Disclaimer: I do not own the characters and I don't gain anything by writing this except fun
Rated: If I need to do so, something is very wrong!
Warning: Oh, come on if you weren't into gay stories you wouldn't be here.
Spoiler: None
…A lesson in office gossip!...
In true Las Vegas fashion, when it rained, it poured. There was a flash of lightning followed by the distant rumble of thunder and then all the lights went out.
They were stuck in the break room, gathered for a long stay while the power was out. Las Vegas, city of a million lights was still prone to the occasional blackout whenever it poured down like tonight. With no electricity throughout the building, nothing could be processed with any accuracy, so all they could do was to wait until the power returned.
Warrick had found a few of the biggest flashlights and placed them in the break room, and there were others at strategic points along the halls and labs. Some did paperwork or hundreds of other little jobs that didn't require power, and through it all, came the cozy connection of companionship. Nick had been at the morgue to make coffee, and people stopped at the break room to chat and pass the time.
Greg, Warrick and Sara were at the table, presumably sorting files but in reality, just talking. Nick placed three vacuum jugs at the table and joined them.
Sofia entered the room close followed by Catherine, "come on Sofia! Elaborate… who is the mysteriously guy?"
"What mysteriously guy?" Greg blurted out.
"Catherine" Sofia growled, even though her lips were twitching in a smile, "I've already told you there isn't any guy."
Both Nick and Warrick looked curiously at the women, "ladies what's going on?" Nick asked.
"Nothing!" Sofia whined.
Warrick raised a brow and gazed at Catherine. "it goes like this" the red-headed said, "Monica from dayshift saw a tall long-haired blonde making out through the side window of a car out in the parking lot this morning. Regrettably she couldn't see who was sitting in the car only that he had dark hair." Catherine explained to a bemused crowd. She blinked a little and propped her chin on her hand, looking at them over the beam of a flashlight.
A few admiring 'Oooohs' rang around the room. Warrick crossed his arms and managed a grin as he cocked his head, "yeah Curtis who is it? He has to be someone special if he can talk you into making out on the parking lot." His smirk was eloquent, and Sara turned away before he could see her grin.
Sofia folded her arms, but her glare didn't seem to have any impact on the others. She gave Warrick a forced smile, then glared at the chortling CSIs watching, "there isn't any guy. I don't know what your contact think she saw Catherine but someone should clue her in about the concept of lying when its obviously she has not idea of who or what she saw."
The guys whistled all together in that annoying way guys have when one of them brags about something.
"Come on detective" Nick flashed a grin and chuckled at her response. "You're the only long-haired blonde that works here."
"Actually that's not correct" Greg exclaimed, getting to his feet and wrapping his arms around Sofia's shoulders.
Sofia startled by the unsuspected move, gave him a little smile, "thank you Greg" she said winking in Nick's direction.
"There is Tina from traffic" Greg were doubled over as the laugh got the better of him, "but she's only 5"2… hardly a tall woman" he said, laughing as he went back to join the others.
Sofia scowled as most of them started laughing, holding up her hands in defeat, "fine! Believe what you want. You all seem to believe a rumor over my word anyway."
Nick laughed so hard he began coughing, and even Warrick was wheezing by now. Greg had to grip the table to steady himself. Sofia glared around the semi-darkness at her temporary unsympathetic co-workers.
Catherine turned to Sara expectantly, a playful grin spreading across her features, "what do you think, Sidle?"
"Huh?" Sara said looking up from the report she was reading.
"Sidle pay attention" Nick chortled, "there are other things to life than work."
"Yeah, you two had breakfast the other day. Who is Sofia's new boyfriend?" Greg added, smiling broadly.
Sara froze for a moment, glancing at the ceiling in simulated annoyance, "so far I haven't heard anything that proves that it was the detective who was out on the parking lot," Sara said, pausing briefly. "And even if it was, I don't think it's any of our business what Curtis does in her spare time." Sara managed to keep a straight face as she gazed at Greg, "and for your information she didn't mention any boyfriend over breakfast." Giving a brief shrug, she once again focused on the file in front of her.
"Come on Sara" Catherine sputtered as she tried to hold in her laughter, "you might be blind to most things except work, but even you can see Sofia is to beautiful to be confused with someone else." She completely failed after she turned around to stare at Sara.
