Sara was on her third cup of coffee and shift hadn't even begun. She'd
managed to get about three and a half hours of sleep before she decided to
just head into work. She reasoned that the more she worked, the more
likely she'd get the promotion. However, she was already dangerously close
to hitting her limit of overtime for the month and she had wrapped up all
of her current cases. The only thing left to do was paperwork.
Several hours later, Grissom sauntered into the break room in search of coffee, finding Sara sitting at the table in the center of the room with her head resting on her arms, sound asleep. Worry and frustration lined his brow. He wondered how long she'd been there and whether she'd actually gone home. Her behavior over the last couple of months had thrown him completely for a loop. She'd asked him out after the lab explosion and he'd turned her down. And for good reason. He was her supervisor. People would talk. The fact that at the time his hearing was diminishing and he didn't know if its progression could be halted was another factor; he didn't need another complication.
He'd heard the rumors circulating around the lab about him and Sara. He'd tried to remain aloof and immune from them, but the truth was he wasn't sure how he viewed Sara. Sometimes he thought he might have feelings for her, but if he chose to pursue them, the risk was far greater with her than with almost anyone else. It just didn't seem logical. And now with the promotion being an issue, he wasn't sure what to say to Sara. He'd recommended Nick for the promotion, and he felt that the young man deserved it, even more than Sara. But he worried about her reaction to the news when the announcement was made and he worried about how all the lab gossip would affect her. She had changed over the last several months and he wasn't sure she was the same person. In many respects he felt responsible for her sullen demeanor and her sharp replies to him. He couldn't blame her. He'd acted like an ass towards her, but he didn't know how else to get the message across to her that there could never be anything romantic between them regardless of any feelings he might harbor.
He left the break room quietly, deciding that one of the others on the night shift could rouse her from her slumber. She probably needed to sleep more than any of them knew.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nick became aware that there was an annoying ringing noise somewhere near his head. He tried to ignore it by pulling a pillow over his head. A short time later the noise stopped, only to start up again. Finally, Nick realized that the phone near his bed was ringing. He reached out and fumbled around to grab the phone, pulling it under the pillow.
"Stokes." Nick sounded as tired as he felt and the pillow only served to muffle his voice.
"Nick, shift started six minutes ago. Where are you?" Warrick's voice sounded through the line.
Nick cursed and rolled onto his back, tossing the pillow somewhere in the vicinity of his headboard. "I overslept."
"You'd better get your ass in here, Grissom doesn't seem too happy." There was muffled talking in the background. Warrick came back on the line. "Grissom said for you to just meet Sara at 2763 Silver Sand Lane."
"Ok." Nick sat up and realized that he'd fallen asleep in his running clothes. He hung up the phone and took a quick shower, changed, and was out the door in less than ten minutes.
When he arrived on the scene, Sara was standing outside the modest two story home talking to Detective Vega. There was something about her expression that caused Nick to swallow the cheery comment that was on the tip of his tongue. Instead, as he approached, his expression was serious. "What do we have?"
Sara glanced up at him and in her eyes he could see that this was not a case that Sara Sidle should be working. "Young woman, mid-twenties. It appears that she was raped and then murdered."
Nick measured his response. "Suspect?"
Vega turned toward him. "We've got the boyfriend in custody. He claims that things just got out of hand, but you'll have to determine if the evidence supports that."
"Thanks." Nick studied Sara as they made their way into the house to start processing the scene.
The ligature marks on the victim's neck were evidence that she'd most likely been strangled, neither Nick nor Sara were buying the boyfriend's story that it was just rough sex that had gotten a little out of hand.
They had just finished up and were loading the evidence into Sara's Denali when Nick's cell phone rang. "Stokes." He glanced over at Sara who continued to load their kits into the back of the SUV. "Yeah, she's right here." He furrowed his brow for a moment. "I'll ask her." He pulled the phone away and glanced over at Sara. "Do you have your cell phone on?"
She glanced at him and he could tell that she didn't want to answer the question. For whatever reason, she'd not answered the phone the two or three times Grissom had said he'd tried to call her since they'd arrived on their scene.
"Her battery died." Nick looked directly at her as he covered for her. He knew there was a reason that she didn't want to talk to Grissom and it was most likely because of the case they had just worked. "We've got just a little bit more to do here and we'll be back at the lab right after that." Nick hung up his phone and studied Sara who continued to load the Denali with the evidence bags.
