Nick let Sara sleep a lot longer than half an hour. "Hey, babe, wake up,
shift's over, it's time to go home."
Sara's eyes fluttered open and she looked confused. "Why did you let me sleep so long?"
Nick smiled as he knelt by the couch. "You needed it."
Sara shook her head. "Nick, I had stuff I needed to finish." She started to get up from the couch.
Nick put his hand on her arm. "It's taken care of, Sara. C'mon, I'm taking you home, I got Grissom to give us tonight off."
Sara tilted her head to the side. "How the hell did you do that?"
Nick chuckled softly. "I just told him you needed the night off."
"And he just said ok? Like hell he did. We've all been pulling double shifts. What the hell did you tell him?" Sara was upset.
"That you were upset the break room was out of coffee, that you needed some sleep." Nick replied furrowing his brow.
Sara narrowed her gaze at him and crossed her arms in front of her body. "Nick, I don't need you to be my knight in shining armor. I've gotten by with a hell of lot less sleep than this."
Confusion clouded Nick's face. "I'm sorry."
"Dammit, Nick, I don't want someone else handling my cases. I'm good at what I do. Just because I'm tired does not give you the right to go tell Grissom I need the night off." Sara was mad.
"Sara, you do need a night off, whether you realize it or not. You may be damn good at your job, but you're not doing yourself or anyone any good by not getting any rest." Nick was upset that she refused to take care of herself.
"Oh, and so you're going to baby sit me then. Is that how you got Grissom to let both of us have the night off, or is it that you just want to spend time with me?" Sara's voice was getting loud.
"I'm not going to apologize for wanting to spend time with you, Sara. I've hardly seen you for the last week and a half and it's killing me." Nick's smile was gone and his voice had begun to increase in volume as well.
Sara let out an annoyed grunt. "Can you think about something other than sex for once, Nick?"
"Me? It takes two to tango, honey. And by the way, why do you assume that the only reason I want to spend time with you is because I want to have sex with you?" Nick was beginning to get agitated. "I happen to be in love with you."
As their conversation had gotten gradually louder several people had stopped to watch. Grissom had been headed down the hallway and dispersed the small crowd as he entered the break room. "Nick. Sara."
They glanced up and stopped arguing.
"Before you both say something that you're going to regret, go home. Get some sleep. I don't want to see either of you for the next 36 hours." Grissom was quiet but firm.
Sara shot Nick a glare and got up in a huff, breezing past him and heading for the locker room.
Nick looked frustrated and glanced at Grissom apologetically as he made his way out of the break room and down the hall toward the locker room. As he entered, Sara had her back to the door and he could tell by the movement of her shoulders that she was crying. He walked over and tentatively put his hand on her shoulder.
She turned around and buried her head in his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist as he enveloped her in a hug. "I'm so sorry, Nick. I love you so much."
"I know you do, babe. It's ok. Let's go get some sleep, ok?" Nick hugged her close.
"Ok. Will you just hold me while I sleep? I just need you to hold me, Nick." Sara's voice was a whisper.
"Yeah, honey, I will." He answered her softly.
Twelve Hours Later:
Sara's eyes fluttered open. She felt much more rested and much less agitated than the last time she had woken up. She glanced over at Nick who was still asleep and smiled. She couldn't believe how fortunate she was to have this man in her life, and suddenly, she knew that she didn't want to be with anyone else, ever.
That Night:
"So what are we going to do with our night off?" Sara was wearing a pair of faded blue jeans and a red ribbed T-shirt.
"I thought maybe we could go take a little drive. I have something I want to show you." Nick replied with a smile. He was similarly attired in a pair of worn blue jeans and a charcoal gray ribbed shirt.
They were standing in Nick's kitchen and had just finished eating dinner and he was doing the dishes.
"Ok." She grinned at him and leaned over and kissed him softly. "I love you."
"I love you too." He grinned in response. He finished washing the last dish. "I'm just going to go grab my jacket." He disappeared into the bedroom and grabbed his black leather jacket out of the closet. He slipped it on and when he emerged, he found that Sara had put her jacket on as well. He took her hand and they headed out to his Denali.
As he threaded the vehicle through traffic and out of town, Sara glanced at him quizzically. "Where are you taking me?"
He grinned. "You'll just have to trust me."
Sara chuckled softly to herself and enjoyed the ride.
After driving for a while, Nick pulled the car off the main road and drove down a dirt road, coming to a stop at the edge of a bluff with a view of Vegas in the distance. He glanced over at Sara. "C'mon."
