The Way It Is
By: Anti Darth Ani
----------
Chapter XII - Love
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My last chapter of this wonderful little fan-fic of mine. I do sincerely hope that you all have enjoyed it. Your reviews and feedback have helped and I'm glad to hear that you all have liked my fan-fic. Watch out for more CSI fan-fics by me coming soon, I promise.
I'm sorry to say it, but this is the end. So here we go!!!!!!!
----------
Everyone from the night shift was at Nick's house, Sara soon found out. They had all hidden, like the classic surprise party, and jumped out once someone turned the light on. Grissom, who no one could force to hide, and simply stood against the wall and flicked the light switch once the door had opened. After the collective 'Surprise' they all had shouted together in celebration, they were stunned when Sara didn't even seem to notice.
Sara tried to search Nick's face for any sign of happiness, but all she could find was he clenched jaw and eyes, which showed no emotion Sara could detect. She slowly looked past him to all her friends, standing up around the living room. A small grin spread across her face as Warrick stepped around Nick and pulled Sara into the room to start the party.
How could she had forgotten it was her own birthday? Work had kept her so busy lately, along with her screwed up social life. Sara realized that she had truly forgotten her own birthday. Warrick pulled her into the living room and pulled her down onto the couch. Nick slowly closed the door and turned around to face everyone else who was in his house.
He couldn't really remember why he had agreed to have the party at his house. Grissom was the one who suggested it, and that right there was a major red flag. Grissom knew something had happened between them and Nick had the feeling that this was all a set-up. But he decided not to say anything in case it would cause an argument. He didn't want to ruin Sara's special night.
Catherine came out of the kitchen carrying a large cake. Sara gasped and then started to laugh when Catherine brought it over and set it down on the coffee table. Greg was coming in behind her, carrying a lighter. He started lighting all the candles on the top of the cake when Catherine set it down. Sara started counting all the candles out loud and laughed again when she reached 21.
"There's my birthday wish right there. I want to be 21 again. You guys make me feel so young again," Sara smiled as she talked comfortably with her friends. Every once and a while she would eye Nick, but he was never looking back at her. It seemed a little odd to rest of the night crew, because it was Sara's birthday and it seemed like he was avoiding Sara.
This thought was forgotten when Warrick started singing happy birthday and the rest of the night shift joined in. Sara laughed and buried her head into her hands, embarrassed. Warrick wrapped an arm around her shoulders and swayed her side to side with him to the horrible sound of the entire night shift singing. When the song was over, Sara slid her hands off her face and looked at the cake.
During the song, she had been laughing so hard it had made tears form in her eyes. Her face was slightly redder than usual, and Sara couldn't stop cracking up. All of her friends were laughing with her and Sara suddenly felt love fill her. Her friends loved her and cared for her. They'd even sing for her. Sara wiped away the water in her eyes and tried to catch her breath. Nick had a faint grin on his face, but Sara could tell he was uncomfortable. She still wanted, no needed, to talk to him, but she didn't want to with everyone else around.
"Go on and make a wish," Archie told her, glancing from her to the cake. Sara knew that most likely they were all hungry, since they would have had to come straight from work. Sara nodded and looked at the cake. What was she supposed to wish for? She had no idea. Well, she did have an idea but wishing on a bunch of candles wasn't going to get her any closer to Nick.
So Sara didn't make a wish. Closing her eyes, she blew out the candles and that was that. Her friends clapped and then they all broke into laughter. Greg handed a beer to Warrick and then one to Sara. Sara smiled at him and thanked him before taking a gulp. Catherine made her way over to the CD player and hit the play button. The music started to fill the room and Catherine pulled Warrick over to start dancing.
-----
I was so high I did not recognize
The fire burning in her eyes
The chaos that controlled my mind
Whispered goodbye and she got on a plane
Never to return again
But always in my heart
-----
Sara smiled as she watched her friends dancing. Greg pulled her up to dance, but the last thing Sara felt like doing was dancing. She told Greg this and he just shrugged, letting her know he wasn't too disappointed. He started walking around the room, trying to get a conga line started. Warrick and Catherine joined in and then Catherine pulled Archie in. They started walking around the room like a bunch of kids, but they were having fun.
-----
This love has taken its toll on me
She said goodbye too many times before
And her heart is breaking in front of me
I have no choice cause I won't say goodbye anymore
-----
Sara couldn't help laughing at them softly. Their conga line didn't match the beat of the song, but that didn't stop them. Catherine tried to get Grissom to join in, but Grissom shook his head furiously and stood rooted to the ground, standing near the front door in case he needed to bolt. For the first time, while following the line with her eyes, Sara saw Detective Brass in the room. She was surprised she didn't see Detective Vega.
