Thank you all for the nice reviews! So here is that little Sara/Warrick ficlet for Night. It's kind of holiday-ish, but not too much. It's also more friendshippy (I wanted to throw in some romance - but it came out this way). I hope you like it anyway! It wasn’t often that Hodges wasn’t in the Trace lab, but today was a rare exception. Sara was content to have the room to herself as she ran the tests needed to identify a particular unknown substance. It was a good fifteen minutes until she heard footsteps. That was probably Hodges now. She paid no attention, hoping he wouldn’t chastise her for ’invading his territory’. However, she was startled when she heard the low timbre of Warrick’s voice. “What are you doing in Trace?” “Warrick,” she turned her attention to him, “I thought you were Hodges.” “So did I,” he replied, looking mildly amused. “Well, I was just running some tests. It’s been a few minutes so if you want to wait…” “Sure,” he pulled up a chair, “I don’t have much else to do.” “So…” she took a seat nearby as well, “How’s your case going?” “Dead end. I’m hoping trace will give me something I can work on. You?” “I’m helping Nick wrap up his case. Just needed to run this and hope for the best.” He made a noise of agreement and waited along with her. Out of the blue Sara turned and addressed him, “We don’t hang out a lot.” There was a pause. “Sure we do.” “No, I mean just the two of us. Alone. At least not since a few years ago.” He straightened up in his seat, “Oh. Well yeah, I guess we don’t.” She didn’t have anything else to say and neither did he. They sat there in stony silence, except for the odd whirring of the mass spectrometer and some far off voices spouting technical jargon. “It would be kind of strange,” He answered after the long gap in conversation, which Sara didn’t realize at first. “You mean hanging out by ourselves?” “Yeah,” he hunched back down and looked at the machine in front of him. “Kind of like now?” Warrick laughed, “Sort of.” “Well I think we should try and do something,” Sara tilted her head, eyes following him as he got up. He asked, “How about break?” “Is that where you’re going?” “Yeah,” he smiled, “You wanna join me?” She rose quickly, “Sure.” They arrived at the break room, which was as empty as the trace lab. “Where is everyone?” “Out on assignment, I guess. We’re stuck here in the lab.” She smiled and sat down, joined shortly by Warrick. A bit of tinsel hung on the door, the only indicator of the approaching holidays. “It’s going to be Christmas in a few days.” The confused CSI followed her gaze, and spotted the little decoration on the door. “Oh,” he gave her a look, “I couldn’t tell around this lab.” “What do you expect? Stockings hung around the microscopes with care?” “A few lights might be a nice surprise.” “Fire hazard,” she quipped, “Plus it would be too distracting.” He smirked, “Grinch.” She feigned outrage, “I am not! And don’t even think about calling me Mrs. Grinch!” He still sported the same smirk, trying not to laugh. Sara started to get up, “I’m getting something to eat, you want anything?” “I’m good.” She made the quick trip to her locker and back, noticing there was no other signs of the holidays. There wasn’t any tinsel on the other doors. Just the break room. “Hmm,” she placed her bag lunch on the table, “I’m going to have to agree with you. I didn’t see anything remotely seasonal around here.” Warrick stopped sipping a soda he grabbed from fridge, “No tinsel?” He placed his can down in an almost exaggerated gesture of dismay. “Not on any other door.” “No little bells, no holly, no fake snow?” “Nope, nope, and no.” She marked off on her fingers. “So much for keeping with the holiday season,” he sighed. Sara unpacked her bag, taking out a wrapped sandwich and a small paper container. “What do you have there?” he started eyeing her food. “Tomato sandwich and homemade fries,” she looked up at him, eyes narrowing “I know that look. You said you weren’t hungry!” “It’s the season for giving, not receiving.” She sighed, but couldn’t stop the grin starting to appear on her face, “As long as you don’t call me Scrooge. Here, help yourself.” Warrick reached over and snatched a fry. “We should definitely hang out more often.” “Fine. You bring the tinsel, I’ll bring the fries.” The little fry reference was for the Swarrick shippers. *waves* I should go vote on their poll! Remember to offer comment, corrections, or suggestions if possible. bulletboomgal I can appreciate an original/unusual pairing; this will definitely get me thinking... I'll post the ficlet up as soon as I can.
