Author's Note: This story is dedicated to Ciara. Here's to wallpaper! (Holds up glass of lemonade)

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: Like CSI is mine. Right.


"Oh, God, I am beat," Sara said, flopping down onto Nick's couch. "That was not fun."

"You're telling me," he said, pouring two glasses of lemonade and bringing them over, sitting down in his armchair just across from her. "Seven hours…seven bloody hours. I swear, if I never see another piece of wallpaper as long as I live, it'll be too soon. Tearing wallpaper down is right up there on the list with decomps and searching torched cars."

"Amen to that," she said, lifting her glass in a mini-toast before taking a swig.

Sara, Nick, Warrick, and Catherine had all just spent seven hours at Greg's new apartment tearing down wallpaper. He was just moving in, and renovating the place as he went. Of course, like any good friend, he suckered his amigos into helping him tear it down, which took far longer than they thought it would. When Greg had called Nick asking him to help, he figured, five people, one apartment, how hard could it be? What he didn't know was that there were three layers of wallpaper with some very old and even stickier glue. And that the wallpaper covered every square inch of those walls. And, to make it even worse, Catherine and Warrick both disappeared periodically at the same time.

Sara reached up to Nick's stereo to turn on some music, but couldn't extend her arm far enough.

"Ouch!" she said. "My shoulder is killing me!"

"Really?" he asked, concerned and curious at the same time.

"Yeah. I can't lift my arms above my head anymore."

Standing up, he approached her and touched a spot on her shoulder. "Is it right here?" he asked.

Sara nodded. "How did you know?"

He grinned. "Because I have the same one.

"That stupid stuff came off in flakes. My hands were above my head the whole time, just picking it off. You'd think Greg would have the foresight to get a scraping tool of some kind…hey, that feels really good…"

Nick was rubbing small, gentle circles right over the knot she had. She could feel her shoulder untangle itself gradually and soon she was simply enjoying his gentle touch, but it was hindered by the sleeve of her t-shirt.

"Nick, will you take off my shirt?" she asked.

He stopped rubbing for a second, coming around to face her and raising a curious eyebrow. "Did you just say what I think you said?"

"Yeah. Don't worry, I have a tank top on underneath," she explained quickly. "I just can't get it off myself. I still can't move my arm very far," she lied. Truth was, she just wanted to experience Nick undressing her.

He reached down and took the hem of her shirt, checking to make sure that he didn't accidentally grab both shirts and pull them both off. He lifted the black t-shirt off, exposing a bright yellow spaghetti strap tank top underneath. He cast it aside and resumed rubbing her shoulder, moving his other hand in on the opposite shoulder. When he was finished, he leaned down and kissed the spot gently and said, "There. All better." With that, he moved his hands down to just below her shoulders.

She leaned forward with a groan of pleasure that could otherwise be considered obscene as she let him work his magic fingers around her shoulders, moving down to her shoulder blades and running along her spine. He applied pressure in all the right places, causing Sara to tingle. Running his hands dangerously low on her back, he slid them under her shirt and began to rub her bare skin. Soon he lifted off the tank top too, and she didn't protest at all. He began to teasingly run his hands near the clasp of her bra, tickling her and making the hair on the back of her neck stand straight up.

She leaned her head all the way back in pleasure, and he took the opportunity to kiss her full on the mouth. She eagerly accepted, and they began making out in the most interesting position either of them had ever experienced.

"Do you think they noticed we were both late this morning to Greg's?" Sara mumbled.

"Not a chance in the world," Nick replied confidently between kisses.

"I wonder how they'll take it when we tell them we eloped this morning."

"I expect they'll be somewhat surprised," he murmured.

"I wonder how they'll react when we tell them I'm pregnant."

Nick stopped dead in his tracks. "You're pregnant?"

Sara giggled. "Not yet," she said, as she threw her arms up around his neck and pulled him back down onto her.


Author's Note: So, what did you think? Let me know in a review!