-----
I tried my best to feed her appetite
Keep her coming every night
So hard to keep her satisfied
Kept playing love like it was just a game
Pretending to feel the same
Then turn around and leave again
-----
When the conga line came back around the living room, Archie pulled Sara into it. Sara shook her head and let out a small laugh as she rested her hands on his hips. The line stopped briefly while everyone stuck out their right leg. Then the line continued and paused while everyone stuck out their left leg. Sara knew they looked stupid, a bunch of grown-ups doing the conga line around Nick's house, but for the moment, it was fun and that was all that really mattered.
-----
This love has taken its toll on me
She said goodbye too many times before
And her heart is breaking in front of me
I have no choice cause I won't say goodbye anymore
-----
Sara suddenly felt a pair of hands on her hips as someone joined the line behind her. Sara smiled to herself as a shiver ran up her spine as she turned her head over her shoulder and saw Nick, who was grinning at her. Sara waited until she turned her head back around to smile to herself. Maybe things would work out between them after all.
-----
I'll fix these broken things
Repair your broken wings
And make sure everything's alright
My pressure on your hips
Sinking my fingertips
Into every inch of you
Cause I know that's what you want me to do
-----
The line stopped as the song ended. Greg and Archie sat on the couch and started chatting about the latest video game while Catherine tried to strike up a conversion with Grissom, who was starting to pale slightly. Warrick came up behind Sara and covered her eyes, "Guess who?" he kidded.
Sara pretended to not know. "Hmmm… I'm not quite sure." Warrick let her go and she turned around to face him. He gave her a friendly hug, "Happy birthday, Sara. Another year just slipped by."
Sara smiled and nodded, "Tell me about it. At least I don't look any older. Right?" she asked.
Warrick pulled back to study her very carefully. Then he chuckled, "Sure, if you say so."
----------
Sara watched Greg say goodbye to Nick. Nick shut the front door and turned back to walk into the living room. She was the only one still left and she had butterflies in her stomach. She had insisted on helping clean up because the party had been for her. She avoided Nick's gaze as she bent down and picked up the empty beer bottles off the coffee table. She took them into the kitchen and threw them in the trash.
Nick picked up an empty paper plate off the table. He took it into the kitchen and threw it away. Sara had slipped up onto his kitchen counter, sitting there quietly. Her beer was almost empty and she finished off the last of it. Nick took the bottle silently from her and threw it into the trash.
"Nick," she started to speak in a low voice. He looked up from the trash can to where she was sitting. He had known all night that this moment had been coming and that they were going to have to talk about it, but he didn't think he was ready. Things between them had been so uncomfortable since Sara had ended it. He knew he had said they would still be friends, but after what they had, he didn't think he could just be her friend anymore.
"I can finish cleaning up myself. You should probably go ahead and head home. We do have work tomorrow," he told her, trying to avoid the question he knew she was going to ask. After finding out from Warrick that she had gone out on a date with Hank, he hadn't really been jealous. He was more hurt than anything else.
"Nick," she tried again. She motioned for him to come closer to her. Nick stepped around the trash can and stood in front of her, but he made sure he still had plenty of room left between them.
"I don't want to get into this right now, Sara," he warned her. He could see the instant disappoint in her eyes, but he tried to ignore it. She was the one who had ended things between them. She didn't have the right to be hurt or disappointed.
"Nick." This time it was barely a whisper. Nick sighed and looked right back into her eyes. Even though she knew he was mad at her, Sara saw a sparkle in his eyes that she hadn't seen in the past week and a half. The sparkle he always had right before things got interesting between them.
"What, Sara?" he asked, although his tone was much softer than the previous times. He took a step closer to her, which was just enough for Sara. She reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him even closer. Nick was shocked by the sudden movement and then the lack of space they now had between them. Nick could feel her foot against his leg.
"It wasn't a date," she told him, as if it explained everything that had happened between them. Nick was still at a loss with her current behavior, but he wasn't exactly complaining. It didn't hurt when she started playing with the short hairs on the back of his neck either.
Nick slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her body to his, her lips crushing against his in a hungry kiss. Sara quickly wrapped her legs around his waist and moaned when his tongue started a frenzied dance with hers. This was the way things were meant to be between them. Suddenly, the last week didn't seem important to her at all. All that mattered now was them, together. Happy birthday to me, Sara thought.
