Disclaimer: The idea is mine. Everything else belongs to the great people
who make CSI.
A.N: Set sometime in season one. A.U. No real spoilers.
'Nick, Warrick, break room. Five minutes.' Grissom's voice floated through the locker room, echoing slightly against the metal. Nick and Warrick shared a look, Nick with an added eye roll, as they both finished getting changed at the end of shift.
'What did we do?' Nick wondered out loud, pulling on a t-shirt, and slamming his locker door closed.
'Don't know, man.'
'Hope he don't keep us long- I've got a breakfast date.'
'Oh yeah?' Warrick asked, eyebrows raised. 'Who with today?'
'Some chick named Olivia.' Nick answered. 'Met her in the coffee shop last night.'
'Nice Nick.' They both jumped at the sudden woman's voice, turning to greet Catherine. 'Some chick named.is that how you greet all your dates? Cause no wonder you don't get any second ones.'
'Ah- I'm just waiting for the right woman to come along. She has to live up your standards- it's not easy.' Nick said as earnestly as he could manage.
'Oh you'll never find a woman like me.' Catherine told him, patting him on the arm.
'How was your case?' Warrick asked, coming to the rescue of his friend who was looking mighty uncomfortable now.
'Solved.' Catherine said with a dismissive wave.
'That easy?' Nick asked.
'Kid shot a shopkeeper with a .38. The gun was in his room, in plain sight. Got away with ninety-nine dollars and fifty eight cents. Now he's looking at life.' Catherine shook her head.
'Some people are just born stupid.' Nick said.
'Come on Nicky- we have to go and meet Gris.'
Catherine gave Warrick a questioning look. He shrugged in response. 'Gris just said he wanted to meet us.'
'What did you do?' Catherine asked, causing both of them to look at her in innocence.
'Us?'
Catherine just laughed.
'Anyone seen Sara?' Nick asked as they walked out of the locker room. He got only shakes of the head in response.
Grissom was waiting for them in the break room, fixing up a coffee.
'Oh good.' He said when he saw them, nodding towards envelopes on the table. There was three- one each for Nick and Warrick, and one for Sara.
Before anyone could ask the inevitable question, the door opened, and a tramp walked in. Or that was what it looked like on initial assessment. 'Sara?' Catherine was the first to ask.
Sara looked up at them, and they all had a chance to take in the mud streaked face, torn, mud caked clothes. It was safe to say, Sara didn't look impressed with her new image. 'Don't ask. Just don't ask.' She muttered. 'Greg said you wanted to see me?' She said to Grissom. Grissom nodded towards the table.
Sara picked up the envelope, gave it a cursory glance, before stalking from the room.
'What case did you send her to?' Catherine asked Grissom, trying to fight back the laughter that was threatening, mostly at the look on Sara's face.
'Car found down a ditch.' Grissom told her.
The door opened, Greg peaking his head round. 'Is she gone?'
'If you're talking about Sara, yeah, she's not here.'
The door opened fully and Greg walked in, muttering something that sounded like 'Just cause I laughed at her.'
'Greg, tell me you didn't laugh at her.' Nick said, with a sorrowful shake of the head.
'Hey, she fell down the mud bank, it was my prerogative to laugh.'
'You never learn, do you?'
'She fell down the mud bank? Is she ok?' Catherine asked, coming over all motherly for a second.
'Apart from the bruised ego? Yeah, she's fine. Turns out there wasn't even anyone in the car- someone just dumped it.'
None of them could stop the smile on their faces, except of course Grissom.
'Get a sense of humour.' Catherine told him, seeing the look on his face.
'So, anyway,' Nick said, 'what's this all about?'
'You're going on a survival week.' Grissom told him.
'You're joking!' Nick exclaimed. 'Oh, sorry, scratch that. When?'
'Two weeks from now.'
'And you're paying for it?'
'Well, not me, personally, but the department is.'
'Why?' Warrick asked, looking suspicious.
'Team building exercise. The city is keen to make sure that the police department is working in harmony, so it's sending ten people on this.'
'Why are we going?' Nick asked.
'Because they made it voluntary for them, and only a few people took it up, so they offered it to us.'
'And we have to go?'
'Oh, you don't have to go.' Grissom said.
'What's the catch?'
'No catch. But I think it would be good for this team for you to.'
'Why only us three? Why aren't you and Catherine going.'
'Well, I'm boss, someone has to stay and run graveyard.'
'And I've got Lindsey.' Catherine told them.
'And you three, well, just happen to.need a team building exercise more than the rest.' Grissom added.
Nick and Warrick turned on him. 'What do you mean? We work great together.'
'You two bet on any case you work together. You're both far too competitive, wanting to be the best.'
They were working together now, both glaring at their boss.
'And it's no secret that Sara hasn't exactly gelled with the rest of the group, especially with you Warrick. If the only thing that happens if you come back at least a bit more friendly it'll be worth it. And besides, you get a week camping. What could possibly be wrong with that.'
'Just be glad that Sara didn't read her letter in here.' Nick told him.
'Why don't I get asked to go on it?' Greg asked, frowning. 'I'm part of this team too.'
Grissom looked at him. 'I didn't think you'd be interested.'
'Interested? Of course I'm interested. It's a week out of the lab, it's gotta be good.'
'Well, I can talk to the captain, if you want, see if they've filled all the places yet.' Grissom said uncertainly.
'All right! This week is gonna be ace!' Greg cried.
