I do not own CSI.

Rated T

I'm noticing a drop in traffic which has me wondering if perhaps I need to wrap this story up and put it to rest.

Maybe it's too long or drawn out now?

ooooo************oooooo************ooooo

As promised, here is a long, Nicky & Jules centered chapter.

Jules and Nick have been arguing back and forth...

Will it continue on into the night?

(*Please: Read, review, repeat...thanks!)

She stood on the step outside the sliding glass doors and looked out into her yard. Many of their friends had already gone home but there were still several scattered around. It was really a beautiful night; the air was warm but the breeze was cool which made it perfect. She liked tiki torches she had asked Nick to set up and light before their friends arrived. They gave off a calm, beautiful, glow around the pool. She was able to appreciate it now that she knew her best friend was safe with her brother and her fears were for nothing.

Jules felt a little embarrassed at how scared she was. She just couldn't seem to make Nick understand that her insides were screaming that there was trouble. She knew Nick blamed it on her hormones but it wasn't true…it couldn't be true…that feeling, that instinct, it was too strong to not be real, and yet, it wasn't real because Warrick said Trista was fine. She wanted to make Nick understand but the truth was she wasn't even sure why she had such a bad feeling. She knew Trista has been drunk in bars before, but there was something about this night that had her worried. Maybe it was because something had gotten Trista very upset or else she wouldn't have left their BBQ. It just didn't make sense. Something was wrong and had Warrick not told her Trista was fine and in his care, Jules would still not be able to shake the bad feeling tied to all of this.

Her eyes scanned the backyard until it fell upon the one person she had been hoping to find…Nick. She felt bad that she and Nick had been arguing. She didn't want to be his buzz kill and she knew she had to have been. She watched him putting glass bottles into a big, black, plastic, garbage bag that he held in his hand as he walked around. "You always were the neat one, Cowboy…even when you're liquored up," she said to herself and smiled inwardly.

Jules knew Nick was probably still annoyed and upset with her. He hadn't really said much to her since she told him he was an asshole, and not to mention the argument they had when Warrick was on the phone. She really didn't have to talk to him like that, and especially not in front of Catherine. Of course Catherine wouldn't care, but still, she knew Nick wouldn't be happy about it.

She felt bad, and bit her bottom lip as she looked for him. She could be tough about a lot of things, but the one thing that made her sappy and sensitive was when Nick was angry or annoyed with her. She hated it. Of course, it never stopped her from arguing or fighting with him, but it always made her feel incredibly sad once she calmed down.

"I hate it that you have me wrapped around your finger, Cowboy," she grumbled silently as she watched him.

Before she met Nick, she could have an argument and not think twice about it. In fact, even when she and any of her old boyfriends would have a blow out brawl, she would never be sensitive like she was with Nick. It pissed her off in a weird way. She liked having a tough skin and being the type that let things roll off her. She liked being able to say "fuck off" and not think twice about it. She had definitely not been one to wilt easily and yet her husband could make her weak just by the look in his eyes.

Nick's eyes were definitely her weakness. If they looked happy, she smiled. If they looked hurt, she felt it. If they looked angry, she hated it. His eyes told her tonight he was adamant and pissed…and now she wanted to find those eyes and make sure they smiled at her again.

Jules continued to watch him from the patio. She was secretly hoping he would look over at her, and his eyes would smile back. And so, she watched him and waited.

"Ohhhh you know I'm watching you, don't you, Handsome…" she twisted her lips and squinted in thought. "You knew I would come around looking for you, didn't ya…" she continued to grumble. "You're still an asshole, ya know…AND don't ever tell me what to do either…," she fought with him in her mind, "but you were right, Superman."

She knew he was right; she hated that too.

He saw her open the sliding glass doors and come outside but he looked away quickly. He also checked her out for a split second as she turned and closed the sliders.

"You little spitfire…you know you make me crazy," he thought silently and continued to toss beer bottles into a garbage bag, "Damn, woman, when you gonna learn to stop fightin' me? I'm always gonna be protective of you, Baby!" he yelled at her silently.

Nick noticed out of the corner of his eye that she was still standing next to the sliding glass doors and he knew then that she was looking for him. He also knew, by the way she came looking for him, that she wanted to make up with him…she didn't like it when he was pissed off at her.

"Hah haaa" Nick laughed his "Stokes" laugh in his head…He made sure he didn't laugh out loud, because even with too many beers in him, he still knew better than to ever let her see him laugh with victory. After all, Jules might weaken for him when she thinks she's wrong, but damn, she could shoot him down cold if he laughed in her face victoriously.

