ladyhunter
Head of the Swing Shift
The Competition
PG-13
Nick sat in the break room. He had just worked a 12 hour shift and he was too tired to get up and go home. He was working on the last of his coffee and was making up his mind to leave CSI for the day.
Then she walked by. She had tears in her eyes. She looked over at him and he saw her from the corner of his eye. “Sara, Wait up”. He said in a louder than usual voice.
“Nick”, she said breathlessly. “Sara, what’s the matter?” “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m okay.” Sara said with some anger in her voice.
Nick stood there and looked at Sara for a few minutes. He was surprised that she didn’t walk away.
He finally spoke to her. “Why do you let him treat you that way?” Nick cringed. He really didn’t mean to say that to Sara, but he let it slip out. “WHAT?” Sara retorted.
Sara then didn’t say anything for a few minutes. Her face went from anger to sadness.
Another tear fell from her eyes. Nick wiped it away.
“Sara, what’s going on…between you and Grissom?” “What do you mean?” She replied hoping that Nick wouldn’t delve into very complicated situation she had created for herself.
“Sara, I know. Everyone knows” “You don’t have much of a poker face.” Nick said with a smile hoping that would bring a smile to her face also.
“I suppose you’ll find out anyway.” She said with some sarcasm.
“Grissom and I were working a case. A boy was found strangled. It was so sad. But the evidence pointed to one of the family members. What is the one thing that Grissom always tells us?” Sara asked. Nick replied. “Follow the evidence.” “Right.” Said Sara. “So I did.” I followed all procedures. I still got the same answers. I made Wendy run the DNA twice, which she didn’t appreciate, same with Hodges in the Trace Lab. I think all the lab techs have it in for me.” Sara said with a slight smile. “I wouldn’t worry about it.” Said Nick.
“So, I called Detective Vega to meet me at PD so I could give the family an update. You know, let them know how things are going. I really think they need some closure on this case.” “So, that’s no big deal.” Said Nick. “We do that all the time.” “Well, Grissom chewed my head off for it.” He said that I ‘went behind his back’ on the case. Normally he lets me run with a case if I have a lead or anything. I don’t understand why this is any different?” Sara was looking at her feet. “I have a pretty good idea why.” Said Nick.
“Oh yeah, what’s that?” Sara replied sarcastically. “Now that you and Grissom are in a “relationship”, (Nick made quotes with his hands) the rules are different. His expectations of you are different.” “I don’t know, Nick.” “You don’t think so?” Nick asked. He was trying to see if Sara could answer the question. “Do you want to know what else I think?” Nick said. “Not really, but you are going to tell me anyway.” Sara said smiling again.
“I think you are in a competition. You are competing against yourself. You are trying to prove something to him. That you are good enough; good enough to be his lover, and a good CSI.”
“Nick, Sara interrupted. “You don’t know what you are talking about.” “Don’t I?” he said back.
With that, Sara ended the conversation and walked down the hall and out the door of the building.
“Great Nick, Just Great, Now look what you did.” He said to himself as he left shortly after Sara.
Later that evening in his apartment Nick couldn’t sleep. He was lying in bed. His restless mind wouldn’t let him do much of anything. He had a lot of nervous energy and he didn’t know why.
He tried to exercise earlier but his heart wasn’t in it, he tried to watch TV, same thing. He logged onto the computer and checked his email; one from dad, one from his sister Katherine and his nephew Kevin. He was in no mood to reply to any of them at the moment. Why was he so upset? What was bugging him so much? Then it dawned on him. It was HER; she was making him so upset. BUT WHY?
What did he care that she and Grissom were in a relationship? It’s not she doesn’t know what she is doing, and that Grissom is her boss, his boss, everyone’s boss. Why should that matter to him? It did. It didn’t feel right to him. It wasn’t just the fact that Gil Grissom was their boss. It wasn’t the fact that he is considerably older than both he and Sara. No, it was something else.
It was that she was with HIM. THAT WAY!
That Grissom got to touch her face and wipe away her tears. That Grissom got to kiss her lips and hold her.
That Grissom gets to make love to her.
He gets to make her laugh, and be the first one she wakes up to in the morning.
