Blue Fire

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Ch9: Young Love


They all walk into the department DB and Brass on either side of Nick and Catherine. Catherine had her hand around Nick's arm.

"Nick, you have to come with me. Catherine you have to go with DB." Brass directed.

"why can't we stay together?" Nick asked confused.

"we have photo arrays we need you to look at. An ID won't hold up in court if you guys make it together,"

"it's okay," Catherine said following DB. Nick went and sat in Brass' office looking at the binder full of suspects. Catherine did the same in DB's office she was stopped when DB reached across and took her hand. Catherine immediately became nervous and her eyes grew wide.

"what are you doing?" Catherine asked, he tilted her hand so that she could see what he was looking at. Her engagement ring.

"this is a beautiful ring. Engagement ring?" he asks Catherine nods.

"he propsed before he came down here yesterday," Catherine said nervous of what her supervisor's reaction would be.

"congrats, I can tell he loves you."

"I love him too,"

"I know. Does anyone else know?"

"just... My daughter and mother and Nick's family we were going to announce it to the lab after this." Catherine chuckled. She scans the page and one face just keeps grabbing her attention and she can't figure out why. "this kid here looks familiar but I can't tell from where." she says pointing at a teenager's photo. He had a boney face and shaggy wave hair that he had around his face.

"this kid..." Nick says pointing at the same picture Catherine did.

"what about him?"

"he's familiar but I can't tell from where?" Nick said getting in deep thought. "I got it! A few weeks ago I picked Lindsay up early from school and when I got there she was arguing with this boy. When I got there he grabbed her I separated them and he pushed me. He told me I didn't know who I was messing with and a bunch of that BS. I told him I was a CSI and unless he felt like getting arrested he would go back inside. Lindsay laughed at him and the principal came out and brought him inside. Linds said he was bugging her but she hasn't mentioned it since... You think this little punk did this,"

"there's a chance."

The rest of the photos were no hits with Nick he didn't recognize anyone except for the teenager. Catherine was able to identify two people that she had run ins with before but said it wasn't anything memorable. They did the crime and the time as simple as that.

Catherine and DB walked back to Nick and Brass. Nick put his arm around Catherine and kissed her forehead and Catherine snaked an arm around his waist.

"so we have a couple leads we can follow up on." Brass said.

"keep us updated," Catherine said, they both nodded. Catherine started to walk towards her office but stopped by the water fountain by the bathrooms and hugged Nick.

"at least they got some suspects," Nick whispered into her hair.

"it seems like everything is going to work out,"

"I told you it would." he said smiling. Catherine chuckled and gave him a small kiss before playfully pushing him away, she loved it when he would chase her and want more. He smiles as she puts her hand on her hip. He takes a step forward to chase after her when he feels something hit him hard in the back of the head.

Nick stumbles forward putting his hand in his head. His vision immediately gets blurry and he gets dizzy. He tries to see what hit him but he struggles to stand staggering trying to regain his stability. He feels hands at his shoulders and sees Catherine practically holding him up. He can see her trying to talk to him but her voice sounds warped. He looks around feeling lightheaded he sees the uniform officers doing something. His legs give out and he falls Catherine catches him but he's unconscious.


18 years ago...

Nick's friend and just bailed on him. The conference had been extremely boring, and nothing Nick had expected. All his coworkers made it seem so cool and he was green enough to fall for it. If it was as cool as they said it was why let a rookie go. Nick has been a CSI One for about six months in the Dallas Crime Lab. And here he was in Vegas at a boring conference alone.

Grissom had volunteered Catherine for the conference. He could sense some trouble in her rocky marriage and figured a vacation could help. As vacation he meant a couple days off a few miles from her house. The born again stripper was doing well as a CSI. She was currently a CSI two working on getting her CSI three. She thought the conference was boring but she was getting paid and was in a beautiful suite so she wasn't mad.

"can I buy you a drink?" a man asked Catherine looked him up and down and sipped on her own drink, not impressed.

