Sorry that it has taken so long to post, but here it is Part 8 and we seem to be getting into a plot :) yay. And thankyou all so much for the reviews

Part 8

"Sara it's me…look, just give me a call- they said you left the lab hours ago. Where the hell are you? I'm getting worried now so…just give me a call" Nick sighed, he was beyond worried – Sara was acting strange, too strange. What the hell was going on with her? It had been around three weeks since they had revealed their love to the team – since the day everyone found out and things were fine, when it was the two of them. Everyone was supportive, happy even – though Greg had become overly protective for the Brunette CSI. He and Sara had formed a friendship – a strong one at that. Walking over to the sofa he took a seat and sighed again, what was he going to do with her- things were getting ridiculous – she has been drinking more than usually, not sleeping and some days not even showing up at home from shift to shift – he was worried – not only about today, but about how she was coping. One thing they all knew, all the CSIs knew, was that when this starts happening it leads to a no good road where the only stop off is at the end – BURNOUT city! Every CSI knew another who burnt out and quit, Nick didn't want that CSI to be his Sara, but that looked to be where all this was heading.

He couldn't sleep, not when he didn't know where she was. He tried absently channel surfing but gave up after a few minuets, deciding that it wasn't helping. He thought about calling again, or about calling some of the team – Greg maybe, she may be with him. It wasn't that he was needy or possessive – but lately, Sara wasn't been herself and every member of the team had seen it. They were all worried. Maybe he should try heading over to her apartment – he decided against it, he'd just wait till the start of shift later, he knew that he'd walk in to see Sara sat in the break room with coffee in hand looking like hell.

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And that's exactly what he found many hours later, he didn't even bother to stop by the locker room he turned straight into the break room and looked at her, "You're a mess" he shot.

"Mm, thanks" She mumbled back, holding her head in her hand and coffee in the other. "You're a sweetheart – you always know what to say" Sarcasm ran from her words.

"We need to talk" He shot.

"Talk, sorry honey…no can do. Time to work…" She said pointing at her watch, "maybe after shift." She'd been drinking, and this was the kind of Sara she was after she drank – unreasonable.

Nick lost it; turning around her walked over to the door and threw it shut. "I don't give a damn… we are going to talk"

Sara groaned as the slamming of the door was like a hammer to her skull.

"What the hell are you playing at – you've been drinking…you can't be in here like this. Grissom will have you out with no hesitation" He was angry, more than angry actually. She's been drinking and looked to be nursing a hangover –

"Don't treat me like a kid" She shot back.

"Well, I wouldn't if you didn't act like one" He shouted, "I can't believe this, look at you – you are a complete mess." Nick lent over the table looking down on her, "What are you playing at Sara? I was worried about you"

"Don't be worried…I'm fine"

"If you need a bottle of JD to tell you your fine then you really aren't" He spat with so much hate – not for Sara, for the direction she was heading, "Pull it together Sara…you got it. You're not holding up, everyone around this place can see you're dropping."

"Dropping? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You're losing it…" He spat bluntly, then his tone fell into a more concern filled "I think you, need to – go see the therapist Sara"

She stood up with this, "We've had this convocation Nick, and you know how it's going to end. I'm not seeing a shrink – not again." She spat, she didn't want to go through this again with him. He'd brought it up a few times now and with each time she was becoming more angered. Her heart ached when she looked at him, she could see his concern but her mind was blinded by anger - she was sick of this feeling, the feeling she was letting him down. She hated what was going on with them – all that they did was fight lately. "What do you see – when you look at me – who do you see?" Sara asked him.

"Sara, don't turn it into this" He growled, this fighting, lately had become nothing unusual, "I'm worried right now. This, here, this is me worrying about you" he shot.

"I'm fine" she shouted, as if shouting it louder would make it more believable – but it didn't. Usually, with her problems she'd turn to Nick and he'd helped her through them – lately though she'd turned to the bottle, she'd withdrawn away from him.

"FINE! You're Fine?" He through the chair in front of him forward and then looked at her, both looked ready to kill. "Well, sorry to break this to you, but you don't look fine, and you sure as hell aren't acting like it." His own anger was taking over now, he wanted nothing more than to help her through what ever it the hell it was she was going through but she wouldn't let him. She just kept pushing him away – "I'm worried about you Sara…" He explained, "And, I'm not the only one"

Something hit her then, she moved around the table so the two were now facing each other, "Oh, so what?" She asked, "You guys are all talking about me now?" It just happened that at this point the door to the break room was opened by Catherine and Warrick walking in.

Sara went to walk away but Nick grabbed hold of her arm, "Wait, it's not like that and you know it" He looked at the woman who usually held so much strength – and something was different she looked tired and her eyes seemed glazed over – this wasn't his Sara. At first it had started off as her just not sleeping, but over the last week, or two she'd hit the bottle pretty hard. And Nick could pin point the exact location in time this had started and it all went back to the night he'd held her in his arms and let her cry – the night before the party at Catherine's – she hadn't spoken about her pains to Nick since then, that's when the bottle – in her opinion had become a better option.

Sara looked into his eyes, and this made her want to just fall into his arms and hide away from everyone and everything that was hurting her but she couldn't, she hated herself for doing this to him – she knew that distancing herself from him was hurting him but if she were to fall apart in her arms – she be relying on him – and relying on anybody killed Sara.

"Then what's it like Nicky?" She spat, pulling her arm free – then turned to Face the team who had assembled, Catherine, Warrick and Greg – "I tell you what, next time you guys want to voice your concern talk to me, and don't go through the 'o so caring' boyfriend!"

They all just looked at her, uncomfortable – she shook her head – "What nothing to say? No one here think that I need to see a shrink? What about and Alcohol anonymous meeting? Should I head of to one of them? Come on guys…talk to me"

"Sara stop" Nick spoke, "don't do this"

"Want me to stop! You started it…I was the one who said wait till after shift but you just had to sort it out now. Well was it worth is Nick, now the whole god damn team get to see another in the long string of arguments between up – how about the next one takes place in the middle of the lab – the techs will love to see this"

"What are you trying to prove Sara?" He shot.

"What am I trying to prove?" She asked.

"Yeah…I know you're strong, I know you're able to handle this by yourself but you're not by yourself anymore. I just want to help you out. To be there for you – so why won't you let me do that?"

"I'm not doing this" She explained, "I'm not standing here and doing this with you."

TBC…