XI - THE EDGE
"Schoolhouse Rocks - awesome!" Nick grinned at Sara as he flopped down on the sofa beside her. She rolled her eyes as she sipped her coffee.
"I can't believe you are making me stay up with you to watch cartoons!" she grumbled. "Couldn't we just go to bed? Please?"
Nick threw an arm around her shoulders, and Sara didn't resist as he pulled her against his side. "Plenty of time for that later, Sara." He teased. "A man's gotta rest, you know."
Sara giggled. "You are so conceited! C'mon, Nicky - I'm tired! I need some sleep."
"Patience Grasshopper!" Nick intoned, trying his best to sound like Grissom. "You will sleep in good time. First, you must watch Schoolhouse Rocks with me - I don't want to watch it by myself."
Sara smiled, and yawned. "You are such a kid - I can't believe you have it on DVD!" She nudged him in the ribs with her elbow, and immediately regretted it when he sucked his breathe in sharply. "Ouch. I'm sorry. I keep forgetting you're hurt. How's the bruise?"
"Getting better. You have pointy elbows." Nick grabbed the remote and pressed play. "You know, Schoolhouse Rocks was my favorite when I was a kid. That and Mighty Mouse! What did you watch Saturday mornings, Sara?"
"My parents didn't believe in watching TV unless it was for educational purposes, so no Saturday Morning cartoons for me. I did watch a lot of Lorne Greene's New Wilderness." Sara grinned, settling more comfortably against Nick's side as the DVD started. "I knew more about the mating rituals of three-toed sloth's than any other kid in the third grade!"
"That must have made you real popular." Nick snorted dryly. "I bet you were a real intellectual kid."
Sara sighed. "That's just a euphemism for great big geek. I had no friends. I just couldn't relate to other kids, you know. My father always used to tell me I was an old soul." Her voice was wistful.
Nick turned slightly, a soft smile on his face. "You never talk about your parents. Why?"
"They both died a long time ago. My parents were archeologists - I get my love of bones from them. Mom was 45 when I was born - my dad was 50. They loved me - but I was like an alien life form. They never treated me like a child. I remember when I was about 4 years old, I helped my father assemble a skeleton of a Neanderthal for some museum exhibit. He was a really interesting man. He died when I was 16 - brain tumor. My mother - she was never the same after that. She just sort of - drifted - without him. It was like she was drowning. She swallowed a handful of sleeping pills a few years later." Sara's voice was matter of fact.
"Jesus, Sara." Nick's voice was infinitely gentle. "So, you were what? 18? 19? Both parents dead. Did you move in with family? What did you do?"
"I carried on. I had already been accepted to Harvard, and my parents were relatively well off. They left me everything. But I was basically on my own after that. My grandparents were all dead, and mom and dad were both single children. I'm the last of the line."
Sara looked at Nick, smiling. "It's okay, Nicky. I survived. I don't talk about them a lot because I miss them." She rubbed a hand against his face, reveling in the rough stubble under her hand. "My dad always told me one day I would find the missing piece of myself, and I would never be lonely again. I'd like to tell him he was right."
Nick turned his head slightly, and kissed her palm.
"'I miss your touch ~ upon my skin ~ I miss your love and warmth within ~ But most of all ~ Whoever you are ~ I miss you.'"
"Exactly. That's exactly what I mean. Who wrote that?" Sara's voice was soft.
Nick blushed. "I wrote it, a long time ago. And now I know who I wrote it for. I love you Sara." He leaned forward and kissed her softly. "Move in with me. Let me be your family."
"Okay." Sara was smiling and crying at the same time. "I love you too, Nicky."
Schoolhouse Rocks, now forgotten, continued to play softly in the background.
* * * * *
It was 7:45 pm. Grissom pulled his Tahoe easily into his parking spot, and entered the station. He felt vaguely uncomfortable, showing up at work in jeans and a T-shirt, but he had taken Greg's advice about casual dressing to heart. Walking into the front lobby, he quickly looked around. Catherine was talking to O'Reilly just down the hallway, one hand lightly resting on his arm. Grissom frowned when he noticed she was laughing. Warrick and Greg stood chatting with Nick and Sara by the vending machine. They all grinned when they saw him.
"Hey Grissom! What's going on, you're the last one here!" Warrick greeted.
