Round Robin Part 4

[dixie-chickenne.livejournal.com]

ROUND ROBIN: A new chapter by a different author every two weeks!
Part 4: "A Shock"
Author: dixie_chickenne

Rating: PG-13 for language
Warnings: language
Summary: Greg's reaction isn't quite what Nick had anticipated.
Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I affiliated with CBS, CSI, etc. No profit is made from these stories, it is purely for entertainment purposes only.
Previous parts: Part one, Part two, Part three.




Shock. So far the night had been full of it. And, really, it was just getting started.

Nick felt Greg’s hands, surprisingly strong, on his shoulders. Except, instead of the caress he had hoped for, they were shoving him away.

"What the fuck, Nick?!" Greg exclaimed, wiping the back of his hand over his wet mouth.

Nick was shocked. Shocked at his bold action, shocked at Greg’s reaction. He stood looking at Greg, his mind reeling, his mouth gaping.

"I tell you that I’ve just seen my ex, dead – murdered – and your reaction is to try and make out with me?" Greg nearly shouted, throwing his hands wildly in the air as if to make a point. "What? Because maybe I like guys that means I want you, now, at a scene? At the scene of my ex’s murder?"

Nick wanted to answer, would have answered if his brain had just given his mouth the right words. Before he could stammer out anything more than a pathetic sounding "G’…", eyes trying to say what his mouth seemed incapable of, his chance to explain himself was cut short by Greg’s ringing phone.

"It’s Catherine," Greg said curtly before jabbing the answer button.
"Hey, Cath, sorry about that… something must be wrong with my phone, we got cut off. I’m coming back, sorry I had to get out of there for a minute. Yeah, yeah, he’s here too. We’re on our way."

Ending the call, Greg brushed past Nick, back towards the flashing blue and red of the police cruiser lights, towards the crowd of detained party-goers, towards Catherine, and towards the blood-drenched body of his once lover.

"We’ve got a scene to process, if you’re coming," Greg said over his shoulder to Nick.

Nick slowly turned to follow Greg, wondered how long Greg would be angry with him, wondered how he could make the rest of the shift any less awkward for the two of them. Wondered with some degree of anxiousness if Greg would still agree to their planned breakfast after shift.

Nick was glad for Catherine’s presence at the scene. Without her there Nick and Greg would have spent the rest of the night processing the bathroom and the club in silence, bagging evidence and filing it away in the back of the SUV without so much as looking each other in the eye.

Back at the lab, after their evidence had been safely logged in and stored, Catherine called an official end to the shift.

"Well boys, it’s been a strange night," she said, eyeing both Nick and Greg with that CSI-evidentiary-truth-seeking look they both knew well. "There’s nothing more I need from you tonight, so, please, go and come back tomorrow on speaking terms, will you?"

Greg nodded, said "Good night," to Catherine and bee-lined for the locker room.

Nick followed in the same direction a pace or two behind. When he opened the door, Nick took a long breath, willing himself to be calm when he faced Greg again. He watched Greg collect his belongings and stuff them into his carrying bag, watched him grab his jacket and change his shoes. Watched him sit on the bench and exhale a long sigh.

Moving closer to him on the bench Nick took his chances. "Greggo," Nick said, settling a warm hand on his shoulder.


... to be continued on December 7 by stylistixs!


Information on the Round Robin project: here

Comments

[murgy31.livejournal.com]

That was fantastic! I can't wait till Dec. 7th

[dixie-chickenne.livejournal.com]

Thanks =) And two weeks does seem kind of long, doesn't it, when you're excited to read the next installment.

[beelikej.livejournal.com]

Wahey! I'm very proud of Greg, that's the perfect reaction to Nick's moment of WTF. I am however wondering how he feels after he calms down, since we only got Nick's confused point of view. Love the last line and am very curious to find out where this is going...

Also: beautiful first line intro.

[dixie-chickenne.livejournal.com]

Thanks, glad you liked it =)