Chapter 22
Nick paid for the motel room and got their key before walking back to the Tahoe. They drove to their number and parked infront of the window. Nick climbed out of the Tahoe and headed for the back. "You get Andy.. and I'll take the bags..." He smiled at her
"Ok babe." Sara smiled and took the sleeping boy in her arms. "Come on Andy..." She smiled and carried him into the room. She lay him on the bed and went to help Nick.
Nick took out Sara's bag and Andy's first, which seems to be heavier than his. He chuckled to himself and walked into the motel, with their bags, laying them on the floor. He then walked back out to het his bag.
"Need help Nick?" Sara asked watching him smile, "And whats so funny?"
"No, I got it... And I was just laughing at the fact that yours and Andy's bags are so much heavier than mine." NIck smiled and carried his bag into the motel.
"Ahh. Well I brought stuff you forgot dear!" She smiled, kissed his cheek and walked into check on Andy.
"Can you blame me for being a bit forgetful?" Nick said, locking the door behind them, and laying his bag next to theirs.
"I need to put Andy to bed properly... then you can give me a massage, my back is killing me!" She quipped.
Nick smiled. "Sure babe." Nick pulled off his shirt and took off his jeans, then serched through his bag from a pair of track pants and an old t-shirt. He pulled them on and sat back up on the bed, flicking on the Tv.
Sara went into the other bedroom with Andy's bag. Lucky the motel had given them a cot in the other bedroom. She put Andy's blanket and teddy into the cot and then put him in, "Sleep tight Andy." She whispered and turned on the small monitor. She walked back to see Nick in his current state. "Hey you." She kissed the top of his head and turned on their monitor, Sara let out a breath once she heard Andy breath. She pulled out a vest top and pair of shorts and started to get changed.
Nick looked up at her. "Hey..." He waited till she was changed before wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her towards him. He sat her down in front of him and started to massage her shoulders and lower neck.
"Ahh Nick, wonderful..." Sara leaned into Nick's hands and relaxed.
"Maybe we should check in with Grissom... to let him know that we got here safely... and give him the room number and such. " Nick said, still massaging her shoulders and moving down her back.
"Ok then..." She sighed, "You call, too relaxed, no stress here please..."
Nick grinned and reached for the phone, dialling the crime lab.
~ "Grissom." He answered just getting back into his office.
"hey Griss... it's Nick..." Nick Greeted his boss. "I just wanted to give you a heads up that we checked into Morris Motels and out room number is 116..."
~ "Ok, we've found where Chad was living... in stables. we'll connect you when we have more..."
"Alright... thanks Grissom. I'll talk to you soon..." Nick said and hung up.
~ Grissom hung up and waddled off to Greg and Warrick.
"what did Grissom say?" Sara asked.
Nick turned back to Sara. "He just let me know that they found out where Chad was staying... and told me he'd update us later when he knows more"
"ahh... Nick." Sara said as he continued her massage.
"That feel good?" Nick asked, rubbing her back from top to bottom and side to side.
"Ya... Nick, should we put back the wedding?" Sara asked.
Nick frowned. "Whatever you think is best..." He said quietly.
"Or should we put it forward?" Sara pondered.
"all I know is that I want to be with you... forever..." Nick kissed her neck from behind.
"I wanna be with you too... You hungry?" Sara asked.
Nick nodded. "mmm... definately..."
"Okay, pizza?"
"Sure..." Nick smiled and leaned back on the bed, against the fresh pillows.
"Will you check on Andy while I call one?" Sara asked smiling.
"Yea.. no problem..." Nick got up of the bed and walked to the other room and checked on Andy. He was still fast asleep. Nick smiled at him son and gently kissed his small head before walking back in the larger room and plopping back on the bed.
"Thank you." Sara hung up and turned looking at Nick. "He cries if he doesn't have that Teddy..."
Nick nodded sleepily. He was half-awake, and partly listening to was Sara was saying, but he felt so tired. "I think it's in the cot with him.."He mummbled back
"You are so cute... you look a lot like him... That dazed sleepy face I mean." Sara giggled.
Nick smiled, and opened one eye. "C'mere you... I need something to cuddle too..."
"The pizza will be here soon..." Sara moaned. She got on the bed anyway.
