They didn't make it off the couch. A single kiss turned into several, and when Nick realized that all Sara had on was his shirt, well, he felt compelled to show her how much he wanted to be with her right then and there. And he was still smiling about it when he walked into the lab that night. He was so lost in thought about Sara and how so much had changed between them over the last two days that he didn't notice someone standing at the reception area waiting for him.
"Nick." The tone of Amy's voice was apologetic and perhaps a bit desperate. It was evident by the expression on her face that she was going to try at least one more time to get him back.
Nick's face clouded as he stopped and turned toward her. Hurt flashed across his face and he regarded her with mistrust. "What are you doing here?"
"Nick...I..." Amy stepped tentatively towards him. "I don't think you understand about John." She obviously had something to say.
At the mention of John's name Nick narrowed his gaze at her. "You made your choice, Amy...I know what kind of guy John is...I've known him for a long time, don't forget that, and I know that he's been making moves on you ever since we started dating."
"Nothing happened." Amy protested stepping towards him. "He wanted it to...but nothing happened." She looked as if she was on the verge of tears.
"You expect me to believe that?" Nick looked at her incredulously, trying to keep his voice down so they didn't cause a scene in the lobby.
"Damn you, Nick. Why won't you even listen to me?" A tear slipped down Amy's cheek. "I made a mistake breaking up with you...a huge mistake, ok...but I did not sleep with John...I love you."
Nick felt as if he'd been hit in the gut. Here was the woman that until two days ago he'd thought he'd end up marrying telling him that what he'd assumed wasn't true and he wasn't sure what to believe. And now there was Sara to consider...there was something between them that he'd never experienced with any other woman and he wanted to explore it, wanted to see where it was going to go. He knew that if he didn't take this chance with Sara now that he would ruin their friendship and he'd never have her trust again.
"I love you." Amy was more earnest this time as she stepped towards him, taking the confusion on his face as a good sign. "I want you back." Her voice was barely a whisper as she closed the distance between them and gathered his face in her hands and leaned up to kiss him.
It took Nick a full second to process what was going on and that he didn't want her to kiss him, by then, Amy had slid her arms around his neck and by the time Nick gripped her arms to push her away, he finally found his words. "Amy..." He glanced up and saw that Sara had walked into the lab and was standing there with a hurt expression on her face. As soon as she locked eyes with him, she turned and headed down the hallway towards the locker room.
"Nicky." Amy cooed, hopeful that Nick would take her back.
"Stop." Nick's tone was probably too forceful and as confusion swirled around him he leveled a gaze at her that was full of hurt. "You need to leave." He turned in the direction that Sara had gone, hopeful that he could find her and that he could explain to her what had happened. She had been so worried that she'd become a rebound and if she was going to take the kiss between he and Amy in the lobby at face value, that's exactly how it looked.
He paused in the doorway of the locker room, noticing her standing there in front of her open locker with her jaw clenched in an effort to keep the tears that were threatening to fall from doing just that. Nick's voice was soft. "Sara."
She didn't say anything; she shoved something forcefully into her locker and tried to gather her thoughts.
"Sara." Nick took another step towards her, his brow furrowed in concern that she was jumping to conclusions. He reasoned that he'd better just get to the point. "She wanted to get back together."
"I'm sure you'll be very happy." There was a waver in Sara's voice and her tone was decidedly sarcastic.
Nick felt a flash of anger; not at Sara, but at Amy for making this conversation necessary, and for some reason at Sara's dad for not being the kind of man that would tell his daughter that she was beautiful and amazing. "I don't want her, Sar...I want you." His gaze softened and he could see the tension melting out of her body as his words sunk in.
"I'm sorry." Sara's eyes pleaded with his to understand her doubts and insecurities.
An impish smile flitted across Nick's face as he stepped towards her and reached out to caress her cheek. "I thought I made it clear earlier that I was damn sure that I wanted to be with you."
Sara felt her cheeks burn a little as she pursed her lips together remembering exactly how ardent Nick had been earlier and how that had made her feel. She smirked a little as she looked into his eyes. "Then maybe it was me that needed the convincing..."
"We could arrange that." He grinned at her, wishing that he could just take her back home and make love to her all over again. Instead he snaked his arms around her waist and leaned in to kiss her.
Sara melted against him and eagerly returned the kiss, basking in the feeling of being wanted by someone that she wanted to be with. They probably would have continued standing there trading deep slow kisses if Grissom hadn't walked in.
"Uh, Nick...Amy's in the lobby." Grissom was having difficulty processing that Nick and Sara were kissing, and that Sara seemed rather happy about the situation. The last Grissom had heard through Catherine and Greg, Nick was pretty upset about Amy breaking up with him.
Nick loosened his hold on Sara and looked at Grissom. "I know she is."
Grissom looked confused. "Does she know you're in here?" He glanced over at Sara trying to get some clue as to what was going on as she busily adjusted something in her locker before she closed the door.
"I don't know, but it doesn't really matter...I asked her to leave." Nick informed him letting out a frustrated sigh.
Grissom quirked an eyebrow at him as if informing him that he was going to need a little more information given the lip lock he'd found Nick just sharing with Sara.
"Uh, she wanted to get back together, but I didn't want to." Nick glanced over at Sara and grinned at her.
Grissom looked at Sara expectantly.
"Nick and I are seeing each other." She felt a flurry of nerves sharing that information with the man she'd fixated on for far too long, and she was pleasantly surprised to find that it felt as if a weight had lifted off of her shoulders.
Grissom gestured between the two younger CSIs with a curiously concerned expression on his face. "And you've been seeing each other how long?"