Hey guys!

Here's a brand new story of mine! I'm not sure why, but I really like this one and hope you will, too! I think this story might just be the right one to celebrate the CSI season finale next week - and especially the fact that the show's been renewed for a 14th season!

So enjoy and maybe let me know what you think about it!

Big Love,

pikapikatchu


On this very early morning, Nick was getting ready to head to work. He walked around his home collecting the things he needed to get dressed. While putting on his shoes, he received a text message on his phone, vibrating on the nightstand.

"What are you doing?" Simone, the woman Nick was seeing for three weeks now, asked as she rolled over in bed to look at him. She had beautiful gray eyes, contrasting her olive complexion and her caramel brown, chin length, wavy hair.

"Sorry, got a text message from Greg."

"...Who else would text you, right?" she asked with a smirk and an ironic look. She looked him up and down as she propped her head up. "Didn't you say you had the day off? Where are you going?"

"That was the plan. But Greg called earlier, asking me to help out."

"...Greg again, huh? And you said yes? We made plans."

Nick sighed. "I know and I'm sorry, but they need me. You knew what you were signing up for when we started dating." He gave her a sweet smile as he kissed her.

"You're lucky you're so cute. "When will you be back?"

He looked at his watch. "I'll try to be home at four."

Simone looked rather confused. "What time is it now?"

"...Just a few minutes after 4 a.m."

"...What?! Oh Nick... It's way too early for me to be up..."

"Don't worry. You go back to bed, I'll go to work. Make yourself at home, order some food. I'll leave you some money on the table."

"You don't need to, I'll be fine..." She looked at him rather annoyed. She had been looking forward to spending the day with him.

"I'll come back as soon as I can, I promise."


When Nick arrived at the crime scene, Greg and Hodges were already deep into their work. Both men didn't even notice him walking up on them at first. "Hey."

"Hey Nick. Sorry we had to wake you up." Greg smiled at him.

"Russell wasn't too specific about what's going on." He was still a little tired as him and Simone stayed up rather late, thinking he'd have time to get enough sleep in the morning.

"Him and Sara have a tough case to work on and Hodges and I can't do this big scene on our own."


Russell and Sara entered the lab obviously exhausted. They were working on a scene with three dead kids and these cases were always the toughest. Russell walked into the evidence room where Greg and Nick were working on the evidences they collected. "Hey Nick," he said with a tired smile. "Thank you for helping out."

"Anytime, boss."

Russell patted his shoulder before walking out. When he left, Greg grinned at Nick. "So, made any plans for the day you had to cancel?"

"Yeah, actually... I did."

"...A date with Simone?" he asked nosy.

"Mhm."

"When will I get to meet her?"

"We'll see."

"How about we go for breakfast someday after work?"

"Uhm... Sure, why not."

"Great!" Greg flashed Nick a big smile. "Can't wait!"


In the next two weeks, Greg tried to arrange to meet Nick's girlfriend Simone a few more times, but failed every time. "So Nick..." he said as they were dropping off some evidence in the lab. "Simone does exists, doesn't she?"

"...What?" Nick chuckled. "What are you talking about? Of course she exists."

"Well it's just... You've been dating her for over a month now and I've never seen her." Greg shrugged as he put the bag full of evidence down.

"Oh really? Well, don't worry. She's real." Nick picked up some files lying on the desk and started reading them.

Greg gave him a look. "That's it? No explanation why you're keeping her from us?"

"Who says he's keeping her from us? I've met her." Hodges walked in, taking the files out of Nick's hands.

"...Hodges met her but I didn't?"

"He was there when she picked me up from work. It's not like I'm keeping you away from her," Nick said lying. He was, but he didn't want to tell Greg.

"So how about coffee next time she picks you up?" the young CSI asked with a hopeful smile on his lips.

"...Sure."


The inevitable had finally happened. Greg met Simone when she picked Nick up from work. They had a friendly chat for a few minutes, then Nick and Simone took off. The next day, Greg walked up to Nick, who was sitting in the break room. "Wow, she seems great. There's no reason for you to hide her."

Nick gave him a look. "Yeah, I know..."

"You know Sara's birthday is coming up. Bring Simone along."

Nick was getting a bit annoyed from Greg constantly trying to push this. "I don't think she'll come."

"Why not?"

Nick shook his head. "Forget it."

"What?"

"It's not the right place to talk about this."

"...About what? What's wrong?"

Nick sighed. No one but the two was in the room, so he decided to just say it. "She doesn't really like you."

"...What? Why not?"

"Well, I think she's a little jealous, you know? My work's taking up all my time and..."

"...and what?"

"...and she thinks I'm spending too much time with you..." Nick got off his seat to get himself another cup of coffee.

Greg chuckled disbelieving. "What are you talking about?"

"There have been a few times when she wanted to spend time with me but I already had made plans with you, you know? She's a little clingy and didn't like it."

"You could've said something."

"It's not just that. You have that uncanny talent of writing text messages at the worst times."

Greg gave Nick a look. "What, I'm interrupting your dinner or something?"

"No. Not dinner." Nick gave him an obvious look, hinting that he kept writing messages while him and Simone wanted to get intimate.

"...Oh." He looked a bit embarrassed at first, but then laughed. "Come on, I'm not doing that on purpose!"

"I know, but it still doesn't help her getting a more positive opinion on you. Look, I'm not saying it's your fault she feels neglected. And it's not like her and I don't spend any time together."

Greg shrugged. "With our work it's best to use every free time you have, don't you think?"

"Sure, but..."

"Don't let her suffocate you, but try to make her happy." Greg smiled at him.

"...You just don't want her to dislike you, huh?"

"...Not if she didn't even get to know me yet!"

Nick rolled his eyes laughing. "I'll talk to her, maybe she'll agree to get to know you, after all."


Another week had passed and in all that time, Greg didn't meet Nick's new girlfriend again. Nick didn't even try to set up a meeting and Greg was getting more and more confused over this. He walked into the evidence room where Nick was working on some evidence. "Does she hate me that much?"

"...What?"

"Simone! It's been almost a week and you didn't manage to get her have a few drinks with us?"

"...Why is this so important to you? I'm not even sure we'll last... I don't even know I want us to last, and you're being all over me to get to know her."

"Well I... Wait, what? Why don't you think you'll last?"

"I'm not saying I think we won't. I just don't know. It's just casual dating at the moment and it's fun. I'm not sure we're going to get serious anytime soon."

Greg was quietly watching Nick do his work for a moment. "...But that doesn't mean I can't get to know her better. I've met women you didn't even want to get serious with before."

Nick shrugged. "You already met her."

"So she really dislikes me that much, huh?"

"...'Course not." Nick didn't look at Greg but concentrated on the evidence he was processing instead.

"...You know what, it's her problem, not mine. She's clingy and can't deal with the fact that you have friends? Fine!"

"Greg, I..."

Greg went on with his rant without even noticing Nick wanted to say something. "But just because she wants you to stay away from your friends doesn't mean you..."

"Greg!" Nick said, making him stop. "What the hell are you talking about? Calm down, alright? I'm sure she'll want to get to know you better once we're out of our honeymoon phase, alright? Just be patient."

"...Sorry." Greg gave Nick a faint smile. "You're right, I shouldn't push you... or her. I don't know why I'm obsessing over this..." He turned around to leave the room, but he was well aware of the cause of his obsession. It was simply the guilt he felt over taking up most of Nick's free time these days.