Nick stood in front of his locker that evening getting ready for shift when
Catherine walked in. She let out a low throaty chuckle as she walked over
toward Nick and pulled something out of the pocket of his jacket that had
been poking out. "Got a new girlfriend, Nick?"
Nick glanced at her and as he notice what she held up in her hand, he turned bright red and tried to restrain his smile. Dangling from her fingers was a pair of black lace panties that belonged to one Ms. Sara Sidle. Nick had completely forgotten to take them out of his jacket pocket and return them to Sara.
"I'll take that as a yes." Catherine grinned at him.
Nick reached over and grabbed for the garment, but Catherine pulled it just out of reach. Nick raised an eyebrow at her. "Catherine."
Catherine wasn't about to give it up until he gave her a little more information. "So, what's her name?"
"Catherine, please." Nick had one hand on his hip and the other outstretched in an effort to get the garment back.
Catherine had a wide grin on her face. "How much is it worth to you?"
Nick started to chuckle. "Catherine, Catherine, Catherine."
At just that moment, Warrick walked in. Warrick looked thoroughly amused at the expression on Nick's face and what appeared to be Catherine teasing him about something. "What's going on?"
Catherine grinned and held up the underwear so Warrick could clearly see it. "Look what I found hanging out of Nick's pocket."
Warrick started to laugh. "What's her name?"
"What's whose name?" Sara walked in completely oblivious to what Catherine had in her hand.
Catherine looked at Sara conspiratorially and held up the underwear. "Nick's got a new girlfriend. Look what I found hanging out of his pocket."
Sara felt her cheeks burning as they infused with color. She glanced over at Nick, his face was equally red. He looked at her apologetically. Sara pasted a smile on her face and forced her voice to stay even as she stepped toward Catherine, taking the undergarment out of her hand. "Uh, those are mine."
Both Catherine and Warrick's faces reflected shock.
Sara walked over to Nick and leaned up and placed a quick kiss on his lips before whispering in his ear. "You are a dead man." Brushing past him, she opened her locker and tossed the underwear inside before taking her badge out and hanging up her jacket.
"Yours?" Catherine was trying to process what she'd just witnessed.
Sara turned around and forced her smile again as she nodded. She glanced over at Nick who couldn't stop grinning. She nudged him with her elbow. "Are you going to say something?"
"Sorry." He smiled at her and then looked over at Catherine and Warrick. "Uh, Sara and I are dating."
"When did this happen?" Catherine wanted to know as she studied the two young CSIs.
"Recently." Nick's answer was purposely vague. After the appearance of the underwear, no one was going to buy that he'd just kissed her when they'd gotten drunk.
"Does Grissom know?" Warrick queried them knowing full well that it probably wasn't going to set too well with their boss.
"Uh, no." Sara answered, looking over at Nick. "We were planning on doing that today. Weren't we, Nick?"
He grinned at her. "Yes, we were."
Catherine and Warrick exchange a glance that expressed that they'd like to be a fly on that wall.
"Uh, we should probably do that before shift, don't you think, Sar?" Nick suggested wanting to get the inevitable over with.
She nodded before turning towards Catherine and Warrick and pointing towards her locker. "Uh, do you think you guys could keep, uh, what I mean, uh."
Nick interrupted. "Not a word about the underwear, ok?" He looked at both of them with a serious expression.
Catherine shook her head noncommittally and Warrick nodded. Not because they wouldn't want to tease Nick, but because the last thing they wanted was to make Sara upset, which would assuredly make Grissom upset.
Nick and Sara made their way down the hallway toward Grissom's office. Sara glanced over at him and in a low voice hissed at him. "Why were those in your pocket?"
"Because I was a little distracted when I came over. I was going to give them back to you this morning, but we got a little busy." He looked somewhat amused by her embarrassment.
"You are so dead." Sara continued, a smirk flitting across her face.
In a flirtatious tone, Nick replied. "Should I be looking forward to that?"
Sara had to try and swallow her smile. "Maybe."
They neared Grissom's office and their banter ceased. Pausing in the doorway, Nick tapped softly on the door. Grissom glanced up from his desk.
Nick smiled. "Uh, Gris, can we talk to you for a minute?"
Grissom looked at Nick and Sara over the rim of his glasses and waved them in. "How's the case?"
"Uh, fine, but this isn't about the case." Nick began.
Grissom looked at them curiously. "What's this about then?" His tone implied that he was expecting to talk about Sara's hangover from the previous shift.
"Uh, we, uh, Sara and I, uh." Nick looked over at Sara for a little help. She looked amused at his discomfort in talking to Grissom about them. Not getting any help from her, Nick turned back toward Grissom and spit his words out as fast as he could. "Uh, we're dating."
Grissom looked at him quizzically, not sure if he'd heard Nick correctly. "What was that?"
Nick let out a deep breath and tried to repeat himself a little more slowly without much success. "Sara and I are dating." It came out almost as fast as the first time.
Grissom still looked at him without quite comprehending what he was saying.
Finally, Sara interrupted. "Grissom, Nick and I are dating." Her words were clear and precise.
Grissom was speechless. He just sat there looking at Nick and Sara without saying a word. Finally, he nodded and they took it as their cue to leave.
As they walked down the hall toward the break room, Sara glanced over at Nick with a smirk. "You never told me you were afraid of him."
Nick defended. "I'm not afraid of him."
Sara raised her eyebrow in challenge.
Nick smirked. "Ok, when it comes to you, I'm afraid of him."