Nick didn't like fighting with her either, but he wanted her to calm down and he was adamant that she would not be traipsing off looking for her drunken best friend at bars in Las Vegas. He didn't care what she said… he had put his foot down, and she could call him an asshole or anything else she could think of, but the fact remained his pregnant wife did not belong out there searching when Warrick could do it on his own. Granted, he wasn't thrilled to be called names, not to mention in front of people, but he could handle it…and he could handle her.

Nick took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He knew it was true that he could handle her but…she also had him wrapped around her finger. He wished that she didn't but the truth was she could make him melt just my her smile and her laugh would make him forgive her for anything…well, almost.

Nick could feel her still watching him but he kept looking around for bottles and tossing them into his plastic bag. He held back his smirk. He really wasn't angry with her anymore, but he knew she was thinking he still might be…he could feel it. The alcohol in him wondered if he could use this to his advantage…

"Oh you're evil, Stokes," he smirked and tossed another bottle into the bad. "Jules is right, all you ever wanna do is get her in the sack!"

It was true, he couldn't deny that one…his favorite thing in the world seemed to be holding her naked in his arms and making love to her until his body explodes. He couldn't help it. It had been that way since the day they found each other and there didn't seem to be any end in sight…which he thought was a good thing…a very good thing.

Jules sighed and continued to watch him as Nick leaned over, tied the top of the garbage bag and placed it over by the white fence to be gathered up later. She wondered if he would finally let her see his eyes…he didn't. She wasn't sure if he did it on purpose because he was pissed, or if he simply didn't see her, so she continued to stand there and watch him. And when Nick still made no eye contact with her, she lost the fight completely, and went to him.

He heard her flip flops slapping as she came closer to him. He was leaning over the little white side table, peering into the citronella candle to see if it was still lit inside.

"Don't burn that eyeball, I happen to live for those eyes," she said as he was peeking into the candle jar.

Nick looked back at her and gave her a nod upward and then looked back at the candle.

Jules thought that there was a very good chance that Nick was indeed still pissed off at her. She walked up closer and stood behind him. When he didn't turn, she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his back. She took comfort in holding him with her hands resting on his stomach, but even more so when he covered the top of her hands with his hand.

"You mad at me?" she asked him softly.

"Why?"

"You know why," she rolled her eyes behind him.

"Ohhhh, you mean for being an ASSHOLE?" he said obnoxiously, "Or because I am an annoying, wanna-be Superman, Bad Ass?"

"Uh huh, all of that," she smirked.

He turned to face her and she backed up a step to look him in the eyes.

"I'm NOT being an asshole, Babe," he frowned.

"I know…but come on, don't be a big baby about it!" she said with her defenses suddenly kicking up.

"A baby? Hmmm, is this your idea of an apology for calling me names in front of my colleague?"

Jules bit her bottom lip and thought about that before answering.

"Um, I guess that's not a great apology, huh?"

"Not even a little," he said and gave her the "little bit" sign with his thumb and finger like their daughter does.

"Not even a tiiiiny bit?" she did the same.

Nick pressed his lips together, squished up his cheeks a bit and shook his head, "Uh-uh…nope."

"Sorry?" she said with a questioning tone.

"Mmm, I guess your getting a little better," he smirked slightly.

"Ughhh," she groaned.

She knew he was going for a real apology.

"I'm kinda sorry?"

"Yeah, ya see, now I'm not thinking that's good at all," he shook his head while looking down.

"Okay, okay," she said trying not to smile.

It was more of a game now rather than real animosity.

"Nick…Oh, my Nicholas Stokes, my love, my life, the one who gives me hope…to carry on…would you forgive me for using profanity instead of your real name?"

"What else?"

"Oh, Nicky, my hero, could you ever forgive me for telling you to back off, and cursing at you?"

"Why should I?" he smirked devilishly.

"Ummm, because you know I am sorry?" she questioned.

"But…I'm wounded…you hurt me…" he smiled a school boy smile, "You, you hurt my feelings."

He tried not to smile.

"Ohhhhh, noooo, nooooo, oh my big, handsome, man…" she said in a mothering voice, "Did I hurt your feelings? I'm so sorry, Bayyybeee" she smiled.

"Well, you need to make me feel better…" he smiled back.

"Ohhhhh, here we go," she sighed.

Nick held his hand out to her.

Jules took his hand and moved into him.

He wrapped his arms around her and she did the same. She rested her cheek on his chest and he rested his chin on her head as they both continued to talk softly to one another.

"So, you are looking for me to heal your wounded pride?" she asked.

"I don't know if I would say my pride was wounded, but it wasn't nice the way you spoke to me," he laughed softly thinking about it.

"I wasn't very nice? How about you ordering me around?" she looked up at him.

