Mandy couldn't understand why exactly she was this upset. She had been on the verge of tears yet again ever since she'd gotten home. Sure she'd cried in the infirmary, but she kept telling herself that it was because of her hand. But even then her hand was a result of her distress, even if she didn't want to tell herself that. She now found herself sitting at her small dinning room table in the dark, staring into nothingness. She knew that this would happen, that even if Nick didn't actually start drama, it followed him like a plague. She'd cried a lot in the infirmary now that she thought about it. And she'd done it in front of Bobby Dawson.
It was embarrassing enough that she would injure herself in such a juvenile way in the first place, but that he was there made it that much worse. He knew that she was crying for more than her injured hand. But he was a gentleman, and didn't once pry. Instead he sat there in silence, never leaving her side, every once in a while reaching out and touching her hand to remind her that he was there for her. In a way it reminded her of Nick, his gentle good nature, and how he cared without expecting anything in return. It was comforting, but at the same time it made her painfully aware that he wasn't the one there beside her, he was God knew where, and she knew who he was there with.
She scolded herself for not trusting him, but even then, trust wasn't the entire issue. During the brief time they had spent together, she was paranoid that whatever they may have for one another was like a glass house, any tiny thing would shatter it, and keeping her relationship with Nick under wraps seemed like it may have been some sort of fail safe, if indeed he wanted to break it off with her, people not knowing would make it that much easier. But she couldn't think like that. Even if it was almost 4:30am and she'd heard not a word from him. The drugs she was given for the wound on her hand that called for four stitches were kicking in. Even as the numb feeling washed through her limbs, she sat at the table. Finally, after holding her head up for too long waiting on a sign of life from Nick Stokes, she put her head down on her arm and rested on the table surface, letting something like sleep take her for what she promised herself would only be a few moments.
--
Nick really wanted to know what was causing all of the ungodly traffic he was wading through. He wanted desperately to get to Mandy but at every turn he seemed to be blocked. His last nerve was on the verge of snapping. It hadn't been enough that Hodges had already been snipping at that nerve with what seemed like dull rusty scissors, Wendy had to pick this time of all times to call him on the fact that he usually didn't turn down a drink. And given the delicate situation he'd been placed in with Hodges running his ass kissing mouth, he couldn't really think of a good excuse at the time to say no. Of course about three hours later he had come up with about fifty. Then add that to the fact that he could find Mandy nowhere to tell her what was happening, nor had she answered her phone the eight times he called, but now, it seemed that every car in Vegas had decided to take the route to Mandy's house.
He'd tried to be as nice and polite with Wendy as he could, she didn't seem to notice that he wasn't really into their conversation even though he participated in it every other sentence or so. Mostly what she spoke about what how she was fairing in the lab, and how she'd gotten to know most everyone accept him, hence, why she asked him. They kept company for about an hour before he informed her that he had to leave, she didn't seem to mind and thanked him for taking the time to spend with her, and he promised her a rain check for another drink.
As he finally pulled up to Mandy's small house he noticed that it was now 5:00am, and all the lights in her house were off. His heart sank, she hadn't waited up for him, and of course he'd not really given her reason to he thought. Quietly he approached her door, finding the key in its usual hiding spot and slipped inside inaudibly. The house was dark indeed. Nick shut and locked the door behind him and stood for a moment letting himself adjust to the darkness. After a moment he began to quietly creep past the open living room to the hall to her room when he noticed a figure slumped over the dining table. He saw it was Mandy, had she fallen asleep waiting on him? The thought made him feel guilty. Silently he crept up next to her and looked over her exhausted form. She was still in her work clothes. He shook his head and with gentle care, bent down and slid an arm under her knees and with the other, supported her shoulders and lifted her from her position. Her head lulled into the crook of his shoulder as he held her sleeping form against his chest. The honeysuckle smell of her hair floated around him and he couldn't help but inhale.
Softly he walked to her bedroom down the hall where he gently placed her in her bed. Not daring to disturb her, he decided to leave her clothes on, opting to take her shoes and socks off at least before covering her with a downy comforter. She stirred slightly and he noticed in the dim light of her room that her right hand was bandaged. He'd not remembered her being injured last time he spoke with her, and figured that whatever had happened was probably part of the reason he was unable to get a hold of her. He studied her for a moment before he left her and silently closed her door behind him. Finding her linen closet he fished out a blanket and a pillow and decided to set up camp on her couch. Removing his own shoes and socks he stretched out on her sofa, letting his feet hang off of one arm and tried to quiet his mind. As he settled in for an uncomfortable night on the couch, he could only think of how much he cared for her, and that tomorrow he was going to tell her everything, including what Hodges had said and done, and hope that she understood about Wendy.
