Disclaimer: Unfortunately, none of these characters belong to me.
A/N: I don't like writing about the crimes too much, because I don't want to offend anyone with my lack of forensic knowledge. This story is basically about the characters, not the cases. We get enough of that in the show, right?
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After taking 45 minutes to tell the young man who they were, why they were there, and why they hadn't brought any Cheese Doodles, they were finally shown to their rooms. As they slid the key into its spot on the door handle, Catherine suddenly became nervous.
"What if this place is a mess? I mean, it could be disgusting. And we have to stay here for the rest of the week. We can't even leave and go somewhere else, because this is the only hotel in a 4 mile radius. What if --" she rambled on.
"Catherine!" Nick interrupted. "Just open the door, everything will be alright."
"Nicky, if you're wrong, you're buying me a nice big bottle Jack Daniels.. and apple juice!" She said, getting looks from everyone. "What? Jack Daniels and apple juice go together like peanut butter and spaghetti!"
"Just open the door, Cath!" Warrick said, becoming annoyed with the blonde.
"Alright, alright," she said. And with that and a green light, she opened the door. "Oh, its not that bad," Catherine said turning around, and noticing that the rest of her friends were standing out of the doorway, as if to shield themselves from anything unworthy of seeing.
"Really?" Sara said, peeking her head in. "It's not that terrible, I guess. Come on in, you guys," she said, turning around to the men who were still standing in the hallway.
As the men walked in, they let out a breath no one realized they were holding. Warrick plopped his bag down on the first bed, and Nick sat down at the desk.
"Alright, so this is your room for the next 5-8 days. Mine is right next door, see?" Grissom said, pointing to the door that was next to the bathroom.
"It'll do," Catherine said.
As Grissom left the room to get into his own, Warrick sat on the bed, next to his bag. "So, I'm guessing you two want to sleep in the same bed, right?" he said, gesturing towards Nick and Sara.
"Well, we were hoping it wouldn't be a problem with you, man," Nick said. Catherine cleared her throat. "And we were hoping that you wouldn't mind, Cath."
She smiled at him. "Its no problem, Nicky. Unless you have a problem with it, War."
"Nope, no problem here," he said.
"See? Right next door!" Grissom said, triumphantly, as he got the adjoining doors to open.
"Nice work, Gris," Catherine said. "So, when do we have to get started?"
"In about an hour, but it takes 45 minutes to get there, so I suggest we leave now," Grissom said, as he compared his room to that of his team.
"OK, let's go!" Warrick said, jumping off the bed from where he was sitting.
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"I'm beat, do you ladies mind if I take a quick shower?" Warrick asked, wanting to go to bed as soon as humanly possible.
"Go right ahead, War," Catherine said. He looked at Sara.
"Fine with me."
"Thanks, I'll be out in two minutes." And with that, he ran into the bathroom, pajamas in hand.
Those two minutes turned into a little more than twenty, and when Warrick emerged from the bathroom, he let out a violent wave of steam.
"Sorry, but I think all this steam might set off the fire alarm," he said, rubbing the towel over his head to rid his hair of excess water.
"No problem, man. That would be at least a little excitement on our 'vacation'" Nick said, plopping the remote down next to him on the bed after finding nothing interesting on the TV to watch.
"I'm gonna go in there now, and I promise I will be out in two minutes, unlike someone else," Sara said, giving Nick a quick peck on the cheek and flashing a glare at Warrick that was definitively Sara's.
"Man, you're in trouble with that one," Warrick said, after Sara was safely out of range of hearing their discussion.
"You know it," Nick said, resting his head back on the orange and green colored bedspread. "This hotel chose some unique colors to decorate with. I mean, a banana yellow ceiling, puke green rugs, and then some crazy bedspread."
Catherine laughed at Nick's observation. "This one guy I dated, everything in his house was a shade of pink. I mean, everything. From his couches, to his ceiling lamps, to his toilet paper. He even spent over $200 every three weeks to get his dog dyed pink," she explained, going through her suitcase for something to wear to bed.
"Now, that's unique," Warrick said, setting his damp towel in the bag that would be taken by the maids in the morning. "Hey Nick, does this TV have those videogames that you can order from the hotel per hour?"
"Yeah man, they even got that new NFL game for Xbox. Wanna play?" Nick asked, sitting up.
"You know it, man," Warrick said, moving from his bed to where Nick was sitting.
As Sara came out from the bathroom, she saw Nick and Warrick placing bets on who was going to win.
"Let me guess - they discovered the video games!" Sara said sarcastically to Catherine, who was getting her stuff together to take a shower.
"Oh yeah, big time. I'll be right out," she said, as she made her way towards the bathroom.
"Nicky?" Sara asked, making her way over towards where he was sitting.
"Yeah, babe?" Nick asked, not daring to take his eyes off the television screen.
"Do you think that you would mind going down the hall to get me a soda from the vending machine?" she said, as she sat down behind him.
"Honey, it's just down the hall. And I'm pretty sure you've learned how to use a vending machine," he said, as her arms wrapped around his neck, and she put her chin on his shoulder.
"I do know how, Nick. But I don't want to see the creepy guy who checked us in in the hallway. Did you see the way he was all googely towards me and Catherine?" she said, trying to figure out exactly what they were trying to accomplish on the video game.