She knew that he was watching her and she finally turned to face him. "What?" Her tone was defensive.
Nick let out a sigh. "Sara, what's going on? I know your phone isn't dead."
"I just don't want to talk to him." She responded, hoping to leave the conversation at that.
"He's our boss. When he calls you're supposed to answer the phone." Nick hoped he didn't sound like he was lecturing her. He knew that processing this scene had been particularly hard on her.
She glared at him. "Nick, right now, I don't want to hear it. Ok?"
Nick rested his hands on his hips and tried to collect his thoughts before he spoke. "What did he say to you?"
Sara hated how he was able to know what she was thinking. It made her feel vulnerable, something she didn't want to feel around anyone most of the time. But she trusted Nick and she knew if she didn't tell him something that he'd keep pressing her until she did. "It's not just what he says, it's what he does."
Nick leaned against the Denali. "Sara, can I ask you something?"
There was something in Nick's tone that caused a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. But she didn't want to let on that anything was wrong even though it was abundantly obvious that everything wasn't ok. "Yeah, sure."
Nick studied her as he talked. "These cases, the ones with these young women, they're hard for you; harder than the others."
Sara stiffened slightly.
Nick continued. "For some reason, Grissom keeps sending you out on them. That's what's you're upset, isn't it?"
A look of surprise crossed her face as she glanced at Nick. "I'm not upset."
Nick's expression registered disbelief. "Sara, I know you. I know you're upset. I can see it in your eyes."
"Look, we need to get the evidence back to the lab." Sara tried to change the subject, turning around to close the back of the Denali.
Nick reached out and turned her to face him. "Sara, the evidence can wait for a minute."
Her expression was hard, but edged with hurt. "Fine, I'm upset, are you happy?" She wouldn't look him in the eye.
Nick shook his head and put his hands on her shoulders. "No, I'm not happy. I'm worried about you."
"Nick, I'm fine." Her voice wavered and she tried to push away from him as she tried to keep control of her emotions.
Nick let her step away. "We're not done talking."
She let out an exasperated sigh. "You can be such an ass sometimes."
He smiled at her. "I may be an ass, but I'm your friend and this conversation isn't over."
She rolled her eyes and shook her head, trying to restrain a smirk. "Fine, but breakfast is on you."
Several hours later, Grissom sauntered into the break room in search of coffee, finding Sara sitting at the table in the center of the room with her head resting on her arms, sound asleep. Worry and frustration lined his brow. He wondered how long she'd been there and whether she'd actually gone home. Her behavior over the last couple of months had thrown him completely for a loop. She'd asked him out after the lab explosion and he'd turned her down. And for good reason. He was her supervisor. People would talk. The fact that at the time his hearing was diminishing and he didn't know if its progression could be halted was another factor; he didn't need another complication.
He'd heard the rumors circulating around the lab about him and Sara. He'd tried to remain aloof and immune from them, but the truth was he wasn't sure how he viewed Sara. Sometimes he thought he might have feelings for her, but if he chose to pursue them, the risk was far greater with her than with almost anyone else. It just didn't seem logical. And now with the promotion being an issue, he wasn't sure what to say to Sara. He'd recommended Nick for the promotion, and he felt that the young man deserved it, even more than Sara. But he worried about her reaction to the news when the announcement was made and he worried about how all the lab gossip would affect her. She had changed over the last several months and he wasn't sure she was the same person. In many respects he felt responsible for her sullen demeanor and her sharp replies to him. He couldn't blame her. He'd acted like an ass towards her, but he didn't know how else to get the message across to her that there could never be anything romantic between them regardless of any feelings he might harbor.
He left the break room quietly, deciding that one of the others on the night shift could rouse her from her slumber. She probably needed to sleep more than any of them knew.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nick became aware that there was an annoying ringing noise somewhere near his head. He tried to ignore it by pulling a pillow over his head. A short time later the noise stopped, only to start up again. Finally, Nick realized that the phone near his bed was ringing. He reached out and fumbled around to grab the phone, pulling it under the pillow.
"Stokes." Nick sounded as tired as he felt and the pillow only served to muffle his voice.
"Nick, shift started six minutes ago. Where are you?" Warrick's voice sounded through the line.
