Race's One-Shots

racefh853629

racefh853629

Pathologist
I have a bunch, so I figured the most space efficient way (aka, rather than putting up a bunch of threads) to do this was to throw them all in one thread. These stories span any and all of the CSIs, though they're predominantly Vegas. NY is second, though. ;) That being said, I don't own any of the CSI shows, CSI characters, or any other known entity presented within them. If it's an OC, you'll know. ;) Without further ado, I bring you the first story.

This was a challenge over at the Fanfiction Critique Group, and the perameters are as follows:
1. Take place in the summer
2. Be between 1000 and 8000 words
3. Contain the movie "Iron Man."
4. Include the line, "I'm really starting to adjust..."

Thus, onto the story!

*~*~*~*

Summer Nights

He closed his eyes, laying out with her on the blanket. She smirked. “You know,” she said. He turned to her. “I’m really starting to adjust to this.” He smiled, brushing the hair out of her face.

“Adjust to what, my dear?” he asked, smiling.

“You, me, being here, being happy.” She sighed. “Too bad it can’t always be like this.”

“Well, my dear, if it was always like this, it wouldn’t be life.”

“Babe, this…”

“Let’s… not think about that,” he interrupted, winking. She shook her head.

“Whatever you say.” She laid her head against his chest, smiling. “I’m really adjusting to this.”

“I told you this wasn’t a bad idea after all.”

“Yeah, but you know I never listen to you.” He chuckled.

“Never have, and never will.” She smiled, looking up from his face to the stars. The warmth of the summer evening breeze blew over the two of them as they lay on the blanket. He pulled her closer to him, and she smiled. “You love me, admit it,” she said.

“Always have, and always will,” he replied. She smiled as he ran his fingers up and down her arm. “You’re really beautiful. You know that, right?”

“You’re great too.” She snuggled closer to him, sighing softly. “I wish this was forever, and not just one night.”

“Well, it could be, you know.”

“No, it can’t. You and I both know that this is the only way this could happen.” He frowned.

“I don’t know about that.”

“T-”

“No, sweetie. Let’s not get into this, okay? Please? Let’s just enjoy the time we have.” She sighed softly, slightly painfully, before snuggling back against him.

“Fine by me.” She watched the stars twinkle above them, and she inhaled deeply. There was something oddly comforting about the stars tonight. The company always made looking at the stars so much more enjoyable.
She remembered summer nights as a kid, laying in the backyard, staring at the stars. Her brother, one of the strongest influences in her life, was beside her, telling her ghost stories while also talking of the stars. He told her almost every night that if she looked just right at the stars, she could see the exact one that was her mom.

She missed her mom, and always did whenever it was summer. When she thought of summer nights, she always thought of laying under the stars and trying to find her mother in the constellations while her brother continued his stories, most of which were made up, but she never got tired of hearing them.

As her mind wandered back, her eyes began to well with tears, something that wasn’t entirely uncommon with these moments. He held her closer, wiping away her tears. “I love you,” he whispered softly into her dark brown hair. She nodded, crying more.

“I know you do,” she replied tearfully. “I love you too. And I hate this so much. I… I don’t even know what to do anymore.”

“I don’t either,” he admitted regretfully.

“I don’t…”

“I know.”

“But…”

“I know.”

“And it…”

“I know.”

“I hate this.” He kissed her forehead tenderly, and it felt like nothing more than the breeze brushing across her face. She sniffled, tears flowing freely now, clinging to him more tightly. “I can’t…”

“I know.” She looked into his dark brown eyes, reading his deep love for her in them. She sniffled again, and he wiped away her tears again. “But…”

“I know,” she sobbed softly. He held her tighter in an attempt to take away her pain, but it seemed to only make it worse. He rubbed her shoulder tenderly.

“I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” She dried her tears, sighing. “But, we can’t…”

“We could.”

“No, it’s not fair. Not to either of us.”

“I know.” He sighed, and she stayed with her head on his chest as a bolt of lightning lit up the distant sky. She sighed.

“Looks like…” she began. She didn’t have to continue. They both knew what was coming next.

“Yeah,” he replied. “Listen… about this… I love you immensely, but…”

“Yeah, I know. I’ll always love you.”

“I’ll always love you.” As the thunder rolled in, she sat up. Their time under the stars was ending, and she swallowed hard.

“We probably should…”

“I know.”

“We say…”

“Yeah, we do.”

“Can you…” He smirked.

“I could, but where’s the fun in that?” She rolled her eyes.

