Summary: Four months after Nick and Sara found each other, a life-altering, career-changing opportunity presents itself at the Las Vegas Crime Lab. Will this chance bring the Graveyard shift closer together, or tear them apart?
Author's Note: Are you guys enjoying this? I am! LOL I love all of my faithful readers – BY THE WAY: I'm not asking this because this volume is almost over (because it's not) but I would like some suggestions from my readers (like, you guys who read and reviewed Volume I: The Nascency and are now reading this one) for Volume III, which has yet to be titled. I'm open to all suggestions (please keep all of them within the PG-13 range.) THANK YOU! Now… on with the story…
Disclaimer: No, I do not own CSI stuff. I do own Anisha, Maile, Dylan, All of Nick's family, Haylie and her family, and all the other characters you don't realize, k?
Rating: PG-13
Request: Read and review!
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"Okay, is it just me, or are you guys dying of curiosity?" Greg asked after Sara had put Dylan down for a nap and Warrick had brought Lindsey to a birthday party.
"I am," Warrick said, "And I'm not even up for the promotion."
"Well, I'm up for it and I'm not nervous," Sara said as she sat down on the couch next to Nick.
"I'm not nervous either," Nick said.
Warrick and Greg exchanged a look, "Wait, wait a damn minute," Warrick said, "What do you mean you're not nervous? Until today you two would barely talk you were so worried."
Sara shrugged, "And now we're not."
"Why?" Greg asked, leaning forward in the Laz-Y-Boy.
"Does it matter?" Nick asked, and Greg held his hands up.
"Hey, hey, just asking," Greg said as he sat back and looked at the T.V.
"Man, what in the God's name are you watching?" Warrick asked as he looked at the screen.
"Between The Lions," Greg answered, watching the stuffed puppets walk around a large library.
"Greg, you are insane," Nick said as Sara covered her face with a pillow so she could laugh without waking Dylan up.
"Are you guys just realizing this?" Greg asked as he continued to watch the show.
This lasted for about a minute before Warrick grabbed the remote and switched the channel.
"Hey, I was watching that!" Greg whispered angrily as he made a dive for the remote.
"Too slow, Greggie," Warrick said as he switched the remote to the other hand.
Sara and Nick watched the two men fight over the remote. In the end, Warrick won.
"Now we watch what Warrick wants," Warrick said, playfully referring to himself in the third person.
"Oh great," Sara whispered, and Nick just smiled. She leaned on his thighs, her back against his chest, and waited while Warrick chose a show. Nick rested his hand on Sara's waist as Warrick finally decided on MTV.
"Good," He said, "They're actually playing some music videos."
"No kidding," Sara agreed as Nick ran his hand through her hair, "I'm so sick of Newlyweds and Road Rules and the Real World and all that reality T.V. crap."
"I second that," Greg said, winking at Sara, "We need the old MTV back. Do you guys remember that?"
"Music videos 24/7? Of course we remember that," Warrick
said, "That was MTV."
"I think they need to make a TV
station where they play country and country music videos all day long," Nick
suggested, gaining groans and scoffs from the other occupants in the room.
"Yeah, like that'll happen," Greg said as they watched the Somewhere I Belong music video by Linkin Park.
(A/N: That is a fabulous music video, for all you dorks who haven't seen it (just kidding with the dorks thing lol) on with the story…)
~x
"We've made a decision," Richard Storbek informed Grissom, Catherine, and Brass, "It wasn't very difficult, considering the circumstances."
That could mean it was easy to agree with Ecklie, or easy to agree with us, Catherine thought as she waited for the answer.
"It is quite clear your personal opinions of the graveyard shift," Storbek continued, "Mr. Grissom, as the leader of the graveyard shift, your analysis of the situation was one of the major aspects of our decision. We respect your opinion, Mr. Grissom, and that is why we have measured these circumstances so carefully."
Grissom nodded, hating the way Storbek was dragging this out.
"Mrs. Grissom, you are the veteran CSI next to Mr. Grissom. Your opinion as well weighed as a factor in our decision. Mr. Brass, as the detective working with the graveyard shift, your opinion of the atmosphere with the team members mattered as well, considering you are not a CSI. Your opinion represented the opinion of everyone outside of the team."
"That is why we have decided..."
~x
(A/N: Now this is where most authors would end the chapter, just to keep you guys hanging on for one more chapter. Am I most authors? OF COURSE NOT! I argue with myself for crying out loud! So, we shall continue...)
"This is killing me!" Greg complained at two-thirty when they still had not seen Grissom, Catherine, or Brass, nor received a phone call.
"Chill out, Greg," Nick said, "It's not your career that will be affected."
Greg rolled his eyes and headed outside with Warrick to shoot basketball.
Nick looked down at his lap where Sara had fallen asleep. He sat staring at her for several moments, just admiring her. He pushed some of her stray hair behind her ear.
Sara gave him a smile as her eyes stayed closed.
Nick sat watching ESPN2 Sports Center until Warrick and Greg came back in. At that same time, Dylan's cries could be heard from the office.
"I'll get it," Warrick said as he went into the office to rescue the distressed infant.
Greg plopped back down on the recliner and looked over at Nick.
"So everything is okay between you guys?" He asked, motioning at Sara's sleeping form.
Nick looked away from the T.V., "Yeah," Nick replied, "We're good."
Greg nodded, feeling slightly uncomfortable because his friend was dating the woman he's had a major crush on since her first day at the lab.
"Greg," Nick said, "You don't have to be uncomfortable."
"Who said I was uncomfortable?" Greg asked, looking even more uncomfortable.
Nick raised an eyebrow, "Greg, man, I know."
Greg rolled his eyes, "It's really no big deal," Greg said.
