A/N: Sorry it took so long to update, (again...)I just want to say...wow guys...you lot are bloody amazing. I received more feedback for the last chapter than I have since chapter one. (...Can you imagine my peachy-ness?) The story is... ehh, around it's halfway point now, I think. (...which means further conflict.Yay?) I planned out where I wanted this pieceto go a few months back,and I'm only just starting to get into what I've actually planned. (I can't believe it's been 6 months since I started planning for this thing. 0.o;;) Its totally my baby, haha. Thanks again for the great feedback. This chapter leads into the fluffyness I've been promising for a long time. (Sorry it took so long... you know how real life tends to take over.) Wow, too many brackets in that author's note. Whatever. Enjoy!

Chapter Title: I'll be Home for Christmas
By December 23rd, Las Vegas was facing the chilliest weather they'd seen in a long while. The temperature was sitting just below 6° F, about -15° C, the coldest the city had seen since 1963. Tourists in the city seemed the most disgruntled of folk, many having spent sizable amounts of money on their respective vacations only to be faced with far below freezing weather. Still, the casinos remained busy, and the strip was as wild as ever. The night was slow at CSI, as it seemed 'murder central' was chilling people so much that they'd decided it was simply too cold to kill. There were only a few cases on the go, mostly collision investigations thanks to the strangely icy conditions of the inner-city roads.

Night shift hours were finally coming to an end as the sun began peaking its way above the desert horizon, offering hope to those snow haters who were too Scrouge-like to appreciate the white Christmas they'd been given. It wasn't until then that Grissom managed to catch up with his team, though they had all been seated in the breakroom for the past hour. He caught sight of them through the glass paneled walls, managing to keep his eyebrows down when he say how casual they appeared. Especially Catherine and Warrick. The blond was seated just a little closer than necessary to Brown, her head resting on his shoulder. Come to think of it, it looked like she was asleep. Warrick however, was watching the television in the corner of the room intently, a quaint look spread across his personable face. Nick, who was sitting on the counter, also appeared to be absorbed by the tube, the expression on his face something between very slight discomfort and childlike amusement. Sofia seemed absorbed in the coffee she was stealing from Greg's stash, trying not to wake the Blue Hawaiian's owner as he lay sprawled across another couch, also asleep.

"What's this?" Nick and Sofia both jumped as Grissom spoke after entering otherwise soundlessly. Hastily, Nick grabbed the remote beside him, and paused the movie they were watching, clearing his throat.

"Uh, Christmas movie. You know."

Warrick too looked up, first at the supervisor, then to Nick. The innocent look on the man's face made him chuckle, and, taking pity on his friend, he decided to help him out a bit.

"Charlie Brown Christmas, Gris. Greg here..." He tilted his head toward the drooling corpse on the other couch. "... thought we could use some Christmas spirit."

"Then he fell asleep." Nick smirked a little, but was not surprised that he could not manage his usual grin. Christmas spirit... was something rather lacking in him at the moment... Grissom however, did allow himself to smile.

"Well, I've got holiday schedules here for everyone; further the cheer. Since its been so slow lately there's more holiday time, though you'll still be on call some days, mind you..."

Eyebrows raised around the room, and Nick jumped off the counter, taking the papers from Grissom and proceeding to hand one first to Sofia, who was closest... then Warrick. He left the rest on the table in the center of the room, deciding the sleeping two could pick up their copies when they woke up.

"A whole week... wow, thanks Gris..." Warrick looked pleased as he examined his holidays. He stopped for a moment however when he counted everyone else's. "Nick, how come you have ten?"

"I don't know... Grissom?" Nick turned to direct his question to the supervisor but was surprised to see that he was no longer there. "Where'd he go? Did you see him leave?"

"No."

The voice that answered came from behind. Sofia.

