I sighed as I drummed my fingers across the black leather arm chair I was sitting in. I was in the Gilbert Grissom's office and no matter how much excitement pulsed through my veins, I still had the slight feeling of throwing up. Making the switch to the Las Vegas lab from my hometown of Chicago had been gigantic decision for me, but it was an offer I could not pass up. I nervously ran my fingers through my lengthy black hair once again and tried to tell myself to calm down. I was so overwhelmed in my thoughts that I almost didn't hear someone call my name from behind me.

"Mae Giordano?"

I turned my head around to see an older man standing in the doorway, glasses perched on the end of his nose, and a manila folder opened in his hands. I stood up immediately and plastered on a smile.

"Hello," I say, taking his hand to shake.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Gil Grissom," he said, putting on a warm smile of his own. He extended a hand towards his desk and chair. "Shall we sit?"

I nodded my head and took the chair that I had once been in. He sat down in his dark desk chair and laid the folder down. He took off his glasses and folded his hands together.

"The Chicago Crime Lab said you were one of their highest DNA lab technicians. I'm glad you decided to make a transition to this lab," he commented.

I nodded again, feeling slightly insecure. "Yes well I just couldn't say let a position like this pass me by."

"Wise decision," he said. "When do you think you'll be able to start?"

"Anytime actually."

"Tomorrow it is then," he smiled. "Once I—GREG!" A man passing by stopped and came back through the doorway. He was young looking with his messy brown hair and attractive features. He looked at me with a confused expression then at Grissom.

"This is Greg, our former DNA technician. Greg, this is Mae Giordano. She's filling in for your old position."

It's as if those words switched on a light inside of him and he smiled widely. "Finally," he muttered under his breath.

"Why don't you go around and show her the ropes? She starts tomorrow," Grissom asked.

"My pleasure," Greg said and I took that as to take my cue to leave. I grabbed my leather coat hanging on the back of the chair, said goodbye to Grissom and made my way out of the office with Greg.

"So let me show you around. You'll probably get lost around here in the beginning but I'm sure you'll be fine," he said, putting his hand on my back to steer me in the right directions. He showed me the DNA lab and various other stations and quite honestly I felt like I was in a maze. It was hard to remember the locations of each lab considering they all seemed to be in the same looking hallway. Greg was trying to help me out by showing me meaningless landmarks to use to guide my way and we made small talk every now and then. He seemed really nice and apparently really glad that I had now taken his position. He told me with a replacement he could now fully go out as a field investigator and that others had previously tried the his old job but hadn't succeeded.

"Ah! Catherine! Sara!" he yelled down the hallway at a redheaded older attractive woman and a brown haired woman holding a coffee cup. Both were talking in a near by corner, obviously exhausted from today's activities. They looked up as we approached.

"This," he said, motioning to me, "is Mae. She is the new DNA lab rat. Mae, this is Catherine and Sara."

"Hi there," Catherine said, extending her hand for me to shake. Sara did the same.

"I'm just showing her around, so we'll be leaving you now," Greg said with a wink and motioned me along.

"Nice to meet you," Sara said as we left.

Finally my tour had ended but I knew I was still going to need help to find everything again tomorrow anyway. Greg took me to the front of the lab then said his goodbyes explaining that he had to leave to get back onto his case. I got everything I needed, my lab coat, identification, and various other things from Grissom before I left as well.

I pushed opened the front door of the lab to the outside and threw on my coat. It was growing increasingly cold outside and I had to drag all my new equipment to my car. I had let my mind wander, a problem that I admitted I had, and ran into someone coming from the opposite direction. My things fell out of my hand and I would have almost fallen too if not for someone snatching my wrist in a tight hold and balancing me.

"I'm so sorry," I said quickly, blushing at my stupidity. I picked my head up and looked at who I had bumped into. Probably one of the most handsome men I had ever seen, I tried not to do anything more stupid than I already had. He was very muscular from what I could see, strong facial features, and almond colored eyes. I realized I had been staring so I immediately knelt down to pick up my things.

He knelt down to help me as well. "It's my fault. I didn't see where I was going," he said and I noticed a Texan drawl to his voice. I saw his hand pick up my identification from the Crime Lab. He lifted up his head to meet my gaze. "You work at the Crime Lab?"

I nodded. "Well starting tomorrow I do," I said, standing up and putting all my things back in my bag although he still had my ID in his hands.

"I didn't introduce myself," he said. "I'm Nick Stokes. I'm a CSI here."

I almost cringed with embarrassment knowing that I'd see him again. "I'm Mae, the new DNA and trace analysist. But I thought you would know that." He followed my gaze to my ID in his hands and nervously laughed. He handed it back to me.

"Yo Nick!" someone called from the lab entrance. We both looked to find a tall, black man motioning Nick over and with an amused expression on his face. He disappeared after rolling his eyes. If I hadn't been more embarrassed then I was before, I was definitely at my peak. Great. Another co-worker probably.

"I've got to be going," he said and I nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Well it was nice meeting you," I said, stepping out of his path.

"See you later."

I started to walk and once Nick was out of hearing distance I groaned and sighed in frustration.