Title: Helping Hand
Author: DarkDreamer56
Archive: If you want it, ask please!
Rating: T
Pairings: N/S (mostly friendship), GSR angst
Disclaimer: If I owned them, I'd be in trouble b/c they have been completely mute to me for weeks...
Spoilers: nothing specific, but there is some speculation on my part about the new character being introduced, based on the spoilers I've seen.

A/N: I don't know what has been wrong with me, but it has been so hard for me to write lately. I'm still working on it though. I started this fic originally as a Thanksgiving ficlet, but then it kind of morphed into a Christmas fic. Still, when I started writing, I thought that 7x11 would have aired by the time the Christmas hiatus came around, so the time line is a little skewed. This is dedicated to Julie, who I've been promising a new fic to for weeks, and to Claire, my partner in smuff. Hope you all enjoy!

"I thought Warrick pulled holiday duty this time?" Sara smiled as Nick turned towards the sound of her voice when she entered the community locker room to stash her stuff before shift. Technically, Christmas wasn't for another two hours, but they usually ran on a skeleton crew while most people fled the lights of Las Vegas for the comforts of home. Greg was in Colorado, on orders of his mother, something Sara felt bad about; she knew he couldn't be having too happy of a holiday. And Catherine had decided to forgo the usual traditions, and take Lindsay and her mother on a week long cruise. "And I thought you'd be on a plane to Dallas by now."

"Ah, I went home for Thanksgiving. Besides, Tina ended up getting some time off from the hospital, and she wanted to spend Christmas with her folks…" Nick shrugged and pulled his gear out of the open locker in front of him.

Sara was happy to hear that Warrick and Tina were working things out; their marriage hadn't exactly started off on strong footing, but Sara admired that they hadn't given up and filed for divorce, instead choosing to work on the problems that came with their hasty marriage. She also thought it was sweet that Nick would give up his own holiday plans to help out a friend; then again, just that kind of behavior was exactly something to be expected from Nick.

"You ready for the holiday madness?"

"Well, hopefully people will be too preoccupied with how many hours they have left to wrap all their presents to cause any trouble tonight."

Nick, ever the optimist. "Yeah, but tomorrow the combination of alcohol and too much quality time with family will keep us busy til Valentine's Day."

Nick grinned, letting Sara pass to deposit her own stuff before shutting the door to his own locker. "Yeah, there's the Sara we know and love."

Sara allowed herself to throw an elbow into Nick's gut while he leaned against the locker bay, waiting for her to stow her stuff, but she couldn't quite keep the smile from pulling at her lips. It had been awhile since she and Nick had worked a case together, and she was looking forward to working with him. Plus, if the shift ended up being as slow as Nick hoped for, then she knew he'd keep her entertained while they caught up on the shift's never ending backlog of paperwork.

When Sara finally closed her locker, she and Nick headed for the break room for coffee, until they were intercepted by Keppler, their newest colleague, and someone that made Sara a little nervous. There was just something about the man that had Sara on edge whenever she worked with him, and it wasn't just the fact that he reminded her of Grissom's absence. She'd noticed Catherine seemed a little suspicious of Keppler too, and the guys were horrible at hiding the fact that they didn't like leaving her or Catherine to work alone with him.

Between Keppler, and dealing with Grissom's sudden departure, it was shaping up to be a pretty poor holiday season for Sara. Normally, holidays weren't Sara's favorite time of year to begin with, but she had actually been looking forward to having someone special to celebrate with for the first time in awhile. But then Grissom had gone and accepted the lecture position, and told her that he needed a break. That apparently included her too, and after a couple of sleepless nights and some soul searching, Sara decided that if Grissom needed a break from their relationship after only a couple months, then it needed to be a permanent one. It had taken so long to get to where they were, but Sara knew that she couldn't live in limbo forever, waiting for Grissom to decide what he really wanted in life. It hurt like hell, but she had gotten some sort of strange comfort in the fact that she had tried. At least she wouldn't have to live the rest of her life wondering what it would have been like to be with Gil Grissom.

"Nick, Sara. Nice to see you guys. It seems like things are pretty slow so far, maybe we'll be lucky and it will stay that way. Sara, how would you like to help me finish processing the clothes from the Andrews case?"

"Actually, she already agreed to help me get some paperwork done if it was slow. Catherine's gonna have my ass if it doesn't get done before the end of the week."

