I don't own CSI...get it? Got it? GOOD.

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Here's an update for my faithful followers :o)

This chapter will give you some Nick & Jules sappy fluff...

But can they really be fluffy allll the time?

Hmmm...maybe...maybe not.

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It wasn't until Jules got to the bottom of the stairs that she looked over at Nick and sighed loudly.

"What? Whatsa matter, Darlin'?" he asked with his thick southern twang.

"I never did change my shorts!" she groaned not feeling like going back up and sneaking quietly into her room.

"How wet are they?"

"Well, just damp I guess," she said feeling her butt.

"Want me to check for ya?" he said moving close to her and sliding his hand to her ass and caressing it.

"Mmmm, I think it feels perfect actually." he smiled.

"You never quit, do ya, Cowboy?" she grinned.

"Never, Sunshine," he laughed and leaned in to kiss her neck.

Jules kissed the side of his head before pulling away, "Eh, they're good enough I guess."

"Ya sure? Because I can go back up there with ya and help you get out of them," he grinned like a school boy at her.

"Yes, Nick, I'm sure," she grinned back.

"Well, they'll dry fast, come outside and hang out with me," he asked and his deep brown eyes could make her do anything he asked.

Together they walked outside to the party in their yard.

Sitting on his thigh with her legs in between his, Jules could feel Nick's hand slide down into the back of her shorts and rest inside them. He played with the string on her thong as he talked to Greg and Catherine at the patio table. She wondered if he even realized that he literally had his hands down her pants in front of his colleagues; she didn't think he did nor did she think he would even care at this point of the night. She didn't even bother to make him stop either. She loved how he has always loved to touch her. It made her heart feel good.

While Nick continued to twist his index finger around the top of her thong string, he brought up a gory detail about one of their cases. It was when they started talking about that particular case, which she found absolutely horrific, that she tuned them out and began scanning the backyard for her best friend. She wondered where she could be since she hadn't seen her in a while. She was beginning to think she passed out somewhere in the house. She chuckled to herself. "Nick was right…she was gonna pass out." but then she worried that maybe she was actually getting sick. And so, she stood up in between Nick's legs and told the three of them that she was going to find Trista.

"What's a matter, Jules," Greg smiled, "is our conversation making you sick?"

"Nah, I'm used to it. I am just wondering if Trista's is okay…she was really pounding the Tequila!"

"Yeah, I think you should, Babe, I agree with ya," Nick said with his southern drawl.

As she walked away, Nick made a point of leaning back and slapping her ass. She smirked but ignored him.

Jules scanned the area with her eyes intently.

Warrick watched his sister from across the yard. He ended his conversation with Wendy Sims and walked over to her.

"Who are scoping out?"

"Trista…you see her?"

"Um, yeah, earlier," he looked down nervously.

"Where? Is she okay?"

Yeah, why? Why wouldn't she be?" Warrick asked sounding guilty.

"Uhhh, maybe because she is drunk off her ass?" she said sarcastically.

"Oh, oh, yeah," he stuttered, "ya know, she was heading upstairs a little while ago…she said she left something up there…maybe she passed out on your bed?"

"I'm gonna go see," Jules said and turned to walk into the house.

"I'll go with ya," he said following her.

Walking through the sliders and into her kitchen with her brother she headed first to the den to see if she was lying down. When she wasn't there, Jules turned and headed for the bathroom to see if she was puking.

Warrick was already coming from there and met Jules half way in the kitchen.

"Nope, she ain't in there," he said referring to the bathroom.

Griffin Burke walked into the kitchen just as Jules grumbled, "Oh C'mon, Trista! Where are you!"

"Oh she left," he said matter of factly while grabbing a bag of Doritos off the counter and turning back to walk outside.

"WHAT? WHOA, WHHHHAT?" Jules yelled stuttering in disbelief.

Griffin turned around and looked at her surprised that she didn't know.

"Yeah, she left about an hour ago," he informed her.

Warrick and Jules looked at each other with horror.

"SHE DROVE? SHE LEFT HERE? SHE'S NOT HERE?" Jules screamed frantically.

Still sitting outside on the patio, Catherine, Greg and Nick all turned their heads toward the open sliding glass doors wondering why Jules was yelling frantically.

Nick pushed his chair backwards and stood up furrowing his face unsure if Jules was freaking out or not. It sounded like it so he headed inside.