Glad you girls liked the friendship ficlet. (And I got someone who's not a swarrick shipper to like it! Cool!) So, I thought about how I would write a Sofia/Hodges ficlet, and I'm not sure they’ve ever even met. Then again, if they never met, she doesn’t know what an odd ball he is. :lol: Alright, here you go, bulletboomgal, thanks - this is one more “couple” to add to my mental list of ships I’ve written about. “My mom’s visiting for the weekend and I was hoping I could ask you a huge favor…” He must have repeated that sentence ten times today. It was a little disheartening to say the least. He expected many of them to give an excuse, like Catherine, and even flat out refuse, like Judy, but did Sara had to laugh at him? Hodges thought he asked just about every woman in the entire lab, but then he saw Sofia walking down the hall. He got her attention and led her into the Trace lab. “What do you need?” “I really need a huge favor…” She looked confused, “What kind of favor?” “Well… my mom is visiting Vegas for the weekend and I ‘kind of’ told her I was in a serious relationship. The problem is my job doesn’t allow for a girlfriend much less a steady relationship, so I don’t exactly have anyone to go with me when I meet my mom tonight for dinner and I was wondering if…” he trailed off, studying her face, and wondering what category she would fit into. “You’re joking, right?” “I just need someone for tonight, and I’ll pay for everything.” “No.” ‘Flat-out refusing category,’ he noted, but he was getting desperate and thought maybe he could convince her. “Please,” he clasped his hands, on the verge of pleading, “I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t desperate!” She frowned, “Desperate, huh? I’m out of here. Go ask someone else.” “No! I mean… You’re the first one I thought of asking,” he lied. She looked at him skeptically. “Alright… everyone else said no.” It was almost pitiful; which she figured was the only reason she even contemplated helping him out. Hodges looked so nervous and piteous, she felt like she had no choice. With a sigh, she muttered, “What do I have to do?” Relief swept over his face and he smiled, looking more like himself. “Nothing. I’ll pick you up and 6:30 and take you to dinner where we’ll meet my mother. We’ll make chit chat, you act like you’re all over me, and I’ll be forever in your debt.” “I’m not kissing you or anything,” she told him sternly. “Of course,” he agreed, “I’ll just give you a little ‘background info’ on us. My mom will probably ask a few questions about how long we’ve been going out and if we have a future,” Sofia rolled her eyes, Hodges ignored it and continued, “But I’ll be there to fill in any blanks in case she catches you off guard.” “Right… you owe me big time,” she huffed as she nudged passed him. “I’ll call you!” He yelled after her. She walked faster, and a thought struck him. “Wait, I don’t have your number! Sofia!” After being chased down throughout the lab Sofia realized she was past the point of no return. She was going out on a date with David Hodges. Even if it was just a pretend date, the very idea was rather nerve-racking. It was a quarter past six and she was still rummaging through her closet. Sofia was frustrated that she couldn’t find anything suitable to wear, but she was more angry at herself for caring. Truthfully, she didn’t want to look like a slob, even on a pretend date, but she also didn’t want to give him any ideas. No skirts… jeans are out… she had a few dress pants but she couldn’t decide what blouse to wear. There was a knock at her door, promptly at 6:30, ‘He’s punctual, I’ll give him that,’ she thought to herself while stuffing a few toiletries in her black purse. When she flung the door open she was stunned. A stylish brown blazer, a black turtleneck, and dark pants suited him well. His hair was combed back and he held a bouquet of roses in his hand. “Wow,” she shook off her disbelief, “You look very nice.” “Thank you,” he fidgeted with his collar, “I dressed like this for my mom.” “Oh.” “Here,” he thrust the flowers towards her, “for you.” “Thanks,” she said awkwardly, “Ummm… should we get going?” “Yes,” he walked her to his car, keeping his hands to himself, “By the way, you look nice.” Sofia looked down at the plain, red blouse and black pants she wore, feeling a bit discomfited. “You’re not taking me to some fancy place are you? Because I could wear something a bit more-” “No, you look great. I mean that,” he assured her. Sincerity in his voice. She clutched the flowers and smiled tightly, unsure of what to say. It was strange, seeing him like this, outside the lab. Of course, she didn’t really know him that well but from the few interactions she had with him and the stories she heard from Greg and Nick, she didn’t expect him to be so… dare she say charming? His mother was just as gracious, gushing about how beautiful Sofia looked and how lucky her son was for finding such a wonderful woman. By the end of the night, she thought her face would be as red as her shirt from all the times she blushed. She relaxed and enjoyed herself - almost forgetting she didn’t originally want to go on the "date". After bidding good-bye to the lovely Mrs. Hodges, the pair found themselves back at Sofia’s house. “Thanks for everything, I really appreciated this - and those stories my mom said about when I was a kid… they’re kind of exaggerated.” She laughed, “Sure they are. You know, I had a really nice time,” “Really? Is it because you have all this information for potential blackmail?” “Actually, your mom really impressed me. You both did.” she paused and looked down, carefully avoiding his eyes, “And, you don’t owe me anything. I’m glad I could help.” He looked taken aback. Not just because she let him off the hook, but by the admission that he actually impressed her. “Really?” “Yeah. Really. And if you need anymore help with your mom, I wouldn‘t object to it,” she hinted in a not-so-subtle way. Hodges just gaped at her, not sure if he was dreaming. “Well… goodnight.” Not having anymore to say, she smiled at him and walked inside. He stood there for a minute, with a disbelieving smile on his face. He didn’t know what to think, so he just left quickly, while his luck was good. Perhaps he could convince his mother to stay a few more days… Alright! Though it was a bit late, I managed to get a nice romantic story out of this (I cannot believe this was more romantic than my swarrick ficlet... maybe next time. ) Speaking of next time, if anyone wants to venture forth a suggestion, I shall happily take it. I also welcome reviews, comments, corrections, whatever feedback you'd like to give. Thanks for reading! You're all awesome!
