AN I might be offline for awhile although I'll try to find a computer so this is something for you guys…hope you like it.
Disclaimer: I wanna keep the characters I've created…any familiar ones I'm only borrowing, they'll be relatively unscathed when I'm done with them.
Summary: Sometimes the past hauls up and bites you in the ass. Sometimes it affects those you care about most and neither of you can ever be the same.
Greg was on his phone when he entered the break room listening intently. Warrick and Nick were talking by the coffee maker and Sara was on the couch engrossed in a file.
He sat next to her, "Yeah…of course…you let me know if there is anything I can do…okay…uh huh…bye." He sighed and lay his head back on the couch.
"What's wrong Greg?" Warrick asked.
Answering the question but looking at Sara, Greg said, "Bryce is sick."
She put a hand on his, "It sounded serious."
"They don't know what it is, he's gone in for a lot of tests." Greg squeezed her hand.
"Who's Bryce?" Nick asked.
"Greg's godson." Sara answered.
"Thanks." Nick smirked, "How did you get a godson?"
"And you've used up your answer Sara, it's Greg's turn." Sara flipped Warrick off who laughed.
"Bryce is the son of my old roommate in college. He's going to be 8 at Christmas."
"Your old roommate is?" Nick laughed.
"You two are comedic geniuses." Sara rolled her eyes, "Actually she is 29 it would be Bryce that is turning 8."
"She's funny." Warrick quipped.
"I'm planning to keep her." Greg said with a smile then sobered up, "I should go tell Grissom. I'm going to want to go out there if it's serious."
"I'll come with you." Sara said standing with him.
He smiled at her, his hand still holding hers. "As much as I like it when you're with me I should do this alone." He kissed her fingers and left with a wink.
She sighed and watched him go then heard the muffled snickers. She turned to look at Nick and Warrick, "Not a word out of either of you."
"Did not."
"Did too."
Catherine stopped in the door of the evidence room.
"I swear I did."
"Well I'm telling you, you didn't."
She checked the door and cleared her throat. "I'm sorry does CSI have a daycare?"
Warrick and Nick looked up from what they were doing. Nick smiled, "I'm trying to tell Warrick that I saw the new DNA girl coming out of the Tangiers Saturday night. He is adamant that it's impossible."
Catherine just raised her eyebrows.
"He couldn't have." Warrick insisted, "She told me she went to Bakersfield this weekend to pick up more stuff."
"Stuff?" Catherine was mildly amused by this.
"Ecklie asked her to stay longer, Mia's really backed up and the day shift guy has a sick mother back in Missouri." Warrick explained.
"Which is fine by me," Nick smiled.
"Do you have a crush on the DNA girl Nicky?" Catherine teased.
Nick just shrugged with a smirk, "I wouldn't kick her out of bed."
"Classy." Warrick grinned.
"Don't even get me started on you."
"Calm down boys." Catherine had to laugh."Can we please get back to the task at hand?" She indicated the evidence.
Both men nodded and went back to the clothing they were processing. Catherine was just about to leave when she heard the whispers.
"Did not."
"Did too."
Catherine just shook her head with a smile, "I want a report by the end of shift."
They saluted her with smiles of their own then Nick looked at Warrick. "Wanna bet?"
She always liked the sound of slot machines. It was soothing for some reason. She was a city girl at heart, mainly because she'd never lived anywhere but a city. After a long day at work she liked to sit at a casino and have a drink. She worked long, bizarre hours and needed a place to unwind. Today wasn't supposed to be different.
"Umm excuse me, Melanie?" His voice had a cute Southern drawl to it.
She figured she knew his type. "Who wants to know?" She took a sip of her drink and twirled the straw between her fingers.
"I can't look that different outside of work." He looked at her curiously.
"I'll take your word for it." She suppressed her smile, this always happened to her.
He stared for a minute then a smile crossed his face before he burst out laughing and sat beside her. "Hi I'm Nick Stokes." He offered her his hand.
She took it and gave him a half smile, "How did you figure it out?"
He pointed at her face, "You have a mole on your right cheek."
She touched the mole self consciously, "Most people don't notice that right away."
"Yeah well I'm trained to be observant."
"So you're a criminalist?"
He nodded, "Yeah, but even my training can't tell me your name."
"Oh." She laughed, "Sorry, I'm Michelle it's nice to meet you Nick. Actually my sister has mentioned you…although."
He took a drink of the beer he'd ordered, "Although what?"
"She really needs to learn how to describe people better." She leaned on the bar and smiled lazily at him, "You're much better looking in person."
He didn't respond just raised an eyebrow with a smile of his own.
"Twins? You have to be shitting me." Warrick sat in the locker room and laughed.
Greg looked over at him with a curious expression.
"Yeah…fine we'll call it a draw…right…have fun." He laughed again, "Whatever you say…kay…bye." He shook his head and looked at Greg.
"Okay I'll bite, what were you talking about?" Greg asked reaching for his keys and phone.
"Melanie's a twin." Warrick explained, "Nick just met her sister Michelle."
Greg shut the locker with wide eyes, "Seriously? Identical?"
"Except for a mole apparently."
"That's amazing."
"And hot."
A small chuckle from the door made them both look up.
"We don't shower together, no jello fights and we'll never make out in our spare time."
Warrick chuckled, "Is no conversation sacred in this place?"
"Not when you're discussing my sister and I." Melanie grinned.
Greg held up his hands, "Hey I have a girlfriend I don't need to picture you in jello…although Sara…"
Warrick cut him off. "Do not finish that sentence Sanders; she's a friend of mine."
Greg laughed, "Well with that in mind I'm going to go find said girlfriend. See you guys later." His phone rang as he went passed Melanie. "Greg here."
"He's cute." Melanie commented.
"Yeah I'm constantly resisting the urge to pinch his cheeks."
She laughed and leaned against the lockers. "So how did you guys find my sister?"
Catherine walked by the locker room and frowned. Warrick was smiling and talking to Melanie who was casually listening to whatever he was saying. Catherine decided she didn't like Melanie so much.
Greg was so frantic he could hardly put the key in the lock. Pushing the door open he called in, "Sara?"
"Hey babe." She came out of the kitchen then noticed his expression. "What's wrong?"
"It's about Bryce…his sickness…it's serious." Greg gulped for air then sat down heavily on the sofa and dropped his head in his hands.
AN Yes in fact I am into cruel punishment...lol...seriously though I'm working on another chapter it just might be a week before it's up. :)