Chapter One
Un-Bearable
Almost everything in life is easier to get into than out of.
Nick was running late on Wednesday and found the break room already full when he arrived, only instead of being sprawled around the table like usual everyone was gathered at the counter. Grissom excluded.
"What's up?" Nick asked uncertain.
"The mail." Sarah said stepping back so he could see. Another plain brown box rested on the bench. Nick's stomach fluttered, some guy he didn't know had just sent him another gift. Only this time instead of being fat and almost square, the box was long and thin. Nick swallowed and picked it up, it would only make things worse if he refused to open it in front of everyone.
Nick stripped away the paper, the same whiteness greeting him. The lid slipped off easily beneath his fingers, white tissue paper filling the inside, bubble wrap resting around that. Nick pulled them both back uncovering three long storks of vanilla orchids. Not real ones mind you, but tiny ones crafted from spun glass, inflected with dark green, violet and silver.
"Wow, now that is beautiful." Catherine said mouth open slightly.
"Nick who the hell are you hanging with?" Warrick asked frowning.
"Balinese blown glass." Nick jumped at the sudden voice; he turned and found Grissom standing right behind him.
"Superb really, your admirer has taste, now can we get back to work." He said simplistically. Nick blushed furiously and closing the box placed it aside once more.
-.-.-
Leigh Stevenson made it all the way to his office before realising that he left paperwork in his car. He sighed in frustration and turned at his door.
"Forgot something again, didn't you?" His secretary rasped.
"Yes, thankyou Vera." Leigh mumbled heading back down.
Noise poured in from the street as Leigh opened the heavily weighted door. Smog crept up into his nose and grit stung his eyes. Leigh walked the three spaces to his car and opened the door, the lock popping obnoxiously. He grabbed the files from the passenger's seat and pulling himself back out stood up.
The woman walking passed him screamed as half his head disappeared and Leigh dropped to the ground.
-.-.-
Nick looked at the street, good lord this was a nightmare. Brass was currently arguing with three different people over rights to their cars. The only thing blood spatter seemed to mean to them was a trip to the car wash.
"Look your car is currently classed as evidence. While its evidence it stays here and it stays as evidence until you all quiet down and let us do our jobs." Brass shouted at one of the rowdier gatherers.
"Evidence? Bullshit that's my car." The guy shouted as Brass walked off, a uniform making sure he stayed behind the barriers.
"Bet ya a dollar the shot came from the top of that building." Warrick said pointing across the street.
"What's your proof?" Nick asked.
"Witness said she didn't see anyone, it's not that busy on this street, wound and blood splatter, suggest a downward trajectory." Warrick cited.
"And it's that building... because?" Nick asked.
"If I was gonna shoot someone that's where I'd be." He smirked. Nick and Warrick started across the street.
"Place looks locked up." Nick commented.
"Could always knock." Warrick suggested.
"Hey Nick how fit are you feeling?" Warrick asked smirking. Nick followed his gaze, a fire escape ran the side of the building from pavement to rooftop.
"Two words for you." Nick said.
"Illegal search." Nick said raising one finger after another.
"Two words for you... probable cause." Warrick teased with a smirk.
-.-.-
"God your slow Nick." Warrick teased once more as Nick paused at the top of the fire escape.
"Bite me." Nick snapped, so he was a little out of shape, being forced to run up six flights of stairs by an overzealous colleague would tire anyone and for so much work the roof was disappointingly empty.
Nick walked across to the ledge and looked over.
"Certainly wouldn't be impossible to do with a rifle." He said, looking down on the street.
"Is that GSR." Warrick asked from beside him.
"Looks like it. If it is though that's bad." Nick sighed.
"Yeah." Warrick huffed looking around.
"'Cos there is nothing else up here."
-.-.-
"Nick, robbery homicide." Grissom delegated.
"Its open and shut Nick, police already caught the guy the scene just needs processing." Nick sighed, the homicide from two days ago still weighing on his mind. They had processed everything properly... there was just no evidence and no suspects.
"Catherine, Sarah hows the night club shooting going?" He asked.
"Like Nick and Warrick's... no where. Hardly any evidence and what there is, is clean." She bit with irritation.
"Put it on the backburner I want..."
"Sorry to interrupt I'm running late, Nick." The CSI office intern threw him a package. It was a lot smaller than the others, about the size of a jewellery box.
"Come on open it." Catherine pushed.
"Later Nick robbery first." Grissom said sliding him the file.
-.-.-
The robbery-homicide turned out to be a slouch just like Grissom had said and Nick found that through the boredom two things kept playing on his mind. The homicide from two days ago that he and Warrick couldn't solve and what the hell was in that box. It itched constantly at the back of his mind as he counted off the hours.
Nick purposely waited until after shift, Grissom finally calling him and ordering him back to the lab, Sarah complaining loudly in the background that he was telling her what it was tomorrow. Not bloody likely. Grissom had obviously sent her home, the breakroom refreshingly quiet, dayshift already on clock.
He pulled through the packaging with an odd mixture of urgency and dread. Another white box. It was suspiciously slim and light. A business card sat inside. Delphine's Chocolate's, the address was underlined on the back. Nick couldn't help but smirk at the insanity… Someone had sent him a business card. Nick closed the box and headed down to his locker, chuckling all the way. Well at least who ever it was had a sense of humour.
Nick showered and dressed and collected his things, the box sitting teasingly in the corner of his locker.
It drew yet another smile and Nick pulled it back open, fingering the card, deciding to drop by on his way home.
