I know, I know. I'm horrible with updating. But hey! I am done with finals and juries and everything for the semester! Plus, I'm changing my major, slightly, so hopefully I will have more time. Wahoo! Okay, thanks everyone for the awesome reviews! And just in case you were starting to think that I owned anything related to CSI, I really don't. Well, I take that back. I own the first two seasons on DVD, I have all of the fourth season, so far, on tape, the soundtrack, and the computer game. So yeah, that's about it. Okay, the rambling is over now. On with the chapter!
~~$~@~$~~
The next few days were spent quietly at home. Neither Nick nor Sara left the house for more than an hour at a time. Sara went back to her apartment a few times to gather the last few boxes, and say good bye to her first three years in Vegas. That part of her life was over. The part where she was obsessed with her work, and her boss. The part where she'd sit by her police scanner for hours on end with a forensic journal on her lap.
She was moving on now. Moving on to a man she loved with all of her being. Moving on to so much more than she had before.
And she couldn't be happier.
They didn't talk about Bianca's suicide, or how she killed Monica and Brianna. Nick was right, there was nothing they could do about it now, except for move on and live their lives.
So that's what they were doing; living.
And loving.
A few weeks after Bianca's suicide, they sat down together and planned a date for their wedding.
Finally.
"Who are you going to ask to be your Maid of Honor?" Nick queered as they sat together on the couch, relaxing a little before work.
Sara looked up from her magazine. "Well, I was thinking of Catherine. I mean I don't have any sisters or even female cousins or nieces. I wasn't very close to the girls I knew in school, and I definitely haven't kept in contact with them. Catherine and I don't always get along, but she's been a great friend, and I really look up to her."
Nick nodded.
"What? You don't think I should ask her?" She asked, worried.
He shook his head as a small smile crept to his lips. "No, I definitely think you should. I think she'd be honored to stand up for you."
"Really?"
"Oh yeah. Definitely."
After a few more minutes of comfortable silence, Sara looked up from her magazine again and cleared her throat.
"What?" Nick asked, turning his attention from the television to his lovely fiancée.
"Who's your best man?" Sara asked.
Nick let out a small laugh, and then cleared his throat. "Well, I have four brothers I could have asked, my best friend, Chris, from school, and then there's Warrick and Greg."
Sara narrowed her eyes at him. "You asked Warrick didn't you?"
"Chris lives in China with his wife and kid, Greg already has the job of DJ at the reception, and I couldn't pick just one of my brothers. So, yeah, I picked Warrick."
Sara nodded. "I'm glad you picked him. If I could have a male Maid of Honor, he'd be it. Warrick really has become my best friend"
Nick feigned a hurt look. "Excuse me? Should I be jealous?"
A mischievous glint shimmered in Sara's eyes as she leaned forward and spoke in a low sultry voice. "Well, there was that one time when you were working a double. Warrick came over to bring a case file to me. He was wearing this royal blue, button up dress shit, and the top three buttons were unbuttoned…" her voice trailed off and she stared off into space as if remembering the event. Then she quickly looked back at Nick. "I just couldn't help myself." She leaned back and brought the magazine to her face, trying to hide her smile. "Oh by the way, the baby is due in about seven months"
"What!" Nick exclaimed pulling the magazine away from her.
"Nicky, I'm kidding" Sara defended.
Nick placed the magazine back in her lap, and crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't care. It's not funny."
"I'm sorry. It was a joke. I thought we were both on the same page there."
"We were. But you took it way too far. And I stopped laughing."
Sara scooted closer to him on the couch and wrapped her arms around his waist, laying her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."
Nick didn't respond.
She buried her face in his neck, and began planting soft kisses on his skin. "You're the only man I want to have a baby with."
When she pulled away, Sara could see that he was trying not to smile. She leaned in and began trailing light, feathery kisses along his jaw, and up to his lips. "Forgive me?" She asked innocently between kisses.
Nick gently pushed Sara away and laid her down on her back on the couch, pinning her body beneath his. Before she could protest, he ducked his head down and captured her lips with his. His hands quickly found hers, and he pinned them above her head as he continued his assault.
When the need to breathe became too great to continue, he pulled back slightly, and rested his head on her shoulder. "Does that answer your question?" he asked, breathlessly.
"Uh huh" Sara responded, just as out of breath as Nick.
