Disclaimer: I don't own anything except an old pair of doggy slippers that my real dogs chewed up. Everything in here is someone else's except Ronnie, Maddie, Indigo, Scott, Mark, Aiden, Ellen, Chris, Eliza, Bartholomew and Kayla. And that's it…I think
Hero
Chapter 1
Nick Stokes sighed, taking another long draft of his beer. He was sitting alone, at the bar of a country-nightclub. He was dressed casually in a pair of snug, faded blue jeans and a plain, tight, black T-shirt.
It was 11:30 at night and Nick was still awake despite the full shift he'd pulled earlier that day. But, unbeknownst to his family and friends, Nick didn't sleep much anymore-not for the last two months, since he'd been buried in a Plexiglas coffin.
Nick shuddered in disgust, suddenly feeling the sensation of the fire ants all over his body all over again. He took another long swig of his beer, trying to dispel the mental feeling and so missing the young woman who came up beside him.
She was a petite woman, standing roughly at 5"3. She had wavy, shoulder length, dark brown hair shot through with copper streaks and dancing green-blue eyes. She wore a pair of tight, low-slung, faded blue jeans and a light tan-brown, 3/4 sleeve, button-up shirt that tied in a knot a few inches below her full breasts, revealing a tanned, muscular upper torso.
"Hey Cowboy," she greeted in a low gentle voice with a Canadian inflection, causing Nick's eyes to snap towards her, taking in her lean form leaning back against the bar, "What's a hot thing like you doin' drinkin' alone?"
Nick chuckled, gazing at the woman over the rim of his beer bottle through half-lidded eyes as he asked, "What makes you so sure I'm alone?"
The woman grinned at him, pulling herself up to sit on the bar, ignoring the bartender's disapproving looks as she saying, "Honey, I've been here since about an hour before you showed up. You've been here an hour already and you haven't moved your nice ass off that stool except to use the can."
Nick laughed again, amused-and intrigued-by the woman's blunt attitude. The woman smiled in response before asking with a grin, "So, how 'bout it Cowboy? You going to dance with me?"
Nick's eyebrows shot up in amused surprise, as he demanded, "When did dancing come into this?"
"Since I just mentioned it," she returned promptly before, with a sultry, persuasive look, she aid, "Come on Cowboy, dance with me!"
"Why?" Nick returned, quirking an eyebrow. Truthfully, he wouldn't mind at all dancing with this woman-not only was she incredibly attractive, but her sharp wit was interesting and amusing and it kept him from thoughts about the coffin-plus, it's always fun to tease.
"Well because," she answered with a sexy pout, "It's my birthday and I want you to."
"Shouldn't you be out with friends and family then?"
"Don't have any here in Vegas," she explained with a grimace, tapping the heels of her white sneakers against the bar to the beat of the music pumping from the stereos, "I moved to Vegas about a month ago-I'm originally from Canada. An, since I'm a children's author, I don't meet any other people through my job or anything." She paused a moment before suddenly asking, "So, how bout you Cowboy? What job is it that you do that makes you miserable enough to sit for an hour and drink by yourself-but not get drunk?"
"My name is Nick," he said, ignoring her other question for the moment, giving her a charming smile, "Nicholas Stokes."
"Verona Cooper," She smiled, holding out a delicately boned hand, "But, for God's sake, call me Ronnie. Now answer my question-please."
Nick grinned at her curiosity, answering, "I'm a Crime Scene Investigator for the Las Vegas PD."
"Oh, like on TV?" Ronnie asked eagerly, eyes bright with curiosity.
"Kind of," he laugh, unable not to faced with her childlike attitude.
"Cool," Ronnie grinned, before suddenly hopping of the bar, catching hold of his hand to exclaim, "Come dance with me!"
Nick laughed at her childlike-ness again, replacing his now-empty beer bottle on the bar. Standing, he allowed Ronnie to lead him out on the floor as a slow, crooning love song started. Despite his hour-long visit to the bar, Nick wasn't drunk-just slightly tipsy.
Ronnie grinned flirtatiously, slipping her arms up and around his neck unabashedly. Nick couldn't help but grin at her boldness, resting his arms comfortably around her waist. Ronnie was quite the enigma-one moment asking questions with a childish curiosity and the next giving him sultry looks that made his pants tighten-and Nick couldn't help but feel drawn to her.
