CSI Fic: Battlefield (1/11)
Title: Battlefield
Chapter: 1/11
Author: Jedi Princess Clarrisani
Beta: Stalker of Shadows
Additional Helpers:
galuxkitty and
puppytraining
Fandom: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Paring(s): Nick/Greg, Grissom/Sara, Warrick/Tina, wishful Catherine/Warrick
Rating: NC-17
Total Word Count: 25, 184
Tag: The storm’s been brewing for some time now.
Summary: With a serial killer on the loose and Greg’s job on the line, Nick finds himself caught up on several battlefields - professional, personal, external and internal…
Disclaimer: Do not own. If I did, you would have found several shots of Nick and Greg in the background creeping out of the supply room after their long bouts of absence…
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“I’m just saying, man, I don’t think this is a good idea.”
Greg shrugged, slipping off his lab coat and hanging it in his locker, glancing at Nick out the corner of his eye. “You think I don’t know that?”
Nick frowned. “Then why you…”
“I’m a CSI, Nick. I’m supposed to be in the field. I earned it.” Greg shrugged, closing his locker door. “Ecklie keeps making me run the lab, even with Wendy and Henry, and I’m sick of it. If this keeps up, I’m never going to make CSI 2.”
“Okay, you’ve got a point there.” Nick leaned against the locker door, rubbing the back of his neck while watching Greg. “I don’t see why you can’t just go to Grissom.”
“Have. He says his hands are tied.” Greg shook his head as he leaned back against his own locker door. “Ecklie outranks Grissom, Atwater outranks Ecklie, so I’m taking my complaint to Atwater.”
“I just don’t see how this is going to work. You could be risking your job. Not to mention get Ecklie on your back.”
“Ecklie’s already on my back, Nicky.” Greg scowled down at the floor. “I told him to ease off, he told me I was a tech with field training who only got a chance cause I kissed Grissom’s arse. That my qualifications are as a DNA specialist, and since I’m one of the best in the country, I should be working the lab.”
“Cath thinks that since you’ve been in the field the lab’s profile has raised. Besides, G, your qualifications are lethal in the court room.”
“Tell that to Ecklie.” Greg shot a glare at the door. “And that’s exactly what I’m going to tell Atwater.”
“Okay man. Your funeral.” Nick pushed himself off the locker, pausing. “You tell Griss you’re gonna do this?”
“Nope.” Greg shrugged. “I figured he’d try and stop me.”
“Yeah, he would. He doesn’t like it when people go over his head.”
“I’m going over Ecklie’s head.” Greg sighed, rolling his eyes. “I asked Griss, he did nothing. And I better go if I want to catch Atwater.”
“Good luck.” Nick watched as Greg headed for the door. “I still say this is a bad idea.”
* * * *
Nick was just heading for bed when the phone rang, and with a sigh he moved to pick it up. He knew who it was even before he heard Greg’s voice, and judging by the time Nick knew that the younger CSI must have finished his meeting with the sheriff.
“So how’d it go?”
“Better than I expect, actually.” Greg sounded tired yet relieved, and Nick couldn’t help but feel the same, silently glad Greg had called. Nick wouldn’t have been able to sleep otherwise, wondering how it had gone. “Atwater listened to what I had to say, made me answer a few questions, then said he’s going to hold an inquiry. He thinks that all CSIs should be in the field.” He paused. “I think he was also looking for an excuse not to give me a pay bonus.”
Nick laughed. “Fair enough. So you told him you should have one?”
“If I’m in the lab, yeah. I took a pay cut to get out in the field, and I let Atwater know it.” He chuckled. “I also told him that if it keeps up, I’ll find a lab that let’s me to my job as a CSI. Not like I haven’t had any offers. Showed a couple of the letters I have to him.”
“Blackmail.” Nick chuckled, grinning. “What’d he do?
“He didn’t like the idea of me leaving, for one. That’s when he said he’d look into it.”
“And if he doesn’t? You wouldn’t really leave, would you, G?”
The pause on the other end of the phone gave Nick his answer, the smile fading from his lips.
“Greg…”
“I can’t go back to the lab, Nick.” Greg gave a frustrated sigh. “I was suffocating in there. I was going nowhere. The field…? There’s a future there. I feel like I’m going somewhere, and there’s always something new to learn. In the lab I only ever learnt new things when they came out. The field is all about discovery.”
