Fic: Aiming for Status Quo Ante, Chapter 3 (CSI, Nick Stokes / Greg Sanders)
Title: Aiming for Status Quo Ante, Chapter 3
Fandom: CSI
Pairing: Nick Stokes / Greg Sanders
Disclaimer: Not mine, etc.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Sequel to
Two on the Couch
“Hey, Stokes!” Archie yelled and run out of his lab to catch his target.
“Did you get anything from the surveillance tapes?”
“No, I’m still working on them. I tried to call Greg, before I got here, but his
phone was off. Can you tell him Friday`s okay for me?”
“Okay for what?”
“For the celebratory bar hopping.”
“What are you celebrating?”
“His promotion, what else?”
“He got it?”
“You didn’t know?”
“No. He had something to do before my shift started, I didn’t see him all day.
When did he tell you about it?”
“Well, he told me some time ago that there was a possibility, but he sent a text
message just now. That’s why I was trying to call him.”
“Okay, I’ll tell him, but I need to get going now.”
“Tell him my congrats.”
As soon as Nick got out of the building and into his car, he snapped his cell phone
open. Greg had shut of his cell, so he chose his landline number and waited.
Finally he heard some groggy cursing coming from the other end of the line.
“Stokes…. No I need to remind you, that I don’t work in the nightshift anymore?”
“Did I wake you?”
“What do you think?”
“Why didn’t you tell me about the promotion?”
“I called you, but the number was busy. I sent Archie and some other people
messages to let them know, but I wanted to tell it to you face to face.”
“Okay. Anyway, that’s great new, G. You deserved it.”
“Thanks. And I would have called you again, but I had to take my meds. I got kinda
sleepy after that.”
“Did the shakes come again?”
“Just a little. Listen, how bout you come to my place after your shift so you can
thoroughly congratulate me?”
-------------------------------------------------
The first thing Nick noticed when he opened the door to Greg’s apartment, was the
smell of coffee. That smell always seemed to linger around. This time it was mixed
with a sweet, greasy and slightly smoky smell. Nick sniffed the air, but couldn’t
decide what it was.
“Nicky? I made breakfast.” Greg hollered from the kitchen. Nick followed his nose
and ended up staring at a big pile of slightly burned waffles.
“Awwww, babe, you made waffles…” Nick tried his best not to laugh.
“No, I took them out of the freezer and very nearly incinerated them. But you’ll eat
them anyway, and you’ll love them.”
“Why?”
“Because you love me. And because you’re not getting into my bed unless you do it.”
“That’s cruel.”
“Start eating.” Greg pushed couple of waffles onto his plate and placed it in front of
Nick. “And I’ll tell you about Friday. You got Friday night off, right?”
“Yep.”
“Me and some of the guys are going out to celebrate, and I wanted to ask some of
the people from the crime lab too.”
“Nice thought. Me, Archie, and who else?”
“I got in touch with some of the dayshift techs, that I knew when I was there. And
I send an e-mail to Sara, but I’m not sure if she even checks them. And you`ll
probably want to invite Warrick.”
“You don’t mind?”
“Nicky, I told you I’ll try to make an effort. He’s your best friend. I don’t want
to interfere with that.”
“I appreciate it, G. By the way, do you remember a case maybe four years ago…
wife killed her husband with his breakfast? Turned out she had poisoned his
pancakes.”
“Where are you going with this and are you comparing me to a house wife?”
“Let’s put it like this…” Nick pushed his plate away from him. “I would like to
live to see Friday.”
-------------------------------------------------
“Honestly, I was sure it was the husband.” Sara commented. “Anyway, that’s
wrapped now.” She took a sip from her coffee and focused on her eggs.
On the other side of the diner table Catherine and Warrick were busy wolfing
down pancakes. Warrick`s cell phone started playing `Good Ol` country Boy`
and he clicked the line open.
“Yeah? Hey, man.” Warrick noticed that both Catherine and Sara were listening
the conversation, undoubtedly waiting to be called back to the lab. “Friday?
Why? He got it? That’s awesome. Are you sure he want’s me there?” He paused
and the ladies were leaning in closer to hear. “Oh… Okay, I’ll be there. I’ll talk to
you later. And give him my congratulations. Bye.”
“What was that about?” Catherine asked and went back to her coffee.
“It was Nick. Greg got the promotion.”
“And Friday?”
“He want’s to celebrate a bit. Some guys he works with and some people from
the lab.”
“I know, I got an e-mail from him.” Sara mentioned. “I got a shift on Friday,
but I send him congratulations.”
“Would you mind explaining this to me?” Catherine turned to face Warrick. “Why
exactly did he invite you? Not so long ago he didn’t want to have anything to do
with you.”
“We’re working on it. We both wanna make sure Nick doesn’t get in the middle
of it. It’s been easier than I thought. We’ve had couple of game nights with all
three of us.”
“You’re chumming it up with him. Sara hasn’t even met him after he came back
to Vegas, and she’s invited. People from the lab are invited. I’m the only one
who doesn’t even know what’s going on.”
“Cath, would you have gone if you had been invited?”
“Maybe, but that’s not the point.”
“Listen. I’m telling this as a friend. You’re acting like a kid.”
“I’m not!” Catherine exclaimed.
“You are. Everyone else from the class is invited to a birthday party, and you’re the
only one who’s left out. You’re acting just like Lindsay did couple months ago.”
“No, I`m not!”
“You are. Keep going like that and pretty soon Lindsay will have to take you to
a kindergarten when she goes to school in the morning.”
TBC