Hmm. That was odd. A second ago the bitchy, skinny guy who had revealed himself as Greg was standing in the hallway, and as Roxanne had turned back to address him with a witty comeback, he had dissapeared into thin air. She wondered if CSIs were prone to doing that, she still hadn't come across the guy who ran this place. And yet there were other people that Roxanne wished would dissapear, like the creepy Hodges, yet they didn't.
Yet, being the cool, easy-going woman she was, Roxanne brushed it off, scanning the lab around her for someone else to talk to. One of her perfectly-groomed eyebrows raised when she saw that mousey girl Angie sitting in a lab across the hall, apparently engrossed in some kind of work. Some kind of work that Roxanne was about to investigate further.
She strode over, her heels making an impressive clicking sound on the tiled floor, and she shot Angie a dazzling smile. "Hey there hon. Roxanne Mackenzie. Want to tell me what you're up to?" She wondered how long she could wait before bringing up Nick. Maybe Greg too, this Angie might have some insight as to why that guy had a stick shoved up his ass.
"Angie Halliwell." She took a few steps closer to the woman and extended her hand, squeezing the reporter's hand a bit harder than she normally would have.
"This is the DNA lab. I was just looking over a few results for cases our CSIs were working on." Angie stated, looking around the glass enclosure. She studied the woman, Roxanne seemed a bit competitive, it was something about her body language. Angie could very well use that to her advantage, if she didn't engage in the competition, Roxanne might very well get so aggrevated she'd just leave her alone to her DNA tests.
"Nick and Greg are working on a severed foot case that was shipped to us. Once I get blood or tissue samples from the foot from Doc Robbins, I can hopefully identify our victim." Angie said with a small smile, trying her best to be pleasant.
Roxanne smiled, the girl had a sharp grip but seemed pleasant enough. She motioned for the film crew behind her to move in closer with a snap of her finger, and she leaned in slightly as well, hoping to get a peek at the papers Angie had in her hands.
Shooting her another blinding smile, she asked, "So what is it that you do here? When the blood from the foot comes in, how will you be able to use it to identify the victim? I'm sure our viewers are curious as to the process." She tried to match Angie's pleasantness, but whether she was willing to admit it or not, her interest was already waning. She was much more intent on digging some juicy gossip about Nick Stokes out of this girl.
"Hmm. Nick and Greg, you said? You friends with them?"
Angie glanced at the camera crew as it inched closer, her attention quickly returning to Roxanne. She was starting to get irritated, the last thing she needed was to be on camera, if her ex-husband saw it and knew she was in Vegas, it could be the end of her. She lay the results face down on her desk, so neither the camera nor reporter could catch a glance of evidence she hadn't been able to relate to the investigators first.
"I'm a full time DNA technician and a part time CSI. Whenever I'm needed I work in the field." Angie took a deep breath when the latter of Roxanne's questions hit her.
"Yes, I do happen to be friends with Nick and Greg." She looked at the camera anxiously. "Ms. Mackenzie, could I speak with you without an audience for a moment?"
"Hmm. What does a DNA technician do, exactly? Speak your piece, darlin', the whole world is listening." Roxanne smiled again, yet it faltered for a brief moment when Angie asked for a private word.
Regaining her composure quickly, however, she smiled graciously. "Of course." Snapping her fingers, Roxanne addressed her camera men. "Gus. Lou. Me and Angie here are gonna have a little girl talk, understand? Take a break, come back in five."
Turning back around, she pursed her lips slightly, resting her well-manicured nails on the countertop. "What can I do for ya, darlin'?"
Angie watched the camera crew depart, thankful Roxanne was at least that bit respectful. She waited till the doors closed before speaking.
"I'll tell you all you need to know about this, that is if you're genuinely concerned about the workings of my lab. However, I respectfully request my name, nor face appear anywhere on your program. I'll be happy to assist you off screen, but it's a matter of personal security." Angie looked at the reporter with a concerned gaze. She might have just committed herself to slavery while the film crews lurked but it was too much to risk anyone from New York seeing this soon-to-be national show.
