Hola! Thanks for reviews! Quick update! Getting back into it but tengo mucho coursework so soz I write in like ten minute bursts over like a week so soz if it's rubbish.
Mega quicks! I'm aiming for 420 reviews in the next few chapters? Who thinks my hard work is worth a review?
Here's a Valentine's surprise! Who expected it? Not you, ha!
Soz for mistakes!
Read. Enjoy. REVIEW!
Chapter Forty-Four # Miss Atomic Bomb #
"Oh my god, MJ, this is amazing! Thank you so much!" Sara gushed, twirling around in the coral pink dress.
"You are very welcome." MJ smiled, adjusting her strapless midnight blue dress. "I got it from my gran, but it clashes with my hair."
She observed Sara in the dress that looked so good on her – a halter neck, backless, that hugged Sara's small figure down to her waist from where it splayed out, ending halfway down her thighs. MJ had also leant her a pair of coral pink heels to go with the dress.
It was the day of the Valentine's day ball, the one thing that Atwood's students had to look forward to. Fully aware that Sara wouldn't have anything to where, MJ had offered her an old dress and asked her to get ready with her. In the weeks Sara had lived with them, MJ had grown fond of the girl, and the feeling was mutual.
"I just wish we had matching nail varnish." MJ pouted, but Sara grinned.
"That I have an answer for." Sara smiled, grabbing a large box and pulling out a couple of different nail polishes and a small palette. "Back when I was little, my mom and I used to play dress up, and my mom would always mix up the nail varnish to make interesting shades, with a little common sense…"
MJ grinned as Sara finished mixing a couple of colours to come up with a shade that matched her dress. "You are incredible, Ms Sidle!"
They painted their nails, did their make-up and took the curlers out of Sara's hair. In turn, Sara braided MJ's hair, no mean feat with her curls, and pinned the braids to the back of her head.
"Perfect." MJ smiled into the mirror. "You are so good at this."
"Thanks." Sara grinned. "So who're all your friends going with?"
"Well, Jess is going with Don, obviously, and just as obviously, Tony's goin' with you. Ziva's with Damon Worth, Natalia's going with Mark Townsend, Kate's with Stan Burley, Teri's dating Sam Vega, EJ's going with Gayne Levin, and Catherine will not tell me a single thing about who she's going with. I'm thinking it might be that new guy, Mike Keppler. How about yours?"
"Well, Ryan's taking Anya, no surprises there, same with Morgan and Greg. Warrick… actually I'm not sure Warrick's coming. And oh yeah! Nick asked Tali to the dance."
"He did?" MJ's eyes widened. "How come I-"
"Didn't know? Because neither did I until five minutes ago when Tali blabbed on the phone accidently. She's really excited; I think they're meeting there. So who're you going with?"
"I am going with Sheldon Hawkes."
"Really?" Sara asked. "Nice."
"I know, right. Oh, Sar, Tony's here!"
Sara stood up slowly. "How'd I look?"
"Amazing." MJ smiled. "Now get your ass downstairs."
"Hello, Sara." Tony smiled as she sat in his car.
"Hey. You look good."
"You look better." Tony returned.
"Thanks." Sara smiled, kissing him on the cheek.
"Let's go start this party."
CSIVCSIVCSIV
Music pounded in their ears as the lights swayed.
Nick leaned against the refreshment's table. Tali had promised to meet him at the table an hour ago. Warrick had shown up with Catherine to everybody's surprise, and right now they were dancing together with everybody else, twirling and twisting in the pulsating beams of colour.
He watched as Sara kissed Tony in the middle of the dance floor, as Greg and Morgan weaved between the other dancers. He watched Catherine and Warrick stare at each other with smiles from ear to ear, he saw Ryan and Anya in the corner away from the dancers, their kissing becoming more and more passionate by the second.
And Tali hadn't shown up.
He glanced at his phone.
No texts. No calls. Not even an email.
He dialled once more and held the phone up to his ear.
"Hi, you've reached the phone of Tali David, leave me a message and I'll get back to you soon."
Nick gritted his teeth. If he left a third message he'd sound clingy or need, or alternatively just really pissed.
He hung up and waited for another half an hour. He was worried about where Tali could be, so he called her house.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Orah, it's Nick, Stokes, is Tali there…"
"Hello Nick, yes, she is just upstairs. Do you want me to go and get her?"
Nick's heart fell. "No…no, that's okay…"
"Do you want me to pass a message?"
"No, that's fine. I'm sorry to bug you. Bye, Orah…"
Nick hung up the phone, sighing and tipping his head back.
"Hey Nick."
Nick looked at the girl walking up to him. "Hey Frankie."
"What's up? You look like you've been kicked in the balls by a horse."
Nick raised his eyes with a slight smile.
She rolled her eyes. "Look, I'm working on sensitivity. You been stood up?"
Nick smiled wryly. "Is it that obvious?"
"Whoever she is, she's a bitch."
"I have to disagree with you there." Nick shook his head.
"Well, are you dating her?"
"No…" Nick trailed off.
"Then let's dance." Frankie smiled, leading Nick onto the dance floor.
Nick shrugged. It was just dancing.
"Where's Tali?" Sara asked as they danced near her.
"At home." Nick replied shortly. "We're just dancing."
