I apologize for the delay, and I'll try to update a little more frequently in the future.
Catherine followed Sara out the door and found her at the end of the building, sitting on a wooden bench, snuffling.
"Aw, Sara, it's ok. Nick was just being stupid, like always. But, I'm sure he didn't mean it." Sara's tear stained face peeked at Catherine from behind her hands.
"Do you think so?" She asked in-between sobs.
"Of course. Sure, sometimes he seems like a big bully, but you know what?" She lowered her voice down to a dramatic whisper, "Know what he told me? He's just a big softie." After she made sure that Sara was laughing once more, Catherine continued. "Yup! He sure did. Even told how he once," she looked around to see if anybody else was spying on them, "covered you with a blanket when you fell asleep." Sara's grin was wide and toothy as she beamed up at Catherine. Her tear stained face was slowly returning back to its original color and the sniffling subsided.
"Hey, Cath?"
"Yea?"
"Thanks." Sara jumped up from the bench and the girls were instantly enveloping each other in big bear hugs.
"Hey Sara?
"Yea?"
"How about that ice-cream?" Sara's eyes lit up as she remembered the frozen treat that must've been waiting for her at the ice-cream shop. "Come on," Catherine offered her crooked arm, and the girls, linked by the elbow, walked back to the shop.
Sara was a bit hesitant, standing on front of the door, but Catherine gave her a gentle push and she once again stepped into the dimly lit shop. Her fears were forgotten for a moment as she saw the glistening treat on the table. No one had tasted a drop. Well, Warrick had stuck his finger in the warm chocolate that oozed down his ice-cream, but besides that, no one had dared try a drop.
"Hey there, Sar," Warrick spoke up. "we waited for you." He grinned sheepishly and put a metal spoon into Sara's ice-cream.
"Thanks Warrick." She replied, plopping down by Grissom and flashing him the smallest of smiles. Grissom's cheeks flared a deep pink but before anyone noticed he excused himself and rushed off to the bathroom.
"Aww, Sara, you made Grissom blush." Catherine fiercely whispered into her ear.
"Yea," the little girl replied with a giggle, "I guess I did."
A half a bowl of ice-cream later, Sara began to get a little worried. Grissom had still not come back.
"Cath," the young girl chirped, "did Grissom say where he was going?" Catherine expectantly turned to the spot in front of which stood a melting heap of ice-cream and shrugged her shoulders. "Ok, well, I'll be right back." Sara slowly got up from her table and pushed in her chair. After walking a few steps into the general direction of the bathrooms, Sara wheeled around, scooped a little mound of ice-cream with her finger, and giggled innocently as the finger vanished inside her mouth.
"Be righ' back." She mumbled through the icy dessert and skipped away. Warrick just shook his head and laughed at the retreating Sara. He immediately concentrated on his ice-cream however, when Catherine gave him a smart poke in the ribs. Watching all of this, Nick let out a repressed chuckle.
"Hey man, what are you laughing at?"
"Uhhh you." Nick dead panned. Warrick made a grimacing face towards Nick's direction before inconspicuously flicking a chocolate chip at Nick's head.
"Heeeeey!" Nick wailed and immediately enveloped his spoon in chocolate. He held the tail of the spoon in between 2 fingers, and precariously tilted the head backwards before releasing it with a swish. Chocolate landed on Warrick's face and shirt with a resounding splat. Warrick was in shock. He just sat there, staring at his chocolate covered hands in disbelief. It was Catherine's turn to wail.
"Nick! You got chocolate all over my shirt. It's brand new Nick. I JUST got it." Tears welled up in the little girl's eyes.
"Now look what you've done." Warrick scolded and started rubbing chocolate off of Catherine's shirt.
"Hey, you started it." Nick defended. Catherine slapped Warrick's hand away and looked at her shirt with new disbelief.
"What was that for?" Warrick demanded, massaging his stinging hand. Narrowing her eyes dangerously, Catherine abruptly stood up, pointed at her shirt and loudly shrilled.
"You've made it worse!" She continued pointing at the now dark, brown smears.
"I was only trying to help," he pleaded.
"Just look at it," Catherine sniffled, "I just...sniffle just got it yesterday too." She half mumbled to herself before throwing another pair of dirty looks at the boys and stomping off in search of Sara.
TBC...feedback is greatly appreciated