1st September 2003 early morning

Captain Jim Brass, of Las Vegas Homicide, walked along the corridor of the Crime Lab keeping pace with Sheriff Brian Mobley. The detective had met the tall red haired man at the entrance of the building and was dismayed to discover they were both heading for the same place, the break room.

Brass was glad that the sheriff was not in a talkative mood as the man was rather pompous and shallow, taking the credit for the crimes solved and looking for ways to pass the buck for any failures. The two men reached the break room door and saw the graveshift team sitting allowing the stress and strains of the shift to drain away.

Opening the door Mobley said Grissom's name loudly. The oldest of the three men, sitting at the rectangle table, raised his head slightly from the crossword puzzle he had almost completed, and looked at the sheriff.

"Grissom," the red haired man said again, making sure he had the supervisor's complete attention, "Bev and a few of her friends...." He stopped, seeing the look of incomprehension on Grissom's face. "Beverly, the little woman." He gave a grin. Still no sign of recognition. "My wife." The sheriff stated sharply wondering how the supervisor of one of the top labs in the country couldn't remember the name of the sheriff's wife nor understand what the 'little woman' meant. Finally Grissom allowed comprehension to show on his face, he hated it when someone referred to their wife as the little woman, he could just imagine Mobley's face if his wife called him the little man.

"As I was saying, Bev and a few of her friends have formed this club, or group, or something where they discuss crimes and how they're solved. Anyway, the first anniversary of the group thing is coming up, they formed it on the 24th October 2003, and I thought it would be nice if a member of a CSI team could give them a talk at their anniversary meeting. Arrange something." With that the sheriff turned, then stopped, adding over his shoulder, "Oh and Grissom? Don't make it too gruesome." Brass stepped aside, allowing the Sheriff to stride off down the corridor.

Jim Brass stepped into the room and observed the various expressions on the team's faces. Nick Stokes, the young Texan, wore a stunned expression. The tall African American sitting beside him, Warrick Brown, had a slightly amused look, while Sara Sidle, the dark haired girl sitting facing Nick, looked furious at the sheriff's off handed manner. Beside Sara, Catherine Willow's a slim strawberry blond woman was looking at Grissom with a wry grin, she was totally aware of the dislike between the Supervisor and the sheriff, and she knew what Grissom's reaction to this 'command' would be. Leaning slightly forward across the table towards the man in question, she stated quietly. "Politics Grissom. I know you can't stand the idea of someone in your team giving up valuable time to talk to some woman's group..."

"It's not the fact it's a woman's group," Grissom interrupted, "it's the fact we have enough work to keep us busy during our shift, doing our WORK, that we shouldn't have to give up our own time to talk to amateurs."

"You could always put it in as overtime." Catherine said with a grin. "Forget that for a moment. Beverly Mobley is friendly with some very influential people. There's the Mayor's wife, several very prominent business women and the wives of some well known business men and influential people, all of whom can drop a word in the right ears." She finished gravely.

She saw the anger fade slightly in Grissom's blue eyes, but she also noted the look of reluctance on his face. Before he could say anything Brass put his two cents worth in. "Catherine is right. Besides you've got over a month to organise something." The detective began, "The only thing I'll regret is I won't be here to see how it goes I go on a weeks leave on the 22nd."

Giving the detective a look of 'it's all right for you', Grissom turned to his team "I'm heading for breakfast, if I can swallow anything after Mobley.

21st October end of Graveshift

Jim Brass stuck his head inside Grissom's office. "That's me off." He said cheerily, grinning at the other man who was signing off on some reports. "Who did you pick for the big talk?"

Grissom looked at him confused.

Brass' eyebrows shot up in shock, "You haven't forgotten about the talk someone's to give to Mobley's wife's group for the anniversary of its founding?" he asked. He knew Grissom had a tendency to put anything not directly linked to a case on the back burner but to forget this! The look on the supervisor's face showed clearly that that was exactly what he had done.

"GIL! you'd better get something organised. Mobley will not take it kindly if you make him appear foolish in front of his wife and her friends. Then there's the members of the group, they could be very influential you don't want to piss them off."

"I'll get on it." Grissom stated standing up and heading for the door. "Catherine is good with people, she'll do it."

"Good luck." Brass said starting to turn to head for his car then he stopped wanting to see how Grissom was going to talk Catherine Willows into carrying out this unenviable task.

"No way Gil," Brass heard Catherine say as he entered the layout room shortly after Grissom. "I'm working this case and everything has to be ready by the 25th." She glared at Grissom for forgetting how busy this case was keeping her and Nick. "And don't think you can talk Nick into it either, he's working with me and it will take the two of us to get this done."

