Disclaimer: I don't own CSI or any of the characters mentioned in this story. Shocking, I know.
AN: Just some Snickes fun, no plot whatsoever.

It was just like many other Thursday nights before shift in the Las Vegas crime lab. Catherine and Warrick were engrossed in a conversation, Greg was standing in a corner talking on the phone with his latest girlfriend and Nick was comfortably lying on the couch reading that day's paper. The only thing out of the ordinary was that Sara was uncharacteristically late. It was only a few minutes before the beginning of the shift that the brunette CSI walked into the break room, two cups of coffee from Starbucks in her hands, a carefree expression on her face which was accompanied by a gap tooth smile. She thrust one of the cups to Catherine who jumped a bit at the gesture before looking up into Sara's smiling face.

"For you." Sara said watching Catherine's face crumple in confusion. "It's your favorite." Sara assured her. Catherine glanced quickly at Warrick who seemed just as perplexed as her, before returning her look back to Sara and tentatively taking the offered cup from her.

"Thank you." Confusion could be recognized in Catherine's voice as she accepted the coffee.

"No, thank you." Sara said, confusing Catherine even more with the sincerity in her voice. Sara turned and left the break room, leaving a baffled Catherine behind.

"What was that?" Warrick asked, glancing from the cup to Catherine and back.

"I have no idea." She replied honestly. Nick started to chuckle and stirred the attention to him.

"You know what's going on, don't you?" Warrick inquired.

"Nope." Nick said as he looked at them over the rim of the paper he was reading. "I was just reading this Garfield strip. God, he's such a funny cat." Nick said and chuckled again. Warrick and Catherine rolled their eyes at his childish behavior and turned back to the cup of coffee that was on the table. They looked at it as if it was some puzzle they didn't know how to solve. Nick watched them in amusement before hiding his grinning face behind the paper again. If they only knew what inspired Sara to do what she just did.

12 hours prior

"Yes, I know mom...uhuh...two weeks...I promise..." Nick spoke into the phone, promising his mother that he'll be there for the wedding of one of his nieces in two weeks when someone knocked, rather impatiently on his door. "Mom, someone is at the door. I've gotta go…..I love you too." Nick shut off his cordless phone and opened the door, revealing an angry Sara Sidle on the other side.

"Sara, what's wrong?" Nick asked concerned.

"Catherine." She said in a huff as she walked past him into his house.

"Did something happen? Is she okay?"

"Oh, she's okay. More than okay."

"Then what's the matter?"

"She sent me home."

"What?" Nick asked confusedly.

"She sent me home!" Sara repeated, her voice raising. "I was working on the O'Malley case and she sent me home. Can you believe it?" Nick remembered the case she was working with Warrick. All he knew about it was that they were at a dead end, that's what Warrick had told him over breakfast that morning.

"Just because Grissom had the night off doesn't mean that she has the right to boss me around." Nick didn't say that in a way Catherine actually did have the right to do so, he didn't want to be in the way of Sara's wrath.
Nick watched her start pacing his living room up and down, up and down, slowly starting to make him feel dizzy.

"Ugh, I swear…" She exclaimed angrily.

"Sar, stop for a second." He said but to no avail, Sara continued to pace and rant without registering his words.

"Go home Sara." Sara mimicked Catherine's voice. "You haven't slept in two days, Sara."

"Sar…"

"I know how to do my job. I'm great at doing it."

"I know you are." Nick agreed but it fell on deaf ears.

"She has no right! You look tired Sara." Sara again mimicked Catherine.

"Hey, Sara." Nick said and stood up, placing his hands on her upper arms to stop her movements. "Take a deep breath. Come on." He said and Sara slowly complied.

"Good, now listen to yourself. I know how passionate you are about work and I admire that but don't you think that Catherine might have a point?" Nick said softly, not wanting to enrage her further.

"Oh, it's not what she said but how she said it." She told him, trying to sound angry but failed. The moment he had put his hands on her arms, her anger had started to fade away.

"How did she say it?" Nick wanted to know.

"So…so…ugh…I don't know. I just didn't like it." Nick couldn't stop the smile forming on his lips.

"This is not funny Nick." She said sternly but it didn't deter Nick's grin from broadening which in return made Sara roll her eyes, more out of habit than annoyance.