He got out of the Denali and she followed. As he climbed up onto the hood to sit, she followed.
She glanced over at him. "Is this what you wanted to show me?"
He grinned at her. "Part of it." He took her hand. "This is as close to Texas stars as I can get in Vegas."
Sara smiled remembering the view of the stars on the Stokes ranch. "It's beautiful out here."
Suddenly, Nick felt a little nervous. "Sara, I have something I want to give you. I was going to give it to you on Christmas, but we both have to work, so I want to give it to you now."
Sara's face fell. "Nick, I wish I'd known you wanted to exchange gifts tonight, I would have brought yours with me."
Nick chuckled. "It's ok, honey, it really is." He leaned over and kissed her softly.
Sara smiled as he pulled away. "What did you get me?"
Nick let out a deep breath and looked into her eyes. "I picked this up when we were in Texas. I hope you like it." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sky blue box tied with a white satin ribbon.
As Sara took it from his outstretched hand, she suddenly felt nervous. She knew the box was from Tiffany's. She glanced up at him with an unreadable expression as she untied the white ribbon. As she took the lid off of the sky blue box, she stopped and looked at Nick. Her eyes were wide.
Nick smiled softly and reached in and pulled out the dark blue velvet box. He slowly opened it and held it in his hand.
Sara glanced down and let out a gasp at the ring sitting in the box.
Nick squeezed her hand and she looked back up at him. "Sara, I love you. I can't imagine spending my life without you in it. Will you marry me?"
Sara's jaw dropped and she just sat there for a moment letting his words sink in. In the next instant, she threw her arms around his neck laughing uncontrollably with tears running down her face.
Nick still held the ring box in his hand and a smile played across his lips. "So does that mean you will?" There was a hint of amusement in his voice.
She pulled away from him smiling as she wiped the tears away. "Yes, I want to marry you."
Nick cupped the side of her face with the palm of his hand as he placed a sweet tender kiss on her lips. The emotion of the moment overwhelmed him and he felt tears forming in his eyes.
As they broke apart, Nick realized he still held the ring. He started to laugh. "Do you want to put it on?"
Sara nodded and held out her left hand as Nick pulled the ring from it's velvet box and placed it on her finger. She leaned in and kissed him again, murmuring against his lips. "I'm the happiest woman in the world, Nick Stokes."
Sara's eyes fluttered open and she looked confused. "Why did you let me sleep so long?"
Nick smiled as he knelt by the couch. "You needed it."
Sara shook her head. "Nick, I had stuff I needed to finish." She started to get up from the couch.
Nick put his hand on her arm. "It's taken care of, Sara. C'mon, I'm taking you home, I got Grissom to give us tonight off."
Sara tilted her head to the side. "How the hell did you do that?"
Nick chuckled softly. "I just told him you needed the night off."
"And he just said ok? Like hell he did. We've all been pulling double shifts. What the hell did you tell him?" Sara was upset.
"That you were upset the break room was out of coffee, that you needed some sleep." Nick replied furrowing his brow.
Sara narrowed her gaze at him and crossed her arms in front of her body. "Nick, I don't need you to be my knight in shining armor. I've gotten by with a hell of lot less sleep than this."
Confusion clouded Nick's face. "I'm sorry."
"Dammit, Nick, I don't want someone else handling my cases. I'm good at what I do. Just because I'm tired does not give you the right to go tell Grissom I need the night off." Sara was mad.
"Sara, you do need a night off, whether you realize it or not. You may be damn good at your job, but you're not doing yourself or anyone any good by not getting any rest." Nick was upset that she refused to take care of herself.
"Oh, and so you're going to baby sit me then. Is that how you got Grissom to let both of us have the night off, or is it that you just want to spend time with me?" Sara's voice was getting loud.
"I'm not going to apologize for wanting to spend time with you, Sara. I've hardly seen you for the last week and a half and it's killing me." Nick's smile was gone and his voice had begun to increase in volume as well.
Sara let out an annoyed grunt. "Can you think about something other than sex for once, Nick?"
"Me? It takes two to tango, honey. And by the way, why do you assume that the only reason I want to spend time with you is because I want to have sex with you?" Nick was beginning to get agitated. "I happen to be in love with you."
As their conversation had gotten gradually louder several people had stopped to watch. Grissom had been headed down the hallway and dispersed the small crowd as he entered the break room. "Nick. Sara."
They glanced up and stopped arguing.
"Before you both say something that you're going to regret, go home. Get some sleep. I don't want to see either of you for the next 36 hours." Grissom was quiet but firm.