“Please, baby. Just once.”

“Okay, I’ll be good.” They stood up as the next bolt of lighting came over them, and the stars disappeared behind the clouds. She walked forward, and when she turned around to see if he was following, he was long gone. Just like every other time…

She awoke with a start, scaring Danny. “Holy hell, Flack,” he said. “Your sister’s really jumpy.” She grumbled.

“Blow it out your a**, Messer,” she replied angrily. Flack chuckled.

“Ease up, sis,” he said. “And leave her alone, Danny.”

“I’m sorry,” he said. “You ready to go now?” She furrowed her brows, taking in the location.

“You slept through the entire movie,” Flack said gently. She looked at him in confusion.

“What movie?” she asked.

“Iron Man. Remember?”

“You insisted that you had to come with us,” Danny said. “And you slept through the entire thing.” She frowned.

“I missed it?” she asked sadly. Flack nodded. “Damn. I really wanted to see it.”

“There’ll be other times,” Flack said gently. She caught his eyes, and knew immediately that he knew exactly what she’d been dreaming about. She blushed, looking down as she stood up. Danny looked confused.

“What’s wrong?” he asked her. She shook her head. “Kacey, just tell me, honey.”

“Just, a weird dream,” she said simply. Flack watched her, eyes filled with concern while Danny continued to try to put the puzzle together.

“You were talking in your sleep. You kept mentioning some guy… Tim…” Her face grew even darker, and she swallowed as her entire body tightened. Flack put his arm around her gently, and gave Danny a warning glance. “What’d I say?” he mouthed to Flack, before realization set in. “Oh… s***. I’m sorry, Kace.”

“It’s okay,” she replied quietly, tears stinging her eyes and voice. Flack rubbed her arm tenderly, leading her outside and away from the crowd. Once there, the muggy heat of the New York summer hit her, and she sniffled.

“Hey,” Flack said softly. She looked at him. “You know, if you look up, you can see Tim in the stars. Just like Mom.” She nodded, giving him a small smile as she looked up to the sky.

“Yeah,” she whispered softly. “I know.”

The End.
 
I'm glad you guys liked that one... I have to admit that that's one of my favorites. That, and Sinking In (which I posted about 2 or so months ago).

This next story was one that came to me in a dream... sort of. It was this strange dream that I really can't remember (the story's about 14 months old), but it bared repeating (sort of) in a story. Thus, the following shorty, which takes place after Grave Danger, and is a straight-up friendship piece. :)

*~*~*~*

A Different Kind of Nightmare


“This place is a mess!” Nick exclaimed, looking at Warrick beside him. The crime scene was one of the worst they’d ever seen in their numerous years as criminalists. Warrick shook his head.

“They get worse every day,” he muttered. The pair stood in the middle of a bloody room with pieces of the body splayed out in every which direction. Nick looked at the clock on the wall, which read 12:00.

“We’re gonna be here for a while. Let’s get started.” Warrick nodded. “So, I’ll stay here with the… body.”

“I’m gonna go check the other rooms of the house.” Nick nodded, and Warrick went into another room. Nick took pictures and collected some trace evidence. He could hear noises coming from the other room, but he figured they were just from Warrick collecting evidence. He glanced at the clock on the wall again. 11:45. He furrowed his brow in confusion. Wasn’t it just midnight not that long ago? Shrugging, he continued to work quietly.

“Hey, Rick, I think I found the weapon,” he said aloud, looking at a knife hiding under the couch cushion. He didn’t know what possessed him to look under the couch cushion, but he did anyway.

“Sweet!” he heard Warrick’s muffled reply from the other room and smiled. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all. He glanced up at the clock again. 1:45. It’d been two hours already? He shook his head. Time flies on crime scenes. He took in a deep breath, and began choking. Smoke filled his lungs, and the situation registered in his head.

“Rick, we better get out of here! I think the house is on fire!” He didn’t wait for an answer, choosing to grab his evidence and his kit and run out of the house. Sure enough, the house was burning down, and Nick collapsed on the lawn, coughing. He looked back quickly as the house exploded. Warrick never made it out. “RICK!!”

He stood up, and found himself dressed in a tux, standing at the end of a coffin. The photographs around told him he was at Warrick’s funeral, but he couldn’t believe this was happening. He could barely hear Ecklie’s eulogy, could barely make out the faces of the crowd. He was solely focused on Tina’s distraught sobs. As the ceremony apparently concluded, she walked up to him.

“This is your fault,” she cried. “You left him alone. You let that jerk do this to him.”

