Disclaimer!!! None of this is mine…If I was allowed any fantasy, to own the show would be at the top of my list. Sadly there is no such thing as magic so I guess I will just have to settle writing about it. Please don't sue me! CSI isn't mine but CBS, Jerry, Anthony and all youse people who are more special then me own them…Lucky bastards!

SPOILERS!!! This has major spoilers for upcoming episodes! I went to and watched videos for the upcoming episodes Sweet Jane and I guess Redrum so there are actual lines from these episodes in this story!!! I saw the videos and freaked out! I had to write something! I totally suggest going over to that website and checking it out if you haven't already!!!!

So I know that I haven't published anything for years but I have a story in the works and I wanted to get the creative juices flowing with this longish oneshot. This turned out to be a little longer than my original idea but I'm gonna try it out anyway. Oh and it is almost 2:00am and I don't have enough patience to get this betaed so sorry for any typos!

"If you can't stand the Snickers, get out of the candy aisle!"

Jax

Be Careful What You Wish For…

I can't believe that this happened. Looking back on the situation I guess it makes sense, but I don't know what came over me. I never just sleep with a guy…I mean I guess I never sleep with guys I hardly know but still, I can't believe I did. I have never cheated on anyone in my life either, especially when that anyone is Grissom. I thought that I really loved Grissom but after this…I spent so much time going after Grissom and now here I am ruining our relationship and developing feelings for someone who may not return them…I have put myself in such a mess…This all started out about a week ago right after Grissom left and Keppler joined the team. Maybe I was really depressed about Grissom leaving and I wanted to fill the void or maybe it's wasn't really Grissom, but the fact that I'm attracted to leaders and power, but either way I made a mess…

About a Week Earlier

I walked into the lab for the start of shift a few days after Grissom left. I was really lonely at home. Looking back on it now, I'm not sure if I missed Grissom because I loved him or just because it was nice to have someone to spend a lot of time with after work, but either way I felt run down and pretty depressed. I wasn't looking forward to meeting Keppler, the guy who was replacing Grissom. Anyway, I got into the break room where Nick, Warrick and Greg were talking about the new guy.

"I've talked to a couple people out in Baltimore and they say he is an 'ok' guy, but it is going to be too weird I think." Nick looked up at me as he finished speaking and gave me a smile before asking "Have you heard anything about this Keppler guy Sara?"

"No, not much. I think that I remember hearing his name mentioned at a forensics conference but I really don't know." I wasn't really in the talking mood at that point and I guess Nick could tell because he didn't ask me anymore questions as I headed over to get a cup of coffee. They continued they're conversation with Greg putting in ideas of what Keppler could be like ("Maybe he is a space alien here to collect our DNA and observe us to report back to his home planet!") until Catherine walked into the room a few minutes later.

"Ok guys, you all know that Michael Keppler is coming in from Baltimore today. He is technically being hired for dayshift but since we are shorthanded without Grissom, he is going to be working with us for a while. I am going to meet him at a 419 out past Fremont Street. Greg and Warrick, you have another 419 out near Henderson, dead man on his front lawn. Sara and Nick, you have a suspicious circs at the Luxor. 55 year-old man found dead in his room, could be natural death but Vartan wanted to be sure." She handed each team their respective call slips before finishing. "Now look, you will probably meet Keppler sometime tonight so I don't want anyone to judge him before you meet him. We all miss Grissom, but I have talked to Keppler a few times and he seems like a decent guy and from what I have heard, a very good CSI. So make him feel welcome ok? Good." Catherine turned around and walked out of the break room presumably towards her office to gather her things. Meanwhile the four younger CSI's looked at each other for a moment before getting up and all heading to the locker room.

"I don't care if he was my uncle, I don't trust him." Warrick stated as he gathered up his kit. Nick and Sara nodded in agreement.

"I don't know, I think that we should give him a chance." Greg interjected. "We haven't even met the guy. He could be totally awesome like that character from that forensic show on television. You know the one who is really smart and friendly and catches like every bad guy?"

"You have been watching way too much TV Greggo." I said as I closed my locker.