Sara shot Nick a glare and got up in a huff, breezing past him and heading for the locker room.
Nick looked frustrated and glanced at Grissom apologetically as he made his way out of the break room and down the hall toward the locker room. As he entered, Sara had her back to the door and he could tell by the movement of her shoulders that she was crying. He walked over and tentatively put his hand on her shoulder.
She turned around and buried her head in his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist as he enveloped her in a hug. "I'm so sorry, Nick. I love you so much."
"I know you do, babe. It's ok. Let's go get some sleep, ok?" Nick hugged her close.
"Ok. Will you just hold me while I sleep? I just need you to hold me, Nick." Sara's voice was a whisper.
"Yeah, honey, I will." He answered her softly.
Twelve Hours Later:
Sara's eyes fluttered open. She felt much more rested and much less agitated than the last time she had woken up. She glanced over at Nick who was still asleep and smiled. She couldn't believe how fortunate she was to have this man in her life, and suddenly, she knew that she didn't want to be with anyone else, ever.
That Night:
"So what are we going to do with our night off?" Sara was wearing a pair of faded blue jeans and a red ribbed T-shirt.
"I thought maybe we could go take a little drive. I have something I want to show you." Nick replied with a smile. He was similarly attired in a pair of worn blue jeans and a charcoal gray ribbed shirt.
They were standing in Nick's kitchen and had just finished eating dinner and he was doing the dishes.
"Ok." She grinned at him and leaned over and kissed him softly. "I love you."
"I love you too." He grinned in response. He finished washing the last dish. "I'm just going to go grab my jacket." He disappeared into the bedroom and grabbed his black leather jacket out of the closet. He slipped it on and when he emerged, he found that Sara had put her jacket on as well. He took her hand and they headed out to his Denali.
As he threaded the vehicle through traffic and out of town, Sara glanced at him quizzically. "Where are you taking me?"
He grinned. "You'll just have to trust me."
Sara chuckled softly to herself and enjoyed the ride.
After driving for a while, Nick pulled the car off the main road and drove down a dirt road, coming to a stop at the edge of a bluff with a view of Vegas in the distance. He glanced over at Sara. "C'mon."
He got out of the Denali and she followed. As he climbed up onto the hood to sit, she followed.
She glanced over at him. "Is this what you wanted to show me?"
He grinned at her. "Part of it." He took her hand. "This is as close to Texas stars as I can get in Vegas."
Sara smiled remembering the view of the stars on the Stokes ranch. "It's beautiful out here."
Suddenly, Nick felt a little nervous. "Sara, I have something I want to give you. I was going to give it to you on Christmas, but we both have to work, so I want to give it to you now."
Sara's face fell. "Nick, I wish I'd known you wanted to exchange gifts tonight, I would have brought yours with me."
Nick chuckled. "It's ok, honey, it really is." He leaned over and kissed her softly.
Sara smiled as he pulled away. "What did you get me?"
Nick let out a deep breath and looked into her eyes. "I picked this up when we were in Texas. I hope you like it." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sky blue box tied with a white satin ribbon.
As Sara took it from his outstretched hand, she suddenly felt nervous. She knew the box was from Tiffany's. She glanced up at him with an unreadable expression as she untied the white ribbon. As she took the lid off of the sky blue box, she stopped and looked at Nick. Her eyes were wide.
Nick smiled softly and reached in and pulled out the dark blue velvet box. He slowly opened it and held it in his hand.
Sara glanced down and let out a gasp at the ring sitting in the box.
Nick squeezed her hand and she looked back up at him. "Sara, I love you. I can't imagine spending my life without you in it. Will you marry me?"
Sara's jaw dropped and she just sat there for a moment letting his words sink in. In the next instant, she threw her arms around his neck laughing uncontrollably with tears running down her face.
Nick still held the ring box in his hand and a smile played across his lips. "So does that mean you will?" There was a hint of amusement in his voice.
She pulled away from him smiling as she wiped the tears away. "Yes, I want to marry you."
Nick cupped the side of her face with the palm of his hand as he placed a sweet tender kiss on her lips. The emotion of the moment overwhelmed him and he felt tears forming in his eyes.
As they broke apart, Nick realized he still held the ring. He started to laugh. "Do you want to put it on?"
Sara nodded and held out her left hand as Nick pulled the ring from it's velvet box and placed it on her finger. She leaned in and kissed him again, murmuring against his lips. "I'm the happiest woman in the world, Nick Stokes."