Wow. I actually used Sara. I'm…kind of amazed. And Nick kind of seems like an ass for a while, but…He gets better.

He was used to this. Always used to being left behind when no one else was on a case, because he was the level one. It was obvious he should be getting field time, and cases, to advance, but…Grissom almost acted like he was invisible.

As a matter of fact, everyone seemed to act like that lately. Even the lab techs, who always seemed to be on his side. Like yesterday; Greg walked into trace, and Hodges merely told him that Nick was on his way. When Greg pointed out that they were on the case together, Hodges didn't even have the courtesy to acknowledge that he had spoken!

So he sat in the breakroom, a pile of scrap paper next to him (that probably had something to do with Star Trek on them, being that he got them from Archie after told him to leave), making paper footballs and pretending that he had someone to play against.

Occasionally, when someone would come in for coffee, he'd be graced with their presence (and very repetitive questions, he might add) for a few minutes before they'd make up some lame excuse to go back to their comfortable labs.

"I'd rather be going through dumpsters than sitting here…" he grumbled, jumping when someone in the room said "really?" Greg turned around, seeing Sara standing at the coffee maker, pouring herself a cup. "I suggest you savor what you get, that's the last batch for the lab…I'm running low,"

"Hodges didn't make it?"

Greg looked at her, eyebrow raised. "Did you really think that if I was going to be stuck here all day I'd let Hodges make that sludge he calls coffee?"

"Point taken…but if you're being serious about the dumpster thing, Nick and I have one at our scene, you could go through it…" Sara laughed when Greg stood up, rubbing his hands together. "Hey, slow down…We're here to run some DNA and trace before we head back out…"

"Aren't you supposed to collect all at once…?" Greg asked, confused, as he settled back into his seat.

"Well, yeah. If you can. But we've got a ten story building to process. You really think that we'd be able to get all the evidence in one go?" the blonde shrugged, sighing as he kicked at a paper football. "So…you up for the job? You're welcome to help us, too,"

"I thought Nick and you were assigned to a homicide in an old warehouse," Greg asked, spinning in the chair.

"We were, but we had reason to check the office, and there's evidence on every floor…" she shook her head.

"And you're not phased…"

"We're pretty sure it's only one or two people…What's with all the questions?" Sara questioned, looking at the bored CSI in front of her.

"I've had people in here all night, asking me why I'm here. Hodges even cracked a few jokes before I told him he could start drinking his coffee again if he kept it up. I can't even talk to anyone here, all the tech's are swamped with extra work from days," he sighed. "I almost called Grissom to ask if I could go home,"

"We would've taken you, all you had to do was call," Sara replied, cocking her head to the side. "And you look really bored, we could've given you all the crap jobs,"

"You would've if I was there anyway. Why do you guys still do that, it's not like I'm a trainee or anything…I'm a CSI, so what's the deal?"

"Probably because we can get away with it," she winked at him, picking up her pager as it rang. "Nick's ready. Are you?"

Greg stood up, glad he wouldn't have to spend the rest of the night in the lab. "Ready as I'll ever be to dig through other people's half eaten food and used condoms,"

"It's a workplace, Greg!" Sara said, smile on her face.

"So? It's not like I haven't seen a condom or two around here…You and Grissom hooking up during break?" his face paled as he saw his supervisor heading down the hallway, and stuttered out a response when he was looked at oddly. Sara chuckled, shaking her head.

---

"Sara, I think we've got three victims, maybe four…" Nick's eyes widened when he saw Greg standing next to his coworker. "Greg's with us?" when the blonde smiled widely and nodded, Nick returned it. "Did Grissom okay this?" he turns to Sara, leaving Greg very confused and feeling a little like a child.

"Hey, I can make my own decisions…" he protested, but Nick only held up a hand, waiting for Sara's response.

"No. Grissom doesn't even know. But Greg's been in the lab all night, and I figured…"

"…That he could do the dumpsters…" Nick smiled again, looking at Greg. "Alright," Greg gave him a look before asking where the dumpster was.

"Dumpster?" Nick laughed. "I don't know what Sara told you, man, but there's at least four of 'em," Greg groaned softly, shooting the Texan another look when he started, managing to shut him up. "I can help you, if you---,"

Greg stood up straight and turned back to them, already on his way. "Hey, this is what you guys wanted me for, right?" he tried to ignore the laughter following him as he made his voyage across the parking lot to his "assigned job."

Four hours later and nothing suspicious in the garbage, Greg crawled out of the second to last dumpster and brushed a banana peel from his shoulder, reconsidering his decision. Maybe he'd rather be back at the lab. He thought for a moment before shaking his head. Tough call. Dirty garbage or paper footballs.

