Author's Note: Well I guess I am just in a writing frenzy today! I finally plotted out this story in full, and if I do say so myself, came up with some good titles for the chapters. I am hoping to keep this story moving, but since it doesn't really leave people hanging as much as some of my other ones, I figure I can slack off a little bit. The characters don't belong to me – but they should.
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I should have kept my big mouth shut.
Why, oh why, am I always the one to jump in with my conclusions or thoughts on a case without stopping to think first? I really need to develop a better internal monologue, at least in regards to my work. Because right now, I am the one who blurts out the first thing that pops into my head, without stopping to look at the big picture. I am the one who jumps to conclusions. This might not be so terrible if my conclusions were right once in a while, but unfortunately for me, they are almost always wrong. So instead of looking like the clever and wise one, I looked like a first class fool. It's not that I can't stop to think about the facts, but rather that I don't feel that I have that window of opportunity. See, I really want to impress Grissom. Ever since I started here, my only real purpose was to make him proud. Gil Grissom is not an easy man to impress. The few times I do something right, I barely get any acknowledgement. Yet despite the obvious brush off, I come back for more. I am determined to make him stand back and go, Wow, Nick really knows what he's talking about. Sadly, the most I managed to do today was irritate him and have him tell me to go and take some time to think before I opened my mouth again. It wouldn't have been so bad except Catherine was there too, and I got the same disappointed, maybe even mildly annoyed vibe from her too. What was it she told me when I was leaving? Oh yeah. "He who jumps to conclusions falls to his death". Ugh. It's bad enough when Grissom waxes philosophical but to hear Catherine do it makes me feel like an even bigger screw up.
You know, sometimes I really resent the fact that they both think its ok to treat me like I am a little kid. I mean, I understand that as my superiors they have every right to tell me when I make a mistake. But really, is it necessary to make me feel like a child getting reprimanded by his parents? Eww. Gil and Cat as my parents. Now there is a scary image that I won't soon erase from my head. Anyways, before I went down the path of creepiness, I was thinking that I really need to start standing up for myself more. I mean, honestly now, I am a grown man. So why am I reduced to a scolded puppy anytime they tell me that I need to think before I speak? I should be able to speak up and tell them that, yeah I was wrong, but I am only batting around possibilities. And that I am trying to take their advice. But instead I will sit there and think about what I've done wrong.
Maybe I am just not as worldly as they are. They've both seen everything there is to see and then some. And it's not like they're infallible. God knows that Grissom has screwed up before, and so has Catherine. But somehow they always manage to come away looking like the heroes. I guess deep down I wish I could be more like them. Maybe it's my roots. I am the small town boy. Maybe if I had grown up in a world that was less trusting I would be better at thinking things through. But no, I have to be the trusting one. I get to be the one that gets himself into hot water because he thinks he has it all figured out. I know I am pretty good CSI but God how I wish I could be more pragmatic when it comes to sifting through information. Like tonight. I really should have thought things through before-
"Nick?"
"Oh hey Archie, what's up?"
He plunks himself down next to me. "Listen, I just finished working on that security tape from the crime scene you guys were at tonight. And Ted Farron, you know 'Mr. I-was-nowhere-near-there', well, he's seen on the tape. I know Grissom said that he couldn't have been there, but I'm guessing that Farron's 'airtight' alibi was a cover. I had to enhance the, but it's definitely him. He's running away from the crime scene, and the time shows it as the same time when he was supposedly at the office. And what's more, he's definitely carrying a gun – probably the one that shot your victim."
My heart races. "Seriously?"
Archie grins. "Yeah bro. You're suspicions were right on the money. I've already called Grissom and Catherine. They are going over with Brass to Farron's place with a search warrant as we speak."
"Thanks Arch." Well what do you know. I was right after all. Maybe it's not so bad that sometimes I go with my gut instinct. Now this Farron character is in serious trouble. My hunch paid off in the end.
They say "He who jumps to conclusions falls to his death"
But sometimes you land on your feet.