"Well, I think we need to have a serious little chat about our behavior tonight then…maybe we should be sent to our room?"

"How did I know this would end up in the bedroom?"

"Ohhhh, so you think I'm just looking for a little somethin' somethin'? Is that what you're saying? You call me an asshole, an annoying pain in the ass, and now accuse me of being a pervert? Oh no, no, no" he laughed while shaking his head.

"Okay, forget it then."

"Oh and now she's being a hard ass?" Nick nodded sarcastically.

"No, your just a drunken crybaby…" she laughed.

"Oh, okay, okaaay, I see where you're goin' with this…callin' people names…having a little tantrum, causing a scene," he rattled off his list.

"WHAT!" she gasped "I did not! You are such a whiner!"

"Awwrightt, well ya know what then, wise ass?" he said in his thick southern drawl.

"Yea, Southern Boy?" she was teasing him now about how strong his accent is when he is drunk.

"Uh huh, Southern Boy now too? Well I think I'm fresh outta southern charm tonight, Sunshine," he said grabbing her by her waist and throwing her over his shoulder.

Their friends looked over at them when Jules screamed and they started to laugh.

Catherine yelled over, "Oh Nicky, don't do it! Don't do it!" she warned.

"Do it, Nick! Do it!" Greg yelled.

Slung up over his shoulder, Nick carried Jules into the pool area as she punched his back as they went.

"WHO HEARD MY WIFE HAVE A FIT ON ME INSIDE?" he announced boisterously to everyone in the yard.

"Nicky, don't do it!" Catherine said again.

"I'M SORRRRRRY, YOU BIG PERFECT HUNK OF MAN YOU!" she screamed laughing, "NICKKKKK! SERIOUSLY, NICK! YOU BETTER NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!"

"Ya'll hear that? Remember what she said…I'm PERFECT!" he yelled and tossed her into the deep end of their pool.

Jules bobbed back up after a second and screamed, " NNNNIIIICCCKKKKK!" she yelled, "SEE! I TOLD YOU! YOU ARE SUCH AN ASSHOLE!"

Leaning over with his hands on his knees, Nick cracked up laughing, .

"You won't be laughing later, Nicky," Catherine said shaking her head, "Bet you'll be sleeping on the couch now!"

Nick stood up straight and whipped his head around to look at Catherine. He hadn't thought about this affecting his sex life.

"Awww, man…" he whined, winced, and scratched the back of his neck.

Nick's back was turned as he looked at Catherine, so Jules jammed her hands forward in the water creating a large splash of water to fly at Nick.

He felt the cold water splash his back, soaking his shirt completely. He turned back to look at her and raised his eyebrow.

Reaching for the hem of his shirt, he pulled it up over his head and tossed it carelessly on the ground before diving into the pool to get her.

She screamed as he hit the water knowing she was in for an attack.

"Nick! Nick, NO, NO!" she said swimming away from him into the shallow end.

As she headed quickly for the stairs, she felt his arm hook around her waist and pulled her back into him.

"Hah HAAA, where you goin', my sexy, little, minx?"

"Nick!" she laughed.

"Come'mere" he said and pulled her into a heated kiss with one hand tangling into her wet hair and the other on the small of her back.

Jules intended on fighting him and making him stop, but his soft lips, and his teasing tongue, made her wrap her hands around his wet body and kiss him back with equal intensity.

"Ohhhh, here they go!" Natalie yelled over at them by the pool fence where she and Greg Sanders had been standing and talking together.

Jules didn't care who was watching their public display of affection. She continued their passionate kiss right there in their pool suddenly wishing the whole yard would be empty so she could wrap her legs around him and let her drunk husband have his way with her.

Once she finally put an end to their kiss, mostly for fear they would get far too carried away if she didn't, the two of them wrestled around and played like kids before Jules told him she felt like her clothes weighed a ton.

"You could always take them off," he smirked.

"Would you like me to show your buddies my new lace bra and thong?"

"You have a new lace bra and panties?" his face lit up.

"Yea, but, you missed the point!"

"Aw, you really are a buzz killer tonight, Baby," he laughed.

Jules just laughed, swiped her wet hair back out of her face, and kissed his cheek.

"I'm getting out, Handsome."

"I'm following' ya then," he nodded.

As they got out of the pool together they talked about being happy that everyone seemed to have a good time at their BBQ. Most of their friends had left already but there was still a handful still hanging out and having fun which was fine with Nick and Jules.

Jules leaned over, grabbed a towel, but Nick took it out of her hands and wrapped it around her, pulling her into him.

"I love you," he whispered in her ear.

Jules leaned up and whispered the same thing back to him except she added, "…and I'm sorry" at the end.

Nick smiled brightly...

and simply kissed her again.