Author's Note: I appreciate the honest feedback from everyone, and I'd just like to say that those of you assuming that you know exactly how this story is going to wrap up, should remember to assume nothing. For those of you who think that I've painted both Nick and Grissom as one dimensional in how they relate to Sara, please be patient because the story is still unfolding. While I realize that GSR is cannon, I do see that keeping the relationship a secret in the long term is going to blow up in their faces and so this aspect of the story is my attempt to explore what might happen if one of them wanted to go public and the other didn't. I don't want to give it all away, but the 'battle for Sara' is far from over, and you still don't know if I might manage yet to kill off one of the characters. So be assured, if I can spin the words the way I see this story going in my mind, you won't see the ending coming. - Forensicsfan
IAB had taken several more days but had finally gotten around to wrapping up their investigation of the officer involved shooting in Henderson. They had been particularly meticulous in their investigation because of the media circus that had ensued because one of the teens who had been shot by the officer was the star quarterback of his high school football team and by all accounts was a good clean cut kid. The investigation into Nick and Sara's role in the shooting of their suspect and the investigation into whether the scene had truly been cleared properly had just begun officially and it would probably be several more days until things were sorted out, the paperwork was filed, and each of them made their mandatory visit to the department shrink to make sure they hadn't suffered any ill effects from the shooting before they could be put back on the schedule; and at the moment they were both taking advantage of the time off.
"So where are you taking me?" Sara smiled as Nick took her hand as they walked towards his rig. They had gone out a few times over the last week and Sara had been thrilled about being able to walk around in public and not hide the fact that she was seeing someone. She was still far from clear about how she was feeling; she felt a spark with Nick and definitely wanted to explore it more and see where things would go, but she was also still struggling with how she felt about Grissom and couldn't help but wonder if he had been willing to go public if they might still be together. It was difficult to compare the two men because they were so different and they each had strengths that the other didn't.
"I thought I'd keep it a surprise." Nick grinned at her as he opened the door of the truck. "But I hope you'll love it." He felt a surge of nerves, he was trying so hard to impress her tonight in particular and he hoped that she didn't think he was trying too hard. He knew she still had feelings for Grissom; they'd talked about it at length, but she'd assured him that she was trying to put it behind her and she wanted to explore where this beyond friendship relationship between the two of them might go.
Sara smirked at him as he climbed behind the wheel of the truck. "I appreciate the chivalry, Nick, but don't forget I know you." That was her way of telling him that he might just want to tone it down a notch. One of the things that she'd always like about Nick as a person was the fact that there was an ease and comfort in spending time with him and talking. Neither one of them had to try very hard to form a genuine friendship over the years, but it seemed that stepping into romance was something that they were fumbling their way through. Nick had confessed to her a couple of days before that he'd never dated someone that he'd been friends with first and it scared him a lot. It was that little tidbit of information that had helped her to realize that he was feeling the same way she was and with it out in the open, somehow it was a little bit easier fumbling through it together.
"And I'm a southern gentleman to the core." He glanced over at her with a wide grin, letting out a hearty laugh as she rolled her eyes at him. He knew they'd be going back to work in a day or two and he wanted to make a memorable evening for her; for both of them actually.
Sara tried to hide her smile. "Charmer is more like it." She wasn't complaining; it was nice to be treated like a lady, something that Nick did for any woman really, but it was still nice to know that he was going out of his way to make her feel wanted.
"Works every time." Nick winked at her.
"I bet you say that to all of your girlfriends." Sara couldn't resist teasing him back; she knew that his charm had fallen flat on more than a few occasions on ladies he'd been interested in over the course of the years they'd known each other. She reasoned that it was their loss and her gain. Nick might try to be charming, but his real charm was the fact that he was genuine and he sort of wore his heart on his sleeve.
"Nah, just the really sexy ones." He arched his brows at her suggestively, smiling at the pink hue that colored her cheeks. He really didn't understand why she didn't get how beautiful she was. Half the guys in the lab practically fell over themselves trying to impress her when she'd first come to Vegas and even the Bugman himself had finally seen how irresistible she was. But Sara was with him now and he didn't want to really think about the possibility that Grissom might still try and win her back.
As they headed out of the main part of town, Sara wondered where exactly they were going, but try as she might, Nick wouldn't let her in on the secret. But as they pulled into the Red Rock Casino Resort she had a pretty good idea where they were going. She'd heard that one of her favorite bands was playing in one of the lounges of the hotel and while she hadn't mentioned it to Nick, he knew her taste in music from many, many drives they'd taken in department issued vehicles.
They were seated at a table in Casa Mexican Restaurant near the window overlooking the red rock hills and they'd just put their order in. The view was amazing and Nick just couldn't seem to keep the secret to himself any longer. "After dinner, I have a surprise for you." He looked like a little boy who had just gotten his first puppy.
Sara smirked. "Any chance it might be tickets to see Dave Matthews?"
Nick flashed her a sheepish smile. "I suppose his name on the marquee outside was a dead giveaway." That and the fact that she knew that he knew she loved the band.
Sara leaned over and softly kissed him, pulling away with a smile. "Thank you."
Nick pulled her in for another soft kiss and smiled at her as he pulled away. "So I was thinking if we get in there a little early, I have a buddy who might be able to get us backstage to meet the band." Nick had one brow arched and he was smiling conspiratorially.
"Wouldn't that be kind of distracting for them right before the concert?" She truly wouldn't mind meeting Dave Matthews and his band, but maybe afterwards when she had something more to say that 'I have every CD you've ever recorded'. She smiled at Nick. "Thanks for doing this...you must have had to really work some connections to get the tickets." The concert had been sold out for weeks and they'd only been seeing each other a little more than a week; she reasoned that they probably had cost him a fortune.
Nick shrugged. "I actually bought them a while ago...I knew you liked them and I was planning on asking you to go anyway...before we started dating." He'd been looking for an opportunity long before that first kiss to let Sara know how he felt about her, and he'd really intended that even if they'd gone to that concert as friends that he would have used that as a vehicle to tell her. Now instead, he was hoping that it might just be the vehicle for them to see the inside of the hotel room with the view of the red rock hills that he'd reserved. He wasn't going to even mention it to Sara until she made it clear that she'd be open to it. They'd already come close several times, but the moment or the timing just never seemed right. Nick was hoping that the atmosphere up here at Red Rock would be the thing that would help them take that next step in their relationship.
"That's sweet." Sara looked genuinely surprised. He had always been a good friend and she loved the fact that he would have done something like that for her just because he knew she would enjoy it.
Nick looked at her appreciatively, reaching over and trailing his fingers down her cheek before leaning in and softly kissing her. He whispered as he pulled away. "You're sweet."