Thanks for the reviews, and thanks to ktattoo for betaing!

David's last chance to really determine their relationship status was to follow them both home after work. Of course, that would mean that he needed another person to help him out. But, Archie, Mandy, and Henry had already done their part, and Jacqui said she would have nothing to do with his matchmaking ideas. His remaining choices were Judy and Bobby, and since he didn't really know Judy all that well, and, well, Bobby absolutely loathed him, he didn't really have anyone to help him out.

So instead, he knew that he had to follow one of them home one night, and the other home the next, which would completely prove his theory, maybe.

His plan was to switch cars with a friend outside of work; yes, he had friends; and to use that car to follow one home, just to see where they went. He'd then wait quietly to see if the other came soon after that. Yes, his plan was full of flaws, and just because they were hanging out didn't mean that they were dating. It could just mean that they were friends, or that they were really close.

But everything deserved a chance, right?

---

The plans were set. He was waiting for Greg to leave the lab, but he and Nick seemed to be stuck with a hard case, and he heard that Nick desperately needed a ride home. On top of the hard case, his car didn't start on his dinner break, and he found that it still wouldn't start now

Greg had noticed Hodges outside the break room and called him in. "You don't have anything to do, do you?"

"Contrary to popular belief, Sanders, I do occasionally go out," Hodges shot back, suddenly wondering what the hell made him try to get these two together. His best guess was that he thought that maybe, after they started dating, that they'd thank him for shoving them together and he wouldn't be treated so badly.

"Great! Nick's car won't start and he needs someone to bring him home." David eyed him curiously. Greg would normally jump at an opportunity like this.

"Why won't you do it?" He noticed that Nick was scratching the back of his neck, no doubt out of nervousness.

"I've got to pick up one of my cousins at the airport. They're going to a college here in Vegas and they need me to show them around before they come out here for good." Greg took a drink from the coffee he was holding and looked at the lab tech expectantly. "Well?"

"Are they afraid of strangers?" The level one shook his head, confused. "Well then take Nick along. It's not like he can't get along with anyone."

"Au contraire, Hodges, I've never gotten along with you," Nick threw in, Greg snickering under his breath. Hodges huffed and left the break room, hearing Greg reply with; "It's alright with me if it's alright with you. You're welcome to…"

Welcome to what, he never found out because he was too busy fuming to really care. Even when they didn't know what he was up to – for CSIs, they were pretty thick – they still managed to ruin his plans.

---

"Archie tells me you're trying to get Nick and Greg together." he recognized the accent at once, surprised to see that Bobby Dawson was standing in the doorway of his lab. "Yeah, I'm talking to you, but only because I agree with you that they need to suck up their pride and shack up. But don't go parading around telling people we're best friends, or I'll call the entire thing off." Hodges could only gape at him,

"Wh-What?"

"I'm willing to double date with them, if you get them to go on a blind date," he replied, clearing up the fog in David's head. "But as soon as this is all over, we go back to not talking, okay? Just because I'm doing this doesn't mean that I've forgiven you for being an ass," he turned to leave, but stopped. "So you know…I think this thing you're doing for them is great." There was a twinkle in his eyes, like he knew something that Hodges didn't, and he sighed out of frustration. This was the hardest thing he had ever taken on, even including the animated model of the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs. Hey, he was entitled to an opinion, too.

He set back to work, glad that Nick and Greg still hadn't finished their case from the other day and that they'd be in tonight for results on the evidence.

Three hours later, and well into his shift, the two CSIs entered his lab, looking completely worn out. "What's up with you two, you both look like hell."

"Always nice to hear a compliment from Hodges." Greg studied him. "You really are a lab rat, you know that?"

"Do you have our evidence?" Hodges nodded, continuing to look at them while they read through the papers.

"Bobby Dawson wanted to know if you wanted to triple date with him…He's got wonderful people lined up for the both of you, and from what I've heard, definitely your type." He watched as Greg shrugged.

"Yeah, alright. Can't hurt, I guess." There was a certain angry fire in Nick's eyes and he made note to never screw him over or piss him off after this. "Sure. Tell Bobby to contact me with the date and time, and I'll be there." Hodges looked to Nick.

"Sure, yeah. It can't hurt, I guess." He smiled and nodded.

"Great. I'll make sure Bobby gets it to you before end of shift."

Greg was already gone and Nick was just leaving before the blonde came back and asked, "Since when does Bobby Dawson like you?"

Hodges just shot him a look and shooed them out of his lab. The things he has to put up with just to see those two together.

---

This was it - the night to confirm all of his suspicions, the night that would finally get the two CSIs together. And David Hodges couldn't be happier. He had just given Bobby his cell phone number so he could report to Mr. Matchmaker and tell him everything that had gone on. Excitement coursed through him, and the entire lab noticed.

"You're awfully happy tonight, Hodges," Catherine said as she came in for results, Sara not far behind her. "Any reason?"

"I'm finally finding out the answer to something I've waited years to figure out."

"Basic math really isn't that hard, Hodges," Sara piped in, crossing her arms. "Results?" He smiled and happily handed them to her. "You know, you're kind of creepy when you're happy. You should go back to being an ass."

Hodges rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. I promise this'll be over soon and I'll go back to being everyone's favorite ass of a lab tech."

"That's the spirit." Catherine winked as she took the results from Sara, ignoring the angry look on the younger woman's face. "Thanks, Hodges."

The rest of the night dragged on, and when Bobby still hadn't managed to call him, he assumed the worst. What could've possibly happened? When he took his break, the first thing he did was check his phone, complete with dead battery. And his charger was at home. David cringed and sighed to himself, completely pissed off. He could've sworn that he had charged it, twice, even, just to make sure that tonight he would be reachable, no matter what.

And of course, it didn't work out for him. Again.

He dragged himself home after shift, plugging his phone into his wall charger and waited for it to say something, anything, about the double date. No alerts popped up onto his screen, and he shut it back down, turning it back on after a moment to check again. Still nothing. A few more tries and no prize, he turned the ringing tone to the highest and got ready for bed.

He was halfway through his routine before he remembered that Bobby also had his home phone. He rushed to the living room to check, excited when he saw the light blinking. The first three were old ones from his mother that he hadn't yet erased – then came the new ones.

"This call is to inform David Hodges he has an appointment tomorrow morning at 7:00 AM for a cleaning at--," dentist. Next.

"Davey, this is your mother…" How many times had he told her to not call him Davey? Next.

"Hodges, I must congratulate you on your wonderful investigation skills!" He raised an eyebrow to his fish, who merely let out a few bubbles as a response. "It's a shame that you were heading in the wrong direction." Whoever was talking was obviously drunk, and spoke with a painfully fake Irish accent, obviously trying to cover up their real identity. He growled when the answering machine told him that they had called hours ago, and by now they all had probably all gone home and slept, either laughing it off or spending the night together, or both.

Being that he really couldn't call the person back, David sighed as he continued getting ready for bed. Tomorrow, that's when everything would be figured out. He'd been saying tomorrow for how long, and he just wanted it to all be over. There wasn't much more he could do; he had ran out of ideas, and his fellow lab techs wouldn't be willing to help him anymore. The only other thing would be the CSIs, but they're always out on the field, solving crime after crime, and there was no way that he was going to ask one of them for their help, especially not when they'd probably kick his ass, or get someone to kick his ass, just for even thinking it.

Tomorrow truly was his last chance. It's a shame he just didn't know how to make it work.