Driving Blindly

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI, only the computer I wrote this story on.

Title: Driving Blindly

Season: Nine

Pairing: Nick Stokes/Mandy Webster-who else!

Prompt: Written for TalkFiles Nick Song Fic Challenge

Song: When The Body Speaks by Depeche Mode-I don't own them either

Beta by Smokey

Synopsis: Nick is driving blindly when it comes to love

Reviews are appreciated, flames are not!

I'm just an angel

Driving driving blindly

Through this world

I'm a slave

I'm just a slave here

At the mercy of a girl

Mandy sat across the table from Nick with her chin in her hand listening to him as he complained about his latest love interest. Her name was Elaine-A name that had images of Seinfield in her head. Of course, this Elaine was something special. This Elaine was a Prosecutor. This Elaine was beautiful, she was tall, blonde and young-oh not that much younger than she, but young enough.

Yet, Nick was miserable.

"Yeah, I don't know. I thought she was something special, but she kind of." Nick sighed heavily, "Dumped me for a younger man."

"Really." Mandy was amused.

"Yeah, guess I'm not getting any younger." He munched on the banana muffin in front of him, "Man these are good, Mandy, just what I need."

Mandy sighed. No I'm what you need But she simply stood up, petted his shoulder and said, "Take it easy, dude."

She walked out and passed by a sympathetic looking Henry who looked at her and then proceeded to go into the break room.

Nick was still proverbially licking his wounds, but talking to Mandy helped. She'd been such a good friend, a great pal who had been listening to his dating stories for months.-his bad luck, his good luck and in between.

But today he made a decision, his career he'd focus on that. Why not? He had friends; he had his one night stands if he needed a release. Gees, what else did you need?

A nagging though occurred to him, one that had been hovering in his conscience. But Nick never would admit to Mandy, that he'd been dreaming about her as of late. To the point where lately he'd found talking to her about Elaine was more of detour away from reality which taunted him.

"You know, for a CSI, you're not the brightest bulb in the pack." Henry said to him.

"Excuse me!" Nick turned around and glared at the lab rat. Who the hell was he to talk that way to him!

"You don't deserve her anyways."

"Who?"

"The woman whose been listening to your problems for months on end only to be trampled on because, you're blind. You're driving blind." Henry poured a cup of coffee for himself and leaned back against the counter, "I don't know what she sees in you, Stokes, you're not exactly three dimensional, at best you're two."

The CSI scowled, "What the fuck is wrong with you, Henry, are you looking to get yourself suspended, cause I can make that happen pretty quick."

"Yeah I'll make sure your toxic screens stay on the back burner no matter what!" Henry said nonplussed.

Nick blinked, and then asked, "Who the hell are you talking about, anyways?"

Henry glared at him. "She's in love with you, Nick!"

Nick stared at him, "Mandy..in love with me.." Relief washed over him. He'd never admit it to Henry, though.

"Yeah go figure, but you've been playing her."

"No, I thought of her as some friend..and I.." Nick rubbed the back of his head. "I .."

"You don't deserve her." Henry said "She's not a glamourous prosecutor like Elaaaaine, but man she's got a heart of gold and would do anything for you."

"Mandy..me.." Nick folded his arms, "But..I..don't.."

"No you don't deserve her." Henry walked out of the break room leaving Nick feeling both nervous and relieved. This was a two-way street. Mandy felt the same. Still should he bow down to office rules and politics? Or should he listen to what his soul was whispering. A soul that went into hiding along when he engaged in one night stands or relationships comprised of the hollowness of physical attraction. His heart was imprisoned during these times. Yes it was risky, but the thought of being with someone who desired him as much as he desired her, trumped the mind.

For once he'd adhere to his soul, the rest would simply follow.

The elevator rang the 12th floor at the apartment on Henderson. She lived alone. He knew as much. Well more than that. Her baking rivalled that of a Pastry Chef and she enjoyed her coffee with cream, loved video games, old movies and had a wicked sense of humour. Mandy could stump even the ever-opinionated Hodges with her uncanny observations and could back up even the most outrageous opinions with facts.

