It was the week before Christmas and it seemed that despite the tinsel that
decorated various corners of the lab and the heavy metal holiday tunes
emanating from Greg's stereo in the DNA lab, everyone was tired and in a
foul mood. Everyone had pulled at least two double shifts in the previous
week. Nick and Sara hadn't seen a lot of each other and they were in an
especially foul mood.
Sara swore under her breath as she went to pour herself a cup of coffee and found sludge in the bottom of the pot instead. She began muttering under her breath as she looked around for the extra coffee pot and some fresh coffee. She found the pot, but the bag of coffee didn't have nearly enough coffee for an entire pot, let alone a cup. It was the straw that broke the camel's back.
She walked over and sunk down on the couch, burying her head in her hands as she tried to stifle a stream of tears which had begun to flow down her face.
Greg walked in and noticed her sitting there. "Sara? Are you ok?"
She glanced up and tried to hide that she'd been crying. "The damn coffee is all gone." She wiped at her eyes.
Greg raised a concerned eyebrow. "Uh, I'll make you some of my special blend." He walked over, retrieving his coffee from its hiding place, and began making a fresh pot of coffee. He glanced at Sara with concern on his face as he waited for the coffee to brew. When it was done, he poured her a cup and walked over and handed it to her, sitting on the couch next to her. "Everything ok?"
She tried to smile through her tears. "I'm just tired like everyone else, Greggo. Thanks." She began to sip the coffee and relax.
Nick walked by and noticed Sara sitting there with Greg looking upset. He walked into the break room and regarded her with concern. "Everything ok, babe?"
"Well, Nick, you're not really my type." Greg quipped, trying to lighten the mood.
Sara laughed in spite of herself.
Nick grinned as he saw her smile.
She met Nick's concerned gaze. "I'm just tired and the coffee was all gone."
Greg stood up. "Time, tide, and DNA wait for no man."
Nick and Sara exchanged a quizzical glance at Greg's comment.
Greg glanced back at Sara. "Get some sleep, Sara."
Nick sat down on the couch where Greg had been just a few moments before. He put an arm around Sara's shoulder and pulled her against him. "How many doubles have you pulled this week, Sar?"
She looked over at him with a slightly confused expression on her face. "I'm not really sure."
Nick reached over and caressed her face with his fingers before planting a soft kiss on her lips. "Hey, why don't you lay down for a little while. I'll come back in a half hour and wake you up."
Sara was too tired to argue. As Nick stood up, she swung her legs up on the couch and lay down. She was asleep in a few minutes.
Nick made his way down the hall in search of Grissom. Nick found him in his office. He knocked softly.
Grissom glanced up.
"Hey, Gris, can I talk to you for a minute?" Nick looked like he had something serious on his mind.
Grissom motioned for him to come in.
Nick shut the door and sat down. He rested his elbow on his knees and studied his boss for a moment. "Grissom, I need to take a night off, and so does Sara."
"Nick, you know how busy we are. One of you can take a night off, but I can't be down two people this close to the holidays." Grissom looked tired. He had been pulling double shifts just like everyone else.
Nick let out a deep breath. "Gris, Sara really needs a night off and I really need to be with her."
Grissom looked somewhat amused, somewhat annoyed. "Nick, I'm not interested in your sex life."
Nick chuckled. "Grissom, it's not about that, seriously."
Grissom looked at Nick over the rim of his glasses. "Then what is it?"
Nick's expression was serious. "I just walked into the break room and she was crying because the coffee was all gone."
Grissom leaned back in his chair and took off his glasses. "That's not like Sara."
"I know. Look, we're both on the schedule to work Christmas and New Year, can we please have a night off?" Nick was almost begging.
"Let me make a couple of phone calls and see if I can get someone from days to cover." Grissom answered.
Nick stood up. "Thanks, Gris."
Grissom paged Nick a short time later to let him know that both he and Sara could have the following night off.
Sara swore under her breath as she went to pour herself a cup of coffee and found sludge in the bottom of the pot instead. She began muttering under her breath as she looked around for the extra coffee pot and some fresh coffee. She found the pot, but the bag of coffee didn't have nearly enough coffee for an entire pot, let alone a cup. It was the straw that broke the camel's back.
She walked over and sunk down on the couch, burying her head in her hands as she tried to stifle a stream of tears which had begun to flow down her face.
Greg walked in and noticed her sitting there. "Sara? Are you ok?"
She glanced up and tried to hide that she'd been crying. "The damn coffee is all gone." She wiped at her eyes.
Greg raised a concerned eyebrow. "Uh, I'll make you some of my special blend." He walked over, retrieving his coffee from its hiding place, and began making a fresh pot of coffee. He glanced at Sara with concern on his face as he waited for the coffee to brew. When it was done, he poured her a cup and walked over and handed it to her, sitting on the couch next to her. "Everything ok?"
She tried to smile through her tears. "I'm just tired like everyone else, Greggo. Thanks." She began to sip the coffee and relax.
Nick walked by and noticed Sara sitting there with Greg looking upset. He walked into the break room and regarded her with concern. "Everything ok, babe?"
"Well, Nick, you're not really my type." Greg quipped, trying to lighten the mood.
Sara laughed in spite of herself.
Nick grinned as he saw her smile.
She met Nick's concerned gaze. "I'm just tired and the coffee was all gone."
Greg stood up. "Time, tide, and DNA wait for no man."
Nick and Sara exchanged a quizzical glance at Greg's comment.
Greg glanced back at Sara. "Get some sleep, Sara."
Nick sat down on the couch where Greg had been just a few moments before. He put an arm around Sara's shoulder and pulled her against him. "How many doubles have you pulled this week, Sar?"
She looked over at him with a slightly confused expression on her face. "I'm not really sure."
Nick reached over and caressed her face with his fingers before planting a soft kiss on her lips. "Hey, why don't you lay down for a little while. I'll come back in a half hour and wake you up."
Sara was too tired to argue. As Nick stood up, she swung her legs up on the couch and lay down. She was asleep in a few minutes.
Nick made his way down the hall in search of Grissom. Nick found him in his office. He knocked softly.
Grissom glanced up.
"Hey, Gris, can I talk to you for a minute?" Nick looked like he had something serious on his mind.
Grissom motioned for him to come in.
Nick shut the door and sat down. He rested his elbow on his knees and studied his boss for a moment. "Grissom, I need to take a night off, and so does Sara."
"Nick, you know how busy we are. One of you can take a night off, but I can't be down two people this close to the holidays." Grissom looked tired. He had been pulling double shifts just like everyone else.
Nick let out a deep breath. "Gris, Sara really needs a night off and I really need to be with her."
Grissom looked somewhat amused, somewhat annoyed. "Nick, I'm not interested in your sex life."
Nick chuckled. "Grissom, it's not about that, seriously."
Grissom looked at Nick over the rim of his glasses. "Then what is it?"
Nick's expression was serious. "I just walked into the break room and she was crying because the coffee was all gone."
Grissom leaned back in his chair and took off his glasses. "That's not like Sara."
"I know. Look, we're both on the schedule to work Christmas and New Year, can we please have a night off?" Nick was almost begging.
"Let me make a couple of phone calls and see if I can get someone from days to cover." Grissom answered.
Nick stood up. "Thanks, Gris."
Grissom paged Nick a short time later to let him know that both he and Sara could have the following night off.