"Well it's not here yet..." Nick grinned and held Sara close to him.
"When it comes I'm gonna need to get up..." She kissed his jaw.
"ok.. I know..." Nick stifled a small yawn, laying his head next to hers just as there was a knock at the door.
"There's the pizza..."
"mmm.. 'kay..." Nick reluctantly let her go.
Sara sat up and grabbed her bag. She opened the door while going through her bag, "How much?"
"That's be $14 dollars ma'am..." The pizza guy said quickly. "He tried to look over her head to see if anyone in there with her. "So is this all for yourself?" he asked.
"Well I think that ones too tired for it..." She smiled, Finding her purse she went through it for money.
The guy nodded, slightly dissapointed.
"Here you go $20." She handed it to him and took the ppizza, "Thanks."
The guy searched though his small bag and pulled out six dollars and held it out for her. "Your change..."
"Nah keep it..." She smiled and called Nick's name, "Pizza's here..."
Nick rolled over on his other side and looked up at her. "Pizza?" This obviously seemed to wake him more. He sat up and rubbed his face.
"Thank you." She said to the pizza guy and shut the door.
"It's you're fave, well half of it is your favourite!" She smiled sitting at the edge of the bed looking up at Nick.
"mmm... " Nick smiled and licked his lips. "I'm so hungry... " He opened the box and took out a slice.
"Meat for you, Veg for me!" Sara guzzled two pieces of pizza before Nick was finished one.
"Man... You eat like a horse... You could probably beat Greg out..." Nick commented, finishing his first slice. He hadn't eaten or slept much over the last few days.
"I don't know what it is I'm just hungry all the time lately." She said as she started on her fourth slice.
"Don't tell me your pregnant again..." Nick joked, cracking a smile. "I don't think my wallet could handle it..."
Sara laughed, "Hey I don't think I could take any more time off work!" She grinned, "I'm still hungry..."
"You could always pick the meat of my slices... I still have two left...." Nick said, finishing his second one.
"Ok..." She picked off the meat pieces and put them on Nick's other piece.
"Nick."
"Yea...?"
"I love you." Sara smiled and crawled into bed, "I'm still hungry."
"You can have my last slice... I'm not that hungry..." Nick said
"Eat! You haven't been eating..." Sara looked seriously at Nick.
"I can't... I don't think I'll be able to hold anything else down..." Nick frowned.
Sara nodded. "ok... I just wanna lay with you..." Sara yawned. "Get some sleep baby..."
Nick laid down and wrapped an arm around Sara, while she drifted off. But he, on the other hand, couldn't get to sleep. So instead he laid there and stared up at the ceiling, and the patterns made by the headlights of passing cars.
Andy opened his eyes and felt something wet, he started to cry hoping someone would come.
Nick slipped off the bed quietly and walked into the room, picking Andy up. "Aw, you need to be changed hey?" Nick laid him down and changed his diaper and his sleeper. "You ready to go back to bed?" He laid him in the cot again, with his blanket and his teddy. He watched him for a while to make sure he got back to sleep before walking back out again. He sat in one of the chairs and turned on the TV quietly
"Mmmm Nick." Sara rolled over in her sleep
Nick glanced over his shoulder at Sara, who was still asleep in the bed. He half-smiled to himself.
Sara sneezed and woke up. "Ouch, sore sneeze." Sara frowned, "Nick why aren't you sleeping?"
"I can't... insomnia I guess..." Nick said quietly. The last time he had insomnia was when this whole thing started.
"I'll stay up with you." Sara smiled.
"No, no... you get your rest...."
"No, I'm not tired." Sara said as she crawled over to nick.
"Plus, I'm hungry again."
Sara smiled, "I'm gonna call another pizza, you want?" She asked. Sara was worried about Nick, he wasn't eating or sleeping.
"No... I'm fine... you go ahead." Nick could see the concern in her eyes.
"Nick..." Sara sat beside him, "Try to get some sleep, please?"
"I'll try, but i cant promise anything..." Nick kissed her cheek and walked over to the bed, and crawled under neath the covers
Sara didn't call any food, she went to the bathroom and came back into the room. She smiled at Nick sleeping. She got in besdie him and fell asleep too.