She gets to hear all his bug stories and listens to him while he reads Shakespeare to her.
AAARRRRGGGHHH! Thought Nick. Why did this matter so much to him?
Maybe it was a competition? And he was the looser? Grissom won and Sara was the prize? No, that’s not right. But maybe he was in the competition but just didn’t realize it until now. That’s why it bothers him so much that she is in a relationship with him. Of all the people in Vegas, she chose Gil Grissom.
THAT is what has been bugging Nick!
He thought about her some more.
He remembers when they first met. “She’s hot” he thought as he first saw her. That was So FRAT BOY, he couldn’t believe it. He realized after he had said it.
Nick watched her. He watched how she used to hang out in Grissom’s doorway. How she would seek Grissom out for advice on a case. How she sat crying one time in HIS office after a hard case. Nick knew that Sara and Gil knew each other before she came to Vegas. But it was still hard to watch.
Then she started to lighten up. She was funny, and smart, and pretty and he also noticed the perfume she began to wear, and the lipstick and the way she did her hair. Nick knew who she was wearing the perfume for, and the lipstick and her hair. It wasn’t for Nick. It was for Grissom. So HE would notice her.
But she also flirted with Nick. “Maybe I should ask her out?” he thought about three years ago. But he didn’t. He couldn’t work up enough nerve.
But he always felt there was something more between him and Sara, some thing more than friends. But why was she always worried about Grissom, and about what he thought?
KNOCK, KNOCK,
“Nick? Nicky are you there? It’s… It’s Sara.” “Hang on Sara, I’ll be right there.”
He quickly jumped out of bed, threw on a T-shirt and jeans and went to the door and opened it.
“What’s going on Sara?” “Why are you here?” Nick asked with some authority.
“Can I come in?” “Sure, sure come in.” He looked at her face again. Tears were in her eyes, she had been crying.
“Are you okay?” Nick asked. “Yeah, I’m fine.” Sara said back quietly. “Really?” Nick replied back.
Nick asked again. “Sara, why are you here?” “What’s going on?”
“It’s Grissom.” Sara said. “I got to thinking about what you said, about being in a competition.” “Go on.” said Nick. “Maybe you are right. Maybe I am competing against myself.”
Sara then sighed and walked towards the couch. She sat down and sighed again.
“Nicky, it is supposed to work between the two of us, Grissom and me.” “But something doesn’t feel right.” “I’m not sure what it is.” “He was supposed to be my SAVIOR. He was supposed to take me away and love me and everything would be okay.”
“I felt if we were together and loved each other, then all the barriers between us would fall away. But it’s not that easy.” “I am constantly feeling like I have something to prove to him. Like I am competing like you said, to win his love.” “It never used to be that way.” “Maybe I put myself there. But I thought it would be different once we decided to be together. “I guess I thought he would change. I thought we could talk about things. I thought he could open up to me and that our lives would be free from all the secrets. But it’s not that way. Grissom is still as aloof and private as always. I think even more now. He doesn’t talk about anything, not to me, not to you, not to anyone.
“Love isn’t always easy. “ Nick interrupted as he sat on the couch next to Sara.
“I know, but somehow I thought loving him would be.”
Nick looked at Sara’s face for awhile. She was looking away from Nick.
“Do you love him?” Nick asked. He wasn’t sure why he asked but now he had to know.
“He’s a good man.” Sara said quietly while she turned her face back toward Nick.
“Yes, he is, but you haven’t answered my question.” “Do you love him?” Nick almost demanded. His eyes are fixated on Sara. “YES, I DO!” Sara said raising her voice. (A long pause in the conversation) “Or at least I think I do?”
“Then why are you with him?” Nick said under his breath.
“WHAT?” “What the HELL is that supposed to mean?”
“Look Sara, I don’t know what you want me to say. Do you think by coming here that I would tell you that everything is going to be alright between you and Grissom?” “Do you think that I’m going to tell you that everything will be okay?” “Sara, I can’t, I just can’t do that.” stated Nick. ( another long pause)
“Sara, why are you with him?” Nick wanted to know the answer to that question even more. “If it’s really like you say, and you are competing for him, then again, why are you with him?”
