Disclaimer: I don't own them, I didn't create them, and I don't profit from them. But in honor of our unofficial George and Jorja appreciation week, I'd be happy to buy them both a cup of coffee.
Author's Note: This is in response to a challenge and is for my fellow Snickers.
"So when is everyone else supposed to get here?" Sara asked Nick quizzically. He had invited the whole team over under the guise of having a movie night, but in reality, they were having a surprise party for Greg to congratulate him on becoming a fulltime CSI.
"Soon. Everyone is supposed to be here before Greg gets here. He just thinks were watching a movie. I just hope Grissom remembers to leave the lab." Nick was studying his wristwatch which appeared to be broken.
"So who's bringing the main dish?" Sara was looking at a framed letter that Nick had hanging on the wall. It was from the White House and Nick had received it for meritorious service when he was with the Dallas Police Department.
"I think Warrick's on that. He said he was actually going to make something if you can imagine." Nick set the watch down on his coffee table and glanced up at her. "How long is your pie supposed to bake?"
She looked over and smiled. "I set the timer, so I guess as soon as it goes off it'll be ready."
As if on cue, the smoke detector, not the oven timer started to go off. Nick and Sara both turned their attention toward the kitchen where smoke was billowing out of the oven. Nick leaped into action, jumping off the couch and racing towards his hall closet, presumably in search of a fire extinguisher. As he opened the closet door, a number of things tumbled out before he managed to find the fire extinguisher and race back to the kitchen, quickly turning off the oven and opening it only to see flames shooting out. He pulled the pin from the extinguisher and began to douse the fire.
Sara's chin started to quiver as she looked at Nick who was quickly emptying the last of the contents of the fire extinguisher into the oven. "You said you liked cheddar cheese on apple pie. I didn't think that putting Velveeta on peach pie was that different."
Nick tried to bite his tongue to keep from laughing at a visibly upset Sara as he set the fire extinguisher down. "I'm sure that if my oven hadn't caught on fire, it would have tasted fine."
"The pie is ruined, what am I going to do now?" Sara sniffled as Nick pulled the sodden pie out of the oven.
"I don't think Velveeta was the problem." Nick's eyebrow curved upward as he regarded a couple of melted lumpy objects on top of the pie.
She furrowed her brow as she looked at them and then muttered a curse under her breath. "I knew that Honey had something to do with this."
Nick looked skeptical. "Now just how is my dog responsible for my Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders magnets ending up on top of your pie?"
Sara smirked. "Apparently, she finds them as offensive as I do."
Nick rolled his eyes set the ruined pie on the counter. "Sara, she's a dog."
Sara's eyebrows shot up. "A dog? The way you treat her, you'd think she was J-Lo or something. She's a boxer, not a celebrity."
"Be nice. She's pregnant." Nick reminded her.
It was all Sara could do not to laugh. "How can any of us forget? I never knew there was a book called 'What to Expect When Your Dog is Expecting'."
"Hey." Nick narrowed his gaze. "They gave me that at the emergency room."
"You mean the vet's office?" Sara teased.
Nick furrowed his brow. "I thought she was sick."
Sara giggled. "Why? Because she hadn't eaten one of your golf club covers lately?"
Nick feigned a hurt expression. "I liked my Marvin the Martian club covers."
Sara bit her lip. "I don't know why you named her Honey. Evel Knievel would have been more appropriate. I mean all she needs is a bike helmet and motorcycle and she'd been good to go."
Nick furrowed his brow again and glanced around. "Where is she anyway?" He whistled. "Honey? Honey? Here girl."
The boxer must have been napping somewhere in Nick's house but as soon as she heard him calling, she ran towards the kitchen, jumping up against Sara's butt and knocking her into Nick while barking. An off balance Sara tried to right herself, but managed to cling to Nick's shoulders as his hands instinctively went to her waist to keep her from falling. The two of them froze for a moment looking into each other's eyes. Sara's fingers seemed to dig into his shoulders a little deeper and Nick's hands seemed to pull her a little closer until their faces were just a fraction of an inch from each other. Nick leaned in and closed the distance between them, softly touching his lips to hers in a sweet gentle kiss.
Honey sat down on the kitchen floor and barked, seemingly please with her matchmaking skills.
They pulled apart a moment later and Sara licked her lips unconsciously as she turned and glanced at the dog. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you did that on purpose."
Nick let out a soft chuckle. "I'm sure she didn't." He looked at her a bit tentatively as she turned around to face him. "Are you sorry she did?"
Sara tried to restrain the smile on her face. "Not really."
