AN: Hey! Yup.. it's me again! Thanx to all my reviewers : Franny, Anne, and CSIERfan... thanx for reviewing chapter 5! And of course everyone else! With out you guys, I wouldn't have continued.
So... here's the next chapter! Hope you Enjoy! Standard Disclaimers!
Grissom stood there, shell-shocked, alone in the parking lot. Nick's quitting? He shook his head in hopes that this was just some dream, but it wasn't. This was reality. Nick was leaving, but why? Grissom frowned and walked back inside and sat down at the table. Sara saw him come back in, alone. She walked over and lightly tapped him on the shoulder.
"Where's Nick?" Sara asked.
"Gone..." He replied blankly.
"Gone?? Where? What happened Grissom?" Sara's eyes were filled with concern. She cared about Nick and didn't want anything bad to happen to him. If he was hurting, she wanted to be right there next to him, holding his hand, telling him how much she cared about him. Yes, she did like Nick. She had known for a while, but she could never bring herself to tell him.
"He left... I don't know where he went..."
"Grissom? What happened?" Sara had to find out where Nick went and what was wrong.
"What's going on?" Warrick asked as he and the rest came back over to the table.
"Where's Nick?" Calliegh said when she noticed he wasn't there. She was worried about him.
"Nick left... we don't know where he went..." Sara replied.
"Grissom... did Nick say anything? Did he tell you what was wrong?" Catherine added, trying to find out what happened.
"I... I shouldn't say... he asked me not to..." Grissom appeared weakened by the events that had taken place. He cared about Nick too, probably more than any of them, but he'd never show it.
"Man, you've got to tell us... look something happened to Nick... and it changed him... what did he say?" Greg was Nick's best friend and couldn't stand the thought that Nick wasn't himself.
"He... he quit..." Grissom answered quietly, like he was ashamed that he let Nick quit. "He gave me his two weeks notice..." The room went quiet. No one could believe what Grissom was telling them. Nick had quit. Was this the same guys who was always so optimistic, and loved his job? They wouldn't know until they had asked him.
"Quit?? But why?? Nick's not like that..." Warrick was surprised, to say the least. Nick was the last person that he expected to quit.
"We have to find him... something has got to be seriously wrong... he never quits! Well except for when he left Texas, but I never found out why. We have to find him." Calliegh got ready to leave when someone pulled her back. It was Greg.
"Don't... look he's never going to tell us if we all go... and there's no guarantee that he'll even tell us anyway." Greg looked at her and knew that she cared for Nick. A tear travelled down her cheek and her reached up and brushed it away with his thumb. "Look, I do understand how you feel, he's my best friend." He smiled slightly. "Now c'mon, how about I buy you something to drink, to get your mind of things, okay?"
"Okay." Calliegh was obviously relaxed, and comforted by Greg's presence.
"We'll be back at the lab in about an hour, okay? See-ya then." Greg called over his shoulder as he and Calliegh went to get something else to drink.
Cath, Warrick, Sara and Grissom just stood there for a second in silence. They had to find some way to get Nick to open up. They had to get Nick back.
"Cath... I want you, Warrick and Sara to go back to the lab and continue the investigation on the cases. I'm going to go try to find Nick and talk to him." Grissom said finally.
"I'm going with you Grissom" Sara replied.
"No... they need you on the case..."
"Please... I want to go with you..." Sara pleaded
"Sara... I don't know... he might not even say anything... and we still have to find him..."
~*~*~ on the road ~*~*~
Nick was driving down the road and switched on the radio. Too much had happened today. This case was one of his worst nightmares. But what could he do? He could leave...
**Pick me up
been bleeding too long
Right here, right now
I'll stop it some how
I will make it go away
can't be here no more
Seems this is the only way
I will soon be gone
these feelings will be gone
these feelings will be gone**
He had to leave... how could he stay after this had happened... It all started back in Texas... it was the reason he left in the first place. It was her, Melissa O'Connelly.
**Now I see the times they change
leaving doesn't seems so strange
I am hoping I can find
where to leave my hurt behind
All this shit I seem to take
all alone I seem to break
I have lived the best I can
Does this make me not a man?**
Melissa... she was always such a sweet kid. Nick shook his head at the memory. No... I'm not going to relieve this again! he stepped on the gas and dove to the city limits. He needed to find peace... somewhere quiet where he could gather his thoughts...
