Summary: Four months after Nick and Sara found each other, a life-altering, career-changing opportunity presents itself at the Las Vegas Crime Lab. Will this chance bring the Graveyard shift closer together, or tear them apart?
Author's Note: Do you guys like it? This is quite a neat lil fic – not too fluffy, but not too non-fluffy… get what I'm saying? LOL anyway, read on and review after and let me know what I'm doing wrong LOL if I'm doing anything wrong!
Disclaimer: No, I do not own CSI stuff. I do own Anisha, Maile, Dylan, All of Nick's family, Haylie and her family, and all the other characters you don't realize, k?
Rating: PG-13
Request: Read and review!
Music Credits: I'm a Believer By: Smash Mouth
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Sara groaned to herself as her alarm went off that night. It felt like she had just gotten into bed and already she had to get up. She reluctantly climbed out of bed and made her way to the bathroom. As she showered, she wondered many things. Everything Catherine had said earlier that day kept going through her mind. She thought over her's and Nick's relationship. She liked the direction it was going in. Things weren't going too fast, but they weren't going too slow either. They were taking things one step at a time, and Sara couldn't have been more comfortable.
Except maybe if they weren't both going for the promotion.
~x
"All right, you fill out this pile, and I'll fill out this pile," Catherine said as she divided the papers, "It's crazy how much paperwork there is when you're trying to get your own biological daughter adopted by your second husband."
Grissom smiled at his wife's dry humor, "Where is Linds, anyway?"
"Oh, she's sleeping over a friend's house," Catherine informed her husband.
"On a school night?"
Catherine laughed and Grissom raised an eyebrow, "What is so funny?"
"You're already worried and she not even eleven years old yet. Imagine what you'll be like when she's a teenager."
"I don't think I'll worry about her as much as I will about Dylan," Grissom interjected.
"I don't think so," Catherine shook her head, "Fathers always worry more about their daughters."
"Is that scientifically proven?" Grissom asked.
Catherine shook her head again, "No, but they do anyway. My dad fussed over me much more than he did over my brother."
"I think I'll worry about Dylan more because I know what boys think about when they're teenagers," Grissom said, looking at his wife.
Catherine laughed, "That's true."
"But I suppose I'll worry about Lindsey her fair share as well, because I know what boys think about when they're teenagers."
Catherine tried to control her laughter as she filled out her second form, "And Lindsey is pretty too - you're going to have to do what they do in Montana."
"What's that?" Grissom asked as he worked on filling out his third form.
"Carry a shotgun and two side pistols at all times," Cathernie replied with a grin.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Warrick and Nick walked into Diner 12 the following night after shift. Nick, who hadn't seen Sara at all for twenty-four hours, was handling it very well, in Warrick's opinion. He was used to seeing new couples dying of heart failure if they weren't together at least twice a day. However, Warrick knew Nick and Sara were different.
"Are you going over to her place later on?" Warrick asked as a very attractive black woman seated them.
Nick shrugged, "Maybe."
"Dude, what is going on? You seem like you don't care anymore!"
"I do, War. But she's working so much, it makes me feel like she's put me second after the job or the promotion."
"Nick, man," Warrick said after the same waitress took their orders and brought them coffee, "You gotta remember a lot about Sara. Before you two got together, her life was the job. She had nothing to go home to and no other priorities before the job. It's going to take her a while to get into the rhythm of putting you in the mix."
Nick nodded, "You have a point."
"And I didn't want to have to tell you this, but I have a bad feeling that this promotion is going to bring some tough times for you guys."
"Why?"
"You two are both so stubborn and competitive. And you both are awesome at your job. I feel bad for Griss. He has to choose between his two top CSIs."
"Come on, Warrick. You could handle it too."
Warrick shook his head, "I'm not interested in leaving yet. Catherine and Grissom are still teaching me a lot. Plus, someone has to keep Greg under control."
Nick laughed and nodded, "That's true.
