It was one thing to have a slight run in with you boss, a tense moment of sorts. It happens all the time in any workplace. But to dump coffee all over his freshly pleated shirt is a whole other catergory. And,sadly, Chey Webber had done the latter of the two.

"I'm so sorry Mac…You know, late night,early morning and all the traffic…"

"Just. Don't."

He brushed Chey's hands away, ending her meager efforts to wipe the burning fluid off of him with a Kleenex. Watching Mac storm off down the hall of the precinct, Chey rubbed her temples, chocolate brown eyes exasperated. How could she be so brash? And on her first day too! Chey was sure her new job at the New York Crime lab was down the toilet. Hell, the reason she even landed the gig was the high recommendations of some detectives at the Bosron Police Department.

"Hyperactive work ethic." They had said in the letter Mac had gotten " She can analyze DNA faster than any of the other forensics and has the passion needed for the job."

Kind as they had been, the cops had forgotten to include the fact that she could barely walk a step without ended up sprawled on the floor or in a painful faceplant. Chey turned on the heel of her green converse proceeded head to her work station in Chemical Analysis when someone laid a hand on her shoulder.

"You look like you've had rough inititiation. I'm Sheldon Hawkes, proud lab rat. You must be Cheyenne Webber."

He was a black man, with smiling eyes that soothed Chey's tattered nerves.

"Please, call me Chey. And,yes. New York is one hectic place. Mac Taylor doesn't seem to be the type who enjoys have a caramel macchiato seeping through his clothing."

"Well,Chey, with your Harvard degree, forgiveness is definitely necessary." Sheldon laughed "We are so lucky to have someone as talented as yourself on our team,especially with the spur of crimes circulating through our lab at the moment."

"I'm just happy to be here." Chey smiled and then added "I should be going on my way to my station, but it was a pleasure meeting you Sheldon."

"You can call me Hawkes. Sheldon is so formal."

"I'll see you around Hawkes."

"You too,Chey"

And with that, she began,once again, her treacherous journey to the lab. Unfamiliar faces ridiculed her as she walked by. Chey was not the melodramatic type, but it felt as if their burning gazes went straight through her. With her straight,mousey brown hair and slight five foot four frame, there wasn't much to 's lack of self worth was apparent by the way she dressed, typically in baseball teeshirts and converse sneakers of a wide array of colors. She guessed that any new prescence in an establishment like this was noticed quickly. It was nothing like her native Boston, where the past 27 years of her life hadunraveled themselves. Here in New York, the people were were nearly as fast paced and tempermental as the speeding taxis on the streets. But the new CSI couldn't help but feel that they were processing her, their watchful faces emiting the same expression as when a piece of evidence was being analyzed. Digging her hands uncomfortabley into the pockets of her lab coat, Chey at last arrived at her workplace. The pteri dishes and viles were neatly arranged over the stainless steel table. High tech machinery and other labrelated items filled the room, and, at last, Chey felt at home. The equipment was all familiar, and for a slight moment, the shock of being on unfamiliar turf faded. That is,until he walked in.