Under The Stars
Disclaimer - Unfortunately I do not own CSI.
"Evening," Nick smiled as he walked into the locker room where Sara were getting her things together.
"Hey Nick," Sara smiled back.
"You still up for this?" Nick asked.
"Definitely," Sara smiled. "But I'm driving."
"Fine, but I get to pick the radio station," Nick stated as he walked over to his locker.
"No, you can drive, I mean, if you really want to," she changed her mind.
"Nah, I don't really feel like driving today," he teased.
Sara sighed and rolled her eyes. "Whatever then. I'll drive there but you're driving back."
"Sounds good," Nick nodded as he got his bag out his locker.
"Meet me outside in 10 minutes?"
"Can't wait," Nick winked and walked away.
Greg walked in seconds later, grinning from ear to ear.
"What?" Sara asked.
"You've so been looking forward to going on this training course with him, haven't you?" he asked.
"Well training courses are fun, you learn new things and I guess it's nicer learning something new with a friend," Sara shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing more, nothing less."
"Sure," Greg chuckled. "How could Grissom let two of the best CSIs in the whole crime lab go on a training course at the same time anyway?"
"Don't ask me," Sara said as she closed her locker and started to walk to the door.
Greg shook his head.
"See you in a few days then," Sara said as she turned round just before she was at the door. "And don't you all go missing us to much."
"Oh, we won't. Have fun," he smiled but Sara was gone.
"Jesus, how long does it take?" Nick groaned when he eventually saw Sara leaving the crime lab.
"Sorry, but don't blame me. It was Greg," Sara explained as she sat down in the drivers seat of Nick's Tahoe.
"He's just jealous," Nick smiled and he climbed in next to Sara.
"You got the map?"
"I don't need a map," Nick insisted.
"Are you sure? We won't be able to ask for directions along the way," Sara asked to make sure.
"Yes, I'm sure we don't need a map," Nick nodded.
Sara smiled. "Next stop Idaho."
"More precisely, Boise, its capital," Nick stated as Sara reversed out the car parking space.
"Smart ass," she smiled as she drove the car onto the freeway.
"Now you're jealous, 'cause I know all these fascinating things," Nick smirked.
"Oh just shut up, I need to concentrate on driving," Sara sulked.
A few hours later:
"'You are now leaving Nevada, have a safe journey'," Sara read the sign as they crossed the border into Idaho.
"We will now we've left," Nick smiled.
"Isn't there suppose to be a turning in a minute? Left or right?" she asked.
"Right. No left," Nick started. "I was right the first time, right."
"Are you sure?"
"Have some faith Sara," Nick smirked as he put his sunglasses on to block out the setting sun.
"Fine, right. But if we get lost…," she trailed off.
"We won't get lost," Nick insisted.
Sara was about to say something else when she saw the signpost for the turning. She swung the car right, just like Nick told her too. She so hoped he was right.
However, it became apparent after a few miles that he clearly wasn't.
"Right, huh? Does this look right to you?" Sara asked Nick.
"I could have sworn we were supposed to go right," Nick sighed. "Guess I was wrong."
"Guess you were. But it's your own fault, you should have taken a map," she argued.
"Fine, I should have taken a map, but that doesn't change the fact that we're lost in the middle of Idaho somewhere," Nick pointed out.
"Maybe if you would have taken a map we would've gone left instead of right," Sara argued.
"Look, there's no point in arguing," Nick said. "Just turn the car around."
"I know, let's just keep going down this road for a bit," Sara decided.
"All right, but you'll be the one moaning later when we don't make our training course on time," Nick pointed out.
Sara ignored him as she was trying to stay focused on the forest-surrounded dirt road. Darkness fell minutes later. The headlights were at full beam but that barely helped. Sara became extremely nervous and agitated as she didn't know what the next bend in the road would bring.
As if by magic, the narrow bendy road soon turned wide and straight. However, just as they thought they were safe again, Sara turned a short bend and on the other side a deer was stood in the middle of the road. Thankfully, Sara saw it before she ran it over. She swerved, the car came off the dirt road and crashed into a tree at the bottom of a small ledge.
"You okay?" Nick asked.
"Yeah," Sara nodded. "You?"
"I'm fine," he said as he turned to face her.
"Fucking deer," Sara smiled.
Nick nodded and smiled back.
"You're bleeding," he noticed and carefully touched Sara's head wound.
"It's nothing," she winced as she felt Nick's cold hand on her forehead.
Nick got out the car and walked round to the drivers side. He opened the door for Sara and offered a help her out.
"I'm sorry about your car," Sara said as she accepted his help.
"A car is just a hollow tin can," Nick shrugged. "What matters is we're both okay."
Sara nodded in agreement, although she knew he'd be annoyed about his car when they got back to Vegas, whenever that would be.
"And there's no phone reception either," Nick groaned as he pulled out his mobile phone.
"So, do you want to start walking?" she asked.
"Can't hurt. Back the way we came?" Nick asked.
"Yes, seen as I crashed last time I ignored your advice," she smiled.
Nick and Sara slowly started walking back along the very quiet road. Neither of them had ever seen a road that quiet, there wasn't even the sound of traffic in the distance or any wildlife in the area. Seriously weird. It was pitch black too. They soon realised it probably would have been safer and smarter to stay with the car, but after they'd nearly walked a mile it was to late to turn round.
"I need a sit down," Sara announced as she sat down in the middle of a grassy field.
"Sar, we don't have time for a sit down," Nick argued.
Sara glared at him, and he soon sat down next to her.