"...must have had some paperwork to finish," she continued. "Hey Nick? Turn the movie back on, we still have 20 minutes on the clock." And the uncharacteristic simper she'd been wearing since Sara left crossed her face as she shot him a meaningful glance. Nick obliged, and Warrick rolled his eyes, secretly glad however that she didn't catch him as he did so. It was then that Catherine began to stir on his left shoulder, looking exhausted despite the fact her nap had lasted well over a half hour.

"... Did I actually fall asleep? Damn..." Rubbing her eyes, she stared at the man she'd passed out on. "...sorry." Looking sheepish, she managed a smile, and patted her hand on his leg. Warrick looked pleased with himself.

"Not at all..." He checked his watch. "You should get home to Linds... you have tomorrow off, by the way."

Catherine blinked.

"...What?"

"Tomorrow. You - don't - have - to - come - in - tomorrow."

"I heard you, but my day off was on Tuesday. It's Friday, 'Rick."

"Holiday schedules from Grissom."

"Ah..."

"So why does Nick have ten days?"

"No idea."

All eyes were on Nick again.

"Don't blame it on me, I didn't make the thing... Tried to ask Gris too, but he... disappeared."

Greg snorted in his sleep from the couch. Catherine raised her eyebrows as if to compound Greg's 'statement'.

"Riiight."

Nick took his time getting to the locker room following the end of shift, instead deciding to stay in the breakroom with a cup of Greg's coffee. He told himself he was waiting for mohawk man to wake up, but really, he could have nudged him anytime. In reality, he didn't want to talk about the additional three days off he'd been given for holidays any more than he had to. Given the current situation, he'd rather work through Christmas; at least it would take his mind off how lonely he'd been feeling since the day Sara left a month and a half ago. Someone like Catherine deserved the extra time off more than he did; after all, she had Lindsay... and judging by how close they'd been lately, Warrick too. He found himself chuckling at the thought. Just a month after Warrick's divorce from Tina. Boy, had that woman turned out to be a piece of work. But now that his marriage was over, Nick envied his friend more than he had anyone before, at least in recent memory. Warrick would probably be happy on Christmas. But then again, Christmas was just like any other day, right? What was the significance of the twenty fifth day of the twelfth month? Nothing, really... it was just an arbitrary date, surrounded by commercialized celebrations. But... growing up in Texas, it had been special. Somehow, it always would be, as much as he tried to push it away.

Wouldn't it be nice to see Sara for Christmas?

It was what he wanted more than anything; he wanted to see her. He missed her like crazy. And they'd barely talked the past two weeks.

"Our holidays overlap- we share three of the seven- well, ten, for you."

A voice interrupted his thoughts, and Nick stopped stirring his coffee, but refused to look up.

"Whaddo ya know?" He answered the voice dryly, wishing the voice would go away, because at the moment he was feeling so withdrawn that he feared he'd do something stupid.

"Three extra days then the rest of us; you're not going to waste it, are you? I mean, what fun is it being alone?"

Shut up, shut up. Go away, I can't be around you right now-- Sara, I need to phone Sara... "Hmm." Nick managed a shrug as he tapped his stir stick inside his Styrofoam coffee cup. Greg's snoring suddenly got louder, and decidedly less... uniform. He must have woken up, and was faking it now. Glad for an out, he grinned at Greg, still refusing to meet Sofia's eye.

"Nice snore, Greggo. Very realistic."

The phony snoring stopped, and a goofy grin crossed the still man's face, his eyes still closed. He cleared his throat in a dignified manner.

"Thanks."

"I, uh... have a phone call to make. See you next year." Nick continued to stare at Greg's motionless figure as he spoke, doing nothing more than raising an index finger to indicate he was talking to Sofia as he up and left the breakroom, punching the newest CSI playfully in the stomach as he exited through open glass doors.

The locker room was thankfully empty when he entered; shift had ended half an hour ago, and it seemed Catherine and Warrick had wasted no time in leaving. Nick was relieved to see that Sofia hadn't followed him; he was really harbouring some mixed emotions when it came to her. She'd been making strange and... admittedly thought provoking comments for the past while, implying things that he was afraid to think about. And clearly other people had noticed too; Warrick rolled his eyes so often that his green irises might as well have stayed that way, glued permanently to the top of his sockets. Grissom had even gone so far as to offer a warning- to avoid what he was getting into.