“I don’t have to answer that!” Sara gets up off the couch and starts to head towards the door.
“And I wouldn’t talk if I were you Nick.” Sara said as she turned towards Nick. “You think I’m in a competition, have you looked at yourself?” “I’m not the only one in the lab who is practically begging for his approval.” Sara said while she looked right at Nick. “So THAT’S IT”. Nick practically yelled as he got off the couch. “So you and I are in a competition for GRISSOM?” “Is that it?” “THAT’S RIDICULOUS!” Nick said in a loud voice. “Yes, Yes I do, I think that you are jealous because I get all of his attention.” “That’s what I think.” Sara stated as she began to walk back towards Nick. “YEAH!” “Well I’m not the one sleeping with him!” Nick said angrily.
“That was uncalled for!” Sara said angrily back.
A long silence between Nick and Sara……………..
“Sara, I’m sorry, you’re right, that was uncalled for.” Nick said quietly. He walked towards Sara who was still standing by the door.
He took her hand as her head hung and he noticed more tears coming from her eyes.
He lifted her chin up and wiped away her tears again, for the second time.
“OH Nick, what am I doing?’ “Sara, you are doing what you thought was right, what you thought would make you happy.” Maybe you are right, and I do seek his approval more often, and I do care what he thinks, but I’m not his lover Sara, you are.” “Maybe we are in some weird sort of competition, where we are competing against ourselves for him.”
“So Nicky, can I ask you a question?” Sara said quietly. “Sure, ask me anything.” Nick replied.
“Why do you care so much about me and Grissom anyway?” “Why does it bother you so much?” “What makes you say that?” Nick asked, hoping that he wouldn’t have to tell Sara his true feelings. “Nicky, you don’t have much of a poker face either.” Sara said with a smile hoping now she would make Nick smile.
“Why do you care so much that Grissom and I are in a relationship?” She asked again this time looking right into Nick’s eyes.
Nick swallowed and took a deep breath. This is the time to tell her. Tell her Nick, tell her how you feel….
“Because Sara…..” “Because WHY Nick?”
“Because I LOVE YOU!” “I LOVE YOU SARA!”
FIN
PG-13
Nick sat in the break room. He had just worked a 12 hour shift and he was too tired to get up and go home. He was working on the last of his coffee and was making up his mind to leave CSI for the day.
Then she walked by. She had tears in her eyes. She looked over at him and he saw her from the corner of his eye. “Sara, Wait up”. He said in a louder than usual voice.
“Nick”, she said breathlessly. “Sara, what’s the matter?” “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m okay.” Sara said with some anger in her voice.
Nick stood there and looked at Sara for a few minutes. He was surprised that she didn’t walk away.
He finally spoke to her. “Why do you let him treat you that way?” Nick cringed. He really didn’t mean to say that to Sara, but he let it slip out. “WHAT?” Sara retorted.
Sara then didn’t say anything for a few minutes. Her face went from anger to sadness.
Another tear fell from her eyes. Nick wiped it away.
“Sara, what’s going on…between you and Grissom?” “What do you mean?” She replied hoping that Nick wouldn’t delve into very complicated situation she had created for herself.
“Sara, I know. Everyone knows” “You don’t have much of a poker face.” Nick said with a smile hoping that would bring a smile to her face also.
“I suppose you’ll find out anyway.” She said with some sarcasm.
“Grissom and I were working a case. A boy was found strangled. It was so sad. But the evidence pointed to one of the family members. What is the one thing that Grissom always tells us?” Sara asked. Nick replied. “Follow the evidence.” “Right.” Said Sara. “So I did.” I followed all procedures. I still got the same answers. I made Wendy run the DNA twice, which she didn’t appreciate, same with Hodges in the Trace Lab. I think all the lab techs have it in for me.” Sara said with a slight smile. “I wouldn’t worry about it.” Said Nick.
“So, I called Detective Vega to meet me at PD so I could give the family an update. You know, let them know how things are going. I really think they need some closure on this case.” “So, that’s no big deal.” Said Nick. “We do that all the time.” “Well, Grissom chewed my head off for it.” He said that I ‘went behind his back’ on the case. Normally he lets me run with a case if I have a lead or anything. I don’t understand why this is any different?” Sara was looking at her feet. “I have a pretty good idea why.” Said Nick.