**Shut me off
I am ready,
Heart stops
I stand alone
Can't be on my own
I will make it go away
can't be here no more
Seems this is the only way
I will soon be gone
these feelings will be gone
these feelings will be gone**
He pulled off to the side of the road. He opened the door and got out of the Tahoe. Walking back to the crime scene where she was found, the tears started to come again. It's my fault she's dead... it's all my fault He started to break down. There was no way he could stay here... he had to leave... start over.... forget who he was.
**Now I see the times they change
leaving doesn't seems so strange
I am hoping I can find
where to leave my hurt behind
All this shit I seem to take
all alone I seem to break
I have lived the best I can
Does this make me not a man?
Am I going to leave this place?
What is it I'm hanging from?
is there nothing more to come?
Is it always black in space?
Am I going to take it's place?
Am I going to leave this race?
I guess god's up in this place?
what is it that I've become?
is there something more to come?
Now I see the times they change
leaving doesn't seems so strange
I am hoping I can find
where to leave my hurt behind
All this shit I seem to take
all alone I seem to break
I have lived the best I can
Does this make me not a man?**
~*~*~ Back at the coffee shop ~*~*~
Sara and Grissom were bring Cath and Warrick back to the lab to keep working on their cases. Grissom had finally decided to let Sara come with him.
"Don't worry... we'll find out what's wrong... and we'll bring him back" Grissom said before leaving the parking lot.
"Now... where would he go?" Sara asked.
"I dunno... what did he react to? the case?"
"I know where he went... back to the crime scene..." Sara knew they would get a chance if they got there in time and he didn't leave. "It's on the outskirts of the city limits"
"Alright then... let's go.." Grissom stomped on the gas and they sped down the road to the desert. They drove down the highway in silence until a question entered Sara's mind.
"Do you really think he'll quit?"
"I don't know... He might... wait... isn't that Nick's tahoe up ahead?" Grissom saw the tahoe and pulled over behind it.
"yea... it is... but where's Nick?" Sara and Grissom got out of their Tahoe and walked out onto the desert... trying to spot Nick. "Wait... I think I see him... c'mon, over there!"
Grissom followed Sara as they both made their way over to Nick, who was sitting on the ground next to where they found Melissa. His knees were pulled up to his chest and his arms were folded across. His head rested against his arm while he quietly cried.
"Nick?" Sara whispered "Hey Nick?" She slowly walked up behind him and lightly placed her hand on his shoulder. Nick sighed and then looked up, his eyes were red and tear filled. He didn't bother to wipe away the tears this time... he was to weak and worn out. He turned his head again and let out another sigh.
"What are you doing here?" Nick mumbled,
"We want to know why you've decided to quit." Grissom stated.
"I suppoed you've told everyone about that... if you told them that, then how can I tell you something so private?" Nick shook his head and turned away. "Just leave."
"Nick... we are not leaving! you have to tell us what's wrong... please..." Sara pleaded with him.
"Sara... I... " Nick started, then stopped.
"Nick whatever happened... you can tell us... you know that right?" Grissom said as he helped Nick stand up.
"It's my fault..." Nick began, realizing that they might as well know the reason why he quit.
"What's your fault?" Sara asked
"Melissa being dead..." Nick hung his head and sighed... he felt empty.
"Nick it's not your fault... you couldn't have stopped it from happening" Grissom tried to see the reason Nick blamed himself. He had worked on other homicides and he never felt guilty.
"It was a cold case back in Texas... Calliegh was injured so I got the case. Melissa O'Connelly went missing and I tried to find her. I really did try... but I couldn't find her.... they slipped through my fingers and now she's dead. Damn it Gris! It is my fault... I could've had the guy...." Nick pounded his fists against the ground,.
"Nick... Nick listen to me... it is not your fault... do you understand? It isn't your fault..." Grissom had taken hold of Nick's shoulder and squeezed it a little. He looked Nick right in the eye.
"But-"
"No... it isn't your fault... say it Nick..." Grissom continued.
"it isn't my fault..." Nick said after a few minutes of silence. Nick stood up and swallowed hard... "but I could've-"
"No Nick.... you couldn't have done anything differently... the only thing you can do now... is get justice for that girl.. if you quit... you let her down" Sara said before Nick could start blaming himself again. Nick nodded his head. Sara walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a hug. "Nick... you know, no matter what hard times you go through, I will always be here for you, okay?" Nick smiled at her and reached behind his neck and took her hands in his.
"Thank you Sara." He smiled at her and gave her hand a squeezed.
"All right... let's go back tot he lab now... Sara.. you go with Nick" Grissom said, but Sara was already hopping into Nick's tahoe. He just smiled at them and got into his own.
~*~*~ TBC?? ~*~*~
AN: So... what do ya think?? Please Review!! Thanx!
