Disclaimer: Still don't own CSI, and I never will. Too bad.
Author's note: This is it! The final chapter, thanks to everyonefor sticking with me and SORRY for not updating sooner. Enjoy and review!
Sara and Nick pulled away from each other slowly. Sara smiled shyly and twiddled her fingers. Nick reached over the table and pulled her slender hand into his own large one. The love in his eyes was unobscured, and Sara mirrored his emotions.
"So, does this mean you're my boyfriend?" Sara laughed lightly.
"Well, I intend to take you out on a date first."
"What? This doesn't count?"
"Let me clarify. I want to take you out on a date that is my idea. What do you say?"
"I say yes." They kissed again. For a relationship long in the making, they sure made up for lost time. The dinner courses and dessert came and went. They were delicious, but Sara and Nick couldn't taste them. They were enthralled by each other's presence. Never before did they realize how they loved spending time with one another. After thanking the waiters and cooks profusely, they gathered up their things and made their way to their Tahoes. They left the restaurant hand in hand. Instead of looking like new lovers; insecure, unsure, they had the appearance of old lovers that had been reacquainted. It was plain that they were comfortable with one another. So comfortable in fact, that Sara looked slightly downcast as she approached her vehicle. Nick sensed this almost immediately.
"Sara, let's take my car. We can pick yours up before work tomorrow." He smiled and opened the passenger side door for Sara. She got in slowly and paused for a moment. A slender hand brushed away a stray lock of hair on Nick's forehead. Her voice was husky.
"You know I can't bear to spend a single moment away from you Mr. Stokes." Nick beamed down at her.
Finally. They both thought together.
Nick drove smoothly, stealing looks at Sara now and then. God she looks beautiful. Sara glanced back at him, trying not to blush. It was then that she noticed the direction of his driving.
"Uh, Nick. Where are we going? We passed your street." Sara was puzzled. Nick had a gleam in his eye.
"We're going to the lab first. If my intuition is correct, everybody's hanging around just dying for details of our "date"."
"You know, I really want to know how they fixed everything..."
"Me too."
"What are we going to tell them?"
"Are we going to be in a relationship? I really want that."
"Me too. I think that'll be good enough for everyone."
"I know this might be a little fast for you, but hear me out."
"Ok."
"I've gotten really accustomed to you living in my apartment and everything. I've never felt so comfortable around someone, and I was wondering if maybe you'd want to move in someday...soon."
"How does today sound to you?"
"Really?"
"Sure, I was thinking the same thing. There's an old lady who was interested in getting a nice room in my building, or I could rent it out. I wanted to ask you about it, but I was a little embarrassed."
"We'll just tell the gang that your plumber moved to Florida."
"Good idea." They laughed and Nick pulled into the parking lot. Time for some answers...and some questions, undoubtedly.
Catherine sat in her office listlessly, stirring her gloopy coffee with a half chewed straw. She got up and decided to walk around a bit, she needed to get her butt out of the chair and do something productive. As she turned a corner she saw Nick and Sara, still in their evening finery, walking through the door.
"Oh my God! You're back!" Nick and Sara nodded in unison. Somehow, perhaps they had radar tracking, Greg and Warrick popped out of the DNA lab just in time to find Catherine screaming.
"Whoa you're back!"
"How was it?" Sara pointed ahead of her,
"Let's go to the break room?"
They all piled into the break room and shut the door. Each of them was just bursting with questions, but they allowed Catherine to go first.
"So how was it? You're not mad at us are you?" Catherine leaned forward anxiously. Sara smiled and pulled everyone into a group hug.
"It's the best idea you three could ever come up with." Greg smirked and tapped Sara on the shoulder.
"So, do I get a kiss for being so devious?" He pointed to his cheek expectantly. Nick pulled Sara against him.
"In your dreams Greg." They all seated themselves around the table. Nick drummed his fingered on the tabletop and spoke up suddenly.
"Ok, in your note you said you set up EVERYTHING, I think you have some explaining to do!" Warrick and Catherine looked at each other. Where to begin?
"Well...Sara, remember the beginning of last week, how you were always in a horrible mood?"
"Of course! Wouldn't you be in a bad mood if you locked your keys in the car three times in one week?"