"He was too busy ironing his jeans to notice the time." Grissom jumped as Catherine sidled up next to him. "Hey Gil - you sort of wreck the whole casual look when your jeans have creases." she teased.
Grissom cocked an eyebrow at her. "You sort of wreck the whole casual look when you were a skirt and stilettos, but you don't hear me complaining." Everyone laughed as they headed out the doors.
* * * * *
Less than 15 minutes later, Grissom followed Catherine into a packed bar. He was taken aback by the sheet amount of people jammed inside, and winced as his ears were assaulted by a pounding rhythm and beating drums. A group of young people were jumping up and down in the middle of a packed dance floor, throwing themselves bodily against each other.
"What is that!" he yelled at Catherine, over the din around them. He pointed to the dance floor.
"That's the mosh pit!" she hollered back. "They're dancing!" People were pushing in all around them. Grissom reached out and planted a hand firmly at the base of Catherine's spin, guiding her through the crush. Looking around, he saw that Greg had managed - somehow - to get a table, and Sara and Warrick were already sitting at it. A quick glance showed Nick was at the bar. 'He'd better be ordering cola!' Grissom thought to himself.
He sighed in relief when they reached the table. Catherine quickly sat down, and slid over, offering to share her seat with Grissom. He slid into it gratefully.
"Nick's gone to get us some sodas!' Sara leaned over and shouted across the table at them. "The guy at the door told us the bands start playing at 9:00 sharp. Greg's already spoken with a few guys, but I don't know if we're actually going to be able to do anything here. It's pretty loud!"
"Not conducive to questioning people, that's for sure! Let's just observe for now!" Grissom nodded at Nick as he returned to the table, handing out drinks to everyone. He smiled his appreciation as he took a sip of his Dr. Pepper. Beside him, he could feel Catherine bouncing in her seat. He glanced at her, and could see her shoulders moving to the violent rhythm. "How can you dance to this?" he hollered.
She smiled at him. "What? It's got a beat! Just find it and move!"
He leaned over to Greg. "Do you know the guy that runs this bar?"
Greg nodded.
"Do you think he might let us use his office to talk to some people after the bands start? It's got to be quieter than here!"
Greg grinned. "I'll go ask him - he's right over there. Be back in a second!"
Grissom observed the people around him. It was really amazing to him what passed for fashion these days. He couldn't understand why the young people in this bar felt it necessary to mutilate themselves with multiple piercings, and the hair - every color in the rainbow was represented. He glanced at Warrick, who had walked over to the bar to talk to a pretty girl with pink hair. Pink hair!
He leaned towards Catherine. "I think I'm getting old, Catherine!"
Catherine grinned at him, teasing. "Think, Gil? Most of the kids here are young enough to be my -" she stopped suddenly. "I won't continue that thought!"
Grissom smiled. "Well, I don't know." He was scanning the room again. "There's a kid with blue hair over there that's been checking you out. I think you have an admirer!"
Catherine looked to the table Grissom had indicated. One of the young men sitting there raised his glass to her and nodded. Catherine laughed. "Coo- coo-ka-choo, Mrs. Robinson! C'mon Grissom, he looks like Grover!" She turned to face him more fully, smiling at him. "I prefer more mature men."
Grissom's smile slipped, before returning to his face. "Why Catherine - are you flirting with me?" His voice was teasing, but his eyes were serious.
Catherine leaned closer, whispering loudly in his ear. "Do you want me to be?" Her hand was on his shoulder, and Grissom could feel the soft brush of her hair against the side of his face. She smelled like strawberries.
Against his better judgement, he whispered back. "Yes."
Catherine sat back down and stared at him. Before either of them could say anything further, Greg was back at the table.
"We can use the office in the back to talk to people, Grissom." He hollered. "Whenever you're ready."
______
Author's Note: In response to the many emails I am getting asking for some more Nick and Sara, I thought I would include what I personally think would be an interesting back story for Sara - single child of older, intellectual parents. Nick, as ever, is his charming self - he is a fun character to write. For those of you asking me to speed things up between Catherine and Grissom - give it time. They're older and more cautious - they're not just going to leap - especially Grissom, who won't want to turn to Catherine on the rebound. Trust me - I'm getting there! In the meantime, thanks so much for the support and the reviews. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to email me!
