A/T: Wow. I mean, I’m not sure what I was thinking when I signed up for the fanfic100 challenge. I think I was being spontaneous, even though I’ve been told that I couldn’t be spontaneous if I tried. And now? Now I’m going to write 100 Nick Stokes/David Hodges fics. I hope you enjoy the fruits of my spontaneity, which I most certainly have. :D Some entries have already been posted here and some need to be written, but in the end, there will be 100 fics of a Nick/David nature. Insanity, I say!

Spoilers for this episode are from 4x4. Remember Nick’s kid-in-the-dryer case? And pre-school parties being “off the hook"? That’s where this fic stems from; you can read it without having seen the episode, but it helps.

Disclaimer: Whew. With 100 fics comes 100 disclaimers, but they’ll all read the same: I don’t own anything related to CSI. Please don’t sue!

How It All Begins
Part 1: Look Away

“How did it turn out?”

Nick doesn’t recognize the voice although, in his defense, his mind isn’t exactly serving him at the moment. All he’s really aware of is the fact that he’s sitting in the driver seat of his truck, door open, keys in his hand, staring out the windshield as if perhaps the pane of glass held the answers to his numerous questions. He’s not moving anywhere; he’s still parked in the same space, having been sitting there for at least ten minutes, aware that he should probably start driving home sometime before shift starts again in fourteen hours.

But he can’t seem to make himself move. His memory keeps replaying the way Andy Jones had puked on the table, the gravity of what he did hitting him like a sack of rocks. He can't think of anything else except that a prostitute had found Chase Ryan on a bench, thrown away like trash. He can't remember why he had wanted to move to Las Vegas in the first place.

He’s not in the mood to make small talk, especially about a case he just wants to forget. What he’s in the mood for is a hot shower and some shuteye; whoever’s talking to him can take a long walk off of a short pier for all he cares. Was it Greg? Warrick? Grissom? Hell, it didn’t matter. It could be the President and Nick wouldn’t even notice until after a good day of sleep and a few cups of coffee.

But he finds himself turning his head anyway, wondering who would be stupid enough to try and approach a CSI after such a shitty day.

What surprises him is that it’s David Hodges, his head tilted slightly to the right, as if he’s trying to analyze Nick. It's weird, actually, to see him out of a lab coat or, better yet, out of the lab in general. Nick’s not sure how to respond, but his body still relaxes for some reason and he merely sighs before shaking his head and jingling his keys with his hand.

“How did what turn out, Hodges?”

“The case with the kid. Alcohol and pre-school? I still say that four-year-olds will be living wild in a decade or two.”

Nick has to smile at that. He remembers their conversation from earlier, and how Hodges’ “off the hook” gave away his age. Off the hook? Wasn’t that phrase big in the eighties?

He forgets it, though, as he feels Hodges observe him from behind watchful blue eyes. Nick shifts, uncomfortable at the gaze; he just wants to go home.

“We solved it,” he replies. “Kid’s best friend stuck him a dryer.”

“Talk about lack of common sense.”

“Kids being kids.”

“Not that I’ve ever been big on empathy, but may-’’

“Look, a kid’s dead because of sheer stupidity. I’m tired and in some inevitable stage of mourning, not that you would understand the meaning of the word. Can we save this for later?”

Hodges blinks at the scathing remark and Nick can almost see the wheels of his mind turning, trying to formulate an appropriate response. The look of surprise on his face is almost satisfying, because Hodges is never surprised about anything. Nick can only imagine what everyone would say if they were to discover that Nick had told him off, had made him speechless.

For one fleeting moment, Nick feels good.

But the sarcastic, cutthroat barb that Hodges is supposed to retort with never comes. He’s still wearing that look, although some of the confusion has melted away in favor of emptiness, and Nick’s satisfaction begins to disappear. Hodges certainly deserves it, right? The insults he so often sends Nick’s way surely justifies the comment, right?

Right?

Nick suddenly hates himself. The technician had been tolerable that night, going out of his way to make Nick’s case as easy as possible. He had made conversation like a normal human being would, had cracked a few jokes that made Nick laugh. It was kind of nice, actually, and Nick tries to fight off his shame. He knows that Hodges doesn’t deserve to be his verbal punching bag and he turns towards the other man, opening his mouth to retract his words.

However, Hodges merely shrugs and tries to smile. “It’s been a hard night. I get it.”

“Hodges, I didn’t… I’m sorry.”

“I know. Go get some sleep, huh? Another day of paradise tomorrow.”

Nick’s mouth dries and he has this sickening feeling that he’s done something horribly wrong, only he doesn’t know what it is or what the repercussions will be.

“Okay.”

Hodges nods, turns, and walks away. Nick watches him. He can’t help it, can’t seem to look anywhere else. David Hodges is a man too many people seem to overlook, but there's something strangely odd and special and different about him. Nick knows Hodges never makes small talk for the hell of it and he knows he just blew him off with words that not even Hodges deserves. They were cruel, and Nick’s never cruel.

Nick tries to erase the conversation from his mind, but can't.

TBC.

This is how it begins.