“Tina, I’m sorry,” he heard himself apologize. “I didn’t know the guy was gonna come back.”

“You didn’t even try to save him! You left him there to die! This is all your fault, Nick!”

“Tina, I’m really sorry.”

“Sorry isn’t going to bring my husband back. It isn’t going to give my child his father. Sorry isn’t good enough, Nick! You should’ve died, not him. You’ve cheated death too many times.” She pulled out a gun, the very thing that she hated Warrick having, and pointed it in his face. “You’re not going to cheat it this time.” Aimed high at his head, she pulled the trigger.

Nick fell off the bed, hitting the floor with a loud thud. Warrick jumped awake from his spot next to the bed. “You okay, man?” he asked.

“You’re alive,” Nick replied, looking up at him. Warrick knelt beside him and started to help him up.

“I’m fine, bro. You okay?”

“What happened?”

“You don’t remember?” Nick thought back as he climbed on his bed, and remembered now.

“Thanks for finding me.” Warrick sighed.

“I’m just glad you’re alive, man. What was your dream about if it made you forget about being buried?”

“We were at a crime scene, and it blew up, and you were still in the house. Tina was yelling at me for letting you die, and she was pregnant, and we were at your funeral. It felt so real, man.”

“Yeah, but it was only a dream, bro. I’m here, and so are you. It was only a dream.” Warrick took Nick’s hand in his and squeezed it. “You’re okay.”

“I’m not okay, man,” Nick said softly, thinking about everything that had happened over the past day or so.

“You’re alive,” Warrick replied. “The rest we can deal with as it comes.” Nick nodded, squeezing Warrick’s hand. Warrick smiled softly. “Go back to sleep, Nick. You’re safe now.”

“Yeah, I know.” Nick closed his eyes, lulling himself back to sleep. “Night, Rick.”

“Night, Nicky.”
 
I'm glad you didn't kill him :)
How come they're sharing a bed? Is it slash or something else? Just curious.
 
oh crap I didn't see your friendship note, and somehow didn't read the hospital part into it. Thanks
 
It's been a while since I posted one, so I figured I'd jump in here again.

This is story in which I tried not to reveal the main character except through the actions of the story. In the last paragraph is where I finally say the name, and I kinda liked this story. So, without further ado...

*~*~*~*

You Still Have All Of Me

He sat alone in the apartment, feet on the coffee table, lights on dimly. He thought about lighting candles and shutting off the lights, but that would make things worse. Because then he’d think about how alone he was, and how everyone else had some pseudo-functional relationship, and he was alone.

Still.

Part of him wanted to pretend that didn’t bother him. The solitude, not worrying about someone eating all your food or taking up a lot of space, keeping things the way he wanted them… they were things he’d all grown accustomed to over the years.

Conversely, he was sick of being alone.

He had bad luck with relationships. He had friends take advantage of him, girlfriends dump him. He was engaged once… only to have her die in a car accident the night before their wedding.

Even his family wasn’t something he could ever rely on. His father lived to taunt him and push him around. His mother, as much as he loved her, was no help with that situation. His siblings were all younger than him, looked up to him for protection, but were now off doing their own thing and living their own lives. And as much as he was proud of them for finding their way, he envied them for being functional.

It wasn’t that he was completely dysfunctional. He had a steady, good paying job. He had great coworkers who supported him. They were more of a family than his biological one had ever been.

But, so much was still missing.

Like love. Love was missing from his life. He didn’t have a girlfriend, that deep familial bond, or best friends whom he loved to death. He knew that was mostly due to his strange quirks and his inane ability to keep everyone at arm’s length. But, truth be told, he didn’t want to get hurt. Of course, not having love was hurting him just as badly, so that was a vicious cycle with no end.

He didn’t trust people easily. It took him a while to work into the relationships he had at work, and even then, they weren’t the best. He wasn’t one of the guys, one of the girls, or really one of Mac’s chosen ones. He was just there, day in, day out. He wasn’t sure that they’d even notice if he were to drop off the radar.

But he wanted to believe they would.

He sighed, closing his eyes and sinking deeper into the couch. Things would be different if his childhood hadn’t been so screwed up. Oldest of three, middle class neighborhood, enough money to be happy. Everyone always believed that someone from that environment couldn’t possibly be as screwed up as he found himself.

No one ever believed him when he told him or her what his father did to him. Not one person as he was growing up. Because his father was a good guy, a hometown hero, a decent man who worked hard for his family. But his oldest son saw a different side of him.