"Babe? What's up?" he asked as he leaned his head into the kitchen through the glass doors.

"TRISTA LEFT, NICK! Trista LEFT!" she said loudly.

"Whaaaat? Nah, no she didn't, no way…she was way too drunk to drive…she's probably upstairs," he said with disbelief.

"No, man," Griffin turned toward Nick, "she got in a cab about an hour ago; I saw her" he said suddenly feeling bad he didn't stop her.

"WHERE WAS SHE GOING?" Warrick said panicked.

"Um, she said she wanted to go dancing…shit where did she say she was she going?" Griffin mumbled in thought.

"Griff, THINK, man," Warrick said.

"Um, shit…I can't…wait…I fuckin' forget, I'm sorry," he winced.

"NO, no you have to think," Jules said with fear, "You don't understand, Trista was wasted and kept drinking…the alcohol is going to catch up to her even more…I gotta find her, Griffin!"

"The VooDoo Club, I think?" he answered.

"No, uh uh, she hates it there…" she rubbed her hands over her face and then realized he might mean a different bar that begins with a 'V'.

"Vixen and Viper?" Jules asked.

"YES! YES! I'm positive," he said firmly.

Jules looked at Nick with fear on her face.

"Nick, this is bad…I have a bad feeling about this…WHY? Why would she leave here? What the hell is wrong with her?" she said choking up.

Warrick looked at Nick and then down at his feet.

"We gotta go get her," Jules said.

"I can't drive!" Nick said knowing he needed to sober up a lot before he could drive.

"No, stay with your friends, I'll go," she said grabbing her keys.

"Whoa, whoa, Baby Girl, no I don't think so," Warrick said grabbing her keys.

Jules was about to protest but Nick stepped in.

"No, no way, Babe, he's right, there is no way I'm allowing you to head out on a search for your drunken best friend, uh-uh, no" he shook his head adamantly.

"Allowing me? Seriously?" she frowned.

"Yeah, that's what I said," Nick told her firmly refusing to even entertain the idea.

He knew she wasn't the kind of girl to be ordered around by her husband but there were times where Nick just didn't care and told her exactly what she would or would not be doing…this was one of those times.

"Nick!" she began to argue but he cut her off.

"Jules! No! You're NOT going!" he pointed at her adamantly.

"Baby Girl, I will go…stay here," Warrick stepped in.

"Where do you guys get off telling me what to do? Are you kidding me?"

"Jules, you are pregnant, upset, and this is bullshit! It's just not necessary!"

"Nick! I am capable of going to get my best friend from a bar, for God's sake!" Jules stood there staring at him deciding how she wanted to proceed with this argument.

Nick stared back at her not backing down.

"Baby Girl I agree with him, okay? No one is ordering you around…I'll just go and I will bring her back…it's not a big deal!"

"Argggghhh!" she groaned, " FINE! Then go, Warrick," she said pissed off that she was being treated like a child.

Jules watched Warrick tear out the front door. Once the door closed behind him she turned back toward Nick.

He put up his hand.

"I don't want to hear it, Babe, okay," he told her firmly.

"Why are you giving me such a hard time?"

"I'm not! You are making it into one."

Catherine walked into the kitchen and could see the tension between the two of them.

"Hey, hey, come on guys," Catherine said.

Nick shook his head, "No! It's ridiculous…you don't need to go around town looking for her…Warrick can handle it!"

"I could help, Nick, we could have split up at the bar!"

"Yeah, just what I want…you searching a crowded bar…He doesn't need help and if he did, well, you have other people here that could do it…Nat could have gone…why does my pregnant wife have to constantly go running? No, too bad. NO!" he yelled the last 'no' adamantly.

"Well it doesn't matter now, does it! He left!" she said getting upset.

"Exactly!"

Jules was angry but Nick was just as stubborn and wouldn't back down.

"Why do you have to act like such an asshole about this, Nick!" she yelled loudly.

His eyebrows went up and he jerked his head back, "I'M an ASSHOLE? I'm an asshole?" he repeated, "That's nice…I'm an asshole because I don't think you…Ya know what…I'm not explaining myself again…Fine, ya think I'm an asshole? Fine…I'm an asshole…and YOU still ain't going!" he yelled and stormed out of the kitchen into the backyard.

Jules frowned and walked away too, but…

… in the other direction.