A/N: Thanks goes out to everyone who has taken the time to read this fic! I hope you enjoyed it!

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Disclaimer: I do not own any part of CSI or its characters. That honor goes to the good folks over at CBS.

Title: And the Winner Is…

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THE FAIR: Twenty-Six Hours Prior

"You found it! You found it! You found it!" James grinned, jumping up and down. "Thank you so much, Mr. Nick and Miss Sara!" he smiled, throwing his tiny arms around both of their legs. "And now you can judge it, and I can get first place!" he added, standing back and expectantly looking over at them.

Nick chuckled, as he glanced down at his clipboard. "Okay, James… tell us about your volcano?"

"Well," James bit his lip. "It's red, and it erupts, and I put baking soda inside… and then when I add vinegar, it goes off!" he explained. "The two thingies have a chemical reaction, which causes the lava to flow…"

Sara smiled down at James. "Can we see it erupt?" she kindly asked him.

"Uh-huh!" James enthusiastically replied, as he poured some vinegar into a glass.

Before he had a chance to dump it into his volcano, however, Nick frowned. "Buddy… I think that that might be too much vinegar…" he started to say.

"Nuh-uh, it's okay!" James assured him, immediately dropping the cup-full of vinegar into the center of the volcano.

"Stand back, Sara!" Nick tried to warn her, before flinging himself backward.

But it was too late. The volcano worked... in fact, it worked a little too well, depositing food coloring, baking soda, and vinegar, all over Sara's good clothes.

"Thanks, Nick…" she mumbled, holding her arms up, and staring down at her freshly-stained clothing. "Thanks for the warning…"

"I tried to tell you!" Nick grinned, covering his mouth with one hand, and trying to hide his laughter.

"Uh… oops! Sorry!" James told Sara, completely horrified. "I'm sorry, Miss Sara!"

"It's, uh… it's okay, James…" Sara frowned, as she walked away in order to clean herself off.

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THE FAIR: Twenty-Five Hours Prior

"Are you… okay…?" Nick asked Sara with a raised eyebrow, once she emerged from the bathroom.

"I will be, once you wipe that smirk off of your face!" Sara laughed, staring down at herself. "Although… my clothes have seen better days…" she mused. "In any case, let's talk about the projects…" she added, as she led Nick to the teacher's lounge, where they were going to deliberate on the science fair projects.

Nick nodded, taking a seat at the table, and staring down at his clipboard. "Well…" he started to say, nibbling on the end of his pencil. "I liked the sterling silver one…" he admitted to Sara.

"The project about whether or not stainless steal can remain stainless?" she asked, wrinkling her nose. "Really…?"

"It was unique," Nick shrugged. "And I liked how the two students used the scientific method in their experiment… how they had the control group, and then added a variable to the equation…they actually used science in their experiment," he explained. "They dipped the spoons into regular substances, and then into liquids that are known to stain… and then they allowed the spoons to soak in the substances for a varying amount of time. The project was well-thought out, well-organized, and well-executed…"

"Hmm… interesting…those are actually very good points…" Sara quietly replied, staring across the table at Nick. "Good use of the scientific method, too…But, do you know what other project wasn't all that bad…?" she then asked him, hiding a smile.

"Hmm…?" Nick asked.

"The project involving gravity…" she grinned.

"Wasn't that… your project idea from when you were young?"

"When I was young?" Sara smirked. "I still am young, Nicholas Stokes!" she grinned.

"Okay, Sar, when you were in elementary school…" he revised his question, smiling across the table at her.

Sara just laughed. "It was a good project then, and it is still a good project now."

Nick again chuckled, scanning his notes,. "Touché… okay. How about the solar powered car, then?" he asked, looking over at her. "Christopher certainly knew what he was talking about, and the car was just… interesting! It was an all-around great presentation, and I liked how he created different designs, in order to see which solar power panel placement allows the car to capture the most amount of solar power…"

"I agree… that was a good project. You know what else I liked, though?" she then questioned him. "I can't believe that I'm saying this, but… I loved Genevieve's volcano… she managed to incorporate history, science, and technology into her project…and she was able to articulate her thoughts extremely well…."