--
She woke with a start, and instantly the pain in her hand made itself known. She winced and examined her bandage with bleary eyes. A small amount of blood had seeped through the gauze as she'd slept. She made a note to change it when she got the chance. Mandy stretched and groaned, feeling stiff all over, the meds had made her sleep hard. She paused then, looking around and realizing that she was in her room, she frowned, she couldn't remember how she'd gotten in bed, or when. Sitting up she rubbed her neck and rolled her shoulders, she figured that in a half drug induced sleep she must have walked herself to her room on autopilot.
Then she remembered and quickly reached over to her nightstand and snatched her phone off of the charger she'd plugged it into the night before. Flipping it open her heart leapt, he'd called! Immediately she checked the voicemail and her heart sank a little, he'd left her no message. She sighed and tossed the phone onto her bed and made her way to the bathroom connected to her room and performed her morning rituals. Ecklie had decided to be human and give her the day off because of her hand, so she showered, mindful of her hand, brushed her teeth, and dressed in a pair of comfy pj's at a slow and leisurely pace. Finally, after feeling refreshed she made her way to the kitchen to feed her cats.
The house was quiet, painfully so. The past few weeks it had been filled with her and Nick's laughter, conversation and other various sounds that she tried very hard not to dwell on. His absence was haunting. She was staring at her feet on the way to the kitchen, she was finding it hard to focus, her hand throbbing and her head threatening the same. Rounding the corner to the kitchen she didn't bother to turn on a light, the sky was overcast and a silvery grey light poured in from her sink windows. She retrieved two cans of cat food and two bowls, but upon popping the first can lid, she noticed that something was missing. Usually her cats were winding around her feet long before now, she looked behind her and just before she called out to them she noticed rather large feet hanging off the end of her simple couch. She blinked making sure she was seeing what she saw, and without putting the can down she walked to the living room and around the couch to see Nick sleeping on his back with her two traitorous cats curled up on his chest and stomach.
They pricked up when they smelled the food in her hand and jumped down waking him. He looked around and then spied Mandy and gave her a once over.
"Is that for me?" he said with a smile, charming as ever.
She was beyond ecstatic that not only had he called, but had stayed with her the night before, but she would be damned if she would let him know it, he had another thing coming. Without saying a word she walked back to the kitchen and finished feeding her cats while he sat up on the couch and rubbed his face trying to wake up.
"Lemme take care of that hand." he said standing up and stretching.
"I can take care of it myself thanks." She said back as blandly as she could manage.
"Be mad at me later, let me take care of it now ok?" he spoke as he walked to her bathroom and retrieved her first aid kit and then sat down at her small dining room table.
She stood in the kitchen staring at the back of his head, contemplating throwing something at him. He then gestured without looking back for her to sit in the seat across from him. She complied.
Sitting across from him they stared at each other for a small eternity. He looked her over, letting his eyes wander over the smooth skin of her chest, the tops of her breasts that disappeared under a lavender tank top, the curve of her face, the way her silky brown hair fell over her shoulders. His eyes were burning her skin; she suddenly wished she'd had more clothes on, or that they were all off. He reached across the table and took her injured hand gently. With care he un-wrapped the bloody gauze and surveyed the damage. It looked rather nasty; of course, most injuries did the next day.
"What did you do?" he asked as he pulled out some cotton swabs and drenched them in antiseptic cleanser.
"I was careless with a glass vial, Bobby helped me to the infirmary and stayed with me, ouch!" she exclaimed as he touched the solution to her cut.
"I'm sorry," he said as he continued to clean the blood from her hand.
"It's ok." She replied.
"No, I'm sorry for a lot of things," he glanced at her before continuing to clean her wound.
"Go on," she said.
He sighed, "Going out with Wendy wasn't my idea, she asked me and I was kind of caught off guard, I couldn't really think of a reason that she would believe for why not off the top of my head so I said yes. I tried to find you, but I guess I know why I couldn't now," he gestured to her hand, "I know you know that I wouldn't do anything with anyone else, especially with someone in the lab, for so many reasons I couldn't explain, but the main one is because," he paused, "I'm yours, and no one else's, and your mine, I don't need anyone else."
Mandy blushed as he looked up at her for her reaction, he smiled and continued to mend her hand.
"Not only am I sorry for that, I'm sorry for keeping some things from you." She frowned at this.
