Title: A Surprise? For Me?

Rating: PG
Summary: Surprises are great. Especially when they're for you.
Author's Note: Short Chapter, why yes it is. I'm hoping my chapters will get longer. Usually, I average 2,000 words/Chapter, and this is only, like, 600. I can do better, and I will. nod
I wrote this before Mia came to the lab, so...yeah. I'm sticking with Aiden.

Chapter One: A Surprise? For Me?

A smile on his face, Greg watched as Chandra came flying out of the lab. God, he was thankful that woman was around. "Hey, Chandra! How was your first day?"

She seemed far from happy. "I can't do this! It's too much for one person! They all want...they all want me to be you, and I can't be you!" Chandra Moore shouted, throwing in the towel. "I'm going back to Connecticut!" she ended the conversation, and her run at the Las Vegas Crime Lab.

Over his shoulder, he saw Nick and Warrick exchanging money. They'd bet on this? "Thanks guys..." he mumbled as he chased after Chandra. He rushed up behind her and pleaded with her. "Chandra, please...you're my last hope! I can't be on the field unless you stay!" he would have got down on his knees and begged, but he thought that would be a little over-the-top.

He'd messed up, been given another chance--then she messed it up. And, she didn't even seem to care. "No. From the second I stepped in there, it was 'Greg listened to music! Greg kept things organized differently! Greg let us look at his case files! Greg did it this way! Greg did it that way! Greg is the king and you, Chandra, will never measure up.' IT'S TOO MUCH FOR ONE HUMAN TO DEAL WITH!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. "I'm sorry you can't be on the field now, but I can't be you. And the way I see it so far, that's what it takes to have this job," she got into her car and slammed the door behind her, peeling out as fast as she could.

Aiden Hensley, the day shift crim who Greg had a strong friendship with, was coming out of the lab, getting ready to go home for the night, only to witness this whole scene. She raised an eyebrow and watched Chandra peel out. "Um, drama-queen much?" she asked, a crooked smile on her face. "I didn't like her, anyway. She seemed way too stuck-up, if you ask me..." she shrugged, meeting Greg's downtrodden expression.

Yes, Aiden meant well. But at that point, Greg felt like shit. It sucked having your dreams dangled in front of you, only to be taken away at the next second by a drama queen of a DNA tech. "Aiden, I was this close to being on the field. I may have messed up this proficiency, but Griss was going to give me another shot...because I found a decent replacement. But then, my 'decent replacement' decides to go and quit on me..." he groaned in frustration. "And now I'm stuck back in the lab again..."

Aiden looked in the direction of Chandra's car. "Maybe not, though. Who knows? Maybe Chandra will feel bad for crushing your chances and come back, at least until you complete your last proficiency, or something..." she shrugged, not sure she fully believed herself. "If not, call me. I may have a backup plan for you..." she nodded and headed to her car door. "Just call me tomorrow morning if she didn't come back. I have a surprise for you, anyway..." she winked. She knew Greg would stop at nothing to figure out her surprise now, so it would at least keep his mind off the sucky situation until it was over. "Talk to you tomorrow..."

Greg watched her pull out of the parking lot and raised an eyebrow. So, she had a surprise for him, huh? Surprises were usually fun. And even better when they were for him. He turned back around and headed back inside, to tell Grissom the news—that Chandra had quit and he was the resident lab rat again. Fantastic...he rolled his eyes and flashed Warrick and Nick agitated glances as he passed them by. He was far from impressed with them—betting on his fate, more or less.