Title: Dawn of the Dead
Author: Tara Keezer
Rating: PG
Crossover: Buffy The Vampire Slayer/CSI: Vegas
Notes: I'm still looking through my folder for fics to post for wip_amnesty, and I found this little item. I'd thought I was going to do more with it, but after a quick reread, I think it works okay as a ficlet, so here you go.

~*~*~

"Murphy's Oil Soap."

Grissom, who had been passing by lab number three on his way to a meeting with Catherine, stopped in the middle of the hall and turned, intrigued by the straightforward answer. He heard Warrick say, "What?"

The young woman -- the newest technician on staff -- handed Warrick a sheet of paper. "That's what he and his partner used instead of lubricant."

Intrigued, Grissom stepped into the lab and asked, "You're not going to list the components of the product?"

She looked at him, her right eyebrow raised. "Do I look like Alex Trebek?"

"Well -- no. But --"

"But nothing." She pointed to a table behind her. "You see those boxes? They're what the last guy left behind for me."

Just before he left the lab, Warrick muttered, "Better your ass than mine, Griss. Good luck with that."

Grissom blinked in surprise as Warrick left. He turned back to the young woman. "Excuse me, but is that really a good tone to take with me?"

She rolled her eyes. "Is your question supposed to freak me out?"

Taken aback by her attitude, he blurted, "Yes. It is. I'm head of night shift, which means I'm your boss."

Grabbing an evidence bag from the other table, she held it up. "Okay, boss. Which is more important? Processing evidence from a three-week old crime scene, or making nice with you?"

About to answer, Grissom suddenly paused. "Three weeks?"

"Yeah," she said, suddenly tired. "Look, I don't know who was here before I was, and I don't even care that the dork left all this work behind. I just want to do my job, okay?"

Grissom stared at the boxes and then frowned at Dawn Summers. "Do your job. When you're caught up, we'll talk about the way we present findings around here."

She reset her work area for the evidence she'd pulled out a few minutes earlier. Giving him an impish glance, she said, "Fine. But you really need to work on your frowns. I've been glared at by the best, and you're not even in the same category."