"Schoolhouse Rocks - awesome!" Nick grinned at Sara as he flopped down on the sofa beside her. She rolled her eyes as she sipped her coffee.
"I can't believe you are making me stay up with you to watch cartoons!" she grumbled. "Couldn't we just go to bed? Please?"
Nick threw an arm around her shoulders, and Sara didn't resist as he pulled her against his side. "Plenty of time for that later, Sara." He teased. "A man's gotta rest, you know."
Sara giggled. "You are so conceited! C'mon, Nicky - I'm tired! I need some sleep."
"Patience Grasshopper!" Nick intoned, trying his best to sound like Grissom. "You will sleep in good time. First, you must watch Schoolhouse Rocks with me - I don't want to watch it by myself."
Sara smiled, and yawned. "You are such a kid - I can't believe you have it on DVD!" She nudged him in the ribs with her elbow, and immediately regretted it when he sucked his breathe in sharply. "Ouch. I'm sorry. I keep forgetting you're hurt. How's the bruise?"
"Getting better. You have pointy elbows." Nick grabbed the remote and pressed play. "You know, Schoolhouse Rocks was my favorite when I was a kid. That and Mighty Mouse! What did you watch Saturday mornings, Sara?"
"My parents didn't believe in watching TV unless it was for educational purposes, so no Saturday Morning cartoons for me. I did watch a lot of Lorne Greene's New Wilderness." Sara grinned, settling more comfortably against Nick's side as the DVD started. "I knew more about the mating rituals of three-toed sloth's than any other kid in the third grade!"
"That must have made you real popular." Nick snorted dryly. "I bet you were a real intellectual kid."
Sara sighed. "That's just a euphemism for great big geek. I had no friends. I just couldn't relate to other kids, you know. My father always used to tell me I was an old soul." Her voice was wistful.
Nick turned slightly, a soft smile on his face. "You never talk about your parents. Why?"
"They both died a long time ago. My parents were archeologists - I get my love of bones from them. Mom was 45 when I was born - my dad was 50. They loved me - but I was like an alien life form. They never treated me like a child. I remember when I was about 4 years old, I helped my father assemble a skeleton of a Neanderthal for some museum exhibit. He was a really interesting man. He died when I was 16 - brain tumor. My mother - she was never the same after that. She just sort of - drifted - without him. It was like she was drowning. She swallowed a handful of sleeping pills a few years later." Sara's voice was matter of fact.
"Jesus, Sara." Nick's voice was infinitely gentle. "So, you were what? 18? 19? Both parents dead. Did you move in with family? What did you do?"
"I carried on. I had already been accepted to Harvard, and my parents were relatively well off. They left me everything. But I was basically on my own after that. My grandparents were all dead, and mom and dad were both single children. I'm the last of the line."
Sara looked at Nick, smiling. "It's okay, Nicky. I survived. I don't talk about them a lot because I miss them." She rubbed a hand against his face, reveling in the rough stubble under her hand. "My dad always told me one day I would find the missing piece of myself, and I would never be lonely again. I'd like to tell him he was right."
Nick turned his head slightly, and kissed her palm.
"'I miss your touch ~ upon my skin ~ I miss your love and warmth within ~ But most of all ~ Whoever you are ~ I miss you.'"
"Exactly. That's exactly what I mean. Who wrote that?" Sara's voice was soft.
Nick blushed. "I wrote it, a long time ago. And now I know who I wrote it for. I love you Sara." He leaned forward and kissed her softly. "Move in with me. Let me be your family."
"Okay." Sara was smiling and crying at the same time. "I love you too, Nicky."
Schoolhouse Rocks, now forgotten, continued to play softly in the background.
* * * * *
It was 7:45 pm. Grissom pulled his Tahoe easily into his parking spot, and entered the station. He felt vaguely uncomfortable, showing up at work in jeans and a T-shirt, but he had taken Greg's advice about casual dressing to heart. Walking into the front lobby, he quickly looked around. Catherine was talking to O'Reilly just down the hallway, one hand lightly resting on his arm. Grissom frowned when he noticed she was laughing. Warrick and Greg stood chatting with Nick and Sara by the vending machine. They all grinned when they saw him.
"Hey Grissom! What's going on, you're the last one here!" Warrick greeted.
