as she pulled out the handle of a shattered baseball bat.

"Looks like blood…we have some blue fibers…"

"Let’s get back to the lab…"

She nodded in agreement. After thanking Drake and Justin for their help, they made their way back to the labs of the Pittsburgh Crime Unit.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Blood is a match to Morrissey…"

Sara looked up and offered him a grin. Pushing her chair back from the microscope, she motioned towards the slide. "These fibers are a match to the one I found in Morrissey’s wrist…"

"Nice work, Sara…" He glanced down at his watch. "Are the pictures back?"

She picked up the brown inner-office envelope. "Just got back about 10 minutes ago…"

"Okay…it’s nearly 3 am. Let’s take the pictures back to the hotel. It’s late…"

She gathered her belongings and followed Grissom to their car.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

She watched him study the photographs, her mind drifting around the case. Raising her hand to her mouth to cover a yawn, she pushed her chair back.

"Grissom…I’m tired."

He nodded as he pulled another photo out of the stack.

"Do you need the bathroom?"

Startled somewhat, he looked up at her. "What?"

"I’m going to take a shower…"

"Oh…oh, no…okay." He turned his attention back to the pictures, searching for anything that would be of use to them.

She opened her mouth to say something, but thought better of it and left the room. Hearing the bathroom door shut, he glanced down the short hall and sighed.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sliding the photographs back into the envelope, he yawned. Glancing down at his watch, he decided that he needed to get to bed as well. He headed down the hall to his bedroom. His intentions of getting things ready for his shower were interrupted as the bathroom door swung open as Sara walked out with a towel wrapped around her body.

Grissom automatically reached out and grabbed her waist as she bumped into him. His fingers tightened slightly as he looked down at her glistening shoulders.

Sara blushed quickly, but made no effort to move. "Sorry…I…didn’t know you were there…"

"I…uh…was just heading to my…room." His hands slid down to her hips, the soft terry cloth tickling his palms. Reluctantly, he released his grasp and took a small step backwards.

She diverted her eyes and stepped around him. "Okay…um…I’ll see you in a few hours then."

He stared at her door as it closed. With his heart racing, he went into his room and closed the door.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

His fingers tightened around the steering wheel as he navigated through the traffic. Turning in her seat, she watched him for a moment.

"Griss? You okay?"

He stole a quick glance at the brunette and swallowed. "Yeah. I just didn’t get much sleep last night."

She briefly considered asking him why, but figured that would be too personal of a question for him. Instead, she steered their conversation towards the case.

"The results came back on the fibers…"

"And?"

"A poly-cotton blend…the type used in men’s slacks…"

"Talk it out, Sara…"

"What?"

He offered her a sly grin. "I know you have a theory…talk it out."

She chuckled lightly. "Drake and Morrissey left the club, started their…liaison…fairly quickly. A couple of officers came up, they ran. We have fibers from a pair of dark blue slacks…" She paused for a second. "From the damage to the body…he was tied, beaten with a bat, and shot…possibly strangled as well." She turned to look at her supervisor. "I think we’re looking at a hate crime…"

"Why wasn’t Drake questioned?"

Sara shook her head slowly. "I don’t know…Justin told us the same thing he told the officers."

"Which officers were working that zone the night that Drake met Morrissey?"

She furrowed her brow. "I…don’t know…"

Grissom pulled into a visitor’s space in the Police Bureau parking lot and stared at Sara. "Find out."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sara found Grissom arguing with a lab tech over fingerprints on the handle of the baseball bat. Grasping the list in her hand, she gently knocked on the door.

"Grissom…"

He turned his head towards the door. "Did you get it?"

As she nodded, he narrowed his eyes at the tech. "It CAN be printed…I’ll be back in a couple of hours…"

The tech snarled at Grissom’s back as the older man exited the room.

Sara motioned towards the lab. "What was that about?"