Nick shook his head. 'You've got to get out of that lab more.'
'Nick, Warrick, break room. Five minutes.' Grissom's voice floated through the locker room, echoing slightly against the metal. Nick and Warrick shared a look, Nick with an added eye roll, as they both finished getting changed at the end of shift.
'What did we do?' Nick wondered out loud, pulling on a t-shirt, and slamming his locker door closed.
'Don't know, man.'
'Hope he don't keep us long- I've got a breakfast date.'
'Oh yeah?' Warrick asked, eyebrows raised. 'Who with today?'
'Some chick named Olivia.' Nick answered. 'Met her in the coffee shop last night.'
'Nice Nick.' They both jumped at the sudden woman's voice, turning to greet Catherine. 'Some chick named.is that how you greet all your dates? Cause no wonder you don't get any second ones.'
'Ah- I'm just waiting for the right woman to come along. She has to live up your standards- it's not easy.' Nick said as earnestly as he could manage.
'Oh you'll never find a woman like me.' Catherine told him, patting him on the arm.
'How was your case?' Warrick asked, coming to the rescue of his friend who was looking mighty uncomfortable now.
'Solved.' Catherine said with a dismissive wave.
'That easy?' Nick asked.
'Kid shot a shopkeeper with a .38. The gun was in his room, in plain sight. Got away with ninety-nine dollars and fifty eight cents. Now he's looking at life.' Catherine shook her head.
'Some people are just born stupid.' Nick said.
'Come on Nicky- we have to go and meet Gris.'
Catherine gave Warrick a questioning look. He shrugged in response. 'Gris just said he wanted to meet us.'
'What did you do?' Catherine asked, causing both of them to look at her in innocence.
'Us?'
Catherine just laughed.
'Anyone seen Sara?' Nick asked as they walked out of the locker room. He got only shakes of the head in response.
Grissom was waiting for them in the break room, fixing up a coffee.
'Oh good.' He said when he saw them, nodding towards envelopes on the table. There was three- one each for Nick and Warrick, and one for Sara.
Before anyone could ask the inevitable question, the door opened, and a tramp walked in. Or that was what it looked like on initial assessment. 'Sara?' Catherine was the first to ask.
Sara looked up at them, and they all had a chance to take in the mud streaked face, torn, mud caked clothes. It was safe to say, Sara didn't look impressed with her new image. 'Don't ask. Just don't ask.' She muttered. 'Greg said you wanted to see me?' She said to Grissom. Grissom nodded towards the table.
Sara picked up the envelope, gave it a cursory glance, before stalking from the room.
'What case did you send her to?' Catherine asked Grissom, trying to fight back the laughter that was threatening, mostly at the look on Sara's face.
'Car found down a ditch.' Grissom told her.
The door opened, Greg peaking his head round. 'Is she gone?'
'If you're talking about Sara, yeah, she's not here.'
The door opened fully and Greg walked in, muttering something that sounded like 'Just cause I laughed at her.'
'Greg, tell me you didn't laugh at her.' Nick said, with a sorrowful shake of the head.
'Hey, she fell down the mud bank, it was my prerogative to laugh.'
'You never learn, do you?'
'She fell down the mud bank? Is she ok?' Catherine asked, coming over all motherly for a second.
'Apart from the bruised ego? Yeah, she's fine. Turns out there wasn't even anyone in the car- someone just dumped it.'
None of them could stop the smile on their faces, except of course Grissom.
'Get a sense of humour.' Catherine told him, seeing the look on his face.
'So, anyway,' Nick said, 'what's this all about?'
'You're going on a survival week.' Grissom told him.
'You're joking!' Nick exclaimed. 'Oh, sorry, scratch that. When?'
'Two weeks from now.'
'And you're paying for it?'
'Well, not me, personally, but the department is.'
'Why?' Warrick asked, looking suspicious.
'Team building exercise. The city is keen to make sure that the police department is working in harmony, so it's sending ten people on this.'
'Why are we going?' Nick asked.
'Because they made it voluntary for them, and only a few people took it up, so they offered it to us.'
'And we have to go?'
'Oh, you don't have to go.' Grissom said.
'What's the catch?'
'No catch. But I think it would be good for this team for you to.'
'Why only us three? Why aren't you and Catherine going.'
'Well, I'm boss, someone has to stay and run graveyard.'
'And I've got Lindsey.' Catherine told them.
'And you three, well, just happen to.need a team building exercise more than the rest.' Grissom added.
Nick and Warrick turned on him. 'What do you mean? We work great together.'
'You two bet on any case you work together. You're both far too competitive, wanting to be the best.'
They were working together now, both glaring at their boss.
'And it's no secret that Sara hasn't exactly gelled with the rest of the group, especially with you Warrick. If the only thing that happens if you come back at least a bit more friendly it'll be worth it. And besides, you get a week camping. What could possibly be wrong with that.'
'Just be glad that Sara didn't read her letter in here.' Nick told him.
'Why don't I get asked to go on it?' Greg asked, frowning. 'I'm part of this team too.'
Grissom looked at him. 'I didn't think you'd be interested.'
'Interested? Of course I'm interested. It's a week out of the lab, it's gotta be good.'
'Well, I can talk to the captain, if you want, see if they've filled all the places yet.' Grissom said uncertainly.
'All right! This week is gonna be ace!' Greg cried.
Nick shook his head. 'You've got to get out of that lab more.'