"I'm alright, thanks." she says turning away. Even though her marriage was rocky she was still married even though it never did stop her promiscuous husband. But it wasn't about him, this weekend was about her... And the new techniques on DNA collection. So if she was going to cheat it would have to be worth it.

The sad man walked away, Catherine turned and heard a man chuckled. She looked at him and he smiled at her. His smile was perfect, and he had brown eyes with long eyelashes that surrounded them. He didn't look like a CSI but rather a lost college kid.

"what's so funny?" Cathwrine said smiling back.

"nothing, sorry." she heard a strong southern accent when he spoke.

"aren't you a little young to be hanging out in here, cowboy?" she asked appealing to his youthfulness.

"I'm 24, my name is Nick I'm here with the conference. What's your name?"

"Catherine..."

"well Catherine, can I buy you a drink?" he asks his accent tickling her ears, as she finishes her drink.

"you're here with the conference? You a cop?" she asks ignoring his question.

"I'm a CSI, what about you?"

"I'm a CSI, too." she says flipping her hair trying to relax. She felt a rush of jitters and nerves when he spoke.

"let me buy you a drink," he says sitting next to her. She nods and orders a drink.

"so what kind of accent is that?"

"I'm from Dallas. What about you?"

"Vegas born and raised."

"wow, this is certainly a strange city,"

"wait til Halloween... How long you been a CSI?"

"six months, you?" he said drinking his beer.

"it will be two years in January,"

"what did you do before this? It seems like a strange career change."

"I was a stripper," she chuckled as his eyes grew wide and he blushed. "what about you cowboy?"

"I played baseball..." he said clearing his throat.

"professional?"

"college..." he said looking at her smiling.

"you don't look like a CSI,"

"either do you," he whispered. She playfully pushed him.

"why'd you become a CSI?"

"you know, so I could pack heat." he said smiling, she chuckled loudly. "you

wanna dance?" he said standing putting his hand out. Catherine had a pretty good idea of what would happen if she danced with this man. He seemed like a very nice guy, and she deserved a nice guy even if it was only for a night. Catherine never cheated during her marriage other then her weekend with Nick at the conference. They were inseparable, they ate together, sat next to each other. When Nick finally had to leave it was not anything special, they shared their goodbyes and there weekend was forgotten.

A couple years later Catherine overheard Grissom talking on the phone about a transfer from Dallas, a Nick Stokes. Catherine knew it was him, she was happy and nervous. She didn't know what it would be like to work with him, or what if he recognized her.

Grissom called his make shift team together, he was in the process of rebuilding. He was a newly appointed supervisor and started a manhunt for all the best CSIs together. His team right now consisted of himself, Catherine

Willows, and the newest member Warrick Brown, and a couple he was borrowing from days. Grissom called the team together in the break room and they noticed another person standing with him.

"what's up, Griss?" Warrick asked he has only been working here for a few weeks.

"i would like to introduce to the newest member of the team, Nick Stokes."

Grissom said, Nick immediately recognized Catherine and had to pull himself away from staring.

"hi Nick, I'm Warrick." The men shook hands, and Catherine stood up putting her hand out for a shake.

"hello Nick, I'm Catherine." she says smiling as she could sense that he recognized her.

"hi Catherine," he said back, his accent just as strong as it was back then.


Nick opens his eyes and sees Catherine staring back at him. She had a firm grip on his hand and was rubbing his side.

"what's going on?" Nick said trying to sit up but sees doc Robbins as the doc puts his hand on Nick's chest.

"stay down, Nicky." she says.

"I just had the best dream," he says sitting up he touches the back of his head and feels a wetness. "what happened?"

"a suspect tried to escape and he ran into the door and it hit you. How does it look doc?" Catherine asked as Robbins assessed the injury.

"he's going to need some stitches. I think I have a kit in my office," the doc said standing.

"what was your dream about?" Catherine asked.


Reviews? Next chapter includes the confrontation of the suspect.