It was a cold night at the lab. Graveyard shift had just begun and its workers were scrambling around feverishly trying to complete the tasks that paid their bills. Not unlike the Roaches scampering around a shoe box in Gil Grissom's office. He watched them intently as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. Until he heard a knock on his office door. His gaze shot up.
"Come in"
It was Nick. The night was slow. Only two cases had been assigned earlier. Warrick and Catherine got a liquor store robbery with one fatality. The other was half of a DB found in a duffle bag, that Sara and Grissom had taken but he returned to the lab to continue his own work, and left Brass with Sara. Nick was finishing up some paper work from a case he had closed the day before, when Grissom had paged him to his office.
"You wanted to see me"
"Yes" Grissom answered "You've probably heard the rumors around the lab?"
"Yeah something about a new member" Nick said sounding concerned.
"Yes well since it's a slow night I though maybe you could show him around the lab, get him acquainted with the team, when they return, stuff like that"
"He is here already!" Nick almost screamed
Grissom said nothing but merely gave Nick a look saying 'just do it'. Grissom knew the team was nervous about a newcomer. Over the years they had grown really close. A camaraderie that was not found overnight. They had spent long nights together and sometimes days. They had grown to trust each other with their lives, and were nervous about a new member who might cause drama and screw up the order of things that they had grown so comfortable with.
Greg was the only one who was optimistic. And that was only if it happened to be a beautiful woman.
"Just please go!" Grissom interrupted his thoughts knowing Nick had been standing their a while.
He handed Nick the file and waved him away with his hand as he returned his attention to his Roaches. Nick opened the file smirking as he read, as if he could determine what kind of person he was by reading the information.
"Ryan Stanton? Reminds of an old bum that used to hang out by the Silver Nugget in Naked City. But it says here that he is around Greg's age."
'Great' Nick was thinking. 'Another kid'
"If you have any doubts about his qualifications I think you should know that he is more than qualified to work here." Grissom sounded annoyed but there was something else. Almost like he was concealing a smile. Nick couldn't put his finger on it but it seemed as though Grissom was hiding something about this Ryan Stanton. He didn't like it but Grissom's face told a different story then his face and it was somewhat funny.
"Alright" Nick relented.
He walked out of Grissoms office with his face still buried in the file.
"Uh Nick!" Grissom called out.
Nick turned around.
"Break room" Grissom pointed in the opposite direction Nick was headed.
"Right!"
As Nick headed off to meet and greet the new member of the team. Grissom couldn't help but smile. He jumped up from his desk and walked to the door to make sure Nick was headed the right way this time. He chuckled to himself then sat back down to enjoy his bugs.
"What does Grissom know that I don't know?" Nick was wondering as he turned to corner. He smelled coffee from the break room. Greg must be making more coffee he thought. But as he rounded the corner into the break room, He was shocked. It wasn't Greg that he saw, but somebody else making a cup of coffee.
"Uh Ryan Stanton?" Nick managed to say.
"Yes that's me" Her voice was like honey.