“Yeah, G, it is.” Nick rubbed his eyes, putting the thought of Greg leaving Vegas to the back of his mind, knowing that there was no chance of getting any sleep now. “So where are you?”
“Home. And I’ll probably be in late tomorrow.”
“Why?”
“I figure that if I arrive in time for assignments, I’ll have less chance of Ecklie cornering me.”
“Fair enough.” Nick worried his lip, glancing at his clock. “Hey, how about after shift you and me go get a drink. Then you can give me the whole story.”
“Sounds good. I’ll take you up on that.”
“Cool. You’re paying for your own, by the way.”
Greg laughed. “Never said I wasn’t going to. But if you’re offering…”
“No.”
“Hey, worth a shot.” Greg chuckled. “Catch you later, Nicky.”
“You too, G.”
Nick hung up the phone, staring at it as he ran the conversation over in his mind again. Nope, no way he was going to get any sleep, not with the thought of Greg leaving in his mind. All Nick knew was that Atwater had better pull through.
* * * *
“Did you hear?” Sara smiled tightly as she slid into a seat at the break room table. “Atwater is looking into Ecklie’s treatment of the crimelab.”
Catherine looked up at her. “Where did you hear that?”
“Ecklie. He was on the phone and I happened to overhear.”
“You were eavesdropping.” Nick accused.
“No, not really.” Sara shrugged. “He sounded kind of ticked off, so I listened in in case one of us had screwed up again.”
Warrick snorted. “You really have some faith in us, don’t you.”
“I was only being cautious.”
“Yeah. Right.”
“I was!”
The conversation halted as Grissom entered, shuffling and scanning the assignments. He glanced at them over the top of his glasses before looking back down at the assignment slips.
“As you’ve probably heard, the lab is under investigation. I’m not sure of the actual circumstances, but I want you watching your backs. No mistakes.” He handed a slip to Catherine. “Woman found dead in her car in Henderson. Cause of death is unknown. Take Sara.”
He turned to Nick. “Body found washed up at Lake Mead. I want you and Warrick working this one. And no bets.”
Nick and Warrick exchanged an amused smile.
Grissom looked up, frowning. “Where’s Greg?”
“Here!” Greg slid into the room, shrugging sheepishly. “Avoiding Ecklie.”
“Mm-hm.” Grissom raised an eyebrow. “He was looking for you earlier. Wanted you to run some of dayshift’s DNA since the labs backlogged.”
The corner’s of Greg’s eyes tightened as he forced a smile, dropping into the seat beside Sara. “Which is why I was avoiding him.”
Grissom eyed him for a moment before holding up a slip between two fingers. “B & E on the East Side. You’ll have to work solo as I’m still running the Richard case. Think you can handle it?”
“If it’s a straight B & E, sure.”
“Okay.” Grissom handed Greg the slip. “Remember, watch your backs.”
“You got it.” Warrick slapped Greg on the back. “You need any help, you call and I’ll have your back.”
“Thanks, Rick.”
Nick gave Greg a thumbs up as he followed Warrick out of the room. Greg’s first solo. Nick knew he’d handle it. Besides, if Greg pulled it off, all the more to hold against Ecklie.
* * * *
“I bet the guy thought he’d get away with it. Gloves, wiped everything clean, hair net.” Greg smirked as he leaned back in his seat. “Idiot had a cold.”
Nick laughed. “Oh, you’ve got to love ‘em when they do. I once nabbed a guy who’d killed a kid cause he sneezed. If he hadn’t he might have gotten away with it.”
“You’d think they’d work it out.” Greg sipped from his drink, gesturing to Nick. “How’d your case go? Identify the body yet?’
“Nah. Jacqui’s still running the prints. Did find the murder weapon though.” Nick looked down as his glass. “Tyre iron. Found it tossed near the pier closest to the DB. No prints, but Wendy’s checking it for DNA. She’s backlogged, though.”
“Guys on Days were always as slow as shit.” Greg rolled his eyes. “I could run their results and yours in a night, come back in the next shift, and it’d be backlogged again.”
Nick raised an eyebrow. “They need someone else on Days.”
“Like that would ever happen.” Greg shook his head. “Wendy, Hodges and Henry do the best they can. I mean, Henry’s still a rookie and Hodges is a prick, but Wendy does pretty well for herself.”
“Yeah, she does.” Nick smiled. “You got a thing for her, G?”
