Nick arrived at the lab a little earlier than he normally did. Greg was
already in the break room making coffee.
"Hey, man. Got enough of that to share?" Nick was in a good mood.
Greg grinned. "All depends."
Nick raised an eyebrow. "On what?"
Greg looked around and then whispered conspiratorially. "Is Hurricane Sara here?"
Nick chuckled. "Greg, you have nothing to worry about. Sara is asleep as we speak."
Greg raised a curious eyebrow. "And how are you so sure? I'm seriously considering bringing my jock strap out of retirement."
Nick shook his head and chuckled. "When I left my house, she was asleep."
Greg looked a bit perplexed. "She's at your house? Asleep? Sara?"
Nick nodded. "That's what I said." He reached over and grabbed a cup to pour himself some coffee.
Greg cocked his head to one side and crossed his arms in front of himself. "So, does that mean that you're sleeping together?"
Nick took a sip of coffee and chuckled. "Greg, get your mind out of the gutter. She's sleeping in my guest room. When I got home yesterday, she was too tired to drive, so I told her to stay. She didn't look much better when I got up, so I told her to go back to sleep. It's completely innocent."
"What's completely innocent?" Warrick queried with a raised eyebrow as he sauntered into the break room.
"Sara's sleeping at Nick's." Greg replied with a suspicious grin.
Nick chuckled. "She's sleeping in my guest room. You know, Sanders, you sure are one for leaving out important details."
"Uh, huh." Warrick chuckled suspiciously. "She's sleeping? So that means she's not coming in again?"
Nick nodded. "Catherine asked me to try and get her to take another night off."
Warrick raised an eyebrow. "And Sara listened to you?"
Nick nodded. He didn't understand what the big deal was. It wasn't like Sara was an unreasonable person. Why everyone else thought it was so hard to communicate with her was beyond him.
Catherine walked in and glanced around the room. She raised a curious eyebrow at Nick. "Well?"
Nick chuckled. "She's not coming in."
In as slightly dramatic voice, Greg interjected. "She's asleep at Nick's."
Nick rolled his eyes and looked at Catherine. "Guest room."
"Whatever works." Catherine shifted their attention back to work now that shift was about to begin.
***************************************
Greg was working on Nick's DNA samples when Warrick walked in. He glanced up and smiled conspiratorially. "Any chance you'd be interested in doubling the bet?"
Warrick chuckled. "This is too easy. Yeah, you're on."
**************************************
Sara woke feeling a bit disoriented. It took her a minute to remember exactly where she was. When she did, she relaxed and snuggled further into the pillow. She never seemed to sleep this well at her own apartment. She just lay there relishing in feeling lazy. She hadn't done that in a long time. Too much time being still meant too much time to think.
Maybe that's why she hadn't been able to sleep, that and copious amounts of coffee. She had been working herself so hard that she hadn't allowed herself to have a life outside of work. And to be honest, part of that was due to Grissom. A lot had changed in the Grissom realm over the past month. First with him turning her dinner invitation down and then the revelation after he'd been gone for over a week that he'd had surgery for a hearing loss that none of them even noticed. She had plunged herself into work and had taken her frustration out on everyone. Frustration not even over Grissom, but more with herself for not realizing that the real reason that she wanted him was that he was unattainable. If she kept him in her sights she couldn't be hurt by anyone else, couldn't let anyone else get close. Grissom was safe, even if he hurt her, because it was something that would never turn in to anything other than what it was. It was the reality of a real relationship with someone that scared the hell out of her.
She fingered the blanket she lay under and let her mind wander. Yet. What in the hell did Nick mean by that? Did he plan on pursuing her? Was he just giving her a hard time? She wasn't really sure and that scared her. But then here she was sleeping in his clothes, in his guest room, with the run of his house all night while he and everyone else was working. She rolled over on her side and turned the bedside light on. She curled up in a ball and just studied the wall. She smiled as she noted the array of pictures. She guessed they must be of Nick's family. One picture in particular made her smile. It looked like Nick's baby picture. She pulled herself out of bed and walked over to the picture. She studied each one, wondering about Nick as a child and how he had become the person he was today.
She glanced at the clock. Damn, she'd been asleep far longer than she had thought. An idea formed in her mind and she quickly changed back into her T-shirt and jeans, heading towards the front door and her Tahoe.
**************************************
Nick was glad shift was over. All he wanted to do was go home and sit in his hot tub and then watch TV. It had been another difficult shift. At least this time he wasn't called out to pick up decomposing body parts, but he was stilled drained.
As he pulled into his driveway, he was pleased to see Sara's Tahoe still in the driveway. As he got out of the SUV, he grabbed the bag of clothes that he'd gotten out of her locker. Walking through the front door, he smelled something cooking. He raised a curious eyebrow and noticed Sara sitting on the couch, eating a pint of Chunky Monkey ice cream.