As the words came out of her mouth she realized that she was still scared of him finding her. Maybe national television would be a good shove into showing him she wasn't scared. She was about to recant her statement but Roxanne was already speaking.
Roxanne raised a thin, pencilled eyebrow. Now her curiosity was sparked. What had Angie done? Did she work for the mafia? Was she in the witness protection program? Hundreds of other equally ridiculous ideas flew through her head as Angie spoke.
Shooting her a somewhat wary expression, Roxanne replied. "Well.... all right, darlin'. If it's that important to you." She said, eyebrows twisted in slight confusion. She wanted to figure out what was going on, but Roxanne knew that that would take some careful footwork, not the type of thing to rush on a girl all at once.
"So," She said, smiling again and attempting to get the conversation back around to something she was better at talking about, "That Greg. On the severed foot case. Is he always so cranky? The boy hardly wanted to talk to me, and he was pretty rude about it. What's his story?"
Angie dropped the previous comment and looked at her with a critical gaze. Roxanne had given her some room so she'd give her some. Her questions shocked her though.
"Greg? Cranky? I've never, ever, known Greg to be a cranky individual. Must be you." She said with a matter-of-factly tone. "Not saying it's a personal attack on you." Even though it was. "But the camera crew gets everyone strung out. We feel crowded and we're constantly watching our backs to make sure you guys don't compromise something."
She looked at Roxanne, gauging her reaction carefully before adding, "But for you personally, you've shaken up a few relationships around here just by walking through. You've got your work cut out for you if your crew plans on getting any cooperation. Sheriff permission or not."
Roxanne watched Angie squirm a bit. She was more defensive of Greg than he was of Nick. Odd. Maybe her signals were crossed. Maybe her crush was on Greg, and she was just biding time with Captain Creepy. "I may have shaken a few things up, but if they were so solid in the first place, I wouldn't have any effect."
Relationships?? "What do you mean relationships? I only know of your crush on Nick, and you being with Captain Creepy. No worries on that one. I wouldn't touch your man to save my life." She gave her a genuinely nice smile to soften the blow. He probably had his good points, but she wasn't going to get close enough to find out.
Roxanne had to think about that some more. "Who is that Greg guy involved with? I can't have messed anything up there, He doesn't like me much." Not that I can't change his mind. If I really wanted to.
"Really, I don't know what you people do here, but it seems to have a lot to do with dating each other. So far, I've heard your boss married one of the other CSI's. You and Hodges, Nick and..." Greg? That would explain a lot.
Angie was getting mad now, forget trying to be nice to the woman, Angie was at her wits end. "We are a solid lab. We didn't make it to the number two crime lab in the country by slacking off. Everyone here is completely and 100% dedicated to the work they do, nothing that may or may not happen in our personal lives effects what we do here, I promise you that Ms. Mackenzie. So don't you dare come in here and act like you know what's going on around here. Not to mention what happens in our personal lives is none of your business, you're here to record what we do at work, not what happens when we go home." Angie huffed, took a deep breath and then relaxed her defensive posture.
"For the record I have no feelings for Nick other than that of friendship and by 'Captain Creepy' you're referring to David Hodges from Trace it just goes to show how little you know about us here at the lab." Angie's hands were shoved down into her pockets, perhaps keeping her from doing something stupid.
When Roxanne mentioned Grissom being married, her heart dropped, it'd been the first time anyone had brought that up to her, she hadn't even talked to Grissom since, only a few phone calls to Sara just to check up on her. Angie buried her feelings and returned back to reality. "Who anyone at this lab is dating is none of your business and I suggest if you want any of it confirmed you go to the person directly, otherwise I'll have no part in your juvenile gossip. And I'd appreciate it that unless you're accompanied by a CSI you don't come back to my lab."
Roxanne was thrilled at getting this reaction. It was confirmation enough. If someone got that riled up about nothing, then it was something. "Oh, I see. I'm so glad you decided to clear that up for me. But let me tell you something, Honey. If you start dating in the workplace, there is no business relationship and personal relationship. All the boundaries are gone. You people here sure don't seem to realize that."
