Disclaimer: Don't own them, didn't create them, don't profit from them,
but I'd really like to have coffee with George Eads.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nick thought about the rumor circulating about Sara getting the promotion because of her history with Grissom; this, even though no official announcement had been made. He didn't have much time to really stew about it, he had a case to work on, and as he worked he realized that regardless of the outcome, he was satisfied with the way he was doing his job. Everyone was critical about how he let his emotions get involved in a case, how he tended to show empathy to the victim's family, but that was just part of who he was and how he did his job. He couldn't change Grissom's mind if the rumor was true, and if it was, it wasn't going to change the way he did his job. Sara was a very capable CSI and he had nothing but admiration for her, not to mention a great deal of attraction. She'd had a tough last couple of months and they'd been spending more and more time together outside of work. He'd always thought she was beautiful, but after spending time with her and hearing about how Grissom had turned her down, and had witnessed how abrupt he'd been with her over the last few months, he'd gotten to know quite a bit more about Sara. She'd allowed him to see inside of her and what made her tick. He felt privileged that she counted him a true friend.
The twists and turns of a case never ceased to surprise Nick. He had wrapped up his case and discussed it with Grissom, now all he wanted to do was grab a bite to eat and head home for some much deserved rest. He ambled down the hallway to collect his gear out of his locker. As he entered he noticed Sara sitting in front of her locker with a grimace on her face. He furrowed his brow in concern. "Everything ok, Sara?"
She glanced up at him and let out a deep breath. "Why is it that no matter how hard I work my ass off, all Grissom does is criticize?"
Nick was perplexed. "Uh, what exactly do you mean?" He opened his locker and pulled out his jacket.
She scowled and crossed her arms in front of her body. "I brief him about the progress of the case and where things are at, who is doing what and he just looks at me and asks me what I'm doing. I just don't get it."
Nick let out a deep breath and sat down on the bench next to her. "You just have to do your job, Sara."
She glanced over at him, not really understanding his statement. "I am doing my job."
Nick nudged her arm with his elbow and turned his head toward her. "Sara, you're too concerned with what he thinks. You need to be willing to do your job the way you do your job, not the way Warrick does his job, not the way Catherine does her job, and not the way Grissom does his job."
She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so but if I do it the way you do, its ok?" She was only half teasing him.
Nick smiled. "All I'm saying is, you need to be true to who you are and embrace what makes you unique. All of us can't do this job the same way, and quite frankly we shouldn't, that's one of the reasons why we're the number two lab in the country."
"It just pisses me off that he gets to me like that, and with the promotion still up in the air I feel like I'm walking on egg shells." Sara looked over at Nick, appreciative of their close friendship.
He smiled at her. "Do you want to talk about his over breakfast? I'm hungry."
She laughed. "When are you not hungry, Nick?"
"When I'm sleeping." He grinned.
They left the lab and headed over the diner around the corner, snagging a booth toward the back, away from the noise of the front door. Once they'd put in their orders, they resumed their earlier conversation.
Nick sipped a cup of coffee. "I don't know why you're so worried about the promotion, Sara. You're a damn good CSI."
Sara let out a huff. "Well according to all the rumors flying around, people seem to think I've got it in the bag because of my 'history' with Grissom."
Nick chuckled. "I'd heard that too."
Sara had a mixture of frustration and vulnerability on her face. "It's not true. The only history I have with Grissom is a student-teacher relationship. I just added fuel to the fire by asking him out like an idiot."
Nick smiled softly at her. "Hey, you're not an idiot, he is. Why he didn't say yes is beyond me. There are plenty of guys who would practically kill to go out with you."
"Greg and suspects don't count as plenty of guys." Sara responded dryly.
Nick laughed. "Who said I was talking about Greg."
"Well Archie has a girlfriend, and David's not my type." Sara continued.
The waitress arrived with their orders and they dug into their food.
"You know, even if I get the promotion, everyone is going to wonder if it's because of whatever rumors have circulated about me and Grissom since I started working here. It won't matter that I've worked my ass off for three and a half years." Sara sounded frustrated.
"I don't think that, Sara. I know that you work harder than almost anyone here." He let out a deep breath before continuing. "But I still think you worry too much about what Grissom thinks."
"Don't you?" Sara furrowed her brow.
"I care about what he thinks because I respect him as a scientist and as my boss, but I'm not going to change who I am or how I do my job because I'm worried about whether or not I'm going to get a promotion. If I think he's wrong about something, I'm going to tell him. That may work to my detriment professionally in the short term, but I'm not willing to change who I am to try and advance my career."
Sara raised an eyebrow. "You once told me that you don't have a career without a job."
Nick smiled. "That's true, but I have a job and as far as I know, it's not in jeopardy. I may not get the promotion because of the kick ass competition I'm up against, but I'm pretty sure I'm a damn good CSI and my skills are valued around here."
