Chapter 3

Nick woke up with Mandy nuzzled on his chest and couldn't have been happier. The smell of her hair was intoxicating; it was a mixture of coconuts and strawberries. The sound of his cell phone him took him out of his haze and forced him to move. He answered quietly hoping not to wake the sleeping form next to him.

"Hey Nicky! 419 on Jones and Cheyenne" Catherine said loudly

"OK Cath, I'll be there a soon as I can" he whispered looking around for his clothes that had been thrown around after last nights activities. He laughed when he had to pick up his shirt all the way on the other side of the room. He was in such a hurry; he threw it off not realizing how hard.

"Why are you whispering? Where are you?" she asked curiously.

"I'll see you soon, Cath" he replied before hanging up. That woman never missed a beat. He made sure to grab all of his things before he locked the door behind him. By the time he started the car he realized he should have left a note. Damn! He would just tell her what happened during shit later tonight. It wasn't like he was sneaking out; he had a case. She had looked so peaceful and he didn't want to disturb her. He arrived at the scene to find Catherine inspecting the body.

"Cath, what do you need me to do" Nick said as lifted his sunglasses off of his eyes.

"Hey Nicky, where ya been. Or should I say, who ya been with?"

"Ha ha ha" Nick said sarcastically, "really funny Cath, I was actually asleep when you called."

"She tired you out eh?"

"You are a laugh riot! What do you want me to do?"

"Can you start canvasing the perimeter? Looks like a dump job, maybe they dumped the weapon too. We are looking for a .45 caliber." Nick began processing; it took over three hours before he was back in his truck on the way to the lab. He had checked his phone about a dozen times but no texts or calls from Mandy. Not that he was expecting it, but he was hoping that she would. He had already sent over a few sets of prints to her. If nothing else he hoped she had found out the owners. After dropping off the evidence in the appropriate labs, he went back to the locker room to change. He found Warrick and Sara in the locker room getting ready to start their shifts.

"Hey guys, lucky you didn't get called in earlier"

"Um yeah" Sara said smiling, "we are." She winked at Warrick before going to see Grissom.

"Whoa 'Rick get lucky last night?" Nick laughed nudging him in the ribs.

"Ha. That's for only me to know," Warrick responded shaking his head. "You are way too interested in my life, you need to go get your own"

"I take offense to that."

"You'll live"

Nick checked his phone again hoping to get a text from Mandy, but no avail. He did receive a text from Angie, the girl from a few weeks ago. She had yet to get the message about his disinterest in her. It was always this way right? When you are interested in someone, they never call. And the ones you aren't interested in always call. Deciding to bite the bullet, he made his way over to Mandy's lab only to find it empty. He stuck his head into Wendy's DNA lab to find the girls huddled together not noticing his presence. He was hesitant to say something but not wanting to seem like he was lurking.

"Hey ladies! Got any happy news for me?" Mandy looked at him first with no emotion whatsoever while Wendy raised her eyebrows at him. Damn she must know Nick thought.

"I have your print matches right here" Mandy said as she walked passed him towards her table. "The guy was in the system for a B&E." She gave him the print out of her results before walking back to Wendy's lab station.

"Is there something else you wanted?" Wendy asked her, eyebrows higher up on her face.

"Uh no I guess not" Nick said before walking away awkwardly. He obviously knew what Mandy was thinking and that was not his intention at all. He would talk to her as soon as he found her alone.

"God Wendy, that sucked" Mandy said slumping slightly once she could no longer see Nick's outline.

"Mandy I'm sorry, I shouldn't have made you go. "

"You didn't make me sleep with him," Mandy said shaking her head. "I should be grateful. I am lucky for that one time ride," she added crassly.

"Oh shut up, that isn't fair. You don't deserve that. You deserve a guy to at least leave a note… by the way you said Brad called. What the hell did he want?"

"Who knows? You know… it just my luck. The last guy in the world that I want to talk to is calling me, and then the one who I want to call doesn't. Can't even leave a note. Hey Mandy Sorry I'm not interested. It was fun though! He must have gotten out there so fast."

"You are such a pessimist." Wendy said before shooing her away. She had some samples to take care of for Grissom. Mandy sighed and walked back to her station hoping that the night would be busy to keep her mind off of other matters.

Unfortunately it wasn't. Apparently no one wanted to commit any new crimes tonight. So she started on the backlog the lab had accumulated. She began working and soon found that it was her lunchtime. She wandered into the kitchen hoping that she would be only one, but was disappointed in finding Sara, Warrick, Greg, Catherine and Grissom crowded around one of the tables. She was grateful that Nick wasn't with them. She grabbed her sandwich and found a seat away from the group.

"Mandy!" Warrick said waving her over, they seemed to be having a lively conversation about something. She didn't want to seem rude so she joined them, feeling more comfortable after the morning bowling session.

"No no no! Friends is the best sitcom, it had everything. Jokes, drama, love and Chandler!" Mandy said a little while later. Their conversation had veered towards superior sitcoms on TV. Grissom and Catherine just listened while the others were adding their two cents.