"He was too busy ironing his jeans to notice the time." Grissom jumped as Catherine sidled up next to him. "Hey Gil - you sort of wreck the whole casual look when your jeans have creases." she teased.
Grissom cocked an eyebrow at her. "You sort of wreck the whole casual look when you were a skirt and stilettos, but you don't hear me complaining." Everyone laughed as they headed out the doors.
* * * * *
Less than 15 minutes later, Grissom followed Catherine into a packed bar. He was taken aback by the sheet amount of people jammed inside, and winced as his ears were assaulted by a pounding rhythm and beating drums. A group of young people were jumping up and down in the middle of a packed dance floor, throwing themselves bodily against each other.
"What is that!" he yelled at Catherine, over the din around them. He pointed to the dance floor.
"That's the mosh pit!" she hollered back. "They're dancing!" People were pushing in all around them. Grissom reached out and planted a hand firmly at the base of Catherine's spin, guiding her through the crush. Looking around, he saw that Greg had managed - somehow - to get a table, and Sara and Warrick were already sitting at it. A quick glance showed Nick was at the bar. 'He'd better be ordering cola!' Grissom thought to himself.
He sighed in relief when they reached the table. Catherine quickly sat down, and slid over, offering to share her seat with Grissom. He slid into it gratefully.
"Nick's gone to get us some sodas!' Sara leaned over and shouted across the table at them. "The guy at the door told us the bands start playing at 9:00 sharp. Greg's already spoken with a few guys, but I don't know if we're actually going to be able to do anything here. It's pretty loud!"
"Not conducive to questioning people, that's for sure! Let's just observe for now!" Grissom nodded at Nick as he returned to the table, handing out drinks to everyone. He smiled his appreciation as he took a sip of his Dr. Pepper. Beside him, he could feel Catherine bouncing in her seat. He glanced at her, and could see her shoulders moving to the violent rhythm. "How can you dance to this?" he hollered.
She smiled at him. "What? It's got a beat! Just find it and move!"
He leaned over to Greg. "Do you know the guy that runs this bar?"
Greg nodded.
"Do you think he might let us use his office to talk to some people after the bands start? It's got to be quieter than here!"
Greg grinned. "I'll go ask him - he's right over there. Be back in a second!"
Grissom observed the people around him. It was really amazing to him what passed for fashion these days. He couldn't understand why the young people in this bar felt it necessary to mutilate themselves with multiple piercings, and the hair - every color in the rainbow was represented. He glanced at Warrick, who had walked over to the bar to talk to a pretty girl with pink hair. Pink hair!
He leaned towards Catherine. "I think I'm getting old, Catherine!"
Catherine grinned at him, teasing. "Think, Gil? Most of the kids here are young enough to be my -" she stopped suddenly. "I won't continue that thought!"
Grissom smiled. "Well, I don't know." He was scanning the room again. "There's a kid with blue hair over there that's been checking you out. I think you have an admirer!"
Catherine looked to the table Grissom had indicated. One of the young men sitting there raised his glass to her and nodded. Catherine laughed. "Coo- coo-ka-choo, Mrs. Robinson! C'mon Grissom, he looks like Grover!" She turned to face him more fully, smiling at him. "I prefer more mature men."
Grissom's smile slipped, before returning to his face. "Why Catherine - are you flirting with me?" His voice was teasing, but his eyes were serious.
Catherine leaned closer, whispering loudly in his ear. "Do you want me to be?" Her hand was on his shoulder, and Grissom could feel the soft brush of her hair against the side of his face. She smelled like strawberries.
Against his better judgement, he whispered back. "Yes."
Catherine sat back down and stared at him. Before either of them could say anything further, Greg was back at the table.
"We can use the office in the back to talk to people, Grissom." He hollered. "Whenever you're ready."
______
Author's Note: In response to the many emails I am getting asking for some more Nick and Sara, I thought I would include what I personally think would be an interesting back story for Sara - single child of older, intellectual parents. Nick, as ever, is his charming self - he is a fun character to write. For those of you asking me to speed things up between Catherine and Grissom - give it time. They're older and more cautious - they're not just going to leap - especially Grissom, who won't want to turn to Catherine on the rebound. Trust me - I'm getting there! In the meantime, thanks so much for the support and the reviews. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to email me!