Nick slept, but not well. He started tossing and turning only a few hours later and woke himself up. He walked out to the bathroom and splashed some water on his face and got a glass of water. He walked back out to the room and drank his water. He glanced over at the clock. It was 5:45am.
Sara rolled over to Nick's warm patch on the bed and buried her face into his pillow. She mummbled something and then curled up into a ball.
Nick looked over at her and smiled at her sleeping form. Nick figured, that if he couldn't get to sleep, he should probably get some coffee. He pulled out a piece of paper and wrote a quick note to Sara, letting her know where he was going, just incase she woke up. He grabbed a pair of jean and a pullover, and grabbed the keys before he headed out.
The girl at reception sat doing the crossword puzzle and couldn't help but eye Nick up as he walked past. Her chewing gum poped as he past her.
Nick glanced around his surroundings and spotted the girl. He let out a relieved sigh and got in his Tahoe. He drove down to the nearest coffee shop and ordered a large double-double... Extra-strong. He paid, and took a seat in the small building, sipping his coffee.
While Nick was drinking coffee there was a loud thud at the window. Warrick was against the window waving.
Nick snaped his head around and saw Warrick, he smiled and motioned for him to come in.
Warrick walked in, "Hey budy... thought you'd be asleep..." He glanced around, surprised that Nick didn't have an officer escourt with him. He was sure he'd heard that they were going to take extra-precaution. He shrugged it off and turned his attention back to Nick.
"Well, me and sleep just doesn't seem possible..." Nick commented, sipping his coffee.
"Well that ain't gonna help." Warrick indicated the coffee cup.
"Four coffee's one white with sugar. Three black, one without sugar." Warrick ordered, "To take out."
Nick looked back at Warrick. "Well, coffee's the only thing keeping me going at the moment... I feel like I'm running on empty, but theirs no way to refuel.."
"Why don't you talk to Sara?" He asked as he payed for the coffees.
"I do... but it doesn't seem to help..." Nick stirred his coffee idly. "I dunno Warrick... I can't eat, I can't sleep... I can't even keep my concentration..."
"Well I need to get back, but give me a call if you need me." Warrick smiled and took the coffee to the others at the Lab.
.... continued in chapter 23 ....
Nick paid for the motel room and got their key before walking back to the Tahoe. They drove to their number and parked infront of the window. Nick climbed out of the Tahoe and headed for the back. "You get Andy.. and I'll take the bags..." He smiled at her
"Ok babe." Sara smiled and took the sleeping boy in her arms. "Come on Andy..." She smiled and carried him into the room. She lay him on the bed and went to help Nick.
Nick took out Sara's bag and Andy's first, which seems to be heavier than his. He chuckled to himself and walked into the motel, with their bags, laying them on the floor. He then walked back out to het his bag.
"Need help Nick?" Sara asked watching him smile, "And whats so funny?"
"No, I got it... And I was just laughing at the fact that yours and Andy's bags are so much heavier than mine." NIck smiled and carried his bag into the motel.
"Ahh. Well I brought stuff you forgot dear!" She smiled, kissed his cheek and walked into check on Andy.
"Can you blame me for being a bit forgetful?" Nick said, locking the door behind them, and laying his bag next to theirs.
"I need to put Andy to bed properly... then you can give me a massage, my back is killing me!" She quipped.
Nick smiled. "Sure babe." Nick pulled off his shirt and took off his jeans, then serched through his bag from a pair of track pants and an old t-shirt. He pulled them on and sat back up on the bed, flicking on the Tv.
Sara went into the other bedroom with Andy's bag. Lucky the motel had given them a cot in the other bedroom. She put Andy's blanket and teddy into the cot and then put him in, "Sleep tight Andy." She whispered and turned on the small monitor. She walked back to see Nick in his current state. "Hey you." She kissed the top of his head and turned on their monitor, Sara let out a breath once she heard Andy breath. She pulled out a vest top and pair of shorts and started to get changed.
Nick looked up at her. "Hey..." He waited till she was changed before wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her towards him. He sat her down in front of him and started to massage her shoulders and lower neck.
"Ahh Nick, wonderful..." Sara leaned into Nick's hands and relaxed.
"Maybe we should check in with Grissom... to let him know that we got here safely... and give him the room number and such. " Nick said, still massaging her shoulders and moving down her back.