"You just have to have patience with everything," Warrick advised his friend, "Sara's life has done a complete one eighty, man. Now she has a boyfriend to keep happy. It's new to her."
"Not really. She dated Hank and some other guys."
"But was it as serious as this is?" Warrick asked, his eyebrow raised.
Nick thought for a moment, "No, not really."
"There's my point."
Nick nodded, "That makes sense. I'll be back, all right?"
Warrick nodded as Nick headed outside to make a call.
"That was really nice," the waitress said as she walked up to the table and refilled Warrick's cup, "Encouraging your friend."
Warrick looked up at the woman. She was young with bright brown eyes and pretty brown hair. She almost reminded him of Tyra Banks.
"Thanks, Anisha," Warrick said after looking at her nametag, "I try my best to take care of my friends."
"Well I think that's great," she replied with a smile as she walked away.
Warrick blew out a long breath.
Wow, Warrick thought, why do I feel so nervous now? She's only our waitress.
"Sorry about that," Nick apologized as he returned.
"Let me guess," Warrick said as he took a sip of his coffee, "You called Sara."
Nick blushed, but nodded.
"And?" Warrick asked, looking interested.
"I apologized."
"Over the phone? Tacky."
Nick laughed, "Well, I had to do it while I had the humility."
"Aww, how sweet," Warrick teased as the waitress brought
their food.
"Thanks," Warrick said with a
smile as she placed the plates on the table and walked away.
Nick looked at the waitress and then back at Warrick. He raised eyebrow suggestively.
"Shutup, Nick," Warrick said with a grin.
They finished their food, and when Anisha came to bring the check, another slip of paper slid along with it.
Warrick didn't look at it until he had reached his apartment. The slip of paper had two words on it:
Call Me
299-2394
~x
"Why would he apologize?" Sara asked her sister over the phone before she headed to bed.
"For what?" Haylie asked.
"Nick just called and apologized for not being more understanding, but he hasn't done anything that needed an apology."
"Maybe he was talking to someone and it made him realize he was thinking or feeling something he shouldn't be?" Haylie suggested. She wished with all of her heart that her younger sister would find the happiness she had. So far, Haylie had a very good feeling about Nick Stokes.
"Good point," Sara said, become less confused, "Well, I just needed someone to say something sane."
Haylie laughed, "I don't know how sane I am, but I'll take that as a compliment."
Sara laughed as well as she and her sister hung up. It only took Sara two minutes to undress, wash her face, pull on a pair of gray shorts and a black tank top, and climb into bed. Just before she dozed off, she thought of how cold the bed was, and hoped Nick slept well that day.
~x
Sara was awakened at about one-thirty that afternoon by a very warm, spicy smelling, strong body climbing into bed with her.
"It's about time that boyfriend of mine arrived," she said, her voice thick with sleep, but not sounding completely retarded.
Nick laughed softly, pulling her around so she was facing him. He kissed her gently, his lips meshing with hers for a second before he looked at her, "How do you keep from getting afternoon breath?"
Sara looked at him strangely, "What are you talking about?"
"I can wake up at three in the afternoon and kiss you and you never seem to have bad breath!"
Sara grinned at him as she ran a finger over his lips, "Secret," she replied as she rolled over onto her side again.
"Hey," he said, gently pulling her back, "I wasn't done with you yet."
Sara groaned, "Nicky, I'm tired."
"And I want a kiss, your point?"
Sara laughed at his expression as she kissed him, "Why'd you come so late?"
Nick shrugged, "I got a couple hours of sleep, but I'm telling you, that bed is lonely without you, babe."
"The feeling is reciprocated, now let me go to sleep."
Sara covered her head with a pillow and Nick groaned.
"All right, all right," Nick said, "but you owe me."
Sara turned onto her right side, Nick's arm finding it's usual place draped over her waist. There was silence for a minute or so when Sara spoke.
"What were you apologizing for?" She asked.
Nick was quiet for a moment, but he quickly recovered.
"I had been thinking some things that weren't fair to you," Nick informed her as she turned around to face him. She could barely focus on his face, considering his chest was in plain sight, along with his abs just above his black pants waistline.