Sara linked her arm with Nick's and grinned. "What do you think Greg's going to say when he finds out?"
Nick looked over at her and started to laugh.
Nick glanced at her and as he notice what she held up in her hand, he turned bright red and tried to restrain his smile. Dangling from her fingers was a pair of black lace panties that belonged to one Ms. Sara Sidle. Nick had completely forgotten to take them out of his jacket pocket and return them to Sara.
"I'll take that as a yes." Catherine grinned at him.
Nick reached over and grabbed for the garment, but Catherine pulled it just out of reach. Nick raised an eyebrow at her. "Catherine."
Catherine wasn't about to give it up until he gave her a little more information. "So, what's her name?"
"Catherine, please." Nick had one hand on his hip and the other outstretched in an effort to get the garment back.
Catherine had a wide grin on her face. "How much is it worth to you?"
Nick started to chuckle. "Catherine, Catherine, Catherine."
At just that moment, Warrick walked in. Warrick looked thoroughly amused at the expression on Nick's face and what appeared to be Catherine teasing him about something. "What's going on?"
Catherine grinned and held up the underwear so Warrick could clearly see it. "Look what I found hanging out of Nick's pocket."
Warrick started to laugh. "What's her name?"
"What's whose name?" Sara walked in completely oblivious to what Catherine had in her hand.
Catherine looked at Sara conspiratorially and held up the underwear. "Nick's got a new girlfriend. Look what I found hanging out of his pocket."
Sara felt her cheeks burning as they infused with color. She glanced over at Nick, his face was equally red. He looked at her apologetically. Sara pasted a smile on her face and forced her voice to stay even as she stepped toward Catherine, taking the undergarment out of her hand. "Uh, those are mine."
Both Catherine and Warrick's faces reflected shock.
Sara walked over to Nick and leaned up and placed a quick kiss on his lips before whispering in his ear. "You are a dead man." Brushing past him, she opened her locker and tossed the underwear inside before taking her badge out and hanging up her jacket.
"Yours?" Catherine was trying to process what she'd just witnessed.
Sara turned around and forced her smile again as she nodded. She glanced over at Nick who couldn't stop grinning. She nudged him with her elbow. "Are you going to say something?"
"Sorry." He smiled at her and then looked over at Catherine and Warrick. "Uh, Sara and I are dating."
"When did this happen?" Catherine wanted to know as she studied the two young CSIs.
"Recently." Nick's answer was purposely vague. After the appearance of the underwear, no one was going to buy that he'd just kissed her when they'd gotten drunk.
"Does Grissom know?" Warrick queried them knowing full well that it probably wasn't going to set too well with their boss.
"Uh, no." Sara answered, looking over at Nick. "We were planning on doing that today. Weren't we, Nick?"
He grinned at her. "Yes, we were."
Catherine and Warrick exchange a glance that expressed that they'd like to be a fly on that wall.
"Uh, we should probably do that before shift, don't you think, Sar?" Nick suggested wanting to get the inevitable over with.
She nodded before turning towards Catherine and Warrick and pointing towards her locker. "Uh, do you think you guys could keep, uh, what I mean, uh."
Nick interrupted. "Not a word about the underwear, ok?" He looked at both of them with a serious expression.
Catherine shook her head noncommittally and Warrick nodded. Not because they wouldn't want to tease Nick, but because the last thing they wanted was to make Sara upset, which would assuredly make Grissom upset.
Nick and Sara made their way down the hallway toward Grissom's office. Sara glanced over at him and in a low voice hissed at him. "Why were those in your pocket?"
"Because I was a little distracted when I came over. I was going to give them back to you this morning, but we got a little busy." He looked somewhat amused by her embarrassment.
"You are so dead." Sara continued, a smirk flitting across her face.
In a flirtatious tone, Nick replied. "Should I be looking forward to that?"
Sara had to try and swallow her smile. "Maybe."
They neared Grissom's office and their banter ceased. Pausing in the doorway, Nick tapped softly on the door. Grissom glanced up from his desk.
Nick smiled. "Uh, Gris, can we talk to you for a minute?"
Grissom looked at Nick and Sara over the rim of his glasses and waved them in. "How's the case?"
"Uh, fine, but this isn't about the case." Nick began.
Grissom looked at them curiously. "What's this about then?" His tone implied that he was expecting to talk about Sara's hangover from the previous shift.
"Uh, we, uh, Sara and I, uh." Nick looked over at Sara for a little help. She looked amused at his discomfort in talking to Grissom about them. Not getting any help from her, Nick turned back toward Grissom and spit his words out as fast as he could. "Uh, we're dating."
Grissom looked at him quizzically, not sure if he'd heard Nick correctly. "What was that?"
Nick let out a deep breath and tried to repeat himself a little more slowly without much success. "Sara and I are dating." It came out almost as fast as the first time.
Grissom still looked at him without quite comprehending what he was saying.
Finally, Sara interrupted. "Grissom, Nick and I are dating." Her words were clear and precise.
Grissom was speechless. He just sat there looking at Nick and Sara without saying a word. Finally, he nodded and they took it as their cue to leave.
As they walked down the hall toward the break room, Sara glanced over at Nick with a smirk. "You never told me you were afraid of him."
Nick defended. "I'm not afraid of him."
Sara raised her eyebrow in challenge.
Nick smirked. "Ok, when it comes to you, I'm afraid of him."
Sara linked her arm with Nick's and grinned. "What do you think Greg's going to say when he finds out?"
Nick looked over at her and started to laugh.
