Title: MSN
By: anmani
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: G
A/N: I got inspired to this by Sunken_Eyes_141. Thank you Shaz.
Summary: Sara goes online and starts mettling.

Grissom had just left her after her confession about her parents. She didn’t feel the way she thought she would. She had always thought her world would come crashing down the instant she told anybody. But now she felt deflated in a strange way and sad. However there was a happy Sara lurking around in her as well. He had come because he knew if he didn’t he would loose her and that made her glad. But what now she wondered; she wasn’t going back to work for a week and friends were not something she had outside of work.

The day Ecklie split up the team she lost half her friends and Sofia wasn’t exactly on the same page as her. It had also affected Greg; he’d lost the bounce in his step and he didn’t flirt anymore. She knew she was in the trouble when started to miss him flirting all the time. He didn’t mean it with her; she wasn’t a 100% sure but almost that the only one he wanted was Nick. But she couldn’t just ask him he was so changed these days.

The logon screen on her computer caught her attention and she recalled Greg pestering her about setting up an MSN account, maybe he was online?
It didn’t take long to find out that he was. He had set her name up to be Idle Sidle and his was Lab Rat. Both names were so cliché but right now she needed a good old fashioned flirt.



Idle Sidle: Hey
Lab Rat: Hey yourself. Nice move getting a whole week of.
Idle Sidle: Gris just left
Lab Rat: Are you fired?
Idle Sidle: No I don’t think so. I spilled my beans to him.
Lab Rat: Did it end with hot sex;-)?
Idle Sidle: GREG. No I balled my eyes out while he held me. So embarrassing.


Why did she write that why was it so much easier this way?


Lab Rat: R u ok?
Idle Sidle: ??
Lab Rat: Are you okay? Sara don’t you know about texting?
Idle Sidle: Hmm ok I guess that was logical. Not much remember you set this up for me.
Lab Rat: Yeah, u didn’t answer.
Idle Sidle: Google Laura Sidle.


Had she just send that line? Sara was shaking and went to the fridge for a beer; she came back with a cola figuring that she should stay clearheaded for this.


Lab Rat: Speechless.
Idle Sidle: I grew up in foster home after that. Somehow it is easier talking to you like this.
Lab Rat: I know what you mean. Talking face to face is frightening.
Idle Sidle: Yet we do it all the time with victims and suspects.
Lab Rat: Maybe that’s why. We’ve lost too much faith in the conversation.
Idle Sidle: Get your point. Do you miss them?
Lab Rat: NS WB & CW?
Idle Sidle: Who else?
Lab Rat: Yes…
Idle Sidle: What do you think of Sofia?
Lab Rat: hah?
Lab Rat: She’s strange, good at the job but no personal thing going.
Idle Sidle: Yeah I don’t think she’ll let us get to know her.
Lab Rat: We haven’t been acting like we want to. All we do is bitch about the split up.
Lab Rat: And she was counting on a promotion not a demotion.
Idle Sidle: True. I miss my old Greg!
Lab Rat: I knew it you just can’t live without me XD
Idle Sidle: XD????
Lab Rat: Laughing with my mouth open and my eyes squeezed tight. It’s like a smiley.
Idle Sidle: Oh, well I never spend much time in the real world I guess.
Lab Rat: A good CSI must know a little about everything.
Lab Rat: At least so much so you know where to go for the full answer.
Idle Sidle: So I should hijack some teenager to help me with this?
Lab Rat: No need I’ll explain as we go a long and I shall practice writing full words and sentences anyway for reports.
Idle Sidle: Ah the dreaded paperwork.
Lab Rat: Yup. Sara I won’t tell about your past.
Idle Sidle: And if you do your body will never be found and I’ll have a solid alibi.
Lab Rat: Figured that already.
Idle Sidle: You are so clever.
Lab Rat: *bows* thank you. Sara can you keep a secret and please don’t mock me.
Idle Sidle: Hey you are talking to the master of keeping secrets even when then jeopardize her whole existence.
Lab Rat: I miss Nick.
Idle Sidle: No surprise there. You have always had a crush on him right?
Lab Rat: Guess so. You knew just like that?
Idle Sidle: Hey the only you flirted more with was Nick. It was always Nick’s evidence you did first and you could spend hours explaining your results to him.
Lab Rat: Jealous?
Idle Sidle: Sometimes… But I came here for Gris.
Lab Rat: Do you think would even consider you know…
Idle Sidle: Hmm he always acted different around you.
Idle Sidle: I mean he seems like an open book, but stiff like that you never know with him.
Idle Sidle: Argh stuff.
Lab Rat: Hey no shame in hitting the wrong keys.
Idle Sidle: But I’m supposed to be perfect.
Lab Rat: Perfect or not I’ll always love you. Are you ok that I’m gay?
Idle Sidle: Gee thanks. I thought you were bi, I always thought so I mean.
Lab Rat: Well there are more guys than girls in the equation for me
Idle Sidle: Why should I not be ok with it? I mean in this job we see so much shit.
Idle Sidle: So you being in love with Nick that is just sweet. Do you think it is unrequited?
Lab Rat: I’m afraid so. I have never been able to pick him up on my gaydar.
Idle Sidle: Me neither.
Lab Rat: ?????
Idle Sidle: I’ve had a few girl lovers. And I’ve always been able to tell if a bloke was gay or not.
Lab Rat: Hmm wanna watch.
Idle Sidle: Knew it was a mistake the second I hit send.
Lab Rat: Oh come on. Wouldn’t you wanna peak if I got down and dirty with Nicky?
Idle Sidle: I must have lost my mind, for a second I was intrigued.
Lab Rat: Only natural I guess. Thanks for being my friend. I have never told anybody.
Idle Sidle: Me neither. Do you want to do something tomorrow when you finish shift?
Lab Rat: Maybe are you getting bored?
Lab Rat: Maybe we could go to the mall. I love shopping.
Idle Sidle: You are such a girl!
Lab Rat: Your best girlfriend. Shall I drop by and pick you up after work?
Idle Sidle: Sounds good. I’m not going anywhere. See you.
Lab Rat: See you.


