I met her in a club down in old Soho
Where you drink champagne
And it tastes just likeCoca-Cola
C-O-L-A, cola
She walked up to me and she asked me to dance
I asked her name
And in a dark brown voice she said, "Lola"
L-O-L-A, Lola, lo-lo-lo-lo Lola
Well I'm not the world's most physical guy
But when she squeezed me tight
She nearly broke my spine
Oh my, Lola, lo-lo-lo-lo Lola
Well, I'm not dumb but I can't understand
Why she walked like a woman and talked like a man
Oh my, Lola, lo-lo-lo-lo…Lola, lo-lo-lo-lo, Lola
Well we drank champagne and danced all night
Under electric candlelight
She picked me up and sat me on her knee
And said, "Little boy, won't you come home with me?"
Well I'm not the world's most passionate guy
But when I looked in her eyes
Well, I almost fell for my Lola
Lo-lo-lo-lo, Lola…lo-lo-lo-lo, Lola
Lola lo-lo-lo-lo…Lola, lo-lo-lo-lo, Lola
I pushed her away
I walked to the door
I fell to the floor
I got down on my knees
Well, I looked at her and she at me
Well that's the way that I want it to stay
And I'll always want it to be that way for my Lola
Lo-lo-lo-lo, Lola
Girls will be boys and boys will be girls
It's a mixed-up, muddled up
Shook-up world except for Lola
Lo-lo-lo-lo, Lola
Well, I'd left home just a week before
And I'd never, ever kissed a woman before
But Lola smiled and took me by the hand
And said, "Little boy, I'm gonna make you a man!"
Well I'm not the world's most masculine man
But I know what I am and I'm glad I'm a man
And so is Lola, lo-lo-lo-lo, Lola
Maggie giggled with a childish abandon, twirling as Nick danced with her, their night off at the bar almost uninterrupted and their jobs put on hold for the time being. The air conditioning that kept the hot, late July air out – a month of heat and humidity that kept Vegas a frying pan of tempers – unfrizzed their hair, keeping them relaxed. Empty beverage glasses behind them, the two kept pace with each song, Nick insisting that they dance to the last one when Maggie claimed she was tired.
"So, why is a song about a man that became a woman and falling in love with another man something we need to dance to?" she finally asked Nick when the song was over, being escorted to their table at long last.
"Because this place plays better music and it's music that we both grew up with and love. Plus, it's much more fun."
"I think I would have rather dealt with songs about us." Maggie laughed and sat down, laughing harder when Nick stumbled into his, narrowly missing his chair.
"Oh, like what?" Nick had sat down finally, laughing too at his drunken charades.
"Like that song we danced to way back when, when we first started seeing each other again," Maggie replied, shaking her head at how long ago it seemed, how only a couple of months had passed since she had arrived back in Las Vegas.
Maggie didn't hear Nick's response – the next song had come on – but could only think. Ursula had seemed like a true friend to me then. Eric was alive then, my boyfriend and not even humbled by his interrogation by Brass. Nick and I are barely getting along with each other, but slowly realizing many things. Warrick had just died. Grissom didn't seem to faraway, didn't seem like he wasn't going after Sara all the damned time. Jesus Christ…
"Hello, Maggie? Are you in there? Earth to Maggie!" Nick waved his hand in Maggie's face, giggling when she pulled out of her nostalgia and laughed with him again.
"What?" She shook her head again, the thinking gone, her mind barely clearly up.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Do you want to know?"
"Sure, enlighten me. You seem to be talkative lately. I've gotten a lot out of you in the few months you've been back to Vegas."
Maggie sighed, long and frustrated. "Just pondering upon about the changes from back in early May to now. Michael's birthday is around the corner and here I am, daydreaming about these past few months and thinking…"
"Thinking what again?" Nick asked.
"That I want another dance after all," Maggie replied gaily, smiling and getting up, dragging Nick along with her, listening to his light protests.
