In A Song: Point of No Return

In A Song: Point of No Return

Disclaimer: Follow the evidence. If they were mine this would be on CBS instead of the internet, and Grissom would have a MUCH better disposition. :-) In other words I dont own the characters and dont make a penny from this. Excpet for the character Michelle Ecklie. She's my little evil creation. Character thoughts are enclosed in *

Jacqui watched Sara have a text message conversation with someone and couldn’t help but smile. Sara had been a friend to her ever since she came to the night shift. It wasn’t easy being the new kid on the block and it was good to have a friendly face in the long nights. She had noticed that for the last year and a half or so Sara had been more sad and distant. Even her smile that could brighten anyone’s day had been diminished. So when she saw her reading her text conversation with “BoyToy” and that smile blazed in full force once again, Jacqui couldn’t help but be happy for her. It had been five days since Sara’s tumble into the old mine and she was feeling a lot better. She was still sore, but it wasn’t as bad as she had been. She and Jacqui had slid into a comfortable routine around the house and were becoming even better friends.

Grissom had been discharged from the hospital four days after the accident and was getting annoyed with Warrick’s smirking every time he sent Sara a text message. They had been talking on the phone at least daily until Grissom was discharged, but texts were easier to avoid eavesdroppers. He couldn’t wait until he could have Sara back in his arms again. Even with the pain medication he found it difficult to get a decent night’s sleep without Sara beside him. Brass and Warrick were doing their best to keep him from going stir crazy until he was released to return to the lab. The two men were there every night with some activity to keep Grissom’s mind off of work and missing Sara.

Two weeks after the incident Sara was released to return to work, while Grissom was able to return under the restrictions of being in the lab for another few weeks. The night before his first shift, Warrick and Brass were over once again to play cards. He had wanted to spend the evening with Sara, but Ecklie’s niece had purchased the townhouse next door so Ecklie had been there a lot helping her get settled in. Sara being at Grissom’s would have been obvious, and Grissom being gone all night would have raised too much suspicion. Nick, Greg, and Archie all took advantage of the nightshift’s time off and joined Brass and Warrick over at Grissom’s. Ecklie’s changes had made it so the entire nightshift crew had one night a week where they were all off together. Grissom was more than a little worried about having all the guys together, but he knew Warrick and Brass wouldn’t spill any information about him and Sara intentionally. Of course that didn’t stop them from ribbing him about his mystery girlfriend in front of the other guys either.

Warrick rolled his eyes as he heard Grissom’s Sidekick go off, yet again. “Come on Griss. Are you folding or what? Tell your woman that you’re not up to a booty call just yet and play.”

Greg, Nick, and Archie all looked dumbfounded. Greg couldn’t believe it. “Grissom on a booty call? Warrick that just wouldn’t happen.” Nick agreed. “He’s got a point man. I don’t know what part is more unbelievable. Grissom the has a woman part, or the booty call part.”

Archie had the dissenting opinion. “I could see it. Hey you guys don’t hear the women around the lab talking like I do. I swear the guy could have his own fan club, or a harem. I don’t understand how he does it, or why they look at him like they do, but damn I wish I got checked out half as much as Grissom does.”

Brass grinned. “Sounds like some hearts will be breaking when they hear about ‘BuggyGal’”

Nick just about snorted his drink through his nose. “BuggyGal?”

Grissom couldn’t just sit there and listen to this nonsense. “Hey, let’s not go there ok? And Archie I do not get checked out in the lab. You must be misunderstanding something.”

Archie laughed, “I hate to tell you, boss, but there is no misunderstanding what’s being said. You’re the investigator. Pay attention next time you walk into the lab, especially if you wear jeans. Every time you wear jeans into work the whole place goes into estrogen overdrive while they check out your ass and everything else too.”

Nick couldn’t believe it. “You’re kidding right?”

Archie smiled. “Nope. Apparently our female lab staff has ideas for the perfect man. They want to take Warrick’s shoulders, your abs, and everything else is Grissom. There have even been comments speculating on just what the baggy clothes hide and comments speculating on performance. Those are especially bad after you wear jeans.”

Warrick laughed. “Well Brass we could jus tell them and end the speculation.”

Greg, Nick and Archie looked at each other and Greg looked at Warrick. “Umm is there something you three want to tell us? I mean it’s not like it’s a problem if that’s what you’re into, I’m cool with it.”