Keppler didn't seem fazed by Nick's quick cover, and since Sara didn't really relish the thought of spending the shift with Keppler, she'd let it slide that Nick seemed to think that she needed help getting out of it. Though she did shoot him a warning look just so that he knew it shouldn't, and wouldn't become a regular occurrence. Nick looked at her like the proverbial child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"What? It's not like I was lying. You would have agreed if I'd asked…"

An hour later, Sara found herself elbow deep in a stack of files that needed to be signed off on, listening to Nick tell her about the Christmas his oldest niece decided that her grandparents' sheepdog deserved to be included in dinner, and how the dog subsequently ended up running off with one of the turkeys.

"My sister was so livid, she threatened to send a letter telling Santa that Heather didn't need any presents the next year. My mom had to remind her that Heather was only five, and she'd really just been trying to help out poor old Dusty. Meanwhile, me and my brother-in-law got banished to the barn until we could stop laughing. You shoulda seen it, the dog tearing through the house with bits of my mom's turkey hanging out of his mouth…actually, you probably wouldn't have enjoyed it all the much I guess. Maybe a tofurkey."

Nick chuckled at the memory, and Sara couldn't help but notice how animated Nick got talking about his family. Several years ago, Sara had a hard time listening to Nick's family stories, but she was happy to finally be in a place where she could enjoy them without comparing them to her own childhood.

Sara grinned at Nick over their enormous stacks of files. "You must have had some pretty interesting Christmases when you were a kid…I bet you got into trouble once or twice."

"Me? Nah, I was a complete angel." Even Nick couldn't keep a straight face delivering that line. "I didn't get away with much…my parents had seen most of it by the time I tried it, and if they didn't catch me, one of my sisters would make sure they found out."

"What? No love for their baby brother?" Somehow, Sara didn't have much trouble casting Nick into the mischievous, slightly annoying little brother, wreaking havoc in the lives of his older sisters.

"I guess it had something to do with listening in on their phone calls, reading their diaries…reporting to Cisco and my older brother what they were really doing on the front porch with their dates and how long after curfew they came in. Frankly, my mother was surprised I made it past the age of ten."

They fell into silence for awhile, trying to make even a small dent in the paperwork before they got a call. Keppler stopped in at one point to tell them a call had come in about a robbery in one of the casino shops, but that he could handle it on his own. Sara's hand was cramping from signing her name so many times, and once she made it through her first stack, she volunteered to refill their coffee before moving on to the next..

When she returned, Nick had mysteriously produced a package of cookies, offering a few to Sara as she set a steaming mug in front of him. "It's after midnight…Merry Christmas Sara."

"Merry Christmas." She took a few and settled back in for more paperwork.

"Do you wanna come over after shift? There's no reason to spend Christmas alone, even if we've gotta work tonight." It took Sara a minute to register what Nick was saying through a mouthful of cookie, but once she did, she tried to suppress a smile.

"What makes you think I don't already have plans?" Sara was actually looking forward to her after shift plans, even if she wasn't quite looking forward to the holiday itself, and was starting to wonder why she hadn't thought earlier about asking Nick to come with her. It was something that she thought he would enjoy, and though it would take a quick call to Emma, she was sure an extra set of hands would be welcome.

Sara had to bite back a laugh as she watched Nick fumble. "Uh, sorry, I didn't think…I guess I just didn't think."

"I know you guys think I just sit alone in my apartment on holidays, listening to my police scanner, or working doubles…"

Nick looked embarrassed, throwing his pen down and rubbing the back of his neck. "Look Sara, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have presumed."

"No Nick, it's okay. Actually, I was just going to ask if you wanted to come with me for a couple hours after shift. We could use your hands." Sara couldn't resist throwing that line back at him again.

Nick's eyebrows shot up in surprise as he chuckled. "We? What are you trying to involve me in now? Not that I'd object to much…" Nick waggled his eyebrows for effect, causing Sara to break into a short fit of laughter, and it took her a minute to respond.

"You'll just have to trust me."

It was around noon that Nick and Sara finally made it back to her apartment.

"Sara Sidle, every time I think I have you figured out…"

"What? I don't strike you as the 'giving back to the community' type?"

Nick rolled his eyes as he shrugged off his coat and threw it haphazardly onto the chair in the corner. "I was just thinking, for someone who claims that she is awful with kids, you did pretty well. Macy seems to like you a lot."

