Disclaimer: Just the words are mine, but CSI...nah!
Sara was walking briskly from Grissom's office when she bumped into Nick, who unfortunately was carrying mountain of papers.
"Where's the fire?" Nick asked while he and Sara pick up the papers that went everywhere when they collided.
"No where," Sara said with a fuming rage in her voice.
"More like in Grissom's office…and you just came out to save your temper," Nick tried.
"He's just…argh! Never mind! Sorry about the papers…" she said handling Nick the stack of papers she collected.
"It's okay. Besides, these are all done. Just needed to arrange, though…"
"I'll help!" Sara butt in and stashed the papers out of Nick's hands before he could even protest.
After a grueling moment of sorting out the papers, Nick and Sara slumped on the couch in the breakroom.
She looks very tired but at least she's more relaxed than earlier – Nick thought. "Hey Sara…" Nick started with his eyes still shut from exhaustion.
"Yeah?" Sara looked over at Nick.
"…uhm, what happened in Grissom's office?" he hesitated to ask her.
After all these years, beyond all what we'd been through as bestfriends, Nick still hesitates to ask me everything that has to do with Grissom – Sara thought and this brought a small smile on her face. His concern with Sara's feelings towards Grissom, not that she still has, makes her grateful for their friendship.
"He…he wants to know if Sofia's right," she said flatly.
"Right about…?"
"If I was to blame for the overlooked evidence on the last case."
"What the…" Nick wasn't there when Sara and Grissom processed the crime scene. But he knows for sure that Sara would never overlook any evidence. But unfortunately for her, no one can blame Grissom – the supervisor.
But then Grissom interrupted them, "Sara, I need you to process some of the evidence"
They looked at each other and Sara rolled her eyes. Nick shrugged, mouthing, "See ya later."
Shift's over and Warrick and Nick were having a good laugh on Greg's form when he came in a jump suit that smelled and looked like hell. Their laughter subsided when Sara entered the locker room, throwing a towel on the hamper just behind the two guys.
"Hey! You missed your aim, Sar," Warrick tried to laugh it off.
"Isn't funny!" Sara said as she walked to her locker.
Warrick held his hands up and Nick pursed his lips, thinking that something must have ticked Sara again.
"Gotta get out of harm's way…Keep it cool, Sara" Warrick nods at Nick, telling him to take care of her, before going home.
When the two of them were left alone, Nick just looked at Sara, who has her head buried in her hands. Nick was trying to formulate the right question so as not to tick Sara off again.
Nick cleared his throat, hoping to voice out the question he thinks wouldn't make Sara angrier. But Sara spoke first, "I'm sorry."
"What was that?" Nick didn't hear clearly what Sara said because her face was still buried in her hands when she spoke.
Sara sat up straight and looked at Nick, "I said I was sorry," with her eyes full of guilt.
"Hey, there's nothing to be sorry about. We understand. We, too, can have a bad day."
Then Sara started to fight of the tears trying to escape her eyes. "Oh, Sar. Come here…" Nick pulled her into a hug, running his hand along her back while the other soothing her hair.
She let the tears fall and when she had enough of her breakdown she pulled away with a sorry face. "I'm sorry I got your shirt wet…"
"It's okay," Nick said while reaching for her hands to hold.
"It's just…damn, Grissom is getting up my nerves! Earlier, he was about to whip my ass out of his office, and then the next thing he's apologizing for doubting my abilities. He said he would make it up for me with a dinner…geesh! What does he think of me? Still madly in love with him? That I'll say yes in each of his invitations? Damn him! I'm so sick and tired of him!"
Nick was agape. It's the first time he heard of Sara talk about Grissom like that – with full of fury and damn. Finally, Sara has come to her senses. Grissom isn't the man – the right man for him. But who am I to say that I am? I'm just her bestfriend that loves her dearly and fervently in silence – Nick contemplated.
"Hey, when everything seems to be unfair, when all that you do is not appreciated…I'll be here for you and remind you how wonderful you are - if not for all, at least for me you truly are," Nick said with a smug grin on his face.
Shall I continue? Tell me what you think?