Disclaimer: I don't own anybody from CSI. I don't own the music of Bright Eyes. I don't own Corona and I don't own the Playboy Club.
A/N: Thank you to everyone who read last chapter. This chapter is just a lot of fluff and a little bit of drama at the end. Thanks StokesSandersSpeedle for your review. Things are really adorable right now, but pretty soon drama will come. I just can't keep it too happy for long.
I wanted to post this today because I know I won't have the time for a while. Tomorrow is Harry Potter midnight book release and I know that sounds really dorky, but I am a dork lol. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Oh and the song in this chapter is First Day of My Life by Bright Eyes."So where exactly are you taking me?" Nick asked as Kaitlin sat behind the wheel of her car.
"That would ruin the surprise if I told you." Kaitlin responded.
Nick reached over and grabbed her hand. He noticed how small her hands were and let out a small laugh.
"What's so funny?" Kaitlin wondered.
"It's nothing." Nick lied.
"Well, something obviously made you laugh. What was it?"
"I'm just happy, that's all." He sighed.
Kaitlin looked over at him briefly. She smiled. In truth she had been feeling exactly the same way.
It had been a few weeks since they had first slept together, and they had been inseparable since. Every chance Nick had, he was with Kaitlin. It helped that they both worked night shifts.
A few days ago, Kaitlin had promised to take Nick out, since he had been the one to initiate all the dates thus far. She hadn't told him where she was taking him. All that Nick knew was that he didn't need to dress up and that he needed his swimming trunks. She only hoped that he would appreciate where she was taking him.
Nick reached forward and turned up the knob on the stereo. He didn't know what he was listening to, but then again, he didn't know half of the stuff Kaitlin listened to. It didn't mean he didn't like her music; some of it was actually really good. He tried to listen to see if he had heard this particular band.
"Who is this?" Nick finally asked, coming to the realization that he hadn't heard them before.
"It's Bright Eyes. They're really good. My friend Matt, this is his favorite band. He's the one who got me into them." Kaitlin responded.
"You mean your ex-boyfriend Matt?" Nick asked, feeling slightly upset that she was talking about her ex on their date.
"Yeah, but he was my friend before we went out." She corrected him.
Kaitlin could see the jealousy that Nick was radiating. Ever since Nick had met Matt for the first time, he hadn't liked him. Kaitlin got the feeling that Matt didn't like Nick much either. She wasn't sure what to do with that situation. She really liked Nick. She loved the time she spent with him, and she felt lucky to have him. She also valued her friendship with Matt, however. She didn't like the fact that they couldn't just get along. She knew that Matt still had feelings for her, and she was still trying to assess what to do about that problem. She sighed as she looked over at Nick who was now looking outside his window. He had let go of her hand after she mentioned Matt, and Kaitlin was starting to get frustrated that her date was going badly now. She looked back over at Nick and decided to change the song to one she knew he would like. It was her favorite song by Bright Eyes, after all.
This is the first day of my life
Swear I was born right in the doorway
I went out in the rain, suddenly everything changed
They're spreading blankets on the beach
Yours was the first face that I saw
I think I was blind before I met you
I don't know where I am, I don't know where I've been
But I know where I want to go
Nick listened to the song Kaitlin had changed it to. He knew she was trying to get his attention. He didn't want to be angry with her, but he couldn't help but feel jealous. She had never talked about the specifics of her relationship with Matt before. He had never asked. If he was honest with himself, he was afraid. He knew it was more than an everyday relationship that came and went. He looked over at Kaitlin and saw that she was quietly singing along with the CD.
So I thought I'd let you know
That these things take forever, I especially am slow
But I realized that I need you
And I wondered if I could come home
I remember the time you drove all night
Just to meet me in the morning
And I thought it was strange, you said everything changed
You felt as if you just woke up
And you said, this is the first day of my life
Glad I didn't die before I met you
Now I don't care, I could go anywhere with you
And I'd probably be happy
So if you wanna be with me
With these things there's no telling, we'll just have to wait and see
But I'd rather be working for a paycheck
Than waiting to win the lottery
Besides, maybe this time it's different
I mean, I really think you like me.