Sara had refused to tell Nick where they were going after shift, and had seen the subsequent surprised look on his face when they pulled up in front of a modest two story house about twenty minutes outside of city limits. The sign outside the building read Bauer House in fading paint, a local group home for kids who had not yet been placed into a foster home. Sara explained that she had been volunteering there for awhile, and that she had agreed to help out with their Christmas celebration.

So Nick and Sara spent Christmas morning handing out presents donated to the house and making stacks of pancakes while the kids examined their new gifts. Nick even got most of the older kids involved in a pickup basketball game while Sara, the house coordinator Emma, and a couple of the other volunteers cleaned up after breakfast. After everything was washed and put away, and most of the younger kids, worn out from the morning's festivities, were put down for their naps, Sara sat down on the back porch with Macy, a five year old blond pixie who had an infectious smile, even if she was quite shy.

Macy had been at the home for several weeks now, but she had had a hard time adjusting. She actually reminded Sara a lot of herself when she had first been placed into the foster care system, and so Sara decided to take things slow with Macy. Sara's time volunteering had made her more comfortable around kids, and so she spent many mornings quietly coloring next to Macy, offering the little girl crayons and new sheets of paper, trying to coax a response out of her. It took almost two weeks, but one morning, Sara finally heard Macy's timid voice asking her for the pink crayon, and she looked up to see the little girl smiling back at her. Sara felt like she was going to burst from that simple sentence. Since then, Macy seemed to be finally opening up to those around her.

Sara had found her standing in front of the window, watching Nick and the other kids playing.

"Sara, can I go outside?"

"Do you want to go play with Nick and the other kids?"

Macy shook her head solemnly, but Sara thought she might change her mind once they got outside, and bundled Macy up in her coat before heading out back. Sara was surprised when, instead of sitting down next to Sara, Macy crawled into her lap.

"Macy, come play!" Adam called out a few minutes later, a six year old who had an uncanny resemblance to Warrick, with a proud smile that showed off the gap left by his front two baby teeth falling out.

"Come on Macy, I could use someone else on my team." Macy smiled at Nick as he gestured for her to come join them, but buried her face into Sara's side and snuggled in closer.

Sara and Macy watched from the porch while Nick and the kids finished up their game. The thought briefly crossed Sara's mind that she had been looking forward to sharing this experience with Grissom, but as quickly as it came, it was replaced by the feeling that there was probably no one else who would appreciate this experience more than Nick. Sara imagined Nick could just as easily be at home in Dallas, playing with his many nieces and nephews, as he was here, playing with a bunch of kids who had no one else to take the time for them on Christmas.

And now Nick was sprawled out on her couch, staring at her curiously while she put on some fresh coffee. "So how exactly did you get involved there?" Nick was aware that Sara had a less than idyllic childhood, but he didn't know more than a few details that Sara had shared with him during a rather surprising conversation shortly after his rescue.

"It was something my PEAP counselor suggested awhile ago, but I didn't really think that seriously about it until after that case Greg and I had…"

Sara trailed off as Nick nodded. Everyone knew what case that referred too. "Anyways, I started spending a morning a week there, and pretty soon it was three mornings a week…some of the kids are harder to get to know than others, but they seem to be opening up."

"They all seem to be in love with you. No, I'm serious," Nick continued when Sara blushed and busied herself with looking for clean coffee mugs, "all those kids talked about was how Sara helps them with their workbooks in the morning, Sara makes chocolate chip pancakes, Sara helped them decorate the Christmas tree…really Sar, I'm proud of you."

"Well, they seemed to have a lot of fun with you today, and Adam couldn't stop smiling after you said you'd be back in a couple weeks." Sara was happy that Nick had decided he'd like to volunteer too, already talking to Emma about what he would have to do to become a full time volunteer before they had even finished breakfast. Sara thought that the kids could benefit from having someone like Nick to look up to, and after all that he had been through, Sara knew the experience would be good for Nick too.

Satisfied that the coffee was brewing, Sara sank down onto the couch next to Nick's feet, ignoring his comments about her sparse decorations, and catching the throw pillow he tossed her way. She had actually decorated more this year than she had previous years since coming to Vegas; she had a small, but brightly decorated table top Christmas tree, some garland hanging over a couple doorways, and she had even hung a stocking on the counter separating her kitchen from the rest of her apartment.

