It had been three weeks since Nick had told Catherine what had happened in the car. She had told him not to worry about it and if he needed her just to call. He felt relieved that he had finally told someone just what was going on inside. He didn't think that he could leave it alone anymore.
He was glad that she hadn't been repulsed of disgusted at what had happened, instead the opposite. She had at first looked shocked but then she looked as if someone had done it to her, she empathized and didn't sympathize, she had allowed him to talk it out instead of babying him, she had let him cry and held him instead of laughing, she supported him but didn't feel sorry for him. It made Nick realize just how much Catherine cared and it made him a happier person, he knew that Catherine understood him and understood his feelings although he told her it made him scared. She had told him…
"Love, when it happens is always scary, its such a big thing it makes you scared in case you mess it up, it makes you scared when it goes right" she said as they sat in the café down the street from the crime lab "Hell it makes you scared every day" Catherine looked at Nick "But don't be scared of letting it in, don't be scared of being you or of what other people think, that's all part of it. If you're too scared to let love in then how do you know if what you feel is the real deal?"
"I guess" sighed Nick "But you know what's really scaring me?" he smiled
"What?"
"Just how romantic you were just there" Nick laughed "New friend?"
Catherine shook her head "Nope. I guess I just feel love in the air"
"You sure it's not the coffee?" Nick glanced at her cup
Catherine gasped open mouthed "Actually its valentines day next week"
Nick groaned, "Don't remind me"
"You don't like valentines day?"
"Don't act all surprised. No actually I'm not a fan"
"Ah, I see" she smiled nodding knowingly
"See what?"
"The reason for your distain"
"Oh really"
She nodded "Bad valentines experience or BVE's as I like to call 'em"
"Now that sounds like a woman scorned, do I detect a hint of experience?"
Catherine laughed "Ha. Try a lifetimes worth, I swear nothing could be as bad as my experiences" She looked at Nick with anticipation
He knew what she wanted "Uh-uh you first"
"Okay well one year I got no card, nothing. Actually most years which suited me fine because it was Eddie right?"
"Right"
"So this one year he gets me flowers, candy, a card, lingerie that whole nine yards"
"That's a bad experience?" Nick asked surprised
"Oh yeah when a guy who doesn't get you squat on any special day suddenly turns up and has gone way OTT on valentines day, you know something's going on. So anyway turns out he'd been sleeping with some tramp. So yeah many bad experiences" she looked at Nick "So?"
"What?"
"Spill"
Nick sighed "Okay. I got sent a card one year when I was in high school, from my friend"
Catherine nodded "Girl? Guy?" Nick looked at her "Ah okay"
"So" continued Nick "I hide it from my folks because lets face it either way they aint liking it right"
"Right"
"So anyway turns out my friend did it for a joke and I thought it was genuine so I respond. Nice card with a nice verse. Next thing I know the whole school knows, my folks hear things and one thing leads to another and to cut a long story short I end up with a black eye and a few stitches"
Catherine looked shocked "Oh. Did I say mine were bad?"
"Yes"
"Okay well they aren't yours is worse"
"Gee thanks"
Catherine smiled "Maybe this year will be a good one for you"
"I doubt that very much"
"Oh really. So no card for a certain person?"
"Cath come on can you imagine what people would say, anyway they aren't interested"
"Nick come on I've seen you two remember"
"Yeah but I"
"Can it. You mister are sending a card even if I have to write it myself"
"How can you write an anonymous card from me?"
"I have my ways" Catherine smiled
"Oh I believe that you do" Nick nodded
"Very good idea" Catherine grinned beginning to devise a plan in her head to make this year the best valentines day ever
Catherine, Nick, Warrick and Sara sat in the break room after their shift.
"So" began Catherine "Everybody going to the party next week?"
She received a round of non-verbalized nods
"Okay" she looked at them all "So anyone bringing a date?"
Nick winced, Sara shrugged and looked to the floor whilst Warrick opened his mouth and sat for a second looking like a bewildered goldfish before reconsidering and closing his mouth.
"Right" sighed Catherine
They sat there in contemplation for what seemed like an eternity but which was in fact in reality about 2 minutes before Greg came bounding in.
He stopped in the doorway and looked at the group of CSIs "A party for me?" he exclaimed "You guys" he stepped over to the coffee pot
On hearing his voice Nick had flinched a little and had glanced up at his face, almost instantly lightening when he saw that it was actually Greg.
Catherine looked at Greg and then glanced at Nick, noticing how his eyes looked more alive now that Greg was there. She smiled and turned around so that she could see Greg.
"So" she smiled "Will you be gracing us with your presence next week?"
Greg spun around a coffee mug in his hand and leant back onto the bench "Of course" he grinned "A party without moi? The free bar would get lonely"
This caused the CSIs to chuckle
"So tell us Greg" Warrick interrupted "Will we have the pleasure of meeting this special lady you've been hooked on these past few months?"
Greg smiled. Catherine turned to see Warrick as he spoke and as she turned back to Greg she saw Nick's face drop and she swore she had heard his heart crack
"Well" began Greg "That would depend"
"On what?" asked Sara
"Upon whether or not my feelings were reciprocated" Greg took a drink of coffee, Catherine watched him and followed his gaze "So maybe"
"I guess that's a no then" Warrick stated causing Sara to smile. Greg looked shocked
Catherine sat there smiling to herself. She had seen them glance at one another before, she had noticed the flirting but this was her clarification. The way Nick had responded to Greg's voice, the way he fell heartbroken when Warrick asked about Greg's girl. Oh he had it bad.
And then the way Greg looked at Nick when he talked about how he felt. Catherine had wanted to cry and then knock their heads together. But Nick had missed that last look. She decided that she needed to work slowly in order for this to succeed.
"So Greg" Sara asked him "Will you be sending a card?"
Greg looked at her in shock "Now Sara you of all people should be aware that this is an anonymous holiday – think secret Santa for the heart, and should I say to you that yes I am sending a card would have people checking to see whether or not the card they may or may not have received was actually from me. So since the anonymity aspect is there to quell any kind of humiliation one may acquire through such an act as sending said card, all I am going to say on the matter is no comment" He folded his arms and spun before waltzing out of the room.
"What the hell was that?" asked Sara
"That" replied Warrick "Was a big fat Sanders hell I aint telling you squat"
"Oh"
Warrick smiled
"Okay then lets get out of here" Said Catherine
"What about Grissom?" Sara questioned
"What about him?" she looked at Sara "Hey I told him to be here. We'll see him tomorrow"
Warrick and Sara nodded and said their goodbye's as they left
Catherine stood up tapping Nick on the knee "Let's go Nicky"
He looked at her and it almost broke her heart
"Come on" she took his hand as he stood "Lets get you home"
She walked with Nick to the parking lot. Stopping when they reached his car
"You going to be okay?" she asked him
He nodded "I told you" he said quietly as he opened the door
She squeezed his hand "Hey and I told you, so we'll just go with my idea"
She smiled at him and he half-smiled back
Catherine sighed "Look Nicky, don't work yourself up over nothing. Now go home"
She looked at him before walking to her car. Pausing she watched as Nick drove off and she knew that she'd have to speak to Greg before her plan could go ahead.