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 ;) Also, there is a sprinkling of language throughout the story.
A/N: I kind of like the idea of the guys hanging out, so here's a little taste of that comraderie. :D Oh yeah, and the next chapter should probably not be read at work. :)
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 23
Friday night at any bar was a busy night. The pumping sounds of music came from every speaker in the place, but it could barely be heard over the sea of humanity that filled to place to capacity. However, the three men at the back table were completely unaware of the din of activity swirling around them. All they heard were the words that had just left Nick's mouth.
"What?" Greg was trying to process the information Nick had just shared with them.
"Grissom told you that?" Warrick's face showed his complete and total shock.
"Bro, I'm tellin' ya… The man was dead serious." Nick sat back nervously and heaved a deep sigh.
"Wow, I had no idea he'd do that." Greg was awestruck at the dedication his boss had shown to him. "Well, not for me, anyway."
Warrick shot him an incredulous look and asked, "Are you kidding me? You seriously think Grissom wouldn't treat us all the same? We're a team, damnit"
Greg shrugged, "I guess, I just never felt like I'd passed that mark yet."
"Dude, you passed that one before you ever became a CSI." Nick gave the younger man a soft punch in the shoulder to punctuate his remark. Greg smiled at the gesture and then rubbed his arm to push away the pain a little faster.
"Man, I just can't believe they came down on him that hard. I mean, we all know Ecklie is just lookin' for something… But the director and the sheriff, too?" Warrick could not shake the notion that there was a lot more going on than Grissom had been telling them. The thought made him feel even worse about having teased Greg before they had gotten to the Body Farm.
When he spoke up in their briefing at the start of the shift, he was not just trying to be noble, because he truly had felt guilty about what had happened out there. Warrick had been telling Greg every horror story he could think of, so by the time they made it out to the peat bog, Greg was wound tighter than a Swiss watch. It was only natural that he was going to be nervous anyway, but being at the Body Farm in the dark was enough to put even the most seasoned CSI on edge. Greg was far from seasoned, and the man was just jumpy by nature, so Warrick really had been playing with fire.
When Greg looked over at Warrick, he could tell the man was feeling guilty about what had happened, and that only made Greg feel worse. "Hey Man… You can't take the heat for this one. I'm the spaz, and everyone knows it. Maybe I really should go back to the lab."
"Don't even go there, little man." Warrick put a hand on the younger man's shoulder for reassurance and took a long draw off his bottle to try and calm his own anger and guilt.
Nick was putting his bottle back down on the table, "Listen to the man, Bro." Nick waved at the waitress and then signaled for her to bring another round. When she acknowledged him, he smiled at her and then returned his attention to the table and his friends. "I propose we all get completely shitfaced tonight, drownin' all of our sorrows, and worry about all this crap tomorrow when our heads will feel just as bad as our hearts. Are ya with me?"
Greg smirked at the suggestion as Warrick shook his head, but Greg had to admit it sounded like a fine way to spend the night. "Okay, but how are we getting home?"
Nick shrugged away the question, "Easy, Bro… We stumble to my place at the end of the block and then watch football until the sun goes down again and come back for the cars when we're sober."
Warrick laughed at Nick's plans, but after one of the worst weeks of his life, forgetting about everything for the next day sounded like the best thing he had heard in a long while. "You got food in that pad of yours?"
"I got a phone, a drawer full of delivery menus, a fridge full of beer and soda and a big screen with all the good channels, man… We won't barely have to move all day, dude." Nick was smiling from ear to ear as he explained the layout.
Warrick and Greg looked at each other for confirmation and then shrugged, "We're in."