As Kaitlin sang the last line of the song, she looked over at Nick, this time taking his hand in hers. If he was going to be stubborn, than she would just have to take charge and show him how much she wanted to be with him.
Nick felt her grab his hand and he smiled. He knew he was being stupid. He turned his head away from the window and looked at her. She had her head facing forward, looking at the road. Her blonde hair was sweeping across her face from the wind that was invading the car through her open window. She had her big black sunglasses on, the ones she always wore. Her left arm was holding onto the top of the steering wheel and the blonde hairs on her arms were glistening from the sun. He watched her as she rolled her tongue across her lips to moisten them. She wasn't the type of girl to wear lip gloss unless she was working. Nick could smell her perfume wafting towards him, carried by the intrusive wind. He had looked on her vanity when she had been showering one morning and noted that she wore Pink by Victoria Secret. He liked it on her. Nick thought that if he could just freeze this moment or to just have her keep on driving, than he would be happy forever. He knew that he would never forget how she looked right then. Beautiful. It was the only word to describe her.
Nick took notice as to where they were. He hadn't noticed where she had been driving, even though he had been staring out the window. She was taking him somewhere near Lake Mead.
"We're almost there." She told him.
"And where exactly is there?" He asked, trying one last time to find out where they were going.
"You've been in the dark for the past hour, and now that were five minutes away, you actually think I'm gonna tell you?" She asked skeptically.
"It was worth a try." He laughed.
Finally Kaitlin turned onto a side street that led to a small, remote part of the lake. It looked just like a beach. Kaitlin parked and turned to face Nick.
"Ok, we're here." She smiled.
"What is 'here'?" Nick asked.
"This is a place I come to when I just need to get away. We live in a desert, and this place just reminds me of the beach."
"I thought you didn't like the water?" Nick asked.
"I don't. It's just that here, it's so peaceful, and I don't need to concentrate on that fear. I also don't go into the water." She responded.
Nick laughed and followed as she opened her car door and stepped out. Kaitlin walked around to the back of her car and opened the trunk. She removed two beach towels and a blanket and asked Nick if he wouldn't mind helping to carry the small cooler she had brought. Nick obliged and followed after her down the sandy shore. Kaitlin laid the blanket on the sand and kicked off her shoes. Nick watched as she removed her tank top she had been wearing. She pulled down the sweat shorts she had also been wearing, leaving her in her bikini. Nick couldn't take his eyes off of her.
"So I'm guessing you like my new swim suit?" She asked with laughter in her voice. Nick's staring hadn't gone unnoticed by her, not that she minded.
"It's okay." Nick teased.
"I think it's more than okay, your eyes nearly came out of your head when I removed my clothes." She teased back.
"Well, that was more for the person who is in the okay lookin' swim suit."
Kaitlin smiled. If there was one thing Nick was good at, it was charming her. She sat down on the towel and opened the cooler, removing a bottle of Corona and taking another one for Nick. She picked up her keys and using the bottle opener she kept on the key ring, she opened the bottles. She handed it up to Nick, who had now removed his shirt. He took the beer and sat down on the towel next to her. The sound of the soft waves was intoxicating. Kaitlin loved this place. It was her refuge. There were plenty of little sandy beach areas along Lake Mead, but this one seemed to go unnoticed by people. She could always come here and be alone with the earth. She felt at peace with everything when she was here, and she felt that by showing this place to Nick, she was showing him a little piece of herself.
"So, how did you find this place?" Nick asked, drawing her from her mind.
"This one time, in high school, my friends were throwing a party on their boat. I told them I would meet them at the dock, but I took a wrong turn and ended up here. I just kinda remembered where it was, and I come here when I need to just get away from it all."
"It's beautiful. I forget that there are places like this in Vegas." Nick said.
"It's almost like we're not in a desert anymore. I guess that's why I like it so much. I feel like I'm far away from my problems."