"So Cowboy," she began, resting her head against his shoulder, "What about being a 'Crime Scene Investigator' caused you to fall into such a funk?"
"It wasn't my job," Nick answered vaguely, slowly revolving them in small circles.
"No?" Ronnie murmured, snuggling her body up closer to his-all the while delighting in the delicious shivers that ran through her body at his touch.
"Nah," Nick sighed, resting his chin against her hair, saying, "I don't really know why I'm telling you this, since I don't talk about it to anyone-probably the alcohol- but about two months ago I was kidnapped by a guy who had a grudge against the CSIs. He-uh-he buried me alive in a Plexiglas coffin for almost 24 hours and I was-uh- I was attacked by fire ants while I was still in the-there."
"Oh, Nick," Ronnie murmured softly, leaning back to stroke a gentle hand down his face as the pair unconsciously stopped all movement, "You poor darling."
"'M alright," Nick mumbled, quirking his mouth up in a futile attempt at a half smile, but his haunted eyes gave him away.
"No you're not," Ronnie refuted calmly, returning her head to it's place on Nick's shoulder-where it fit perfectly- "But that's okay, you can't be expected to be okay just yet."
Nick frowned thoughtfully, reclaiming his position of leaning his chin against her curly hair, asking, "What do you mean?"
Ronnie shrugged, smiling inwardly at the rumble that reverberated through Nick's chest when he spoke, "You've been through a hell of an ordeal, Cowboy, you can't be expected-or expect- to just jump back to your old self."
"You speaking from experience?" Nick asked gently, perceptive as always.
"Yea." Nick tightened his arms around Ronnie as he heard the almost imperceptible waver in her voice, but, after a steadying breath, she continued calmly, "Wh-When I was 16, I was attacked on my way home from school. The man beat me to within an i-inch of my life, and then he r-raped me."
"Oh go Ronnie," Nick moaned in sympathy, pulling her even closer and dropping a kiss to the side of her head, feeling his heart break for this poor woman who drew him to her like a moth to the flame.
Ronnie sighed, resting her head more comfortably into his shoulder as she finished, "I was-um-I was pregnant, but I miscarried the baby within a month because my injuries were so severe. It took me almost 6 months to recover physically and emotionally- it still hurts sometimes, thinking about the baby I lost, the injuries I had to endure, but it gets easier to deal with."
Nick sighed, kissing her again as he asked rhetorically, "We're quite the pair, aren't we, babe?"
Ronnie laughed, tilting her head back to see him and drawing in a sharp breath as their eyes met. Two pairs of haunted eyes connected and the air between them was electric. Desire flared in both and, hungrily, Nick captured Ronnie's lips with his own.
Ronnie moaned sensuously as Nick's tongue took her mouth, her hands moving up to tangle in his dark hair. Nick's own hands traveled, one falling to cup her shapely behind while the other splayed across the smooth, exposed skin of her back, pushing her body more fully into his.
"My place?" Nick asked with a moan, breaking their lip-lock, to trail kisses along Ronnie's neck.
Ronnie moaned at the contact of his lips on her skin, but her hands came up to splay across his chest, pushing him away gently as she breathlessly commanded, "Nick, wait."
Nick groaned, but obediently pulled away from Ronnie. His hands pulled away from her body to run down his face as he croaked, "God, Ronnie, I'm sorry."
"I'm not," Ronnie said, still slightly breathless, with her hands still on his chest, "But there's something I have to tell you Nick, before this goes any further."
Nick's hands dropped from his face, resting unconsciously on her hips as he asked in concern, "What is it?"
Ronnie's eyes dropped, plucking nervously at the fabric covering his chest, "When I started talking to you earlier, I didn't think it would go this far-I just thought you looked so lonely and could use someone to talk to." She babbled, before biting her lip nervously and then blurting, "I have a daughter.
Nick gaped slightly down at her and Ronnie hastily continued, "My ex- and I broke up the same year she was born. It was amicable, but I have custody because he's not exactly a kid-person." Weakly, she added, "She's 4."
"What's her name?" Nick asked softly.
"Maddie. Madigan Verona Cooper-Mathews."
"Where is she now?"
"She's staying with her father in Los Angeles until I get settled in." Ronnie answered eyes still downcast.
"So then I have you all to myself," Nick grinned, tugging Ronnie's body back into his and bending his head to nibble sensuously at her ear.
