Chapter 7:

It had been three months since the phone call and murders from Jacob. Grissom and Hailey had put it behind them, thinking that he just disappeared. Hailey was making her way to HQ blasting AC/DC the whole way.

Greg was sliding around the room on his chair, collecting different substances from around the room. He looked at his watch. "One more hour." He pressed play on his boom box as AC/DC filled the small room.

Hailey followed the music to the DNA lab, walking in to find Greg pretending to be a drummer. She pressed stop walking in the room. "Getting pumped for tonight?"

Greg looked up from what he was doing to find her in dark low rise jeans, black boots, a black of the shoulder short sleeve shirt that was cut short at the bottom, dark eye liner, and neon pink streaks in her dark hair. "I can see you are." He joked.

"What can I say I had the day off and I got slightly bored." She looked at his funky button up shirt and khakis. "Please tell me you're gonna change?!" She said with one eyebrow up.

"Are you kidding. I have my clothes in the locker room." He replied going back to work.

"Thank God, because I would have kicked your ass." Hailey turned the cd back on to 'If you want Blood' and slid up onto the empty counter on the back wall. She had managed to get front row AC/DC concert tickets and who better to take then her rock pal Greggo. They had been looking forward to this for weeks and now it was only a few hours away.

Hailey was so lost in the music that she didn't notice that Nick, Warrick, and Grissom had come into the lab. She looked up to find Warrick and Nick staring at her. "Need something?" She asked with a smile.

Warrick was speechless, mostly about her hair, but partly because she looked damn good in that outfit. Nick on the other hand was focused completely on the hair. "I'm deciding wether I like the hair or not. I'm actually torn." He said in his southern accent.

Grissom looked up from the folder he was reading. "I like it." He said referring to the hair.

"Thanks Gris." She smiled brightly. She stuck her tongue out at Nick as the three of them turned to Greg to find information about evidence.

An hour later Hailey was waiting outside the locker room for Greg to change. He finally emerged wearing a vintage AC/DC t-shirt and faded ripped jeans, his hair in a slight mohawk. "Sexy." She complimented. "Who knows. If tonight goes well it may end in a little liquid latex." She said sexily.

"You know how I like it baby." he played back. They had become best friends. Although they had only known each other for a little over a year, they acted like they had known each other their whole lives, it did help that out of everyone in the crime lab they were the closest in age, her being the youngest him the second. He held out his arm. "Shall we?"

She gladly took his arm and gave him a peck on the cheek. They walked out to her convertible mustang and sped off to the concert.

Warrick and Nick were walking towards the locker room after finishing yet another case. They had an hour to get dinner and then it was back to work until one. Nick was talking about a foam party at the Palms Hotel that started at one but Warrick had stopped listening. He was watching the way Hailey was behaving with Greg and saw her kiss him. He felt a tiny bit of jealousy taking over. He tried to hide what he felt for her, but he couldn't. Sure they flirted but it was harmless fun to her. He thought that since he was only starting to have feelings for her, he could stop them before they evolved. Nick slapped him on the back. "Sorry what happened?"

Nick laughed at him completely unaware of what was going through his friends mind. "Just askin' if you wanted to catch the party tonight after work."

Warrick wasn't really up for a party but it would be a good way to get some stress off, take his mind off of Hailey. "Sure, why not."

"Alright." Nick added rubbing his hands together. "I'm starving, let's get some food." And they left the building to the local Diner.

after the concert

"I can't believe you did that." Greg said as they were leaving the concert.

"It was a once in a lifetime opportunity." Hailey said referring to her new autograph on the top of her left boob.

"And I got a picture of it." He laughed. "Well I don't know about you but I certainly can't go home now."

Hailey thought about it for a minute. There was no way she could go home and do nothing. Then she remembered Cole telling her about a foam party. "Remember Cole?"

"The bouncer at the Palms?"

"Yeah, he said there was a foam party going on at one."

Greg looked at his watch, twelve thirty. "Sounds good to me."

They pulled up to the Palms hotel and parked the car valet. Cole was by the door letting only certain people in. Greg and Hailey walked in arms past the line. Hailey gave Cole a kiss on the cheek and he unhooked the rope to let them by. The club was dark and it was packed. Greg and Hailey made their way to the pool type floor where the foam would be. Before they got to the stairs they decided to get a drink first. Hailey sat on a stool and Greg leaned against the bar. Hailey felt two strong arms wrap around her from behind.

"I've been lookin' for a girl like you."

She immediately recognized the voice. "Well if it isn't my southern cowboy." She turned and gave Nick a kiss on the cheek. "What are you doin' here?"

"Getting ready to get my freak on. Warrick's here somewhere, I lost a few minutes ago though."

The DJ came over the music and announced the countdown for the foam. Hailey grabbed Nicky and Greg and walked down to the empty pool. There were bodies everywhere getting ready to be foamed.

The foam started to pour out and the music was pumping. Hailey was sandwiched with Nicky facing her in front and Greg grinding against her in the back.

An hour and many drinks later Hailey had lost Greg but branched of with other guys. She finally met back up with Nick who also had one to many. Greg and Warrick were the only ones who were sober since they had to drive. Zombie Nation came over the speakers and Hailey and Nick picked up their pace. Nick looked into her eyes and in the heat of the moment he leaned down and kissed her. Although she didn't know it, Nicky had somewhat of a schoolboy crush on her. He liked that they could fool around with no strings attached but at the end of the night he wanted someone to come home to. He wanted a relationship.

At was nearing four o'clock and they all had decided to head out. Hailey had her arms around Nicks waist and he had his arm slung around her shoulders. Warrick and Greg followed them out overhearing their conversation.

"I'm so snockered."Hailey laughed out. She took a step and didn't realize that the curb ended, but Nick caught her almost stumbling himself from the state he was in.

"Stumble much." He joked.

"You did too."

He stopped for a minute and Hailey looked up. He had a face on that looked like he was deep in thought. Then he spoke. "I'm really hungry."

Hailey laughed out deciding that he thought way to hard about that.

"We could go to the diner." Warrick suggested, thinking that he could use some food as well. They piled into Warrick's Tahoe with Nick and Hailey in the back and headed off to the diner, that was a good ten to fifteen minutes away. Warrick had been driving for five minutes and turned the radio to a different station. He thought Hailey looked so damn good tonight, all he wanted to do was hold her and kiss her and know that she felt the same way. It had been driving him nuts, all the girls he danced with tonight just weren't good enough. He wanted her. He looked in his rear view mirror, and saw Nick and Hailey making out. It was then that he realized what he felt wouldn't be returned and that he needed to move on.

He pulled into one of the many open spots in front of the 24 hour diner and got out. It was all he could do to keep from grabbing Nick by the collar, dragging him out of the car, and beating the crap out of him. He wanted to forget about what he saw, but he knew that he would need a night alone to straighten out his thoughts. Greg, Hailey, and Nick walked in behind him and sat down at the table. Greg could tell something was wrong but he couldn't figure it out.

They all ordered food and just sat there for a while bull shitting. At one point Nick and Hailey had laughed for a good five minutes over the word booger. Greg laughed at how drunk they were and also at how hung over they would be tomorrow. Hailey had the day off, but Nick didn't and that was gonna be something fun to watch him come in.

Warrick was getting sicker by the moment watching them and made up a lie about being tired. When they reached the club to get Hailey's car Greg offered to drive Nick home since he lived near her. Warrick thought that was best and agreed then he went home to try and sleep it off.