Under the Endgame

I'm asking you to run it.

Nick's thoughts were reeling as he processed the fact that his friend John Nolan offered him the position of being head of the crime lab in San Diego. He had made it clear that he was flattered by the job offer, but his home was in Vegas. His friends were there. His wife and son, his family, was there. He was happy with his life. He certainly never considered running a crime lab.

At first, he thought it was because John was reacting and determining that the actions he had taken in his seventeen years running the San Diego lab and that he would change his mind. Then John revealed that he had been thinking about it and that he didn't want to put other people's families before his own. Nick could understand that sentiment. He made the effort to spend every available moment with his son, Nicky.

Think about it.

Nick was thinking about it. It had been on the back of his mind and brought to the forefront when Russell revealed that he received notice of his and Sage's name being put on the list. He could only just imagine how his wife would react to that. He knew better than anyone that she didn't want to run a lab again. She had been there, done that, and she had little love for all the politicking and administrative crap that annoyed her. It was enough to make him laugh, but…

I also asked Parker. The lab will be in good hands with either one of you.

Nick knew that Nolan wanted his wife. She would receive several offers a year from labs across the country, private and government. Every year, she'd look at them, put them in a pile and spend a few hours writing a polite refusal in reply. He knew that because he had watched her one night when they were dating before they were married. He found her in her office, dressed in his shirt and typing out her responses on her computer with the opened offer next to her keyboard.

Nick knew that Sage would refuse. Whether or not she said it to John's face or in a letter was the question. In the meantime, he still had to think about the offer. He knew what he had said to Sara. San Diego was an expensive town to live in. He had money saved and with the wedding gift from Sage's grandfather, they could make it work. They could be happy there and Nicky could grow up with opportunities. There were some good schools out there.

If he did take the job though, there would be the issue of Sage being allowed to work the crime lab. He would be the boss and she would work under him. Now he knew that she wouldn't see it as a subservient position, but there was the fact that they were married, and it could be seen as favoritism. The only option he could think of was one that he loathed to consider. Not after the journey they took together in Vegas that allowed them to be together.

He was considering it and it took up his thoughts when he was taking a break from the Winthrop case. He had gone down there following a lead on Paul Winthrop's father, Colin Winthrop, since he knew Nolan, director of the San Diego crime lab. His wife knew him too, but he was the one that made that call and he had a chat involving the position that he had been offered. He was doing as he told Nolan, that he was thinking about it. He had plenty of time now as he was waiting for the final paperwork on the evidence to be done and packed, so it could be transported back to Vegas. Sage accompanied him and Finn, with Shaw.

Sage didn't need to come, but Nick sensed that she wanted to speak to Nolan in private. Probably to tell him to take her name off the list of candidates. In all honesty, he thought his wife was the better candidate. She had experience and he had done some research on her when she ran DC Metro's lab, and he knew she was more than capable of handling the job. He also saw that working with her all these years. And he understood why she wanted nothing to do with the leadership aspect of the lab. So, it made sense that she would want to make that clear, and more likely she wanted to see how Nolan was doing since Lexi was killed.

He was sitting on his side of the bed, in deep thought about it. It was a welcome break from thinking about the case and time to give the job offer some really deep thought. The bathroom door was closed, and he could hear running water from the sink. It was soothing to hear and allowed him to slip deeper into thought that he didn't hear the water stop and the door opened.

"Kaylee called and said that everything's fine. Nicky's being ornery," Sage said as she came out drying her hair with a small towel.

Nick was paying too much attention to his thoughts and replied, "That's nice."

Sage studied her husband as she put the towel aside. She had said what she said since she had noticed he had been a bit distracted after Finn had a close call and Daniel Shaw had been killed. She had noticed that he had been in thought since Nolan offered the job as director of the San Diego lab. She had turned it down, but she had gone to see how Nolan was doing and he appreciated it all the same. She also had some business in San Diego and now it seemed like as good a time as any to address it. It was just a matter of getting her husband's attention.

She teased him, "I guess it is nice when Nicky is fussy since he's a little cherub for you."

Nick blinked at that. He frowned and looked up to see his wife looking at him with a bemused expression and he realized that he hadn't been paying attention and apologized, "I'm sorry, Sass. I…" He shrugged.

Sage smiled as she climbed into bed to sit next to him. "I know, Ness," she said in a soft tone. She rubbed her hand on his upper arm. "So, what has you so deep in thought? The case?"

Nick looked at his wife. She was only asking that to leave the door open for him to walk through. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "No. I mean yeah. It was a close call with Finn and I feel bad that Shaw died."