"Hodges has been a bit of a pain in my ass lately, for some reason he thinks I'm not good enough for you, anyway, the other night, ya know, the night that I came over here for the first time," he smiled, she blushed even harder, "he confronted me, and he threatened to tell about what we did in the lab that day, kind of why I've been a little agitated" He squeezed some ointment across her cut and began to unravel some gauze.
"He what?" she could feel her face flushing with color out of anger this time.
"Lemme finish," he said as he cut the gauze, "I told him in not so many words to go fuck himself and wouldn't you know, he told Grissom, and I'm sorry I lied to you, I just didn't want him telling Ecklie because I got him in trouble with you, I don't know what his problem with me is, and I don't know what he thinks you two have, but I can't stand him anymore, not that I could in the first place and I'm tired of it, I'm going to Grissom tonight and telling him everything, because I don't wanna do something I'm going to regret that might get me fired."
Mandy immediately knew who Wendy's "reliable source" was. She was so furious she couldn't think straight. Nick gently finished wrapping her hand and tucked the end into a fold of gauze; he then turned her hand over and gently kissed her. Instantly all the anger faded. His touch could do that.
"We'll figure this out, but for now, lets not worry about it. Come on." He stood and took her good hand.
As she stood, instantly Nick went from gentle to aggressive; he pulled her to him and wrapped his arm around her waist, squeezing her soft body against his hard one. His eyes seemed to cloud and turn dark; she found that breathing was becoming a chore.
"I'm going to show you exactly how much I want you," he growled, and she whimpered.
Before she could think, his mouth was covering hers in a hard bruising kiss, her body seemed to go limp as his hands slid over her ass and lifted her effortlessly up, wrapping her legs around his waist. Her hands threaded through his hair as their lips and tongues battled for dominance, she was losing.
Without even opening his eyes he walked them both down the hall to her bedroom, but instead of laying her down on the bed, he slammed her against a wall. She let out a cry and Nick took the opportunity to peel her tank top down exposing her breasts. He instantly locked his mouth onto one very aroused nipple. She cried out again as he roughly sucked on her so hard that a little bit of pain mixed with the unadulterated pleasure. Her fingers were tangled in his hair as she pressed him harder and closer to her. With her legs still wrapped around him she began to grind her hips into his, her efforts taking seconds to get the response she wanted. She could feel him prominent and hard through his jeans. He then released her nipple and licked a trail from between her breasts up to her neck where he began to suck again. Her legs were growing tired and she released his hips, he stood her up and then made his way down her body, peeling clothes off and licking her along the way.
As he pulled her pants down her arousal filled his nose. He licked the skin right under her navel and could feel her shake under his tongue. He then stood and before she could understand what was happening he slid two long rough fingers between her legs and inside of her. Her eyes flew wide and her mouth opened in an inaudible scream. He slid his fingers in and out of her stroking her almost to orgasm before he removed them and then slid them into her open mouth. She licked herself off of him and he smiled deviously as he watched. After he was satisfied that she had licked his fingers clean he unbuttoned his jeans and allowed her to pull his length out and stroke him. He closed his eyes and moaned deep and low. Finally he decided he didn't want to play these games any longer and hauled her up against the wall again, this time he wrapped his arms under the backs of her knees and without guidance slid into her with one punishing thrust. Something in him was different, he was usually a gentle lover, but something was clawing its way out of him, something animal, and she liked it.
She shouted as he slammed her against the wall burring himself in her. A twinge of pain shot through her followed by a wave of warmth and pleasure. He kissed her hard, and began to piston into her harder. With inhuman speed he plunged into her and withdrew, driving her to a mind numbing plane of ecstasy she'd never felt before. He pounded her against the wall until both of them were crying out, he buried his head in her shoulder and she wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to hold on to something, anything, she felt herself slipping away, she had begun to chant a mantra of "oh God" and "Nick please".
"Mandy," he breathed, "Mandy I love you." His words made her skin tingle, her eyes squeezed shut, her nails dug into his shoulder and she screamed as she came almost as hard as he was slamming into her.
Nick cursed loudly as he felt her clench around him and finally released into her. They froze, as if time stood still for just a moment. Finally, Mandy remembered how to breathe as Nick, panting, withdrew from her and held her tightly. She felt numb. Nick, who was no longer able to stand, turned and with Mandy in his arms, they fell to the bed. They stayed tangled in each other for hours, kissing and touching each other's face. Every time he told her he loved her, tears threatened to spill from her brown eyes. He had wanted her to know how much he needed her, and she could never doubt it again.