Title: Strength of a Woman

Summary: When Nick's fiancé gets into some trouble, the true strength of a woman will be tested.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the CSI characters, or any of the Las Vegas landmarks. I do, however, own Samantha Stevens.

A/N: Okay, so I have all of the chapters typed up, but the matter is trying to get them out to you all in a timely fashion. I would like to do a chapter a week, but it really does just depend on how often I have time to get on my computer. Alright? Any questions and concerns just let me know.

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The soft sounds of the fan blow through the room, trying to rid the room of the humid Nevada air. Someone once told me that when the temperature is hot in Sin City, it's because something big is going down. I roll over in the bed, trying to fall asleep, something that hasn't been easily lately: Because of the tension in the air and because of the tension between Nick and I. I love Nick to death, don't get me wrong, but sleeping around is the one level that I never thought he'd hit, and he did. Before I can escape my thoughts, though, I hear someone's footsteps coming down the hall. The dogs are shut in the backyard, and Nick's sisters had left for the airport hours ago, so that left only one person: Nick. Since his 'affair', I haven't talked to him very much: not so much because I'm angry, but because I didn't know what to say. For the first time since my biological dad's death when I was twelve years old, I had no answer; no solution to the problem at hand. It hurt to know not only did Nicky have the affair in the first place, but that he didn't trust me enough to just straight up say 'I screwed up, Sam'. The footsteps reach about the doorway and stop there for a moment. My eyes are closed, but I know that it's Nick. He told me once that watching me sleep seemed to erase everything bad that happened during the day. We see a lot of bad things in our line of work, and getting away from that tends to be more difficult than anything else. He had even said that the thought of me was what kept him going when he was in the box. Nick gets closer, and the closer he gets, the more I can smell his cologne, making me miss him even more. The bed sags down as Nick lies on his back beside me.

"Sam, you need to know that I never meant to hurt you. I really hope you know how much I love you and how much you've helped me through some really bad times. I really wish that I hadn't screwed this up, Sam, I do."

I hear Nicky's breath get ragged, and feel a ping in my heart as I realize that he is crying. I roll over so my body is facing his.

"Nick?"

Nick quickly tries to hide the fact that he had just been crying. The moonlight shining in through the window proves him otherwise, though.

"Yeah. Did I wake you up?"

"No, I was up already."

"Do you want me to leave?"

I cuddle up to his body, tucking my head into the spot where his neck meets his shoulder, and lay my left arm over his chest.

"No, I missed this, actually."

"Alright. Try getting some sleep, Shorty."

"Don't call me that."

I say, sleepily, already falling asleep in the warmth of Nick's arms. He laughs at the little joke that we've had between the two of us since we met so many years ago. The silence in the room is deafening.

"Nick?"

"Yeah, Sammy?"

"I heard what you said. I want you to know that I don't hate you. I'm just….I don't know."

"Sam, it was a complete mistake."

"Yes, it was, but, hey. This is Vegas. People make mistakes here all the time."

"That's no excuse for me, though. I was brought up better than that."

"Yes, you were. That's why you're laying here right now, apologizing to me. I'm not going to hold your hand and tell you that you're forgiven completely because you're not."

I feel Nick nodding his head.

"It was a really crappy thing you did, and only time can fix that."

"Agreed on both parts."

"But you just took the first step in that process."

I nestle my head back into his chest, getting that safe feeling that I've always had when I was around Nick. He leans down, planting the gentlest kiss on the top of my head.

"Now, get some sleep, Shorty. We both need it after the past few weeks that we've had."

There's no need to tell me twice, as I've already fallen asleep in the arms of the man I love.