It had been 2 months since their first meeting and since then Nick had found it hard trying to block the image of Greg grinning from his mind and every time he thought he had succeeded the image came bounding back again.
Sure they got on but Nick didn't want to let himself think about Greg on a more intimate level.
Greg meanwhile had been going through more or less the same thought process – except he had no intention of blocking out his fantasies.
Every time Nick went into the lab when Greg was there he felt overwhelmed with the desire just to grab him there and then, but somehow he managed to restrain himself although he wasn't sure how he did it. Greg made it so difficult.
"Hey G" called Nick as he once again strolled into the DNA lab "You paged?" Nick took in the sight that was Greg Sanders; today wearing the sexiest faded blue jeans and tee shirt he had ever seen, unfortunately it was currently underneath a lab coat.
"Hey Nick" Greg grinned "Yes I did"
"And?"
"And pop quiz" Greg stood in front of Nick and reached around him to the desk, Nick gasped as Greg brushed his waist and arm. "Okay" Greg continued turning to the clear board in front of them "Ready?"
"Bring it" Nick replied confidently
Greg raised an eyebrow "A little over-eager beaver aren't we?" Greg smiled "I like it, okay now tell me what this is"
He quickly drew a chemical compound on the board and turned to Nick.
Nick grimaced "It's uhh" he thought, looking back at Greg he held his hand up "Don't tell me. It's…" Nick paused and then smiled "Hydrogen Peroxide"
"Right, now" Greg drew another compound "How about this?"
Nick looked puzzled "Is that even a compound?"
Greg raised an eyebrow "Would I have drawn it if it wasn't?"
Nick shook his head "No" he examined it again "Some sort of… Substance?"
Greg sighed dramatically "You need a clue okay, it's a seemingly normal organic structure, not special in any way but, if you team it with hydrogen peroxide and relate it to your case in context it could seem very special"
Nick still looked blankly
Greg shook his head and tapped Nick on the arm "Lawsonia Alba" he stated
"What?" Nick asked
"Egyptian Henna" Greg replied, "Used for centuries as a dye for the skin and the hair, and hydrogen peroxide is the active chemical in hair dyes"
Nick began to smile and nodded "And our suspect is a hair stylist" Nick turned to Greg "Thanks G I owe you"
Greg smiled and called down the hall after him "I will collect"
Nick signaled with an arm wave in response and Greg grinned like a Cheshire cat.
Later that night Greg was sitting in his lab, he had his headphones on and was working away lost in the music. He was busy finishing up some samples when Catherine walked in and began talking. He didn't even notice anyone in the room with him until he felt his headphones being removed from his head with slight force.
"Hey" yelled Catherine
"Ow" cried Greg as she pulled the headphones from his ears "Brutality"
Catherine just looked at him "Results?"
"Waiting on the GCMS to finish its cycle," Greg grinned
Catherine nodded and stood waiting
"So Cat, did anyone tell you how ravishing you look tonight?" Greg asked flirtatiously
"Only you and its Catherine" she replied bluntly
"Indeed it is" Greg winked Catherine sighed
"Hey Cath" Nick said strolling in to the lab again
"Back so soon are we?" Greg questioned intently focusing on the man "Couldn't get enough huh?" he smiled
Nick felt a flush of embarrassment he could see Catherine looking at him waiting for him to speak.
"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Greg grinned
"Me?" Nick sounded surprised "No not me"
"Okay so what pray tell brings you here into my humble lair?" Greg looked at Nick intently again with baited breath
Catherine looked between the two men "Okay if you ladies are done flirting, Greg I need my results"
Greg grinned, and Nick looked to the floor waiting and praying that it would open up and swallow him whole
"For the record there was no flirting," Greg replied, "Only sexually tainted banter of the general sort"
"Well for the record if you don't hand me my results in the next thirty seconds you will be incapable of sexually tainted banter of any sort" Catherine replied
"Ooh feisty" Greg purred before turning to the printer "Okay lets take a look" he removed the freshly printed paper from where it sat "The DNA from your victim is a match to the DNA from the blood you found in the grocery store" Catherine began to speak "However" Greg continued before she had a chance "The DNA collected from under your victims fingernails is not a match to your suspect"
Nick stepped forwards "You mean we're looking at someone else?"