She smiled when Angie told her to leave the lab. Poor little girl. "I have free access to any and all parts of the lab, according to the Sheriff. As long as I keep my hands off things, I can do as I please. I'm sorry if I hurt your fragile little feelings, I just need to find a human element to the story I'm working on, or it will be a total flop and a waste of my time. If ruffling your feathers gets me something I can use, then it's worth being despised."
Angie sighed, not dropping her eyes, still challenging the reporter. Aggression wasn't working. Angie knew she had to start off with a different approach. She hated backing down after engaging in a confrontation, but she was ready to let the woman 'win' Roxanne would be out of her life soon anyway.
"Ms. Mackenzie, I have no intention of making this more difficult that it has to be. I apologize for losing my temper, it's been a long and very stressful day. If we could come to some sort of truce that would be wonderful." Angie was mentally cringing, she loathed backing down but if Roxanne thought that she'd scurried away with her tail between her legs that maybe Roxanne would get out of her damn lab.
"If you want a personal story, you don't have to come like a steamroller through all of our lives. Reporters are supposed to report. Not influence their surroundings by what they do, right? Reporters are like us in a way, we observe but don't interact. Ms. Mackenzie, if you want a human relations story, I'll give you one. Please, just drop some pressure on the rest of my team." Angie looked at her, she was starting to calm down. It was time to nip at least one of her problems in the bud and combat Roxanne at the same time.
"Now, we're getting somewhere. What kind of human interest are we talking here? Minorly interesting or just some fluff? Not that fluff isn't bad, but the show we are planning on pitching this to, they are more of a hard nosed approach." Fluff was good for Good Morning America, but not necessarily Cops or FBI Files, or Hard Crime, the show they were aiming at.
Deep down, Roxanne knew she should apologize for getting Angie's back up, but she knew that if she showed any weakness, her instinct for digging would start to fail her. The best she could do was smile with more sincerity than she'd allowed in the past.
"If you work with me on this, I promise I try to make it as pleasant as possible. But, if you are making something up to send me away, I will find out, and I will dig deeper to find what I want." Roxanne had tried to keep it civil, but the threat wormed it's way out into the open. So much for using sugar to attract the bee.
Angie took a deep breath, slightly surprised the older woman agreed, she was bracing herself for another arguement when Roxanne complied, or at least what sounded like she was giving her a break. Angie sat down in her chair, feeling as if she wouldn't have to put herself in a confrontational position any longer.
"How about an anti-domestic violence piece? I worked NYPD, my husband was also NYPD, he's currently in jail for domestic violence charges, charges which should be attempted murder." Angie said, more soft spoken this time, giving Roxanne a small insight into what she was ready to open up to national television.
"Enough human interest for you? I assure you it's not made up, you can check court and police records, in fact I was in New York not too long ago for a restraining order hearing. Everything will check out, I'd be happy to work with you as soon as I clear this with my supervisor."
"Anti-domestic violence related to cops? That's a different angle. Usually the pieces you see have to deal with white trash losers. But the Boys in Blue abusing each other? That will raise some interest." She was a little leery of the eagerness of the woman to confide in her, since she'd been nothing but a bitch prior to this, but that is how Roxie had gotten to where she is.
She didn't smell bullshit on this one, so maybe she was on the level. There was nothing Roxie hated more than putting in her time to end up with a bs story and nothing to sell the news.
Roxanne softened a bit, pulling out her personal recorder and a note pad from her purse. "You want to talk about it here, or someplace a little more private?"
Angie's jaw dropped. "Woah, woah. I definatly need to clear this by my supervisor before you air this. I'll do the interview but it's over and I'll make sure the sheriff gets rid of this if I don't get clearance. I've got no reason to trust you and I don't know why I am, but you've got to stop bugging my co-workers. I'll comply if you lay off of them."
She huffed, making sure her terms of agreement were heard. She could always clear this with Grissom later, it would keep this monkey off her back for awhile. "If you're okay with that, here or the conference room is fine, you don't get much privacy here." Angie looked up at the woman, she wasn't as concerned with herself as she was to getting a message out to women.