Nick let out another chuckle. "Me either."
Sara furrowed her brow. "We don't have dessert anymore."
Nick smiled. "I'll just call Grissom and have him pick something up. He should be leaving the lab now anyway."
As Nick made the call to Grissom, Sara wandered into the living room, thinking about the kiss that they'd just shared. She had been taken a bit by surprise, but it was something she'd thought about for a while; she just hadn't been sure what Nick was thinking. She was pretty sure it was clear now.
"Ok, he's going to stop and pick up another pie." Nick grinned at her.
She smiled at him and then started to laugh as she glanced down the hallway where the contents of his hall closet had spilled out. "What are you doing with a surfboard in Vegas?"
He glanced over his shoulder and then flashed her a sheepish grin. "I'm just prepared."
Sara looked at him in disbelief. "For what? Are you expecting a desert tidal wave?"
He rolled his eyes at her and turned and walked down the hallway. "For your information, we are only four hours from LA. One of these days I plan on driving out there and learning how to surf."
Sara followed him and helped him pick up a box that had been propelled out of the closet when the surfboard had made its escape. She looked at him quizzically. "A street map of Savannah, Georgia?"
"One of my sister's lived there for a while." He explained as he picked up a deflated basketball and unceremoniously tossed it back into the closet where it bounced off of a guitar back into the hallway. Nick tossed it in again, this time with better luck.
Sara giggled as she noticed a children's book. "Curious George?"
Nick rolled his eyes. "I've got to have something to read my nieces and nephews when they come to visit."
Sara leafed through the book and looked at Nick with a mischievous grin. "Too bad your name's not George."
"Oh, and why is that?" Nick looked at her suspiciously.
She pursed her lips together to keep from smiling. "Because you're almost as cute as the monkey."
Nick pounced on her, pinning her to the floor, as he started to tickle her. "Well then I'll just have to call you Georgia Peach after your pie."
Honey couldn't help but try and get in on the commotion and started barking as she put her paws on Nick's back.
Sara couldn't help but giggle. "No fair. Two against one." As she squirmed, her shirt rode up slightly revealing a rose tattoo on her hip. It wasn't until Nick was pulling the waistband of her slacks down a bit and panic was surging through her as she put her hand on his to make sure they didn't go any further that she realized what he was looking at.
He smiled at her. "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."
Her eyebrow curved upward. "Shakespeare?"
He nodded with a grin. "When did you get this?" He fingered the tattoo.
"I've had it for a while." She pulled his hand up to a safer and more neutral location on her waist.
He smiled at her softly and whispered. "I would never do anything to make you uncomfortable." He looked into her eyes to emphasize his point.
"I trust you." She smiled reaching over and tracing his lips with her fingers before leaning in and softly kissing him.
Nick smiled against her lips and was about to deepen the kiss when he heard Honey barking again.
Neither Nick nor Sara had heard the front door open. "Well, if I only had a camcorder for this." Warrick stood there with a crock pot in hand and a smirk on his face.
Catherine was right behind him with two grocery bags. "Well this is one way to surprise Greg." She looked thoroughly amused.
Nick pulled himself off of the floor, offering Sara a hand and pulling her up as well. He just grinned. Sara's cheeks were tinged a little pink.
Warrick had wandered into the kitchen and noticed the sorry looking peach pie. "Uh, no offense, Sara, but I think I'll have to pass on your dessert. Hey, Nick, aren't those your Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader magnets?"
"Long story." Nick called out as Catherine looked at him quizzically. "Grissom's bringing a replacement dessert."
A knock sounded on the door.
"Coming." Nick shouted out as he headed for the door.
It opened before he got there to reveal Greg. "I thought you said 'come in'."
"It's all good." Nick furrowed his brow wondering what was taking Grissom so long.
Greg looked at Nick curiously as he noticed the array of food that was being set out. "Was I supposed to bring something?"
He shook his head and grinned. "Just yourself."
Another knock sounded at the door. This time Nick walked over to the door and answered it.
Grissom stood there with a grocery bag in hand. "Sorry I'm late, this copy machine salesman wouldn't leave me alone. Gave me some sob story about how he's never been able to close a deal."
Nick took the bag with the food in it and furrowed his brow as if the story sounded faintly familiar.
As soon as Grissom was in the room, Catherine and Sara looked at him expectantly. He cleared his throat and turned to Greg.
Greg glanced up and noticed everyone looking at him. "What?"
Grissom smiled. "Congratulations, Greg. You're officially a fulltime CSI."