Grissom stared at her, wondering how she knew what his next move was going to be.

"Why didn't you arrange this earlier? At least then the person you had picked could have reminded you not to put them on any heavy cases just before the talk." She scolded him.

"Forgot." Was the sullen reply. They stood in silence for a moment and then Grissom grinned, "I'll get Sara to do it." He was surprised at Catherine's reaction to this suggestion.

"You're gonna get Sara Sidle to talk to a bunch of Jessica Fletcher wannabes!" She exclaimed laughing.

For a moment Grissom was confused then he remembered tuning in to see how accurate the crime solving techniques were in some of the crime programmes on TV. There had been one where a retired teacher had solved a murder in her quiet home town; her name had been Jessica something.

"You're sure it wouldn't be a good idea?" he asked hoping desperately that Catherine might reconsider.

"I'm very sure." Was her quick reply.

"Okay it will have to be Warrick." He stated "Any comments?"

Catherine shrugged her shoulders, // Poor Warrick// she thought, //he's really was too nice a guy to be stuck with that chore.// She looked Grissom straight in the eye, "You didn't consider doing it yourself?" She queried knowing the reply. He simply looked at her as though she were mad.

"I'll go to tell him the good news." He said turning towards the door, where he saw Brass standing. Grissom raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"I wanted to see how you would talk Willows into doing the talk, I see you didn't. I was just wondering... what did Warrick ever do to you?"

Grissom gave a small smile, "RHIP" he replied.

Brass stepped aside to allow the smiling man to pass. "Rank has its privileges." The detective muttered as he headed for his car.

23rd October beginning of the graveshift

"How are you and Nick coming on with that case?" Grissom asked the two as he prepared to hand out the assignments.

"We'll make it just under the wire." Was Catherine's tired reply.

Grissom nodded, "Sara, you and I will look into that kidnapping, here's the details. Warrick can take the break-in as he has that talk tomorrow." He stopped for a moment, "Where is Warrick?" He felt a tap on his shoulder, turning round he saw the young man in question. "You're late."

Warrick moved a little nearer and managed to croak, "I can't talk."

Stunned Grissom looked at him, swallowed and then for one of the few times in his life repeated the obvious, "You can't talk."

As Warrick nodded his confirmation the others stood with various sizes of grins on their faces.

Turning to face them Grissom began "Sara you'll...." He saw Catherine shake her head. // Damn it she's doing it again reading my mind.// he thought. Quickly he change what he had been about to say, "work with Warrick, I'll take the break in and the talk."

24th October afternoon

Grissom arrived at the mayor's house where the meeting was being held. Beverly Mobley and the mayor's wife met him at the door.

"We were so pleased to hear we were actually going to be given a talk by a real CSI." The mayor's wife told him with a small smile, "I'll just go and get everyone seated."

"Mr. Grissom, I'm sheriff Mobley's wife Beverly." The dark haired woman stretched her hand out to shake his. "We really are very grateful you've come to

give us this talk, though I'm sure my husband was his usual self when he asked you." She gave him a small knowing smile. "It's even better that it is you the supervisor of the graveshift team as it has been your cases we have been following. The way you and the others solved the 'Strip Strangler' case." She paused noting the slight jerk at her remark. "Oh Brian didn't say anything but we worked out who discovered the real murderer listening to TV reports and reading the newspapers we were able to put two and two together and don't dare try to say we got five."

Grissom stared at her and began to think this talk might not be as bad as he thought.

"Also please don't worry about using technical terms and discussing various scientific approaches, we try to keep up to date with all the equipment etc. We have a surgeon and a police detective in our group and they help keep us straight. One more thing we do not regard ourselves as detectives, we simply like to study the methods used in crime solving, how the criminologist reach their decisions." On saying that she led him into the room where the group awaited him.

25th October start of the graveshift

"Well how did it go?" Catherine asked as Grissom stepped into the break room to hand out their assignments.

"How did what go?" was her supervisor's reply.

Giving him a 'fess up look' she stated "The talk."

"All I can say is the voting populace elected the wrong Mobley for sheriff." Grissom informed her and the others. "Beverly Mobley showed more interest and knowledge of crime solving than her husband."

"And the others?" Sara Sidle queried.

"Let's say if any of you don't pull your weight I know where to get your replacement." He informed her with a wry grin. "Now Warrick if your throats better ...." And he began handing out assignments.

The End