Thanks to everyone that reviewed the first chapter…

A Christy – thanks for the review. I'm slowly reading through your fic 'Luck and Destiny' – it's great!

jewelbaby – don't worry there'll definitely be more nick on the way.

Trish28734 – thanks for the review. I love Nick stories too!

Cuddy Cabin – thanks you are very sweet! You'll just have to wait and see if Nick and Katie get together soon!

cenas-lil-hottiethanks for the review. Big wrestling fan? Me too, but I guess you can tell that by the e-mail address lol.

Here's the next instalment…

Chapter 2

Katie walked down the corridor to the locker room with an air of pride about her. She had decided to come in early for her first shift to show to the team that she was enthusiastic and eager to get started. As she headed into the locker room she smiled when she noticed that the locker that had been assigned to her yesterday had the words 'K. Walsh' placed on the door; looking inside the locker she saw her official badge and name card - she was a true Las Vegas CSI worker now. She placed her jacket on the hook in the main compartment and her bag on the shelf, locked it and headed to the break room to have some healthy yoghurt while she waited for everyone to show up.

She walked into the room and was surprised to see Grissom hard at work, munching away on a cheese and onion sandwich. He looked up when he realised he had company.

"Hi Katie, you're early."

"I just wanted to come in and settle down before it is all go," she replied.

He smiled, "Well you've certainly got the right attitude. Listen, while you're here come take a look at these photographs for me. What do you see?"

He closely watched as she sat down and studied the several pictures laid in front of her. "What do you think happened here?" he asked.

"Ok, well from looking at the two different bodies and the wounds, they have been done by two separated knives. If you look, there's no hilt bruising on this one. I'd say there were two different attackers who came through the window, stabbed the female in the living room, then killed the guy in the bedroom and finally leaving in the same way they entered." She looked up to see Grissom looking intently at her. "Is that ok?"

"That's great. It took a CSI three days to get all that you got in ten seconds. Can I ask you something, Katie?"

"Sure."

"Why did you apply to work here? You were a level 4 at your previous crime lab, had the best references I've ever seen and you were almost at the top for such a young age. You're more than over-qualified for a level 3. Why did you leave there?"

"Well, I just wanted to move back to Las Vegas where I grew up. I wanted a change of scenery and what better place to work than Las Vegas. There's always something going on here." Katie smiled. Grissom did not believe her, her insecure body-language of fidgety hands and weak eye-contact giving her away, but he decided not to push her any further - he did not want to drive her away before she had even started.

"Why do you ask?" she inquired.

"I just want to make sure you'll be happy here," he said, "This lab runs at a fast pace."

"Well, 'why live life on the back burner when to live is to race to your ideals'", she quoted.

"Brandon Davis? You read his work?"

"Are you kidding? I own all the volumes of his writings. I can not believe the guy's view on things. He's so inspiring," she gushed. "I know, I've been called a geek on many occasions."

Grissom smiled, "I think you and I are going to get on fine."

"Hey Grissom, what have you got for us?" Warrick said as he, Sara and Nick plodded into the break room. There was an exchange of 'hi's' from everyone before Grissom gained their attention.

"There's a homicide on 5th Avenue. Catherine's already at the scene with the dead body, a male Caucasian. Warrick I want you on the case with her."

"No probs, Grissom," he said, winking at Katie on the way out. Nick noticed this and gave a slight smile, although a part of him felt a strange pang in his stomach. 'I'm not jealous. Why did I even think that?'. He shrugged off his thoughts and carried on listening to Grissom.

"…. so Sara you're with me. I'll meet you in the car. Finally, Nick can ease Katie into her first shift with a dead female found in a room at 'The Mirage' hotel." He passed the file to Katie and then left the two alone.

"Well, let's get started!" she exclaimed. The two headed out to Nick's car.

"Let's see if you have that much enthusiasm at the end of the shift," he said. She gave him a coy smile on the way out.

Katie observed the body of the young female laid out across the queen-size bed in the expensive hotel room she was currently stood in. As camera flashes engulfed the room, she said a silent prayer for the victim. She was not a particularly religious person but every time she came across a helpless victim, she would hope they find peace wherever they were. She could hear Nick finishing his conversation with the coroner on-site. She went closer to the bed and to the man photographing the dead body.

"It's ok, I can do that now," she said, taking her camera off the photographer. She slowly cleared the room, politely requesting that it is best if the police officers not be in the room in case of contaminating evidence. Nick finished with the coroner and headed over to Katie, who was now photographing the various blood splatters on the victim's body, bruises and stab wounds.

"You know, you don't have to that. Mike can take care of the pictures."

Katie shrugged, "I know, I just felt it would be better if there were less people in here. I mean, how would you like it if you're sprawled across a bed in just a bra and panties, and have every Tom, Dick and Harry wandering in and out of the room."

"If I was ever in a bra and panties like that I certainly wouldn't want pictures taken of me." Katie looked at him with a grin on her face.

"Have I discovered a secret of Nick Stokes?"

"No," he said, flustered, "I just…you know…"

"I'm just kidding. Don't worry, you're secrets safe with me," she winked. Nick chuckled and shook his head as he started to lift blood evidence and fingerprints from the crime scene. He was surprised at how professional and thorough Katie was, as she took as many pictures as possible and even found the murder weapon stuffed down the side of the bed.

"Let's take this back to trace to see if there are any fingerprints," she said, bagging the knife she had found.

"You know, I'm surprised at how good you are."

She looked puzzled, "Thanks… I think."

"No, I mean usually every person who comes to Las Vegas is either shocked at what happens in the city," signalling to the multiple blood spatters on the hotel walls, "or they get married."

"Well, I'll be doing neither so don't worry. I'm gonna head back now."

Nick packed up his kit and followed her out of the hotel door. "Yeah, I've lifted a few fingerprints I need to run through CODIS."

Katie waited patiently for the results of the trace of the knife she had discovered. She had spent the last 20 minutes dusting down the knife for fingerprints, and having successfully found one; she was now waiting for Greg to see if any blood on the knife matched the victim and if a hit on the fingerprint database had been found. Currently she was searching through the security tapes for the outside of the hotel room. She had managed to distinguish a tall, Caucasian male leaving the hotel room but a baseball cap obstructed his face.

She sighed and decided to find Greg to see if he had found anything.

"So Greg, what's the result on the knife I gave you?" she asked, as she entered the lab-rats 'lair'.

"I knew you couldn't resist the old Greg charm!" he winked. Katie rolled her eyes, signalling for him to hurry up. "Well, the blood on the weapon belongs to the victim and also a mystery party. The fingerprint didn't come up with any hits, neither did the unidentified blood, so whoever killed her hasn't committed any other crimes before."

Katie sighed, "Ok, thanks Greg."

"No problem. Anything to help you out," he grinned, with a wink. "Listen, do you think that maybe you and I-"

"Uh, as sweet and appealing as what you're about to say sounds, I don't date people I work with," she sheepishly smiled.

Greg look her up and down and then gave her an over-exaggerated wink, "Oh, I get it. A little flirting at work suits you better. Gotcha!"

She laughed and waved to Greg on her way out. She shook her head at the thought of him and carried on down the corridor to see if she could locate Nick.


Feel free to review and Chapter 3 is on its way very soon…