"Woah woah," Nick said, "Is there another girl now?"
Greg looked at the T.V., then back at his friend, "How do you know these things?" He asked, his voice full of awe and exasperation.
Nick shrugged, "Is there?"
"Yeah," Greg replied, "She works at the lab. CSI Level One."
"What's her name?"
"Maile Kowani."
"Oh yeah, the Hawaiian lab assistant, right?"
Greg nodded.
"That's cool. Have you guys gone out already?"
Greg looked back at Nick, "I'm taking her to a Creed concert."
"The one coming here in a week?" Nick questioned, and smiled when Greg nodded.
"She'll like it," Nick said.
"I hope so," Greg replied.
Sara awoke fifteen minutes later, finally allowing Nick to get up and walk around a little. Warrick put Dylan back in the crib after he'd fed him, and returned to the living room.
Not even five minutes later, Grissom, Catherine, and Brass walked through the door.
"How'd it go, boss?" Warrick asked as the four younger
people crowded around the older ones.
"Well I'm sorry to say," Grissom
started, and he watched as the younger peoples' faces fell, "That the graveyard
shift team is staying the graveyard shift team."
"Are you serious?" Greg asked. When Catherine and Brass nodded, the younger people went ballistic as quietly as they could, considering Dylan was sleeping in the other room.
"This is awesome!" Greg kept saying. Warrick kept
pumping his fists, Catherine was laughing at their reactions, and even Brass
and Grissom couldn't help but smile.
"The team doesn't have to split
up," Sara said happily as she placed her hands on Nick's face.
"Thank God," he said as they shared a quick kiss not unseen by the rest of the group.
"So are you two finally okay?" Catherine asked, and suddenly all attention were on the young couple.
Sara put her arm around Nick's shoulders, "Well," she replied, "It depends on what you consider okay," she whirled her finger next to her temple indicating both of them were insane. The group broke out into quiet laughter as they finished asking all the details and the younger people left for home.
"Cath," Sara said through the screen door as Warrick sent her back, "Warrick told me to tell you Linds will call when she needs a ride."
"Thanks, Sar," Catherine replied, "See you guys later."
Sara nodded as she walked off the Grissoms' front step and climbed into her boyfriend's Tahoe.
"It looks like we're stuck with that crew," Grissom said to his wife after Brass had seen Dylan and left.
Catherine smiled, "But wouldn't the lab be kind of dull without them?"
Grissom thought for a moment, "Perhaps. But the quiet would be a nice change."
She laughed, "Yeah. Especially with Greg and his music!"
Grissom rolled his eyes, "I don't know if that will ever change."
Catherine just shook her head and kissed her husband, "Yeah, but it comes with Greg," she said, "And the team wouldn't be the same if anyone left."
"When did you become so bright, Mrs. Grissom?" Gil asked.
"Since I married you, Mr. Grissom," she replied as he kissed her again.
~x
As Sara and Nick lay in bed at Nick's house that night, they talked of how the team wouldn't have to be separated.
"You know," Sara said, "If you had gotten that promotion and I hadn't, nothing would have changed."
"You mean between us, or at the lab?" Nick asked.
"Between us."
"Yeah. Same if you had gotten it and I didn't."
Sara smiled and looked at him in silence for a moment before saying, "You're amazing, did you know that?"
"How am I amazing?" He asked, resting his head on his hand as he looked at her.
She shrugged, "You just are," she replied, resting her head on her arm and looking at him.
"Yeah, but how?" He asked, searching her eyes and face for some answer.
Sara sighed and shrugged again, "Your personality. You're always so calm and friendly and optimistic."
"Is that all?" Nick asked as Sara outlined his face with her fingers.
Sara shook her head, "You're amazing in a lot of ways. Your body is amazing," she enunciated as she ran her hands over his shoulders, "Your eyes... your smile... your lips..." she said as she kissed him gently, their mouths dancing together in a celebration of their love and their victory over the promotion. She placed an arm around his neck as his hand landed on her waist. His tongue gently and carefully probed the sweetest recesses of her mouth as he moved ontop of her, their hands and fingers linked together as his tongue continued to venture through her mouth. She emitted a quiet moan into his mouth as he pulled away, due to both of them needing larger amounts of oxygen.
"I love you," Nick told her as he smiled down upon her.
She grinned up at him, "You have no idea how nice it is to say I love you too."
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Ecklie stormed into Grissom's office the following afternoon to find Grissom sitting at his desk going through some paperwork, Chopin floating through the air from the stereo on the shelf behind him.
"How dare you," Ecklie spat as he threw a folder on his desk. Grissom looked at the folder and noticed it was identical to the one he had received. Grissom was glad he'd been able to dispose of his.
"How dare I what, exactly?" Grissom asked, pushing the folder back across his desk.
"How dare you switch the promotion," Ecklie said dangerously, "That promotion was meant for one of your people."
"And what would you have us do? We're short one person for another six months. If one of my members were promoted, there would be exactly three field members left on the graveyard shift."
Ecklie's face was beet red with anger. Grissom, however, was perfectly calm.
"I only have twelve people-"
"Which is eight people more than I have. Unless you have a viable point to get across, Conrad, I suggest you leave."
Ecklie pointed at Grissom, "This isn't over."
Grissom sat back in his chair and glared up at Ecklie, "No, Conrad. This was over a long time ago."
Ecklie snatched up his folder and stormed out of Grissom's office. Grissom couldn't help but shake his head.
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A/N: YAY! You didn't really think I'd make them lose a graveyard shift member, did you? It was close tho – Imagine if one of the lost members had decided to split the team up? *shivers* that was too close for comfort!
Next Chapter: Cases wrap up, and someone shows up! Who? Read on and review to find out!!