Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah, I do not own them, I did not create them, and I sure as hell do not profit them since I live in Surrey. Just kidding. Well, about the Surrey comment I am.

Rating: I think this chapter is going to be a healthy PG-13 just to play it safe. I find it amazing that I may actually be able to write something without sex or implied sex in it. Maybe I'll not even have anyone flirt. It will strictly be 'G.' No that would be no fun. Forget I mentioned it.

Author's Notes: I forgot to dedicate Chapter Six to Fiian. I'm sorry, darling. You know I love you! (Bah, exclamation marks.) And thank you to everyone for reviewing. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside.


Chapter Seven: She Knows What She Wants

"Hey Nick, come 'ere a sec," hollered Warrick from the bathroom, through the solid door.

As Nick leisurely strolled towards the end of the hall, he said loud enough for Rick to hear, "There's more toilet paper underneath the sink man." He reached the door and listened for a reply.

"No, come in."

"If you're on the jon –"

"Nick," cut off Warrick sounding slightly annoyed and irritated.

"Alright."

When he stepped into the spacious room, Nick saw his friend with a smug smirk on his face, gesturing to the shower. His eyes followed the direction in which Warrick's finger was pointing in and frowned, not comprehending what Warrick was trying to acknowledge.

"Did you do this yourself?"

Oh, Nick thought to himself positive that there was a light bulb shining above his head. The glass.

"I had help," he responded casually, stuffing his deft hands in the front pockets of his blue jeans.

"In implementing the crime scene?"

"Umm," there was a soft thoughtful frown across his brow. "More like inspired by the crime scene."

Warrick eyed the cracked door closely, stepping forward to get a better look. He squinted as he stared until his brow softened and he glanced in Nick's general direction. With a finger pointing at something Nick could not see, he questioned professionally, "If I were to lift that print and bring it back to the lab, who's print would Greg tell me it belongs to?"

"Mine."

"Nah, couldn't be. Your thumb's a little bigger than that."

"So what are you trying to say, Rick?"

"Sara had last night off if I recall correctly."

"Coincidence man. Don't look too hard into it," remarked Nick flatly, turning his back on his friend.

"Whatever you say."

Warrick knew when Nick was hiding something by the forced casualness in his tone and how he brushed him off lightly. There was a knowing smirk across his thick lips that he could not suppress. He knew that Sara had been there last night and his gut feeling told him so. His kit was in the foyer and if only he could somehow get to it and back without noticing, he would be able to confirm his suspicions.

"Don't do it man," warned Nick, standing in the doorway, his hands still in his pockets only his face was a little more stern and serious.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I know your kit's near the door and I know what you plan on doing."

"Is that so?" he replied amusedly.

"Yeah. I'd do the same thing if I were you."

"Just tell me who she was and I won't lift it."

"I don't kiss and tell," Nick answered with a cocky smirk. "Besides, Rick, we got to get going anyway. We got to be at work in twenty minutes."

"And it only takes one to lift a print."

A slight chuckle came from Nick as he shook his head, amused by his friend's persistent nature. Meeting his clear blue eyes, he smiled at him for a moment and then said, "I'll tell you later."

"You promise?"

"As long as you don't lift that print."

"Alright but I'm going to hold you to that, Nick Stokes."

"Yeah, I know. Come on. Let's get going."

The fact was, was that Nick knew he was going to have to tell Warrick sooner or later. He wasn't stupid and Nick knew that he himself would not be able to contain such juicy information without spilling it to someone, especially his best friend.

It was lucky for him that Sara had left around noon after laying with him in his bed for a few hours, the two of them making light conversation and enjoying each other's company. They had not talked about the shower or what had happened in it and he knew as well that they would eventually have to say something. He did not want to just have it be one quick screw between them. He wanted several, if not hundreds and he could not help but feel that he got the same impression from Sara.

Nick made sure that Warrick got nowhere near the bathroom or out of his sight for that matter. He trusted him on his word but one could never be too careful. Nick only had his back to him for a moment as he put on his denim jacket and Warrick had managed to find something that he shouldn't have on the floor.

"White lace, huh?" said Warrick, Sara's bra hanging from his finger.

"Yeah."

"Think she left it here as a reminder?"

Nick shrugged nonchalantly and made a move to grab it from him but Warrick was too quick and damn him too for he was also too observant. It must have been the CSI in him.

"And what is this stain on here? It kind of looks like chocolate." Something clicked. He swore loudly in his head and realized that Catherine was probably right. It looked like he would giving her a full body massage soon, not that he minded.

"What she does with her bra is none of my business," stated Nick, finally successfully grabbing the skimpy lace garment out of Warrick's grasp.

"You're hiding something Nicky," he taunted, knowing damn well what it was.