CSIVCSIVCSIV
Tali hobbled up the steps and into the school building, making her way quickly to the hall.
Her night had gone quickly from bad to worse. She'd dropped her phone down the toilet, got a nosebleed and bled all over her dress and then afterwards when she'd picked a different dress she fell and twisted her ankle, and was unable to move for half an hour. Finally she'd got stuck in traffic, before finally arriving two hours late.
She slipped unnoticed into the hall and saw Nick dancing with a girl from her gym class, Frankie Reed. Her stomach fell out between her toes.
They're just dancing, you are hours late, they're just dancing.
Frankie leaned up and kissed Nick on the lips. She watched, swallowing as Nick froze, before smiling a little at Frankie before excusing himself.
He walked over to the refreshments table and within seconds, Frankie was dancing with someone else.
"Hi." Tali said softly.
Nick twirled around in shock. "Oh. You're here."
She looked away. "Nick, I'm so sorry… I was…well. It was disaster after disaster, my phone fell down the toilet and I got a nose bleed and then I spraind my ankle…Nick I wanted to call you but we're tight on money right now, my home is only able to receive calls."
Nick folded his arms. "What do you want me to say?"
Tali's eyes fell to the floor and Nick sighed.
"Look, that came out wrong, Tali. But do you want me to apologise for dancing with Frankie?"
"No, no, and…and she kissed you, and we're not even…I mean, it's not like we're…look, none of this is your fault."
"Doesn't sound like it's yours, either." Nick sighed, before smiling at her. "You know, you haven't quite missed everything. There's one last song. You wanna dance?"
Tali looked up at him, surprise in her eyes. "Are you… are you serious?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" Nick grinned sheepishly. "I asked you to the dance. Not Frankie Reed."
The last song started to play and The Killer's distinctive sounds flowed from the amps.
"You were standing with your girlfriends in the street
Falling back on forever, I wonder what you came to be
I was new in town, the boy with the eager eyes
I never was a quitter, oblivious to schoolgirls' lies."
They walked slowly onto the dance floor.
When I look back on those neon lights
The leather seats, the passage rite
I feel the heat, I see the light
Miss Atomic Bomb
Making out, we've got the radio on
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone!"
Tali wrapped her arms around Nick's neck with a small smile and they began to turn on the spot.
Racing shadows under moonlight
Through the desert on a hot night
And for a second there we'd won
Yeah, we were innocent and young
Morgan's head lifted from Greg's shoulders and she smiled deeply.
Cast out of the night, well you've got a foolish heart
So you took your place but the fall from grace was the hardest part
Warrick shook his head grinning and Catherine glanced over her shoulder, laughing lightly at the Texan and the Israeli in the pale blue light.
It feels just like a dagger buried deep in your back
You run for cover but you can't escape the second attack
Your soul was innocent, she kissed him and she painted it black
You should have seen your little face, burnin' for love
Holdin on' for your life
Tony prodded Sara gently and she looked up at her two best friends dancing, before kissing Tony again.
All that I wanted was a little touch,
A little tenderness and truth, I didn't ask for much, no
Talk about being at the wrong place at the wrong time
"Ryan!" Anya whispered, pointing at Tali and Nick. Ryan grinned back at her.
Miss Atomic Bomb
Making out we've got the radio on
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone
Jess leaned over to Ziva and nudged her. Ziva turned and smiled at the image of her sister.
"She made it."
Racing shadows under moonlight
We're taking chances on a hot night
And for a second there we'd won
Yeah we were innocent and young
Frankie Reed stopped dancing with Carlos Moreno to look at Nick Stokes for a moment and grinned. Her work was done.
The dust cloud has settled, and my eyes are clear
But sometimes in dreams of impact I still hear…
MJ and Ethan exchanged glances over Nick's head.
"I approve!" Ethan mouthed.
Miss Atomic Bomb,
Their lips collided in a passionate kiss unlike anything either of them had experienced before.
I'm standing here
Sweat on my skin
And this love that I've cradled
Is wearing thin (Miss Atomic Bomb)
But I'm standing here and you're too late
Your shock-wave whisper has sealed your fate
Nick lifted Tali up without breaking the kiss.
It feels just like a dagger buried deep in your back (It's so cruel)
You run for cover but you can't escape the second attack (and you turn your back, you're so)
Your soul was innocent, she kissed him and she painted it black (on a losing game)
You should have seen your little face, burning for love,
(Miss Atomic Bomb)
They slowly broke apart as the music slowly ended.
Holdin' on for your life
But you can't survive (All that I wanted was a little touch)
When you want it all (A little tenderness and truth, I didn't ask for much)
There's another side (Talk about being at the wrong place at the wrong time)
"Wow…" Nick breathed.
Tali bit her lip.
Suddenly Sara's hands smashed against each other in the hollow sound of a single clap. Greg and the others joined in, followed quickly by Catherine, MJ and their friends, and then the whole room.
Nick laughed as Tali went bright red.
"Well we are innocent and young…" he sung and she smacked his arm. They locked eyes for a moment and an understanding passed between them.
Everyone laughed as they bolted for the door hand in hand.
Any good? Review and let me know. The song is Miss Atomic Bomb by the Killers! EPIC SONG OF MAJOR EPICNESS AND SADLY I DON'T OWN!