I figured out a way to give a few lab techs a part in this…Yay! Don't hurt me, either. If you want an explanation of this chapter, head over to my profile, then click on my LJ link. I'll waste a lot of space here.

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And Plan B he did find. Flat out admittance hadn't worked, so jealousy was up next. But he knew that neither of the two of them would go for Hodges coming on to them, and he didn't want to anyway. Archie was the next best choice, and it's not like he despised him or anything…

"Archie!" he called, stopping the A/V tech dead in his tracks. Archie turned at the voice and shook his head, spinning back around to enter his corner of the lab with his hands up. "Come on, Archie, I really need your help!"

"I'm not helping the glory whore out with anything, especially if it involves someone in the lab. You're probably just sucking up to someone, which is definitely not what I want to be involved in," Archie opened a cupboard and stowed his lunch away, coat being thrown to the floor as David stood in the doorway, trying to decide if the not-really-a-couple was worth losing the little relationship points he had with the younger man.

"I'm not going to beg,"

"I'm glad. Now leave,"

"It's about Sanders and Nick," Hodges finally added in, getting the dark haired tech to raise an eyebrow at him.

"What about 'em?" Hodges fought to jump for joy; Archie had taken the bait.

"Come on, you know that they're just denying themselves a chance at a lifelong relationship," Archie rolled his eyes but nodded. "And I've already tried getting them to admit it, but it's actually harder than I thought,"

"Just get to the point, Hodges," afraid that he might bore the dark haired tech away, Hodges cut to the chase.

"I need you to hit on Sanders," There was a moment of silence before Archie broke out in laughter, pounding his fist on the desk in front of him, hyperventilating in moments.

"Oh man, Hodges, I think you just gained a point on the social scale," as he wiped his eyes, Archie booted up his computer, shaking his head. "I've been here ten minutes and you've already made my day. Go mark your calendar,"

"I'm serious. I need you to make Nick jealous. Or Sanders, if that's your thing,"

"I have a girlfriend, Hodges, or have you forgotten?" Archie had gotten past the humor and was slowly moving into pissed off territory. David had to act now, and he had to act fast.

"Come on, you want to see Greg happy, right?" the younger male couldn't disagree with that. "Then help me out. All you have to do is be really…physical. And no, I don't mean by kissing him! I just mean by touching him a lot. Getting close, compliment him a lot…"

Archie shook his head. "How long do I have to do this?"

"Until I get someone to do the same to Nick," Hodges refrained from smiling as Archie sighed.

"Alright. But as soon as someone gets to Nick, I'm done. You're lucky I have slight experience in this area," he said, standing up. "When do I start?"

"As soon as you can," Hodges said, following Archie as he walked through the doorway, pushing past the trace tech and looked around for Greg.

"Does now work? I want to get started as soon as I can so you can get to work on whoever's flirting with Nick,"

"Who's flirting with Nick?" Greg had walked up on them, catching the ending of Archie's sentence, smile on his face. "Did the man finally get his hot date?"

Archie had the decency to blush as he turned around to look at his "crush." "I, uh…damn, Greg," he blushed a little harder when the lab tech turned CSI raised an eyebrow. "I, uh…Uh…" his face reddened again as he opened his mouth, closed it, and then went back into his lab.

Greg watched him, completely clueless, before he turned to Hodges. "What'd you do to him?"

"Nothing. Seems he's got a crush on you," the blonde laughed a little loudly, getting others around the lab to stare at him. "What?"

"Archie's straight. He's been dating this girl for a couple months," Greg shook his head.

"And what about you?" Hodges was a little surprised at his forwardness, but the blonde didn't miss a beat.

"None of your business,"

"Come on, I think I have a right to know," he pushed, following Greg back into the trace lab.

"Based on what circumstances?"

"That we've been working together for four years. And I've got someone who'd love to meet you, but I want to know what you're interested in first," He left out the fact that it was Nick who he wanted Greg to "meet," thinking that if he didn't say anything, Greg would be more likely to buy it.

Greg sighed as he finished looking for whatever he was looking for. He winked at Hodges before he left. "There's nothing wrong with a little variety," and he was gone.

Damn Greg Sanders for making him think so hard.

He spent the rest of his shift checking up on Archie and trying to get Mandy to flirt with Nick – in between samples, of course. He'd never completely forget about work. On trips to he breakroom and back, he'd see Archie talking to Greg, but more often than not, Archie would leave the room, redder than the last time, and keep his head low as he quickly walked back to his lab.

With two hours before the end of his shift, Archie barged into Hodge's lab, face red yet again. "I'm done. Finished. No more. I'm sick of freaking out every time Greg walks into a room. You know I haven't even really said anything to him? I've just stuttered, because I'm too afraid of his reaction…"

Hodges stared at him, almost amused. "And you don't even have a real crush on him. You really know your stuff,"

"Yeah, well, if we weren't friends I could've had him hook, line, and sinker by now," Archie walked out of the lab, leaving Hodges with his samples, slightly amused, but still pissed off that Nick hadn't had a reaction yet, even though he and Greg had been in and out of the lab, at the same time, and Nick had definitely seen Archie and Greg.

He picked up his phone and dialed Mandy's cell number. "Hodges, what do you want?"

"I want your answer,"

"Why are you trying so hard?" was her exasperated question, and David held back a groan.

"Because I'm sick of the flirting, their stupid looks, and the way that whenever they talk about another date, the other one's got this sad look in their eyes. So are you in or not?"

"Why don't you just ask Wendy?"

"Because, Wendy doesn't have a crush on Mr. Texas!"

"And I do?" Hodges couldn't stop himself from dropping his head to the table in front of him.

"It's more likely that it's you! Now come on, please? I know it'll really bother him…"

"…This is for Greg and Nick, right?"

Finally. "Yes,"

"I'll start right now," and she was gone, leaving Hodges to speculate. He went back to his work after a quick peek in the hallway, seeing Mandy close and personal to Nick, who seemed a little confused…and was he uncomfortable?

As he sat down to do his work, he finally realized what Sanders had meant about his comment. Nothing's wrong with variety my ass! Maybe he was going at this the wrong way…

No. There was no way the two of them were together…

Was there?