They were silent for a minute as both of them looked out to the water. They were both lost in their thoughts, and Nick could help but think how much he would've loved to have known about this place after he had been kidnapped.
"I came here after Frank was killed." Kaitlin spoke, bringing Nick out of his mind.
Kaitlin had recently been trying to adjust to calling her former parents by their real names: Frank and Amy. She had also been trying to work up the courage to talk to her real parents. They had tried to call her many times, but she hadn't yet answered. She felt like a coward.
"Yeah?" Nick responded. He thought it was good that she was distancing herself away from her kidnappers. Calling them by their real names was just the first step, and he knew she had a while to go, but the thought that he was with someone who was more messed up than he was, was comforting.
"I also came here after I broke up with Matt." Kaitlin continued.
Nick knew that now was as good a time as any to ask why she had broken up with Matt.
"What happened between you and Matt?" Nick questioned, putting thoughts from his mind into words.
"He wanted to get married. I didn't." She stated simply.
Nick needed to know more. "Why didn't you want to get married?"
"I don't know. I guess part of me wasn't ready and another part of me knew that he wasn't the man I was supposed to be with. I always thought that he was the one too. It's just that when he was there, with the ring, I felt nothing. Girls are supposed to be excited and overjoyed when their boyfriends propose to them, I felt none of that. I just felt scared and confused. I knew our relationship would never be the same again after that, and I just ended it. It was selfish to stay with him; he deserved to be with a girl who would want to marry him." Kaitlin finished and looked over at Nick who had listened to the whole thing.
Nick didn't know what to say. He wasn't sure if that was the answer he was waiting for or not. She hadn't said that she didn't love him, but she didn't say that she did either. He looked into her blue eyes, waiting for a response to come to his mind, instead finding that nothing was coming.
Nick leaned forward and placed his lips upon hers. He softly kissed her, hoping that his empathy for her would show through the gentle nature of his kiss. She kissed him back just as softly, enjoying the feel of his lips on hers. Usually when they kissed it was passionate and forceful, and the softness of this kiss let her know how much he cared about her. Nick moved over on the blanket to get closer to her. He turned his body to face hers and slowly lowered her down onto the blanket so that her back was touching it. Deepening the kiss a little more, he moved to be on top of her. He had his left hand tangled in her hair and his right hand supporting his weight above her body. There was something about the exclusivity of the area they were at, the sound of the water hitting the rocks around them, and the feel of the soft sand below their bodies that made them both feel safe. Neither of them had felt safe in such a long time, and being with each other at that moment felt secure. Nick removed his hand from Kaitlin's hair and slid it down the side of her arm. Her skin felt warm from the hot sun and soft from the sunscreen she had applied before they left her house. Kaitlin had her hand on Nick's shoulder and her other one was holding the back of his neck. Nick continued to move his hand down a little more, and rested it on her hip. Stroking her hip bone with his thumb, Nick smiled as he felt goose bumps form on her warm skin. He dared his hand a little to the right and felt for the top of her bikini bottom. He slid his hand down a little further and found what he as looking for; the heat between her thighs. Kaitlin removed her mouth from his and moaned as she felt his fingers slip inside of her. He began to play with her a little, enjoying the sounds she emitted. He could feel himself harden beneath her. He really wanted to take her right there, but he wasn't sure if Kaitlin was the only person who knew about this spot.
Kaitlin wanted him badly. Forcing what little control she had left of her body, she moved her hands down to his waist. She began to pull his swim trunks down and had a little trouble when they got stuck around his stiffened middle. She laughed into his kiss and Nick got the message. He removed his hand from inside her, and helped her pull the trunks the rest of the way down. Kaitlin meanwhile had been removing her bikini top. When Nick had finally discarded the burdensome clothing item, he looked back at her, surprised to see her topless. This sight only made his erection grow harder. He felt it throbbing painfully and he knew that he needed to take her right there. Settling back onto the blanket, Nick removed the last item of clothing separating them. He threw her bottoms somewhere over in the general vicinity of his and immediately climbed back onto her. Stroking her breast with his left hand, he balanced himself over her with his right.