Sara smiled. "Thanks for the vote of confidence. I'm up against some pretty kick ass competition too."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nick thought about the rumor circulating about Sara getting the promotion because of her history with Grissom; this, even though no official announcement had been made. He didn't have much time to really stew about it, he had a case to work on, and as he worked he realized that regardless of the outcome, he was satisfied with the way he was doing his job. Everyone was critical about how he let his emotions get involved in a case, how he tended to show empathy to the victim's family, but that was just part of who he was and how he did his job. He couldn't change Grissom's mind if the rumor was true, and if it was, it wasn't going to change the way he did his job. Sara was a very capable CSI and he had nothing but admiration for her, not to mention a great deal of attraction. She'd had a tough last couple of months and they'd been spending more and more time together outside of work. He'd always thought she was beautiful, but after spending time with her and hearing about how Grissom had turned her down, and had witnessed how abrupt he'd been with her over the last few months, he'd gotten to know quite a bit more about Sara. She'd allowed him to see inside of her and what made her tick. He felt privileged that she counted him a true friend.
The twists and turns of a case never ceased to surprise Nick. He had wrapped up his case and discussed it with Grissom, now all he wanted to do was grab a bite to eat and head home for some much deserved rest. He ambled down the hallway to collect his gear out of his locker. As he entered he noticed Sara sitting in front of her locker with a grimace on her face. He furrowed his brow in concern. "Everything ok, Sara?"
She glanced up at him and let out a deep breath. "Why is it that no matter how hard I work my ass off, all Grissom does is criticize?"
Nick was perplexed. "Uh, what exactly do you mean?" He opened his locker and pulled out his jacket.
She scowled and crossed her arms in front of her body. "I brief him about the progress of the case and where things are at, who is doing what and he just looks at me and asks me what I'm doing. I just don't get it."
Nick let out a deep breath and sat down on the bench next to her. "You just have to do your job, Sara."
She glanced over at him, not really understanding his statement. "I am doing my job."
Nick nudged her arm with his elbow and turned his head toward her. "Sara, you're too concerned with what he thinks. You need to be willing to do your job the way you do your job, not the way Warrick does his job, not the way Catherine does her job, and not the way Grissom does his job."
She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so but if I do it the way you do, its ok?" She was only half teasing him.
Nick smiled. "All I'm saying is, you need to be true to who you are and embrace what makes you unique. All of us can't do this job the same way, and quite frankly we shouldn't, that's one of the reasons why we're the number two lab in the country."
"It just pisses me off that he gets to me like that, and with the promotion still up in the air I feel like I'm walking on egg shells." Sara looked over at Nick, appreciative of their close friendship.
He smiled at her. "Do you want to talk about his over breakfast? I'm hungry."
She laughed. "When are you not hungry, Nick?"
"When I'm sleeping." He grinned.
They left the lab and headed over the diner around the corner, snagging a booth toward the back, away from the noise of the front door. Once they'd put in their orders, they resumed their earlier conversation.
Nick sipped a cup of coffee. "I don't know why you're so worried about the promotion, Sara. You're a damn good CSI."
Sara let out a huff. "Well according to all the rumors flying around, people seem to think I've got it in the bag because of my 'history' with Grissom."
Nick chuckled. "I'd heard that too."
Sara had a mixture of frustration and vulnerability on her face. "It's not true. The only history I have with Grissom is a student-teacher relationship. I just added fuel to the fire by asking him out like an idiot."
Nick smiled softly at her. "Hey, you're not an idiot, he is. Why he didn't say yes is beyond me. There are plenty of guys who would practically kill to go out with you."
"Greg and suspects don't count as plenty of guys." Sara responded dryly.
Nick laughed. "Who said I was talking about Greg."
"Well Archie has a girlfriend, and David's not my type." Sara continued.
The waitress arrived with their orders and they dug into their food.
"You know, even if I get the promotion, everyone is going to wonder if it's because of whatever rumors have circulated about me and Grissom since I started working here. It won't matter that I've worked my ass off for three and a half years." Sara sounded frustrated.
"I don't think that, Sara. I know that you work harder than almost anyone here." He let out a deep breath before continuing. "But I still think you worry too much about what Grissom thinks."
"Don't you?" Sara furrowed her brow.
"I care about what he thinks because I respect him as a scientist and as my boss, but I'm not going to change who I am or how I do my job because I'm worried about whether or not I'm going to get a promotion. If I think he's wrong about something, I'm going to tell him. That may work to my detriment professionally in the short term, but I'm not willing to change who I am to try and advance my career."
Sara raised an eyebrow. "You once told me that you don't have a career without a job."
Nick smiled. "That's true, but I have a job and as far as I know, it's not in jeopardy. I may not get the promotion because of the kick ass competition I'm up against, but I'm pretty sure I'm a damn good CSI and my skills are valued around here."
Sara smiled. "Thanks for the vote of confidence. I'm up against some pretty kick ass competition too."