A Nightmare in Seattle

Pairing: Sara and Nick (Snickers)

Nick has nightmares about his last encounter with Nigel. Deanna invites him to have some tea and discussion

A/N: Nick's nightmare is in italics.

A/N2: I tried my best not to copy the dialogue between Nick and Nigel verbatim from the show.

Disclaimer: I don't own Nick, Sara, or any other CSI: Vegas character. I own the character Deanna and the other Seattle CSIs.

Nick's Nightmares and Tea with Deanna

(Nightmare sequence begins)

Nick was walking in his house. He had a small bandage on his forehead and a brace on his wrist. He was holding his gun with his good hand calling out Morris Pearson's name a few times and no answer. Suddenly, a body comes crashing down through the ceiling and Nigel Crane jumped down. Nick dropped his gun after ceiling collapsed and tried to retrieve it, but Nigel got to it first.

"You have to be careful of who you let in here," Nigel said. "The guy was snooping around here."

"You are wearing my clothes," Nick observed Nigel waltzing around the house shutting the blinds.

"Yeah, I get confused about what's yours and what's mine," Nigel said.

"Refresh my memory," Nick said. "I am confused. When did we meet?"

"Sports package, 150 channels and I threw in some movie channels for free," Nigel said. "We talked for hours and we clicked."

"You installed my cable," Nick remembered. "What about Jane Galloway?"

"She was cool," Nigel perked up. "I dyed her red since I know you love redheads, like your prom date Melissa. I posed Jane just like Melissa was barfing her guts out. You said her name in your sleep."

"You've watched me sleep," Nick couldn't believe that someone really invaded his privacy.

Nigel turned to the Morris Pearson's body and looked at Nick.

"Do you want to open him up?" Nigel asked.

"No, that's what a coroner does," Nick calmly replied as he painfully squatted due to the cracked ribs. "I am a criminalist. You ought to know that."

"Are you humoring me?" Nigel asked. "You know we became buddies that day and you ignored me. I was right in your face and you blew me off. Nick, get up!"

Ignoring his painful ribs, Nick rose up and saw Nigel pointing the gun at his face. Panic swept throughout body and was immediately reminded of Amy Hendler. Tears were starting to form in his eyes.

(End nightmare sequence)

Nick woke up screaming and breathing heavily. He sat up, turned on the lamp and looked around his surroundings. He realized that he was in a guest room of his cousin Deanna's house and that helped calm him slightly. Suddenly the door of the room opened and he screamed. Deanna entered the room with a look of genuine concern on her face. She walked towards the bed and sat on the edge.

"Nicky, what's wrong?" she asked.

"I had a horrible nightmare," he said with panic in his voice. "Nigel was in my house and tormenting me. I woke up before the fracas got worse."

Deanna hugged him and allowed him to cry. She gently rubbed his back.

"Shh, Nicky, it's okay, you are safe here," she reassured him. "There's absolutely no way in hell Nigel would enter my house. If he dares to, he would be on the receiving end of a couple of volts by a Tazer or a tranquilizing dart. Maybe if he'd step on the tail of Earl the psycho cat, he would be scratched."

He stopping crying, pulled himself out the embrace and grabbed a tissue from the box to wipe his eyes and nose. He started to laugh which confused her.

"Nicky, why are you laughing now?" she asked.

"I don't think Earl the psycho cat would be a good weapon of choice," he chuckled. "Nigel would take pleasure in getting tortured by a little feline."

"Would you like some tea?" she offered. "You could discuss this nightmare with me if you want to."

"I'd like that," he smiled and got up from bed. "Do you still have that assortment of loose leaf teas?"

"Of course I do," she protested. "I'm not to going let that beautiful teapot that my in-laws gave Zach and me for our first anniversary go to waste. What kind of tea do you want? I'll throw in some biscotti imported from Italy."

"That chamomile and lemongrass blend sounds suitable for now," he beamed.

"That's my favorite to drink after having a nightmare," she chuckled.

When they went down to the kitchen, Deanna filled a kettle with water, placed it on the stove and turned it on. She opened a cabinet door to find a small metal tin labeled 'Chamomile and Lemongrass Blend'. Nick sat at the kitchen table observing his cousin pouring some of the boiling water into the teapot and pouring it out after a few moments. She put two small spoonfuls of the tea into the pot and poured the rest of the water from the kettle. While allowing the tea to infuse, she took out two teacups, saucers and teaspoons and placed them at the table. She took out a small serving plate, put a few biscotti on it and placed it in the middle of the table. She filled a tiny pitcher with milk, took out a small container of sugar and a squeeze bottle of honey and placed those near the biscotti. She finally brought the teapot to the table and sat down.

"Do you want milk before I pour your tea?" Deanna asked.

"No thanks," Nick smiled. "You know that I love to drink coffee and ice tea. Sometimes, I don't mind drinking herbal teas."

"I love drinking coffee, too," she smirked. "I used to enjoy drinking sweetened iced tea while I was growing up. When I first came to Seattle, I tried it unsweetened and I didn't miss the simple syrup or sugar. My advice is never ever drink ice green tea unsweetened. That is the nastiest shit ever and I don't like it sweetened either. However, Starbucks has a green tea frappuccino that tastes awesome, almost like green tea ice cream."

"I'll keep that in mind," he said in between bites and sips.

"So Nicky, tell me what was in that nightmare?" she asked after taking a slow sip of her tea.

"It was sometime after Warrick and Sara brought me home after I was released from the hospital," he said after he took a deep breath. "I had just taken a pain pill and wanted to rest my sore body before this nightmare began. Morris Pearson was already in my house telling me I was in danger. I went looking for him since he disappeared after Gil Grissom called to warn me about Nigel Crane at my place. I had my gun with me as I searched for that psychic. Suddenly, his body came crashing through my ceiling and caused me to drop my gun. Nigel came down as I tried to get it back and he grabbed it first. I noticed that he was wearing my clothes and he started talking horse shit with me."

"That fucking sociopath installed your cable!" she gasped.

"He did," he shrugged. "Anyway, he was asking me if I could open the body. I told him that it was what a coroner would do. Suddenly, I see that he has my gun pointed at my face. I woke up screaming and crying."

"Oh Nicky, that bastard really got to you," she shook her head. "And it's all because you wanted digital cable. I am not blaming you for 150 channels, but the son of bitch that put you through so much hell should be at fault. I can't believe that Luna Cable doesn't screen their employees for psychiatric issues. Nigel shouldn't have been installing cable, but somewhere in the office away from people."

"So if he comes here," he said. "He'll be met with several volts from a Tazer or a rendered unconscious by a tranquilizing dart. Why not glue his face to his crotch and roll his sad ass out of here like you threatened to do to that Bernie guy back in the crime lab?"

"Bernie is a harmless, but irritating, asshole," she chuckled. "On the other hand, Nigel is a psycho who needs to be dealt with more aggressive manner."

Nick and Deanna spent the next half an hour sipping their tea, eating biscotti, talking, joking and softly laughing. When they were finished, Nick helped Deanna clean up and put things away. Another half an hour later, he was back in bed fast asleep enjoying sweet dreams about Sara.

TBC

Post Chapter A/N: Reviews are always appreciated for this and my other stories! Just click on my name and then the story. So remember to tip your waiters/waitress and I will be here whenever I can!