"Good point…" Nick sighed, leaning back in his chair, causing the chair to stand up on its two back legs.

"You…probably shouldn't be doing that…" Sara frowned at him.

"What…?" he asked, puzzled.

"Don't lean back in your chair like that… you're going to fall and hurt yourself…."

"I bet you a dinner at a fancy restaurant that I won't fall out of this chair, between now and the time that the awards ceremony begins…"

Sara just laughed. "I see your bet, and I raise you a trip to the dolphin habitat, as well," she grinned.

"Deal!" Nick smiled.

Deal!" Sara repeated, reaching over to shake his hand, laughing, when Nick actually shook her hand back.

"Alright, Sara…" he then mumbled, leaning further back in his chair, so that the chair was once again resting on its two back legs.

"Right. We need to make a decision. First, second, and third place. What are your thoughts, Nick?" she asked with a sigh.

Nick closed his eyes, contemplating everything. And then he nearly screamed, as his chair tumbled backwards, tossing him onto the ground.

"See?" Sara laughed, after making sure that he was okay. "Gravity… it never fails…"

Nick just chuckled, hiding his grin. I meant to do that… and now we're going to go out to dinner, and to see the dolphins. So who's the REAL winner of this bet?

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THE FAIR: Twenty-Four Hours Prior

Before the awards ceremony was scheduled to begin, Joe Simmons ran up to Nick and Sara. "We got the culprit!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide. "We caught the thief!"

"But… how? And who?" Sara asked the principal, her eyes widening.

"You'll never guess…" Simmons replied, trying not to smile. After all, someone had just tried to destroy another project… then again, that someone had also been captured.

"Well, don't keep us in suspense!" Nick crossed his arms, glancing over at the excited principal.

"Does the name… Tucker…ring a bell?" Simmons asked the two judges.

Nick frowned, staring down at the ground, before his head snapped up. "Yes!" he replied.

"Tommy Tucker!" Sara jumped in. "Tommy Tucker stole James's volcano…?" she asked, her smile slowly fading away.

"Not exactly," Simmons told her. "But his mother did…"

"But… how do you know that…?" Nick quietly asked, shaking his head in surprise.

"We just caught her trying to wreck Genevieve Walters's project…"

"You're joking, right…?" Sara asked, wrinkling her forehead.

"I'm afraid not…" he sadly replied.

"But… why?" Sara mumbled.

"Don't you remember, Sar?" Nick frowned, looking over at her. Sara just shook her head no. "Tommy said that his mother made his project for him…" he trailed off.

"And… she wanted to win…." Sara finished his thought. "Wow… that's… sad…"

"It sure is," Simmons replied. "And it also means that Tommy's volcano has officially been disqualified from the competition."

Sara just sighed, looking over at Nick. "Well… should we get the awards ceremony started?" she asked, trying to flash him a small smile.

"Let's do it…" Nick told her, grinning.

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THE FAIR: Twenty-Three and a Half Hours Prior

"We wanted to thank everyone who took the time to enter a project in this year's Northrose Elementary School science fair," Nick told the crowd with a smile. "My partner, Miss Sidle, and I, were very impressed with all of your hard work and dedication to the field of science. As forensic scientists ourselves, we know how important math, science, and technology can really be, in every day life…"

"And we are so excited that so many of you have taken an interest in our favorite field," Sara jumped in with a grin. "As my colleague mentioned, we were extremely impressed with all of your projects… that beings said," she added, "We had to narrow everything down to just three winners…so although you are all winners in our book, the following three projects will be getting ribbons."

Nick took the microphone from Sara, grinning. "Okay. Third place goes to a very deserving student, who successfully used the scientific method in order to determine whether or not stainless steal can actually remain stainless. Leslie Dinger, your project was not only creative and unique, but scientifically sound, as well. Congratulations!" he smiled, waving her forward. Handing her a white ribbon, he shook her hand.