Warrick looked horrified. “Hell no! Don’t even go there. I was talking about when Brass and I came over with Catherine to check on Griss when he didn’t answer his page.”

Grissom glared at Warrick as his face began to redden. Brass chuckled at his friend’s obvious discomfort and did his best to lighten the mood. “Yeah that was an enlightening day. Catherine gets worried about our bug guy, we come over and what do we find? The bed bouncing off the wall and a woman obviously having a religious experience.”

Nick stared at Brass and Warrick for a second. “You guys walked in and he was….with…..and she was….”

Warrick nodded. “Yep. At the top of her lungs man. I swear the poor girl had to be hoarse after that, and lucky if she could walk the way that headboard was banging.”

Greg smiled. “So you saw this Buggy Gal?”

Warrick caught Grissom’s glare and grinned. “Nah, they were in the bedroom and the door was shut. She stayed in there after Catherine yelled for Griss to put his pants on and we had a body with bugs.”

Grissom walked over to get another drink. “Keep it up guys and you’ll be working all the decomps the rest of the year.”

Greg looked nervously at Nick, who’s smile had faded. “He can’t do that, can he?” Nick nodded. “Yeah he can. Griss you know we don’t mean anything by it. We’re just curious is all.”

Grissom returned and sat the drinks on the table. “I know, and believe me guys if the timing was better you would all get to meet her. But for now we’re just keeping it quiet.”

Archie smiled “I get it. You and your lady are enjoying the alone time before you guys start getting your friends in on the relationship.”

Grissom smiled. “Something like that, yeah.”

A knock at the door got Grissom off the hot seat for a while but he felt like he was out of the frying pan and into the fire when he opened the door to find Ecklie and his niece. “Conrad. What can I do for you?”

“Well you could either close your window or keep it down in here. I mean come on, knocking headboards through walls? Gee Gil you never seemed like that type to me. Hell I'm still surprised that you have a woman since I pegged you for gay since I met you"

“Are you sure that wasn’t just wishful thinking Conrad?”

Brass saw who was at the door as he went over to investigate what was taking Grissom so long and heard the exchange. “Well that would explain a lot wouldn’t it? It’s no wonder you’ve never liked Grissom. He’s never looked twice at you.”

Ecklie glared at Brass and turned back to Grissom. “Actually I was coming to talk to you about the department banquet next week. I know you said you aren’t going, but I was hoping you would reconsider and escort my niece Michelle.”

“And I’m sure Michelle is a very nice girl, but there is no way I’m going to that banquet. I hate those things under normal circumstances, and the whole costume party factor just took it into another level of avoidance. Besides that, I’m seeing someone so escorting anyone but her anywhere wouldn’t be appropriate.”

Michelle glared at her uncle. “I keep telling him I’m fine here. He doesn’t have to feel guilty about going to his banquet at all. I don’t need a babysitter or an escort.”

Conrad wasn’t persuaded. “Don’t be silly Michelle. You’re new in town and you’ll be starting work soon. You should go out and have some fun. At least with Grissom I know you’ll be safe. It’s not like he’d try anything.”

Brass pulled Grissom’s hand away from the door and began to close it. “That’s right he won’t. He’ll be with his girlfriend instead. Bye Ecklie.” And he closed the door in Ecklie’s face.

Brass pulled Grissom back to the card game and the guys all chose to ignore the escapades of their boss. Ecklie was forgotten as they resumed their game, until about an hour later there was another knock at the door. Brass answered it and this time he ushered the person into the townhouse. Nick, Greg, and Archie all looked up and their mouths fell open when they saw the brunette beauty walking behind him. She was around 5’9” with long brown hair and dark eyes. Her high cheekbones and full lips made her absolutely stunning, and the young men in the room definitely took notice. Grissom shook his head at their reactions.

“Guys close your mouths and put your eyes back in your heads.” He looked over at Michelle and smiled. “You’d think they had never seen a woman before.”

Michelle laughed “Well considering your line of work they’re probably used to the women they see lying on the floor.”

Grissom chuckled as he offered her a chair and a drink. Michelle seemed a bit uncomfortable with the whole situation with her uncle, so she had come over to see if she could clear things up with her new neighbor.

“Look Mr. Grissom..”