Because I don’t want this poor thread to die, I present a story based on a challenge given in the sandle thread. ^_^ I had to include: a squirrel, Papa and Nana Olaf, a flaming red coffee pot, and Greg being sprayed with PAM™ (cooking spray). Thanks, Ziva__David, and I hope you like what I came up with. Greg volunteered to bring cookies for the little holiday party. It was actually just Nick, Warrick, and Sara getting together for a nice dinner. Nonetheless Greg was excited, especially when Sara offered to help. She arrived three hours before the party, looking dressed up and apprehensive. “I can’t believe we’re going to bake something. I can’t cook to save my life.” “Don’t worry, I’ve got some boxes of instant cookie mix. We’re going to make some gingerbread men.” She rolled her eyes, “How about we make gingerbread people?” He laughed, and conceded. “Cool coffee pot,” she noted as she followed him into the kitchen. The red pot was uniquely Greg. “Thanks,” he looked proud, “It was a graduation gift from Papa and Nana Olaf. This ceramic beauty makes the best coffee.” “I’ll have to try some, after we’re done.” “You bet.” They got to work, taking out the necessary supplies and looking at the recipes on the back of the ‘cookie mix’ boxes. Greg set the oven, then went looking for a tray while Sara sifted the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. “How about helping me with this mixer?” She hoisted the clunky metal mixer onto the counter and fiddled with the beaters. “I’m kinda busy,” he had found the cookie tray and was currently spraying it with PAM. “Right. Wouldn’t want to ruin your hair,” she teased. “That’s actually a good point.” He eyed the bowl, as he stepped back. “Nothing can get through all that gel and hair spray, Greggo.” As if to prove her point she walked to the table and grabbed the can, before playfully spraying him with the PAM cooking spray. “Hey!” He wasn’t able to dodge it. She laughed as he feverishly wiped away the grease on his forehead, “I barely got you.” With an evil glint in his eye he grabbed a handful of unmixed dough, runny and floury. Sara realized what he was up to, “Don’t you dare…” “Relax,” he haphazardly tossed the batter, not meaning to actually get her. His eyes widened as the batter hit her square in the face. “Greg!?” She scraped the gunk of her face and gave him a fierce look. In what could only be described as the beginning of every school food fight he’d ever seen, she reached for the eggs beside her and flung one right at him. With reflexes of a true food fight veteran, he ducked, letting the egg hit the wall behind him. The battle was on. Flour, butter, sugar, milk - nothing was off limits. She took cover under the table while he used a large platter as a shield. They were completely covered in food when they heard a loud noise, Greg’s flaming red coffee pot fell crashing down, ending their little food fight. “Oh no! Not ole’ red.” She watched him dash to his beloved heirloom, “Greg, I...I’m so sorry.” “Why?” He turned to her, looking a bit let down, but understanding “You didn’t knock it down on purpose.” “Let me help,” Sara placed what was left of their lopsided ginger bread ‘people’ onto the cookie sheet and into the oven, before rushing to help him collect the pieces and dispose of them outside. As they went back inside, she tried to think of a way to make it up to him - but she was soon alerted to a heavy, smoky, cinnamon odor. “The cookies!” They both rushed into the kitchen, only to see black plumes of smoke emanating from the oven. “We weren’t even gone that long,” Greg groaned. Sara opened the oven door and coughed as the smoke blasted out. Charred, little gingerbread men were all that remained; with an hour to go, the two CSIs had to scramble for a plan B. ~~~~~~ “I think this was some kind of sign that we shouldn’t cook together.” Sara sighed while brushing some powder off her hair. They had to make a quick pit stop at her place so she could change into different clothes but she still felt some of the goop in her hair. Greg also changed his clothes, but opted to keep the same shoes. They were his only comfortable, yet formal shoes. “Don’t say that,” he scolded, “At least we can say we tried. Even if I do owe Warrick twenty bucks.” “What?” “He thought we couldn’t bake