Grissom lifted his hand in a dismissive wave. "Oh. He says that you can’t get prints off of a baseball bat handle…I gave him the Red Creeper and told him I’d be back." He took the paper that she handed him. "How many do we have?"

"Four…"

He looked at her in disbelief. "Four? In a city this size…there were only four officers on duty in that area that night?"

She shook her head as she smiled at him. "Only four between 2 and 3:30 am. I had them narrow it down to the time frame that Drake was involved."

"Oh…" He offered her a lopsided grin. "I would’ve thought of that…"

"I know." She touched his arm lightly. "Come on…let’s go talk to our officers."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

They had spent the better part of the day interviewing each of the four officers. Grissom had paused the interviews for a few minutes when he went to check on the surly lab tech. The Creeper had picked up a few prints, but they were unusable.

"Attacker was wearing gloves…"

A simple statement from the tech. Grissom went back to the interviews without the fingerprints he had desperately wanted.

After the interviews, they knew no more than they did before them. Grissom gathered the evidence and his notes before he went to find Sara. It had been another long day, and he found it easier to concentrate in the suite than in the makeshift office of the lab.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He stared at his notes at the table in the living area of the suite. "No pools of blood at Babylon…wood fragments, fibers, bat found. Shooting obviously didn’t happen there. Insect…Westmoreland."

His rambling stopped quickly. "Westmoreland…"

He gathered his notes again and began to scan through them. Sara watched quietly for a few minutes.

"Grissom?"

"Hm?" He didn’t look up from his notes.

"I was wondering…" When he still didn’t look at her, she continued. "Why do men find the thought of two women together in a sexual manner so erotic?"

His head snapped up as he dropped his pen on the table. "What?"

She stifled the laughter that threatened to erupt as she watched his face. "It’s true…it even appeals to you. Why?"

His eyes widened as his neck reddened. "No…no, it doesn’t…"

She shook her head as she laughed. "I saw your reaction at Babylon last night…"

His brow furrowed, his fingers reached for the pen. He shifted his body into a more comfortable position. "No, that wasn’t…arousal…it was more of a…slight shock…"

She crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head. "Uh-huh…"

"Sara…"

"It’s okay if you do…I was just wondering why. I’ve never met a man that it didn’t affect in a positive way…"

He stood up quickly, his knee bumping into the coffee table and knocking the file folder onto the floor. "I…this isn’t…I’m not having this discussion."

He knelt down to pick up the folder’s contents. She smiled as she crouched down in front of him to offer her help. "I’ve got it, Sara…"

Their movements stilled as their fingers touched. He looked into her dark eyes and inhaled deeply. She offered him a shy smile and nodded. "I know you do…I was just helping…"

His eyes darted down to her lips before quickly returning to their original position. "I…uh…"

She moved forward slightly, glanced at his lips, and then stood back up. His eyes closed briefly as he fought for his breath. His lids opened quickly as he felt her warm breath on his neck, followed quickly by her soft voice in his ear.

"Go take your shower, Griss…it’s late…"

He nodded wordlessly as she turned and walked down the hall.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He stripped off his clothes and stepped under the warm spray of water. He took a deep breath as the water drenched his hair.

I almost kissed her…

Or…she almost kissed me. It doesn’t really matter…it almost happened. It’s probably for the best that she pulled away. We’re here on business…we have a case to work. And…kissing her wouldn’t be the best move I could make.

He reached for the soap, lathered his washcloth and ran it over his chest.

Why?

He rolled his eyes as he washed his neck.

Why what?

Why wouldn’t that be the best move you could make?

It just…wouldn’t…

Afraid it would lead to more?

Stop…

Oh, I don’t think she’d say ‘stop’…

He groaned as he moved the washcloth lower down.

And…look at you…would you say ‘stop’?

No…but…

Quit resigning yourself to failure. Talk to her…

He sighed as he allowed the water to wash the suds away. As he turned the knobs, the water slowed gradually to eventually leave him standing in the quiet shower.