"What now?" he asked.
"I've got no idea. But have you noticed we've been going around in circles?" Sara asked.
"Yeah, could explain why we've lost the road we were following," Nick pointed out.
"We should have stayed with the bloody car," Sara scuffed as she began to start shivering.
"You cold?" Nick asked as he took off his jacket and handed it to Sara. "Here."
"No, now you'll be cold," Sara protested.
"Take it," he insisted.
"Thank you," Sara smiled.
Sara wrapped Nick's jacket around her. It was warm and cosy. But best of all, it smelt just like Nick. Sara smiled, on the inside, of course. She wouldn't want him knowing she liked him, now would she?
Nick lay down on the grass and stared up at the clear night sky. And Sara found herself automatically copying, and lay down next to him.
"I can't tell you the last time I saw the stars in Vegas," Nick sighed.
"Well, I can't tell you the last time I looked for the stars in Vegas," Sara smiled.
"I used to do this all the time when I was growing up. I'd be in the middle of doing something, mostly when we went camping, but I'd just stop and drop to the floor, gaze up at the sky, look for the different constellations. I don't think I ever noticed any though," Nick explained.
"You know, I've never been camping," Sara admitted.
"Seriously?" Nick questioned. "We used to go camping all the time when I was a kid. On our next day off I am taking you camping," Nick decided.
"I'll hold you to that," Sara smiled.
"I won't forget," Nick promised.
"So… we're lost in the desert in the middle of nowhere," Sara sighed.
"Well, let's face it, we're both used to being lost in the desert," Nick said, although he realised he hit a nerve, not just with Sara but with himself.
"At least I'm not alone this time," Sara smiled sheepishly.
"I think I'm gonna move here when I retire," Nick announced, quickly changing the subject.
"I'm never going to retire," Sara chuckled.
"Sure you will, when you're old, grey and need a wheel chair," Nick explained.
"Maybe. It is nice here though, very quiet," Sara pointed out.
"Makes a change from the busy, noisy, bright, crazy streets of Las Vegas," Nick smiled.
"Yeah," she yawned and moved slightly so she could rest her head on Nick's chest. "A good change."
Nick found himself automatically wrapping his right arm round Sara shoulder as she lay her head on his chest. They acted like it was the most normal thing in the world. Did that mean they both wanted it to be?
"Our very own real life fairytale," Nick smiled but Sara had already fallen asleep, with her head still on his chest. He kissed the top of her head and decided to fall asleep under the stars too.
*Ring, Ring*
Nick opened one eye and realised his phone was ringing. He tried to move to get it out his pocket but Sara was still fast asleep on him. After a few careful movements he did manage to get to his phone in time.
"Stokes," Nick answered groggily.
"Oh thank God," exclaimed Catherine on the end of the phone. "Are you okay Nicky?"
"I'm fine," Nick replied.
"Is Sara with you? Is she okay too?" Catherine asked.
"Sara's here and she's fine," Nick said.
Catherine sighed. "Good. You two had us so worried. We just got a call from the hotel you were suppose to be staying in and they said you never checked in. What happened?"
"It's a bit of a long story, we'll explain when we get back," he said.
"Where are you guys?"
"Honestly, I have no idea," Nick smiled.
"Well, we'll get a helicopter out looking for you. Stay put, and keep each other safe," Catherine instructed.
"Will do. See you soon," Nick said before hanging up.
"Who was that?" Sara asked as she woke up.
"Catherine, she's sending a chopper out to look for us. And they were all apparently very worried," Nick said.
Sara smiled as she sat up. "You're really comfy, you know that?"
"I've been told," he shrugged as he sat up too.
"So we just have to wait?" she asked.
"Yep," Nick sighed.
Sara sighed. She definitely didn't like the idea of sitting and waiting, she'd never been a patient person. She was dreading awkward silences or awkward moments, especially when she had no real idea how she felt about the man sat next to her. But what could she do?
"Sod this," Sara scuffed as she stood up and starting jogging away from the area that had been her bad for the night.
"Sara, what are you doing?" Nick yelled after her.
"I haven't had freedom like this since I was probably 7 or 8, let me have this Nicky," she shouted back.
"But the helicopter…," Nick started.
"It'll find us," Sara smiled. "Bet you can't catch me."
"Well, you know I have to take you up on that. I'll get you Sunshine," Nick smirked as he stood up and suddenly found himself chasing Sara round the field.
They ran round in circles. They were both getting pretty dizzy but Nick was not letting Sara have the satisfaction of telling everyone when they got back to the crime lab that he couldn't keep up with her.
Nick was within inches of Sara as she tried to change direction again. He reached out and grabbed her arm, sending both of them tumbling to the floor. Nick landed onto of Sara and they burst into a fit of laughter.
"Told you I'd get you," Nick panted.
"I've not had that much fun in a very long time," Sara sighed. She thought about saying thank you but there was really only one way she could show him how she felt, in more ways than one. She tilted her head up slightly and kissed Nick on the lips.
To her surprise he didn't jump up and run away, in fact he deepened the kiss. Suddenly they found themselves lying in the middle of field kissing like mad.
Unfortunately that's when the helicopter decided to find them, and so they had to reluctantly separate from each other and stand up. A rope was dropped and Sara was lifted up first, with Nick minutes behind her. On their way back to Las Vegas, Nevada, Nick and Sara decided to think about how they were going to tell the others about their relationship, 'cause there was going to be one.
Thank you for reading. This is probably a bit long and boring with all the speech but I wanted to get the point of this across, and I hope I did. Review please.