Entering the house, Nick snicks on the light and gently dragging Sara along, walks into the living room.
"I'd offer you to sit down, but under these circumstances..." he glances at their bond.
Sara smiles, and in her casual CSI manner, she asks, "So where do we begin?"
"In the cellar?" Nick smirks innocently.
"You thought that seriously, huh?"
He shrugs with a grin, and grabbing a flashlight, pulling Sara after him, he is heading to the basement.
"It's like we're investigating your own house," Sara chuckles quietly, while closely following her colleague as they're climbing down the stairs into the semi-darkness.
"But hopefully we don't find any dead body in my cellar," Nick remarks quizzically.
Sara's eyes widen of feigned shock.
"I always knew you had things to hide. You're a real criminal... Who knows how many women's corpse are buried at this place. Your job as CSI is just a cover... You... Help! Someone, please!" she feigns fear, while can hardly suppress her laugh.
Giving into the game, Nick flashes an evilish grin at her and putting his hand gently onto her mouth, he starts laughing as a maniac.
"Mwhaha... sorry, it's already too late for ya, honey..." he imitates a serial killers attitude, "you've seen too much... I must kill you..."
Taking advantage of having a hand free, Sara starts tickling him. Nick immediately draws back his hand from her mouth.
"Help!" she giggles, fearing the consequences of his "wrath".
"There's no use to resist, baby," Nick devilishly laughs, keeping on playing, "You can't escape from fate. Sooner or later, I'm gonna getcha..."
Both of their hearts skip a beat as they realize the double meaning of Nick's words.
Embarrassed about speaking like that, even if involuntarily - or most for that, Nick's throat dries and dropping playfulness, pulling a serious face, he suggests with a cough, " Khm, we should rather start searching... Time is ticking away..."
Puzzled as well, not knowing how to interpret Nick's previous remark, Sara tentatively nods, and swithces on her flashlight.
Browsing through the basement, then the rooms - every effort is in vain. Though Nick seriously contemplates to look around in the attic too, Sara refusing to take the risk of climbing up and down the ladder in a situation like this, eventually they eliminate this idea. Nothing might be up there that could help after all, Nick remarks.
Finally, exhausted of searching, also having lost hope for finding anything useful, they drop down onto the couch in Nick's living room.
"Nothing," Sara exhales with disappointment.
"Seems so," Nick grimaces.
"Damn, I can't believe you have nothing - not at least a piece of wire or something - we could use to get rid of these!" she snaps desperately, shaking their tied hands with a frown.
"Hey, hey!" Nick exclaims with a snort, "Ouch, it hurts!"
"Sorry," she gaves him a genuine, apologizing look.
"These damn cuffs must have special locks..." Nick ponders, rubbing his aching wrist.
Sara leans back on the couch with a tired expression.
"Maybe Greg can do something with them..." she muses, gazing the ceiling.
"You wanna fill him in?" his shock-mirroring, wide eyes are pinching hers.
"Have better idea?" she questioningly raises her brow.
"No," he grumbles, thinking over the possibilities.
"Thought so," she remarks in a 'told-you-so' attitude and closes her eyes.
Nick grimaces displeasantly and leans back on the couch as well.
"But we must wait with asking him till tomorrow," he sighs helplessly.
Drawing the conclusion, Sara's eyes pop open and she averts her look at the CSI next to her."Which means that I must stay here tonight..."
"Seems so," Nick chuckles, returning her gaze.
A night with Sara Sidle, mmm, the thought instinctively flashes through Nick's mind and he immediately gets ashamed of himself for that. Stokes, keep the blood in your head, he snaps, she's your co-worker, which means 'forbidden fruit'. Furthermore she is interested in Grissom.
Realizing the exact situation, Sara's face flushes, and she swallows in embarrassment. A night with Nick Stokes, the dream of women, she feels her breath accelerating at the thought. Sidle, forget about it, she scoffs at herself, he's your colleague, you can't have such thoughts about him. Besides, you have never thought of him like a potential partner. That's true, she admits, but what if I do now?
"So what are we doing now? Wanna watch TV?" Sara wonders, trying to distract herself from the previous thoughts.
"Okay," Nick shrugs, endeavouring to take control over his thoughts, and points toward the shelves, "Choose a DVD ."
Nodding, she slowly emerges from the couch, which move urges her colleague to stand up too.
"And what about eating something?" Nick asks, obediently following her to the shelves."We might order a pizza. What do you think?"
"Sounds good," she smiles, while her eyes are browsing his DVD collection.
