Title: Investigative Journalism Was Never so Interesting
Summary: The team comes to a startling realization while watching the evening news.
Disclaimer: Don't own it unless the kind people at CBS decide to share :D
Rating: For a couple of words because it's better safe than sorry
A/N: Right now I'm working on trying to write this huge saga of a fic (I've got, like…three chapters so far) because I noticed a lot of the stuff I've written lately have been one shots. Which are cool, but I want to try and push myself into writing something substantial, which is a bit of a personal challenge. But anyways… I got the idea for this fic by watching VH1. Television is good, kids :D
"I still can't believe you roped Grissom into giving you a while week off! Damn, I wish I knew how you managed it!" Catherine laughed, opening her locker and grinning at the brunette.
Sara raised an eyebrow, tossing her jacket in her open locker before smirking, "Here's a little step-by-step. First, max out on overtime, and then endure at least three to four lectures from Grissom about burnout." She shut her locker and turned around. "After that you're golden."
Sara leaned against the bay of lockers, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Catherine tossed her belongings in her locker before chuckling. "Fair enough. Though I have to say, if you survived four Grissom lectures, a week's vacation is the least you should get."
Sara just shrugged and rolled her eyes, though she did crack a smile. Catherine nudged her.
"Where'd you go for a week, anyways, huh?"
"I stayed in Vegas" Sara admitted.
"Tell me you're kidding" Catherine begged, shutting her locker. The two women walked out of the locker room, making their way towards the break room.
"You had a whole week off and you just hung around your house? C'mon, Sara, live a little!" Catherine teased.
"Hey, I said I stayed in Vegas. Why does that automatically translate into I stayed at home?" Sara protested, waving through a window to Bobby as the two continued down the hallway.
"Oh yeah?" challenged Catherine, "What'd you do, then?"
Catherine raised an eyebrow, noticing the sudden infusion of color to Sara's cheeks, but said nothing.
"I went…out" Sara replied vaguely, brushing Catherine's question off.
"Out?" Catherine smirked, her tone indicating she knew there was something more.
"Yeah, out" Sara answered. "Nowhere special." She quickened her pace a bit, ducking into the empty break room before Catherine had a chance to reply. Sara made her way over to the counter and started to pour herself a cup of coffee.
"You want one?" Sara called over her shoulder, holding up an empty mug.
"Sure" Catherine agreed, following her through the doors and taking a seat at the table.
Sara turned around and handed her a cup before sitting down herself, and Catherine dropped the subjects of Sara's mysterious vacation, though if the glint in her eye was any indication, it wouldn't be dropped for long.
"Man, a week off sure does a body wonders" Nick gloated, yawning lazily from the passengers seat of Warrick's Denali.
"Yeah yeah, man, laugh it up" Warrick commented sourly, turning into the parking lot of the lab. "One of these days I'll use all of my saved up vacation days, skip town for a week, and you'll be the one with work piled up to your ears!"
Nick chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Whatever you say, Warrick."
"What'd you do, anyways, man? Clubbing five days straight and catch, what, two hours of sleep before I picked you up?" Warrick laughed as the two climbed out of the car.
"Thanks for that, by the way" Nick said, getting out of the car and shutting the door. "My car should be out of the shop tonight."
"No sweat, bro" Warrick assured him, before clapping him on the shoulder. "Now stop avoiding my question, man. You hook up with some sweet little honey or what?"
"Nah. My, uh…cousin, Natalie, was passing through Vegas for a couple of days. I showed her the town" Nick shrugged, pushing open the doors to the lab.
"Yeah? Where'd you take her?" Warrick asked, flashing Judy, the receptionist, an easy grin as the two walked by.
"Oh, just around town, you know" Nick said evasively. "Maggie really likes the slots, so we hung out at a lot of casinos."
"Woah, woah" Warrick held out his arm and stopped Nick in his tracks. "Maggie? Thought you said her name was Natalie." He raised an eyebrow. Nick knew that face; Warrick though something was up.
"Oh, well, it is, but, uh, she…goes by her middle name, Maggie" Nick explained lamely, ducking under Warrick's arm and quickly turning into the break room, taking a seat on the couch. Warrick ambled in after him, shaking his head.
Something was going on.
Shift was an easy one; with Grissom somewhere out in California teaching a three-day seminar, Ecklie shifted "official supervisor capacity" over to Brass. Either word got out to the bad guys and intimidated them, or people just decided to take a break from offing each other, because the crew didn't have a single case all night. Ten minutes before the end of shift found the whole gang lounging in the break room; Sara and Nick on the couch, Catherine and Warrick both opting for seats at the table, and Brass leaning against the counter, nursing a cup of coffee. Greg was off somewhere calling his new girlfriend, ("Probably hiding in some supply closet between the latex gloves and the Billow pads making smooching noises" Nick joked, which resulted in a chuckle form the whole group, but caused Brass to snort a spray of lukewarm coffee out of his nose.)
"So…this has been one eventful shift" Warrick sighed lazily, grabbing the remote for the small TV from in front of Catherine, and idly began flipping through channels.