"Ok then..." She sighed, "You call, too relaxed, no stress here please..."
Nick grinned and reached for the phone, dialling the crime lab.
~ "Grissom." He answered just getting back into his office.
"hey Griss... it's Nick..." Nick Greeted his boss. "I just wanted to give you a heads up that we checked into Morris Motels and out room number is 116..."
~ "Ok, we've found where Chad was living... in stables. we'll connect you when we have more..."
"Alright... thanks Grissom. I'll talk to you soon..." Nick said and hung up.
~ Grissom hung up and waddled off to Greg and Warrick.
"what did Grissom say?" Sara asked.
Nick turned back to Sara. "He just let me know that they found out where Chad was staying... and told me he'd update us later when he knows more"
"ahh... Nick." Sara said as he continued her massage.
"That feel good?" Nick asked, rubbing her back from top to bottom and side to side.
"Ya... Nick, should we put back the wedding?" Sara asked.
Nick frowned. "Whatever you think is best..." He said quietly.
"Or should we put it forward?" Sara pondered.
"all I know is that I want to be with you... forever..." Nick kissed her neck from behind.
"I wanna be with you too... You hungry?" Sara asked.
Nick nodded. "mmm... definately..."
"Okay, pizza?"
"Sure..." Nick smiled and leaned back on the bed, against the fresh pillows.
"Will you check on Andy while I call one?" Sara asked smiling.
"Yea.. no problem..." Nick got up of the bed and walked to the other room and checked on Andy. He was still fast asleep. Nick smiled at him son and gently kissed his small head before walking back in the larger room and plopping back on the bed.
"Thank you." Sara hung up and turned looking at Nick. "He cries if he doesn't have that Teddy..."
Nick nodded sleepily. He was half-awake, and partly listening to was Sara was saying, but he felt so tired. "I think it's in the cot with him.."He mummbled back
"You are so cute... you look a lot like him... That dazed sleepy face I mean." Sara giggled.
Nick smiled, and opened one eye. "C'mere you... I need something to cuddle too..."
"The pizza will be here soon..." Sara moaned. She got on the bed anyway.
"Well it's not here yet..." Nick grinned and held Sara close to him.
"When it comes I'm gonna need to get up..." She kissed his jaw.
"ok.. I know..." Nick stifled a small yawn, laying his head next to hers just as there was a knock at the door.
"There's the pizza..."
"mmm.. 'kay..." Nick reluctantly let her go.
Sara sat up and grabbed her bag. She opened the door while going through her bag, "How much?"
"That's be $14 dollars ma'am..." The pizza guy said quickly. "He tried to look over her head to see if anyone in there with her. "So is this all for yourself?" he asked.
"Well I think that ones too tired for it..." She smiled, Finding her purse she went through it for money.
The guy nodded, slightly dissapointed.
"Here you go $20." She handed it to him and took the ppizza, "Thanks."
The guy searched though his small bag and pulled out six dollars and held it out for her. "Your change..."
"Nah keep it..." She smiled and called Nick's name, "Pizza's here..."
Nick rolled over on his other side and looked up at her. "Pizza?" This obviously seemed to wake him more. He sat up and rubbed his face.
"Thank you." She said to the pizza guy and shut the door.
"It's you're fave, well half of it is your favourite!" She smiled sitting at the edge of the bed looking up at Nick.
"mmm... " Nick smiled and licked his lips. "I'm so hungry... " He opened the box and took out a slice.
"Meat for you, Veg for me!" Sara guzzled two pieces of pizza before Nick was finished one.
"Man... You eat like a horse... You could probably beat Greg out..." Nick commented, finishing his first slice. He hadn't eaten or slept much over the last few days.
"I don't know what it is I'm just hungry all the time lately." She said as she started on her fourth slice.
"Don't tell me your pregnant again..." Nick joked, cracking a smile. "I don't think my wallet could handle it..."
Sara laughed, "Hey I don't think I could take any more time off work!" She grinned, "I'm still hungry..."
"You could always pick the meat of my slices... I still have two left...." Nick said, finishing his second one.
"Ok..." She picked off the meat pieces and put them on Nick's other piece.
"Nick."
"Yea...?"
"I love you." Sara smiled and crawled into bed, "I'm still hungry."