Nick had been to Sara's enough times to know that her remote usually ended up lying on the floor somewhere next to the couch, and reached back to find it before turning the power on and scanning the guide. His eyes lit up at a particular movie, and Sara couldn't help but smile. Of course Nick would love that movie.

"Nick, how many times have you seen It's a Wonderful Life?"

"It's Christmas tradition," he argued lightly, switching to the appropriate channel and readjusting the pillow behind his head. "Besides, it's Frank Capra at his best."

Nick quickly became absorbed in the movie, and Sara found herself getting lost in it herself, at least until the coffee was ready. When she returned with two steaming mugs, and a plate of gingerbread cookies that she had bought on impulse at the grocery store, Nick was sitting back up and gratefully accepted the coffee. Sara settled back down next to him, breaking a cookie in half and offering part to Nick.

This time, Nick waited to speak until he had actually swallowed. "You know Sara, I meant it earlier. I really am proud of you. Getting out there, getting involved with those kids…it's good for them, seeing someone who made it through what they're going through…"

Nick trailed off as Sara, slightly startled, put her coffee cup down on the table next to her. Apparently Nick knew more than Sara thought he did. Even though she realized she wasn't upset that Nick knew about her stint in foster care, she turned towards him with questioning eyes. Had he figured it out himself, or had one of the kids told him? Most of them knew about it, simply because Sara wanted them to know that she understood how they were feeling.

"It may have taken awhile, but I kinda put it together…just never really found the right time to bring it up." Nick shrugged, offering her a sad smile. Of anyone Sara knew, she figured Nick probably understood best what it was like to have things happen to you that were hard to talk about, even with people you considered family, and she appreciated the way that he was treading lightly.

"After my dad died, no…after my mother…" Sara started to correct herself; she wanted Nick to know the truth. "My dad was abusive, my mother stabbed him…"

It took Sara a minute to meet Nick's eyes, but when she did, she saw the warmth and

compassion that she knew Nick could always be counted on for. If he was surprised by the exact details of her revelation, his expression hid it well, something Sara was grateful for. "Hey Sar, it's okay. I didn't bring it up to make you rehash everything, I just wanted you to know that you're doing a really good job with those kids. And I think it's good for you too…watching you with Macy, and the others, you seemed happy. Not that you haven't seemed happy lately, but something's been different…" Sara felt Nick's hand envelop hers and squeeze gently, a silent acknowledgement that she could tell him anything. Sara knew that was usually the case, but she couldn't deny the apprehension she felt about revealing her relationship with Grissom to Nick. The thought occurred to her that she was more nervous talking about Grissom than she had been talking about her parents, but she shoved that thought to the side to deal with for another day.

Sara knew what Nick meant, and since she wasn't particularly in the mood to get into the whole Grissom debacle with Nick, she decided to leave it at that for now. Not to mention the fact that she was beginning to feel a little warm from the way Nick was looking at her, she decided to shift the course of the conversation. Spilling her guts to Nick could wait another couple days.

"You were good with them too…I bet all those nieces and nephews miss their Uncle Nick right about now. I'm sorry you didn't make it home for Christmas."

Now Nick was the one that looked a little uncomfortable. "Like I said, Warrick needed the time off. Besides…going home for the holidays, it's become a little suffocating…" Nick involuntarily cringed at his choice of words, but quickly recovered. "Besides, I'm enjoying the company right now."

Sara grinned at his attempt to lighten the mood. "Me too. Except, I get to pick the next movie."

Sara's implication drew a smile out of Nick, who finally released her hand and reached for his coffee. "We'll see about that one."

They settled back into a comfortable silence, turning their attention back to the movie. At least Nick's attention was on the movie; Sara's drifted between the movie, and Nick, now sprawled out on the couch again, using her outer thigh as a footrest. Sara thought about pushing his feet away, she wasn't really a fan of other people's feet touching her, but she realized that she didn't exactly mind the contact. Instead, she concentrated on the feeling of contentment that had slowly been washing over her all morning. She hadn't planned on getting into her childhood with Nick Christmas Day, and she knew there was only more to come, but for now, she would just enjoy spending the rest of Christmas with him.

She could only hope he hadn't made plans for New Year's yet.

A/N: I tried to get them together, really I did. It just would not happen. I've got another fic idea, but it might be a little bit before I get it posted. Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday! Merry Christmas!