Disclaimer: I don't own them…or do I?
Author's notes: I think that the invention of the swing shift was the dumbest plot path ever, so yeah, it doesn't exist in any of my stories. And WP is hot.
Chapter 1
As Grissom wrote out assignments for his CSIs, he couldn't shake the queasy feeling descending in his gut. A DB for Greg and Warrick, a DB for Catherine and Nick, a B and E for Sara and a night buried under paperwork for me, he thought.
"Well, I never did like paperwork," Grissom said to his pet tarantula. He sighed heavily into his empty office, staring at the mountain of papers perilously close to teetering off of his desk.
"Ugh," he sighed, seeking the freedom of the lab beyond his doorway. He padded toward the break room, where he found Nick with Greg in a headlock.
"Say you're a monkey's uncle!" Nick commanded, laughing as Greg struggled futilely against Nick's iron grip.
"Let me go!" Greg whined, elbowing Nick's thigh.
"Say it!" Nick said, giving Greg a killer noogie.
The other CSIs watched Greg's plight and laughed.
"Fine! I'm a monkey's uncle," Greg gasped.
"I didn't hear that," Nick teased, clearly enjoying the younger CSI's misery.
"I'm a monkey's uncle," Greg yelled, "I'm a monkey's uncle!"
"Now that's better," Nick said, releasing the young CSI who stumbled directly into Grissom.
Greg's immediate embarrassed blush inspired giggles from Sara and Catherine.
Grissom cleared his throat. "Okay. Now that our ritual hazing is over, Greg, Warrick, you have a DB, Cath and Nicky, you also have a DB and Sara, you're solo on a B and E in Westbrooke."
Catherine, Nick, Warrick and Greg left the break room quickly, leaving Sara and Grissom staring at each other in an awkward silence. Sara noticed the slight sheen of sweat on Grissom's brow and the way his fingers unconsciously twirled the paperclip in his hand.
"Are you okay, Griss? You seem…" Sara began.
Grissom cut her off, "I'm fine. Officers are waiting at your scene," he said gruffly, before walking back to his office.
'How does she do that!' he wondered, feeling exposed and uneasy.
Sara shrugged and hurried toward her B and E.