From West to East, Chapter 1.
Samantha Anne James stood in front of her mirror, straightening her blouse and playing with her dark brown, wavy, shoulder length hair.
She checked her watch. 7:00 AM. She was starting her first day of work at the NYPD as the new CSI today. She was more than a little nervous.
She walked out of her new apartment on 39th. She had moved from the west coast, where she had worked for almost 9 years as a CSI in San Francisco.
New York was so different than San Francisco, especially in modes of transportation. She had only lived here a week and she had already decided she wasn't going to drive unless it was absolutely necessary.
The weather was beautiful. The sun was shining and there was barely a cloud in the late summer sky. She pulled on a jacket, checked her appearance on last time in the mirror and walked out.
She walked nearly 12 blocks to the NYPD precinct. She opened the door and asked for Mac Taylor's office at Reception. She was directed to the elevators.
She exited the elevators on the 35th floor and followed the Receptionist's directions. She found Mac Taylor's office rather easily. However, as she saw when she looked through the clear glass doors of the office, Mac Taylor wasn't there.
She looked up and down the hallway, her nerves beginning to set in again. She was supposed to meet him here first thing this morning, to get her shield, her gun, a new pager, and a tour of the lab.
She checked her watch. She was, admittedly, early.
Mac Taylor turned the corner of the hallway, heading to his office. He was scheduled to meet the new CSI he had hired this morning, and to give her a brief tour of the lab. This one was coming in only two weeks after Lindsay had started.
He saw a rather pretty young woman down the hall. She was of average height, and had a lean build. She had blue eyes and straight brown hair that hung down her shoulders in layers. He almost laughed when he saw the slightly nervous look on her face.
"Can I help you?" He asked as he approached.
Samantha jumped and turned to face the voice. She found herself looking at a tall, rather handsome man a little older than her. He had a nice face, and kind eyes.
She managed a smile. "Yes, I am Samantha James. I was hired about a week ago. Do you know where I can find Mac Taylor?"
"I'm Mac Taylor," he said gently, trying to suppress his smile.
"Oh," Samantha said, blushing. She fell silent. "Sorry, Detective Taylor."
"Call me Mac."
"Okay. Call me Sam, then."
"Why don't you come in?" He said, gesturing to his office.
She followed him in at sat down in a rather comfortable chair across from his desk. He handed her a shield, a standard issue firearm, and a pager.
She carefully clipped all three onto her belt and turned back to Mac, waiting for further instruction.
"Why don't we take a look around the lab and I'll introduce you to the rest of the team." Mac said.
She followed him down the hall. "This is the break room," he said.
She stepped in behind him a looked around. It looked comfortable. It had a couple of couches and some chairs set around a table. A younger man in a lab coat was making coffee. Another man was half asleep on the couch his head leaned back and his mouth half open.
"Don, Danny." Mac called. Sam almost laughed when Don woke up with a start. They both looked at Mac.
"I'd like you to meet Sam James. She's a new CSI."
Sam smiled and reached forward to shake the younger man's hand. He was cute, she noted. He had glasses and a hint of a goatee.
"I'm Danny. Don't mind Flack over there. The man has no manners," he said with a heavy Staten Island accent.
"Shut up, Danny," the man called Flack, said as he smacked Danny upside the head. "I'm Don, but everyone around here calls me Flack." He said with a smile. "Nice to meet you."
Sam only nodded and smiled.
Mac looked in slight disbelief at his new CSI. She seemed very quiet and aloof. No one had ever been so closed off towards Don and Danny's infectious personalities before, not even Lindsay.
Mac smiled. "Shall we?"
Sam followed him to the Trace lab, where she was introduced to Lindsay Monroe, a pretty, young country girl.
"It's gonna be good not to be the only new girl around here." Lindsay said with a grin.
Again, Sam only smiled. "It was nice meeting you too." She said quietly.
She had almost the same reaction with Stella. A quiet 'Nice to meet you' was all she offered.
Mac's pager beeped. "We've got a homicide." He turned to Sam and Stella. "You two, come with me."