“Oh yeah, what’s that?” Sara replied sarcastically. “Now that you and Grissom are in a “relationship”, (Nick made quotes with his hands) the rules are different. His expectations of you are different.” “I don’t know, Nick.” “You don’t think so?” Nick asked. He was trying to see if Sara could answer the question. “Do you want to know what else I think?” Nick said. “Not really, but you are going to tell me anyway.” Sara said smiling again.
“I think you are in a competition. You are competing against yourself. You are trying to prove something to him. That you are good enough; good enough to be his lover, and a good CSI.”
“Nick, Sara interrupted. “You don’t know what you are talking about.” “Don’t I?” he said back.
With that, Sara ended the conversation and walked down the hall and out the door of the building.
“Great Nick, Just Great, Now look what you did.” He said to himself as he left shortly after Sara.
Later that evening in his apartment Nick couldn’t sleep. He was lying in bed. His restless mind wouldn’t let him do much of anything. He had a lot of nervous energy and he didn’t know why.
He tried to exercise earlier but his heart wasn’t in it, he tried to watch TV, same thing. He logged onto the computer and checked his email; one from dad, one from his sister Katherine and his nephew Kevin. He was in no mood to reply to any of them at the moment. Why was he so upset? What was bugging him so much? Then it dawned on him. It was HER; she was making him so upset. BUT WHY?
What did he care that she and Grissom were in a relationship? It’s not she doesn’t know what she is doing, and that Grissom is her boss, his boss, everyone’s boss. Why should that matter to him? It did. It didn’t feel right to him. It wasn’t just the fact that Gil Grissom was their boss. It wasn’t the fact that he is considerably older than both he and Sara. No, it was something else.
It was that she was with HIM. THAT WAY!
That Grissom got to touch her face and wipe away her tears. That Grissom got to kiss her lips and hold her.
That Grissom gets to make love to her.
He gets to make her laugh, and be the first one she wakes up to in the morning.
She gets to hear all his bug stories and listens to him while he reads Shakespeare to her.
AAARRRRGGGHHH! Thought Nick. Why did this matter so much to him?
Maybe it was a competition? And he was the looser? Grissom won and Sara was the prize? No, that’s not right. But maybe he was in the competition but just didn’t realize it until now. That’s why it bothers him so much that she is in a relationship with him. Of all the people in Vegas, she chose Gil Grissom.
THAT is what has been bugging Nick!
He thought about her some more.
He remembers when they first met. “She’s hot” he thought as he first saw her. That was So FRAT BOY, he couldn’t believe it. He realized after he had said it.
Nick watched her. He watched how she used to hang out in Grissom’s doorway. How she would seek Grissom out for advice on a case. How she sat crying one time in HIS office after a hard case. Nick knew that Sara and Gil knew each other before she came to Vegas. But it was still hard to watch.
Then she started to lighten up. She was funny, and smart, and pretty and he also noticed the perfume she began to wear, and the lipstick and the way she did her hair. Nick knew who she was wearing the perfume for, and the lipstick and her hair. It wasn’t for Nick. It was for Grissom. So HE would notice her.
But she also flirted with Nick. “Maybe I should ask her out?” he thought about three years ago. But he didn’t. He couldn’t work up enough nerve.
But he always felt there was something more between him and Sara, some thing more than friends. But why was she always worried about Grissom, and about what he thought?
KNOCK, KNOCK,
“Nick? Nicky are you there? It’s… It’s Sara.” “Hang on Sara, I’ll be right there.”
He quickly jumped out of bed, threw on a T-shirt and jeans and went to the door and opened it.
“What’s going on Sara?” “Why are you here?” Nick asked with some authority.
“Can I come in?” “Sure, sure come in.” He looked at her face again. Tears were in her eyes, she had been crying.
“Are you okay?” Nick asked. “Yeah, I’m fine.” Sara said back quietly. “Really?” Nick replied back.
Nick asked again. “Sara, why are you here?” “What’s going on?”
“It’s Grissom.” Sara said. “I got to thinking about what you said, about being in a competition.” “Go on.” said Nick. “Maybe you are right. Maybe I am competing against myself.”