Greg nodded and looked between the two
"You're sure?" asked Catherine shocked by the results
"DNA doesn't lie" Greg replied watching as Catherine read the DNA profile in her hands she looked at Nick and before they had time to even think about saying something Greg spoke again "I did however take it upon myself, because that's the kind of guy that I am to run your mystery DNA donor through CODIS"
"And?" asked Catherine
"And I found a match, your donor is a Samuel Townsend" he turned to the desk and took another piece of paper before turning back to them. He handed the sheet to Catherine "I also printed out his rap sheet and his current residence"
Greg grinned
Catherine smiled at the information he had given them "Nice work"
"Well only for my favorite CSIs" he grinned and glanced over at Nick
Catherine caught Greg's eye contact and she turned just in time to see Nick look back at Greg before turning his gaze to the floor.
She was no fool, she could see something brewing and she could also feel the tension between them. She realized that they were on a case but 'it wouldn't hurt to talk to them. Right?'
"Uhh thanks Greg" she said before turning to Nick "Lets go"
Nick turned and headed out of the door, she watched as he left, catching him cast one last secret glance at Greg who, in turn cast one back, she signaled her goodbye to the tech and looked curiously at the slight curling smile in the corner of his mouth. Hurriedly she walked down the corridor to catch up to Nick.
She walked outside and found him waiting beside her car.
"Hey" she smiled walking over and opening the car
Nick smiled and climbed into the passenger seat while she climbed behind the wheel.
"Are we going?" asked Nick curious as to why they were still sitting there after a few minutes
Catherine sighed 'Should I wait?' she thought 'No it might be too late, come on Willows bite the bullet'
She turned to face Nick and took a deep breath "Is something going on between you and Greg?" she said the words falling out of her mouth in one long continuous sentence
Nick looked horrified.
'What did I do?' Catherine questioned herself feeling absolutely awful as she saw Nick turn a ghostly shade of pale.
He glanced at the floor, his palms becoming clammy, his pupils dilated, he felt the color drain from his face, he looked at Catherine with a sudden sense of fear in his eyes.
Catherine looked at him in despair. Nick began to breath rapidly, he started shaking, suddenly his breathing became erratic and he started to gasp uncontrollably
"Nick?" Catherine called "Shit, Nick, deep breaths, slowly" she said trying to remain calm. She placed a hand on his arm "Okay steady now, ready in and out, in and out. That's it" she sat there for what seemed like an eternity trying not to panic, she needed to calm Nick down.
Gradually Nick's breathing began to return to normal, his breaths becoming deeper and slower as his heart stopped pounding out of his chest.
"Jesus Nick" Catherine said her hand now holding his "Are you okay?"
Nick nodded clearly breathless from his attack "I'm. Okay"
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to…" Catherine began to apologize
Nick stopped her "It wasn't your fault"
"But I shouldn't have asked you"
"Its okay honestly" Nick smiled at her
"You're sure you're alright?"
He nodded
"So if I asked you again would you be able to tell me? Without the hyperventilating and wheezing?"
Nick smiled "There's nothing to tell"
"So you and Greg looking at each other the way you do that's nothing?"
Catherine gazed intently at Nick who turned his head away from her.
"Nick" she said gently "I can keep a secret you know"
Nick looked at her she sat smiling not a pity smile, not a reassuring smile, not even a friendly smile. Her smile was hard to describe, it made Nick feel safe, made him feel as if no one could ever do anything to him any more, and that made him realize that Catherine meant every word of what she said.
"Not here" he said his voice turning into a whisper
"Okay" Catherine nodded and squeezed his hand she reached for her cell phone and dialed a number "Jim. Catherine, yeah listen can you handle our suspect? Yeah call Sara. Uh-huh. Nick? We're a bit tied up right now, yeah okay thanks Jim" She hung up
"Our suspect" Nick said
Catherine stopped him "Is being picked up now and Sara is going to take care of the rest"
"Our interview?"
"Minor detail" Catherine sighed, she looked at him and smiled again "So where are we going?"