Chapter 1

The case was complete and another suspect behind bars. Smiling Krisalyn walked into the ballistics lab to work on a new case that had found its way into her load. Sighing she looked out at the field investigators who were clowning around. She rolled her eyes and turned her attention to the guns that were sitting there. Frowning she looked them over real good and realized they were from a different case; someone had neglected to properly put away their evidence. Turning around she headed out the door with an angry stride only to run into Nick Stokes.

"Watch where you're going next time." She muttered.

"Hey you ran into me." Nick said crossing his arms in front of him.

"Gee what do you want an apology?" Krisalyn asked sarcastically.

"What is your problem? Ever since you started here you have been acting really, well you know towards me." Nick said crossing his arms in front of him.

"I got a lot on my mind." Krisalyn answered with a shrug.

"You know what, I think you need to chill out and relax." Nick said trying to think of a way to say what he wanted to say without actually saying it.

"Whatever." Krisalyn said as she tried to get by him.

Nick watched her walk by and rolled his eyes. He wasn't sure what her problem was but he didn't have time for it. Sighing he headed down the hallway to Grissom's office so that he could discuss his new case. Maybe while he was there he could find out what was eating at the ballistics technician.

"Hey Grissom." Nick said as he entered his office. "What's up?"

"I don't know, you tell me. Did ballistics run your material?" Grissom asked him with an arched brow.

"Not that I know of." Nick said as he thought about the new technician. "Seriously doubt the new girl is going to put my case in front of everyone else."

"Why is that?" Grissom asked him.

"Well we haven't exactly gotten off on the right foot at the moment." Nick said shrugging his shoulders.

"Only because you are very egotistical." Came the sweet voice behind him. "Grissom I have a question about something. In the old lab I came from we weren't allowed to leave evidence unattended, especially weapons. Is that different here?" Krisalyn asked walking fully into the office.

"No." Grissom said shaking his head.

"Okay. Then someone left a gun in the ballistics lab, fully loaded and with no one in sight." Krisalyn said with her arms crossed in front of her.

"All right, I'll deal with that later. For now I want you to work on Nick's case with him. He'll follow you back to the lab and no fighting." Grissom said with an arched brow.

Krisalyn and Nick walked back towards the ballistics lab in complete silence. It was clear that neither wanted to talk to the other for fear that they would only start a fight.

"You know I can handle your case by myself and just give you the results." Krisalyn said with a look towards Nick.

"Nope. Look I have worked with Grissom a lot longer than you have, I know how he would react if I just left it all to you." Nick said shaking his head no.

"Fine, I was giving you an easy out rather than forcing you to stay and work with me when you don't want to." Krisalyn said with a shrug.

"It's you who doesn't want to work with me." Nick said stopping in the middle of the hallway.

"Look in my experience guys hate working with women who are smart." Krisalyn said thinking about her last job.

"Well here that's different. Sarah and Katherine wouldn't stand for anyone thinking or acting that way." Nick said shaking his head.

"Yeah well this would be the only place." Krisalyn said with a shrug.

Nick could tell already that this woman was going to be major trouble. He could also tell from the looks he was receiving from his colleagues that they had a feeling he liked trouble.

Sara stood with Grissom in his office, both of them laughing.

"So was Nick upset?" Sara asked him with a sparkle in her eyes.

"No." Grissom said shaking his head. He smiled at Sara and they confirmed their plans for later that night before she walked out of his office.

Kathryn andWarrick stood off to the side and watched Nick work with the new girl in the ballistics lab. Sara came up behind them and winked at them as they stood there and watched as Nick got his hand slapped again for interfering in whatever she was doing.

"All right whose the expert here?" Krisalyn asked getting frustrated with him.

"Why won't you let me in on this?" Nick asked crossing his arms in front of him.

"Just shut up and stay out of the way." Krisalyn grumbled as she went back to work.

He laughed as he studied his new targets. This was a new city and that meant starting a new game with new cops. He decided which cops were going to be his pawns and then went to work on his new game plan. Oh this day was only going to get better. He already knew where he was going to dump all his bodies and what the clues would be but he was still trying to decide who the victims would be. Would they be random this time? Or would he make them close family friends or relatives of his pawns? He laughed as he continued to draw out his game plans and come up with everything that was necessary to ensure that his targets regretted the day they got any type of badge.

Nick looked up as someone walked into the lab and nodded at him. He knew that meant there had been a killing and he was the CSI assigned to the case. As he turned to head towards the door he saw Grissom stop there and look at Krisalyn.

"Time to send you out in the field. I know you were a field CSI back at your old town and I am short handed right now. You're partnered with Nick for this case. No fighting and I want absolute teamwork." Grissom ordered before turning away and heading back towards his office to study a bug he was using in an experiment.

"Figures." Krisalyn muttered as she bagged and tagged the evidence and then headed towards the locked evidence area. "Let me put this stuff away and meet you out front." She said without looking at Nick.

"Fine." Nick said before turning helpless eyes towards his friends. "Please tell me one of you can get me out of this. She's considered a rookie around here."

"Nope. Enjoy Nick." Kathryn said laughing as they all turned and walked away.

"This is going to be a long night." Nick muttered as he walked to get his kit and then head out to the car.

Krisalyn checked in the evidence and then went and grabbed her kit. "This is going to be a long night." She muttered to herself as she head out front.

"This is going to be a long night for certain people." The man laughed as he finished what he had started for the night. Let the game begin.