AN: The song I used in this chapter is Seether's "Gasoline"
"Since we're unfortunately can't separate from each other, we should spend time usefully and focus on our case," Nick growls, trying to control his anger though, after the long, tensioned, awkward silence that fell over them after his last words.
He shoots a stony, cold glance at Sara, who's standing frozen beside him. But this quick glance is enough to notice the yet uncried tears welling up in her eyes full of desperation. Though he's emotionally hurt and furious about her right now, the sight of the strong, yet vulnerable Sara Sidle, on the edge of crying makes Nick's heart sink. The pain in her eyes like needles pinch his body and soul. But the manly pride and boiling anger inside suppress this feeling, and Nick ignores her guilty and hurt look.
Sara wipes her eyes and conceding that there's no way to persuade Nick to talk about the situation now, she swallows and nods.
Nick sighs and says emotionlessly, "Let's visit Sanders."
"Okay," Sara agrees blankly, trying to come over her upset feelings.
They leave the locker-room in silence, neither of them looking at the other. They walk along the corridors without a word, till arriving to Greg Sanders' empire. The presence of the young Lab Technician sticks out a mile, no one else listens to music so loudly in the whole Lab like him. Moreover so terrible rock music.
Volume almost on the maximum, hard rock music blares from Greg's stereo. The kid is sitting at the computer and while entering some data into the machine, his feet are moving to the rhythm and he sings along with the singer of the rock band. 'Or rather howls', Nick states, as Sander's voice could be hardly considered as singing.
Last night I saw that beauty queen / Watched her paint her face on / I wanna be that magazine / That she bases life on / I wanna waste her monthly blood / Wanna get some on my love / Wanna get some gasoline / And burn the house down
"No one has told you yet that this is a workplace and not a rock-club, Sanders?" Nick calls the lab-tech to account in a harsh voice.
Greg whirls toward the two CSIs with a smug smile on his face.
"Oh, hi to you too, Nick. Well everyone has a working method, this is mine."
"Tell this to Grissom, he'll surely value it," Nick responds cynically, "oh or I should rather suggest Ecklie directly."
"What's wrong with you, man?" Greg's eyes narrow and he glances at the numb Sara beside Nick, "You're like a bear with a sore head."
"Don't be cheeky, Sanders..." Nick snaps, "I'm not in the mood to your brassy remarks."
"I've noticed..." Greg murmurs.
"Have you said anything?"
"Oh no!" the kid replies immediately with an innocent expression.
"Hope so," Nick notes.
"Greg, would you transfer this tire print into the computer and check the database out for any match?" Sara asks, intending to divert the lab-guy's attention from Nick, and hands him the print they got from Doc Robbins.
"Sure, Sara, no problem," he answers in a calmer and friendlier voice, which annoys Nick a lot.
"The Doc said you identified a stain on the body as motor-oil," Nick says, trying to control himself, "Do you have the detailed results?"
"Not yet," Sanders responds simply.
"Not yet?" Nick raises his eyebrow, "Hell, what are you doing here besides blaring that horrible thing you call music?" he snaps again.
"Hey! " Greg retorts in a hurt attitude, "You may criticize my work, but not my music-taste! And if we're talking about music, I can't see how you can listen to that lame and boring country..."
Eyes full of fury, Nick's about to snap back at the kid, but Sara steps between the two guys.
"Enough!" she yells, "I want to work and not listen to your stupid quarrel," she bursts out, "I'm fed up with men. You think you always are right..." her look meets Nick's then wanders to Greg.
Astonished by Sara's sudden outburst, Greg glances at Nick, but his face mirrors the lab-tech's own shock. Seeing her anger, he rather doesn't asks what she has referred to with the last lines.
"Uh, I'll check your results as soon as possible," Greg says in a lower voice, blinking.
Nick glances at Sara, then looks back at Greg.
"Right, we'll be back later," he replies and moves to leave.
Sara lets out a barely audible sigh and follows him.
As soon as they are outside, Greg continues singing.
