--

A/N – New chapter. More flirting, a bit of tension. Not much else to add, other than I'm tired, and I'm going to sleep now …

I own nothing! … but Madison … and Eric Szmanda owns my heart.

-- Chapter 4

Madison reached over the table for the carton of egg rolls, but was quickly intercepted by one Nick Stokes. He grinned, and dropped the last two rolls onto his plate. She looked over at him, and narrowed her eyes, before plumping out her lip slightly, and staring down at her egg roll-less plate. Nick's gaze shifted from her guilt attempt, to his delicious looking egg rolls several times, before he sighed, and dropped one onto her plate, "Happy?"

"Immensely," she grinned, as she reached for some more noodles.

Madison's first day had gone rather smoothly, as had her second, then third, and so forth, until she found herself 5 months into her work as head tech, or as Nick had so thoughtfully put it, 'The new Greg'. She'd asked him once why she called him the new Greg, and not the new Hodges, since he had come after Greg, and she really was taking over for Hodges, not Sanders. Nick had simply shrugged, and said, "Hodge's was never the new Greg … he wasn't really up for the dogging work on him day in and day out."

"Like a mule Nick?" Madison had smirked to him, trying to catch him in an inadvertent insult.

Nick had thought a moment, then nodded, "Ya, a mule. But one of those really good ones, that the legs don't give out on."

Madison clicked her chopsticks together, and dipped into her noodles, pulling some effortlessly into her mouth. She chuckled as she watched Warrick repeatedly have the noodles slip through his chopstick, and back onto his plate. She simply shook her head, and continued eating. The whole team had gathered around to eat, after a couple of particularly tough cases. Greg, Nick, and Sara had just closed a ritualistic suicide case, Warrick and Catherine had wrapped up a casino robbery, and Grissom had been buried under a mountain of evaluations to be written up all week, so everyone was to celebrate with dinner.

Madison was halfway done chewing her donated egg roll, when Warrick nodded, and pointed to her with one of his chopsticks, "So, Madison. How's the lab been treating? I don't think we officially got to welcome you on."

"Other than pyramiding her up with case after case." Catherine laughed, and took a small sip of her ice tea.

Grissom looked up from one of his weekly subscription journals, and gave her a small smile. Madison grinned and shrugged, while trying to coax her food down the proper pathway. After swallowing, she shrugged again, "Oh well, you know. At least I know I wasn't coddled. It's the ole sink or swim method."

Nick nodded, and waved his hand in a strange fish type motion, "Oh and you swam, that's why you're the-"

"If you call the me the new Greg Sanders one more time, I swear-" she cut her sentence off there to offer an imposing stare, but could only manage to stop from grinning.

Greg held a hand to his chest, slightly allowing some soy sauce to dribble down his knuckles, "Again, you cut me short Ms. Ramsey."

He had taken to calling her that as much as possible, since she told him not to call her babe. Madison drummed her fingers on the table, and stared back to Greg, "Well, Mr. Sanders, if you didn't make it so easy-"

"But I thought you said you like a challenge …" he smirked, and took a mouthful of rice.

Madison smirked right back, and added a raise of her left eyebrow, "True, I do enjoy a challenge … but I also can't leave such an easy target unmarked … I don't want to look like I'm slacking."

Greg leaned in on the table, and narrowed his eyes, "Oh, so that's how it's going to be then …"

"Yes," she leaned in right back at him, "Yes it is."

A silence fell over the table for a moment, before Nick clumsily reach on to grab the carton of rice. He grinned sheepishly; "I wanted some rice before they started throwing the food."

The remark caused laughter to erupt, first from Catherine, then Warrick, then Sara and Grissom joined in, in more subdued tones. Nick simply sat, and shrugged, eating the rice straight from the carton. Soon, Madison couldn't help but chuckle herself, and she slid back from the table, covering her mouth, and shaking her head. Greg simply grinned, and leaned back as well, resting his hands behind his head, and wiggling his eyebrows at Madison. She in turn, rolled her eyes, and attempted to snatch the rice from Nick. He kept it from her reach, and grinned, as he finished the last of it, "Sorry. No more, so no guilt trip looks this time."

He chuckled smugly, and Madison crossed her arms over her chest, and huffed, "Very well, Darwin's theory it is then. Survival of the fittest. The fastest, strongest, and smartest eat."

Greg looked over at her, and sighed to himself, before leaning back into the table, "Here. For once, it'll be survival of the nicest."

He tipped his paper plate over hers, and shoveled half of his rice onto her plate. Madison looked up at Greg, and he grinned, pulling back to his side of the table. She flashed him a grateful smile, "Thanks … Greg."

She slowly began to nudge the rice around her plate, not actually lifting any to eat. Greg watched her curiously, before pointing towards her plate, "You going to eat that? Or just wonder how I tried to poison it with you all looking …"

Madison chuckled softly; "No … I'm just savoring an act of kindness …" she smiled widely at him, before plucking up a bit of rice, and dropping it into her mouth happily.

