DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, except for the Greenfield and Johanson family, (with the exception of Greg), the victims and the suspects. Thank you and have a nice day.
A/N- I'm sorry for the very late update. Our computer crashed and school already started. I'm really, really sorry. Sorry, sorry, sorry.
CHAPTER SIX
"You look very beautiful." Grissom complimented Catherine as they walked, arm in arm, to the grand hall of the hotel. Catherine is wearing a blue gown that matches her eyes. She is also wearing a matching sapphire earrings and necklace. Her hair is up in a French twist, with a few locks framing her face
What he actually said is an understatement. Catherine is gorgeous.
"Thank you." She replied and smiled at him. Grissom doesn't look bad himself. The black tuxedo makes him look more dashing.
"The color of your eyes contrasts your tux. It's very sexy." Catherine remarked. Her comment surprised Grissom a bit. Catherine laughed when she saw his face. Grissom just smiled and shook his head.
The grand hall is twinkling with lights and filled with beautiful music when they went in.
"Wow, the mayor really prepared for this party. I wonder how much these all cost." Catherine whispered to him as they went down.
"Maybe the same amount the charity ball will receive." Grissom replied, noting that there are a lot of VIP's present.
Brass was the first familiar face that greeted them.
"Hey. I thought you two were going alone." Brass commented. He is holding a glass of champagne and looking a bit uncomfortable with his clothes.
Both didn't reply. Catherine just smiled at him while Grissom raised a brow. A few minutes later, Dr. Robbins, with his wife, joined them.
"Who's the guy Christianna's talking to?" Catherine asked when she saw her teenage colleague, wearing a green evening gown, by the ice statue, talking to an attractive young man in his early twenties.
"Oh, he's an intern in the hospital. Michael Greenfield." Dr. Robbins answered.
"The boy I was telling you about." Brass said when Catherine didn't seem to recognize the name.
"Ooh. Wine guy." Catherine said, as she sipped her champagne.
Later on, Christianna and her friend joined them. Christianna introduced him to them, omitting the part that he is the son of Jonathan and Laura Greenfield, the famous wine makers.
Nick and Sara arrived a few minutes later, together with Warrick and Mandy one of the pretty lab techs. Sara looks very beautiful, wearing a black gown that compliments her creamy skin. Warrick and Nick both look extremely handsome in their tuxedoes. Warrick's partner, Mandy also looks very pretty for this occasion.
"Where's Greg?" Nick asked, looking around.
Just as he said that, Greg arrived, beaming from ear to ear. Holding his arm is Deia Reynolds. Deia seems to enjoy Greg's company.
"Wow, I guess Greg finally succeeded in asking Reynolds out." Brass stated and smiled.
-xxx-
Sara and Nick are seated in one of the tables with Greg and Deia. Two more people are missing in their table. The four of them were talking about one of the recent discoveries in forensics when the missing guests arrived at the table.
It was Hank and Elaine.
"When they said everybody was invited, they really mean it." Greg whispered to Nick after Elaine smiled at them and Hank acknowledged their presence. Sara didn't seem to remember Hank.
"Hi Sara." Hank greeted.
"Uh… hello?" Sara answered uncertainly. She recognizes the face but she can't recall who he is or what his 'significance' in her life is.
"Who's he?" Sara whispered to Nick when Hank began to talk to them in a slightly arrogant tone.
"You don't remember him?" Nick asked in the same tone. He's a bit amused but at the same time, fighting an urge to punch Hank in the face.
"No." Sara replied, discreetly looking at Hank and Elaine. Hank seems gregarious while Elaine seems shy. But their faces are stirring up several emotions that Sara could identify as annoyance.
"That's Hank. He's your… ex." Nick answered after a few minutes. His answer placed a slight frown on Sara's pretty face and she seemed uncertain with his answer. She then returned her attention to the people in their table. Greg seems to be having a good time with Deia and vice versa.
Their dinner arrived after a few minutes. The food is overflowing and there is an equal amount of food for the vegetarians and the non-vegetarians. They ate and at the same time, carrying out a sensible conversations. During this time, several questions began to pop inside Sara's mind.
"Are you sure he's just an ex? Why does his face evoke a feeling of irritation? Especially the girl with him? Did we split up amicably?" Sara whispered to Nick when their plates were cleared up.
Nick waited for a while to answer the question. He just stared at Sara, watching her, looking deeply in her brown eyes. He didn't notice Hank and Elaine leaving the table.
"Earth to Nick." Sara said after a few minutes. This appeared to startle him.
"Huh? Sorry. What were you asking again?" Nick asked.
"I asked if we separated amicably." Sara repeated, not at all bothered that Nick didn't seem to listen to her question.
"…I don't think so." Nick replied hesitantly. He doesn't want to tell her that Hank played with her feelings and that she was the 'second woman'. Sara repressed her anger with Hank and he doesn't know what her reaction will be if he tells her the whole truth.
