Author's Note: Thank you to the couple of people who submitted reviews. I find them really helpful especially considering this is my first fic. Sorry it took so long to get the next chapter up. I was having a problem deciding where to go with it. Thanks again!

Nick and Sara walked down the hallway toward the conference room once again this time making it there without incident. When they entered they noticed that Warrick, Catherine, and Greg were already there waiting. Catherine looked up when she heard them come in. She noticed Sara's tear-stained face and her mother side came out.

"Hey Sara, are you okay?" she asked with concern evident in her features. "You look like you've been crying."

"I'm okay Cath. Just some personal stuff." Nick placed a hand on her back reassuringly and she looked up at him with gratitude. Nick guided her over to the coffee maker and poured her a cup of Greg's special coffee. Everyone took in Nick's protective manner around Sara with knowing glances all around. Even Greg didn't complain about them stealing his coffee. Nick turned around in time to see Warrick and Catherine staring at them with identical smug looks on their faces. However, when confronted with a death stare from Nick they went back to pretending not to notice Nick's protective schtick. Just then Grissom walked in. Without any formalities he went straight to work.

"Okay people we have a long night ahead of us. Catherine, you've got a B&E at a hotel room at the Monaco. Warrick you go with Catherine. Nick and Sara you've got a DB found in a ditch off the I-15. I'm going to stay here and finish up the Jones case from last night. Greg, why don't you go with Catherine and Warrick. For some reason I thought there was more."

"You got it boss."

"Okay people lets get started. The quicker these cases are solved the quicker we can go home." with that he walked out of the room without so much as a good bye. Everyone looked around at eachother with stricken looks on their faces. They were used to Grissom's mood swings but this was worse than usual. Knowing this probably had something to do with what happened earlier Nick passed Sara a smile trying to reassure her. She returned his smile with a weak one of her own.

"You ready?" she asked

"Sure am. Let's go." As they walked out of the room they heard Greg whining.

"Catherine! That's my coffee!"

Sara and Nick got out of Nick's car and walked towards Brass who was looking into the ditch where they assumed the body was.

"Okay guys here we go. Couple of lovebirds making out in a truck a couple hours ago we're interupted by a man pounding on their window screaming for help. They got out of the car to help him because he looked really screwed up but before they could get to him he dropped dead. Just like that."

"Just like that huh? Why do I doubt it was that simple?" Nick asked

"Probably because it's not." Sara responded with a grin. Nick was relieved to see her smile after the Grissom incident and smiled in return.

"Ready to get started? What do you want? Perimeter or witnesses?"

"I'll take the witnesses. That okay with you?" Sara asked

"Sounds good to me. Let's do it!"

They split up and went to do they're respective duties. Sara walked over to the couple who were giving their names to a uniform.

"Hi. I'm Sara Sidle. I'm with the Crime Lab. I just need to ask you a few questions about tonights events. Can you tell me what happened?"

The man spoke up first. "Hi. Rob Phillips. We were just hanging out in my truck when this guy comes up and starts pounding on the window screaming at us to help him. We got out of the car and before we could get to him he just fell down dead.

"It was really creepy." the woman said.

"And you are?" Sara asked her.

"Lisa Daniels. It was the weirdest thing. Hea didn't look beat up or anything. Just really scared.

"Okay. Thanks. We might need to talk to you down at the station later so keep your schedules clear okay?" Recieving nods of the affirmative she walked back over to Nick. "You almost done?" she asked.

"Yup. Just let me get this last fiber here and we're done."

Nick and Sara drove back to the Lab to finish out their shifts. They dropped off the fiber at trace before heading to Doc Robbins to see about the body. As they entered the morgue they were greeted by Robbins and David.

"So Doc, what do we have here?" Nick asked him.

"Heart attack. I'm not sure if it was drug induced or anything yet. That will come to light with the tox report. But basically you vic died of cardiac arrest."

"Okay. Well let us know when you get that tox report back okay?"

"I always do."

"Thanks Doc."

Sara and Nick exited the morge and went back to the lab. They finished the shift without running into Grissom which was a huge relief to Sara. She was tired of crying so much and she knew if she saw Grissom the waterworks would start up again. When shift ended, Nick and Sara signed out and went out to Nick's car. They ride back to Sara's house was quiet but comfortable as both of them were lost in their own thoughts. When they pulled up outside Sara's house, they atmosphere became slightly more tense as they approached saying goodbye. Nick had been reflecting on his growing feelings for Sara on th ride to her house and Sara seemed to sense that something was different.

"So... um thanks for the ride. Do you want to come in for some coffee or something?"

"Sure. That would be great." They walked up to her door and she let them in. She went to the kitchen to set up the coffee maker. Nick took his jacket off and laid it on a chair in her small dining room. Sara came out of they kitchen with two cups of coffee and led Nick to her sofa in the livingroom. After a few moments of awkward silence, Sara looked at Nick and asked him,

"What is going on here?" At Nicks surprised and confused look she elaborated. "You have been nothing but wonderful to me today and I can't thank you enough for that but the moment we're alone together you clam up. What's up with that Nick?"

"I'm sorry. I'm just a little confused about some things and I don't know how to address them without sounding like I'm taking advantage or something." At first Sara didn't understand what he was talking about but when he looked up and locked eyes with her she immediately understood.

"Oh."

"See? I knew I shouldn't have said anything because now it's going to be weird between us and I don't-"

Nick was cut off by Sara's lips softly touching his. It took him a moment to comprehend what was going on but when he did he returned the kiss with abandon. As their lips slid over eachother, Nick brought his hand up to Sara's head and touched his tongue to her lips seeking entrance. Sara complied and they spent the next few minutes memorizing the contours of eachothers mouths breaking apart only to breathe. Sara ran her hands over Nick's chest and arm trying to commit his entire body to memory using just her hands. As they finally broke apart after what seemed a lifetime, all they could do was stare at eachother in awe.

"Wow." was all either could say.