Sara couldn't breathe, she choked, her face beet-red. "Excuse me?" She coughed, "I'm not blind" she insisted, trying unsuccessfully to keep her lips from twitching. "But so far all I have heard is that… what's her name? Monica or whatever… has seen a blonde with her head through a window. Evidently she wasn't close enough to see who was in the car, so do we even know there was someone in the car? Or that there was a make out scene? For all I know the dark hair she saw could be dark fabric on the headrest on the driver's seat" an incredulous Sara said. "Sorry Catherine, but unless you have more evidences than that I'll have to believe Curtis statement that there isn't any mysteriously guy" Sara said, giving Sofia a quick, trusting look before looking back at Catherine.
"Thank you Sidle" Sofia smiled sweetly "nice to hear that at least one believes I'm innocent."
Sara sighed in the dark corner; her statement earned her a round of disapproving groans. "Sorry guys but we are investigators' which means we all knows how unreliable an eyewitness can be."
"Maybe" Nick chortled, "but I intent to get to the bottom of this" he said, his eyes wide with mirth, "even if I have to do it myself." He covered his laugh by a strategic cough and looked at Sofia, "I promise you I won't pop off before I figure out who this mysteriously man is" he said.
Sofia just laughed at that, "tell you what Nick and the rest of you for that matter, if you before the end of this watch discovers his name or just are able to describe his appearance then I promise to answer whatever questions you may have." Everyone gaped at Sofia, who gave a mild little smile, "but if you can't… then this case is closed and never to be spoken or question about again," she stretched out her hand, "deal?"
"Deal" Nick said, confident of victory he shook her hand.
"Curtis" came the sound of Grissom's voice. Startled, everyone looked to see the shadow leaning in the doorway. Sara could see the little smirk on his face. "Brass is looking for you."
"Okay, back to work" Sofia strode out in a huff, "later guys" she waved with a grin.
"Oh hey Grissom" Nick called out.
"Hello Nick." Grissom began handing out assignment, "I need you and Sara to handle a DB out at the Monaco, Warrick and Greg has a missing person and Catherine, you're with me on a hit and run in Henderson. We may not have lights, but we still have work."
At the end of the shift everyone was once again gathered in the break room except for Curtis and Sidle who was still working.
"Did you guys find out anything?" Nick asked hopefully, since his own attempts to garner information had failed miserably.
"No" Warrick sighed defeated, he looked at Greg.
"I have nothing" Greg said. He sat down, his hands folded protectively in his lap. "What about you, Catherine?"
"I'm afraid Sara might be right" Catherine replied dryly, "I talked to Monica again, and she suddenly wasn't so sure about what she actually had seen or not seen" she stated.
"Hey guys" Sofia chuckled as she came into the break room. She flashed Nick a grin, "So anything you want to go into details about?" She tilted her head questioningly as she glanced around, "anyone?"
At her amused question, Nick finally looked at her, "no not yet but Sara still isn't here so it isn't over just yet." He insisted, but he looked slightly nervous.
"Uh, huh," she teased. "So you are putting your confidence in the one person who believed me. Nick why don't you just give up and admit you lost" Sofia said tauntingly.
Sofia's eyes danced with mirth as Nick leaned back in his chair. The internal debate over whether he wanted to admit defeat was clearly written on his face. She grinned when his hand began stroking his chin and his eyes narrowed.
"No" Nick insisted, weaving as he stretched himself up to his full height before collapsing back in his chair, "we still got 2 minutes before the shift is over so Sara can still provide us with an answer" he tried to point out calmly, feeling frustrated with the lack of Sara's presence.
"She won't" Sofia said, shrugging as she held a bottle of water to her lips.
"Don't be so sure" Sara laughed as she leaned against the doorframe.
"Nice of you to show up" Warrick grinned.
"Sara, please tell me you have been able to find something out" Nick pleaded.
"Of course I have" Sara said brightly, "not only can I provide you with appearance but also a name and a phone number" she offered with an eyebrow wiggle.
"I knew I could count on you Sidle" Nick retorted with a big grin, eying Sofia with a self-satisfied glare.
"Not so fast Nicky-boy" Sara paused to observe them for a moment; "unfortunately for you" she said it with such fake sincerity it drew a hearty chuckle from Sofia, "in contrary to what you think, you still lose. There isn't any boyfriend."
What really confused all of them was the gap-toothed grin Sara directed at Sofia.
Nick turned to her with his head cocked in confusion, "huh?"
Sara snickered, planting an innocent look on her face when her co-worker turned to stare at her. "Sorry guys but all of you should know better than to believe in office gossip" she said, without giving any further explanation.
Sofia pushed herself off of the counter she had been resting against and walked over and stood in front of Sara. "Ready to get out of here?" She asked, looking at her softly.
"Mmm." Sara leaned forward and gave her a gentle brief kiss on the mouth before she took the blondes hand and guided her out and away from all the questions their co-worker earlier had promise they wouldn't be asking.
The end