She's got nothing to say / She's got bills to pay /She's got no one to hate / Except for meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
"I kill him one day," Nick murmurs.
"Oh God, what's this terrible sound?" Catherine joins them in the hallway, seemingly appalled.
"What do you think?" Sara answers her question with question, her grimace telling everything.
"Greg," Catherine states with a sigh.
"You won," Nick remarks.
"Someone should tell him about the lab-rules," the blonde CSI wonders.
"Done," Nick grumbles.
"And?"
"Any guess?" he snorts.
Catherine pouts, "I don't think Grissom would be in seventh heaven if he were here."
"He's not the only one," Sara remarks, looking to their right.
Her companions follow her gaze and see Ecklie approaching them, full of rage.
"Oh-oh," Catherine comments the sight.
"I believe Sara and I have work to do," Nick mutters, "See ya later."
"Thanks for the support," Catherine sneers before facing the hurricane in the person of Conrad Ecklie.
"Willows!" The assistant director growls.
"Ecklie...," Catherine forces her kindest smile, hoping it might work to calm him down.
"Do you know the lab-rules, Miss Willows?"
"I do."
"Yeah, then how do you explain that horrible noise?" he points to Greg's room.
"what noise are you referring?" she plays dumb to gain time to figure out a good answer.
"Don't think I'm a fool," he frowns, "We both know what I'm talking about. Sanders and that unbearable noise he calls music. I don't care if he listens to such tasteless stuff like that in his free time at home so loud, but here in the Lab I expect my employees obeying the rules of work. Am I making myself perfectly clear, Miss Willows?"
"Yes, you do," Catherine replies without much enthusiasm.
"Good," Ecklie notes and leaves.
Damn, she fumes inside and walks toward the source of the loud rock music.
Hearing the lyrics of the song, she wonders with disgust.
'How can someone listen to such crap?'
Back in their lab-room, Nick and Sara go on with their work in silence. Nick is processing the fiber-analyzis, while Sara studies the casefiles and tries to figure out what the evidence indicate this far.
Though he doesn't show, Sara's neglecting attitude bothers Nick more than he could say. She has never been acting like this to him, he never knew how much her disregarding could hurt.
Nick cautiously glances at Sara. Her expression still mirrors the painful regret, her brown eyes keep avoiding his all the time. She hasn't said a word since their row. Sadness and guilt can be seen on her face, and lacerate Nick's heart. He suddenly becomes furious of himself for having hurt her so much.
'How could I have been such a fool?', he scolds himself. 'How could I have said such terrible things?' he shamefully rushes his fingers through his hair. 'Saying that she might not be my friend...damn, you're a real idiot, Stokes! You must apologize to her. And you're damn lucky if she forgives you at all...'
In her peripheral vision, Sara notices Nick's thougthful glance, but refuses to let him know. Her heart speeds up when he rushes his fingers through his darkbrown hair - she always considered these moves of his hot and sexy.
'Damn, sara, you two are mad at each other, but you have such thoughts about him...' she snaps at herself, still trying to pretend focusing on the casefiles. Though his behaviour hurts her terribly and she can't figure out its reason, she couldn't be angry with him for long. She can't explain why, maybe it's also one of the secrets of the charm of Nicholas Stokes - for he's so popular and wanted among women.
'If only he would forgive me - if I lose him, I lose the only friend I can talk to and feel safe with,' she sighs.
Making up his mind to talk to her, Nick takes a deep breath and utters nervously, "Sara..."
Her heart skips a beat hearing him talking to her again. Is it only her stressed mind or does his voice slightly tremble indeed, she wonders.
"I know I can't make up for how terrible I behaved and all those dreadful things I told you, but I'm sorry..." Nick speaks in a low voice, bowing his head with shame, "I didn't mean to hurt you... I know I can't take those words back, but..."