"Let's just get one more thing straight, this isn't about me, this is about helping other women. Women who aren't like you and let men walk all over them. I don't care about fifteen minutes of fame, it's the message, and I hope you can understand that."
Yet, being the cool, easy-going woman she was, Roxanne brushed it off, scanning the lab around her for someone else to talk to. One of her perfectly-groomed eyebrows raised when she saw that mousey girl Angie sitting in a lab across the hall, apparently engrossed in some kind of work. Some kind of work that Roxanne was about to investigate further.
She strode over, her heels making an impressive clicking sound on the tiled floor, and she shot Angie a dazzling smile. "Hey there hon. Roxanne Mackenzie. Want to tell me what you're up to?" She wondered how long she could wait before bringing up Nick. Maybe Greg too, this Angie might have some insight as to why that guy had a stick shoved up his ass.
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"This is the DNA lab. I was just looking over a few results for cases our CSIs were working on." Angie stated, looking around the glass enclosure. She studied the woman, Roxanne seemed a bit competitive, it was something about her body language. Angie could very well use that to her advantage, if she didn't engage in the competition, Roxanne might very well get so aggrevated she'd just leave her alone to her DNA tests.
"Nick and Greg are working on a severed foot case that was shipped to us. Once I get blood or tissue samples from the foot from Doc Robbins, I can hopefully identify our victim." Angie said with a small smile, trying her best to be pleasant.
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Shooting her another blinding smile, she asked, "So what is it that you do here? When the blood from the foot comes in, how will you be able to use it to identify the victim? I'm sure our viewers are curious as to the process." She tried to match Angie's pleasantness, but whether she was willing to admit it or not, her interest was already waning. She was much more intent on digging some juicy gossip about Nick Stokes out of this girl.
"Hmm. Nick and Greg, you said? You friends with them?"
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"I'm a full time DNA technician and a part time CSI. Whenever I'm needed I work in the field." Angie took a deep breath when the latter of Roxanne's questions hit her.
"Yes, I do happen to be friends with Nick and Greg." She looked at the camera anxiously. "Ms. Mackenzie, could I speak with you without an audience for a moment?"
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Regaining her composure quickly, however, she smiled graciously. "Of course." Snapping her fingers, Roxanne addressed her camera men. "Gus. Lou. Me and Angie here are gonna have a little girl talk, understand? Take a break, come back in five."
Turning back around, she pursed her lips slightly, resting her well-manicured nails on the countertop. "What can I do for ya, darlin'?"
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"I'll tell you all you need to know about this, that is if you're genuinely concerned about the workings of my lab. However, I respectfully request my name, nor face appear anywhere on your program. I'll be happy to assist you off screen, but it's a matter of personal security." Angie looked at the reporter with a concerned gaze. She might have just committed herself to slavery while the film crews lurked but it was too much to risk anyone from New York seeing this soon-to-be national show.
As the words came out of her mouth she realized that she was still scared of him finding her. Maybe national television would be a good shove into showing him she wasn't scared. She was about to recant her statement but Roxanne was already speaking.
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Shooting her a somewhat wary expression, Roxanne replied. "Well.... all right, darlin'. If it's that important to you." She said, eyebrows twisted in slight confusion. She wanted to figure out what was going on, but Roxanne knew that that would take some careful footwork, not the type of thing to rush on a girl all at once.
"So," She said, smiling again and attempting to get the conversation back around to something she was better at talking about, "That Greg. On the severed foot case. Is he always so cranky? The boy hardly wanted to talk to me, and he was pretty rude about it. What's his story?"
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"Greg? Cranky? I've never, ever, known Greg to be a cranky individual. Must be you." She said with a matter-of-factly tone. "Not saying it's a personal attack on you." Even though it was. "But the camera crew gets everyone strung out. We feel crowded and we're constantly watching our backs to make sure you guys don't compromise something."
She looked at Roxanne, gauging her reaction carefully before adding, "But for you personally, you've shaken up a few relationships around here just by walking through. You've got your work cut out for you if your crew plans on getting any cooperation. Sheriff permission or not."
