Volume II: Perpetual Ardency

By: xKatx

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: Just wanna let you guys know I am thinking about making Christine's wedding a part of Volume III - what do you guys think? I'm not sure yet... review and tell me!!

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!

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          "Don't say anything," Sara told Nick as they pulled up to the lab hand in hand. Nick looked at her strangely.

          "Say anything about…?"

Sara wiggled her left ring finger, the diamond catching the light and ringing a bell in Nick's mind.

          "And why not?" Nick asked, raising an eyebrow with a sly smile on his face.

          "Warrick and Greg are part of the number one lab in the country," Sara told him, "Let's see if their all they're cracked up to be."

Nick grinned, "All right."

Sara gave him a smile as they shared one last quick kiss before exiting the Tahoe and entered the lab, their business personas covering up their normally happy selves.

~x

As it turns out, Catherine's sister had offered to babysit for the night so Catherine could come and get some lab time in. Sara was somewhat glad because she needed another woman around.

          "I can't believe it!" Catherine whispered when she entered the locker room and saw Sara there alone, "Where's the ring?"

Sara lifted her left hand and showed it to Catherine.

          "Oh my God, that almost looks like mine," Catherine said, showing hers, "Only mine's square-cut."

Sara smirked, "Hey, I don't have a particular preference as to how my diamonds are cut."

Catherine shrugged, "Neither do I. Who else knows?"

          "You and Griss, Nick's family, and Haylie," Sara informed her, "But don't tell Warrick or Greg – I want to see if they notice."

Catherine nodded, "I'll tell Griss not to say anything either," Catherine moved to leave, but turned around, "My guess is Warrick will notice first."

Sara grinned, "We'll just have to wait and see."

Catherine nodded as she left, her heart giddy for the young couple.

~x

It seemed the entire nightshift (minus Greg and Warrick) had noticed throughout the course of the evening. It was half an hour before shift ended, and Sara was in the break room with Warrick, Greg, and Catherine, going through some paperwork Grissom needed for a case. Sara was trying as hard as she could not to look at the ring on her left hand, but every once in a while she just had to glance at it. Remarkably enough, Warrick and Greg had not noticed. Sara felt a little put-out, but remembered that this was Sara Sidle she was talking about – she was sure they didn't expect her to get marr-

          "Sara," Greg said, motioning to her left hand, "What is that?"

          "What, this?" Sara said, looking at the ring, "Oh noth-"

          "Sara, girl you are not engaged are you?" Warrick asked from across the table.

          "Well, this does kinda look like an engagement ring, doesn't it?" Sara said, looking at her ring again.

          "Oh man!" Warrick said, getting up and coming around the table, wrapping her into a hug. Sara couldn't help but smile at his excitement.

          "Nick proposed?" Greg asked after Warrick had released her and impulsively pulled Catherine into a hug.

Sara nodded, "This morning."

Greg raised his eyebrows with a grin, "That's awesome."

          "Thanks, Greg," Sara said with a smile as they hugged. She felt so happy that she couldn't even describe it.

          "I can't believe it took you guys the whole shift to notice," Catherine reprimanded them.

Greg and Warrick looked slightly sheepish, but Warrick turned slightly defensive, "Hey, I'm going to kill Nick for not telling me."

Sara slapped Warrick's arm, "I don't think so, buddy."

Warrick rubbed his arm as Catherine and Greg laughed. At that moment Grissom walked into the break room.

          "I see you two have found out," Grissom said, motioning to Greg and Warrick. They nodded as Catherine gave them both looks.

          "Now all we have to do is wait for you two to get married," Catherine said.

Sara grinned, "Isn't it ironic that Greg is dating a girl on Level One?"

Catherine laughed, "Yeah, but Anisha doesn't work here."

Warrick shrugged, "So I'll be the oddball. Not new to me!"

The group laughed as Grissom congratulated Sara and the man of the hour walked into the room.

          "Damn, man, I'm tempted to kill you for not telling me," Warrick said, punching Nick in the arm.

Nick shrugged, "You would have found out eventually."

Sara couldn't help but grin at the happiness she saw on Nick's face. It seemed like a light was glowing inside of him, and it radiated from him almost infectiously. She couldn't help but feel giddy as well.

