1 year later

It was exactly one year since Sara and Nick started dating. The same goes for Warrick and Catherine.

It was also time for the annual crime lab summer party. They had it every year. Everyone who worked in the crime lab was invited. They could also bring their family members. They always had a huge barbeque, with games. They even had fireworks at the end of the evening. Everyone always has loads of fun on that one special day. This year it was being held on a big field behind an arena.

"Mom, I'm gonna go talk to some other kids."

"Sure Linds." Catherine replied to her daughter. She could see a group of girls and boys who looked Lindsey's age. That was where Lindsey was headed.

Catherine, Nick, Sara, Grissom, Greg, Warrick, Jim, Al and his wives were all standing in a circle talking.

Sara had recovered from the flu and the allergic reaction from the year before and was now sickness free. She made sure not to take any Advil again.

But sadly, she and Nick were no longer together. The two had moved in together but one day Sara moved out. They had been fighting a lot and just weren't getting along. Inside Nick was heart broken but he thought that Sara seemed happier without him in her life so he decided to leave their relationship alone. When she had left, he didn't go after her. He regretted this decision every day, knowing that he couldn't change the past, he let it go. He had to move on with his life. And thats what he planned to do. It was awkward between them now at work but the awkwardness was staring to fade away. It had to. It had been two months since the break up and life was starting to go back to normal.

Warrick and Catherine on the other hand were still happily together. Warrick hadn't proposed yet but the three of them Warrick, Catherine and Lindsey were now living together. Warrick had moved into Catherine's house three months earlier. Just around the same time Sara had moved in with Nick actually.

"She sure is growing up Catherine." Doc Al Robbins said referring to Lindsey.

"I know. It was like she was just a baby yesterday. My girl is growing up."

"Is she ever. She even has her first boyfriend." Warrick said.

"Well she calls him her "male friend" but we know better." Catherine said while looking over at Lindsey.

"You let her date already Catherine?" Gil asked.

"Oh well its not anything serious. I don't mind that. And we've laid down the rules too. They never go out just themselves. They always go out in groups. And that I think is perfectly fine."

Al nodded his head while thinking about his kids growing up.

"It's a really hot day. Hotter than I expected it to be." Sara said.

"I know. They were calling for sun with cloudy periods but I've only seen the sun." Jim chimed in.

"Yeah, I'm glad Lindsey convinced me to ware shorts. Otherwise, I'd be dying of heat." Catherine said.

"I know. But don't complain. It's nice having such a hot day. We haven't had any days like this lately." Nick said while thinking about the weather they had been getting for the past week. Lots of rain and cloudy periods.

"I'm gonna go get a hot dog. Anybody want anything?" Catherine asked the group.

"I'll take one." Warrick said.

"I'll second that." Came from Sara."

"Me too." Greg said.

"I guess I'll have one." Said Grissom.

"Yeah grab me one too." Jim said.

"All right, I'll have one." Nick said.

"I will too, Catherine." The doc said.

Catherine looked at them as if they were crazy. "You want me to carry eight hot dogs back with only two hands."

"Shes got a point. Lets just go get them ourselves." Grissom said.

The group all started to walk toward the four barbeques that had been set up when they ran into their favorite person . . . Conrad Ecklie.

"Hello Gil." He said. Standing beside him was his wife.

"Hello Conrad. How are you two today?" Gil said back while giving a nod to Ecklie's wife.

"Were fine Gil." He said, not letting his wife speak. "Are all of you enjoying this day?"

"Yes we are. It's great that we have this every year." Catherine said.

"I guess, but I think we should be in the crime lab working." Ecklie said firmly.

Sara thought to herself, What does he mean "we"? Were the only ones that work. He just roams the halls waiting to catch us for doing something were not supposed to. What an asshole.

"But anyways I'll let you guys get back to having fun." Ecklie said this and then he and his wife walked on past them.

"Damn, that man ticks me off." Catherine murmured under her breath.

When they got to the table with the food, they each grabbed a napkin and put on it, a hot dog. At the table, Nick and Sara bumped into each other, causing a rush to flow through Nick's body. He didn't know this at the time but Sara had a little rush of her own. They each put on their toppings and headed back to where they had been standing before. They all sat down on the grass and started to eat.

"Whos suppling all the food this year?" Sara asked no one in particular.

"The crime lab I'm assuming." Grissom said.

Doc Al Robbins stood up as did his wife and said, "Well guys we're gonna go now."

"See ya." They all said.

The two then left, taking their hot dogs with them. Then it was just them left sitting on the ground eating and talking.