Pulling the shower curtain back, he grabbed a towel and quickly ran it over his body before wrapping it around his waist.

Talk to her…

He nodded to himself and opened the bathroom door. He stared at her closed door for a moment before taking the three steps needed to stand in front of it. He raised his hand to knock as he looked down.

He dropped his hand as he realized he couldn’t ask to talk to her clad only in a towel. He stared at the door for a few seconds before slowly moving away.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Sara?"

She looked up from the evidence table and smiled. "Yeah?"

He returned her smile and walked over to her. "I just cross-checked the list of officers employed here who worked Liberty Avenue last week with the list of those who live in Westmoreland County…"

She raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "And?"

"Two…"

She glanced over and peeked at the sheet of paper in his hand. "Same address?"

Grissom nodded and offered her a brief smile. "Interesting, isn’t it?"

"Very…" She met his eyes, carefully hiding her emotions. "Bring them in? And…petition for a warrant if we can get anything useful out of them?"

"Let’s do it…"

She watched him walk out of the room, her heart thudding in her chest at his last statement.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Grissom leaned back in his chair and studied the two men sitting across the table. "The two of you live in Westmoreland County?"

Officer Andy Clark nodded. "Yeah…we share a house there. Cheaper than living in the city…"

"The house…is it close to water?"

"There’s a creek that runs behind it…" Andy stopped speaking as Officer Blyton touched his arm gently.

"Where are you going with this, Dr. Grissom?"

Grissom raised an eyebrow and tilted his head as he looked at Curt. "Not sure, yet. I’ll know after we get the warrant and search your house."

"Search our house? What the hell for?"

Sara leaned forward and placed her arms on the table. "Further evidence…we have a dead male who needs to be put to rest…"

Andy stood up quickly. "You have no basis for a warrant…"

Grissom smiled lightly. "We have what we need."

Curt pushed his chair back and spoke softly to Andy. "Hey, it’s okay…they’re just checking all possible avenues…that’s all."

Grissom carefully studied the two officers. His attention was broken as a detective slid a document across the table. "Your warrant, sir…"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sara and Grissom entered the modest home after surveying the back yard and finding numerous caddisflies around the bank of the creek.

"Nice house…" Sara walked through slowly, stopping as she reached the master bedroom. "Griss?"

He followed her in and cocked his head to the side. "Is this the only bedroom?"

"No…this is a three bedroom home…"

"Then…why are all of their clothes in this one room?"

She smiled as she picked up a frame from the dresser and handed it to Grissom. "Maybe because they only used one bed…"

"Hm…" He left the room and made his way into what he supposed was a guest room. "Sara!"

Stepping inside the room, she looked at the wall he was staring at. "That’s been repaired recently…"

"They did a half-assed job too. Hope they didn’t pay much for it."

He shook his head lightly as he pulled a knife from his kit. Digging through the plaster, he looked down as a bullet fragment landed next to his shoe. "Sara…luminol…"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sara sat down at the table and stared across at the two officers. "So…you want to tell me what happened?"

Andy glanced at Curt before meeting Sara’s eyes. "When?"

"When you took Philip Morrissey to your home, tied him, strangled him, and then shot him."

"What?!"

Grissom slid the photographs of their house across the table. "Bullet fragments in badly-repaired walls. Fibers from a torn pair of police-issue slacks that match a fiber found in the victim’s flesh…as well as on a weapon used in the attack. You tried to clean the blood from the walls and floor…but…we still found it. Perfect match to Philip Morrissey. Now, are you going to answer the lady?"

Curt rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. "We…Andy and I…are partners…professionally and…"

Grissom leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "I don’t care about your relationship. I care about how this young man died…and why."

Andy swallowed and placed his hand on Curt’s shoulder. "He…knew about us. Had seen us out…had threatened us."

Sara crossed her arms. "Threatened you?"

Curt nodded quickly. "To expose us…to our Chief…"

"So?"