He set her bag down and walked over to the couch, raising a single eyebrow. "Is that what I think it is?"
Sara looked up at him and laughed.
He had a wistful expression on his face.
She put another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth and just grinned.
He crossed his arms in front of himself and chuckled, still looking wistful.
Sara turned back to the TV and pretended not to notice that he was watching her eat and dipped the spoon into the ice cream for another bite.
Nick sat down on the couch next to her and studied her as she ate, trying to restrain a smile.
Sara continued trying to ignore him.
Nick scooted closer, raising an eyebrow as he watched her dip the spoon in for another bite.
Sara glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and tried to restrain a chuckle. "You don't want some of this do you?" She had a teasing expression on her face. As she dipped the spoon in for another bite of ice cream she waved the spoon in front of Nick's face, pulling it away at the last minute as he tried to bite it.
Nick raised both eyebrows at her and leaned closer.
Sara giggled as she put yet another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.
Nick made a move to grab the pint of ice cream.
Sara raised it above her head at the last minute, but immediately regretted it because Nick started to tickle her. As Sara squirmed to get away from him, she rolled off the couch onto the floor, dropping the pint of ice cream on the couch in the process and landing on her stomach.
Nick quickly grabbed the ice cream and sat down on Sara's butt to pin her to the floor. He chuckled as he stretched his legs out in front of him, dodging Sara's attempts to swat at him as he finished off the ice cream. "That was really good." Nick grinned.
Sara chuckled even as she continued to try and swat him. "You know, I did buy more than one pint."
Nick chuckled. "You could have just said something."
She raised a mischievous eyebrow. "What? And miss out on taunting you?"
Nick chuckled. "Sara Sidle, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were hitting on me."
Sara rolled her eyes. "I am hitting you but I'd say you were sitting on me."
Nick chuckled and got up, offering her a hand to help her.
She wore a lopsided grin. "You know, I think my butt's asleep."
A buzzer went off in the kitchen. Nick looked at Sara curiously.
She smiled. "I made a quiche." She walked toward the kitchen holding one of her butt cheeks as she waited for the feeling to return.
Nick tried to restrain a grin. "I didn't know you could cook."
She glanced over at him and chuckled. "There's a lot about me you don't know, Nick Stokes."
Nick crossed his arms in front of his body and studied her curiously. There was a hell of a lot about her he'd like to know.
"Hey, man. Got enough of that to share?" Nick was in a good mood.
Greg grinned. "All depends."
Nick raised an eyebrow. "On what?"
Greg looked around and then whispered conspiratorially. "Is Hurricane Sara here?"
Nick chuckled. "Greg, you have nothing to worry about. Sara is asleep as we speak."
Greg raised a curious eyebrow. "And how are you so sure? I'm seriously considering bringing my jock strap out of retirement."
Nick shook his head and chuckled. "When I left my house, she was asleep."
Greg looked a bit perplexed. "She's at your house? Asleep? Sara?"
Nick nodded. "That's what I said." He reached over and grabbed a cup to pour himself some coffee.
Greg cocked his head to one side and crossed his arms in front of himself. "So, does that mean that you're sleeping together?"
Nick took a sip of coffee and chuckled. "Greg, get your mind out of the gutter. She's sleeping in my guest room. When I got home yesterday, she was too tired to drive, so I told her to stay. She didn't look much better when I got up, so I told her to go back to sleep. It's completely innocent."
"What's completely innocent?" Warrick queried with a raised eyebrow as he sauntered into the break room.
"Sara's sleeping at Nick's." Greg replied with a suspicious grin.
Nick chuckled. "She's sleeping in my guest room. You know, Sanders, you sure are one for leaving out important details."
"Uh, huh." Warrick chuckled suspiciously. "She's sleeping? So that means she's not coming in again?"
Nick nodded. "Catherine asked me to try and get her to take another night off."
Warrick raised an eyebrow. "And Sara listened to you?"
Nick nodded. He didn't understand what the big deal was. It wasn't like Sara was an unreasonable person. Why everyone else thought it was so hard to communicate with her was beyond him.
Catherine walked in and glanced around the room. She raised a curious eyebrow at Nick. "Well?"
Nick chuckled. "She's not coming in."
In as slightly dramatic voice, Greg interjected. "She's asleep at Nick's."
Nick rolled his eyes and looked at Catherine. "Guest room."
"Whatever works." Catherine shifted their attention back to work now that shift was about to begin.
***************************************
Greg was working on Nick's DNA samples when Warrick walked in. He glanced up and smiled conspiratorially. "Any chance you'd be interested in doubling the bet?"
Warrick chuckled. "This is too easy. Yeah, you're on."