"You can have my last slice... I'm not that hungry..." Nick said
"Eat! You haven't been eating..." Sara looked seriously at Nick.
"I can't... I don't think I'll be able to hold anything else down..." Nick frowned.
Sara nodded. "ok... I just wanna lay with you..." Sara yawned. "Get some sleep baby..."
Nick laid down and wrapped an arm around Sara, while she drifted off. But he, on the other hand, couldn't get to sleep. So instead he laid there and stared up at the ceiling, and the patterns made by the headlights of passing cars.
Andy opened his eyes and felt something wet, he started to cry hoping someone would come.
Nick slipped off the bed quietly and walked into the room, picking Andy up. "Aw, you need to be changed hey?" Nick laid him down and changed his diaper and his sleeper. "You ready to go back to bed?" He laid him in the cot again, with his blanket and his teddy. He watched him for a while to make sure he got back to sleep before walking back out again. He sat in one of the chairs and turned on the TV quietly
"Mmmm Nick." Sara rolled over in her sleep
Nick glanced over his shoulder at Sara, who was still asleep in the bed. He half-smiled to himself.
Sara sneezed and woke up. "Ouch, sore sneeze." Sara frowned, "Nick why aren't you sleeping?"
"I can't... insomnia I guess..." Nick said quietly. The last time he had insomnia was when this whole thing started.
"I'll stay up with you." Sara smiled.
"No, no... you get your rest...."
"No, I'm not tired." Sara said as she crawled over to nick.
"Plus, I'm hungry again."
Sara smiled, "I'm gonna call another pizza, you want?" She asked. Sara was worried about Nick, he wasn't eating or sleeping.
"No... I'm fine... you go ahead." Nick could see the concern in her eyes.
"Nick..." Sara sat beside him, "Try to get some sleep, please?"
"I'll try, but i cant promise anything..." Nick kissed her cheek and walked over to the bed, and crawled under neath the covers
Sara didn't call any food, she went to the bathroom and came back into the room. She smiled at Nick sleeping. She got in besdie him and fell asleep too.
Nick slept, but not well. He started tossing and turning only a few hours later and woke himself up. He walked out to the bathroom and splashed some water on his face and got a glass of water. He walked back out to the room and drank his water. He glanced over at the clock. It was 5:45am.
Sara rolled over to Nick's warm patch on the bed and buried her face into his pillow. She mummbled something and then curled up into a ball.
Nick looked over at her and smiled at her sleeping form. Nick figured, that if he couldn't get to sleep, he should probably get some coffee. He pulled out a piece of paper and wrote a quick note to Sara, letting her know where he was going, just incase she woke up. He grabbed a pair of jean and a pullover, and grabbed the keys before he headed out.
The girl at reception sat doing the crossword puzzle and couldn't help but eye Nick up as he walked past. Her chewing gum poped as he past her.
Nick glanced around his surroundings and spotted the girl. He let out a relieved sigh and got in his Tahoe. He drove down to the nearest coffee shop and ordered a large double-double... Extra-strong. He paid, and took a seat in the small building, sipping his coffee.
While Nick was drinking coffee there was a loud thud at the window. Warrick was against the window waving.
Nick snaped his head around and saw Warrick, he smiled and motioned for him to come in.
Warrick walked in, "Hey budy... thought you'd be asleep..." He glanced around, surprised that Nick didn't have an officer escourt with him. He was sure he'd heard that they were going to take extra-precaution. He shrugged it off and turned his attention back to Nick.
"Well, me and sleep just doesn't seem possible..." Nick commented, sipping his coffee.
"Well that ain't gonna help." Warrick indicated the coffee cup.
"Four coffee's one white with sugar. Three black, one without sugar." Warrick ordered, "To take out."
Nick looked back at Warrick. "Well, coffee's the only thing keeping me going at the moment... I feel like I'm running on empty, but theirs no way to refuel.."
"Why don't you talk to Sara?" He asked as he payed for the coffees.
"I do... but it doesn't seem to help..." Nick stirred his coffee idly. "I dunno Warrick... I can't eat, I can't sleep... I can't even keep my concentration..."
"Well I need to get back, but give me a call if you need me." Warrick smiled and took the coffee to the others at the Lab.
.... continued in chapter 23 ....