Her head was spinning that whole “conversation” was so replaying over and over in her head. They had exchanged some pretty serious stuff right there and suddenly she had an urge to talk to Nick. If she could make them happy maybe someday she would be happy too. Sara had never ever before undertaken the part of matchmaking and was quite clueless as to how it was done best. Before thinking over what she was doing she had dialed Nick on his cell.


“Stokes!”


“It’s Sara.”


“Hey Sara are you ok?” He sounded puzzled and worried she hadn’t called him since they were split up.


“I’m getting better. Greg is angry because I got a week off and he got stuck with Sofia.” She was asking herself what she was doing.


“She does seem a bit strange. Cath got real upset when you pulled that stunt.” He didn’t let any emotion into his voice. She was scared that she had gone about things the worst way possible.


“Yeah I wasn’t being fair to Cath, but she had no chance of knowing how bad I would react to that creep.” She could hear her own voice trembling.


“Sara I’m at scene. Do you have something important to say?” He sounded worried and tired.


“I… We… Eh… Greg and I miss you guys.” It was a lot harder than she had first assumed.


“Yeah well we miss you too. Kind of strange not to have Greg bouncing up and down around you all the time.” His voice sounded lighter somehow.


“He doesn’t bounce anymore.” It came out real flat.


“Is he ok?” The worry in his voice increased.

“Hmm I’m trying to find out, but he won’t talk about it.” Technically he hadn’t talked but written.

“Sara is ok if I call you after shift?”

“Sure and don’t worry about what time it is.”

They ended the conversation and Sara’s heart was pounding fast enough for her to hear the blood pulsating in her ear.

Nick didn’t call her but came by instead. It caught her more off guard than she cared to admit but they had a nice long conversation about work and life on the outside. He left three hours later and Sara set her alarm and fell asleep the instant she closed her eyes.

She was ready when Greg came and picked her up. On the way to the mall they eagerly debated what shops to go and completely avoided things said the day before. She should’ve known that Greg was perfect for shopping. He was interested and he kept on about what she would look drop dead gorgeous in. It didn’t take them long to get overloaded with shopping bags and she had gotten stuff she never would have looked at before.

She steered Greg to one of the many small diners there and got them a table.

“Hello strangers!” Nick stepped in right on cue.

She got up and kissed him on the cheek while hugging him.

“Easy now Sara folks might think you like me.”

“Ah can’t a girl be happy.” She smiled and released him from her embrace. Greg got up and repeated Sara’s act of greeting.

“Well if we all behave the same they’ll just think we’re nuts.” Sara felt her heart skip a beat especially when Nick kissed Greg on the cheek as well. First step of her plan had worked. She excused herself and went to the bathroom noticing Greg’s questioning look she gave him a reassuring nod.

For the next month he kept her updated on their dates and he talked on and on about Nick, but only to her. She was happier than she had been in years and Grissom was paying far more attention to her now.

6 months later Greg and Nick announced at work that they were a couple. Only a few people looked surprised everybody else had figured it out.