Greg grinned back, and ate a bit of his own rice, locking eyes with her. After a few silent moments between them, Madison grinned, and looked down to her plate, smiling. Greg grinned smugly to himself and sat back, soon being pulled into a debate over Punk Rock to Country music with Nick. He was so involved in trying to put Nick's music down, that he didn't notice Grissom's un-approving stare at him. Grissom sat between Madison and Catherine, and he looked down at Greg a moment, before returning to his journals. No one had seemed to notice the glare Grissom gave, except Madison. She frowned at him, and then looked back to her plate, finishing off of the rice. She slid her chair back, and smiled to Catherine, who had met her movement with a confused look. Madison stood, and picked up her plate, walking over to the garbage, "I have … stuff I need to get done. I've put in so much overtime in the last months … I'm still not even finished unpacking," she flashed a weak smile, then turned on her heels, walking steadily out of the room.

Warrick looked over to Catherine, who simply shrugged. Cath turned to Grissom, but his head was nudged between the pages of his texts, though his eyes seemed out of focus, and not reading at all. She sighed, and turned back towards Sara and Greg, though Greg had already tossed down his napkin, and pulled away from the table, walking after Madison. This caused Grissom to lift up his head, and cast Greg a sideways glance. He shook his head, and dropped his head back down.

Madison had reached the locker room. She pulled her locker door open hastily, and it made a banging noise against Archie's locker. She cringed, but reached in, and pulled out her jacket. It was an old black leather jacket. She slid it on, and fished her DJ style headphones from the top shelf, clicking the jack into her small mp3 player. She slid the headphones down to her neck, and began to part her hair. She pulled her hair up into two messy buns. Madison stared into her mirror, and sighed, before closing the locker door quickly. She grabbed a hold of her headphones, and turned towards the door, crying out in surprise to see Greg leaning against the door. She dropped her headphones back down her neck, staring at him strangely, and stuffed her hands into her jacket pockets awkwardly, "Uh, Greg … what are you doing?"

He looked at her a moment, almost unaware that she had spoken. He then grinned, and leaned towards her, "Well, when the most fascinating thing in the room leaves … I gotta follow it."

Madison looked down and grinned, "Smooth Sanders …"

"I try …" he took a few steps towards her, "Do I succeed?"

She looked up at him, and how much closer those steps took him. She drew in a breath, and looked confused, "What do you mean Greg?"

He grinned, and slid his arm up against the lockers, leaning his body into hers, "How about I," he had intended on asking her out point blank, but smirked more, and looked down at her, "How about I help you unpack … you said you had a lot to do …"

She looked at his arm, to his face then sighed softly, "I don't know … that could get tricky," she grinned, "While I defiantly need the help, it would entail me having to give you my address … which could turn out bad in the future, as I have been informed on your habits of showing up places unexpectedly."

He laughed, and nodded, "Well, I've been told I'm quite the delight to be around."

Madison raised both eyebrows, then nodded, "Yes, I'm sure your mother thinks the world of you Gregers …"

"You know," he smirked softly, after prodding her lightly in the ribcage, "I'm not one to like nicknames … but I think I can get used to your calling me Gregers," he leaned in closer to her, "As long as I get the same custom as well … Maddy."

She pursed her lips together, and shook her head, "How about … just plain mad, right now?"

Greg leaned back, and widened his eyes, "Oh … I've hit the self destruct button!"

Madison slid under his arm, and shook her head, "Nope … rather the, 'Mangle Greg beyond any possible identification'," she smirked and winked at him, "And believe me, I'm a tech, I can get the job done with no questions coming my way …"

He brought a hand to his chest, and pouted, "Ouch, just ouch."

Madison rolled her eyes, and reached out. Greg flinched, and pulled back, just as her fingers grasped around his shirt. She pulled him out of the locker room by his shirt buttons, "Come on. I'm putting you to strenuous manual labor."

"Oh," Greg grinned, licking his lips, "I like the sound of that … Maddy."

She rolled her eyes, and gripped harder, "You have a sick mind … just come on," she turned back, and couldn't help but smile, "Gregers."

He smiled back, "Coming dear."

She let her hand loose from his tangled shirt, and threw them in the air, "You're hopeless!"

He nodded, and walked up beside her, "Yup. Hopelessly hooked."

Greg slid his arm casually around her shoulders, and she ducked forwards, grinning, "Ah ah … no physical contact."

He sighed, and shoved his hands in his pockets, "That's what my last girlfriend said."

Madison laughed, and they walked out of the building together. Grissom walked out from around a corner, staring down the hallway they had exited from, holding a few file folders in his hands. He had his fingers clenched around the folder, and narrowed his eyes. Grissom shook his head, and continued down the hall, still shaking his head angrily.