          "Well, looks like Vegas decided to be kind to us tonight," Grissom said as he noticed shift was over and no new cases had come in, "Get outta here, you guys."

Everyone except Catherine left the break room and headed toward the locker room. Grissom couldn't help but give his wife a smile.

          "They're so happy," she commented as she moved closer to him.

          "Yes, they are," Grissom agreed. He looked back at Catherine and said, "How long have you known Nick and Sara would end up together?"

Catherine shrugged, "I kind of got that feeling when she first showed up. She and Nick…"

          "Kind of hard to describe, isn't it?"

Catherine nodded in agreement, "I just kind of got an inkling that they would click. She was an introvert, he was an extrovert. She was sad, he was happy. She didn't have a good family life, his was great."

          "Well, relationships are kind of like puzzles. Sometimes opposites are the best matches for each other."

She nodded again, "That's true, I mean look at us. You like bugs, and I can't kill a spider."

Grissom laughed, "That's true."

Catherine, in a lapse of professionalism, put her arms around her husband's neck, "But if things are this good between us, imagine how great things will be with them."

          "They'll argue."

          "They never go home angry."

          "They'll want control of the relationship."

          "They'll both give in."

Grissom smiled, "They'll be fine, won't they?"
Catherine kissed him quickly, "Yes, they will."

~x

          "So your friends are getting married?" Anisha asked as she and Warrick lay in bed that morning.

Warrick nodded, "They've only dated about five months or so, but they've been in love since they met."

          "I take it they didn't know it for a long time," Anisha asked again, turning on her side to look at the man she had fallen for.

          "Sara had a really tough past, and Nick had his fair share of pain too, so they just had to give in and trust each other."

Anisha smiled as she pressed her lips to his, "I love you, Warrick."

Warrick couldn't help but grin at her, "I love you too, Anisha."

~x

Greg grinned at Maile as they walked up to her front door, hand in hand.

          "So Nick and Sara are engaged?" Maile asked as they stood outside her door.

Greg nodded, "I'm really happy for them. They both deserve each other."

Maile smiled, "You care an awful lot about your friends, don't you?"

Greg blushed, "Yeah, I do. They're the only family I have around here."
Maile stepped closer to him, running a hand up his chest and onto his shoulder, "Well," she said, "I hope that now there's more here in Vegas than just your friends?"

Greg pressed his lips to hers in a brief but passionate kiss. She smiled at him as they broke apart, and he looked into her eyes.

          "No," he said, "There's more now. Much more."

~x

          "One more week until we leave for Dallas," Nick announced as they settled into bed that morning, the shades drawn. The only light in the room was the red glow of the clock on the nightstand. Sara reached over and lay the clock face down, so the entire room was dark. She turned around, feeling Nick's arm around her but not being able to see his face.

          "Did you know," Sara said, "That even in the dark, I know exactly where you are?"

Nick smiled, "Oh really," he said, "Prove it."

Sara ran her hand from the top of Nick's hairline down the side of his face until she reached his cheek.

Nick laughed, "Well, you succeeded. You didn't poke me in the eye."

Sara couldn't help but laugh herself, "I can prove it another way."

          "How?" Nick challenged.

Sara pressed her lips directly on his, not missing by even an inch. Nick smiled against her lips, returning the gesture tenderly. Her arm went around his neck as they separated.

          "I think it's safe to say," she whispered against his lips, "that we've both found what we've been looking for."

Nick smiled, "And what is that?" he whispered back, his lips sensually brushing hers.

          "Perpetual ardency," Sara replied as her fiancè kissed her again in an act of pure love and adoration.

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A/N: TA DA! The end! Volume I and Volume II are done! Aren't you proud? Well I am! I'm currently working on a completely different CSI fic (do not fear, it is N/S and G/C – how y'all can stand G/S, I may never know!) so look out for it! I'm not 100% sure what it will be called, but I'm only on chapter five, and I prolly won't start posting until I get to chapter 10 or 11, so watch out for it! If you guys want MORE stories by yours truly, email me: xnegrl80x@hotmail.com with ideas or requests! I love you guys tons and thanks for your support!