He sighed, shaking his head. He didn’t want to think about the things he’d endured as a child. To this day, the memory was still too painful. Even the mere thought of it sent him curling into a little ball on his couch.

But that tainted view of life and people’s disbelief lead him to where he was now- alone, afraid to trust, and scared of life. He wanted so badly to break out of this, but he didn’t know what else to do. He wasn’t sure how.

He sat up quickly, realization setting in on what he needed to do. It was Friday afternoon, and he wasn’t working all weekend. A solo road trip sounded like just the cure he needed at this moment. He packed the few things he would need- a couple changes of clothing, his wallet, his laptop, his cell phone, and his phone charger. He grabbed his keys, walking out of his apartment. He quickly climbed in his car, turning it on and heading out of the city.

He headed north on 95, not sure where exactly he was going on this road trip, but knowing that he was just going. Maybe he’d go to Boston. He always wanted to go there. It was a nice place.

Or hell, maybe even Newport. It’d be great to see the mansions again. He’d seen a couple in his random ventures up the coast, but there were so many more to see and so much to take in. Plus, Newport was good for nightlife.

Well, so was Boston.

He crossed the Connecticut border, trying to decide. Either way, he was taking the scenic route to his destination. Where he was going didn’t matter. Maybe he’d head out to the Cape. Maybe New Hampshire. Or Maine.

He pulled off on one exit, getting dinner and taking a restroom break. He was already halfway into Connecticut, and even with night falling, he still felt the need to go further. He needed to get away. Away from the loneliness, away from New York, and away from his problems.

He made it over the border into Rhode Island as the sky turned black and stars illuminated it. He smiled to himself at the beauty of everything around him. The highway always was a decent place to see nature.

Another motorist roared up beside him, and he sighed. Typical Rhode Island drivers. He maintained a steady speed while the driver tried to avoid a slower car in the other lane by pulling into his lane.

He felt the cars collide before he knew what was going on. His car spun on the roadway, crashing into the barrier in the median hard. He closed his eyes as the world around him seemed to drift away.

*~*~*~*

The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was the dim lighting of the room. He heard movement beside him, and he tried to turn his head, but couldn’t. He frowned as he heard someone stand up.

Mac leaned over, looking at him. He looked back with a soft frown. “Mac,” he whispered hoarsely.

“Hey,” Mac said softly. “How are you feeling?”

“Sore.”

“Do you remember what happened?” He shook his head, and Mac nodded. “You were in a car accident. Doctors say you’re going to be okay.”

“That’s good.” Stella appeared in his peripheral vision, and he smiled.

“We’re glad you’re okay,” she said softly. Danny and Lindsay stepped out of the shadows, joined shortly by Hawkes.

“Thanks, guys,” he replied, taking in the sight.

“We came out here the second we heard,” Hawkes said.

“We were so worried,” Lindsay added. Danny said nothing, but he didn’t have to. The look on his face said enough.

Adam looked at the group around him, smiling slightly to himself. He had misjudged what he meant to the team. They were more than just his coworkers. They were his friends and, truth be told, his family. He sighed quietly, and Mac looked at everyone. “Maybe we should get going,” he said. “Adam needs to rest.” The group agreed, saying their goodbyes and promising to drop by in the morning. And as they walked out the door, Adam drifted to sleep, realizing that he now had everything he needed.

The End.
 
Very nice story. I was thinking it was Nick after the line about all the siblings until the thing about not having any friends. Then the quirky line made me think maybe Greg, but then I remember the siblings thing and remembered Greg's an only child... so, I started to wonder if it was Ryan. Then I saw Mac's name and thought "Oh, it must be Adam". :lol: So, you had me wondering up to that point. Good job. :D Our poor lonely Adam. Guess he's not as lonely or as unimportant as he thought he was.
 
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I couldn't figure out who it was until I saw the part about Mac...I did know about what Adam said in a couple eps. Nice work :)
 
Okay, I know I haven't posted in a while... I've been wicked busy, and I apologize. This next one-shot was a post-ep for "Art Imitates Life," taking place after Greg and Riley find the kid. I hope you enjoy. :D

*~*~*~*

Talking it Out

He wasn’t sure what he was doing, but he didn’t care. He’d been feeling that a lot lately. Confusion on why he was doing what he was doing, but not caring about the reasoning. He knew deep down why. He just didn’t want to admit it.

He missed Warrick.

He hadn’t the guts to tell his younger colleague that he knew he’d been in the counselor’s office. For one, the fact that he knew felt like an invasion on the man’s privacy. For another, that was admitting that he went up there to talk to the psychiatrist.

