Chapter 3
Shift was about to start and Nick still hadn't shown up. "Hey does anyone know where Nick is?" Grissom asked. Catherine and Warrick both shook their heads no and Sara refused to make eye-contact. "OK, Warrick and Sara you guys have a B and E at a jewelry store on the strip. Catherine you go to Nick's and then you have paperwork to do. And if anyone needs me I'll be in my office." Grissom said as he got up and left. Sara also got up dumped out the remains of her coffee and called over her shoulder as she left.
"I'll meet you at the scene Warrick"
"OK, what's going on with Sara?" Warrick asked Catherine as she snuggled herself against him.
"I have no clue; maybe Josh is off on another business trip again."
"OK, well then what's up with wrong with Nick?" Warrick asked pulling Catherine closer to him.
"I don't know, but I'll find out." She kissed him softly and left for Nick's house.
* ~ * ~ * ~ *
Catherine pulled up to Nick's house and noticed that his truck was in his driveway, and all the lights in his house were off. She jogged up to his front door; she was beginning to get a little worried. She rang the doorbell twice. No answer. She knocked twice, still no answer. She opened the door, and the entire house was dark. She fumbled around in the dark looking for a light. Finally she found a small lamp and turned it on. The light from the lamp gave enough light to the room for her to see Nick's sleeping form on the couch with a bottle of Vodka held firmly in his hands. She shook her head and took the bottle from him. As she did this he began to stir. She sat down on the side of the couch and continued to wake him up.
"Nicky, Nicky" She cooed and shook his shoulder.
"Mmm Sara." Catherine was confused. Was he dreaming of Sara? A married woman? She had known that both Nick and Sara had a thing for each other, but neither of them acted on it and now Sara was taken. Nick's eyes fluttered open and he now looked Catherine dead in the face. "Cath, what are you doing here?" He asked as he sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"Well cowboy if you knew how to tell time you would know that you're almost two hours late for work. And Grissom sent me to check on you, now what's up?"
"Well I poured my heart out to the woman I love, and she turned me down flat."
"Oh Nicky! I'm so sorry!" She said as she pulled him into a hug. After a few moments Nick pulled away slightly and planted a firm kiss on Catherine's lips. She was shocked, and as soon as her mind caught up with her she pulled away from him and stood up wiping her mouth. "What the HELL are you doing Stokes?!" She crossed her arms in front of her.
"I…I'm sorry Cath. I wasn't thinking, for a second I thought that you were her." Nick said as he stood up.
"Nicky, who is this "her" you keep talking about?"
"Sara" He sighed; silent tears began to fall freely from his eyes.
"Nicky are you crying?" Catherine asked as she sat back down on the couch. Nick nodded his head slowly. "You realize she's married." He just nodded. "Nicky, why didn't you do anything about it sooner, she loved you to. Why did you wait so long?" Catherine was practically yelling.
"Because I was scared!" he started to yell.
"Of what?"
"Of what? Of what?! Losing my best friend. Losing the only person that I could poor my heart and soul out to and not get hurt. Well I poured my heart and soul out to her and she hurt me Cath. She said it was too late." He sobbed and fell to his knees on the floor. "I love her so much Cath, and now I can never have her. My life is nothing without her in it." He sobbed with his head in his hands and rocked back and forth. Looking at the site in front of her, Catherine began to cry. She went to his side and wrapped him in a tight hug.
"Shh Nicky it'll be OK" She stood up and helped him to his feet. "Come on Nick, get some rest." She said as she pushed him backwards onto the couch. He laid down let out a deep sigh, and closed his eyes. Catherine sighed herself and stepped out onto his front porch. She took out her cell phone and called Sara.
"Perez"
"Sara, its Catherine. I need you to come to Nick's house right now."
"Cath what about my scene?"
"Don't worry about it, I'll come by and cover for you."
"Cath, why do you need me at Nick's" Sara asked impatiently.
"I don't need you Sara, Nick does. I'll wait for you here." Catherine hung up her phone and sat down on Nick's front steps. A few minutes later Sara came and sat down next to Catherine on the steps.
"What's going on Cath?"
"Nick told me what happened between the two of you."
"Oh well because it's to late Cath. I won't play his game anymore, and I moved on.
"Yea well he hasn't and he was in tears." Sara's face fell at the thought of her best friend, a big strong man in tears over her. "Go talk to him Sara" Cath said and got up and left. Sara took a deep breath and walked inside Nick's house.