A/N: *Insert usual don't-own-CSI disclaimer here* And now we find out what happened to Amigo...

Previously: She looked at Nick, concern filling her eyes. "I have to find out if he's okay."

Brass knocked on the door after a half hour had passed. "Johanna Andrews?" he asked formally. Johanna nodded, and he continued. "I'm Captain Jim Brass with the LVPD. I understand you already know CSI Stokes."

Johanna nodded. "Captain Brass, what happened? My dog…"

"Black and tan German Shepherd mix? Wearing a blue collar?" Johanna nodded again. Brass smiled slightly. "He's fine. Animal Control is bringing him to the lab. First things first. You're probably wondering why you were brought in." He paused for a second. "Nick, Grissom tells me you're off the case?" This time it was Nick's turn to nod. "Okay. Ms. Andrews, your house was burglarized this evening. We don't know yet what or how much has been taken, so once the crime lab has done the voodoo that they do so well I can take you in so you can take an inventory on your belongings."

While Brass was talking, Johanna had reached for Nick's hand; he squeezed it reassuringly as they listened. Finally Johanna spoke. "What aren't you telling me?"

"This break-in wasn't the first," Brass replied. "But there was something that the other scenes didn't have: blood. Apparently your dog bit the perp, and he left his DNA on your kitchen floor. I've got officers checking the hospitals in case he shows up. However, that means that your dog will have to stay here until we get all evidence from him." His phone rang, and he excused himself to answer it.

Johanna exhaled, her eyes darkening to a deep hunter green, as dark as Nick had ever seen her eyes. "Who the hell would break into my house?" she said quietly, anger creeping in her voice. "What kind of despicable low-life scum would go around breaking into houses? Don't answer that." Rising, she began pacing again. "Someone should break into that guy's house; see how he likes it."

Brass came back into the room and gestured to Nick. "Grissom just called," the captain said quietly. "He said that you can bring Ms. Andrews to the house so she can collect some essentials." His phone rang again, and Brass once again left the room.

Nick turned to Johanna. "Let's get you out of here," he suggested.

Johanna stopped pacing and faced him, the anger fading from her eyes. "I should go back to the clinic," she admitted. "I'm sure they'll understand, but I want to make sure there isn't an emergency. Besides," a hint of a smile crossed her pretty face, "my truck is still there." They passed Brass, who acknowledged them with a nod, on the way out of the lounge. "I need to figure out where I'm going to stay until I can get my house back."

Stopping at reception long enough for Johanna to sign out, Nick led the way to the Tahoe. "You're going to stay with me, beautiful," he said simply. As he opened the passenger side door for her, Nick caught her smile as she gently kissed his cheek.

************************************************************************

After what seemed like an eternity, Nick finally pulled into his usual parking spot at his place. He sat in the Tahoe for a moment, thinking. After taking Johanna to her house to pick up some essentials, he dropped her off at the clinic before going back to the lab. The rest of his shift he spent toiling through paperwork and sifting through other unsolved cases. When the shift was over Nick was the first one out the door and heading home. Now, still sitting outside his home, he finally opened the door and stepped out. Glancing around, he perked up when he spotted Johanna's truck parked nearby. A spring entered his step as he hurried up the walk and let himself in. Tossing his keys on the table, he smiled as he spotted Johanna curled up on his couch. Zorro was stretched out on the cushions beside her, his head resting on her leg. A legal pad was perched on the arm of the couch, the first page filled with Johanna's flowing scrawl. Nick came up behind her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Hey, you," he said.

"Hey yourself," Johanna replied as Nick reached down to rub Zorro's ears. The dog sighed with contentment.

Nick began kneading her shoulders, feeling the tension knotting the muscles. "How have you been holding up?"

Johanna tilted her head forward, clearly enjoying the massage. "The boss told me to take some time off to get this taken care of, but I told him to keep me on call in case something comes up." She chuckled. "They all but threw me out, trying to get me to take the time off. So I came here, played with Zorro a bit, and finally decided to try and remember where all the important things are in my house."

"So that's what this is," Nick commented, tapping the legal pad.

"Mmhmm. And now that you're home, I was thinking we could go for a ride."

Nick smiled. "I could use a good ride," he said without thinking. Only when Johanna began to giggle did he realize the implication of his words. "You've got a dirty mind, honey."

"I'm sorry, Nick," Johanna apologized as Nick came around to the front of the couch, offering a hand to pull her up. "With all that's been going on lately, I couldn't help it."

A couple hours later Nick and Johanna were riding down one of the trails, enjoying the different sights and sounds of morning. "It's not often you get to see all this wildlife, is it?" Johanna asked, gesturing to a doe and fawn watching them warily from an adjoining trail. Along the trail they'd seen squirrels, birds of all varieties, fox, and a sleepy raccoon that Johanna spotted peering at them from his cozy home high in a tree.

"No, it's not," Nick agreed. He was spending more time watching Johanna than the wildlife around them. She had visibly relaxed since they started down the trail. It was easy for Nick to see how much time Johanna had spent astride Sienna; she barely touched the reins, instead guiding the mare with leg cues. Tux pranced beneath Nick, clearly wanting to run. The Texan eyed the path ahead. It was straight and clear for a football field's length, sloping upward slightly. "Hey Johanna."

"Hmmm?"

Nick grinned. "I bet that Tux can beat Sienna to that maple tree."

"What are we betting?"

"Loser buys breakfast."

Johanna looked where Nick was pointing. "That big one?"

"Yep." He waited long enough to see Johanna nod before urging Tux into a gallop. The gelding's long strides ate the ground, and Nick had the lead. Suddenly Sienna bolted past, almost as a black and white blur. Johanna was pressed flat against the mare's neck, her auburn hair whipping with the wind. Nick urged Tux on, and the gelding caught up with the mare just as they pasted the maple tree.

Johanna eased Sienna down to a walk. "Does the winner get to pick where we have breakfast?"

Nick nodded. "You know it." They turned the horses back towards the stables. Neither mount was breathing heavily, but it was a general rule between the riders to walk the horses home. "Where do you want to go this morning?"

"Let me think about it," Johanna replied. They tossed ideas back and forth on the ride back and as they untacked and groomed the horses. "I think I figured out where we should go," Johanna announced as she fed an apple from the stash she kept on hand to Sienna.

Catching the apple she tossed to him, Nick fed it to Tux. "What are you thinking?"

Johanna came close and wrapped her arm around Nick's waist. "How about we pick something up and have breakfast in bed?"

TBC...

Oo la la! I think that's a good place to end the chapter, lol. Hope you enjoyed it!