"But that's not what has you so deep in thought that you weren't listening to what I was saying about Nicky." Sage cuddled in Nick's side, resting her head on his shoulder. "By the way, Kaylee and Sadie both say Nicky is a little angel."

Nick hummed at that. It was something Finn would say, and she doted on his son when Sage brought him by the lab. It was something all the women in the lab said and Sage merely fed it saying that Nicky just knew how to charm the ladies. It was her way of teasing him because he had a way with the ladies and he was a ladies' man before he met Sage and it became serious.

Sage watched as he relaxed. She knew that he loved his son and spent every available moment he could with him. She smiled at the look on his face. She pressed gently, "So… anything else on your mind?"

Nick shifted to look at her. She was never going to come out and ask him directly. He sighed gently and nodded, "Just the job offer."

Sage hummed at that. Nick ran his tongue along the back of his teeth and he thought about how he was going to say what he was going to say. He clicked his tongue slightly before saying, "You know John put my name at the top of the list, right? Well I decided that I might… take it."

Sage listened to the hesitancy in his voice. She replied, "Okay."

Nick frowned slightly and shifted to look at her. "But that means we'd have to move and…" He paused looking at her, finding her staring at him with that wide stare she gave when she was trying to absorb tough calls without being emotional. He frowned and added, "That means you'd have to resign from the lab here in Vegas and…"

Sage smiled and lifted a hand to place on his cheek. "About that, I was also doing some thinking myself, and… I think I want to make a change too."

"What do you mean?" Nick wasn't sure what she was getting at. He looked at her, trying to figure out what she was getting on.

Sage sat up and moved so she was facing Nick. She traced his biceps with her fingers as she said, "Well, apart from seeing how John was… I received a couple of offers. From universities."

Nick looked at her, not quite understanding her. "UNLV?"

"San Diego State. UC San Diego." Sage shrugged like it wasn't important. It was, but she had been giving this a lot of though since giving birth to Nicky. She put her hands in her lap and looked at Nick. "And since you were going to accept John's offer, I was going to accept the position at San Diego State. It's a tenured position and not as demanding as working at the lab."

It finally dawned in Nick what she was saying, and it made him sit up a little straighter. He reached for her hands. "But Sass, you… you love working at the lab."

"I do," Sage nodded as she inched forward until she was straddling his waist. "But, I've been thinking about it a lot and, I'm ready for a change. Besides, I want to be more of a wife and mother to both you and Nicky." She put her hands on his shoulders and started massaging them. She saw him worry his lip a little and knew what he was thinking.

She did love being a criminalist. She loved how science could be a means of telling the story of a crime without being there. Science was absolute in facts. Working in Vegas opened up a lot more to her, and there were new things she learned. As happy as she was working in the crime lab, being a mother and a wife made her happier. She continued to massage Nick's shoulders and then lifted a hand to run her fingers through his hair. "Take the job, Nick. It'll be okay."

"Sass…"

"Remember when you told me the reason you chased after me after I left the first time?" Sage paused to let Nick remember as she continued to massage his neck and head. "That if I were to leave, it would have to be on my own terms or I would regret it for the rest of my life. Well, this is me saying I want to leave. My own terms." She brought up her hands to cup the back of his head and stare at him in the eye. "My terms."

Nick remembered that. He remembered when he took off looking for her. He figured out where she would be and went to her. He figured out that she would regret it if she were forced out ad told her that. Now she was telling him that she was okay with his decision as she had made hers. He looked at his wife and nodded. He had to ask, "Are you sure, Sass?"

"I want to be more of a wife and mother to you and Nicky," Sage repeated. She smiled at Nick. She really was okay with leaving the lab and onto a new job. "Call Nolan and say that you're going to take the job."

Nick blinked and looked at Sage. Her fingers were flexing, rubbing the lower back of his head, much like she did when they first slept together. She was smiling at him and he couldn't help but smile at her in return. "Alright. I'll call him."

"Good." Sage chuckled as her teasing glint stole into her eye. She then added, "Cause I already called San Diego State saying that I would take the job."

Nick narrowed his eyes playfully when he realized she had already anticipated his decision and went ahead to make plans. He growled at her and started tickling her sides, rolling over until he had her pinned. She was laughing as much as he until they were panting. He looked down at her as he grinned. She was smiling back. She knew what he was thinking about and gave him the chance to talk. He ran his fingers through her short locks. "I love you, Sass."

"I love you, my Untouchable."

Nick grinned and pressed a kiss to her lips and she responded by pulling him in. He had nothing to fear bringing up the job. He knew her as well as she knew him, and she made her decision. Everything was done on their own terms.

A/N: Nick and Sage talk about the biggest decision of their lives. Tag to Under My Skin and Endgame.