Well, why don't you just stop assigning us the same cases then?

He felt the frustrated energy he had bottled start to seep out as he suddenly felt angry. He knew it from the beginning; Grissom couldn't have wanted him and Sara together. His 'warning' had to have been either guilt or an attempt to cover up his motives. After all, he did keep giving them the same cases; most recently it had been he, Sofia and Greg. Sure, Nick could understand Catherine and Warrick wanting to work together. Nick himself had asked to be assigned cases with Sara before she left. But why now was he always put with Sofia? He let out a tired breath as he counted to ten, leaning bareback against the lockers, clean shirt in hand. Whatever. Sara. That's all that mattered. He had to get away from Sofia, and he had to talk to Sara.

Nick threw his shirt on, sat himself down on the bench and began fishing for his cell in the pocket of his coat. He'd missed two calls. From... Sara.

He jumped when the silver phone started vibrating suddenly in his hand, just as he was about to open the

"Stokes," he answered shakily when he finally realized the thing was vibrating because someone was calling.

"Nicky! Its Sara! I'm sorry we haven't talked, I miss you like crazy, things are really busy and we just keep hitting dead ends but..." Sara blabbed so quickly that he barely caught what she was saying. "Oh, I have good news!" She finished impatiently.

Suddenly unable to form words, Nick managed to ask "What is it?"

"I'm coming home for Christmas!"

"You're kidding!"

"No, I'm not! My supervisor gave me time off, and the department is even paying for my flight; The only catch is I'm supposed to go to Grissom's stupid forensic entomology seminar. But if he just signs the guestbook for me... then, well..."

"It'll be so great to see you! This supervisor of yours sounds like a damn saint! When do you get in?"

"Tomorrow night, 4:00... Gate 11B. I've got a week and a half."

"I'll come and get you... Gris gave me ten days as well..." Nick realized his supervisor must have heard in advance Sara's holidays plans. "Anything special you want to do?"

"Umm... actually, I was thinking maybe we could go for a ski trip! You know... for a White Christmas," she laughed over the line, and Nick's heart fluttered.

"We're actually going to be having a white Christmas in Vegas, if you can believe it... it's about six degrees up here."

"... you're kidding! Snow in Vegas?..."

"Yeah! We'll have to go for a toboggan ride!" Nick chuckled, grinning more than he had in days. Sara laughed too.

"Sounds like fun. I think I'd like that..." He could feel her smile radiating through the phone. "But how do you feel about skiing?..."

His grin turned sheepish. "I've never been skiing, Sar. I dunno..."

"You'd love it, Nick. Let's go for a few days? After Christmas? Please? I haven't been since I was about twelve, and it'll be so much fun with just the two of us."

"Alright, alright... but if I break something, it'll be your fault," he whispered teasingly, wondering just how in such a small conversation she'd managed to talk him into...skiing. It wasn't that he didn't want to go... it was just something he'd never really considered doing. He'd always been more of the horse riding type.

"Thanks, Nick! You will like it, promise! Anyway, I'm sorry I sort of jumped into that, I was just too excited. It's been a long time since, well, you know... Christmas might actually be great this year..."

"Its alright, I know... and it will be. I miss you like crazy; can't wait to see you again."

"Yeah, same here. Its lonely without you."

I'm dreamin' tonight of a place I love
Even more then I usually do
And although I know it's a long road back
I promise you

I'll be home for Christmas
You can count on me
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents under the tree
Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love light beams
I'll be home for Christmas...

A/N: If I didn't leave it at that, this chapter would have gone on forever. Sorry about that. Hopefully it won't be long before I get the next one up. (And so, near the end of January, Christmas begins. Really logical Sahariah, smart. XD) Thanks for reading, and please drop me a line! Mucho Gracias!

Until Next Time,

-Sahariah