Nervously, Nick walked over and knocked on her door. She answered in pink, flannel pyjamas, in fluffy slippers, her hair tumbled around her face. Sweet smells of baked goods tantalized his senses giving him a momentary pause to reminisce about life back in Texas when his grandmother used to come over to watch him and his siblings and bake the most delicious pastries, cookies, breads.

Life was so much simpler back then. The only girl issue he had was Suzie Barker who insisted on kissing him during circle time.

"Nick," Mandy held the door open jerking him back from memory lane, "What are you doing here? I just did a double and I'm a beat. Couldn't it wait?" He noticed some flour on her pyjamas.

Shyly, Nick shoved his hands in his pocket, "No, can I talk to you?"

Mandy stared at him, hard, her body tense, and then held the door open. "Come in."

"Nice place." He gazed around at the small, but cozy place decorated moderately with a love seat and couch coloured light brown, with framed movie posters on the wall along with a framed print of Boulevard of Broken Dreams.

"Thanks." Mandy led him into a tiny kitchen. He smiled at the sight of plate filled with muffins. Then he noticed another bowl of muffins, then a fresh loaf of bread cooling under some checkred-patterned clothes.

"Kind of went crazy with the baking didn't you?" Nick asked.

"Takes my mind of stuff." She held out a plate. "Chocolate chip, blueberry, cranberry or banana muffin?"

"Um," Nick studied the plate, "Think I'll try the blue berry."

"Coffee?" she asked after offering a seat.

"Yeah, thanks."

Nick bit into the muffin and sighed contently, "These are good." He talked with his mouth full then stopped as Elaine had given him hell over that. Wait, he was with Mandy and she didn't care.

"Thanks." She set a blue, flowered mug down on the table. "Cream and sugar."

"You know my taste." Nick took a sip.

She sat down on the chair across from him and watched as he nibbled away. Nick was starving after a long shift. The muffin was history.

"So why are you here?" she finally asked. "What was it you had to tell that couldn't wait? You and Elaine got back together. You could have saved that for work?" Nick caught her bottom lip trembling with anticipation of the bad news.

Silence fell between them as Nick chose his next words carefully, "I'm sorry, I'm not the most observant person Mandy."

Her brow creased, "Why would you say that?"

"Cause, I've been driving blindly. The person who I should have been seeing all along was right in front of me." He stared at her pointedly. She stared back in confusion. "Who is she?"

Nick swallowed and reached across the table and clasped her arm. "I'm looking at her."

Mandy stared at the hand and then back at him again, eyes filled with tears. "Me? Why me?"

"Cause," Nick smiled, "No one else makes banana muffins like you." He gently closed his hand around hers and squeezed.

Mandy shook her head, "Don't play games with me Stokes. "I've had to sit back and listen to these sad tales of dates gone wrong. What am I last one on your list?" She pulled her hand away, "Forget it."

Nick was undeterred as he grabbed her hand back, "Maybe I had to get through the road blocks to see the final destination!" He stood up and walked around and drew her up to face him. He placed his hands on her face and planted a tiny kiss on her lips. A small sigh escaped them as she asked, "Are you still driving blindly?"

"Nope." He cemented this with another kiss, a deeper one. Mandy's arms slid around his waist as she pulled him flush against her, the shape of her body formed magically into his. Their kisses grew heated, so much so Mandy broke with an amusing question, "Would you think less of me if I took you into my room and had my way with you?" Her hands slowly started to unbutton the crisp, white shirt he wore.

Feeling the heat building up between them, he answered, "Nope.." and started to unbutton the pink, flannel top, delighted to see she was wearing nothing underneath. Her rose coloured nipples were rock hard.

As she reached the bottom of his shirt, she asked, "Will you still be here if I fall asleep?"