Warrick’s head shot up as he interrupted her. “It’s Doctor Grissom. Although I can’t expect that uncle of yours to tell you that.”

Grissom gave Warrick a look over his glasses. “Rick it’s fine. I only use the title when I’m in court or lecturing anyway.” He looked back over at Michelle. “And as you can probably tell, everyone calls me Grissom.”

Greg started smiling. “Or Griss, the bug guy.”

Archie smiled and jumped in as well “Gruesome Grissom. The Tin Man, although that one has kind of fizzled out. Especially after that case with the baby a few of years ago.”

Grissom rolled his eyes and looked over at Michelle. “You have to excuse them. Working night shift has warped their brains.”

Michelle almost fell off her chair laughing at the exchange that was taking place. “My uncle never told me you guys were so funny.” Brass smiled. “That’s probably because he doesn’t find the night shift funny. He has his own ideas about the guys here.”

Michelle looked at him and nodded. “Yeah he does at that. Anyway Grissom I just wanted to come over and apologize for earlier.”

“That’s not necessary. And it was hardly your doing in the first place.”

“I know, but my uncle can be irritating at times. And that’s putting it mildly. I’ve been telling him for the past week I don’t need an escort for the banquet and he had to drag me over here anyway. Even after overhearing that you’re seeing someone, he still insisted. Then that whole other thing was just uncalled for. Once we left here he felt it was his duty to fill me in on the horrors of the night shift. He really doesn’t like you at all, does he Grissom? I mean he overreacts with everything, and now he’s got this idea in his head that you’re seeing someone you work with. And all because he deliberately sent you to a conference knowing your choices of who to take would be limited to one.”

Grissom looked at her dumbfounded. “Wait he did that on purpose?”

Michelle nodded. “Yep. Apparently he knew you would need someone else to help at the conference, and the blood spatter person you would normally take had unbreakable plans. Leaving you taking someone who I gather is a bit of a hot head. He thought one or both of you would come back from that and quit.”

Nick stared at the beautiful woman and wondered out loud, “Now why would Ecklie be telling you all this?”

Michelle looked over and saw his eyes for the first time. Her breath caught and she felt a flutter in her stomach that she had never experienced before. “He’s trying to give me a heads up on what he’s had in motion for a while, so if the night shift suddenly comes up shorthanded because people quit I wont be blind-sided. I’m the new AD for the lab.”

Everyone including Grissom was shocked. Grissom looked over his glasses at her. “That’s Ecklie’s job.”

Michelle smiled. “Not as of next week it’s not. He’s taking over as director, which from what I’ve seen of the job pretty much means he’ll stay out of my way and yours. He’ll be doing all the political stuff and I’ll be left to run the lab the way I see fit.” She saw everyone in the room stiffen at that statement. “Relax guys. Unless a big scandal comes up saying people are fabricating evidence or something, I run things very simply. I’ll keep Ecklie and the sheriff off your backs and you guys do what you do best.”

Brass looked skeptical. “You’re kidding right?”

Michelle shook her head. “Nope. Why mess with a good thing, and with the stats I’ve seen on the lab this is not something I want to mess with. Besides I know what a pain in the ass it is for a CSI to try and do their job when you’ve got some politician breathing down your neck. I did the job for 4 years before I went into administration, so I know you guys don’t have it easy. About the only things I can see I’ll be changing in the lab are things that have nothing to do with you guys and your jobs. A few things in the policy manual are pretty outdated or aren’t clear, so I’ll work on that. But I’ll have details on everything in memos and meetings over the next few weeks.”

Grissom felt the beginnings of a migraine and rubbed his forehead. “And just what type of things can we expect changes in?”

“Well for starters that section in the manual on inter-office dating is vague as hell, not to mention not fair to anyone. I mean come on, leaving something like that to the AD’s discretion isn’t right. There needs to be a cut and dry policy so there is no question and no appearance of favoritism. The lab I ran back in New York had a really nice policy on it. Very clear, concise, and no question as to what it was. I’ll just swipe that one and pop it into the lab here.”

Grissom’s heart fell at her words. The lab’s lack of a clear policy was the loophole he and Sara were attempting to use in order to be together. His mind raced with thoughts. *With Michelle closing the loophole, how would this effect our relationship? Will we still be able to see each other? Could I give Sara up for my career? That’s an easy one, no I can’t. I can’t lose her. But what are we going to do?*