"Nice job, Leslie," Sara added with a smile, also shaking her hand, as everyone cheered for the young girl. Waiting for the fourth grader to walk back to her seat, Sara grinned. "Our second place winner is a student who also managed to devise an actual study, using the scientific method in order to create the best possible solar-powered car. This particular student ran an experiment with solar powered cars, trying to come up with the design that would capture the most amount of sunlight, thus enabling the vehicle to travel for the longest possible period of time. Second place goes to Christopher McKenzie, and his study of solar powered cars…" Sara smiled, waving the sixth grader forward. "Congratulations, Christopher," she grinned, handing him his red ribbon.

"Excellent job, Christopher," Nick added with his own smile, shaking his hand, and waiting for the young boy to return to his seat. "Okay… as Miss Sidle and I mentioned, it was very difficult for us to pick this year's very best science fair project. We loved all of your ideas, and… we struggled with this decision."

"It's my project, I know it is!" James whispered to himself, bouncing up and down in his seat. He was thrilled, and he was extremely excited to know that his was about to be called.

Sara just smiled, as she glanced down at her sheet of paper. "This particular project, however, managed to combine history, science, and technology, infusing all three subjects into a very seamless project about Mt. Vesuvius. Genevieve Walters?" she asked, searching the assembled crowd for the girl. "Please come on up, and accept your first place ribbon!"

Genevieve grinned, running up to the stage. "Thank you!" she smiled at both judges, first shaking Sara's hand, and then Nick's hand.

"You're welcome, Genevieve, and congratulations!" Nick told her, sending her back to her seat. "Again, we want to congratulate all of you on a job well done…" he told this year's science fair participants. "You all did a beautiful job, and we enjoyed learning about your projects."

"Yes, thank you, everyone!" Sara smiled. Although Sara felt badly that Warrick was home sick with a cold, she was truly grateful that she had been given the opportunity to judge the science fair… even if being around children made her slightly nervous.

"So… I… didn't win…?" James whispered to the child sitting next to him, jumping out of his seat, and running up to Nick and Sara. "How come I didn't win…?" he quietly asked them, his lower lip starting to quiver.

Nick knelt down beside James, kindly looking at him. "You did really well, buddy, but… there were lots of good projects this year. But you know what…? Keep entering every year, and you never know what will happen!"

"Yeah!" James brightened. "Maybe in ten years, I can work with you guys!" he giggled, running off.

Nick just chuckled. "Perhaps more like twenty years…" he smiled, looking over at Sara.

"Hey, you never know!" she grinned.

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DINNER: Present Time

"First of all, I can't believe that we chose a volcano to win. Everyone makes a volcano!" Nick laughed. "And second of all…I still can't believe that I actually fell out of my chair…" he grinned, taking a sip of his water.

"It was a good project," Sara shrugged. "There's no denying that… and like I said," she added with a smile, "Gravity never fails…"

"I know, but…" Nick trailed off.

Sara just chuckled, taking a sip from her own water glass. "So… are really going to go see the dolphin exhibit later?" she asked.

"A deal's a deal…" Nick reminded her.

"Well… I know that, but… we don't really have to go and see them, if you don't want to…" It's expensive to see the dolphins... and on top of dinner…?

"You know what, Sara Sidle?" Nick smiled, gazing over at her.

"What…?" Sara hesitantly asked.

"I actually fell on purpose, so that we could have a night out on the town together. I… wanted to spend some time alone with you…"

"…Really?" she asked, flashing him a small smile.

"Really… I've wanted to go out to dinner with you for awhile now…"

"Are you sure that you just didn't fall out of your chair, and you're too embarrassed to admit it?" Sara grinned, raising her eyebrow.

Nick just laughed. "No, Sara… you're an interesting person, and I just wanted to get to know you a little bit better… outside of the lab…"

Sara smiled. "Well… so… let's get to know each other a little bit better, then…" she trailed off with a smile, gazing across the table at him.

Nick just nodded, grinning back at her. I'm sorry that you got sick, Warrick, but… thank you!

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Finis 