Trick or Treat?

Summery: Sara causes chaos in the lab with trick or treat only no one realizes someone is playing a dangerous trick on the lab putting the CSI's lives danger.

"It's Halloween, when all the nut jobs come out. How can I be stuck here?" moaned Sara while placing a hand full of gummy worms into her mouth.

"Firstly, I think the nut jobs come out all the time but traditionally the full moon," smiled Greg licking a sugar coated sweet. "And secondly, you're stuck in the lab because you maxed out on overtime helping Grissom with that bug thing," The lanky male concluded waving a chocolate beetle in the front of her face. The pair were sitting in the break room surrounded by boxes of sweets.

"Where did you get these again?" asked Sara while looking through a box.

"Grateful citizen," Greg said sceptically not giving anything away.

"Sidle," Ecklie froze as did the pair of CSI's when he entered the room. "I was going to cut you some slack and let you help Willow's but it seems you've got a party going on."

"Gummy worm?" asked Sara unable to resist winding Ecklie up.

"You're supposed to be doing paperwork," said Ecklie taking on an annoyed tone.

"I was. I am; it under here," Sara began knocking things over as she searched for her file.

"Whose are these?"

"Mine," said Sara knowing Ecklie was mad; she could practically see the steam coming from his ears.

"You're breaking about five lab policies having it here so it's going in my office until you get off shift. Furthermore, I suggest you have that paperwork done Sidle. You don't get off easy with me. Archie take these to my office," bellowed Ecklie who had been getting louder and louder as he went on with his tangent, much to the amusement of Hodges who was silently watching from the trace lab.

"Sorry," apologized Archie as he picked up a couple of boxes. "Wendy could do with some help if you want something to do."

Greg was rather pleased Archie had interrupted and distracted Sara while Ecklie left because he was fairly certain if he hadn't Sara would now be up for an assault charge.

"What the hell does he mean?" shouted Sara as Greg got up. "I don't get away with anything. Grissom doesn't treat me differently."

"We know that Sara and so does he. He's just trolling," said Greg as the pair walked down the corridor.

"It's Halloween. Shouldn't he be out in a cemetery or something? Isn't it a bog holiday for the devil incarnate?" Greg gave a snort of laughter that finally broke Sara's anger and a grin crept across her face.

"Hey, weren't you two eating more calories than the human body can handle"? asked Wendy as they walked in.

"We were but Ecklie butted in and took it," replied Sara as Greg pulled a face and ran his hand across his neck indicating for Wendy to dropt he subject.

"He confiscated your candy? Maybe he's going to give it to all the trick or treaters," she said shrugging her shoulders.

"That's it," beamed Sara hitting Greg on the back. "Trick or Treat." She announced leaving the room.

"I'm guessing she's already hit the E numbers," smiled Wendy as Greg gave a confused look and followed Sara; deciding whatever she was doing was probably more interesting than being back in the lab.

"Sara!" called Greg as he jogged down the corridor to catch up with her. "What are we doing?" he asked with a childish enthusiasm.

"If Ecklie wants to treat me like I'm in school I'll act like it," replied Sara with a half smile as she stopped outside Grissom's office.

"So we're doing what?" asked Greg as he slightly reluctantly followed Sara into Grissom's empty office.

"It's Halloween Greggo. We're going to play trick or treat and Ecklie's earned a trick," she informed him, closing the door.

"Still doesn't quite tell me why we're in Grissom's office. In the dark," he added as Sara made her way across the room.

"We're in the dark so no one sees us getting Watson," explained Sara going to a tank on the back wall.

"And Watson would be who?" asked Greg examining the jars along the shelves, each one an experiment; some old and some current.

"His tarantula," replied Sara.

"Sara Sidle you have an evil streak! I like it." Smiled Greg. "Quick question though, does Grissom have jars like this at home?"

"Not many. Mostly just Lepidoptera," replied Sara opening the top of the terrarium.

"Lepidoptera?" muttered Greg looking at the jars for some clue as to what strange creature it was. He'd heard it somewhere before but couldn't place it.

"Here we go," beamed Sara holding out the spider at Greg who tensed slightly.

"It's not going to bite is it?" asked Greg as Sara shut the lid allowing Watson to crawl up to her wrist before settling on a spot to stay.

"If he was going to bite me do you think I'd be holding him?" asked Sara gently encouraging Watson back into the palm of her hand.

"I'm getting worried. You keep referring to it as him,"

"He's a he," replied Sara looking around the room.

"I think you and Grissom are becoming a bit too alike," Greg said knowing Sara couldn't hit him for a comment such as that while she was holding Watson.

"He wouldn't plant a spider in Ecklie's drawer," smirked Sara with a raised eyebrow.

"And are we just going to walk down the hall holding him? Because even Hodges might notice that."

"No, that's why I'm looking for box," answered Sara.

"What if Ecklie isn't bothered by him," asked Greg spotting a cardboard box across the room and retrieving it.

"He is. He always avoids coming on this side of the room," replied Sara with a smile.

"What if he squishes him or something?" asked Greg as Sara popped the creature into the box.

"I'll squish him," came her reply as Watson was shut into his temporary home. "Come on." Beamed Sara picking up the box and holding it carefully to her side as the exited the room. The pair wandered down the corridor towards Ecklie's office, Sara holding the brown parcel as one would a precious object; drawing some attention to them from passing techs who wondered what could be in there.

"Is he in there?" hissed Greg as they stood casually outside Ecklie's office.

"I can't tell the blinds are down. I forgot my x-ray glasses," said Sara sarcastically.

"Well, we can't just walk in," pointed out Greg looking rather suspicious as he pressed his face up against the window trying to see through a slat in the blinds.

"Sara what are you doing?" said Greg panicked as she knocked on the door.

"Seeing if he's in," hissed Sara. There was no reply from inside so Sara ventured in.

"And what if he was in?" asked Greg closing the door as he followed Sara in.

"I would have thought of something," said Sara opening up Ecklie's top drawer and pulling a reluctant Watson from where he had just got settled. She placed him amongst the files.

"Come on," said Sara grabbing the box and shoving Greg from the office.

Five minutes later Greg and Sara had a suitable viewing position form the DNA lab opposite Ecklie's office.

"I feel like I should have pop corn," smiled Greg looking up from the paper work set out in front of him.

"Here comes the main act," smiled Sara as Ecklie went into his office opening the blinds much to the delight of the two CSI' sitting staring. He'd only been in there a few minutes where he opening the drawer picking out a file.

"It didn't work," whispered Greg as Ecklie put the file down. It was then that Ecklie did a double take of the drawer immediately pushing back from the desk and standing. Ecklie took two steps back from the desk and side skirted the room before leaving.

"Now that was a good trick," laughed Greg as Sara got up and jogged over to Ecklie's office and retrieved Watson.

"Sanders!" both he and Sara froze as Ecklie called down the corridor.

"What?" replied Greg stuttered as Ecklie approached them looking flustered.

"Stokes needs you at his scene." Greg and Sara released the breaths they had been holding.

"Okay," said Greg almost running down the corridor. Sara quickly followed his lead returning to Grissom's office and placing Watson in his home. Turning around to leave she noticed something sticking out from the bottom bookshelf: Grissom's straw hat.

"What are you up to Sidle?" Sara froze as Catherine willows voice drifted into the room. "Ecklie's ranting about Grissom's pets escaping, care to explain?" she asked swinging the door shut. "And why are you holding that hideous thing?" she added seeing the straw had grasped in Sara's hand.

"So you don't like it either," asked Sara with a grin.

TBC ………….

Lepidoptera is the scientific name for butterfly.