Disclaimer: I own nothing of CSI

A Day to Themselves

"I didn't realize this outlet mall had so many great stores in it, we should come here more often." Jackie told Nick as they walked around the outdoor mall.

The weather was warmer than it should have been for this time of year and Nick and Jackie were enjoying a day to themselves while their kids were with her parents at a park. Her mom had called her earlier in the morning and asked if she and Jackie's dad could "steal" the kids for the afternoon.

Since Jackie agreed, Nick and Jackie decided to enjoy their alone time by going to see a movie and then making a quick stop at the outlet mall.

"Yeah, I agree, the one store had nice and not very expensive clothes for the whole family." Nick told her as he carried a couple bags full of clothes that they had purchased.

"Oh, hon, can we stop in here for a minute?" Jackie asked as they passed a jewelry store.

In the window it had a sign saying that they were having a sale on chocolate diamonds, her favorite even though she didn't own any chocolate diamond jewelry.

"Sure." Nick said as he politely opened the door for her.

"Hello, welcome." A friendly elderly lady said from behind the counter.

"Hi, thank you." Jackie replied.

"Are you looking for anything in particular?" the woman asked as Jackie browsed the chocolate diamond collection.

"Um, do you have any chocolate diamond necklaces?" Jackie asked.

Jackie was a firm believer that the only ring you should wear on your left hand was your engagement/wedding ring and she already wore rings on every finger on her right hand except her thumb and pinky finger, her pinky was so small that she felt it would look funny to wear a ring on it and she had tried to wear a ring on her thumb once before and found it very uncomfortable so she had run out of fingers to wear rings on which made a necklace a much more practical choice.

"Oh of course. They are right over here." the woman said as she led Nick and Jackie to another display case.

"That one is pretty." Jackie said as she pointed at one of the necklaces.

The woman got it out and let Jackie try it on.

After looking at how it looked on her in a mirror Jackie really liked it. She tried on a couple more but the first one was her favorite.

"Hey Jackie, I forgot my phone in the car, I should probably have it in case someone from the lab is trying to get a hold of me, would you go get it for me?" Nick asked.

Jackie gave him an odd look as if to say Why don't you go get it yourself? But instead of saying what she was thinking she simply said "Sure." and walked out to the car to retrieve his phone.

As soon as she left the store Nick told the friendly sales clerk that he'd take the necklace. The woman smiled at him. "A Valentines Day present?" she asked.

"Actually, I was going to get it for her for her birthday, but it could be a Valentines Day present, her birthday and Valentines day are just a few days apart, had I known that I probably wouldn't have let myself fall so hard for her on our first date but by the time I knew when her birthday was it was too late, she had stolen my heart."

The woman looked at Nick as if not sure what to make of that but after seeing the broad smile on his face she realized he was only kidding and she laughed, as did he.

Jackie came back just as Nick was dropping the necklace, now in a pretty gift box into one of the bags that held the clothes they had purchased at the other store.

"Nick, I didn't find your phone in the car, I even dug between the seat cushions."

"That's odd, I'm sure it will turn up." Nick told her, knowing very well that his phone was in his shirt pocket.

Jackie just shrugged.

She was about to look at the necklace display case again and Nick didn't want her to notice that the necklace she liked was now gone.

"Hey, um, I kind of want a new watch, let's go look at those." He told her as he gently grabbed her arm and led her to the watch display case that was across the store.

After a few minutes he looked up at Jackie and asked "Ready to go?"

"You didn't find any you liked?" Jackie asked.

"What's that?"

Jackie looked at him like he was a lunatic.

"A watch." She replied.

"Oh right, a watch, no I didn't, that's ok though." He told her.

"Ok then, I'm ready to go." She said.

The couple thanked the sales clerk and then they left the store.

As they drove home Nick considered this to be a very enjoyable day, and the best part was that he now had Jackie's birthday present, now if only he could think of what to get her for Valentines day.

The End!