Nick had just arrived at the crime lab after being by little Cassie McBride's bedside in the hospital. After Nick talked to her in the hospital the first time, he became the only person she trusted. He was always at the hospital sitting with her, holding her, and loving her. The only other person that had been there as much as he had was Catherine Willows, Nick's closest friend. Cassie had a hard time trusting her, but after Nick convinced her that she was his friend and that she had helped find her like he had she became like a mother to Cassie. They were the only two people who ever visited with her. Nick had tears freely flowing as he sat on the bench in the locker room. Catherine walked in and immediately went over to him. "Nicky, what's wrong?" she asked Between sobs he replied "C-Cassie is g-going into f-foster c-care t-today. I will never see my brave little girl again." "Nicky, have you thought about trying to adopt her?" "No." "I never even gave that a thought Cath." "Hey Cath, would you like to go out with me?" "As in out like on a date?" she asked he answered "Yeah on a date." she smiled "I would love to Nicky." "It's a date then." "So what about Cassie?" she questioned "Well I think I am going to try and adopt her like you suggested, but I feel like I would be given more consideration if I had somebody willing to be her adoptive mother." Without thinking she blurted out "I'll do it Nicky." He grabbed her arm and pulled her to him and held her in a loving embrace. "Thank You Cath. For everything." he told her. "Thank you Nick, for being my rock, a shoulder to cry on, somebody I can talk to, and for just being there when I needed you most. Thank you for everything you do and have done for me." she cried. "That's what I'm here for, right?" said Nick She replied, "Nicky you could have been at home with Sam or at the bar with Warrick and Greg, but you chose to be there for me." He spoke, "Woah Catherine, you would do the same for me." She whispered, "Yeah I would, but you, you could do so much better, you need to find someone younger who can give you all the things that you want." "What if I don't want someone younger Catherine?" he revealed "Nicky, I'm not getting any younger. Don't you want kids of your own?" He responded,"I happen to have a very beautiful goddaughter who happens to look just like her gorgeous mother. I love Lindsey and I have been more like a father to her than Eddie would have ever been and soon we will have our little Cassie. Life doesn't get any better than this." he responded. "That's the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me." he grabbed her and pulled her to his chest and held her while she cried. he whispered in her ear, "Catherine, I can't do better than you, because you are the best." she started crying even harder. "I love you Catherine." He had just revealed his deepest secret. He rubbed her back while she cried tracing lazy circles on her back. At that moment Conrad Ecklie walked in. "Nick, why are you hugging Catherine like that?" he probed "She is crying and I'm trying to comfort her, what does it look like?" "Nothing, nothing just making sure that you aren't violating lab policy." "Sure Conrad. Would you please leave us alone?" "I guess so." As he was leaving, Greg Sanders walked in. "Nick what are you doing?" "Holding Catherine while she cries." "Ok." When he left Catherine sat up and let out a hiccup. "I'm sorry Nicky." "Now what do you have to be sorry for?" "For crying on your shirt." "I can always change baby." "Yeah but Nicky, we shouldn't have been doing it." "Cath, you were crying and was comforting you, it's as simple as that." "If Eck-" "He did see us, and I told him the truth." Suddenly Sara walked in looking for them. "Come on you two we are waiting for you."
They got up and Nick changed his shirt and Catherine fixed her walked to the break room and grabbed their assignment. Catherine gasped "Nicky it's the hospital Cassie is in." "Oh God! Tell me she's not dead." "Let's go Nicky!" she hurried him as he grabbed their kits. They rushed to the car and sped off. They arrived and practically flew out of the car and into the hospital. They went straight to Cassie's room and were relieved to find her unharmed. They said goodbye and headed for the crime scene. It was horrifically bloody and bodies were lying everywhere. Nick spoke up "This is going to backlog every part of the lab including the morgue." "Why was this not all hands on deck?" wondered Catherine. She pulled out her cell and called Grissom. "Gil, why did you only send Nick and I to a scene that will have every part of the lab backlogged?" "Well I assumed you two would be able to do it by yourselves." "Well we will get to work and play it by ear. I will call you if we need a hand." "Good Luck Cath." She hung up and gave Nick a thumbs up and picked up her kit. She sighed and opened her kit to get an evidence bag. Two hours later they still weren't done. Two hours turned into three hours and finally three and a half hours later they were finished. Catherine yawned and rubbed her eyes. Nick finished packing the evidence into the back of the denali and held the passenger's side door open for Catherine. She slid into the seat and buckled up. She was out like a light. Nick didn't want to wake her so he quietly checked all the evidence in, put their kits away, and clocked them both out. He quietly got back in denali and drove to his house. He got out and went around to the passengers side and got her out. He carried her inside and laid her in his bed. It was then that she woke up. "Nicky where am I?" "Cath don't worry you're in my bed." "What!" she cried. He reassured her "Cath, I was going to put you in my bed and I was going to sleep on the couch, I promise." "Oh. Well do you have a t-shirt and a pair of boxers I could sleep in?" "Of course." "And Nicky you're not sleeping on the couch." "Well I'm not sleeping on the floor." "That's not what I meant Nicky." "Oh. Ohhhh. Well I'll change out here and you can take the bathroom." "Nick, I am not changing in your bathroom." "Ok." She got butt naked right in front of him and threw the boxers and t-shirt that he gave her on. He stared at her in awe until she said "Nicky are you going to change or not?" He pulled his shirt off of himself, next he pulled off his shoes and socks, last he pulled off his pants. He put them all away neatly and efficiently. He slid into bed next to her and she snuggled into his arms and laid her head on his shoulder. She suddenly looked up at him and closed the gap between them. Lips met and everything around them melted away. When they pulled apart he smiled his cute eye capturing smile and wrapped his arms around her. She fell asleep wrapped in his arms. He fell asleep holding her in his arms. When she awoke she smiled when she saw the arms wrapped around her waist. She pressed a soft kiss to his lips, gently waking him. With a soft sigh she smiled up at him. "Nicky I say today we go talk to your lawyer about adopting Cassie." "Sounds like a plan, but first we have a date." "Oh shoot Nicky I gotta go home and check on Lindsey!" "Cath, it's all been taken care of, Lindsey is fine." "How would you know?" "Lindsey come here!" he shouted. She came running into the bedroom. "Lindsey what are you doing at Uncle Nicky's?" "Grandma dropped me off last night." "Oh." "You talked my mother into dropping her off here?" "Yep." "You're the greatest Nick!" Lindsey crawled up into bed with them and fell asleep. She had Nick call his lawyer and they got dressed to go to meet the lawyer. After they had finished getting ready and were on their way out the door Catherine left Lindsey a note. Then they were on their way.
End of chapter 1! Coming Soon Chapter 2! Review, review, review! Love ya!
-Rylee