"Wait!" Ronnie said, pushing back slightly to see into his eyes, "You're not…mad? Or going to leave?"
Nick shrugged his shoulders, answering honestly, "Normally, I probably would, but you've made me feel more better about myself in one night than I've been since I was buried. So I figure-what the hell? It's worth a try."
"Good," Ronnie grinned, back to her bold-self, "Because you so can't back out after a kiss like that. Now-your place."
The two left quickly, Ronnie held protectively against Nick's body by his arm around her waist. After a brief argument, Ronnie got into the driver's side of Nick's Tahoe(having taken a cab to the club) since she'd drunk considerably less than Nick-one cooler to his three beers.
After Nick's-accurate- directions, she pulled into his apartment complex. Slipping his arm back around Ronnie's slim waist, and running his fingers tantalizingly up her bare side, Nick led her up to his apartment.
Nick pushed her up against the door of his apartment, crashing his lips against her lips and pressing her between the door and his body. One hand rested just below her breasts while the other fumbled to insert the key into the lock without the aid of his eyes-or concentration. Finally succeeding, the two stumbled into Nick's apartment, still locked together.
Nick kicked the door shut with his foot, locking it with one hand while his other hand rested on Ronnie's butt, pulling her into him. Breaking form the kiss, Ronnie pulled Nick's shirt up over his head. As her eyes feasted upon Nick's chiseled upper torso, Ronnie moaned, kicking off her shoes, before pushing Nick back into the door.
Nick moaned as Ronnie's lips traveled over his chest, his hands untying the knot in her shirt. Forgoing the buttons, Nick pulled her shirt up over her head, leaving her in her lacy black bra. Nick moaned at the sight as Ronnie's hands joined her lips in her exploration of Nick's chest.
Nick's hands came up to the nape of her neck, pulling her face upward to meet their lips in a hungry kiss. Unable to control himself any longer, Nick pulled away from the door, both hands resting just under her buttocks. With a groan as Ronnie's tongue flitted between his lips, Nick lifted Ronnie ups and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Moving his lips to trail kisses along Ronnie's neck, he carried her into the bedroom, quickly dispensing the rest of their clothing.
They lay in a tangle of sheets and sweaty limbs afterwards. Nick was lying full-length on his back, with one arm tucked under his head and the other holding Ronnie close. Ronnie lay on her side, with her head on Nick's chest one leg flung possessively over both of his. The sheet was tangled around their waists.
Nick idly curled the bottom of a curly brown strand between his fingertips as the two lapsed into an easy conversation about anything and everything, just wanting to get to know each other better.
"I'm the second youngest of four." Ronnie said, answering his question, "And the most responsible. Growing up wasn't really a picnic-my dad was an alcoholic-apparently because my mom was a workaholic, and his alcoholism was her excuse for being at work so much. So, usually, it was just me and the boys-did I mention I'm the only girl? Well, now I did.
"First there's Mark, four years my senior-he's an independent mechanic with his own garage. Then Aiden, a year younger than him-he's a Homicide Detective. Growing up, Mark and Aiden got the brunt of the damage from Mom and Dad, since they're older, and they're kind of cold to everyone but each other and occasionally me and Scott-who's two years younger than me, construction foreman and my best friend. My family all lives in Canada except for me and Scott-who actually lives here in Vegas too." She explained, "What about you?
"The youngest of 7," he answered, laughing slightly at her sympathetic grimace, "And I'm the second of only 2 boys. Zack's the oldest at 9 years older than me. April and Summer are twins 7 years older, with Margaret two years after them and then Jill a year behind her. Laura is two years younger than Jill and two years older than me."
"Ooh, did they dress you up in frilly dresses and make-up?" Ronnie giggled teasingly.
"No," Nick said, too-quickly.
"Ooh, did they call you Nicole?" she teased, eyes dancing with laughter.
Nick growled, amusement in his own eyes, moving swiftly to pin her to the bed as he began to tickle her. Squeals and laughter soon filled the room.
XoXoXoXoXo
A/N I know it's late but oh well! I also have another pre-Bodies in Motion that will be coming up sometime soon.
Feedback is totally appreciated and please be gentle-this is my first CSI fic, but I think I did pretty good. What do YOU think? Hmm? Let me know!
"My love,
Red