Abby looked out her rear view mirror. She couldn't see her mother's house or the three people she left sanding in the driveway wishing her luck. Of course she would miss her mother and stepfather but she had a special bond with her half brother A.J. She shed a tear at the thought of the way he tried so hard to keep himself from crying when she left. She was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of her cell phone.
"Hi Dad," she sniffled.
"Hey pumpkin, how far are you?"
"I should be there in a few hours," she answered checking her GPS "Are you that anxious to see me?"
"I'm always anxious to see you," Grissom told her, "I'm just a little worried, you should have been here by now."
"Dad chill out, everything's fine. I just got a little lost, and before you ask how I could get lost with a GPS system, you know me, I'm just special like that," Abby giggled when she heard her father sigh on the other end of the phone, "just go to work and I'll meet you there. Daddy I'm 28, you don't have to worry about me." After she had finished reassuring her father Abby turned the volume back up on her stereo and blasted Bloc Party the rest of the way to Vegas.
Pulling Into the parking lot she noticed that the place looked the same as it did the last time she was there. Walking through the front doors she noticed it even smelled the same.
"Can I help you?" She heard a voice from behind her ask. She jumped a little because the person had startled her.
"Jesus Catherine, you scarred the crap out of me!"
"Abby? What are you doing here?" Catherine squealed as she hugged Abby tightly. "I know I get lost in the job but its not but I know its not Christmas."
"Not unless someone changed Christmas to April and didn't tell me," She laughed, "Is my dad in his office?"
"Yeah, I was just on my way over there," Catherine explained as she threw her arm around Abby and walked in the direction of her father's office.
Abigail Grissom had always thought of her father's lab as her second home. She would always come to visit her father at Christmas, that was their time together, and everyone at the lab always seemed so excited to see her. Catherine was like a stepmother, always looking out for her and fawning over her.
When they finally arrived at Grissom's office he as usual was buried in paperwork.
"Hey Gil, look what I found in the lobby," Catherine stated motioning to his only child.
"Hey Pop. Miss me?"
"Always," Grissom stated simply looking over the rim of his glasses and getting up from is seat, "How's mom?"
"Oh damn I was supposed to call her when I got here." She said pulling out her phone and dialing her mother's number, "I'll hug you in a second."
"Hello?"
"Hi mom…yeah I made it…he's fine…he cried like a little girl didn't he…I know I shouldn't pick on him. It's just fun…alright, bye…love you too." After hanging up her phone she all but jumped on her father giving him the biggest hug she could muster.
"So what's with the mid year visit?" Catherine asked looking at the two of them.
Abby's face turned to confusion "Your didn't tell anyone did you?"
"It's time to hand out assignments. Shall we ladies?" Grissom then gestured to the door. Catherine and Abby simultaneously rolled their eyes.
Walking into the break room Abby caught sight of two of her favourite people, Nick and Warrick; they had always been big brothers to her. Whenever she was in town they would always hang out with her and take her places, making sure she was never bored. They were sitting at the table with their backs to the door and there was someone with them, another guy she had never met. Probably talking about girls Abby thought to herself.
Poking her head between Nick and Warrick she looked at them and smiled, "Hi boys" Before she could even start to think about moving Nick had grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. She was caught off guard and fell into his lap. "Hey Warrick," She waved from her seat on Nick's knee.
"Hey kid, It's been a while since you've been around here," he said and ruffled her hair.
"You have got to stop doing that," Abby told him while smoothing her hair down. It was true. It had been three years since her last trip to Vegas. She tried every Christmas to get there but for the past three years she had been unable to get the time off work.
"Hi, I don't know you," She said extending her hand to the man she didn't recognize.
"Greg Sanders," He introduced himself, shaking her hand.
"Abigail Grissom."
He looked at her confused. "Greg this is Grissom's daughter," Nick explained to him.
"Before I hand out assignments, I have an announcement to make." Grissom started cutting them off. Always so dramatic. Abby thought. "As you all know Hodges has requested a transfer," he continued, "for those of you who don't know this is Abigail Grissom, my daughter, she'll be taking Hodges' place in the trace lab."
"So you're here for good?" Catherine asked her. She looked like she was going to burst.
"Yup"
"Welcome to the team," Nick said giving her another squeeze as she was still sitting on him.
After handing out Assignments Grissom took Abby over to the trace where she met Hodges.
"Hodges this is your replacement," Grissom introduced.
Abby looked at him and waved. "Abigail Grissom, nice to meet you,"
"David Hodges."
"Well pumpkin, I'm going to go get to work," he told her kissing her cheek, "Hodges make sure she knows where everything is," Grissom instructed and walked away.
"Grissom?" Hodges asked.
"He's my dad."
"I guess it's easy to get a job when the boss is your father," he stated plainly.
"Do you always talk to people you've just met like that?" Abby asked bewildered.
"Always," came a voice from the doorway. "Hodges, there is a reason you don't have a girl."
"Yeah, well what's your excuse Sanders?" Hodges retorted.
Abby couldn't help but laugh at that. "So I come to your defense and you laugh at me? I'm hurt," Greg pouted.
"I'm sorry but you walked right into that one."
"What do you need Sanders?" Hodges cut in.
"I need you to analyze this and tell me what it is." Greg told him holding up the sample.
"I'll do it" Abby chirped.
"Actually I think I'll handle it. You just watch." Hodges instructed taking the evidence from Greg.
Fun and games aside, Abby didn't like the attitude Hodges was giving her, "alright look, I am perfectly capable of running a sample through GCMS. I might be the boss's daughter but I'm a capable lab technician." She told Hodges taking the sample from him and beginning to process it. Seeing that his sample was in good hands Greg left the trace lab to find Sara.
It had been six hours, which meant two more hours with Hodges. He thought she was completely incompetent and had no problem showing it. Abby decided to take a break and get away from the lab and Hodges. She was sitting in the break room when Nick came in. "Breakfast after shift?" he didn't even look at her.
"So we're not speaking in complete sentences anymore?"
"It's been one of those shifts," He looked at her wearily.
"I know what you mean, I've been stuck in trace with a guy who thinks I'm an idiot."
"So, breakfast? Everyone's coming," he asked her again.
"I'm down," she took the last sip of her coffee, "well two more hours in trace having everything I do questioned and every move I make scrutinized."