"Never worked so hard in my life" Nick quipped, slinging an arm across the top of the couch, dangerously close to Sara's shoulder.
"Yeah, you just get by on your charm, huh Nicky?" Sara teased.
Catherine rolled her eyes as Nick answered, "And my devilish good looks." He flashed Sara a cheesy grin.
"Smooth, Nick" Brass chuckled.
"Well…" Nick started, but was cut off by an excited Greg rushing into the room.
"Guys, guys!" He panted, doubling over to catch his breath. "Channel 4, quick!" He gestured wildly towards Warrick, who immediately complied, aiming the remote at the TV.
"Woah, where's the fire, man?" Nick chuckled.
"Julie's got her first big story tonight" Greg explained, clearly exasperated. "She's doing some sort of review on that new resort that opened up by the Tangiers."
"Julie's your new girlfriend, right Greggo? Amateur reporter?" Warrick looked away from the commercial to question the quirky lab tech, failing to notice the panicked looks Sara and Nick sent each other.
Greg beamed proudly. "Yep" he grinned, rocking back and forth on his heels. "And tonight's her first big assignment. She's really excited about it, too. It's on in, like - " he checked his watch, "- two minutes."
"Uh, hey Greg?" Sara cleared her throat nervously. "What, uh, what resort exactly is she covering?"
Greg waved his hand dismissively. "It's called, what was it…Bird of Paradise or something. She'll do great."
"I'm sure she'll be amazing, Greg" Catherine smiled, pulling out the chair next to her for him to take a seat.
"Thanks" he grinned, sitting down. "It should be on any minute now."
Nick and Sara both shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Nick leaned in and whispered under his breath, "Ok, so realistically, what are the chances…?"
No one noticed the pair's unusual antics as the commercials ended and Greg "shushed" everyone excitedly. "She's on!"
Everyone watched the screen; two anchors, one a perky blonde and one a guy with thin glasses and graying hair, chatted amiably about an earlier report. "Who would've thought one guy in a chicken suit would've caused such a ruckus, huh Kathy?" the man chuckled. He turned to face the camera. "But now, folks, we've got a real treat for you. We sent our very own Julie Miller - "
"That's her, that's her!" whispered Greg.
" – to do a little investigating at the new Bird of Paradise Resort and Spa. Let's take a look."
The camera cut to the smiling face of Julie, a petite red-head, and everyone in the break room sat quietly, paying attention to the report. The watched dutifully as the camera showed various couples and families laughing, eating dinner, and enjoying the spa.
"She seems nice, Greg" Brass winked at the lab tech, and everyone echoed the sentiments until a video clip of a certain couple appeared on the screen.
Julie's voice over continued as the camera zoomed in on Nick Stokes, lying on a lounge chair by the pool, sunglasses pushed out of his eyes. That in itself wasn't so startling; it was more the face that someone who looked incredibly like the Sara sitting on the break room couch (although the on-screen Sara's cheeks tinted a bright red) was on the chair with him, lying between his legs, her head resting against his chest. Nick's arms were wrapped possessively around Sara's abdomen, his hands resting lightly on her hips. The team watched in silent amazement as on-screen Sara tipped her face up expectantly, and on-screen Nick smiled and dipped his head obligingly, kissing her soundly on the lips.
The camera quickly cut to a shot of an elderly couple dining together, but Warrick had turned the TV on mute, turning to join the rest of the crew in gaping open-mouthed at a mortified-looking Nick and Sara, their faces flushed a startling crimson. Even Greg didn't complain as the sound from his girlfriend's broadcast disappeared.
"Visiting cousin my ass" snorted Warrick, breaking the silence.
"Well, I, uh…" Nick grinned sheepishly, lacing his fingers with Sara's.
"Nowhere special, huh Sara?" Catherine teased.
"I did tell you I stayed in Vegas…" a flustered Sara mumbled.
Catherine and Warrick's questioning glances were interrupted by Brass' loud guffaws of laughter. They turned around to find him red in the face, chuckling so hard he was holding onto the counter for support. Between spouts of laughter he gestured between Nick and Sara.
"Guess you don't have to worry about telling them now" he chortled.
"Brass knew!" exclaimed a shocked-looking Greg. "You told him, but not us?"
Sara sighed uncomfortably. "We didn't so much tell him, exactly. More like…"
"He walked in on us" Nick finished for her.
"You sly dog" Warrick teased. "How long has this been going on?"
"About four months" Sara offered.
Warrick laughed, and shook his head. "Well, I feel like a damn fine CSI right about now!"
Catherine still looked shocked, but a wide smile quickly formed on her face. She turned to Greg, grinning. "Next time you talk to Julie, tell her she's one hell of a reporter. I've never found the news so informative."
A/N: Sorry the name to the "resort and spa" kind of sucks (or at least I think it does). I wasn't really picturing myself having a future in building-naming anyway :P Alright guys, you know the drill. Review and tell me what you thought, and maybe I'll post the sequel I'm trying to write within the next couple of days.
Yes, that was my (not so?) subtle attempt at bribery. But what are you still doing reading this? Review with all haste!