Round Robin Part 1

[beelikej.livejournal.com]

ROUND ROBIN: A new chapter by a different author every two weeks!
Part 1: Slow Night
Author: erikssiren
Beta: evilteddybear40
Rating: PG for this chapter
Warnings: A mention of violence, homophobia.
Summary: Conversations on a slow night at the Las Vegas Crime Lab
Spoilers: The season finale for season 8. Although, if you haven't seen it you might not understand the reference. And if you have, you most certainly will.
A/N: This is my very first Round Robin and my very first Nick/Greg fic! Needless to say I'm a bit nervous about this. Please tell me what you think! I don't mind constructive criticism, but please no flames. And thanks to my wonderful beta! You're the best!
Disclaimer: I own nothing, except Abbey who is a creation of my own. I just needed another character for the scene!
Previous parts: Comment on the original post here!.


At most businesses, a slow day was not considered a good thing - loss of money and all that. But Greg always looked forward to the nights, when he spent time bobbing along to his iPod in the break room or hanging out with his friends in the labs because he had nothing to do. It meant no one had died, no parents had to identify their children He loved slow nights.

Except for tonight.

Tonight he was bored out of his freaking mind. He busted his iPod from an unintentional fall into the lake on his day off last week. Bobby and Archie were trying to get a rolling-chair race started, but even that didn’t pique his interest.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Greg left the empty DNA analysis lab and wandered the halls. While no new cases had arrived, several CSIs (and lab techs) decided to use the time to catch up on paperwork, leaving the corridors deserted and slightly creepy, if that sort of thing scared you.

Just as Greg passed the closed door of Grissom’s office, a light flickered overhead, causing him to stop and examine the dying light. He stared up at the grid patter of the cover, remembering similar lights that lit his high school. He spent more time staring at those than paying attention in English class when his ninth grade teacher started dissecting Shakespeare, something he could do in his sleep.

The florescent bulb continued to flicker at random intervals and he tried to measure the brief seconds of darkness in between to determine when it would finally go out. He was that bored.

"A watched pot never boils, you know."

Greg jumped at the familiar voice, and blinked a few times to clear his eyes and focused on the smiling face of Nick Stokes.

"A…what?"

"Nothing, man," Nick answered with a slight chuckle. "What were you trying to do, anyway?

"What did it look like? I was searching for my sanity." Greg moaned as they walked farther from their supervisor’s office.

"And you thought you could find it in a broken ceiling light? You are a strange one." He clapped Greg on the back and Greg tried to tell himself that Nick’s hand hadn’t lingered too long. "But I know what you mean. I never thought I would hate nights like this."

"Oh good," Greg breathed at this revelation. "I was starting to think I was a horrible person for hating that no one had died."

Nick led them to the break room where Catherine and Abbey sat glued to a news flash on the television. The blonde newscaster reported the findings of an apparent hate-crime ring in Boston. Five men had worked together to seduce gay men to an abandoned building where they would tape themselves beating the man to death.

"Damn," Nick muttered after Catherine muted the television. "What is wrong with people these days?"

"I can’t believe they had gotten away with it for so long!" The blonde CSI cried. Abbey looked uncomfortable.

"You okay, Abs?" Greg asked the redheaded tech softly. She was fairly new, but he had worked with her closely the past month and even gone out to breakfast once or twice.

"Yeah," she muttered shyly. "It’s just…I mean, I don’t condone what those men did by any means, I just…I don’t agree with homosexuals either." She let the last part out in a rush, fear etched on her face.

"You mean you don’t think two men should be in a romantic relationship?" Greg asked. She shook her head quickly, still terrified. Greg didn’t understand why she looked so afraid until he saw Catherine’s hard face. Abbey didn’t want to start a fight.

"Well, that’s your prerogative," Nick cut in, just as Cath opened her mouth. "But I personally don’t see anything wrong with it. Love is love and something like gender shouldn’t stop it." Greg couldn’t help but grin at that. His sentiments exactly.

"People are free to make their own choices," Abbey agreed, some of her fear gone but sounding mostly like she was trying to convince herself. "I just don’t want to see it."

"So if two people just start making out right in front of you, you would rather it be a man and woman?" Catherine asked hotly.

"No! I’d rather not see them, either. Excessive public displays of affection make me nervous."

Greg ducked his head to hide his smile and glanced over to see Nick covering his own with a hand.

"What about you, Greg?" Nick asked when their eyes met.

"Well," Greg started before falling silent. Everyone assumed everyone else in the lab was straight, especially CSIs. Would they think of him differently if he came out? Why would he even need to come out for this conversation anyway? "I don’t have any problems with it. I would have said what you did, Nicky, but you stole my thunder!"

Something sparked in Nick’s eye, hope or anticipation maybe, but Greg wasn’t sure which. Or maybe he imagined it.

"There you are, Catherine," Grissom said as he walked into the room. "I need to talk to you. And Hodges is looking for you, Abbey."

The two women left, leaving Nick and Greg on their own. The air grew tense, like when you’re waiting for something you know will change your life. Only Greg didn’t know what he was waiting for.

The silence stretched and Greg began to fidget. Awkward. When had it become awkward between them? Maybe Warrick had been their buffer. Sure, they could have a conversation here or there, but leave them alone in a room together and they would fall into a weird silence, just like this.

Maybe things were always awkward between them, but Warrick had been there to fill the silence, pick up the dropped conversations. Maybe, Greg thought as he took in Nick’s intense face, maybe Warrick had been keeping Nick together. With all the things that had happened to the Texan over the years, maybe he broke a long time ago but had kept it together for Warrick. And now he had no one to help him.

"Hey Greg," Nick spoke finally, causing Greg to jump. He looked over and saw an anxiousness in Nick’s eyes. "Do you think…"

But before he could continue Catherine popped her head in. "Free time’s over boys. We’ve got a double homicide off the strip." So much for a slow night. Guilt settled in Greg’s stomach and for a moment he had the irrational thought that his boredom caused these deaths. That his wish for something to do resulted in this new case.

The two men stood and Greg hesitated, giving Nick a chance to finish his sentence.

"Can we have breakfast? Nick finally said. "After shift is over? I really want to talk to you about something."

Greg let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding. Keeping back his inexplicable disappointment, he smiled. "Yeah, I’d love that."


... to be continued on October 26 by gregisamazing!

Information on the Round Robin project: here

Comments

[murgy31.livejournal.com]

That was great! I loved it!

[kingzgurl.livejournal.com]

Loved the first chapter! I'm totally looking forward to how this story progresses with the other authors =)

[ohloveme.livejournal.com]

ooh! I liked this very much! Especially the way you worked in Greg trying to figure out the look on Nick's face and the absence of Warrick. Lovely.

Plus, Bobby and Archie chair racing was hilarous and really gives depth to the lab scene. *Draws hearts around you and the chapter*

[salianne.livejournal.com]

Great start! Love it!

[erikssiren.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[erikssiren.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you liked it! I'm excited to see where it goes, especially since I have an idea for how I could continue it and I want to see where the others take it.

[erikssiren.livejournal.com]

Yay hearts! I feel loved. :D The chair race thing just sounds like something the techs would do if they were bored, lol. It could be a spin-off fic!

[erikssiren.livejournal.com]

Thanks!