By: Anti Darth Ani
----------
Chapter XII - Love
----------
My last chapter of this wonderful little fan-fic of mine. I do sincerely hope that you all have enjoyed it. Your reviews and feedback have helped and I'm glad to hear that you all have liked my fan-fic. Watch out for more CSI fan-fics by me coming soon, I promise.
I'm sorry to say it, but this is the end. So here we go!!!!!!!
----------
Everyone from the night shift was at Nick's house, Sara soon found out. They had all hidden, like the classic surprise party, and jumped out once someone turned the light on. Grissom, who no one could force to hide, and simply stood against the wall and flicked the light switch once the door had opened. After the collective 'Surprise' they all had shouted together in celebration, they were stunned when Sara didn't even seem to notice.
Sara tried to search Nick's face for any sign of happiness, but all she could find was he clenched jaw and eyes, which showed no emotion Sara could detect. She slowly looked past him to all her friends, standing up around the living room. A small grin spread across her face as Warrick stepped around Nick and pulled Sara into the room to start the party.
How could she had forgotten it was her own birthday? Work had kept her so busy lately, along with her screwed up social life. Sara realized that she had truly forgotten her own birthday. Warrick pulled her into the living room and pulled her down onto the couch. Nick slowly closed the door and turned around to face everyone else who was in his house.
He couldn't really remember why he had agreed to have the party at his house. Grissom was the one who suggested it, and that right there was a major red flag. Grissom knew something had happened between them and Nick had the feeling that this was all a set-up. But he decided not to say anything in case it would cause an argument. He didn't want to ruin Sara's special night.
Catherine came out of the kitchen carrying a large cake. Sara gasped and then started to laugh when Catherine brought it over and set it down on the coffee table. Greg was coming in behind her, carrying a lighter. He started lighting all the candles on the top of the cake when Catherine set it down. Sara started counting all the candles out loud and laughed again when she reached 21.
"There's my birthday wish right there. I want to be 21 again. You guys make me feel so young again," Sara smiled as she talked comfortably with her friends. Every once and a while she would eye Nick, but he was never looking back at her. It seemed a little odd to rest of the night crew, because it was Sara's birthday and it seemed like he was avoiding Sara.
This thought was forgotten when Warrick started singing happy birthday and the rest of the night shift joined in. Sara laughed and buried her head into her hands, embarrassed. Warrick wrapped an arm around her shoulders and swayed her side to side with him to the horrible sound of the entire night shift singing. When the song was over, Sara slid her hands off her face and looked at the cake.
During the song, she had been laughing so hard it had made tears form in her eyes. Her face was slightly redder than usual, and Sara couldn't stop cracking up. All of her friends were laughing with her and Sara suddenly felt love fill her. Her friends loved her and cared for her. They'd even sing for her. Sara wiped away the water in her eyes and tried to catch her breath. Nick had a faint grin on his face, but Sara could tell he was uncomfortable. She still wanted, no needed, to talk to him, but she didn't want to with everyone else around.
"Go on and make a wish," Archie told her, glancing from her to the cake. Sara knew that most likely they were all hungry, since they would have had to come straight from work. Sara nodded and looked at the cake. What was she supposed to wish for? She had no idea. Well, she did have an idea but wishing on a bunch of candles wasn't going to get her any closer to Nick.
So Sara didn't make a wish. Closing her eyes, she blew out the candles and that was that. Her friends clapped and then they all broke into laughter. Greg handed a beer to Warrick and then one to Sara. Sara smiled at him and thanked him before taking a gulp. Catherine made her way over to the CD player and hit the play button. The music started to fill the room and Catherine pulled Warrick over to start dancing.
-----
I was so high I did not recognize
The fire burning in her eyes
The chaos that controlled my mind
Whispered goodbye and she got on a plane
Never to return again
But always in my heart
-----
Sara smiled as she watched her friends dancing. Greg pulled her up to dance, but the last thing Sara felt like doing was dancing. She told Greg this and he just shrugged, letting her know he wasn't too disappointed. He started walking around the room, trying to get a conga line started. Warrick and Catherine joined in and then Catherine pulled Archie in. They started walking around the room like a bunch of kids, but they were having fun.
-----
This love has taken its toll on me
She said goodbye too many times before
And her heart is breaking in front of me
I have no choice cause I won't say goodbye anymore
-----
Sara couldn't help laughing at them softly. Their conga line didn't match the beat of the song, but that didn't stop them. Catherine tried to get Grissom to join in, but Grissom shook his head furiously and stood rooted to the ground, standing near the front door in case he needed to bolt. For the first time, while following the line with her eyes, Sara saw Detective Brass in the room. She was surprised she didn't see Detective Vega.