If the moan Kaitlin had let out when Nick had placed his fingers inside of her had turned him on, it was nothing compared to the one she let out when he thrust himself inside of her. She threw her head back and moved her hips up to meet his and she felt him thrust inside of her over and over again. Her left hand was now gripping the blanket tightly, as if she were about to fall off the blanket. Her head was spinning and the heat from the sun was beating on her face, mixing with the heat her body was accumulating.
Nick had never been so thankful for birth control in his entire life. He was thrusting harder every second, trying to fill her completely. He wasn't aware of his surroundings anymore; all he could focus on was how good it felt to be inside Kaitlin. He leaned down to kiss her mouth once more, knowing he was ready to come at any minute. He hoped she would be there with him soon.
Kaitlin felt the waves of her orgasm wash over her body like an electric current, starting at her middle and radiating to the tips of her toes and fingers. She gripped her legs tightly around his body as she moaned out his name.
Nick felt her inside pulsing and gripping and knew that she had finally gone over. He released himself within her shortly afterward and lightly collapsed onto her, making sure not to crush her.
Nick could hear her strenuous breathing and he rolled himself over on the blanket, pulling her into his arms as he did so.
As the high from their sex began to dissipate, Nick became very aware that they were in a very public place completely naked. He wasn't sure if he should get up and grab their clothes, or grab the towels she had brought and cover them with those. Nick ran his fingertips over her arm and noticed how sweaty her body was. Even though they were at a beach, they were still in the Mojave Desert. Nick rolled over slightly and reached into the cooler Kaitlin had brought with her. He retrieved an ice cube and began to rub it over her skin.
She felt the cold water drip down her skin and it sent shivers up her spin. It felt good, but the ice cubes were melting too fast on her heated skin.
"You know what would cool you down faster?" Nick mumbled. He had been kissing the crook of her neck, which had become customary after they had had sex, when an idea came into his head.
Kaitlin turned around in his arms, so that she was face to face with him. Nick ran the ice cube down her nose and Kaitlin giggled as she felt the water drip down the side of her cheek.
"What?" She asked.
"If we got into the water." Nick stated. He knew she had her fear of water, but he was hot and he wanted to show her that there was nothing to be afraid of.
"I don't know, Nick." Kaitlin responded, nervousness present in her voice.
"I promise I won't let anything happen to you. I'll hold onto you the entire time." He smiled.
Kaitlin thought about it for a moment. She was very scared of water, but lying there in Nick's arms, she felt so safe. She knew that he would never let anything happen to her, and that thought comforted her a little. She felt the rays from the sun hit her back and she decided that she would give it a try. She could always get out if she wanted to.
"Alright, but you have to promise to hold onto me the entire time." She stated as a bit of a warning.
"I don't think that will be a problem." Nick said with a big smile on his face.
Kaitlin extricated herself from Nick's arms and reached behind her for her sunglasses. She walked over to where Nick had thrown their clothes and picked them up. She threw Nick his swim trunks and began to put hers on. When she was finished she walked back over to Nick and took his hand. He gave it a soft squeeze and then began to lead her towards the cool water. He felt the water hit his feet and he felt her stiffen as it hit hers. He gave her an encouraging smile and pulled her closer to him.
"Just pretend it's a gigantic bath tub." Nick joked.
Kaitlin laughed and Nick could feel her loosen up a bit. He ventured out a little further so that the water hit his knees. The water felt amazing. Nick pulled Kaitlin in front of him so that her back was pressed against his chest. He leaned down and kissed along her shoulder, moving her hair as he did so. She relaxed into him and he knew his plan would work. He slowly started to move them out a little more; all the while he continued to distract her by kissing her neck and shoulder. Before she could realize what was going on, the water was at their waists.