Say your prayers, Little One
Don't forget, my son
To include everyone
I tuck you in
Walk within
Keep you free from sin
'til the sandman…he comes
Sleep with one eye open
Gripping your pillow tight
Exit light, enter night
Take my hand
We're off to Never-Never Land
Something's wrong, shut the light
Heavy thoughts tonight
And they aren't of Snow White
Dreams of war, dreams of liars
Dreams of dragons fire
And of things that will bite, yeah
Sleep with one eye open
Gripping your pillow tight
Exit light, enter night
Take my hand
We're off to Never-Never Land
Now I lay me down to sleep
Pray the Lord my soul to keep
If I die before I wake
Pray the Lord my soul to take
Hush, little baby, don't say a word
And never mind that noise you heard
It's just the beasts under your bed
In your closet and in your head
Exit light, enter night
Grain of sand
Exit light, enter night
Take my hand!
We're off to Never-Never Land
Yeah, ha, ha, ha
"Since when do we dance to Metallica?" Nick asked, barely catching his breath, when they finally sat back down again, noticing that Maggie was tired as well.
"Since when do we kiss?" Maggie asked in return, leaning in for one and receiving a quick one on the lips from Nick.
"Grissom is going to catch us at it again, Maggie…"
"Does it look like I care right now, especially seeing as how he's chasing Sara and has been for years? No. I decided on something today. Something people have been saying to me lately, something I think I should do. Then, there's another decision I need to make."
"Do you want to tell me?" Nick's eyes flashed at her, worried.
"Not yet, but I think you'll hear it in the office tomorrow, I think…maybe…"
"Is it good news?"
"I'm moving out of my brother's place finally. I found a new place on Spring Mountain Road, new house, yard and everything. Three bedrooms, low price and I got it. Even Michael even loves it. He saw it the other day with me and demanded that we move in before his birthday next week. He wants a party out in the yard, but I don't think he understands anything about Las Vegas and heat."
Nick laughed.
"July is not a great time to move because of the heat, but I need to get out of that house," Maggie continued, shuddering either from the cold air conditioning or from the thought of ghosts in the house her parents died in. "I can't continue going to my parents' place and living with Chris. Eddie and Grace have moved out and are sort of happy together, albeit they have no children and it's a sore spot for my sister-in-law. But I have the chance to move out. Chris and Rachael are doing it in the autumn because they think the same and Rob likes to be closer to school. So, I might as well get out while I can or buy the house. But, since I don't and hate the constant remodeling it needs, I won't. I'll get what I can out of it and run."
A sympathetic hand reached over and touched hers. "I'll help if I can."
"I might have it, thank you, Nick." Maggie tried pulling her hand away – covered in betrayal, hurt and mistrust and wishing not to run down that road again – but Nick held on tighter.
"Think I'm going to give up this time?" Nick asked her. "You always look like you want to give it up, Maggie, but you find ways to stay always. Why not find a way to stay again? Give it a chance and not move again? You've done enough of that. Why can't you settle down?"
"Because I don't think I can," Maggie whispered back, her voice barely heard over the music. She suddenly truly frightened for the first time that night. "I don't think I can ever settle down permanently."
"Don't you think you should try then?" Nick urged.
"If there was somebody out there to help me, somebody out there who can stay with me, then maybe I could stay in one place," Maggie replied slowly, putting out her offer indirectly – an offer that Nick could have taken from her – but soon, she was disappointed when he said nothing in return, but ordered more drinks for the both of them. She knew that Nick realized what she was giving him, but he had declined to even answer.
Sorry for the filler chapter (a Nick/Maggie chapter, just for Mma63!), but things have been pretty hectic here lately. I've posted whatever I can on my profile, so if you want an update, please check it out there because I am not typing everything twice. However, the story is ending soon, a few more chapters, and it'll have a happy ending, I promise. =) Please review. I need them!