“Who? Wendy?” Greg pulled a face. “Hell no. I mean, yeah, I’ve dated her, but I was the one who never took it any further.”
“Oh yeah? How come?”
“I guess she wasn’t my type.”
Nick smiled behind his glass. “Either she is or she isn’t, G. No guess work required.”
“Fine. She isn’t.” Greg shrugged it off. “So if you want to make a move for her, go ahead.”
“Nah. I’m not really that into Wendy.” Nick paused. “I think she enjoyed cutting my shirt off me, though.”
Greg choked on his drink, laughing. “I think any girl would enjoy cutting your shirt off, man.”
“There’d be some who wouldn’t.” Nick smiled. He knew he shouldn’t say it, but… “How about you?”
Greg looked up. “How about me what?”
“Would you enjoy cutting my shift off me?”
Greg stared at him a moment, Nick watching him closely and noting the way Greg’s eyes widened, a faint blush spreading over his cheeks. Clearing his throat, Greg averted his eyes. “So, eh… you and Warrick have a bet going over your DB?”
Avoiding the question. Interesting. “Yeah. We always do, G.” Nick sat back, looking around the bar and taking in the other patrons. “We both got COD wrong, so it’s double or nothing over the suspect. I say jealous lover; Rick says business deal gone wrong.”
“Could be robbery or blackmail.” Greg smirked. “And if you’re both wrong and I’m right?”
Nick blinked. “You, eh… want in?”
“I cracked my case. Get Griss to deal me in and yeah, I’m in.”
“Okay.” Nick smiled. “Next shift I’ll talk to Griss. He’s still on the Richard case, and Sara and Cath are all systems go on theirs, so unless another case comes up I’ll get you in.” He paused. “Initial bet was a C-note.”
“Get me in, and I’m in.” Greg smiled, swirling the lasts of his drink absently around the bottom of his glass, glancing out the window as a patrol car shot past, lights flashing and siren following in its wake. “Anything to keep me out of the lab.”
“Ecklie try to get on your back?”
“When isn’t he on my back?” Greg rolled his eyes. “Not sure what Atwater told him, but it’s got him paranoid. He’s trying to use it as an excuse to keep me in the lab.”
Nick frowned. “How’s that?”
Greg looked at him. “DNA lab’s backlogged. It doesn’t look good for Ecklie’s image, so he wants me in there cleaning up.”
“Ah.” Nick chewed his tongue, casting his gaze around. “Well, if you get stuck in the lab you could use it against Ecklie.”
“If I get stuck in the lab I’m in trouble.” Greg sighed, burying his head in his arms. “I got my report back.”
Nick’s frown deepened. “Report?”
“Progress report. Evaluation. Whatever you call it.” His hands clenched into fists as his voice tightened, becoming bitter. “I’m failing, Nicky.”
Nick blinked. “How?”
“I’m not completing enough cases.” Greg looked up at him over his arms. “I’m, as they say, under achieving. I’ve got a month to prove I’m capable, otherwise I get a pay cut or worse.”
Nick felt his stomach knot. “They want to fire you?”
Greg sighed heavily, straightening. “I’m CSI 1, Nicky. They’re not going to promote me if I don’t complete the required quota, and I’ve closed a hell of a lot less than I’m supposed to have by now.”
Nick shook his head. “They can’t fire you because Ecklie has you in the lab.”
“Ecklie doesn’t log that I’m in the lab. As far as official records go, I clock in, I do nothing all day but take up space, I pick up my pay cheque, and then I clock out.”
“Why doesn’t Ecklie log it?”
“To avoid paying me extra.” Greg scowled down at the table. “I’m in shit here, Nicky. I work the field, Atwater has nothing. I get stuck in the lab… I lose my job no matter what happens.”
“Jesus.” Nick rubbed his eyes, swallowing hard. “Tell Grissom.”
“I already told you I-”
“Tell him.” Nick looked up at him, fixing him with a hard look. “Tell him the whole story, G. The eval, logs, Atwater, everything.”
Greg set his jaw. “He won’t help, Nicky.”
“Better safe than sorry.” Nick reached out, grabbing one of Greg’s hands in his and squeezing it. “He likes you, and he of all people knows we can’t afford to lose you. Tell him.”
Greg continued to stare at him, but Nick couldn’t help but see some of the tension leave Greg’s face, and Nick felt his own leave when Greg squeezed his hand back in silent reply.
TBC...