anything for the party. Lost twenty bucks because I watched one too many cooking shows and I thought I could handle it.” She smiled lightly, “I guess I’ll pay for the cookies, seeing as how you’re losing a twenty.” They were currently standing at the checkout line of a supermarket, arms loaded with different cookies. “Are we just going to come in with these boxes?” “Well no one is going to believe we made these. Especially since we smell like smoke.” Greg wrinkled his nose, “Really? I hadn’t noticed.” “That’s because you smell like smoke too!” she laughed. “Don’t worry. A real woman wouldn’t mind.” He didn’t know what to say to that, and luckily the checkout girl finished scanning the items, sparing him some embarrassment. Sara paid and grabbed the bulky bag, ready to get to Nick’s place. They had to hurry. With only twenty minutes until the party they couldn’t afford to waste anymore time. In her haste, Sara didn’t see a crack in the sidewalk, and she almost tripped over it. However, she regained her balance, but dropped her bag in the process. Greg steadied her and made sure she was okay. “Just didn’t see where I was going,” she mumbled. Half the boxes were open; the others were dented or scuffed. Crumbling cookies scattered on the sidewalk, and Sara just couldn’t believe their bad luck. Greg stared as two furry, gray squirrels skittered towards the prepackaged confections. “At least those squirrels seem to like them.” “I cannot believe this! We ruined your kitchen, we burnt our gingerbread people, and we can’t even get store bought cookies to a party!” “I know,” he looked more amused than upset. “It’s not funny,” she frowned. He tried to agree but still couldn’t keep the grin off his face. Soft, muffled chuckles grew into full out laughter. Sara looked at him as if he were crazy, but his laughter was contagious and she giggled despite herself. ~~~~~~ Nick greeted the pair, taking a second before noticing the flour in Sara’s hair and the bit of egg on Greg’s shoes. Not to mention the faint smell of smoke and cinnamon. “Hey, were have you guys been? You’re late.” “And where are those cookies you promised,” Warrick looked as if he already knew the answer. The two CSIs shared a look, and smirked. “It’s a long story.” This may have been a longer ficlet than I usually write, but it has been a while. I hope people liked this, and I encourage you to leave a review, a request, or even a correction. I would also like rto take this moment to wish everyone a happy holiday and a wonderful new year!
I loved loved LOVED it!! The flaming red coffee pot...gotta love it! Now Sara and Greg in a food fight...now that is a picture I'd like toeep in my mind....happy holidays anyway! -Kate
Please write a SWARRICK fic. Yup I'm a huge SWARRICK shipper .HMM lets make it a challenge....a New Years Eve fic, an outdoor party, sudden showers.....and Greg clad only in gold boxers :devil:.
I got this ideas in my head after the episode of Redrum. Simon find out that Catherine and Keppler working in the lab as CSI and also find out she was friends with the four friends. Simon tamper Nick's brake and cause them have a accident and lucky they didn't get hurt real bad to go to the hospital. They all bruise up and they angry at Catherine for not telling them what she doing and she was suppose to protect them while Grissom gone. She told them, it was Keppler ideas and she also told them, she thought undersheriff tell the DA but he didn't tell the DA. Grissom decided to come home early and went to the lab and saw his teams all bruise up and can't figure what's going on and told Catherine to come to his office. She explained everything to him and he yelled at her for not protecting them while they under her cares. She told him, she thought Undersheriff already told the DA because Brass told him but he didn't tell the DA. Grissom went to the sheriff's office and told the undersheriff McKeen, "You ever do something like that again for not telling the DA about the killer and got my teams hurt and I will make paid you for that." Sheriff fires McKeen for reckless and for responsiblty for the CSI for got hurt. Grissom told them to take a day off for a few days. What do you think? No shipping, just friendship. Nick and Sara will be having trouble trusting Catherine for a while.