"Yeah, the characters on those shows are not realistic at all, and they make everything go way to fast. Getting a DNA sample in less than an hour? Please." Nick shut his locker and then looked at me. "You ready?" I nodded yes. "Ok we'll see you guys later." We walked out of the locker room and headed down the hall towards the front door. "You know let's just hope that he doesn't ruin the team like the last new addition did seven years ago when she came here from San Francisco and created havoc in all our lives." Nick was smiling but not looking directly at me. I jabbed him playfully in the ribs as we walked outside into the chilly January air. I remember thinking that it was nice to smile since I had been so depressed. Only Nick would be able to have that affect on me. That's probably another reason I got myself into this mess.

Later we got to the hotel, collected some evidence and sent the body to the morgue with David. We left the scene and came back to the lab a few hours later. We didn't have much to go on and as time passed, it was looking more and more that unless there was something in his wine glass or something weird found during autopsy, we figured that Mr. Ford probably just died from natural causes. We had been sitting in the break room talking about the case over some coffee when Catherine and a man who I assumed was Keppler walked in. I gave Nick a look as if to say 'That's him?' which he returned with a look that said 'I still won't trust him'

"Hey guys," said Catherine. "Nick, Sara, I would like you to meet Michael Keppler from Baltimore. We stood up and each shook his hand both politely saying "Hi"

I remember my first impression of him. He looked pretty handsome but I could tell just from the look in his eyes that he had a lot to hide. He was very stiff and didn't seem very open at all.

"It's very nice to meet both of you." Keppler coolly said to both of us. After a few moments of awkward silence Catherine asked if Keppler wanted some coffee. Nick gave me another look as if to say 'Where did this guy come from?' I smiled slightly, trying not to make it too obvious. Nick and I sat there silently until finally Keppler and Catherine left.

"Well now that we met him, I can say that I still don't trust him." Nick smiled at me and I smiled back.

I remember thinking he has an amazing smile, but the thought had crossed my mind more than once so I didn't think anything of it. I probably should have considered it though after what happened a few days later. Nick and my case ended up being death by heart attack so we had been catching up on major paperwork. Catherine and Keppler had solved their case as well and Warrick and Greg were just wrapping things up. It was nice that I didn't need to spend that much time around Keppler because every time he spoke, I felt he was more and more untrustworthy. Nick had told me he felt the same thing a well. There was a weird vibe floating around Catherine and Keppler and my suspicions were only confirmed when I saw her in the hallway in her jump suit in front of a conference room that was being covered with painter's plastic so no one could see inside.

I was walking down the hallway when Catherine called me over.

"You have a dead body that was found by some hikers out near Lake Mead." She handed me the call slip with all the info on it.

"What's going on?" I said wondering if there was maybe some construction going on after seeing all of the painter's plastic.

"Um…Nothing I can talk about…Keep me posted on the 419…Greg's gonna' meet you at the scene."

"Ok…" I responded very confused about the whole situation. I watched her turn around and enter the concealed room. As she opened the door she smiled slightly at me as I saw Keppler shut the door behind her wearing a jumpsuit like she was. I was still very confused when Hodges came up behind me.

"10 to 1 it's internal affairs." I turned to look at Hodges over my shoulder as he continued. "I got a vibe off Keppler the minute he blew in. Always with the suit." I considered his words for a second as he came around me and whispered in my other ear. "If you've got any dirty laundry, I hope you use bleach." I was totally confused at this point. What was Catherine and Keppler hiding? Was he really from IAB?

I went to speak to Nick to see what he thought. He said that he had a similar encounter with Catherine. She was definitely hiding something from the team and it seemed that whatever it was, she chose Keppler to help her do it. He told me to talk to Greg and call him when we got back from the 419. I think it was right then that I started to see Nick differently. Usually, he was the most trusting guy on the team, except maybe Greg that is, and he was whispering to me in a very conspiratorial tone that just sent shivers down my spine. It was something that had never happened to me before. No body had ever had that affect on me before, not even Grissom. It was scary but for some reason, very arousing. I should have caught myself there but I had to see what Nick was up too.