Nick gently drew the shirt away revelling in the sight of her ample bosom, "I sure will, but I'm going to ask, you Mandy, dandy are willing to put up with the worst of me?" He scaled the shirt gently off her shoulders. She gasped as hands eagerly reached for them, rolling the nipples around with his thumb. Damn, they were better than he had dreamed about. Her waist was well-defined and shapely he discovered as his hands scaled down around her waist and brought her tightly against him. He grinded his hardness into her, a message he wanted her, all of her.

She looked up at him, her eyes lit up, "If I can't handle you at your worst, I sure and hell don't deserve you at your best."

"Ditto" Nick nodded in agreement as if in a dance, they began the journey to her bedroom, working the remainder of their clothes.

By the time, they made it in the bedroom, all they had left on was skin as Mandy guided himto a half made bed, covered with a rosey red comforter. She drew it back and they scooped under the covers and reached for each other, desperately, their hands became acquainted with each other. It wasn't until the first kiss, Nick realized not only how much he wanted to be with her, but to touch her, caress her and do all sorts of loving deeds to her. This was so much more than sex, and for once in his life, it seemed to matter to him as he felt a tiny packet slide into his hand with words encouraging him to take it the next level. Eagerly he tore it open with his teeth and slid the condom on and pulled her flush against his body.

Nick never thought Mandy looked more gorgeous at this moment with. Her face was flushed with desire, her eyes raw with passion as she slid her hand and stroked the sensitive area under his erection. She was so aroused he wanted to be inside her five seconds ago and vice versa for her.

He stroked a hair out her face and held her tight as he quickly rolled her onto her back. Their souls and bodies harmonized as he entered her. They made love with a profound tenderness that had been lacking in their lives. This was sweet paradise from the horrors of their jobs. Mandy's fingers dug into his back as she reached up with her lips to kiss him before falling back, her hair made a halo around her head.

Words escaped him, so he let his love making do the talking. Telling her through his mouth, hands and the most important element of his anatomy how he felt about her. She reciprocated with a desperation as if she had something to prove to him, that she was indeed a far cry better than Elaine and all those other girls he'd bitched about to her. Nothing was needed to be proven as he found the words he needed to say to her from a song he'd heard on the way over.

"I'm just a slave here, Mandy." He framed her face with her arms and said in a tight voice, "I'm at your mercy, if you want me to stay after this, even after everything I did wrong..just say it.."

She stared up at him, with tears brimming, she tried to speak but the words broke as she mumbled, "If you're simply here for sex, then it's nothing more than a hollow victory for me, but if you're here with your soul as well as your body, then yes, I want you to stay. I need you to stay."

"I'm here with you, darling. My spirit drove me." Nick smiled and kissed the top of her clammy for head, "Mind, soul and body and for once I listened to them all."

She shut up him with a kiss and bucked her hips encouraging him to continue. His thrusts came harder and faster as bliss took hold and cloaked their real world around them.

With a triumphant cry, Mandy's head arched back. Her hands formed fists on his back giving cue for him to surrender to the build up within him. Moments later he was sprawled on her, panting as if he'd run the Boston Marathon.

Words failed Nick once again as he gathered himself, rolled off the still trembling print tech and gathered her to him. There was far more he wanted to tell her. How tonight she single hand-idly killed his single hood, but it was a mercy killing.

Instead, he looked down at her flushed, delighted face and whispered, "Can I have another muffin."

"Didn't you just have two?" She answered with a sly wink as she caressed the side of his face.

It took a moment for the humour to register and he laughed so hard, his guts split. Then he responded, "But I need the energy to make up for lost time." Nick studied her face, taking note of her twinkling sultry brown eyes, the cute cleft in her chin and the impish quality to her looks. Hungrily he drank in the glorious sight of her clammy, nude body, still aroused and likely ready for more as he was. Thank God he had tommorow off and his cell phone was turned off and he was gonna exhaust this girl for her next shift if it was the last thing he would do.

Mandy caressed the side of his face, eyes filled with warmth and desire as she told him, "No need to make up for anything, dude, you already did." She kissed him as her hands slid down gleefully, "But I won't argue if you insist."