"Yeah, we've discussed this. I said I would tell you later."

"Why not tell me now? If I don't know her, saying her name would not require us wasting time compared to, say if it was Sara, which then I would ask you dozens of questions. Like why didn't you tell me sooner? And –"

"Warrick, lets go."

"And how did you persuade her to sleep with you so soon?" he continued on trailing behind him as they descended the stairs.

"This is definitely not going to convince me to tell you her name any sooner, man. If Sara heard you talking about her like that, she would rip you a new one."

"And why you guys were morbid enough to use the shower when you just did a case exactly like that?"

The questions continued as Nick rode in the passenger seat of the Tahoe, resting his head against the window as Warrick drove, his jaw flapping a mile a minute. Nick suddenly wished that he had taken Sara up on the offer of her driving him to work. Warrick would never have found the shower, the bra, and he never would have given Nick such a headache.

"You're driving me nuts, man!" Nick cried out at last, having said nothing the entire way there. Warrick smirked wickedly at him and all he could do was shake his head in anger and disbelief.

"So then tell me her name."

"No! Why do you care so much anyway?"

"Because I got a full body massage riding on this."

"Excuse me?" frowned Nick, slamming the door shut after him as the two of them began to walk towards the front doors of the lab.

"Catherine and I have a bet that there is something going on between you and Sara. If she's right she gets a full body massage from me and if I'm right I'm getting a full body massage from her."

"Well count on that massage, bro," responded Nick as they strolled down the hall to the locker room.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah man. Tell me how that goes," he said with smirk.

"How what goes?" wondered Catherine, closing her locker firmly.

"The massage you owe me," grinned Warrick standing dangerously close to her.

"What? Nick tell me it's not true!"

"Oh, I'm hurt Catherine. Here I thought you wouldn't mind," he said, feigning that he was hurt by her lack of enthusiasm.

"Sorry Cath. Take it up with Sar," he replied casually, not hearing the door open as he spoke.

"Take what up with me?"

Nick looked up and nearly went weak in the knees at the sight of her. She looked damn good in a pair of tight black pants and a lavender sleeveless shirt with a plunging neckline. He unconsciously licked his lips but only Sara noticed.

"Oh, those two had a bet on us."

"What kind of bet?" Sara wondered genuinely, noting that if Nick was not worried then she shouldn't be either.

"One that involves the winner getting a full body massage," responded Warrick, smiling at the glowering woman beside him, her arms folded over her champagne colored tank top.

"And me apparently losing," she scowled.

"Now there's a sorry loser," pouted Warrick, rubbing the small of Catherine's back soothingly.

"What was the bet?"

"That there was something going on between us. Warrick bet no, Catherine lost and bet yes."

"Well then, enjoy that massage Warrick," Sara said with a smile.

"Hey Sar, do you have a white lace bra?" questioned Warrick curiously.

"Rick, every woman had a white lace bra."

"That's true," confirmed Catherine.

"Why?"

"A woman left it at his place."

"What, are we telling everyone now about my sex life?" said Nick, leaning back against the lockers, looking from Warrick to Sara.

"Well, she probably already knew it was there when she left your place without it."

"Weren't you the one who didn't think that there was anything going on between Nick and I?" inquired Sara, defending herself as well as Nick.

"Yeah but the evidence seems to disagree with me."

"Warrick just enjoy your massage and the fact that you won."

"So there's really nothing going on between you two?" double-checked Catherine. The two both heard the hope in her voice and they hated to lie to their two good friends like they were.

"No, Cath. There's really not. Good luck with that massage though," said Nick, saying the last part sorrowfully.

"Well there should be something between you two," she mumbled, being escorted out by Warrick.

After they had left, Nick let out a sigh and rested his head back against the lockers. Sara sat directly in front of him on the bench and watched him.

"You would not believe what I went through on the way here."

"I offered you a ride," she lightly chided.

"I know and I should have taken it."

"He found your bra and it had a fudge stain."

"Shit."

"Yeah."

"No, that's never going to come out."

He laughed quietly and closed his eyes, breathing deeply.

"So he really thinks there's something between us?"

"Did we lie to them, Sara?"

"What do you mean?"

"Is there something between us?"

"We're friends."

"But are we lovers as well or boyfriend and girlfriend? What are we?"

"What do you want to be?"

"I don't know if I want a girlfriend right now."

"And I don't know if I want a boyfriend right now," she lied. She knew what she wanted. She had made up her mind lying in his arms that morning as he gently stroked her hair with his thick deft fingers and whispered in her ear that he loved how she did a certain thing with her hips and he loved how she said his name on a moan.

"So lovers?"

"It sounds good…for now," she said with a slightly suppressed grin.

"For now," he agreed.

She knew what she wanted all right and she was sure as hell going to get it.