"Two times." Catherine countered automatically.
"No, I remember it being three. The third time was when there was that rainstorm and I gave Nick a ride home..."
"Ok, let me put it this way. You locked your keys in the car twice, I did it the second time." Catherine held her breath and waited for the fury. Sara looked puzzled, and then an expression of understanding dawned on her face.
"That time in the locker room! You were being so awkward...that was when you took my keys wasn't it!" Catherine stifled a laugh and looked pointedly at Warrick. He appeared to be a tiny bit guilty.
"Ah, that would be me. I was hiding in the storage closet and I snitched them when you were looking the other way." Sara burst out laughing. She cackled and almost toppled out of her seat, her face becoming a shade of red akin to a fire engine.
"P-ppriceless! Hahaha...haha...haha..." Nick was thumping her on the back and chuckling along with her.
"Ok, so you guys locked Sara's keys in the car, then what?"
"Well, Warrick and I flattened your tire..."
"You WHAT?"
"Box cutters...hehe...really sharp ones."
"Do you know how much that tire cost to replace?"
"Warrick will reimburse you for it." Catherine informed Nick.
"Uh uh..no way, it was your idea too!" Warrick argued vehemently. Catherine shrugged her shoulders in consent.
"Ok, fine, Greg will do it."
"Hey! I wasn't even in on the plan at that point! Catherine grinned wickedly.
"Lab techs have bigger paychecks." Greg frowned and sulked in his chair. Sara patted his spiky head playfully and cut in.
"So when did you get involved in the plan?" Greg perked up and draped his arm casually across Sara's shoulders. Nick shot him a glare and he desisted. Clearing his throat, he related to them the story of how Sara's plumbing was "fixed". Sara was amused and irate at the same time.
"You were in my apartment! Did you see anything?"
"Eh, well, that depends on what you want me to see..." He winked at her suggestively. Sara grinned, and leaned back in the chair. This story was going to be a long one. Catherine and Warrick took over the storytelling, with Greg occasionally making a snide comment, and Nick or Sara cutting in for clarification. Nick was appalled when he found out that Greg had taken his suit and sent it to his Auntie Lisbet.
"You just sent the whole thing to your Aunt! Am I ever going to get it back?"
"Eventually." Nick sighed. The fine tale ended with their "date" at the "crime scene". Everyone stretched. Sara and Nick were both impressed with the extensive planning the plan had required. The gang seemed to have adjusted remarkably quickly to the idea of Sara and Nick being a serious couple. Of course, Greg would probably never stop flirting with Sara, it had become a habit for him. Sara smiled again and reminded herself how lucky she was to have Nick. She squeezed his hand and he looked over at her with a broad grin. I'm the luckiest man in the world. His expression said it as clearly as his mouth would have.
They were all bunched up in the doorway, just about to leave when Sara suddenly noticed something.
"Hey, Grissom wasn't here, he was in on it too right?" Catherine looked surprised for a second.
"Hmm, he's probably busy. We'll fill him in on how your date went later. The five CSIs strode out the door and headed toward their cars. It had been a long, but satisfying shift. None of them noticed Grissom standing beside the door. Forget about her, tend to your bugs. He told himself. Grissom stole another glance at Sara's retreating form. Her red dress fluttered teasingly and her hand was delicately hooked into the crook of Nick's arm. She was like some rare, elusive breed of butterfly. Ethereal, and now, unattainable. Sara was someone else's butterfly now.
Sara and Nick piled into the Tahoe along with their garment bags and kits. They sat still for just a moment, savoring each others' presence. Nick reached over and grabbed Sara's hand, he loved touching her.
"You know, I'll never get mad again if I get a flat tire."
"And I won't get angry if I lock my keys in the car."
"Thank God for car trouble and our sneaky little friends."
"Amen to that Nicky." They drove away, still hand in hand. It was the beginning of something special, they could just feel it.
The End
Review, review, review! It's been great sharing this story with you all! Thanks to all who read and reveiwed this story, your encouragement kept me going. Check back for the sequel (I'm definitely doing one, it's all planned out) and other stories.
Sequel coming soon!
Try Again?
Summary: "Nick is ready to pop the question, but why does he keep getting interrupted?