"Ma’am…I don’t know what it’s like in Vegas…but…in this area…gay cops do NOT exist."

"So, that was reason enough for Philip to die?"

Curt shook his head slowly. "We didn’t mean for him to die…"

Grissom slammed his hand down on the table, causing the two officers and Sara to jump. "You shot him seven times, you strangled him, you beat him with a wooden baseball bat until it splintered…and…you didn’t mean for him to die?"

"We…just wanted to scare him…it got out of hand. He…kept taunting us…"

"Taunting you?"

"I know what happened was wrong…"

"NO!" Grissom stood up, his palms pressing down on the table as he glared at the men. "Running a red light is wrong, not being honest with your feelings is wrong, telling us you didn’t mean for him to die is wrong…what happened…what really happened…was criminal."

He motioned for the detective. "Get them out of here…"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sara stood in the doorway of Grissom’s room and watched him as he slammed his clothes into his suitcases. "Grissom?"

Her soft voice did nothing to calm his movements. "What?"

She tentatively entered the room, moving to him and placing her hand on his arm. "What’s wrong?"

He glared at her, his eyes dark with anger. "Two police officers killed a young man."

"I know…"

"They killed him because THEY are homosexuals…not because Philip Morrissey was."

"Fear of being found out…well, it can cause normally rational people to engage in irrational activities…"

He stared at her, his dark eyes boring into hers. "Sounds like something I’d say…"

She shrugged her shoulders and offered him a smile. "It is…"

Her hand moved up his back, coming to a rest on the side of his neck. She saw a brief change of emotion in his stormy eyes before he jerked away. "Sara…don’t…don’t play games right now…"

Sara felt the anger flash through her body. "I’m not the game-player, Grissom…you are. But, you said something in the interrogation room that made me think. ‘Not being honest with your feelings is wrong.’ It is wrong. But…maybe being honest with my feelings for you…maybe that’s even more wrong…"

He felt something give in his chest as he watched her storm out. He flinched as she slammed the door of her own room. He dropped the shirt he was holding onto the bed and took a deep breath. Exhaling slowly, he walked into the hall.

He lifted his hand to knock on the door. He licked his lip nervously as his hand fell to the doorknob. Before he talked himself out of it, he twisted the knob and pushed the door open.

"Sara…"

"Go pack, Grissom. We have a plane to catch."

He slowly walked to where she was standing with her back to him. He placed his trembling hands on her shoulders and turned her around slowly. "Tomorrow…"

She refused to meet his eyes, tossing the pair of jeans in her hand into the pile of clothes on the floor. "What?"

"Our plane leaves…tomorrow."

"We can catch an earlier flight…and leave tonight."

Lifting her chin with his finger, he forced her to look at him. "I…don’t want to leave tonight…"

"Grissom…"

"I’m sorry." He looked into her eyes, more intensely than he had before. "What I said in there…to you. That was wrong…I…wasn’t thinking…"

"Do you ever?"

He smiled nervously. "More than you think I do…"

His finger slid down her throat, stopping at the neckline of her blouse. His left hand trembled as he moved it to her hip and pulled her closer to him.

"Grissom…what are you doing?" Her voice was soft, but full of hope.

"I…" His eyes softened as he looked at her. "I…think I’m…uh…getting ready to kiss you…"

She smiled as she raised her hand and touched his face. "You…think?"

"No…definitely…"

Whatever reply she had planned on giving was cut off quickly as his mouth covered hers. His fingers edged under the hem of her shirt as her tongue slid across his bottom lip.

He took a step forward as he pulled her tongue into his mouth. As the back of her knees bumped the mattress, he gently pushed her backwards. As he laid down beside of her, his hand slipped under her shirt, his palm lying flat against her stomach.