**************************************
Sara woke feeling a bit disoriented. It took her a minute to remember exactly where she was. When she did, she relaxed and snuggled further into the pillow. She never seemed to sleep this well at her own apartment. She just lay there relishing in feeling lazy. She hadn't done that in a long time. Too much time being still meant too much time to think.
Maybe that's why she hadn't been able to sleep, that and copious amounts of coffee. She had been working herself so hard that she hadn't allowed herself to have a life outside of work. And to be honest, part of that was due to Grissom. A lot had changed in the Grissom realm over the past month. First with him turning her dinner invitation down and then the revelation after he'd been gone for over a week that he'd had surgery for a hearing loss that none of them even noticed. She had plunged herself into work and had taken her frustration out on everyone. Frustration not even over Grissom, but more with herself for not realizing that the real reason that she wanted him was that he was unattainable. If she kept him in her sights she couldn't be hurt by anyone else, couldn't let anyone else get close. Grissom was safe, even if he hurt her, because it was something that would never turn in to anything other than what it was. It was the reality of a real relationship with someone that scared the hell out of her.
She fingered the blanket she lay under and let her mind wander. Yet. What in the hell did Nick mean by that? Did he plan on pursuing her? Was he just giving her a hard time? She wasn't really sure and that scared her. But then here she was sleeping in his clothes, in his guest room, with the run of his house all night while he and everyone else was working. She rolled over on her side and turned the bedside light on. She curled up in a ball and just studied the wall. She smiled as she noted the array of pictures. She guessed they must be of Nick's family. One picture in particular made her smile. It looked like Nick's baby picture. She pulled herself out of bed and walked over to the picture. She studied each one, wondering about Nick as a child and how he had become the person he was today.
She glanced at the clock. Damn, she'd been asleep far longer than she had thought. An idea formed in her mind and she quickly changed back into her T-shirt and jeans, heading towards the front door and her Tahoe.
**************************************
Nick was glad shift was over. All he wanted to do was go home and sit in his hot tub and then watch TV. It had been another difficult shift. At least this time he wasn't called out to pick up decomposing body parts, but he was stilled drained.
As he pulled into his driveway, he was pleased to see Sara's Tahoe still in the driveway. As he got out of the SUV, he grabbed the bag of clothes that he'd gotten out of her locker. Walking through the front door, he smelled something cooking. He raised a curious eyebrow and noticed Sara sitting on the couch, eating a pint of Chunky Monkey ice cream.
He set her bag down and walked over to the couch, raising a single eyebrow. "Is that what I think it is?"
Sara looked up at him and laughed.
He had a wistful expression on his face.
She put another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth and just grinned.
He crossed his arms in front of himself and chuckled, still looking wistful.
Sara turned back to the TV and pretended not to notice that he was watching her eat and dipped the spoon into the ice cream for another bite.
Nick sat down on the couch next to her and studied her as she ate, trying to restrain a smile.
Sara continued trying to ignore him.
Nick scooted closer, raising an eyebrow as he watched her dip the spoon in for another bite.
Sara glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and tried to restrain a chuckle. "You don't want some of this do you?" She had a teasing expression on her face. As she dipped the spoon in for another bite of ice cream she waved the spoon in front of Nick's face, pulling it away at the last minute as he tried to bite it.
Nick raised both eyebrows at her and leaned closer.
Sara giggled as she put yet another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.
Nick made a move to grab the pint of ice cream.
Sara raised it above her head at the last minute, but immediately regretted it because Nick started to tickle her. As Sara squirmed to get away from him, she rolled off the couch onto the floor, dropping the pint of ice cream on the couch in the process and landing on her stomach.
Nick quickly grabbed the ice cream and sat down on Sara's butt to pin her to the floor. He chuckled as he stretched his legs out in front of him, dodging Sara's attempts to swat at him as he finished off the ice cream. "That was really good." Nick grinned.
Sara chuckled even as she continued to try and swat him. "You know, I did buy more than one pint."
Nick chuckled. "You could have just said something."
She raised a mischievous eyebrow. "What? And miss out on taunting you?"
Nick chuckled. "Sara Sidle, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were hitting on me."
Sara rolled her eyes. "I am hitting you but I'd say you were sitting on me."
Nick chuckled and got up, offering her a hand to help her.
She wore a lopsided grin. "You know, I think my butt's asleep."
A buzzer went off in the kitchen. Nick looked at Sara curiously.
She smiled. "I made a quiche." She walked toward the kitchen holding one of her butt cheeks as she waited for the feeling to return.
Nick tried to restrain a grin. "I didn't know you could cook."
She glanced over at him and chuckled. "There's a lot about me you don't know, Nick Stokes."
Nick crossed his arms in front of his body and studied her curiously. There was a hell of a lot about her he'd like to know.