A/N This week's lines were evil, evil I tell you! Fitting them into this WIP was excruciating. But here they are. Unbound challenge, first and last lines provided. I think I made it in about 950 words. Since I had such a hard time with these lines, I'd appreciate any feedback you'd be willing to share. Thanks.

"No no, I need a bubble wrapped cushion envelope." Greg rifled through drawers in the lab, ignoring Warrick who had his hand out to the younger man. Warrick tossed the plain evidence envelope back into his kit.

"Why?"

"To wrap Sara's birthday present."

"You know, I know Cath has us working a lot of doubles, Greg," Warrick laughed at the once spiky-haired young man, "But I don't think I zoned through seven months."

Greg just glared and returned to his search of the lab, ignoring the two Swing shift idiots congratulating themselves on their wit. Nick grinned at Warrick before returning to stare at the ex-lab tech. "Greg-Man. What War means is…you do know Sara's birthday is in September? If you're planning ahead for next year, I don't think you need to panic just yet."

"Yeah?" Greg turned to face Nick, "What did you get her? Last year, what did you get her?"

"Ah…" He glanced at Warrick who shrugged, silent. "I guess I didn't…"

"…Get her anything." Greg nodded, "I know. None of us did. Did you know that? Not a single person in the lab even gave Sara a birthday card!" He slammed a drawer shut, turning to grab up the envelope from Warrick's kit. "Maybe I can pad this."

"Greg," Warrick finally spoke, glancing from Nick down to the hard tile floor of the lab. "Come on Man, you know how Sara is. She's private. She needs her space. If she'd have wanted…"

"Bull." Greg shook his head as he grabbed cheesecloth from one of the benches. Mia was going to kill him when she got back from her break. He'd just blame it on Hodges, not like anyone really liked Hodges anyway. "Yeah, she likes her privacy, but come on guys…we're supposed to be her friends!"

Nick glanced at Warrick who shoved his hands in his pockets, giving a half-hearted shrug. "I asked her to have lunch with me to celebrate…" His voice trailed off, and he nodded too.

"Guys, have you even looked at Sara lately?" Greg stopped his frantic search and sank onto a lab stool. "Really looked at her?"

Warrick and Nick exchanged somewhat guilty glances, "Well. With the shift change…You know we miss Sara and…"

Greg just shook his head, "Easy to say Nick. Look, I'm right there with her every day. She's…pulling away. This thing with Sophia, it's just one little part of it. There's Ecklie. There's…whatever's always there with Grissom. There's not having you two around anymore. And there's…more. I don't know what it is, but there's more."

Warrick's face tightened. Days and Swing had been buzzing about Sophia dousing Sara with paint. Most of the lab techs on swing and graveyard, he knew sided with Sara. But the days folks, and some of those from swing backed Sophia. Warrick was surprised at how quickly sides were drawn up. He's personally wanted to throttle the blond CSI. Though he'd done little to show Sara his support.

"What did you have in mind, Greg?"

Several hours later, it was the Texan who was sent with the job of tracking Sara down and keeping her out of the break room while Warrick and Greg set up an impromptu party in between processing the evidence from swing's 419. He'd seen Catherine leave, near four AM, but hadn't seen sign of Sara since, which of course, made it easier to keep her away. But damned if he wasn't starting to worry that she'd miss the shindig all together. The techs were starting to give him strange looks, as he made his fifth circuit of the hallways. At the sight of her brown hair, bent over a scope in one of the labs he grinned. He swung around the door frame to lean against the table where she worked. "There you are girl."

"Nicky," she smiled as she looked up, "What's with your shift tonight? Didn't any of you go home?"

"Nope. New boss is a slave-driver. What about you, getting out of here on time this morning? Or can I take you to breakfast?"

She shrugged, "I'm just looking over some old evidence. I was…I needed to talk to Grissom before I go home."

Nick waved a hand in the air, "Him. You'll be waiting all day. Heard him get called out to Laughlin about three hours ago. Bugs."

"Bugs?"

"Yeah." Actually, Nick had no idea where Grissom had gotten to, but if Sara was intent on waiting for him, she'd wait all night. Unless she had reason to think he wouldn't be coming back. "Bugs. He'll be gone hours yet. So see? You've got time to come out to grab some grub with me."

Sara sighed, but couldn't come up with a good reason to pass on breakfast. She'd already told him she was only looking over an old case. "Grab some grub? You're going all cowboy on me, Nicky?"

"If that's what it takes."

Finally, laughing, Sara nodded. "All right. Give me ten minutes to clean this up?"

"Sure." He turned toward the door, "I'll just grab my stuff and meet you in the break room." He sauntered out of the room, not a care in the world until he got around the corner where he broke out in a trot. "Hey Greg! Warrick, Man, she's on her way!"

True to her word, Sara boxed up the evidence and returned it to the vault within five minutes of Nick's leaving. She detoured by Grissom's office, just in case Nick was wrong. Seeing it dark she continued on to meet the Texan. Her eyes widened as Sara opened the break room door to find a small cake with candles, and smiling mischievous co-workers.