Sara gulps and looks up at him, "Nick, I-"
"No, Sara, please let me explain..." he interrupts her, fearing of the words she might say, "You told me that maybe I had stumbled and fallen over, pulling you along intently as a part of a game. You also said some rumours are going around in the Lab about my games with women." Nick shifts nervously and sighs, "That was that blew me up. First that I can't have a private life, everyone amuses oneself with my issues. I hate that. I always had to attend family gatherings where my parents proud themselves in every aspect of my life - from my studies till my actual relationship. I felt like living in a shop-window. And when I took my job as a CSI and moved to Vegas, I hoped that finally I get some privacy. And after so many years past haunts again."
"Or maybe that's my karma?" he chuckles nervously, rubbing his neck.
"Second, I know what people think about me - the guy who gets everything... has a good , wealthy family, a good job, handsome look," a little grin appears in the corner of his mouth, "I don't deny my past and reputation concerning women. that's also me. A piece of my past.ven enjoyed that. But things have changed. I'm not the same guy anymore. Most since I'm a CSI in Grissom's team. I learnt new people, made new friends... I try to do my best to break away from that life I lived earlier. And people looking at me with that grin that says "'the ladies' man is here' and still considering me like that piss me off indeed. I try to live my life differently, but it seems people don't want to see the change. Or they just think their jokes about my past is funny."
Sara stares at him astonished - she hasn't had the slightest idea about Nick's inside battles. No one has, she surmises. she suddenly feels honoured for he shares his thoughts about issues that bother him. It can't be easy for him.
Nick's words show things in a new perspective actually. Now Sara understands why did he become so enraged by her silly remark.
"But i shouldn't have shouted at you the way I did," Nick casts his eyes down with regret. "I was a real jerk. I understand if you can't forgive me, there's no excuse for some things I said... I was angry because if someone it's you I've never expected to believe all that crap going around. I thought we have a special friendship and some hours ago I felt like being betrayed by the last person I truly trust..."
Sara's heart wrenches in pain realizing what she did to him and how much her friendship means to him indeed. Tears of relief, delight and regret well up in her eyes, and she feels like a huge weight has been taken off of her shoulders.
"Nick..." she fights her tears, "I'm sorry so much... I didn't mean to cause you such pain. I didn't think my words over after all. I was so silly... I tried to explain everything, but you were so upset that weren't willing to listen to me. I felt terrible for that misunderstanding... and I was frightened of losing your friendship for good."
She can't hold the tears back anymore, and some drops rolls down on her cheek.
"God, Sara..." a releived, bright smile appears on Nick's face - stress and fear replace with happiness and relief.
Their eyes lock and they smile at each other. Nick touches Sara's cheek and wipes the tears off.
"I'm sorry, Sidle. Can you forgive to such a fool like me?"
Her smile broadens, "If you can forgive to such a silly girl like me."
He gives her his trade-mark grin and without thinking pulls the female CSI into a hug, "I can."
A bit surprised, but delighted for his hug, Sara returns the warm embrace - as much as it can be called an embrace due to their cuffed hands -, and with a grin she murmurs into his ear, "I hoped for this answer."
Releasing her, Nick chuckles.
"I've missed your smile," he claims, drinking in her sight.
"Well I have missed yours too," she replies, then raises a brow, "Hey, are we flirting now?" she grins.
Nick laughs, "Might be."
Sara smiles and sighs, "I think we should get back to work, before Ecklie happen to walk in on us doing nothing."
"Yeah," he agrees, then adds, "I don't envy Sanders at all..."
Sara snickers, "Me neither. Catherine, Grissom and Ecklie... he has to listen some lessons about Lab-rules, I guess."
"Well, then back to our case," he clicks the mouse and opens the result window, "The green fiber we found on the victim's clothes is synthetic," Nick announces, "it's from a carpet."
"The damages of the material of his shirt and trousers indicate that some other surface contacted with his clothes. He was dragged along on a carpet somewhere." Sara concludes.
"The scene of murder wasn't the garage, but a room somewhere. The perpetrator killed him with 3 shots and delivered the body into the garage by car..."
Exchanging a look with Nick, Sara goes on, "that's why there were no keys and driving licence on him. Because he wasn't the one who drove there."
"Exactly," Nick glances at her, "The question is where the murder took place."
TBC