This is the first fan fiction that I have ever written so any reviews or advice or words of encouragement that you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

24 Hours

I don't own anyone here but me! Nick, Greg, and anyone else I fancy using is from CBS's show CSI.

Romantic pairing: N and OC

Part 1

He just got to work and he's making his way down the hall. A closed minded determination in his walk. With a furrowed brow and a gaze that's lock on to some unknown object in front of him, he continues towards the locker room. The past few weeks have been hard on him and now, to make matters worse, he has to come into work with a black eye. It was the other guy's fault. All Nick did was defend himself, but he knew Grissom wouldn't care. He'd only see that Nick was in a bar fight. As yesterday progressed and Nick ran through the different ways to explain his appearance and actions, his frustration mounted. Nick knew his recount wouldn't matter to him. "If Grissom won't care regardless of what I tell him, then I don't give a damn about anything!" He said to himself in his southern drawl.

His angry pace quickened the closer he got to the locker room door. All he wanted to do was put his helmet away and get to work. He has a helmet now because he bought himself a motorcycle a few days ago. Always enjoying a rush, he has wanted one for a long time. After nearly dying… again, he found no reason to postpone the purchase any longer. Leaving his Tahoe at work for when he needs it in the field, he now rides his bike back and forth to work.

Nearly at the locker room's doors he's practically jogging. Just as he rounds the corner he slams into something and comes tumbling down on top of it. "Opf! Jeez, what the…!" The soft form that his body was now on top of began to struggle a little under all his weight. Hastily, he began to get up. "Watch where your…" the rest of his warning fell off as his eyes locked on a set of deep brown ones. "Are you alright?" his tone was soft and gentle, because his 'I hate the world' attitude melted away somehow. Lately, she was the only one who seemed to have that power over him, to change his mood and forget his anger.

"Yah, I think so," came her soft and very winded reply. "I'm sorry I was reading these read outs wasn't paying attention. Are you ok?"

He barely knew anything about this young, new intern, besides the fact that her energetic and outgoing spirit brightened his day. She always had some little sarcastic remark for him to end a conversation that would leave him with a smile. Because she was new and didn't know what happened to him, he felt a strange sense of security around her. Everyone else acted like he was glass, while she didn't treated him any differently. He watched her joke and laugh with him the same as she did with Warrick and Greg. For some reason he felt like his old self again, whenever she was around.

"Nick? If you wanted to be on top all yah had to do was ask," she teased. Seeing her smirk, made the corners of his mouth turn up. Suddenly pulled back to reality, he realized he needed to get off of her. After getting up he looked around to gauge the extent of damage he inflicted. He laid her out flat and sent her papers flying everywhere because they now littered the hall. A moan escaping her lips caused him to glancing back at her. Her hand over her face made him realize the source of her pain, which made him worry.

"Greg!" he bellowed, seeing the young CSI strolling down the hall. "Get someone to pick up these papers and grab me some ice." Redirecting his attention back to his sore intern, "Come on, darlin'." After draping her arms around his neck, he lifts her up off the floor. The conk on the head must really be hurting her, as she buried her face in his neck to douse the light. In his strong arms the feeling of safety was inevitable, and her tense body relaxed as he carried her into the locker room.