"Greg!" he heard, looking up to see Sara above him, leaning out a window. "Find anything?"

"You couldn't just page me?"

"Didn't think you'd get to it quick enough," she said, and even though she was a couple stories above him, Greg was pretty sure she was grinning. "Nick's on his way down,"

Greg looked up at her, trying to shade his eyes from the streetlight above him and not get garbage in his eyes at the same time. "Why's Nick coming down here?" he called back, only to have her shut the window on him. He sighed, looking back around him and shaking his head as he walked towards the last dumpster – finally! – and sighed again as he tried to climb over the edge.

"Hey, thought I might lend a hand," Greg yelped as he lost grip and fell from the dumpster edge, surprised when he didn't hit concrete. He took a deep breathe, taking a risk and opening his eyes to see a concerned and slightly amused Nick standing above him. "You alright?"

"Yeah…f--," he coughed, cleared his throat, and stood up. "I'm fine…" Nick smiled at him and nodded, amused even more as Greg got over his awkward phase. "So why do you think I needed help?"

"Well…to tell you the truth, I knew you could handle it…Sara's just driving me crazy. She's got all these theories…" he sighed, shaking his head. "Want some help in?"

Greg froze, wondering why he was suddenly so robotic. "I did if fine for the others, I think I can do this one,"

"This one's taller than the rest,"

"And you think that you'd be able to help me? I'm taller than you," Greg grumbled, though inside he was wondering how he'd manage to get in it.

Nick chuckled. "By half an inch or so. Come on, Greggo, just let me help before you hurt yourself!"

"Hey, I've been climbing trees since I was nine--," Greg missed the look of slight pain cross Nick's face. "—I think I can handle it,"

"Alright, but don't blame me when you end up in an ambulance because you're too full of pride and dignity to let me help," Greg shot him a look, though he was quite grateful for the offer. But he'd much rather end up showing off than have someone walk up and see two men in a somewhat compromising position.

Greg looked up at the dumpster, rolling his shoulders and getting ready, shooting the Texan another look when he heard him say 'today would be lovely, Greg.' His footing was right, his hands were gripping the top, all he had to do was reach a little higher when he moved his feet…

And he was slipping again, blush already on his face even before Nick had a chance to catch him. Nick grinned, nostrils flaring with held in laughter, as he stared down at the ex-lab tech. "I hate to say I told you so…" Nick didn't let him go, just kind of held him where he was as he watched emotion dance through Greg's eyes.

"I'm sure. So, you gonna help me or not?"

"Nu-uh, you gotta tell me that I'm always right before you get to get back to work,"

"No way. There's been loads of times you were wrong and I was right,"

"Oh yeah? Like when?" Greg found that the look he gave the Texan when he took Archie out onto the field instead staring back at him, 'prove it' all over.

"Come on, Grissom'll kill me if he finds out I'm on a crime scene and keeping you from your job…"

"Grissom's going to be pissed anyway. And if you're so worried…you could just say it." Nick's smile was still in place, though Greg feigned annoyance.

"Alright, alright, you're always right, and I'm always wrong,"

"And that I'm the best CSI you've ever had the pleasure to meet,"

"You're the best CSI I've ever met,"

"Had the pleasure of meeting,"

"Had the pleasure of meeting," Greg mimicked, rolling his eyes playfully. Nick crouched down farther to the ground and let him fall, getting an 'oomph' from the smaller of the two.

"Wasn't in the script for you to mock me, man," he towered over Greg, eyebrows raised as he kneeled down on top of him, pinning his wrists to the ground. "Come on, say itttt…" he drawled, holding back laughter at the reaction he was getting. Greg was writing under him, laughing silently as he tried his hardest to free his hands.

"No, I already…did!" he gasped, forgetting that Nick was never this physical, ever.

"Say it all, all at once, or I'm never gonna let you go," Nick was unable to keep the grin from spreading across his face, taking his hands from Greg's sides after hearing someone clear their throat from above them.

"If you two are done…looking for evidence…we can head back to the lab," Sara said, eyebrow of her own raised as she carried an armload of bags, keys slung on her right hand. Nick didn't even look down at Greg before standing, offering to help Sara with the evidence.

"I've still got the last dumpster," Greg threw in, a little unsettled that Nick hadn't even said a word since Sara walked down.

"Don't worry about it, we've got the murder weapon and everything else…" Sara said, watching as Greg unzipped the suit around him and sighed, almost mad at Sara for interrupting. "So…what was that about?"

"Nothing," Greg said simply, shaking his head, willing to forget about the entire thing. For now, at least.