Chapter 1:
It started off as a typical beginning of shift. Warrick Brown, Sara Sidle, Nick Stokes, Gina Delgotti, and Greg Sanders were in various places in the break room. Sara was in her usual chair reading her book, The Davinci Code, while Warrick, Gina, Nick, and Greg were playing the numbers game, a hand clapping game guaranteed to pass the time. Since only two could play at a time, whoever lost had to switch. Gina was the reigning champion for six games straight and now she challenged Greg to the seventh game. Sure enough he lost and Gina did a little victory dance. "How do you go from five to seven?" She teased him.
The room grew quit when their boss Gil Grissom, accompanied by Catherine Willows, walked into the room. "Hello children." He greeted.
"So why call this meeting?" Nick asked as the team gathered on the couch and chairs. For lack of seats Catherine rested on the arm rest of the couch, and Gina sat on Nick's lap. The two had strong feelings for each other but neither could get the balls to make the first move despite the rest of the teams efforts.
"Well, as you know this morning I had a conference with Director Cavallo. He brought to my attention that there is a little extra in the budget this time around and since night shift is so perfect." He paused to smile at the team. "He's giving us all a two week vacation." The whole room erupted into cheers. "Hang on, hang on." He said putting his hands out. "There's one condition." All eyes were on him again. "We have to take it together, the seven of us. He sees it as a bonding experience. On the other hand we get to pick the place."
"Vegas!" Greg yelled out.
Gina smacked him upside the head. "Dork."
Grissom shook his head. "We don't have a lot in the budget but if we plan it right we could do something really fun." He said pulling up a chair and opening a notebook. "So does anyone have any ideas?"
"VEGAS!" Greg yelled again but quickly ducked towards Catherine as Gina's hand came flying up again. Unfortunately he wasn't expecting Catherine to smack him on behalf of Gina, and the group laughed at him.
"What about New York? I mean it's summertime, and you have beaches, museums, anything. And even better we could stay at my parents house." Gina thought for a split second, "there's four extra rooms, that way we won't have to spend money on a hotel and it's just a thirty minute train ride to the city, and thirty the other way to the beach." Gina said.
Everyone thought that it was a good idea. "Ok then. Since you're from New York, why don't you take the budget and plan out some fun things to do." Grissom said.
"Ok." Gina agreed.
"How about we make a list of things everyone would like to do." Sara said. "Things like going to the beach, parks, museums." She smiled at Grissom. "So Gina can have an idea of what to book."
"Yeah and I can talk to my cousin about getting some cheap tickets to a show or two."
The group was really excited by this, and they sat around for twenty minutes, before shift started, brain storming about things to do. When shift started Grissom gave the list to Gina and then handed out assignments.
At the end of shift she was on her way to Grissom's office when she saw Greg standing outside the door looking like his dog just died. "What's wrong with you?" She said.
He looked up, or rather down since she was short, "Grissom is in there with Director Cavallo."
"And?" She pressed on.
"He doesn't want me to go. He said the budget is for six not seven." He let his head drop again.
"I'll take care of this, ok." She said placing a finger under his chin, lifting his head. "You're coming with us." She said before she knocked and heard the familiar 'come in' from Grissom. She winked at Greg before entering the room.
Grissom was seated at his desk chair and Dir. Cavallo was seated in a chair across from him. "Ah, Gina. Have a seat, would you? Robert, Gina here is going to plan the trip for us using the budget, so I think she should be included in the conversation." Grissom said, thankful not to be alone with him.
Gina placed her report in one of the bins on Grissom's desk and took a seat next to Dir. Cavallo. "Well, like I was saying Gil, the budget is for six not seven. We intended to us this to give something back to our CSI's, not to CSI's plus more."
"If I may?" Gina butted in. Grissom nodded. "If this is about Greg Sanders, which I think it is, he works just as hard, if not harder, as the rest of us. I think he deserves this break just as much as we do. Besides we consider him to be part of the graveyard shift." She said in her slight New York accent, which tended to come out when she had to get defensive.
"Be that as it may we still only have enough for six." He said now facing Gina.
"Well it looks like you have enough for five then, because if Greg doesn't go, I don't go." Grissom was about to interrupt but Dir. Cavallo spoke first.
"Then five it is."
"Fine by me, but let me fill you in a little." She said crossing her legs and folding her hands. "New York is a very expensive place. I have a lot of connections, therefore I can get us the best for our money. Look at it this way, you would be paying for six but seven get to go, Greg would basically be going for free." She never broke eye contact. "However if I don't go, my discounts don't come through. And you would be paying twice maybe three times as much, for only five people." She said. "And since no one has been to New York yet, they pretty much have their little hearts set on it."
He thought about it, not once diverting his eyes. "If he goes for free, like you say he does, then he may go."
Gina smiled at him. "Nice of you to reconsider." She then stood up. "That's the report from the Jennings case." She said, pointing to the folder she set down earlier, before smiling at both men and leaving the room.
She closed the door and was met with a very eager Greg. "I hate it when you talk all quiet in there, I can't hear you." He said.
She took his arm into hers leading him away. "I suggest you bring normal shirts, because you will be killed for wearing those in the city." She said pointing to his wild shirt. He gave her a hug and thanked her for sticking up for him. She walked into the break room and relaxed for a few minutes before the end of shift.
Gina went home that night and began to plan out their trip seeing what she could get. Her parents had given the green light, and since there were four extra rooms the other six could divi up by themselves. She had gotten tickets to see Throughly Modern Millie, something she thought they could all enjoy. She was excited to be going home for a while too, being as how she hadn't been back in four years.