He broke the kiss and leaned over her, searching her eyes. "Sara…if…if you want me to stop…that’s all you have to say…"

Her thumb traced his bottom lip, her breath ragged. "I don’t…unless…you…"

"Shh…" He smiled as he lowered his lips to hers once more. His hand slid further up her torso, coming to a rest right below her bra. "I don’t…"

Her body shuddered lightly as he freed her firm mounds, his fingers brushing across her quickly hardening nipples as he pushed the material up.

She felt his erection pressing into her thigh as he moved his leg in between her thighs. She groaned, arching her back as he lightly pinched her nipple. Her trembling fingers moved to the buttons on his shirt, fumbling as she tried to pull them free.

"Dammit, Grissom!" He leaned up and looked into her eyes, stilling his hand. "Get these damn clothes off…"

He smiled and pushed himself up. Quickly ridding himself of his shirt, he gazed down at her as she pulled her blouse over her head and removed her bra. He licked his lips as he climbed off of the bed and unbuckled his belt.

They watched one another in silence as they each removed their remaining clothing. His eyes began to glaze over as he lowered himself back onto the bed.

Her hands rested on his shoulder blades as he positioned himself between her legs. His lips brushed against hers as she raised her knees, pressing them against his sides. He groaned deeply as his hardened flesh bumped against her clitoris.

"Sara…I…"

She reached between their bodies and grasped his cock, repositioning him so that the head pushed into her entrance. "Pill…I’m…on the pill…"

She raised her hips, effectively drawing him in. They moaned in unison as their pelvises rested against one another. His hips began to rock against her slowly, their eyes locked in a mutual gaze.

"Sara…"

Closing her eyes, she bit her lip to stifle her moan as the glans brushed across her g-spot. His finger gently pried her lip from her teeth, prompting her to re-open her eyes.

"I…need to hear you…"

"Grissom…oh…"

She pushed her hips into him, meeting each of his thrusts. He lowered his mouth to her ear, his tongue gently exploring each fold. "Beautiful…you are…beautiful…"

Her fingers dug into his shoulder blades as she locked her ankles around his waist. "Harder…oh…mm…just like that…."

His breath was hot as he moved his lips to her neck. His tongue tasted the flesh there as he plunged harder into her depths. "Sara…I…don’t know how…much longer…"

"Close…so close…" She tightened her legs, pulling him in deeper. "Right there…oh God…don’t stop…Griss…mm…"

He groaned as he felt her inner walls begin contracting around him. "Sara…"

"Come…"

His hand held onto her hip as he emptied his semen deep inside of her. He groaned against her skin as her body violently quivered beneath him, letting her orgasm rushed over her.

Rolling onto his side, he pulled her to his chest as he pressed a tender kiss to her lips. They waited for their pulses to calm before they even attempted to speak. They waited for what seemed to be an eternity.

Taking a deep breath, Sara was the first to break the silence. "Grissom?"

"Hm?" His fingers traced lazy circles across her back.

"What happens now? I mean…when…"

He smiled lightly as her voice trailed off. "When we…go home?"

She nodded slowly, her eyes drawn to his Adam’s apple as he swallowed. "Yeah…"

"Well…we could go back to the way it was. And…be miserable…at least I would be miserable." He felt her stiffen in his arms as he placed his hand flat against her back. "Or…we can start over…from here….with the truth we know. And…possibly be happy…or…happier…"

She smiled as she lifted her eyes to his sparkling blue orbs. "I’m tired of being miserable, Griss…"

"Me too…" He kissed her softly, sighing as she ran her tongue across his lips.

"Think we might be able to get a later flight?"

He pulled back and looked at her curiously. "Later? As in…not tomorrow?"

She nodded shyly. "We…uh…didn’t really get a chance to view the sites of Pittsburgh…"

He raised an eyebrow. "What do you want to see?"

"Whatever we can see from the windows up here…and…" She stared into his eyes as her finger trailed down his chest. "…as much of you as you’ll let me see…"

He smiled as he leaned into her and kissed her soundly. "I…think we might be able to manage that…"

~ End

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