~Cheryl~ xoxo
"Merry Christmas!"
So... here's the next chapter! Hope you Enjoy! Standard Disclaimers!
Grissom stood there, shell-shocked, alone in the parking lot. Nick's quitting? He shook his head in hopes that this was just some dream, but it wasn't. This was reality. Nick was leaving, but why? Grissom frowned and walked back inside and sat down at the table. Sara saw him come back in, alone. She walked over and lightly tapped him on the shoulder.
"Where's Nick?" Sara asked.
"Gone..." He replied blankly.
"Gone?? Where? What happened Grissom?" Sara's eyes were filled with concern. She cared about Nick and didn't want anything bad to happen to him. If he was hurting, she wanted to be right there next to him, holding his hand, telling him how much she cared about him. Yes, she did like Nick. She had known for a while, but she could never bring herself to tell him.
"He left... I don't know where he went..."
"Grissom? What happened?" Sara had to find out where Nick went and what was wrong.
"What's going on?" Warrick asked as he and the rest came back over to the table.
"Where's Nick?" Calliegh said when she noticed he wasn't there. She was worried about him.
"Nick left... we don't know where he went..." Sara replied.
"Grissom... did Nick say anything? Did he tell you what was wrong?" Catherine added, trying to find out what happened.
"I... I shouldn't say... he asked me not to..." Grissom appeared weakened by the events that had taken place. He cared about Nick too, probably more than any of them, but he'd never show it.
"Man, you've got to tell us... look something happened to Nick... and it changed him... what did he say?" Greg was Nick's best friend and couldn't stand the thought that Nick wasn't himself.
"He... he quit..." Grissom answered quietly, like he was ashamed that he let Nick quit. "He gave me his two weeks notice..." The room went quiet. No one could believe what Grissom was telling them. Nick had quit. Was this the same guys who was always so optimistic, and loved his job? They wouldn't know until they had asked him.
"Quit?? But why?? Nick's not like that..." Warrick was surprised, to say the least. Nick was the last person that he expected to quit.
"We have to find him... something has got to be seriously wrong... he never quits! Well except for when he left Texas, but I never found out why. We have to find him." Calliegh got ready to leave when someone pulled her back. It was Greg.
"Don't... look he's never going to tell us if we all go... and there's no guarantee that he'll even tell us anyway." Greg looked at her and knew that she cared for Nick. A tear travelled down her cheek and her reached up and brushed it away with his thumb. "Look, I do understand how you feel, he's my best friend." He smiled slightly. "Now c'mon, how about I buy you something to drink, to get your mind of things, okay?"
"Okay." Calliegh was obviously relaxed, and comforted by Greg's presence.
"We'll be back at the lab in about an hour, okay? See-ya then." Greg called over his shoulder as he and Calliegh went to get something else to drink.
Cath, Warrick, Sara and Grissom just stood there for a second in silence. They had to find some way to get Nick to open up. They had to get Nick back.
"Cath... I want you, Warrick and Sara to go back to the lab and continue the investigation on the cases. I'm going to go try to find Nick and talk to him." Grissom said finally.
"I'm going with you Grissom" Sara replied.
"No... they need you on the case..."
"Please... I want to go with you..." Sara pleaded
"Sara... I don't know... he might not even say anything... and we still have to find him..."
~*~*~ on the road ~*~*~
Nick was driving down the road and switched on the radio. Too much had happened today. This case was one of his worst nightmares. But what could he do? He could leave...
**Pick me up
been bleeding too long
Right here, right now
I'll stop it some how
I will make it go away
can't be here no more
Seems this is the only way
I will soon be gone
these feelings will be gone
these feelings will be gone**
He had to leave... how could he stay after this had happened... It all started back in Texas... it was the reason he left in the first place. It was her, Melissa O'Connelly.
**Now I see the times they change
leaving doesn't seems so strange
I am hoping I can find
where to leave my hurt behind
All this shit I seem to take
all alone I seem to break
I have lived the best I can
Does this make me not a man?**
Melissa... she was always such a sweet kid. Nick shook his head at the memory. No... I'm not going to relieve this again! he stepped on the gas and dove to the city limits. He needed to find peace... somewhere quiet where he could gather his thoughts...
**Shut me off
I am ready,
Heart stops
I stand alone
Can't be on my own
I will make it go away
can't be here no more
Seems this is the only way
I will soon be gone
these feelings will be gone
these feelings will be gone**
He pulled off to the side of the road. He opened the door and got out of the Tahoe. Walking back to the crime scene where she was found, the tears started to come again. It's my fault she's dead... it's all my fault He started to break down. There was no way he could stay here... he had to leave... start over.... forget who he was.
