Summary: Nick and Sara have been going out for a while and things are getting pretty serious, but now Nick is on vacation back home in Texas. When he and his buddies head out to the county fair and Nick runs into an 'old flame'… what will happen? This fic is based on one of my favorite songs, "Anything But Mine", performed by Kenny Chesney.
Disclaimer: I do not, never have, and never will own anything in conjunction with CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, or CBS. I do not, never have, and never will own Kenny Chesney or the lyrics to "Anything but Mine", either.
Old FlamesNick Stokes dropped into the driver's seat of his dad's black Corvette. He was back in Texas on a week's vacation, and he'd be heading back to Vegas in two days. But that was in two days. For now, it was six o'clock on a Friday night, and he was headed "out with the guys."
Ten minutes later, the black Corvette pulled into the driveway of where his childhood best friend, Josh McGuire, lived. They'd been best friends since forever, and had kept in contact once Nick ran off to Vegas. He was supposed to meet the other two here, and then they'd head out. Nick killed the engine, opened the door, and got out. He walked up to the door and knocked.
There was a rustling inside, then the click of a lock being opened.
"Hey hey! Nicky!"
"Hey, Josh. What's up, man?" Nick said.
"Not much. C'mon in, I was waiting for you and Steve to get here," Josh said. Just as he finished, the doorbell rang. He answered it, and Nick immediately knew who it was from what he heard.
"Nick! Long time no see, pal," came Steve Sanders' ((OoC: I know what you're thinking… no relation to Greg)) voice as he and Josh re-entered the room and took a seat.
"So, what do you guys want to do? We're all finally in the same city on a Friday night, again," Josh said.
"Hey, the county fair's this weekend, isn't it? We could head over there," Steve suggested.
"Sounds good," Nick said as his cell phone began to ring. "Sorry, guys, I'll be right back," he said, standing up and walking into the next room.
"Stokes."
"Hey, Nicky my boy!" came an easily recognized female voice.
"Hey, Sara-boo. What's up?" Nick asked, a smile grazing his face.
"Nothing. Just called to see how you're vacation's going," Sara said.
"Oh, it's great! Josh, Steve, and I were just getting ready to go on a guys' night out."
"Okay, I'll let you go then. Have fun! Love ya, and I'll see you in a few days."
"Love you, too, Sara-boo," Nick said. He closed his phone and returned to the other two guys.
"Who was that, Nick?" Steve asked.
"Just… no one. So, the fair it is?"
"Yeah, let's get going," Josh said, grabbing his car keys.
"I'm going to drive myself, I think," Nick said, standing and taking his keys out of his pocket.
"Okay, suit yourself," Josh said ad the three of them walked out of the house.
Less than ten minutes later, Nick parked the black Corvette next to Josh's Jeep. He got out and walked inside the gates of the fairgrounds with Steve and Josh. Soon they were standing outside the drink tent, talking and "catching up". Nick was tuning out the conversation, and staring off into space when a pretty, blue-eyed girl with strawberry blonde hair came walking up to him.
"Nick? Nick Stokes? Is that you? It's me, Mary! Mary Stevenson!"
"Oh, wow!" Nick said, recognizing her instantly. "I haven't seen you in forever!" he exclaimed as she hugged him.
"Whoa, and you haven't changed a bit. Still as good-looking as ever," Mary said, smiling andlooking at him.
Nick laughed. This was the girl he'd gone out with for two years when he was in high school. They'd broken up at graduation, but it wasn't over anything major. He was going to college, she wasn't, and they both figured it'd be best. Or, at least he had...
"Can I steal you for a little while? Want to go for a walk, catch up? Maybe go on a ride, play some games?" Mary asked.
"Sure, why not?" Nick said as she took his hand and they walked toward the midway.
They took a ride on the ferris wheel, the bumper cars, and the merry-go-round. They were walking past all the game stands when Mary grabbed Nick's arm. "Look at that big teddy bear! Will you try and win it for me? Please?"
"Err, sure. What do I have to do?"
"Just hit the target with the dart from this dart gun," the attendant said, handing the plastic gun to Nick. It was modeled after a hunting rifle.
"Okay, I'll try," Nick said, and took aim. When he pulled the trigger, the projectile flew out andpierced the target half an inch from dead center of the bull's eye.
"Good shot. What'll it be?"
"The big bear," Nick said pointing to the large stuffed animal. When the attendant handed it to him he gave it to Mary, whose face immediately lit up.
"Thanks, Nicky!"
"No problem," he smiled.
Walking along beneath the lights of that miracle mile
Me and Mary makin' our way into the night
You can hear the cries from the carnival rides
The pinball bells, the ski-ball slides
Watchin' the summer sun fall out of sight
There's a warm wind comin' in from off of the ocean
Makin' its way past the hotel walls to fill the street
Mary is holdin' both of her shoes in her hand
Said she likes to feel the sand beneath her feet.
"Hey, what do you say to taking a walk down by the water, checking out the sunset?" Mary asked, as she and Nick reached the end of the midway.