After Greg and I had finished processing the 419, I called Nick and told him we would be back at the lab in about 15 minutes. He told me to meet him and Warrick in the parking lot. Things spun out of control for me after that...

The four of us stood in a circle outside the lab. It was late so the parking lot was pretty deserted. Nick looked around to make sure there was no one within listening distance. He seemed very nervous, but calm and determined at the same time.

"Alright that's it. We're a team now. The four of us. We can't trust Catherine and we can't trust Keppler. I'm serious." He looked around at us, "I'm gonna' run with this one."

After a few seconds Warrick responded, "I'll run with you." Nick patted him on the shoulder in appreciation. Warrick then looked at me. "You?"

I looked back at Nick. He was looking at me with great determination on his face. I could see how turning his back on Catherine would be hard but I knew he knew what had to be done. It didn't take me very long to decide. I didn't trust Keppler or Catherine to begin with. "I'm in."

Nick, Warrick and I then looked over at Greg who looked back at each of us. He shrugged as if to say 'Yeah, I'll go along with it. What other choice do I have?'

Nick nodded and winked in approval and we followed him back into the lab.

It was definitely at this point I should have known I was in trouble. I hadn't thought about Grissom for a while, when usually I can't get him out of my head. All I could think about was Nick. His ability to gather us up into a team without any hesitation was mind-boggling. I didn't need to think twice about giving Nick my support. It was like he had some power over us that really aroused me. His resolve to make sure that the right thing was always done gave me a lot of respect for him. So, when I called him later that night to talk about what he was planning and he invited me over, I didn't think too much of it. He was my friend after all and I had been to his house a number of times before without incident. I should have known better…

Nick answered the door in a pair of blue jeans and a grey LVPD tee-shirt that hugged him in all the right places. He smiled at me. "Come on in. You want some breakfast? I'm making pancakes."

"Sure." I said as I followed him inside. He shut the door and headed into his kitchen. I sat down at the bar and smiled as I watched as he flipped a pancake. He got out two glasses and put one in front of me.

"And to help us along this morning, may I introduce my friend Bloody Mary. He poured the red drink into both of our glasses, and then placed a celery stick in each as well. He picked up his glass and then toasted. "To friends who will always stay at your side and follow you into battle!" Our glasses clinked as they hit each other. I guess we were both sick and tired of how we were being treated at the lab and we both downed each of our glasses. I looked up and saw a red mustache above Nick's lip. I had the sudden urge to lick it off of him before he did it himself. It was a strange feeling. It wasn't that I had never thought of Nick Stokes as sexy, but when I thought of doing things to him, it was a rare occasion. He poured both of us another drink and then went back to his pancakes. I drank this glass much slower than the last one, but it didn't prevent me from finishing it by the time Nick slide a plate of flap-jacks in front of me. He downed his glass as well before pouring himself and me another. He sat down next to me as we ate and drank.

"So do you have a master plan yet?" I asked Nick with my mouth half-full of pancakes.

"I have some ideas." he replied, "but nothing solid. I'm just glad that you guys are backing me up."

"Of course Nick. What Catherine and Keppler are doing isn't right." I downed my third glass. "Nick, this drink is great!" I had only eaten two pancakes and I wasn't eating any more. I was starting to feel the affects of the vodka.

"Secret Stokes family recipe…It has been passed down for many a generation!" He poured us each another glass. He saw that I was done eating and took both of our plates and put them in the sink. Then he put the remaining pancakes away in the fridge. He grabbed the pitcher of Bloody Marys and his own glass and motioned for me to sit with him on the couch.

We talked for a little while about how Catherine and Keppler were excluding us. He told me about how he knocked on the covered conference room doors and he heard a bunch of bangs and papers shuffling before Catherine finally came out looking very angry. He needed to ask her a few questions and she spoke to him like he was 2. Then Nick told me about how she was practically ignoring Warrick all together. I knew there had been a lot of tension between Catherine and Warrick before he got married but that was a little insane that she would just start ignoring him. He was also telling me about how shady Keppler is. I noticed it too. He rarely spoke unless he was spoken too. He was very guarded and you could tell he didn't trust any of us and he didn't even want to get to know us. Nick was on his 6th Bloody Mary and I was on my 5th and really starting to sway. I took another drink. I felt it going down the wrong pipe and I started to cough uncontrollably.

