Title: Take These Broken Wings
Author: DarkDreamer56
Archive: If you want it, ask please!
Rating: T
Pairing: N/S friendship, maybe romance later on…
Disclaimer: Last time I checked, my coworkers and I didn't win the Mega Million (there goes five bucks…), so there goes my chance to buy the rights to CSI…
Spoilers: nothing too specific, probably up to Grave Danger. That may change as the season, and this story, progress.
A/N: This is definitely darker than my usual stories, and I'm going to do my best to stay true to the subject matter. It's rated T for now, but that rating may go up later. Takes place sometime post Season 5/early Season 6. Nick has already returned to work. Be patient, I have this story mostly mapped out, but it still may be a little while between chapters. I've got the first three chapters written, but after that, they will probably be posted as they are finished, so I won't make any promises, update wise. Enjoy, and let me know what you think in a review!
"Nice of you to join us, Grissom," Catherine announced sarcastically from her place at the break room table. Shift had started nearly ten minutes prior, but with no appearance from their supervisor, the team had to find ways to amuse themselves. Nick had chosen to rest his head across his arms, promptly falling asleep until Greg nudged him in the side when Grissom finally entered the room.
"Okay, we've got a full night folks," Grissom announced, ignoring Catherine's comment as he looked around the room. "Where's Sara?" he asked suddenly.
"Night off, some hot date," Greg announced, sulking a little bit. Nick could relate, the news that Sara was out with some guy wasn't exactly joyful to him either, as much as he didn't want to admit it.
"Gil, don't you dare…" Catherine warned as Grissom pulled out his cell. "She hasn't had a day off in two weeks, we can get by without her for one night. She's allowed to have a life now and then, we all are…" Nick was surprised that Catherine stood up for Sara like that, but he supposed it was more frustration at her own personal life being interrupted by work more times than she could count.
Despite the fact that three of the four men present in the room wished Sara wasn't out having a life with another man, Catherine prevailed and Grissom put his phone away and handed out assignments.
"Greg, Warrick, you've got a hit and run at Lancaster and Tropicana. Brass is waiting for you. Catherine, Nick, we've got suspicious circs in Henderson."
Catherine reached for the slip of paper, glanced at it, and announced that she would meet them there. After grabbing their kits, Nick and Grissom headed out to Nick's Denali. Nick slid into the driver's seat and drove towards Henderson. The ride was mostly silent, punctuated only by the voices floating out from the local talk radio station. Nick didn't feel much like talking, he was hoping to get through the shift, trying not to dwell too much on the fact that Sara was out on a date while he had been trying to work up the nerve to ask her on one for weeks. Grissom, as usual, didn't have much to say on the drive, so Nick was left with his thoughts until they reached Henderson.
As they reached the scene, Nick navigated the car into a makeshift parking spot, and by the time he had grabbed his kit, Grissom was already talking to the detective on the scene. Nick made his way over to the two quickly, wanting to get this shift over with and get home for some sleep.
"Mike Reynolds," the detective introduced himself, offering his hand to Nick as he took his place beside Grissom.
"Nick Stokes. Coroner here yet?" Nick queried.
"Not yet. One of your team…Catherine? She's in with the woman now. Body hasn't been touched since the paramedics pronounced. The woman seemed pretty shaken up, couldn't get much out of her…"
"What woman?" Nick interrupted; Grissom hadn't said anything about another vic. Maybe they would have to call in Sara after all. While he felt a modicum of shame for feeling happy about that, it was overridden by the thought that he might actually get to see her that night after all.
"The girlfriend. When the CSI arrived, she pretty much shooed us out, possible assault. First glance…looks like it may have been a domestic dispute, and he hit his head during the struggle. House is owned by a Vincent Trelling, and the woman confirmed that he's the vic. But like I said, we didn't get much out of her yet."
So much for Sara getting called in. Nick supposed he could just suck it up and give her a call after shift, maybe she would want to grab dinner before work. He supposed that would have to do until he got up the nerve to ask her out properly.
Reynolds was a slightly smaller, younger version of Detective O'Reilly, with graying hair and a receding hairline. He walked Grissom and Nick up to the doorway and pointed them in the direction of the bedroom, before heading back towards the officers outside.
Nick and Grissom quickly made their way down the hallways, towards where Detective Reynolds had told them was the bedroom. As they reached the doorway, Nick noticed Catherine standing next to the girlfriend, who was sitting on the bed, head in her hands. He motioned to Grissom to stop, realizing that it might be better to announce their presence before just walking in. Grissom must have realized the same thing, as he knocked lightly on the doorframe.
Catherine glanced up at the two with wide eyes. The girlfriend lifted her head to see who the intruders were, and Nick felt as if he'd been punched in the gut as he came to two immediate realizations. The first was that the girl on the bed was Sara; the second was that Vincent Trelling lay at her feet, blood pooling around his head.