Preparations

"Nick!" Sara yelled. She was in the process of packing her bags, when a pair of strong arms grabbed her waist and lifted her up. Laughing, Nick lay her down on the bed, kissing her soundly. Sara pulled him down with her and they lay in that position for a while.

"We have to go soon," Sara stroked Nick's hair.

"I know." He kissed her forehead, "This has been like a dream, I can't believe it's over."

"Well, there is the wedding," Sara pointed out.

"I know, I can't wait," he said, putting his hand on her cheek. She closed her eyes, breathing heavily, "Let's get married now," he suggested.

"What?"

"Yeah, we've got three hours before our flight, let's just get married."

The look on Sara's face was absolutely priceless. She stood up quickly, almost knocking Nick over.

"Nick," she laughed, "I was thinking a bigger wedding maybe."

"Damn, I almost got away with it." Nick stood up smirking.

"Well, are you done packing?" Sara asked.

"Yes mommy," Nick said innocently.

"Then, let's go." Sara picked up her luggage, and Nick followed close behind. They quickly checked out, returned the car, and got their boarding passes for the flight. Boarding was pretty much uneventful, the whole one and one half our flight was boring as well. Nick listened to some music, and Sara slept, so that she could be alert at work. When she explained that to Nick, he casually whispered in her ear.

"Workaholic." She stuck her tongue out at him and fell asleep on Nick's shoulder. Pretty soon, Nick fell asleep as well. He woke up to find Sara nudging him awake.

"We're home," she whispered into his ear. Just the feel of her breath made Nick's heart take flight. They got their baggage, and they drove to the Crime Lab.

As soon as they walked in to the break room, they heard cheers from everyone. Greg was by far the loudest yelling choruses of, "For they're a jolly good couple, for they're a jolly good couple, for they're a jolly good couple, which nobody can deny!"

"How did you know?" Sara asked while being pulled into a hug by Warrick.

"Nick told us before you left, I mean, Ecklie would've never let you go otherwise!" Catherine exclaimed.

"Hold on, Ecklie knows?" Sara asked.

"Not only does Ecklie know, but he also approves of it, to some extent,"

Ecklie said pushing through the crowd over to the flustered couple.

Ecklie had changed since Nick had been buried. He had understood the real weight of being a CSI. He developed a soft spot for the Texan, and had eventually fulfilled Grissom's request to put the team back together. "As long as this engagement doesn't get in the way of your performance here, then you can still work on the same shift." He turned around and walked out, "Back to work!" he called, but that still didn't stop people from congratulating them.

Nick and Sara didn't get to see much of each other on shift. Nick was with Warrick on a breaking and entering on the strip. It was a fairly easy call, and the robber wasn't very smart. It took them all of two minutes to catch the guy. They stopped at a roadside diner to eat dinner.

"Warrick, I was wondering," he began. Warrick turned and looked at Nick.

"Yes?"

"Will you be my best man at the wedding?" Nick hopefully asked. Warrick sighed.

"Now why wouldn't I be?" Nick grinned. They went back to the lab discussing Nick's plans for the wedding.

"I was thinking Christmas, a little clichéd, but my parents and siblings can come and see it," he started, "Sara is going to look so beautiful," he said.

"I know she is," Warrick agreed.

"I'm boring you out aren't I?" Nick asked, smiling a little

"Nah, you're fine, you're happy, and that's all that matters," Warrick grinned.

"Ever since I was buried, I never really thought that this could ever happen," Nick said after a while.

"What?"

"That I could get over it, that I could live again. That I could just let the whole ordeal go. I mean, when I was lying in the hospital, and you guys visited me, I thought I would never be the same. I'm not, I'm more cautious, but Sara is the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Nick, do you mind me asking, when did you realize you had feelings for her?"

"Why do you ask?"

"It all seems kind of sudden, after Sara's accident, you were like, I love her. Did the realization just hit you or something?"

"No, it didn't. I mean I think it started when I was in the hospital. I had bug bites all over me. They were hurting, even though the doctors had a morphine drip there. I felt a cool rag on my forehead, and I looked up and thought I saw an angel."

"It was Sara wasn't it?"

"Yeah, but I was just waiting for that angel every single day to put that cool cloth on my forehead. Sometimes, she would be there, other times, she wouldn't. I think that when I realized it was Sara, I wanted her to be my angel. When I got out of the hospital, I dismissed all those thoughts as craziness. I thought that I was delusional. When Sara almost died, I really realized that what I had for her was love. This sounds really cheesy, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it does," Warrick laughed, "But if it makes you happy, stay cheesy. Have a happily ever after marriage. I'm so happy for you bro." Warrick clapped Nick on the back as they got out of the car.

Later that day, Nick and Sara sat on Sara's balcony drinking iced tea, and enjoying each other's company. Nick put his arm around her, and she leaned into his embrace.

"I was wondering," Nick began, "When did you first know you were in love with me?" Sara blushed, and looked up at Nick.

"Ever since that incident of you being, you know…"

"Buried," Nick finished for her, wincing a little at the thought.

"Well, I had a lot of time to think, and I thought how my life would be different without you. And I knew that I couldn't survive," Sara wiped at some of the tears forming, "I almost broke down when we couldn't find you, and when we did, I was kind of confused. What was I feeling? Was it love? Was it friendship? I've never really had that feeling before, so I dismissed it. When you came to visit me in the hospital, I realized how much you meant to me. I've been blinded by Grissom. He's more like a father figure to me, seeing as I never really had a great father, it was attractive. But he was never the one'," Nick smiled and kissed her hair tenderly.

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"You know, same question." Sara smiled a little. Nick grinned and told her the same thing he told Warrick. Sara blushed a lot when he called her an angel.

Lying there in Nick's arms was the greatest thing that happened to Sara.

Finally, her life was going uphill. Nick suddenly broke the silence.

"Sara, we haven't discussed our wedding. I was thinking Christmas," Nick suggested.

"Yeah, sure," Sara agreed.

"Warrick is going to be my best man. Do you know who's going to be your maid of honor?" Nick asked.

"Catherine," Sara said.

"What? I thought you didn't like Catherine."

"Well, we talked today, and we both apologized for being insufferable bitches to each other. She was a good friend when I needed her, and I tried to be good when she needed me," Sara smiled, "So I asked her to be my maid of honor, and she nearly choked on her soda."

"Really, okay, um, we've got to start writing it down!" Sara quickly went inside and grabbed a notepad, and they discussed their plans for the rest of the day. It was so great for Sara. Two years ago, if someone told her she was getting married, she would've scoffed. Now, she was finally doing it! I'm going to be a wife, she thought happily.

Well, that was the seventh chapter which is setting the stage for the marriage. (Which is next chapter), I need some help because I have no idea how to plan a wedding (the Catholic way), because I'm not catholic, I'm Hindu…so email me if you want to help me, or just leave it in a review…but if u are anonymous, put your email down. Thanks!