The 5th Variable- Help
Nick Stokes held his breath as he helped the nice, young, and beautiful coroner Virginia Thor with their already decomposing body. He was thankful this vic was intact and not human soup like the one he and Sara had not too long ago. That smell was more than he could handle, despite his macho efforts.
"You know Stokes, I thought you were all talk and no game." Virginia smiled over to him.
Nick tried his most charming grin. "What do you mean?"
She gestured towards the body. "Most guys would have let me struggle rather than help me with a decomp. It isn't the most pleasant of smells."
"I've been around one before."
She smiled. "Well thanks."
Together they lifted the DB into the coroner's van without too much of a struggle. Warrick and Catherine watched the scene from a distance.
"He is pathetic." Catherine snorted happily.
Warrick came to Nick's defense. "He's smart. If she was my type I would be over there too."
"What exactly is your type?"
"If you tell me yours." He smiled.
She turned back to a bullet casing she found. "Nice try." She raised the casing to her flashlight. "Bobby should have fun with this."
"Yeah."
Nick jogged up behind the pair of investigators. "What do you got?"
Catherine smiled as she placed the bullet casing into a bag. "What do you got?" She teased.
Warrick snickered at the gorgeous blond at his side. "You can't ask a man to show his cards like that."
"It's okay man." Nick generated a slip of paper with pride. "I got her phone number and a date for the autopsy."
Warrick laughed and clapped Nick on his back. "Now that's what I am talking about."
"Enough guy talk." Catherine said stopping the fun. "Warrick are you taking pictures?"
"Yes Grissom." He mumbled.
"Hey I heard that."
"Relax Cath, you are much easier on the eyes than Grissom." Nick explained with a suffocated chuckle.
"Get to work guys." She said with a small smile.
They stepped back in perfect sync with their hands raised. "Yes ma'am." They answered together and split up so they weren't easy targets for her wrath.
The three investigators quickly combed the aged crime scene for any clues. Another bullet casing was found behind the dumpster and soon the team started to pack it up to head back to the lab.
"Well, if it isn't the death squad." Greg joked as he caught wind of the trio entering the CSI headquarters. Anyone could smell them coming.
Catherine was the first to stop and turn. "You keep it up Greg, you'll be on my list for elimination."
"Catherine did anyone ever tell you that you have an uncanny resemblance to the Borg Queen?"
"Excuse me?"
"Star Trek, Picard, the Borg, the hive Queen, drones. Okay maybe you know Janeway or Seven of Nine." By the end of the sentence his audacity lost momentum. She started towards him and he suddenly regretted his time spent with Archie talking about the Trekkie Franchise.
"Drop this off with Bobby." She said sweetly handing the bullet casing to him and began to walk away leaving Greg in complete bewilderment. Just when he thought he was off the hook, Catherine turned. "Oh and Greg. You will comply. Resistance is futile."
Warrick and Nick watched the sassy Catherine Willows take claim of the locker room to shower and change, before bursting into laughter.
"She knew." Greg choked out in amazement.
"ST: Voyager was her favorite show. You didn't know that?" Warrick asked in shock.
Both Nick and Greg stared at Warrick. "How the hell did you know that?"
He shrugged his bulky shoulders. "It came up."
"Right." Nick said unconvinced.
"Yeah it came up when you two were snuggled up on her couch together watching re-runs." Greg joked.
"Whatever puts that twisted brain of yours at ease Greg." Warrick shook his head and walked to the lounge to wait his turn in the shower.
"I'm so dead by end of shift."
Nick patted him on the back. "Yup."
:::::::::::::::
Catherine sat in the lounge nursing a cup of coffee waiting for Greg's report on several swabs, Bobby's report on the bullets, and Nick's report on the body. Warrick stumbled in from a shower and noticed the Styrofoam cup held in her hands.
"Who fixed the coffee pot?" He asked making his way to pour a cup.
"Beats me but whoever it was, is a god. How was your shower?"
"Pointless, but the action was refreshing." He took a seat opposite of her. "Any word from Nick?"
"Not yet."
"Hey have you even heard from Gris or Sara?"
She looked up and searched her memory. "Come to think of it, no I haven't. I wonder why they aren't back yet."
"It's Grissom."
"And Sara." She put in. "Those two could run a crime scene for hours side by side."
"Side by side." Warrick repeated. "Do you think we should call?"
"Nah. I am sure everything is okay. Besides, we probably just missed them. It's not odd to bypass each other when a case is hot."
"Yeah, they are probably following a lead all over Vegas by now." He agreed looking at his watch. "Which is more than we have at the moment."
"I am sure." She sipped her now lukewarm coffee. "You want to check on our bullets?"
Warrick rose to his feet before holding out his hand to pull her to her feet. "I'm afraid to resist the Borg Queen."
"It is futile." She smiled brightly at him.
"When it comes to you, yes it is."
(tbc)