Greg had been the one to suggest it. It was the nightshift's way of offering the swing shift an olive branch. All of our interactions with Catherine and her crew were very tense. Greg thought that a surprise birthday party might be a cure all. It would at least be a reason for everyone to be in the same room. It would either lead to friendly conversation or a knock-down battle. Either way it was something to break up the monotony of the day.
Greg bought a cake. I bought the candles. I bought enough candles to put thirty-eight candles on the cake. I figured it was fair game since they did that to me last year – enough candles to light up a small country. Sophia and Grissom promised to be there. Greg told Catherine and Warrick what we were planning for Nick, but the best laid plans always seem to go awry. Greg, Grissom, and Sophia were frantically trying to solve the case of an apparent serial killer going on a murder binge. Catherine and Warrick were out in the desert recovering remains. I worked up a B&E. Nick was across town fingerprinting a mini-mart following a robbery.
I made it back to the lab first. Nick's Denali pulled into the parking lot not too long after I did. I said hi. I quickly dispersed my evidence among the different lab techs. I looked for the birthday cake, but all I had were the candles that I bought on the way to work yesterday afternoon.
I went to the vending machine and bought those nasty cupcakes with the nasty brown frosting. I walked into the break room and put a candle in each of the cupcakes. I slid them in front of Nick, who was much more interested in his coffee than what I was doing. That seemed par for the course for the swing shift.
"Happy birthday," I said as we watched the candles burn.
"I didn't think anyone would remember. Thank you," Nick replied with a smile.
"There's a real cake around here, but Greg hid it," I replied as I sat down next to him.
"So . . . we'll never find it," Nick said with a chuckle, "I still can't figure out where he hides his coffee stash."
"He swore me to secrecy about the coffee stash. There are still some benefits to being on nights," I replied. I missed him and Warrick. I could care less about Catherine, but over the last few months, I watched my friendships with Warrick and Nick fade into the past. No matter how close Greg and I got, it just didn't replace Warrick and Nick.
"If I close my eyes, will you make something better than the crap Hodges made?" Nick asked. I stood up and began rifling through the cupboards to find the elusive Blue Hawaiian.
"I can't believe you drink Hodge's coffee. He doesn't even drink his coffee. Can you even imagine what he puts in there for us?" I said with a laugh as I pulled Greg's secret stash out.
"Sara, Catherine's pissed at me," Nick said softly. I don't know why he took what she said personally. Catherine had been on the war-path lately. She was mad at Ecklie for not giving her the day shift. Catherine was mad at me. She was mad at Grissom for not firing me. She was just evil towards Sophia, but I had a hard time imagining her getting mad at Nick or Warrick.
"What's going on?" I asked as I sat down. The smell of Blue Hawaiian began to fill the lab. Wax from the candles was dripping down onto the cupcakes. The wax was neon yellow against the earthy, brown of the frosting.
"I accidentally said something about how the shift change stuff is ridiculous. Catherine took it very personally," Nick said with downcast eyes.
"The shift changes are meant only to entertain Ecklie. He gets off on the fact that he can punish Grissom . . . and Catherine," I replied as I fixated on the candles, "It's not just you that thinks this is all ridiculous. I just wouldn't tell that to Catherine anymore."
"How's Sophia?" Nick asked skeptically.
"Actually, she's okay. She's really patient with Greg. Sophia can be funnier than hell. It makes it hard for me to hate her," I replied.
"You want to hate her because she's 'dating' Grissom?" Nick asked.
"No, because she can't replace you and Warrick. Sophia can have Grissom. I'm not going to wait for him anymore. Life's too short. Coffee's done," I said as I stood back up and poured two cups of coffee. Nick looked at me shocked. He had rarely seen me in one of my less cynical moods. I didn't brood anymore; I didn't look to Grissom for the approval that I got from Brass, Vega, and in a demented way Ecklie. I was a good CSI. I knew I was a good CSI. That's all that really mattered.
"I miss you. Remember when we had to work up that guy in the duffle bag. I think about those things a lot lately. Do you want to go get breakfast?" Nick asked after he finally blew out his candles, "No offense, but I really hate cupcakes."
"Sure, but no more talk about decomps before and after we eat. Let's get the hell out of here," I said.
"Sara, I'm sorry I didn't come over to make sure you were okay after . . .," Nick started.
"It's okay. I needed time to figure out things for myself. Greg and Grissom were really good to me. Sophia even called a few times to make sure that I was still among the living," I replied with a very half-hearted smile.
"You look better than you did a few months ago," Nick replied. He was still sitting at the table looking at the cupcakes.
"You and Warrick are the ones that really look like crap lately," I commented. I didn't mean for it to sound as harsh as it did.
"I hate her. She drives me crazy. Catherine is constantly standing over me telling me how to do my work. Christ, Greg gets treated better than Warrick and me. It sucks. This whole shift change sucks," Nick said a he whipped one of the cupcakes at the glass wall. His aim was off. The cupcake cascaded through the doorway where it met a very pissed off looking Hodges.
"What the hell?" Hodges asked as he picked bits of chocolate cake off his lab coat.
"That's for that shitty coffee you made," I snapped at him. Hodges looked confused, but Nick was trying to cover up a smile that was going to eventually lead to laughter.
"So you think that Greggo's stuff is better than my Folgers?" Hodges asked in his stereotypical snippy voice.
"Hodges, I think toilet water probably tastes better than your Folgers," I growled back. Hodges muttered under his breath as he left the break room. "Nice shot."
"Thanks for covering for me," Nick replied through his laughter.
"Opportunities like that don't come along often. I never imagined that seeing a highly preserved shell of a cupcake hit Hodges could feel so good," I replied laughing.
"Then this might feel just as good," Nick said as he tore the remaining cupcake in two and threw it at me. The cupcake hit me in the center of my back as I tried to turn away from his attack. I immediately grabbed the remnants of the cupcake that hit Hodges and launched it back at Nick, who was ducking behind a chair to fend off my attack. My friendly fire was met by the second half of the cupcake. The 'war' continued until a stray bit of cupcake hit Grissom in the face.
"What the hell is going on here?" Grissom said as he wiped the food from his face.
"A birthday party," I replied laughing. Nick laughed as he wiped the food remnants from his hands on to his jeans.
A birthday party had been a perfect idea.
FIN