Jackson and Greta are my original characters, but I don't own CSI.
As you probably know, I've decided to keep Nick in Vegas. I hate that he wasn't in the finale, and I thought Jackson would like his Uncle Nicky to be home.
Also, even though I posted my story Back To Work a couple of weeks ago, Morgan's still on maternity leave at the start of this story.
You don't necessarily have to read my story Where We Should Be, but I got the inspiration for this from a part in the story. I miss Wendy on the show, and love her relationship with Hodges. Since she left in season eleven to become a CSI in Portland, I thought it would be good for her to come back to team as a CSI. So here's what I came up with. Hope you all enjoy...and pretty please review!
Nick Stokes, Catherine Willows and Greg Sanders sat across from Conrad Ecklie and just stared at the sheriff. While they all agreed the Grave Shift was shorthanded since Sara was still away with Grissom and Morgan was still on maternity leave, when Ecklie told them of the new CSI he wanted to bring in, they thought he was nuts.
Clearing his throat, Greg asked, "Hodges know you're doing this?"
Conrad sighed. "Not yet. And I know this is going to cause some tension..." The three nodded, knowing of the history with the former lab tech and new CSI. "But," Conrad continued, "We need the help."
"Agreed," Catherine said. Conrad had just promoted the former CSI to lab director, Nick was promoted to head of Grave, and Greg and Sara were promoted to co-assistant supervisors. Catherine smiled softly at the two men she watched grow from newbie criminalists to strong CSIs. "We're in good hands with these guys. But will there be any tension between those two?"
"If there is, they can handle it," Nick said. "But Conrad's right. We've only got us, Morgan, Lindsey, Sara, Hodges and Henry. And Lindsey, Hodges and Henry are all Level One CSIs. We need the backup."
"Okay," Greg said with a sigh. "But Hodges isn't going to like this." Conrad simply sighed and smiled.
Meanwhile, David Hodges was showing Greg's son Jackson a bicarbonate bomb. The little boy laughed as the small container popped up and flew across the room.
For someone who once said he had an aversion to children, Hodges loved spending time with Jackson. He laughed softly as Jackson's giggles carried through the lab. David looked up and stopped when he spotted a familiar brunette glancing through the lab. No, he told himself. It couldn't be her, could it?
He was so focused on the brunette that he missed another bicarbonate bomb...until it conked him on the head. "Ow!"
"Uncle Hodges, you okay?" Jackson asked.
"Uh...yeah," David shook his head. "Just wasn't watching."
"You gotta be careful," Jackson said.
The brunette smiled and looked at the lab tech and little boy. She'd met the sweet boy just a couple of years before, when she briefly returned to Vegas for a conference. She never thought she'd return to the Las Vegas Crime Lab, but they were a second family to her. With everything that happened - losing Warrick, Riley Adams and Ray Langston coming on board, Riley leaving, her leaving to become a CSI in Portland, the whole Langston fallout, then D.B. Russell coming on board and helping bring everyone together before leaving to work with the FBI - she told herself no one would blame her if she didn't ever want to come back. But Sheriff Conrad Ecklie called and said he knew of her and David's history - or lack of, she told herself - but would still like her to come work for the lab as a CSI. Then Nick called and said she'd be working with him and the new Grave Shift team, and he'd love to work with her again. So, when her sister accepted a job in town, she decided to come back home to Vegas.
She never pictured David Hodges having or doing anything with kids, but there was something so right about watching him with Greg Sanders' little boy.
Just then, a pretty redheaded woman walked past the lab. "Can I help you with something?" She asked the woman.
The woman did a double take and smiled. "Oh, my...you're Lindsey? Catherine's daughter?"
Lindsey laughed softly. "Yeah. I'm a CSI Level One now."
"Oh, wow!"
"You must be the new CSI," Lindsey said.
"Yeah, I'm..."
"Wendy?" Hodges shouted.
Wendy smiled softly as he came out of his lab with Jackson.
"Yeah," Wendy said as she cleared her throat. She shook Lindsey's hand. "I'm Wendy Simms."
TBC..