The sun had begun to peak over the horizon. Nick stood on the roof trying
to fight back the tears that threatened to spill down his face. He had
tried so hard to put Nigel Crane stalking him behind him, but here it was
rearing its ugly head again. He heard the door to the roof open behind him
and soft footsteps approaching him.
A hand touched his shoulder and Sara's voice whispered, "Nick?"
He could no longer keep the tears back. They began to spill down his cheeks. He tried to wipe the tears away with his fists.
Sara, concerned etched on her face, stood in front of him and slipped her arms around his waist, making soothing noises and rubbing his back. "Nicky, it's gonna be ok. They didn't mean anything by it."
Nick wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her body close to his, before dissolving into sobs. Sara held him like that for a while until his sobs tapered off. He released her from their embrace and then wiped the tears from his eyes with the back of his hands. "I'm sorry, Sara."
She wrinkled her brow, "Nick, what do you have to be sorry for?" She took one of his hands in hers.
Nick looked up at the sky, afraid that the tears might start again, "I didn't mean to make a big scene."
Sara took one of Nick's hands in hers, "Nick, you didn't make a big scene. You were protecting your privacy and they've all been using interrogation techniques to find out information that is none of their business."
Nick looked at her appreciatively, "I don't mind that they know I've asked you out, Sara. I don't even mind that they know I've kissed you. I really like you and I'm proud that you want to be seen with me outside of work. It's just that after Nigel Crane, I feel like I'm being smothered when people know too much about me, and it just felt like that back there."
Sara smiled at him, "They just weren't thinking. They care about you, Nick. I care about you." Her free hand reached up and caressed his cheek.
He smiled at her and cupped her hand with his, caressing her fingers. "I know."
Nick leaned down and gently pressed his lips to Sara's in a soft sweet kiss. As they broke the kiss they both smiled as they looked at each other.
"We should get back." Sara stated smiling.
"Yeah," Nick agreed.
They made their way back down to the break room. Catherine was the only one there when they returned. She looked up with a quizzical expression as Nick and Sara entered the room, "You ok, Nicky?"
Nick smiled at her, "Yeah, I'm sorry for rushing out of here like that."
Catherine stood up from where she was seated, "No, Nick, I'm sorry. We invaded your privacy. We should know better. What is between you and Sara is between you and Sara. It's not any of our business."
"Thanks, Cath, I appreciate that. I just felt a little invaded that's all." Nick replied.
"Where's the rest of the team?" Sara queried.
"Warrick is working on paperwork from our case, Grissom's in his office, and Greg's back in the DNA lab. I stayed here to face the music." She gave Nick and Sara a lopsided grin. "I don't know who they're more afraid of facing, you or Sara."
Nick chuckled, "My money's on Sara." He dodged as Sara swatted at his arm.
Sara tried to suppress a grin, "It's nice to know all the men fear me."
"Not this man." Nick replied grabbing her around the waist from behind and planting a kiss on her neck.
Catherine raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms in front of her, "Well you're both going to fear Grissom if you make a habit of doing that at work."
Nick had a sheepish express on his face as he released Sara.
"Shift is over in an hour, do you think you can keep out of trouble until then?" Catherine queried as only a mother could.
Sara tried to suppress a grin.
"Good. Grissom's taking us all out to breakfast to congratulate Greg on helping break the Vargas case open." Catherine continued. "I'm going to find Warrick and see if he needs any help and I'll see you guys back here at the end of shift."
With that, Catherine left the break room, in search of Warrick. Nick and Sara made their way to the layout room that they had the evidence from the Vargas case spread out in. They began placing the evidence back into the proper boxes so they could check it back into the evidence vault before they met the rest of the team for breakfast at the end of shift.
He could no longer keep the tears back. They began to spill down his cheeks. He tried to wipe the tears away with his fists.
Sara, concerned etched on her face, stood in front of him and slipped her arms around his waist, making soothing noises and rubbing his back. "Nicky, it's gonna be ok. They didn't mean anything by it."
Nick wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her body close to his, before dissolving into sobs. Sara held him like that for a while until his sobs tapered off. He released her from their embrace and then wiped the tears from his eyes with the back of his hands. "I'm sorry, Sara."
She wrinkled her brow, "Nick, what do you have to be sorry for?" She took one of his hands in hers.
Nick looked up at the sky, afraid that the tears might start again, "I didn't mean to make a big scene."
Sara took one of Nick's hands in hers, "Nick, you didn't make a big scene. You were protecting your privacy and they've all been using interrogation techniques to find out information that is none of their business."
Nick looked at her appreciatively, "I don't mind that they know I've asked you out, Sara. I don't even mind that they know I've kissed you. I really like you and I'm proud that you want to be seen with me outside of work. It's just that after Nigel Crane, I feel like I'm being smothered when people know too much about me, and it just felt like that back there."
Sara smiled at him, "They just weren't thinking. They care about you, Nick. I care about you." Her free hand reached up and caressed his cheek.
He smiled at her and cupped her hand with his, caressing her fingers. "I know."
Nick leaned down and gently pressed his lips to Sara's in a soft sweet kiss. As they broke the kiss they both smiled as they looked at each other.
"We should get back." Sara stated smiling.
"Yeah," Nick agreed.
They made their way back down to the break room. Catherine was the only one there when they returned. She looked up with a quizzical expression as Nick and Sara entered the room, "You ok, Nicky?"
Nick smiled at her, "Yeah, I'm sorry for rushing out of here like that."
Catherine stood up from where she was seated, "No, Nick, I'm sorry. We invaded your privacy. We should know better. What is between you and Sara is between you and Sara. It's not any of our business."
"Thanks, Cath, I appreciate that. I just felt a little invaded that's all." Nick replied.
"Where's the rest of the team?" Sara queried.
"Warrick is working on paperwork from our case, Grissom's in his office, and Greg's back in the DNA lab. I stayed here to face the music." She gave Nick and Sara a lopsided grin. "I don't know who they're more afraid of facing, you or Sara."
Nick chuckled, "My money's on Sara." He dodged as Sara swatted at his arm.
Sara tried to suppress a grin, "It's nice to know all the men fear me."
"Not this man." Nick replied grabbing her around the waist from behind and planting a kiss on her neck.
Catherine raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms in front of her, "Well you're both going to fear Grissom if you make a habit of doing that at work."
Nick had a sheepish express on his face as he released Sara.
"Shift is over in an hour, do you think you can keep out of trouble until then?" Catherine queried as only a mother could.
Sara tried to suppress a grin.
"Good. Grissom's taking us all out to breakfast to congratulate Greg on helping break the Vargas case open." Catherine continued. "I'm going to find Warrick and see if he needs any help and I'll see you guys back here at the end of shift."
With that, Catherine left the break room, in search of Warrick. Nick and Sara made their way to the layout room that they had the evidence from the Vargas case spread out in. They began placing the evidence back into the proper boxes so they could check it back into the evidence vault before they met the rest of the team for breakfast at the end of shift.