"No way Mandy, Seinfeld was the best. It was about… nothing. Yet it was hilarious," Warrick responded. The banter continued and she added her two cents every once in awhile until she saw Nick come and pour himself a cup a coffee. He had hoped to see her in the break room, but he wasn't counting on the rest of the team being there as well.

"Well I've got to get back to work, I am working on some cold case files" Mandy said wrapping up her lunch trash and throwing it out. She purposely made no eye contact with Nick. He watched her leave frustrated that he hadn't been able to explain everything. While no one else noticed their exchange, or lack of exchange, Catherine saw everything and was ready to pounce on Nicky the next time she got him alone.

Mandy huffed back at her desk hoping that Wendy wouldn't come over and give her more "advice". What does she know? She liked Hodges and still nothing has happened. She pushed her thoughts aside and began examining some ten cards with similar print types in hopes of finding a match. She put her headphones on and listened to some Death Cab For Cutie, in hopes to keep her mind off of other things. Nick finally made it over to her station after talking to Hodges about some trace he had processed.

"Hey Mandy" he said but didn't get a response. Man she was really mad, he thought, but he saw the headphones and realized she couldn't hear him. He walked up to her and took out one of her ear‐buds. "Mandy" he said again and she jumped. Startled by the interruption she closed the ten‐card file she was working on without saving her work.

"Damn Nick!" she said annoyed.

"Sorry, I just wanted to talk really quick" he said a little annoyed himself now. Why was she making this so difficult?

"I'm really busy Nick," she said as she moved her mouse to reopen the file she was working on.

"Please Mandy I want to…" he looked up and saw Wendy staring at them with narrowed eyes, "can we go somewhere to talk really quick?"

"Fine." Mandy sighed and locked up her computer. They walked outside and he led them towards a bench that was situated not too far from the parking lot, but offered a little privacy.

"What's up?" Mandy said as she sat on the table trying to act aloof. He sat next to her and started talking.

"I just wanted to say" but before he could finish she helped him.

"Don't worry about it. I get it." She interrupted.

"Get what?" he asked confused.

"You don't have to do this."

"Do what?"

"This"

"Mandy. God what is 'this'?" he asked her starting to get annoyed, why wouldn't she just let him finish.

"Being nice. Let me down easy. Trying to make it less awkward at the lab" she answered.

"I was going to apologize for not leaving a note. Let me finish," he added quickly when he saw her mouth open to interrupt him, "I had a great time yesterday and later I got called onto a scene. When I got into my car, I realized I had forgot to leave and note. I had locked your door, and couldn't get back in. Honestly, I didn't want to text you, that seemed super lame. But I guess that would be have been better than nothing at all. As I can now see."

"Oh" Mandy said not knowing what to say. "Sorry, dude."

"Don't be, I would be pissed too if I were in your position. If I had a great time with someone I don't just leave without a note it's not how I roll. Honestly, I just kind of got distracted by the case."

"No, it was my fault. I just assumed the worst," she paused, "so you had a good time?"

"I did have a great time. What are you doing after shift this morning?" he asked placing his hands on hers. She really liked when he did that, although now without the alcohol it made her heart beat faster.

"I don't have any plans," she answered almost too quickly for her liking.

"Great. How about breakfast and then a movie? Would that be OK?"

"Sounds great."

"Cool, how about I meet you at the diner? Is that alright?"

"Perfect. Wendy already wants to tear you apart."

"Ha! What did you tell her?"

"Oh the usual scorned woman stuff"

"I see, well maybe now you can fix that," he said squeezing her hand, "I have to get back, but can't wait for breakfast."

"Me either" Mandy said as she stood up with him and followed him towards the lab. She practically skipped back into her lab only to be pounced on by Wendy.

"What was his excuse?" she asked her friend. She was fully ready to plan out the "How to murder Nick Stokes and get away with it".

"He said he got called out to the 419 on Jones and Cheyenne and forgot to leave a note when he got into his truck. We are having breakfast after shift… so you can stop plotting your murder"

"Yay!" Wendy said smiling brightly, "I knew you jumped to conclusions too fast"

"What! You said the same thing when I told you"

"Yeah but you believed me!"

"Whatever dude." Mandy said laughing. "Listen I have these prints to look at, but I will let you know when I leave so you can give me another pep talk. And depending on how breakfast goes, maybe you can restart your Nick Stokes murder plan"

"Can't wait!" Wendy replied as she walked into Hodge's lab to annoy him. Nick sat at his desk sifting through some last minute paperwork before his shift ended when Catherine came in and sat on his desk.

"So… you… earlier today"

"What are you talking about?" Nick responded unsure how much she had pieced together.

"You know what I'm talking about Nicky. I saw the look Mandy gave you in the break room. I'm surprised that you are still standing. Listen, it isn't against policy and trust me, we have all been there. Just make sure to be discreet in the lab. Out of the office, you can do what or whomever you like."

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. Don't push it."

"I got your message Cath," Nick said begrudgingly.

"Good. Now. I think you done good Nicky," she told him before waltzing over to Grissom's office and closing the door. What a hypocrite! He thought before grabbing his things and shutting off the lights.