Acknowledging her agreement with a smile, Nick pulls his cell-phone out of his jeans' pocket, and dials the number of his favourite pizzeria. He places their orders - of course not forgetting about Sara's veggie pizza - and ends the call.
"Our pizzas are on the way soon," he announces, turning his attention back to Sara.
"Great," she smiles, "I'm starving."
"Me too," he says, and glancing at the box in her hand, raises his brow inquiringly, "Whadda ya got?"
With a puzzled smile, Sara shows him the cover.
"Chicago?" he smirks. "Any indication to our current situation?" he jokes.
"I like Catherine-Zeta Jones, and I love musicals," she shrugs with a shy smile, "That's all."
"What's wrong with that Gere guy?"
She stares at him, not quite getting the point of his question.
"N-nothing," she stutters with confusion, "Why? Should there be any?"
Nick laughs, "Women tend to have a crush on him. I'm just surprised that you didn't mention him at first place among the reasons. I wonder if you..."
She laughs along, "...if I also have a crush on him? Nick, I'm not like other women."
Staring at her with a warm smile, he remarks softly, "No, you definitely aren't."
Sara holds her gaze on him, smiling back shyly.
"So?" Nick asks quietly, not taking his look off of her.
"So what?" she murmurs, eyes locked with his.
Smirking, he asks low-key again, "So do you have a crush on him?"
She grins and averts her look off of him, "No."
Nick grins back, but after a split of second his smile fades. "You...," averting his look, he starts to speak, but his hesitating voice trails off as he suddenly changes his mind about what he has just wanted to ask about.
"What?" being confused by the sudden change of his mood, she intently searches Nick's face.
Sighing, he quickly replies, "Nothing."
"You wanted to say something," Sara insists on getting to know what's on her colleague's mind.
"Nothing important. That's not my business after all," Nick feigns a good mood onto his face, and smiles, "Come, I have an idea!" changing the topic, he pulls her toward the kitchen.
"Nick!" Her voice is firm and menacing as she stops him in the hallway." We're friends, aren't we? You may ask me anything."
He sighs, "Sidle, you're really stubborn, ya know that?"
Sara proudly grins, "Maybe. But it seems to be useful at times."
Nick gives up and smiles at her.
"You always get what you want, huh?"
"Depends," she smirks. "So?"
"Okay, okay!" he concedes and questions tentatively, "I just wanted to ask if you still have a crush on Grissom."
Turning pink, Sara looks down with embarrassment.
"Uhm, sorry, I shouldn't have asked that. That's your private business after all. It's just that I don't want you to get hurt. Most by him." Nick pauses, then desperately frowns at himself, "Hell, I... I think I worry too much. You're not a little girl, you can make your own decisions about your life. You don't need my advice. So forget it!"
Sara's staring at him in silence, taken surprise by his caring attitude. He always worries about the others. And now about her. How sweet! The thought that he is anxious about her as much makes her heart skip a beat. Studying his handsome, thoughtful face, a strange feeling starts to embrace her heart. Something she hasn't felt before, at least not about him. Suddenly she sees him in a quite different light, discovering how caring person he is indeed. She hasn't been aware of having such a precious friend around till now. But this moment has opened up her eyes.
Her thougths wandering to Grissom, she just catches herself at comparing the two men. Grissom is a great person, a still good-looking, clever man, who's forever devoted to his work and science. He's a mysterious freak, but maybe that's his charm. On the other hand, Nick is a handsome, well-educated, social, emphatic guy, who cares about people more than anyone she has ever known. He's the man beside whom a girl really can feel being safe. The woman who's gonna get him will definitely be a lucky one. Sara hardly notices that she immediately feels envy toward that girl.
Actually, Nick, you're wrong, she thinks to herself, I do need advices concerning my life. And I'd need some very soon, I guess, she ponders regarding this strange and confusing feeling inside.
To distract herself from these thoughts she appreciatively replies.
"Nick, I'm grateful for your worry, but there's no reason for that."
Yeah, he frowns inside, because you're too blind to see that he's just playing with you. He knows he won't be any younger as the days go by, but wants to feel as if he was. Nick realizes only now what kind of thoughts he is having on his mind. Damn, Stokes, he snaps at himself, where's your normal sense? Sara is an independent woman, she may do what she wants. And if it involves something with Grissom, let it be. Who are you to disapprove her actions? Coworker, friend, yeah, that's true, but... But? Why is a but there at all?
Scared to go on with this chain of thoughts, Nick manages a puzzled smile and without realizing what is he doing, he takes Sara by her hand and drags her into the kitchen.
"Well, we have the movie, the dinner...so all we need is the drink yet."
TBC