Sara raised a brow. "Nick Stokes, don't you dare lie to me." She said in a chiding tone.
Nick sighed. "You wouldn't like it."
"So what? If I get back all my memories, I will have to live with it. I can't erase them, you know." Sara replied and gave him a challenging look.
"Fine." Nick said and leaned towards her to whisper the answer.
-xxx-
"So, Gris, I thought you were going alone?" Christianna asked Grissom when they were the only ones left in the table. Catherine went to the bathroom while her friend, Michael, got them drinks. Michael's parents were mingling with the crowd again.
"Why didn't you ask me that before we started eating?" Gil replied and amusedly looked at her.
Christianna smiled. "It's an embarrassing question."
Grissom shook his head and smiled back at his former student. "I thought Catherine was going with someone else."
"Hmm…" was Christianna's only reply and then smiled even more widely at him. Michael and Catherine returned and the two couples just stayed in their seats. A few minutes later, the orchestra started to play music again and the partygoers started to dance to the music.
"Want to dance?" Grissom asked Catherine. She amusedly looked at him.
"Okay." She replied and smiled at him. Grissom rarely shows this kind of 'spontaneity'.
Only Chris and Michael were left in the table.
"Are you having fun?" Michael asked her after a while.
"Are you?" Christianna replied, smiling at him. Her friend wasn't able to answer her because Greg and Deia sat down with them.
"How did Greg manage to convince you to go with him here?" Christianna teasingly asked Deia. Deia smiled at her.
"He didn't. I asked him." Deia answered.
"I said no at first." Greg interjected. This elicited a laugh from his date.
"Right." She said.
Just as then, a commotion happened in the middle of the dance floor. When they looked to see what it is, they found out that Sara punched Hank right in the face. Hank was sprawled on the floor with Elaine hovering around him. Nick was amusedly gaping at Hank and Elaine.
"Okay, who is he?" Christianna asked Greg.
"Hank." Was Greg's only answer. All four of them stared at the commotion, transfixed with what Sara did.
Hank stood up and glared at Sara. He was angry with what she did. Sara humiliated him in front Las Vegas' prominent people.
Hank turned to Elaine and gave her a deep, passionate kiss. It lasted for a few seconds and then gave a challenging look to Sara. He knows that she doesn't have any guts to do that to any man. Heck, she didn't even do that with him.
Sara saw the mean glint in Hank's eyes. She remembered what he did. She remembered the emotions she felt and repressed when she discovered him and Elaine. Nick's explanation was a mild comparison to what she remembers.
Without thinking, she faced Nick and kissed him. Kissed him with all the passion she can muster.
Nick instinctively put his hands around her waist and pulled her closer. He didn't mind the stares they were getting from the guests.
The kiss ended with both of them breathless and shocked with what she did. Sara took a deep breath and looked at Hank. Hank's mouth was hanging open. It seems that he didn't expect her to kiss Nick.
Especially Nick.
Hank grabbed Elaine's hand and stormed out of the dancing area. Sara looked back at Nick and fixed his bow tie.
-xxx-
"Sara was very brave to punch Hank in front of a those people. It's very admiring." Catherine said. The party is finished and Grissom is driving her home.
"I think so too." Grissom replied and glanced at her. "Did you have a good time?" He asked.
"Yeah. How about you?" Catherine asked.
"I had a good time too." He answered. 'Especially because it was with you.' he thought and turned to the corner.
They sat in silence. Not that they had run out of things to talk about, it's just that the night was tiring. They can talk later.
A few minutes later, Grissom's car pulled up her driveway.
"Thanks." Catherine said and leaned forward to kiss him lightly in the cheek.
"Your welcome." Grissom replied. Catherine smiled at him and stepped out of the car.
[Meanwhile]
Nick is driving Sara back to the Johanson's. They didn't really talk much on the way home. Both were embarrassed with the way they acted awhile ago. A few minutes later, they were in front of the house. Nick walked with Sara to the front door.
"Did you enjoy it?" Nick asked as they were walking up the steps.
"Enjoy what? The kiss?" Sara replied as she looked at him.
"No, the party." Nick answered and looked at her. Sara smiled at him.
"Yeah, I enjoyed the party." Sara said. "Thanks for the ride. Goodnight." She said and opened the door.
"Yeah… uh goodnight too." Nick said. He was a bit disappointed that Sara didn't say anything about the kiss, because frankly, he liked it. He was walking back to his car when someone tapped his shoulder. He stopped and turned to look who tapped him. It was Sara.
"Uh, Nick? For the record, I enjoyed the punch and the kiss."
Nick smiled a bit. "I enjoyed it too."
Sara leaned forward and planted a small kiss in his lips.
"Thank you for the ride again."
-xxx-
A/N- Hello… I hope you liked this chapter and all those 'kisses'. I promise that I will upload in the next five days (or less). Thank you and please leave a review. :-)