So he stayed in the break room, sitting down on the couch.

The colleague in question entered the break room, sighing and flopping into another chair. Hodges looked over to him, finding the young man wiped. “What happened?” he asked softly. Greg turned his head to look at the trace tech.

“Found the kid,” he replied quietly.

“Was he…”

“Riley brought him back.” Greg’s head sank to his chest, and Hodges nodded in the silence, not sure what to say.

*~*~*~*

“Wanna grab a beer?”

The question snapped Greg out of the memories of the warehouse that had intermingled with his life of the past few weeks. He picked his head up to look into the sincere face of David Hodges, and something inside him told him to say yes.

“Sure,” he told the older man softly. Being done for the day, the two of them left the crime lab after a quick goodbye and half-hearted invite to Grissom. Half-hearted not just because they knew he’d say no, but also because they didn’t exactly want him there.

This was between them.

They sank into a booth at a nearby bar and grill, both of them being rather hungry as well. The silence wasn’t overly awkward, but it wasn’t exactly comfortable. As two people that tended to bump heads in a competitive manner in the lab, them going out for a beer was a new thing. And they’d been working together for almost six years.

But Warrick had been there longer.

Greg couldn’t believe how easily his thoughts kept reverting to his fallen friend. These past few weeks felt like torture every time he stepped into the lab. Every time he turned the corner, he expected to see Warrick standing there. He expected him to walk through the door and start talking about something or other.

“Me too,” Hodges said softly. Greg furrowed his brow.

“Huh?” he asked.

“You said that you kept expecting to see Warrick everywhere.”

“I said that out loud?” At Hodges’ nod, Greg shrugged. “I didn’t notice.”

“Yeah, you’ve been lost the past few weeks.” Hodges’ voice was soft, genuinely concerned for the young CSI before him. “Frankly, I have been too. I keep expecting Warrick to come in for results.”

“It sucks,” Greg said, taking a drink of the beer he just realized was in front of him.

“It does,” Hodges agreed, taking a drink of his own beer. “Do you remember the first time you met him?” Hodges watched a smile fill Greg’s features at the memory.

“Oh, yeah. He was there before I was, and I remember sitting in my lab on my first day there when he came in with Captain Brass, who was leading the lab at the time. Brass made a comment about me being the newbie, and I launched into this long explanation of the results… I guess I did it to prove that I knew what I was talking about. Brass left about halfway through, not caring anymore and asking that Warrick just tell him later, and after Warrick said, ‘I know what you’re talking about, so what is it?’ He was just, direct and to the point. And I gave him the results, and he said, ‘thanks… you know, he’s tough on everyone, so ignore him.’ He introduced himself, then said he had to go. He invited me to go with him and Nick, though, to go grab a beer after work.” Greg traced a finger along the label of the bottle before taking a drink.

“How long ago was that?” Hodges asked. Greg chuckled.

“About a decade ago. How about you? When was the first time you met Warrick?”

“It was shortly after I transferred here. He stopped in for results. He was nice.”

“Until you opened your mouth,” Greg quipped slightly, and Hodges’ smiled.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Hodges replied, taking the hit. Both men fell silent as their food was put in front of them along with another round of drinks. As the waitress walked away, Hodges sighed. “I miss him,” he said quietly.

“Yeah, me too,” Greg replied.

Hodges was observant enough to notice that Greg wasn’t eating much. In fact, he’d noticed in the past few weeks that Greg wasn’t really eating anything. He wasn’t sure he should press the issue, or bring it up with someone else. They weren’t that close, after all…

Greg noticed Hodges’ intense concentration on the plate in front of him, and he furrowed his brow. Hodges seemed to have a lot on his mind, and Greg always was the kind of person to sacrifice for the betterment of others. It was something that had been grained into him as a child, and he’d continue now.

“What’s on your mind?” Greg asked softly.

Hodges looked up to meet Greg’s concerned look, and he sighed. Now or never, he thought to himself before saying, “I’m worried about you.”

“Me?” Greg asked, confused.

“Yeah. You don’t look so good. I know Warrick’s death has been hard on you, I understand that. But… I was wondering if there was anything I could do, you know? Help you out?”

Those words seemed strange coming out of the mouth of David Hodges, arguably the most self-centered, arrogant ass of the lab. But the fact that he did say it made it feel real, like he actually meant what he was saying. Greg gave Hodges a weak attempt at a genuine smile.