"I suppose we should go get ready for work," Nick suggested.
"Yeah. I guess."
Nick looked down at her with a twinkle in his eye. "Don't tell me that Sara Sidle doesn't want to go to work"
"Oh, she does" Sara grinned. "There's just somewhere she'd much rather spend her evening"
"Ah, I see" Nick responded, playing along. He leaned down and kissed her briefly one more time before carefully climbing off of the couch.
"Shower's mine first!" Sara exclaimed rushing into the bathroom and closing the door behind her.
Nick slumped back down on the couch with a satisfied smile on his face. "I love that woman" he whispered to himself.
~~$~@~$~~
"Hey Nick" Catherine greeted as the younger CSI walked into the break room with a big grin on his face. "Where's Sara?"
"Hey Cath, she just went to the locker room to put our stuff away."
Catherine slid a mug full of coffee across the table, and motioned for him to join her. "You're making her put your stuff away?"
Nick gladly took the beverage, and sat down at the table. "Nope. She offered."
"Gotcha"
"Do you know where Warrick is?" Nick wondered.
"Yeah, he was talking to Greg a few minutes ago about some DNA." Catherine answered.
"Thanks"
"Hey guys!" Sara chirped as she entered the break room and took the seat next to Nick.
"Hey Sara" Catherine greeted. "You seem to be in a good mood"
"I am. We're finally done with the wedding plans."
Catherine looked surprised. "The wedding isn't for another month, and you're already done?"
Both Nick and Sara nodded.
"Well, there are just a few little details here and there that we need to work out, but we'll get those done easily." Sara added.
"Oh really?" Catherine asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
Sara nodded glancing over at Nick who just cast her an encouraging look. "Yeah, actually, Cath, I have a favor to ask you."
"Anything I can do to help, I'll do" Catherine offered.
"Would you consider standing up for me at the wedding, as my Maid of Honor?" Sara asked, somewhat shyly.
Catherine blinked a few times, not sure if she actually heard Sara correctly. They'd never really been best friends, but she did admire the passion Sara had for her work. And she knew that Sara loved Nick and would do absolutely anything just so he would have to suffer one ounce of pain.
"If you don't want to-or you can't-I understand-" Sara sputtered.
Catherine shook her head side to side quickly and raised her hand to cut the younger woman off. "Sara, I'd be absolutely honored to stand up for you"
Shock registered on Sara's face, but was quickly replaced by a wide grin. "Really? Thank you so much!"
Sara stood up from her chair and walked around to the other side of the table, and gave Catherine a quick hug. "Thank you"
"Sara, relax. We're friends now. Friends do this kind of thing"
"Yeah I know"
"What's with all the hugging?" Warrick asked as he entered the break room. "And where is mine?"
Sara stood up, and walked over to her friend, wrapping her arms around his torso. "Hey War" she greeted.
"Hey man" Nick said standing up as well. "Can I ask you a favor?"
"Yeah, sure, what's up?"
"Well, we're getting married in a month now, and just about everything is all set up" Nick started.
"Okay, so what do you need me for?"
Sara smiled at the two men before returning to her seat at the table with Catherine to go over a few details, and leave Nick and Warrick to themselves.
"I was wondering if you'd be my Best Man" Nick said, getting straight to the point.
A smile began to tug at the corners of Warrick's mouth, and he pulled Nick into a hug. "Of course. I was wondering when you'd get around to asking"
Nick laughed. "Yeah well. At least now everything's all set. You'll just need to find out what Catherine is wearing so you two can match"
"Catherine? Why?"
Nick grinned. "Because she's Sara's Maid of Honor. So that means you two get to walk down the aisle together."
Warrick could feel the heat in his cheeks. "Oh really?"
Nick winked. "Yep."
Grissom chose that moment to come bumbling into the break room muttering about his latest insect experiment. When he saw his whole team sitting and waiting for him, and pulled two assignment slips out of a folder and handed one to Nick and one to Warrick, and then left, without a word.
"Looks like its time to work" Catherine pointed out with an amused smile pasted on her face.
"Yes, it is" the other three agreed in unison.
~~$~@~$~~
TBC
~~$~@~$~~
Well, I hope that wasn't too boring for you. I just wanted to get some stuff out of the way before the wedding! Yay! Okay, so let me know what you think by hitting that little button! Stay tuned!