Catherine had her arm resting on Warrick leg. Nick was only wishing that was what Sara would do to him but as she had told him. It was over.

All of a sudden Greg's cell phone started ringing.

"Hello." He said into the tiny phone. He then mouthed to Nick and Warrick, "It's her." And got up. He then walked a little ways away from the group.

"What was that about?" Jim asked Nick and Warrick.

"Oh he has a new girl. He is head over heels for her too. But he was with the last two too." Warrick answered him.

"Where does he meet them all?" Grissom pondered aloud.

"Well he said that his friend introduced him to this one." Nick said after he finished chewing a bite of his hot dog.

Catherine shook her head while smiling to herself. She wanted to laugh at Greg. Dating came so easily for him. She wished she had that much luck when she was his age. But she shouldn't complain. Now she was with whom she considered to be the perfect man.

"I'm done. I'm gonna go put my thingy in the garbage." Sara said.

"You're thingy?" Said Catherine.

"Oh whatever you know what I mean. My napkin." She said back while smiling. "Anybody else done?"

"I am. I'll come too." Nick said.

Catherine noticed that Grissom was about to say possibly that he was done too but just in time she stopped him. Grissom was sitting on the other side of her. When he opened his mouth to speak, Catherine took her hand and squeezed his leg with force.

"No takers. Kay then, be right back." Sara said as she and Nick left to go.

"What was that for?" Grissom said once Nick and Sara were out of earshot.

"Hello, did you not know about those two. They were dating but then they broke up."

"Yeah so." He replied back still not understanding.

"Well I was talking to Sara earlier and she told me that she thought she had made a mistake in leaving Nick. If they're alone together, who knows what could happen."

Grissom then nodded and said, "Okay I get it now . . . but you still didn't have to squeeze me so hard."

"Jim laughed and said, "Come on Gil, a girl didn't hurt you did her."

Warrick joined in and said, "Griss, I can hook you up with a good karate instructor if you want so that next time you can fight her off." Catherine now started laughing as did Warrick. Grissom tried not to laugh but then he did.

Just then Greg came walking back looking sad.

He sat down without saying a word, which is very unlike Greg.

"Man whats wrong?" Warrick asked him.

"She broke up with me."

"Over the phone?" Jim questioned.

"Yeah."

"Sorry buddy, I know you really liked this one." Warrick said with sympathy.

"Yeah."

"Your not gonna leave are you?" Catherine said.

"And miss the fireworks. No way!" He said with a smile

"Fireworks could only make our Greg Sanders feel better about a breakup." Catherine said while laughing.

"Isn't that the truth." Jim said also laughing.

While they had been talking and laughing, Nick and Sara had been making their way to the garbage cans to throw their garbage out.

Sara had secretly been hoping that he would come with her. They needed to talk. She could only hope that he would want to though.

"Nick, um . . . well um, I was kinda wondering if maybe we could talk."

He knew what was coming. She wanted to talk about them but he decided to act clueless. He didn't want her to know any more then she already did about how much he was wanting her back.

"Sure Sara. What did you wanna talk about?"

"Um, well us."

"Okay what about us?"

They put their stuff in the garbage can then Sara led him around to the other side of the arena where they were alone. No one else was there but them.

"Nick, I understand if you don't wanna talk about this but I think I made a mistake when I left."

She paused and waited for him to speak, when he didn't she went on.

"So anyway, I've . . . well I've been thinking a lot lately and I understand if you don't want to take me back and all but it's just that . . ."

"Sara, stop!" Nick said this with more force than he had intended. He saw in her eyes that he had hurt her.

"Sara, you want to be with me, right?" He said while taking her hands into his.

"Yes, Nick I . . ."

"Then thats all we need to know."

He took her into his arms and immediately started passionately kissing her. She kissed him back with just as much passion, maybe even more. She was in his arms and that was all that mattered.

Finally he broke the kiss and said, "We should probably get back. They won't know where we went."

"Oh they're CSIs. They can figure it out." She said with a smile on her face. She then pulled him back in to receive another kiss.

Their kiss lasted for about ten seconds when they pulled apart again.

"I really think we should go back now. We wouldn't want to miss anything now would we." Nick said with a smirk on his face.

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Maybe something unexpected."

I'm a CSI. I'm not stupid. What do you know that I don't?"

"You'll figure it out eventually."

"Nick come on. Tell me, please." She gave him puppy eyes after she said this.

"Tempting, but you'll have to wait."

"No fair but I'll still love you even if you won't tell me."