"Okay, so maybe it's funny. But just a little bit." She relented just before they both burst out laughing. Somehow Sara's ranting seemed to be the funniest thing that very moment. Sara who still had Nick's hands on her arms, leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder, still chuckling lightly. Standing there with his hands on her in the middle of his livng room, Sara realized once again that she could always count on Nick to make her laugh, to make her feel better. A soft sigh escaped Sara's lips and she stepped just a bit closer to him, wishing she could stay there in his arms forever. A thought that wasn't fleeting or new, but rather time consuming and sleep depriving.
Nick had his arms loosely around Sara, one hand resting on the small of her back while the other hand rubbed her back up and down. It was a gesture he didn't get to do as often as he wished to but he took what he could get. He was glad that she trusted him enough to come to him and let some steam off, that she trusted him to comfort her.

"Do you feel better now?" Nick asked softly after a few minutes. Sara made an affirmative sound but didn't raise her head from his shoulder.

"Thank you." She said after another minute had passed.

"Anything for you." Nick said and squeezed her hips slightly. It was then that Sara finally looked up at him. Brown met brown and something changed, something deluded them of the power to look away, to step back. The expression on Nick's face turned serious, serious just like the situation between them seemed to be. One of Sara's hands wandered to his chest, just above his heart and she felt it beat rapidly, matching her own heartbeat. With her eyes still focused on his she wondered if it was possible that Nick had feelings for her too, if he spent just as much time thinking of her like she spent thinking of him.

He had to or he wouldn't be leaning in, was Sara's last thought before Nick closed the gap between them, placing a tentative kiss upon her lips. A moment later he distanced himself just enough to be able to look into her eyes, silently questioning if it was okay.
In response Sara placed a hand on his cheek and drew him closer until their lips met again. It was the answer Nick had hoped for and he put his arms around her more firmly, pulling her closer until they fitted so perfectly against each other. A soft hum, barely audible sounded from deep down her throat as their bodies touched and Nick took the chance to deepen the kiss, bringing their relationship to a new level.

It was much later as they lay nestled together under the comforter in Nick's bed that he thought how wonderful it felt to hold her in his arms. There was no awkwardness between them and like they both had voiced earlier, there were no regrets. The easiness and coziness that followed their lovemaking should baffle him at least a bit, Nick thought but it didn't. It was one of those things that you couldn't find words to explain. It just felt right, it felt natural as if it was an everyday's occurance that they lay together in bed after making love. Nick could definitely get used to having her in his arms, feeling her breath tickle his chest. He peered down at her, noticing the slightly raised eyebrow and the distant look in her eyes, a look that told him that she was contemplating something.

"What's on your mind?" Nick asked softly, interrupting Sara's thoughts.

"Catherine." Sara said as she turned in his arms. She rested her chin on his chest and looked at him, witnessing a teasing smile appear on his gorgeous lips.

"Something kinky?" He asked and although that cocky smile upon his lips should have prepared her for a question like that she couldn't help but roll her eyes and shake her head at him.

"What?" He said. "We're lying here naked as the day we were born just after a round of mind-blowing sex and you're thinking about Catherine. What am I supposed to think?" Nick replied and Sara chose to ignore his explanation for the moment.

"I was just thinking that if Catherine wouldn't have upset me that much I would have never come to you and we wouldn't be here now." Sara explained.

"Oh, okay." Nick said as he combed with his fingers through her dark hair.

"I think I should do something nice for her."

"Hhm,…maybe you should." Nick mumbled, distracting them both as he pulled her up his body until he was able to nuzzle her neck and place feather soft kisses along her jaw line. As much as she liked what his lips were doing, Sara stopped his ministrations by cupping his face in her hands.

"Mind-blowing, huh?" She asked and was rewarded with a grin. Nick pulled her head down and Sara wet her lips, anticipating a kiss. Instead of the expected kiss, Nick flipped her over and pinned her beneath him, causing Sara to squeal in surprise.

"What, you don't think it was mind-blowing?" He asked as he looked down at her.

"Well, my memory is starting to fade. You'll have to remind me." Sara said and wiggled her hips the best she could underneath him, eliciting a moan from Nick, who quickly stopped her movements with a hand on her hip.

"I aim to please." Was his husky response and Sara giggled before Nick's lips clashed with hers in a mind-numbing kiss.

THE END