Nick cursed and rolled onto his back, tossing the pillow somewhere in the vicinity of his headboard. "I overslept."
"You'd better get your ass in here, Grissom doesn't seem too happy." There was muffled talking in the background. Warrick came back on the line. "Grissom said for you to just meet Sara at 2763 Silver Sand Lane."
"Ok." Nick sat up and realized that he'd fallen asleep in his running clothes. He hung up the phone and took a quick shower, changed, and was out the door in less than ten minutes.
When he arrived on the scene, Sara was standing outside the modest two story home talking to Detective Vega. There was something about her expression that caused Nick to swallow the cheery comment that was on the tip of his tongue. Instead, as he approached, his expression was serious. "What do we have?"
Sara glanced up at him and in her eyes he could see that this was not a case that Sara Sidle should be working. "Young woman, mid-twenties. It appears that she was raped and then murdered."
Nick measured his response. "Suspect?"
Vega turned toward him. "We've got the boyfriend in custody. He claims that things just got out of hand, but you'll have to determine if the evidence supports that."
"Thanks." Nick studied Sara as they made their way into the house to start processing the scene.
The ligature marks on the victim's neck were evidence that she'd most likely been strangled, neither Nick nor Sara were buying the boyfriend's story that it was just rough sex that had gotten a little out of hand.
They had just finished up and were loading the evidence into Sara's Denali when Nick's cell phone rang. "Stokes." He glanced over at Sara who continued to load their kits into the back of the SUV. "Yeah, she's right here." He furrowed his brow for a moment. "I'll ask her." He pulled the phone away and glanced over at Sara. "Do you have your cell phone on?"
She glanced at him and he could tell that she didn't want to answer the question. For whatever reason, she'd not answered the phone the two or three times Grissom had said he'd tried to call her since they'd arrived on their scene.
"Her battery died." Nick looked directly at her as he covered for her. He knew there was a reason that she didn't want to talk to Grissom and it was most likely because of the case they had just worked. "We've got just a little bit more to do here and we'll be back at the lab right after that." Nick hung up his phone and studied Sara who continued to load the Denali with the evidence bags.
She knew that he was watching her and she finally turned to face him. "What?" Her tone was defensive.
Nick let out a sigh. "Sara, what's going on? I know your phone isn't dead."
"I just don't want to talk to him." She responded, hoping to leave the conversation at that.
"He's our boss. When he calls you're supposed to answer the phone." Nick hoped he didn't sound like he was lecturing her. He knew that processing this scene had been particularly hard on her.
She glared at him. "Nick, right now, I don't want to hear it. Ok?"
Nick rested his hands on his hips and tried to collect his thoughts before he spoke. "What did he say to you?"
Sara hated how he was able to know what she was thinking. It made her feel vulnerable, something she didn't want to feel around anyone most of the time. But she trusted Nick and she knew if she didn't tell him something that he'd keep pressing her until she did. "It's not just what he says, it's what he does."
Nick leaned against the Denali. "Sara, can I ask you something?"
There was something in Nick's tone that caused a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. But she didn't want to let on that anything was wrong even though it was abundantly obvious that everything wasn't ok. "Yeah, sure."
Nick studied her as he talked. "These cases, the ones with these young women, they're hard for you; harder than the others."
Sara stiffened slightly.
Nick continued. "For some reason, Grissom keeps sending you out on them. That's what's you're upset, isn't it?"
A look of surprise crossed her face as she glanced at Nick. "I'm not upset."
Nick's expression registered disbelief. "Sara, I know you. I know you're upset. I can see it in your eyes."
"Look, we need to get the evidence back to the lab." Sara tried to change the subject, turning around to close the back of the Denali.
Nick reached out and turned her to face him. "Sara, the evidence can wait for a minute."
Her expression was hard, but edged with hurt. "Fine, I'm upset, are you happy?" She wouldn't look him in the eye.
Nick shook his head and put his hands on her shoulders. "No, I'm not happy. I'm worried about you."
"Nick, I'm fine." Her voice wavered and she tried to push away from him as she tried to keep control of her emotions.
Nick let her step away. "We're not done talking."
She let out an exasperated sigh. "You can be such an ass sometimes."
He smiled at her. "I may be an ass, but I'm your friend and this conversation isn't over."
She rolled her eyes and shook her head, trying to restrain a smirk. "Fine, but breakfast is on you."