"Are you ok Sara?" Nick slurred his words a little as he placed his hand on my shoulder. I nodded as the coughing subsided. I looked up into his eyes and saw so much concern. It was interesting to me how he could be so worried about just a little coughing fit. The only time I had ever seen that look in Grissom's eyes was when I told him about my parents. Here Nick was concerned about me over a drink. I noticed his hand on my shoulder. My arm was tingling from the touch. Even though I had stopped coughing, Nick didn't remove his hand. The look in his eyes went from concern to desire. I was sure that I was looking at him the same way.

I wasn't thinking about Grissom at all as Nick moved his hand from my shoulder to my face. All I could think about was powerful Nick seemed to me, yet gentle at the same time. I also didn't think about Grissom as Nick and I kissed vigorously on the couch. I was drawn to his ability to lead me to his bedroom and in the bed. I didn't even think about Grissom when I woke up a few hours later with Nick's arm around me. There were no one's arms I wanted around me at that moment. I couldn't believe that Nick had this power over me. I was feeling something that I had never felt with Grissom. It wasn't until later after Nick and I decided we needed to talk about what happened that I remembered Grissom, yet I wasn't that concerned about it. It was too close to the beginning of shift to have the discussion that we both knew was needed. I still had to get home and change. We decided to talk about it this Saturday when we both had the night off.

Present Day

So here I am now, a week after all this started, on my way to Nick's house to discuss what happened. I have thought about this over the last few days and I know that I need to tell him that I have been seeing Grissom, but part of me just wants to forget all about that. He isn't here anyways so what's he going to do about it? I let out a huge breath as I knock on his door. Nick answers the door. "Hey Sara come on in!" It's so weird that I don't feel awkward around Nick at all. Even these last few days at work, I thought I would be avoiding him, but I felt myself seeking him out on many occasions. We smiled at each other a lot more it seemed like. I sit down on the couch. "Do you want anything to drink?" he asks.

"Water would be great." I reply.

He hands me a bottle and sets one down on the coffee table for himself.

I take a deep breath. I might as well start with the bad news. "Nick, there is something that you should know about." I pause for a second. I look down and fiddle with the cap to my water bottle and trying to build up my courage. "Grissom and I…We've been…We've been seeing each other for a few months now." I look up to see Nick's reaction. He looks really hurt. He looks down at his own fingers. I know that if I stop now I won't be able to say the rest of what I wanted to. "Nick I'm sorry that I didn't tell you this before. It was wrong and I shouldn't have put you in that position." Here was the part that I was really afraid of. What if he rejects me or doesn't feel the same? "But what we had the other night made me realize something. It made me realize how I truly feel about you. I never felt any of this with Grissom. I think that he was just a fantasy and when it came true, all the feelings that I thought I had weren't there anymore." Nick looks at me. It is hard to read his face. I can't tell if he was angry or sad, so I just keep going. "You're not a fantasy Nick. You are the real deal. I have never felt this way about anyone else before. I don't know how you feel about me and I know that I have done this horrible thing and I have never done anything like this before but I want to give us a chance because I want-" I am cut off suddenly by Nick's lips on mine. After a second of initial shock, I give in to his demands to enter my mouth. The kiss is electrifying. I feel as if sparks are flying between us.

Nick and I break apart for air. After a few seconds, Nick asks "What about Grissom?"

At this moment, the mess I made seems very small as I make my decision. "To hell with Grissom. I thought that I had something special with him, but I didn't know what special really was until just now."

I lean over and capture Nick's lips with my own. I giggle as he picks me up and he carries me off to paradise.

I don't know if I like the ending…but I'm tired and my writing is a little rusty…Oh well

Review and let me know what you think!

Jax