-----
I tried my best to feed her appetite
Keep her coming every night
So hard to keep her satisfied
Kept playing love like it was just a game
Pretending to feel the same
Then turn around and leave again
-----
When the conga line came back around the living room, Archie pulled Sara into it. Sara shook her head and let out a small laugh as she rested her hands on his hips. The line stopped briefly while everyone stuck out their right leg. Then the line continued and paused while everyone stuck out their left leg. Sara knew they looked stupid, a bunch of grown-ups doing the conga line around Nick's house, but for the moment, it was fun and that was all that really mattered.
-----
This love has taken its toll on me
She said goodbye too many times before
And her heart is breaking in front of me
I have no choice cause I won't say goodbye anymore
-----
Sara suddenly felt a pair of hands on her hips as someone joined the line behind her. Sara smiled to herself as a shiver ran up her spine as she turned her head over her shoulder and saw Nick, who was grinning at her. Sara waited until she turned her head back around to smile to herself. Maybe things would work out between them after all.
-----
I'll fix these broken things
Repair your broken wings
And make sure everything's alright
My pressure on your hips
Sinking my fingertips
Into every inch of you
Cause I know that's what you want me to do
-----
The line stopped as the song ended. Greg and Archie sat on the couch and started chatting about the latest video game while Catherine tried to strike up a conversion with Grissom, who was starting to pale slightly. Warrick came up behind Sara and covered her eyes, "Guess who?" he kidded.
Sara pretended to not know. "Hmmm… I'm not quite sure." Warrick let her go and she turned around to face him. He gave her a friendly hug, "Happy birthday, Sara. Another year just slipped by."
Sara smiled and nodded, "Tell me about it. At least I don't look any older. Right?" she asked.
Warrick pulled back to study her very carefully. Then he chuckled, "Sure, if you say so."
----------
Sara watched Greg say goodbye to Nick. Nick shut the front door and turned back to walk into the living room. She was the only one still left and she had butterflies in her stomach. She had insisted on helping clean up because the party had been for her. She avoided Nick's gaze as she bent down and picked up the empty beer bottles off the coffee table. She took them into the kitchen and threw them in the trash.
Nick picked up an empty paper plate off the table. He took it into the kitchen and threw it away. Sara had slipped up onto his kitchen counter, sitting there quietly. Her beer was almost empty and she finished off the last of it. Nick took the bottle silently from her and threw it into the trash.
"Nick," she started to speak in a low voice. He looked up from the trash can to where she was sitting. He had known all night that this moment had been coming and that they were going to have to talk about it, but he didn't think he was ready. Things between them had been so uncomfortable since Sara had ended it. He knew he had said they would still be friends, but after what they had, he didn't think he could just be her friend anymore.
"I can finish cleaning up myself. You should probably go ahead and head home. We do have work tomorrow," he told her, trying to avoid the question he knew she was going to ask. After finding out from Warrick that she had gone out on a date with Hank, he hadn't really been jealous. He was more hurt than anything else.
"Nick," she tried again. She motioned for him to come closer to her. Nick stepped around the trash can and stood in front of her, but he made sure he still had plenty of room left between them.
"I don't want to get into this right now, Sara," he warned her. He could see the instant disappoint in her eyes, but he tried to ignore it. She was the one who had ended things between them. She didn't have the right to be hurt or disappointed.
"Nick." This time it was barely a whisper. Nick sighed and looked right back into her eyes. Even though she knew he was mad at her, Sara saw a sparkle in his eyes that she hadn't seen in the past week and a half. The sparkle he always had right before things got interesting between them.
"What, Sara?" he asked, although his tone was much softer than the previous times. He took a step closer to her, which was just enough for Sara. She reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him even closer. Nick was shocked by the sudden movement and then the lack of space they now had between them. Nick could feel her foot against his leg.
"It wasn't a date," she told him, as if it explained everything that had happened between them. Nick was still at a loss with her current behavior, but he wasn't exactly complaining. It didn't hurt when she started playing with the short hairs on the back of his neck either.
Nick slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her body to his, her lips crushing against his in a hungry kiss. Sara quickly wrapped her legs around his waist and moaned when his tongue started a frenzied dance with hers. This was the way things were meant to be between them. Suddenly, the last week didn't seem important to her at all. All that mattered now was them, together. Happy birthday to me, Sara thought.