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Relationships?? "What do you mean relationships? I only know of your crush on Nick, and you being with Captain Creepy. No worries on that one. I wouldn't touch your man to save my life." She gave her a genuinely nice smile to soften the blow. He probably had his good points, but she wasn't going to get close enough to find out.
Roxanne had to think about that some more. "Who is that Greg guy involved with? I can't have messed anything up there, He doesn't like me much." Not that I can't change his mind. If I really wanted to.
"Really, I don't know what you people do here, but it seems to have a lot to do with dating each other. So far, I've heard your boss married one of the other CSI's. You and Hodges, Nick and..." Greg? That would explain a lot.
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"For the record I have no feelings for Nick other than that of friendship and by 'Captain Creepy' you're referring to David Hodges from Trace it just goes to show how little you know about us here at the lab." Angie's hands were shoved down into her pockets, perhaps keeping her from doing something stupid.
When Roxanne mentioned Grissom being married, her heart dropped, it'd been the first time anyone had brought that up to her, she hadn't even talked to Grissom since, only a few phone calls to Sara just to check up on her. Angie buried her feelings and returned back to reality. "Who anyone at this lab is dating is none of your business and I suggest if you want any of it confirmed you go to the person directly, otherwise I'll have no part in your juvenile gossip. And I'd appreciate it that unless you're accompanied by a CSI you don't come back to my lab."
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She smiled when Angie told her to leave the lab. Poor little girl. "I have free access to any and all parts of the lab, according to the Sheriff. As long as I keep my hands off things, I can do as I please. I'm sorry if I hurt your fragile little feelings, I just need to find a human element to the story I'm working on, or it will be a total flop and a waste of my time. If ruffling your feathers gets me something I can use, then it's worth being despised."
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"Ms. Mackenzie, I have no intention of making this more difficult that it has to be. I apologize for losing my temper, it's been a long and very stressful day. If we could come to some sort of truce that would be wonderful." Angie was mentally cringing, she loathed backing down but if Roxanne thought that she'd scurried away with her tail between her legs that maybe Roxanne would get out of her damn lab.
"If you want a personal story, you don't have to come like a steamroller through all of our lives. Reporters are supposed to report. Not influence their surroundings by what they do, right? Reporters are like us in a way, we observe but don't interact. Ms. Mackenzie, if you want a human relations story, I'll give you one. Please, just drop some pressure on the rest of my team." Angie looked at her, she was starting to calm down. It was time to nip at least one of her problems in the bud and combat Roxanne at the same time.
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Deep down, Roxanne knew she should apologize for getting Angie's back up, but she knew that if she showed any weakness, her instinct for digging would start to fail her. The best she could do was smile with more sincerity than she'd allowed in the past.
"If you work with me on this, I promise I try to make it as pleasant as possible. But, if you are making something up to send me away, I will find out, and I will dig deeper to find what I want." Roxanne had tried to keep it civil, but the threat wormed it's way out into the open. So much for using sugar to attract the bee.
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"How about an anti-domestic violence piece? I worked NYPD, my husband was also NYPD, he's currently in jail for domestic violence charges, charges which should be attempted murder." Angie said, more soft spoken this time, giving Roxanne a small insight into what she was ready to open up to national television.
"Enough human interest for you? I assure you it's not made up, you can check court and police records, in fact I was in New York not too long ago for a restraining order hearing. Everything will check out, I'd be happy to work with you as soon as I clear this with my supervisor."
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She didn't smell bullshit on this one, so maybe she was on the level. There was nothing Roxie hated more than putting in her time to end up with a bs story and nothing to sell the news.
Roxanne softened a bit, pulling out her personal recorder and a note pad from her purse. "You want to talk about it here, or someplace a little more private?"
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She huffed, making sure her terms of agreement were heard. She could always clear this with Grissom later, it would keep this monkey off her back for awhile. "If you're okay with that, here or the conference room is fine, you don't get much privacy here." Angie looked up at the woman, she wasn't as concerned with herself as she was to getting a message out to women.
"Let's just get one more thing straight, this isn't about me, this is about helping other women. Women who aren't like you and let men walk all over them. I don't care about fifteen minutes of fame, it's the message, and I hope you can understand that."
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