“I wish you could,” he said sadly. Hodges nodded in understanding, and Greg looked down. “But, thanks, though.”

“Anytime,” Hodges said sincerely. Having moved the elephant aside for the moment, the two settled into a lighter pattern of conversation, talking about other things going on in their lives and what they thought of the new CSI. Greg figured she might eventually settle in, but couldn’t wait until that time. Hodges joked that she’d leave because she wouldn’t be able to stand working with them. Greg laughed softly. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to say it happened.

“Man, I still can’t believe it,” Greg said after the moment died down. “I can’t believe he’s dead. That I’ll never see him walking around the lab again. Never hear him talking about the game or some stupid thing that happened the other night. You know?”

“Yeah,” Hodges said quietly.

“I miss him. He was a good guy… he didn’t deserve that. he shouldn’t have gone out like that. He… he was a hero to so many people, and he was… killed like that… I just…” Greg fell silent, and Hodges took a drink of his beer.

“I know what you mean,” he urged quietly.

“I couldn’t bring myself to enter autopsy,” Greg whispered, tears stinging his eyes and voice. Hodges watched quietly. “I didn’t… I couldn’t see him like that. I know everyone else did, but… I couldn’t. I wasn’t at the scene, thankfully. I… I don’t think I could’ve handled that. He was like my brother, you know? We worked together for the better part of ten years.”

“That’s a long time.”

“Yeah.” Greg sighed deeply, dropping his head as the alcohol and mostly empty stomach allowed for the free falling of his emotions. Hodges frowned sympathetically as Greg lost his composure, burying his head in his arms on the table. He put his hand on the CSI’s shoulder, and Greg didn’t react. After a moment, he composed himself again, saying, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Hodges assured him quietly, patting Greg’s shoulder gently.

“It’s not fair.”

“It never is.” Hodges’ voice had an air of recognition to it, and had the CSI been on his game, he would’ve noticed it. Instead, Greg wiped away his remaining tears before picking up his head.

“Thanks for dinner and the drinks, but I think I need to get home,” Greg said quickly.

“Let me drive you,” Hodges replied, pulling out his wallet.

“No, I’ll be okay.”

“Greg, you had a few beers and almost nothing to eat. I don’t want you driving home like that.”

Greg sighed after looking at Hodges’ face. He knew he wasn’t going to win that argument, so he nodded silently. Greg dropped enough money on the table to cover his part, and Hodges did the same. The two of them left, Greg stumbling slightly from the alcohol, his fatigue, and the draining of emotions he had done at the table. Hodges quietly guided him to the car, helping him into the car.

The ride to Greg’s place was silent save for Greg giving directions, since Hodges was the only member of the team that had yet to go there. Hodges followed Greg up the stairs to make sure the man didn’t fall backwards and crack his skull open. Greg seemed to have a good grasp on everything, though, so the assistance wasn’t really needed. Greg opened his apartment door, being greeted by his kitten at the front door.

“How old?” Hodges asked softly.

“12 weeks,” Greg replied, picking up the kitten. Hodges smiled, petting the cat. “I got her two weeks ago.” Hodges nodded, understanding.

“Yeah.”

“Thanks for everything, Hodges,” Greg said after a moment. “Dinner, the talk, everything. I needed it.”

“You’re welcome,” Hodges replied. “I’m gonna head home. Give me a call if there’s anything else I can do, okay?”

“Alright. Take care.”

“You too.” Hodges left Greg’s apartment, making his way to the car. He knew this entire thing was a process, and it would take them all quite some time to get through it. But he realized today they didn’t have to do it alone, and he wasn’t going to let them.

*~*~*~*

Greg closed the door behind Hodges, taking the kitten into deeper into the apartment. He kissed the animal on top of the head as he put it down on the bed and lay down next to it. He scratched it behind the ears as he let his tears fall down. Today had been the day for pulling things out, and he was thankful, honestly thankful, that Hodges had offered to help with that. The kitten moved to rub against his face, providing an attempt as a shedding, furry Kleenex for him as he sniffled. This was a time they needed to stick together, he realized, and he was glad to see that they would. All of them.

They’d get through this as a team.

The end.
 
Aww, Greg brought tears to my eyes when he was crying. And I liked Hodges being so nice and caring toward Greg. I know he's capable and I wish the show's writers would let him. :)
 
Okay, I don't even WATCH the original CSI much, and this STILL brought tears to it eyes! Very well done! ^^

I especially loved the bit about the kitten providing an attempt as a shedding, furry Kleenex! <3
 
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