"What were they?" Sara asked.
Nick let out a big breath, "I had been feeling second best."
"Second best to what?"
"The job. Or the promotion, either one."
Sara looked at his regretful expression, and loved him even more for being so passionate.
"What made you change your mind?"
Nick shrugged, "Remembering before us, you were like that. It's a change, Sara. And no matter how much we hate change, it's inevitable."
Sara shrugged, "I don't know about you, but you're my number one priority at the moment."
"Ditto," he replied with a grin.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I thought love was only true in fairy tales. Meant for someone else but not for me. Oh love was out to get me - that's the way it seems - disappointment haunted all my dreams. Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer. Not a trace, of doubt in my mind. I'm in love - I'm a believer I couldn't leave her if I tried. I thought love was more or less a given thing. The more I gave the less I got woah yea. What's the use of trying? All you get is pain. When I wanted sunshine I got rain. Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer. Not a trace of doubt in my mind. I'm in love I'm a believer, I couldn't leave her if I tried."
Greg unconsciously sang along to the Smash Mouth version of an old Neil Diamond/the Monkees classic, unaware that a woman was watching him.
"Then I saw her faaaaace. Now I'm a believer. Not a traaaace of doubt in my mind. I'm in looooveee, I'm a believer. Not a trace, of doubt in my mind. I'm in love I'm a believer, I couldn't leave her if I tried..."
Greg moved to finish analyzing the tire treads Sara and Grissom had brought to him. He wondered how in the hell that song had gotten onto his mix CD, but he shrugged it off.
"Figures," he said to himself, "I would put something like that on my cd."
"Actually, it's a classic," a female voice said. Greg looked up to see a brown haired, brown eyed woman in a lab coat standing in the doorway.
"Hel-lo," Greg said, smiling at her.
"Hi," she said, a friendly smile gracing her lips, "I'm Maile."
"Maile," Greg said, looking back at the sheet that was printing, "That sounds Hawaiian."
"That's right," she replied with a smile, "Maile Kowani."
She held out her hand, and Greg shook it gently, "Greg Sanders. Are you a lab assistant?"
She nodded, "CSI Level one. I was sent up here to get something from ballistics."
"Ahh, I see." Greg took the sheet out and motioned to the door, "would you like to walk with me to my boss's office?"
"Sure," she said, as they headed toward Grissom's office.
"Where's your team?" Maile asked as they made their down the halls at a leisurely pace.
"We work graveyard shift," Greg said proudly, "Everyone except Grissom and I have gone home."
"Will you be leaving soon?" Maile asked him.
Greg nodded, "After I give this to Griss."
They reached Grissom office. He was sitting at his desk looking through Nick and Sara's files. He was paying most attention to the cases each of them had worked. Some of them had been very important cases, and both Sara and Nick had done well on them.
Greg knocked on the door jamb, "Hey boss, I got that tire tread match you wanted."
Grissom took the paper Greg offered, and nodded, "Thanks Greg. Who's this?"
"Oh, this is Maile Kowani, she's a CSI Level One."
"Nice to meet you, Ms. Kowani. I'm Gil Grissom."
"It's a pleasure, Mr. Grissom. Congratulations on the Vileston case. That was brilliant work."
"Thank you very much," Grissom replied with a smile.
"I'll see you tonight, Boss," Greg said as he prepared to
leave.
"Oh, Greg, Sara and I will be in
at nine - we have to go talk to a family about our case, so Warrick's in charge
until I get back."
Greg saluted with a smile as he and Maile made their way out of Grissom's office.
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A/N: Aww lol All of them are pairing off! Clichè, but come on would you want Warrick and Greg dating or something? EWW! LOL no offense to ppl who write slash, but my kitchen door doesn't swing that way! :-P anyway…
Next Chapter: Christine calls Sara, Nick voices his feelings for Sara (but she doesn't reciprocate, so be warned) and.. well a lil other stuff hahaha just wait and see!