"I know, babe, but I'm sure the guy doesn't live at the hotel. He probably went home by now," he said, trying to maneuver the controller without hurting Sara.
"Nicky, can't you just pause the game for a minute to get me a soda? Please?" she said, nibbling at the outside of his ear.
"Sara, me and Warrick just placed $50 on this, whoever wins. And right now, an extra $50 sounds pretty nice," he said, as Catherine came out of the bathroom.
"Ugh, fine, I'll just die of thirst," she said, releasing her grip on Nick's neck, and ear, and dropped back onto the bed behind her.
"What's wrong, Sar?" Catherine asked.
"I'm thirsty, and Nicky here won't get me a drink from the vending machine," she said, poking him in the back with her index finger.
"Hey! Sara, that hurt," Nick said, turning around to look at her.
"YES!" Warrick said victoriously. "$50, Nick my man. Ah yes!" Warrick said, kissing the crisp 50 bill that Nick had just handed him.
"Now will you get me my soda?" Sara asked, as Nick glared at her.
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"OK, you guys, I think its time we all go to sleep. We have a big day tomorrow," Grissom said, peeking his head in through the adjoining doors.
"Sara and I have been in bed for the past half hour. Its our two boys who refuse to go to sleep," Catherine said, pointing towards where Nick and Warrick were discussing a basketball game that was on the previous night. At that moment, Grissom noticed that Sara and Catherine were sleeping in different beds.
"Uh, Catherine?" Grissom asked.
"Yea, Gris?" she said, looking up at him from her comfortable spot in her bed.
"Are you and Sara planning on sleeping in different beds all night, or just until the boys go to sleep?" he said, gesturing towards the beds.
"Well, Sara was going to sleep with Nick, and Warrick was going to sleep in this bed with me. Unless, there's a problem," she said, eyeing him. She remembered him telling her that he thought Sara and Nick being together was a bad idea, and when she asked him why it was a bad idea, he said that it was because Sara was with Nick, and not him. When Catherine asked on what he was planning to do about this, he said nothing.
"Uh, no. There's no problem. I was just thinking, uh.." he said, stumbling over his words as he leaned against the door frame.
"You were just thinking what, Grissom?" Sara said, perching herself up on her elbow, taking in every word that Grissom said.
"I was just thinking.. it's not such a good idea for co-ed sleeping. I thought we said that it was two girls and two guys," he said, trying to recall the conversation they had earlier that day on the airplane.
"No, we just said two to a bed. And if my counting skills do me right, I'd say that Nick and Sara together is two in a bed. And me and Warrick, ah yes, two," she said, pretending to think hard.
"I just think it would be better if Nick and Warrick slept in the same bed. And then you and Sara would be together. Everyone would be happy," he said.
"Grissom, I don't see what the big deal is if I share the bed with Sara," Nick said, as he walked over to where Sara lay. "Its not like we're going to do the dirty deed, with Catherine and Warrick right there."
"Nick, as your boss and someone who cares, I'm telling you that you cannot share that bed with Sara," Grissom said, walking into the room.
"You're telling me? I'm not five, Grissom. I'm a big boy, and I can make my own decisions!" Nick said, practically yelling.
"Nick!" Grissom snapped. "You're not staying in this room at all. You're with me. And Catherine, you and Sara. Warrick can sleep alone."
Nick didn't move. "Now, Nick!" Grissom said, as he looked bad.
"I'll be right next door, babe," Nick said, moving towards where Sara was.
"It's OK, Nicky. I'll be fine," she said, kissing him.
"Nick, come on," Grissom said, as he watched the exchange.
"I'm coming, Gris. Man, who stuck a firecracker up your ass?" Nick said, as Grissom closed the adjoining doors.
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At around 4AM, only six hours after everyone had went to sleep, Catherine awoke after being hit in the cheek by Sara's hand. She got out of the bed, making sure not to disturb Sara or Warrick. She managed to open the adjoining door without making a sound, and walk into the room where Grissom and Nick were sleeping. Catherine moved herself over to Nick's side of the king size bed.
"Nick.. Nicky.. Nicky, wake up," Catherine said, as she gently pushed his shoulder back and forth.
"What? Cath? What are you doing in here?" He asked, still half-asleep.
"Go in the other room, Nicky. Sara's waiting for you," she said, winking at him. At the mention of Sara's name, Nick jumped out of bed. "Nick! Be careful. We don't need Sleeping Beauty over here waking up." Nick slid on his slippers, and gave Catherine a peck on the cheek.
"Thanks, Cath. I appreciate this," he said, making his way towards the adjoining doors.
"No problem, Nicky. Now go!" she said, as she made her way into the bed where Nick was just sleeping.
Nick closed the adjoining doors and walked over to where Sara was sleeping. As he made himself comfortable in the bed, he rubbed her shoulder. She started to mumble in her sleep.
"Nicky.." she said, turning herself around to face him.
"Yeah, babe, I'm here. Come here," he said, holding his arms out to her.
"Mmm, Nicky," she said, falling back asleep in his warm arms.
As Nick fell back to sleep, all he could think of how Grissom was going to react.
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