DISCLAIMER: Don't own it... No money made... Just for fun and enjoyment.
SUMMARY: Sequel to Displacement. The CSI team and their recently hired coroner Stephanie are back to work solving cases, sharing companionship and generally making their way through the dire world of criminal investigation with humor and friendship... This one will show the development of the relationship between Grissom and Sara and there should be some other surprises down the road as well. Romance/Drama/Angst/Mature Situations
RATING: M for Mature - I'm starting this one out at "M", since we won't be waiting quite so long for the smut this time out ;)
A/N: Okay, so I'm not being evil to Sara this time... But I have to exercise my evilness on someone. :D I also had a great night of writing last night, and to work around technical difficulties, my one beta is calling me with corrections every morning, so the chapters should come at a pretty good click.
REVIEWS: I am always looking for ways to improve my writing, and your reviews let me know if I am hitting my mark. Thank you in advance for the time you take to review this story.
Chapter 4
Warrick was still smarting from the talking to he had gotten from Grissom when he and Nick had returned from their last case of the night, so the note he found on his locker was not a welcome event. As he opened it up and found familiar and comforting handwriting, his shoulders sagged with his relief. After he changed his shirt and grabbed his bag from the locker, he slammed the door and headed off for the morgue.
He decided Stephanie probably had some questions for him about dinner or something, and knew that she would be working late (as usual). He just hoped that whatever she wanted did not take long, as he only had a little more time to get to his place to pick up his car and get the rest of his stuff before he would have to deal with the other occupant after her shift. So, when he walked into Stephanie's office, he was a little taken aback by the suitcases and cartons he found there.
As he stood there trying to make sense of the scene before him, someone walked up behind him and spoke, "She came by about an hour ago. Says the rest is in your car, which is in the parking lot." Stephanie put a caring hand on his shoulder before continuing, "I guess she didn't want a scene either."
Warrick hung his head and showed his defeat, "I shouldn't be surprised, but this." He motioned at the items cluttering his friend's office, "Pretty much puts the nail in the coffin, huh?"
Stephanie wrapped an arm around her friend and held him to her side for comfort. "She ran into Thomas and asked if you were staying with us… I guess she decided this arrangement had a bigger impact."
Warrick looked up with a questioning expression on his face. "I don't get it."
"Thomas has been off duty since four, but she made a scene of bringing all your stuff here?" Her words struck him hard. He realized that his wife was trying to embarrass him with their breakup by bringing it to his work; the one thing she claimed was the reason for the end of their marriage.
"I'm sorry you guys are mixed up in this thing." Warrick was devastated by the breakup, but more by Tina's actions since their last fight the other night.
Stephanie pulled a card out of her pocket and handed it Warrick, "I know it's the last thing on your mind right now, but this guy is good."
He took the card and read it: Stephan Tompkins, Attorney at Law, Divorce and Family Law. Warrick visibly cringed at the notion, "Aww… I'm not ready for this."
"I know, which is why I called him for you earlier. Steph and I have been friends since college. And he thinks you should know that there were already papers filed in this case." Stephanie held her friend a little closer with the revelation.
"What?" His indignation was beginning to boil to the surface.
"The day before your argument." Her words sank into his soul, and it brought to the front of his consciousness the argument that sparked his departure from their home.
"Give me one good reason why I should throw away my whole career, Tina!"
The woman stomped across the room to stand toe to toe with him, "Because it is ruining our marriage!"
"What marriage? You spend all of your down time with your girlfriends! You haven't been home or with me on a day off in two months!" His anger was boiling over with each word.
She threw up her arms and stalked back to the chair, "Puh-lease! Like you're ever here! You'd just take another shift anyways."
"Well, if I didn't work all the OT, we'd never pay our bills, dammit!"
"If you had a decent job, we wouldn't have that problem!"
"If I had a decent wife, it wouldn't be a problem either!"
"Maybe I would be a better wife if my husband didn't spend all his time with that skanky hoe of a stripper!"
He jumped to his feet and stood over her for effect, "Oh please woman! There has never been anything between us… Not like you and Dr. Grab-Ass!" She tried to push him away by force, but he stood his ground.
"THAT'S IT! I want you out of here!" She stormed to the door and ripped it open, "Get the Fuck out of MY house!"
He reached into the closet and tore his duffle bag out, "That's the best thing I've heard out of you in months!"
Warrick was shaking his head at the memory, "She started that fight the moment she walked in the door and found me there. I must've screwed up her plans for the night." He shook himself out of the fog of remembrance and looked around the room. "Well, I'm gonna have to make two trips to get this stuff out of here."
Stephanie patted his arm, "Not at all, Thomas should be here any minute with a buddy's truck. They'll pull right up to the receiving bay, cart all this stuff out and you guys can head straight to the townhouse." Warrick looked slightly relieved, but Stephanie could see there was something else bothering him, "Oh, and don't worry about everyone knowing. They were all out in the field, and the dayshift crew was already on in the lab, so no one there was the wiser. I just told them the rest of my stuff from San Fran had arrived."
Warrick turned to see the smiling face of his friend and actually felt okay for the first time that day, "You're the best." He gave her a tender peck on the cheek to show his appreciation.
"Hey, watch it, buddy." Thomas came striding into the room behind them, "I got papers on that one." His face was filled with his good humor when he came up to the two people in the office.
Warrick put his hands up in mock defeat, "I'm innocent. I swear."
"Somehow, I doubt that very seriously." Carter was the next to enter the room, "Damn, brother…" He gestured at the volume of suitcases, "You must have a serious style addiction, Slick." Carter was never a man to let a serious situation go undiffused with his own brand of homespun humor, which was probably why he was Stephanie and Thomas's dearest friend.
The three men hoisted up all of the bags in one trip and cleared them out of the office. As they were loading the bags into the truck waiting in the receiving bay, Greg and David had arrived with a new body. Once the truck pulled out of David's spot and the van replaced it, Greg jumped out and went straight to Stephanie in hopes of getting the dirt on what was going on. "Hey, Steph… What's up with all the luggage?"
Stephanie turned to David, who had been there when the bags were delivered and knew what was going on, and winked, "Budget cuts."
Greg gave her a comical expression, "Budget cuts?"
"Yep, we've been reduced to using mafia body disposal methods. Do you know where I can get my hands on some concrete?" Greg did an exaggerated double take and when he turned back to Stephanie, she was already walking back inside and David was chuckling at his shock.