"Thats good because I'd rather not lose you again."

"I don't think you will." She said while looking directly into his eyes. She loved his eyes. They were always so welcoming and warm.

He bent down and kissed her on her forehead. He was so happy right now to know that he had his girl back.

"All right lets go back." Nick said to Sara.

They walked hand and hand back to where the night shift was. Jim had left so it was only Catherine, Warrick, Greg and Grissom who were still sitting on the ground.

"Nine minutes and thirty-six seconds. I didn't know it took that long to drop something into a garbage can." Catherine said with a smirk.

"You timed us?" Sara asked her.

"Yeah, of course I did." Then she noticed that they were holding hands. "So are we a couple again?"

"Ding, ding, ding. And we have our winner." Nick replied smiling.

"Yay! Now where is my prize." Catherine replied also smiling.

Everyone was laughing and having a good old time for the next hour.

Then Warrick said, "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" Catherine asked him.

"Oh um, just to the bathroom." Warrick then hurried away from their as fast as he could. He was bound and determined not to ruin the surprise. He set off to find Lindsey.

He looked around for about three minutes until he spotted her. She was sitting with a few other teenagers. Probably children of others who worked at the lab.

He waved her over to him. She got up and ran to him smiling.

"Now?" She asked?

"Now?" He replied.

"Yippie. This is so exciting. Did you tell mom that you were coming to find me?"

"No, that would make her suspicious. I told her I was going to the bathroom."

She laughed and said, "And how long have you been gone?"

"About five minutes."

She laughed again and said, "So when you get back, are you gonna tell her you were constipated and that was what took you so long."

"No. I'm gonna propose." He said with a smile. God, I love this kid.

"Okay, so do I go over with you now?"

"Yeah sure why not."

"Okay. Oh gosh, I'm so excited. She is gonna be so happy. I can't wait to see the look on her face."

"I know but you have to keep a straight face. All right."

"I'll try." She said with a huge tooth showing grin.

The two walked back over to where everyone was sitting and Lindsey said to her mom, "Mom, stand up for a sec. I wanna show you something."

She only did this so that her mother would be standing for the proposal so that Warrick could get down on one knee.

"Linds, were not leaving yet hun." Catherine said looking confused but still getting up anyway. The second Catherine was standing, Lindsey went over and sat down beside Nick. Nick knew about the proposal. Warrick had told him about it.

"Linds, I though you wanted to show me something." Catherine said even more confused.

"No mom, I don't but Warrick does." She said with a smirk.

Nick and Lindsey both were wearing smiles on their faces that couldn't be any bigger if they tried. Sara, Grissom and Greg on the other hand were looking just as confused as Catherine. They had been kept completely in the dark about the proposal.

Catherine looked at Warrick with suspicion in her eyes.

Then Warrick got down on one knee.

Catherine's mouth dropped open and her eyes widened. She knew what was about to happen.

"Catherine." Warrick began, "I love you so much. I can't imagine my life without you and Lindsey. You're my best friend and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you Catherine. Will you marry me?"

By now, every pair of eyes were on Catherine and Warrick. Lindsey included. She was trying so hard not to squeal.

"Of course I will!" Catherine's voice was filled with happiness.

Warrick slid the ring onto her finger and stood up.

Catherine looked at the ring and said "Warrick this ring must have cost you fortune. Really you didn't have to go . . ."

"Mom stop babbling on about the ring. Shut up and kiss the guy." Lindsey said smiling.

Catherine smiled at her daughter and then she and Warrick were embraced in each other's arms. Catherine kissed him on the lips and then that was it, Lindsey couldn't hold it in for any longer. She squealed. She was so happy for her mother.

An applause rose up throughout the crowd. Catherine and Warrick kissed each other again but not for long. Lindsey ran over to her mother and hugged her.

"You knew all along didn't you." Catherine asked her.

"Yeah. I did all I could to not spill."

Catherine gave her daughter another hug and then Lindsey went over to hug Warrick.

Catherine got hugs from Nick, Greg, Sara, Grissom and many more, as did Warrick. Nick and Lindsey were even hugging each other. They had known the whole time and couldn't say a word. Both of them were so happy.

Warrick stood with his arm around Catherine while the couple was congratulated many times by various people.

Everybody was so happy. Nick and Sara were back together. Catherine and Warrick were engaged to be married and Lindsey was just plain, old happy about everything.

Even though Greg got dumped by his girlfriend, he was still happy because he was going to see the fireworks.

Everyone agreed. This was the happiest day of their lives.

The End