Out of Harm's Way
"I dunno about you man, but it could be awhile before I get used to this."
Nick nodded as he leaned back in the chair. "Yeah, it might be awhile before I get used to going to sleep when it's actually still dark out."
"I was talking about Catherine."
"I know." Nick shot back quickly, keeping his eyes on the screen in front of them.
That caught Warrick by surprise. He had just assumed that Nick was just as bothered by the sudden changes and obstacles Ecklie had thrown at them as anyone else. But as he thought back on it, he wasn't so sure. Nick hadn't put in nearly as much input where it concerned the team being split up. The only person who had spent even less time talking about it was Grissom. "I guess I just figured that you'd be having a tougher time getting used to her being the boss and all- it's a big change."
"Ya know, contrary to popular belief I can handle things on my own. It happened- Ecklie split us up. No use in dwelling on it."
"I know, but you- you just…"
"What? I can't get over anything now Warrick?" His eyes moved up to meet Warrick's for a brief moment, and he knew he may as well have decked his friend. "Look, I'm sorry Warrick- I know you're concerned about me, but I'm okay man- seriously."
"I do know that you can take care of yourself, and I know that you can handle pretty much anything… It just doesn't make me worry any less- ya know?"
"Yeah, but damn, 'Rick… I'm doing good now. I can go home without checking my attic, I sleep without nightmares, hell I've even gotten myself back into dating… The last thing I'm gonna worry about right now is whose shift I'm on. Now if I was on days… well that'd be a different story. I get to work with two of the smartest people I've ever met, and with friends, that means more to me than a whole lot of other things."
"Yeah, I guess it does…" He wasn't sure what to really say to that, he still wasn't sure about everything Nick had said. There was still that lingering suspicion that Nick was just blowing him off, but even if that was the case there was nothing he could really say without letting Nick know that he didn't completely trust his own best friend.
"I'll see ya tomorrow man."
"Yeah." He didn't get the chance to say anything else before he heard the door of the locker room open and close again. There wasn't much of a reason for him to turn around and confirm that Nick was already gone.
That wasn't a surprise in the least bit. But the knowledge that he was more bothered by the shift change than Nick certainly was. Grissom was someone they all looked up to, the man that had been a major selling point for each of them when applying for their positions on the team. Each of them had a deep, indestructible respect for his ability to do the job. The reluctance to get paperwork done, even if it affected each of them, was accepted by everyone with ease, the sole exception to that bit was Catherine.
She was the one who pushed him in ways no one else could. If it wasn't for Catherine he was sure they'd be out of jobs because Grissom hadn't gotten evaluations filled out, or else they'd be stuck without raises and recommendations. The man lacked qualities that he'd demand from anyone else, but somehow he let it go when it came to Grissom. That made it harder for him to accept that some people may not like the kind of supervisor he was. Apparently Nick was one of those people.
He let out a heavy sigh, his mind racing a mile a minute. Nick practically worshipped the ground that Grissom walked on; everyone saw it. And for him to accept this without much more than a protest was completely out of character for him. Warrick liked to understand things, and that made it especially hard for him to let things like this go.
"That long of a day, huh?"
He smiled, the tone was teasing, light, even playful. "Hey Catherine."
"Hey yourself- I asked you a question." If it wasn't for the smile he would've rolled his eyes at her comments.
"Yeah, I guess. Just got a lot on my mind."
She gave him a brief look, and he couldn't help but smile. Catherine wasn't a fool; she was anything but that. "Then get some rest. I need you at the top of your game tomorrow."
"When don't you need us doing our best?"
That earned him a soft chuckle, "You're a good CSI, and even with that whole thing… today with that officer- you still did a good job. Now get some rest, and if you see Nicky before next shift let him know I appreciate you guys, both of you."
"Thanks, Catherine."
"It's nothing, now get out of here before I have to drag you out by your ear."
He smiled even wider at that, and shook his head as she turned and headed out of the room. She was a supervisor, and he almost felt like kicking himself for not seeing it sooner. Of course Nick wasn't fighting this. It was his chance to finally get past Grissom, out from that shadow. Catherine had so much more to offer him than Grissom ever could.
It was a chance for Nick to excel, and it was a chance Warrick didn't want him to miss.
He closed the door, setting the alarm and tossing his keys onto the counter. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, before heading towards his bed. Nothing he had told Warrick had been a lie. It had taken so long for him to reach this point again.
The guilt that made him almost feel like he was betraying not only Grissom, but the entire team as well, was pushed to the back of his mind. He needed to get some rest so that he'd be ready for tomorrow.
It took a few minutes, but before long he had managed to drift to sleep, too tired to dream about much of anything. A fact that he was more than thankful for.
To Be Continued…
Notes: It took me awhile to finish this one up. I'm getting closer to Grave Danger, but there'll be a few more episodes thrown in first. I've got several stories in the works, and I've finally gotten around to editing 'An Unfair Act of Vengeance'. Not sure when I'll start posting any of these, but hopefully it won't be too terribly long before it happens.