"Yeah. I'd like that. It's kind of loud here, anyway," Nick replied. They walked further away from the screams of the roller coasters and the sounds of people winning on games until they came to the sandy riverbank. Nick and Mary ditched their shoes, socks,and the bear he'd won at the edge of the grass. They started walking along the edge of the water when Mary broke the silence.
"So, Nick. Since we haven't seen each other in forever.. what's new with you? The last I heard you ran off to Sin City?"
"Yeah. Graduated from Rice University with a degree in criminal justice, and now I'm a crime scene analyst on graveyard shift at the Las Vegas Police Department. The way I see it, I had to take the job… it gave me a chance to work under one of the country's top forensic scientists."
"Gil Grissom."
"Yeah. How'd you…"
"I watch the news," she laughed.
"Oh.. yeah," he laughed, smiling. "What's new with you?"
"Not much, really. I'm still working at my mom's diner," she said.
"Really? That's cool."
"Yeah, I guess," she sighed. She stopped walking and stepped close to Nick. "The sunset's beautiful, isn't it?" She sat down on the sand.
"Yeah," he said, sitting next to her. "Living in Vegas you don't get to see many of these. Most of the time all you see is neon lights." Nick looked at her, remembering the way she looked – a look that had changed, obviously, over time, but not much. No matter how much he tried to fight them, the memories of the times they'd gone out kept popping into his memory… The slow dance they'd shared at junior prom… their first kiss at homecoming… when they snuck away one Friday night after a football game to spend the night at a shabby motel…
"You want to go to the Friday night concert they have at that old place across town? For old times sake?" Mary asked Nick, looking into his eyes.
"That old place is still open? It's probably too late to get in, anyway," Nick said, diverting his gaze to the water.
"Well, what time is it now?"
"Seven thirty-three."
"Music doesn't usually start 'till about eight thirty, quarter to nine," Mary said. "What do you say?"
"Sure, let's go," Nick said, standing up and taking Mary's hand to help her up. They walked back through the fair carrying their belongings and out through the gates to Nick's dad's Corvette. They got in and made the fifteen-minute drive across town.
And in the morning I'm leavin', makin' my way back to Cleveland
So tonight I hope that I will do just fine
And I don't see how you could ever be Anything But Mine
There's a local band playin' at the seaside pavilion
And I got just enough cash to get us in
And as we are dancin' Mary's wrappin' her arms around me
And I can feel the sting of summer on my skin
In the midst of the music I tell her that I love her
we both laugh 'cause we know it isn't true
Ah, but Mary there's a summer drawin' to an end tonight
And there's so much that I long to do to you.
"How much is it to get in?" Nick asked.
"Seven fifty a person, I think. How much money do you have on you?" Mary replied.
"Seventeen dollars left," he said, taking fifteen out of his pocket and handing it to the guyat the door. He and Mary walked in, and onto the dance floor.
They danced for a song or two, when a slow song came on. Mary stepped closer to him and put her arms around his neck slowly. He tried not to, but Nick felt his arms slide around her waist and pull her into him. Mary placed her head on his shoulder and began to sway with him. In the middle of the second verse, she lifted her head up to look in his eyes.
"I love you, Nick. I have always, and I always hoped I'd see you at some point after we broke up to tell you. I've really missed you," she whispered.
As soon as he heard those three little words, Nick realized what was happening to him. Suddenly, all that he could think about was getting back to Vegas, getting back to Sara, getting back to normal…
"You may have missed me, but you don't love me. You may think you do, but you don't," Nick whispered back.
"Yes, I do! I always have and I always will!"
"No, you don't. When I go back to Vegas in a few days you'll forget about me just like you did after graduation, when I went on to college and left our sleepy little town. I know what we had in high school was special, but it's over now. I've moved on, and I suggest you do the same." He turned to walk away, but she grabbed his arm and held him back.
"Nick, wait! Please don't do this!"
"Mary, I'm sorry." He placed a hand on her cheek. "It was really nice seeing you again tonight, but I've got to go. Goodbye…" and he walked away, leaving her with a single tear falling from her sparkling blue eyes.
He walked out of the pavilion and got in his car. As he sat in the driver's seat, he took his cell phone from the clip at his side and flipped it open. He dialed a number, and listened to it ring. One… two… three times, before...
"Sidle."
"Hey, Sar, it's me."
"What's up, Nick?"
"Nothing. Just called to say that I love you, and I miss you. I'm cutting my vacation short, I'll be back in town by tomorrow," Nick said.
"Are you sure? I thought you said you were having a great time?" Sara asked, concern sneaking into her tone.
"Yeah. Tonight, I realized something. I don't belong here, in this lifestyle. I miss home, I miss Vegas, I miss work…. I miss you."
"Oh… wow, Nick, really? I'll see you tomorrow, then. Love you," Sara replied.
"I love you, too, Sara-boo."
But in the morning I'm leavin', makin' my way back to Cleveland
So tonight I hope that I will do just fine
And I don't see how you could ever be Anything But Mine
And in the morning I'm leavin', makin' my way back to Cleveland
So tonight I hope that I will do just fine
And I don't see how you could ever be Anything But Mine
Mary I don't see how you could ever be Anything But Mine
So there was a little bit different ending than the song describes, but oh well… please review, if you don't mind. Thanks!
BballCSI54