**Now I see the times they change
leaving doesn't seems so strange
I am hoping I can find
where to leave my hurt behind
All this shit I seem to take
all alone I seem to break
I have lived the best I can
Does this make me not a man?
Am I going to leave this place?
What is it I'm hanging from?
is there nothing more to come?
Is it always black in space?
Am I going to take it's place?
Am I going to leave this race?
I guess god's up in this place?
what is it that I've become?
is there something more to come?
Now I see the times they change
leaving doesn't seems so strange
I am hoping I can find
where to leave my hurt behind
All this shit I seem to take
all alone I seem to break
I have lived the best I can
Does this make me not a man?**
~*~*~ Back at the coffee shop ~*~*~
Sara and Grissom were bring Cath and Warrick back to the lab to keep working on their cases. Grissom had finally decided to let Sara come with him.
"Don't worry... we'll find out what's wrong... and we'll bring him back" Grissom said before leaving the parking lot.
"Now... where would he go?" Sara asked.
"I dunno... what did he react to? the case?"
"I know where he went... back to the crime scene..." Sara knew they would get a chance if they got there in time and he didn't leave. "It's on the outskirts of the city limits"
"Alright then... let's go.." Grissom stomped on the gas and they sped down the road to the desert. They drove down the highway in silence until a question entered Sara's mind.
"Do you really think he'll quit?"
"I don't know... He might... wait... isn't that Nick's tahoe up ahead?" Grissom saw the tahoe and pulled over behind it.
"yea... it is... but where's Nick?" Sara and Grissom got out of their Tahoe and walked out onto the desert... trying to spot Nick. "Wait... I think I see him... c'mon, over there!"
Grissom followed Sara as they both made their way over to Nick, who was sitting on the ground next to where they found Melissa. His knees were pulled up to his chest and his arms were folded across. His head rested against his arm while he quietly cried.
"Nick?" Sara whispered "Hey Nick?" She slowly walked up behind him and lightly placed her hand on his shoulder. Nick sighed and then looked up, his eyes were red and tear filled. He didn't bother to wipe away the tears this time... he was to weak and worn out. He turned his head again and let out another sigh.
"What are you doing here?" Nick mumbled,
"We want to know why you've decided to quit." Grissom stated.
"I suppoed you've told everyone about that... if you told them that, then how can I tell you something so private?" Nick shook his head and turned away. "Just leave."
"Nick... we are not leaving! you have to tell us what's wrong... please..." Sara pleaded with him.
"Sara... I... " Nick started, then stopped.
"Nick whatever happened... you can tell us... you know that right?" Grissom said as he helped Nick stand up.
"It's my fault..." Nick began, realizing that they might as well know the reason why he quit.
"What's your fault?" Sara asked
"Melissa being dead..." Nick hung his head and sighed... he felt empty.
"Nick it's not your fault... you couldn't have stopped it from happening" Grissom tried to see the reason Nick blamed himself. He had worked on other homicides and he never felt guilty.
"It was a cold case back in Texas... Calliegh was injured so I got the case. Melissa O'Connelly went missing and I tried to find her. I really did try... but I couldn't find her.... they slipped through my fingers and now she's dead. Damn it Gris! It is my fault... I could've had the guy...." Nick pounded his fists against the ground,.
"Nick... Nick listen to me... it is not your fault... do you understand? It isn't your fault..." Grissom had taken hold of Nick's shoulder and squeezed it a little. He looked Nick right in the eye.
"But-"
"No... it isn't your fault... say it Nick..." Grissom continued.
"it isn't my fault..." Nick said after a few minutes of silence. Nick stood up and swallowed hard... "but I could've-"
"No Nick.... you couldn't have done anything differently... the only thing you can do now... is get justice for that girl.. if you quit... you let her down" Sara said before Nick could start blaming himself again. Nick nodded his head. Sara walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a hug. "Nick... you know, no matter what hard times you go through, I will always be here for you, okay?" Nick smiled at her and reached behind his neck and took her hands in his.
"Thank you Sara." He smiled at her and gave her hand a squeezed.
"All right... let's go back tot he lab now... Sara.. you go with Nick" Grissom said, but Sara was already hopping into Nick's tahoe. He just smiled at them and got into his own.
~*~*~ TBC?? ~*~*~
AN: So... what do ya think?? Please Review!! Thanx!
~Cheryl~ xoxo
"Merry Christmas!"