Hands Off

Humor Rating PG13

Pairings...hmm...maybe later [wink]

Disclaimer: No one is mine. I just like to make them laugh. Or to laugh with them. Okay, yes, and at them.

Chapter 2: "Women may fall when there's no strength in men" Romeo & Juliet, Act ii, Sc.3

"So, how goes the wager?" Nick asked merrily, spying Sara in the locker room the next night.

The willowy brunette smiled sweetly. "Just fine, Nick. How goes it with you?"

"A-okay, Ms. Sidle. I'm already planning on how to spend my winnings," Nick drawled. "I figure that'll be in my pocket by the weekend."

Sara burst out laughing. "Oh, right," she said, snorting through her chuckles. "Like that's going to happen."

"What's going to happen?" Warrick asked, pulling off his jacket as he entered the room.

"Nick's going to win the bet," Sara said, still laughing.

Warrick shook his head in pity. "Man, you have no chance. Why not throw your twenty in now and save yourself the embarrassment," he suggested, stowing his jacket in his locker.

Nick was indignant. "What is with you two? I have as much self-control as the next guy!" At their mutual looks of disbelief, Nick ranted on. "I certainly have as much as you!" He thrust a finger into Warrick's shoulder.

"Oh, Nick," Sara said quietly. "You don't want to go there."

"Oh, yeah, I do."

Warrick turned patiently, patronizingly toward his friend, drawing himself up to make full use of his height over Nick. "Um, let's see, someone here slept with a case and someone else, while tempted to be sure, walked away."

Nick scowled. After three years, Kristi was still a sore point. Nick was always torn between guilt and pity when he remembered the voluptuous hooker. His emotions were mixed with a profound sense of sadness over her demise.

"Hey, the only reason you didn't do it with Lillie was because she was an addict," he shot back, his normally kind nature being pushed to the limit.

Warrick raised an eyebrow and gave Nick a half smile. "But that is the point, I didn't do anything."

Nick clamped his mouth shut, scowling at Warrick, who was grinning and Sara who was trying not to. He slammed his locker shut. "Fine, whatever, but that was then and this is now. I'm winning that money." Nick slammed his locker shut and gracing his coworkers with a spiteful grin, left the room.

Sara shook her head. "He is so misguided," she grumbled and Warrick could only chuckle in agreement.

By the time Sara and Warrick appeared in Grissom's office, Nick was already sulking in one chair while Catherine sat demurely across from him in the other. Grissom, examining files on his desk, looked up over his glasses at the new arrivals.

"Nice of you to join us." Grissom had an infuriating way of making every jibe sound like a logical statement.

It was Warrick who noticed the twenty in Betsy's cage, planted right in the middle of Grissom's desk. His huge smile all but lit up the room. "Hey, Stokes, my man! You took my advice!"

"Ha ha," the Texan smirked. "It wasn't me, smart ass."

Warrick and Sara instantly turned wide eyes to Grissom. The senior CSI shook his head, trying to restrain a grin. "Not me, either."

The two newcomers' jaws all but dropped to their chests as they fixed stunned faces on Catherine. The petite redhead shrugged, her face a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance.

"My sister has Lindsey for the week. How was I to know Chris was going to show up with champagne and roses." She sighed, a small smile breaking through. "It was worth the twenty bucks," she admitted with no regrets.

Warrick shot a victorious grin at Sara. "See? First one out is a woman."

Sara shook her head in confusion. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"Women have all the self control," Nick mimicked in a high pitched voice, his hands flitting around.

Sara shrugged. "Catherine was a weak link to begin with."

"What?" the other woman leaped forward in her chair clearly not amused.

Sara placated her. "I meant because you were the only one in a well- established relationship when we began this thing. It's only natural you would fail. Besides, I count that as Chris's fault more than yours."

Catherine sat back in her chair, trying to decide of that was a compliment.

Warrick threw his hands up in exasperation. "So, the first one out is a woman and it's all a man's fault?"

Sara considered seriously. "Yes."

Nick gave Warrick a sympathetic look. "Forget it, buddy, she was champion debater in high school," he admonished, regaining his good humor.

Just as things settled down, Greg burst in on the group. "I've got those results from that rape at Circus, Circus," he announced out of breath. He must have run al the way from his lab. He spied the money with Betsy almost immediately. "Oh, ho! So, we're already one off the wagon!" He leered at the investigators, finally fixing his gaze on Nick. "Man, you didn't even make it one day?"

"It wasn't me!" Whatever good humor Nick had regained was immediately lost.

Greg straightened up, truly surprised and glanced at each of the others. He stopped at Grissom, whose expression warned the tech not to tread there. He glanced over at Sara and Warrick and received cocky shakes of their heads. Eyes wide, he turned to Catherine. "No!"

Grissom, passing out cases, couldn't help but laugh. "Yes," he said, mimicking Greg. "Catherine, you and Nick have a heist over in the jewelry store at the Aladdin's mall. Sara, you get the B&E at the fire station. Warrick, take Greg's results and make the case. And I'll be with Brass at the YMCA. They've got a floater in the pool. Any questions?" He regarded his team seriously.

Greg, all mock drama, intoned as would Rod Serling, "Who will be the next to fall?" He was immediately the target of file folders, each of the CSIs taking the opportunity to smack him as they walked out. Catherine's hit was especially hard.

"Ow," he whined, trying to ward off the blows. In a moment it was just him and Grissom, staring at each other across the desk. Greg contemplated the CSI supervisor.

"You know who's next," he asked, though the question came out as more of a statement.

Grissom shrugged as he stood. "I only know, it's not going to be me," he said sagely, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement.

TBC