She felt the cool water on her rib cage and opened her eyes. In front of her was the bluish green water with the sun glistening off the top. Behind her Nick was kissing her neck and running one hand over her stomach and the other rested on her hip. She didn't feel afraid. She felt safe. It was the first time she could ever remember feeling safe in the water. She smiled and felt a tear fall down her face. She knew this was all because of Nick. She thought back to the song they had listened to on their way to this place. Today really was the first day of her life, she thought. She had defiantly been blind before she had met him.
Kaitlin had just gotten home from Nick's. She had spent the night there after their "date" the previous day, and now she was feeling tired. He had had to work that night, and she had returned home to rest and change her clothes.
Kaitlin noticed that Brandi wasn't home as she pulled her car into the driveway. She walked into the house and was thankful that it was clean. She didn't know if she had enough energy to clean right then. She dropped her keys in the basket by the door and dropped her purse next to the table. She walked over the phone, intending to call Brandi, when she saw that she had a missed call from her parents. Her real parents. She sighed.
She wasn't sure if she felt emboldened by the previous day she had experienced with Nick or if she was just ready, but she picked up the phone and called her parents back.
"Hallo?" The voice from the other end responded. It was a male voice that Kaitlin recognized. Somewhere in her memory that voice was familiar. She felt her eyes well up and she sniffed as her nose began to run.
"Hallo?" The voice asked again and Kaitlin snapped out of her trance.
"Dad?" She whispered into the phone. She hoped that he had heard that because she wasn't sure if she would be able to muster up the strength or courage to say it again.
"Angelika?" He asked from the other end. He knew at once who it was. Her voice was different, but it was her.
"Yeah, it's me." She half laughed half cried into the phone.
Lukas, Kaitlin's father, let out the breath he had been holding for 25 years. His baby had called. He felt the tears well up in his eyes and he motioned for his wife to come over. Maria, Kaitlin's mom, came running over from the bed of their hotel room. She had heard her husband say "Angelika".
Kaitlin talked to her parents for about five minutes before they had set up a time and a place to meet the next day. As Kaitlin reluctantly pushed the end button on the phone, she felt relieved. She hadn't realized how much she had needed that. A burden had been lifted from her shoulders. She walked into the bathroom and picked up a Kleenex to wipe her face off with. She blew her nose and discarded the tissue.
She was about to walk into the shower when she heard the phone ring again. She thought momentarily that her parents were calling back, and she knew she needed to answer the phone.
"Hello?" Kaitlin answered into the receiver.
"Kaitlin, it's Matt." It was a simple phrase that Kaitlin had not wanted to hear at that moment.
"Hi." She responded quietly.
"What are you doing?" Matt asked.
"I was just about to go to sleep."
"Late night?" He asked. He had hoped that she was tired on account of work and not from that new meathead she seemed to be enamored with.
"Something like that." She vaguely responded.
"Where were you last night?" He asked. He had come by last night to see her, and had noticed that her car wasn't in the driveway. Brandi hadn't been much help either, only saying that she was out.
"I was out." Kaitlin mimicked Brandi's answer.
"Were you with him?" He could help but feel jealous that she had seemed to move on.
"That's none of your business, Matt." Kaitlin was starting to feel upset. He had no right to her and no right to know what she did with her evenings.
"He's not good for you, Katie." Matt snarled. He felt as if his territory was being invaded upon.
"Matt, I don't have time for this." Kaitlin sighed. She really didn't want to have this conversation. She had just had a very emotional previous day and had just had a very emotional phone conversation and right now all she wanted to do was shower and sleep.
"He's going to break your heart." He stated.
"I don't want to have this conversation with you. It is none of your business who I date." She was getting agitated.
"It is my business who you date. I was once a part of your life, Kaitlin." He yelled back into the receiver.
"Once. Once, Matt. That is the key word there. You aren't anymore and you need to get that through your head. For once, I am happy and you're just pissed that it's not with you." Kaitlin yelled back and then followed by hanging up the phone. She knew it was mean and harsh, but she was tired. He didn't need to be saying things like that, especially since they were things she had been thinking herself since she had first started seeing Nick.