Sara then sighed and walked towards the couch. She sat down and sighed again.
“Nicky, it is supposed to work between the two of us, Grissom and me.” “But something doesn’t feel right.” “I’m not sure what it is.” “He was supposed to be my SAVIOR. He was supposed to take me away and love me and everything would be okay.”
“I felt if we were together and loved each other, then all the barriers between us would fall away. But it’s not that easy.” “I am constantly feeling like I have something to prove to him. Like I am competing like you said, to win his love.” “It never used to be that way.” “Maybe I put myself there. But I thought it would be different once we decided to be together. “I guess I thought he would change. I thought we could talk about things. I thought he could open up to me and that our lives would be free from all the secrets. But it’s not that way. Grissom is still as aloof and private as always. I think even more now. He doesn’t talk about anything, not to me, not to you, not to anyone.
“Love isn’t always easy. “ Nick interrupted as he sat on the couch next to Sara.
“I know, but somehow I thought loving him would be.”
Nick looked at Sara’s face for awhile. She was looking away from Nick.
“Do you love him?” Nick asked. He wasn’t sure why he asked but now he had to know.
“He’s a good man.” Sara said quietly while she turned her face back toward Nick.
“Yes, he is, but you haven’t answered my question.” “Do you love him?” Nick almost demanded. His eyes are fixated on Sara. “YES, I DO!” Sara said raising her voice. (A long pause in the conversation) “Or at least I think I do?”
“Then why are you with him?” Nick said under his breath.
“WHAT?” “What the HELL is that supposed to mean?”
“Look Sara, I don’t know what you want me to say. Do you think by coming here that I would tell you that everything is going to be alright between you and Grissom?” “Do you think that I’m going to tell you that everything will be okay?” “Sara, I can’t, I just can’t do that.” stated Nick. ( another long pause)
“Sara, why are you with him?” Nick wanted to know the answer to that question even more. “If it’s really like you say, and you are competing for him, then again, why are you with him?”
“I don’t have to answer that!” Sara gets up off the couch and starts to head towards the door.
“And I wouldn’t talk if I were you Nick.” Sara said as she turned towards Nick. “You think I’m in a competition, have you looked at yourself?” “I’m not the only one in the lab who is practically begging for his approval.” Sara said while she looked right at Nick. “So THAT’S IT”. Nick practically yelled as he got off the couch. “So you and I are in a competition for GRISSOM?” “Is that it?” “THAT’S RIDICULOUS!” Nick said in a loud voice. “Yes, Yes I do, I think that you are jealous because I get all of his attention.” “That’s what I think.” Sara stated as she began to walk back towards Nick. “YEAH!” “Well I’m not the one sleeping with him!” Nick said angrily.
“That was uncalled for!” Sara said angrily back.
A long silence between Nick and Sara……………..
“Sara, I’m sorry, you’re right, that was uncalled for.” Nick said quietly. He walked towards Sara who was still standing by the door.
He took her hand as her head hung and he noticed more tears coming from her eyes.
He lifted her chin up and wiped away her tears again, for the second time.
“OH Nick, what am I doing?’ “Sara, you are doing what you thought was right, what you thought would make you happy.” Maybe you are right, and I do seek his approval more often, and I do care what he thinks, but I’m not his lover Sara, you are.” “Maybe we are in some weird sort of competition, where we are competing against ourselves for him.”
“So Nicky, can I ask you a question?” Sara said quietly. “Sure, ask me anything.” Nick replied.
“Why do you care so much about me and Grissom anyway?” “Why does it bother you so much?” “What makes you say that?” Nick asked, hoping that he wouldn’t have to tell Sara his true feelings. “Nicky, you don’t have much of a poker face either.” Sara said with a smile hoping now she would make Nick smile.
“Why do you care so much that Grissom and I are in a relationship?” She asked again this time looking right into Nick’s eyes.
Nick swallowed and took a deep breath. This is the time to tell her. Tell her Nick, tell her how you feel….
“Because Sara…..” “Because WHY Nick?”
“Because I LOVE YOU!” “I LOVE YOU SARA!”
FIN
