New CSI Fic: Moving On
Title: Moving On
Fandom: CSI
Characters: The whole team and an non-“GSR” pairing
Prompt: #65 Passing
Word Count: 2710
Rating: K
Summary: Damn straight it is a letter. A letter from the Galveston Police Department, Crime Lab, to be precise.
Author's Notes: This was half written years ago when I was still a huge CSI fan. I then had a huge falling out with CSI and stopped watching almost completely. Then the writer’s strike happened and I started watching repeats of the old CSI’s and I remember why I liked it - mostly a guy named Nick. I also remembered this half started fic and decided to finish it. Someplace tvjunkie1013 is screaming silently in pain and disbelief that I wrote this!
Gil Grissom glanced once, twice and then a third time at the paper in his hand. Granted, he had read the letter four times already and committed every line to memory, but he still could not believe it was real. He was just about to go back to reading it for a fifth time, when his Big Mouth Billy Bass began singing above the door. Looking up he saw the subject of the letter standing sheepishly in his doorframe, eyes crinkling towards the signing fish.
"Man, I thought War and I fixed that," a half chuckled escaped his throat.
For the briefest second the words on the paper were forgotten as Gil smiled at the younger man, "Nicky, my boy, Billy is not going to stay 'fixed' long if all you do is remove the batteries."
Nick again smiled at his boss and mentor, "Well, the other idea would have landed us in a little too much hot water. You wanted to see me?"
"Yeah," the words on the paper returned to the front of his mind, burning the start of a headache across his skull. "Yeah. Nick, what's this?"
Nick looked at the paper Gil waved, "Well, I would assume it is a letter, but if I've learned anything from you it is to assume nothing. So, I'm not sure, Griss. I'd need to look at it better."
Nick was playing with him? Everything about their relationship and the team he had so carefully crafted was about to change and Nick was playing with him. An unreasonable anger surged red hot through him, "Damn straight it is a letter. A letter from the Galveston Police Department, Crime Lab, to be precise."
"Oh," the word half slipped, half jumped from his mouth. Moving to slump into Gil's visitors chair, he sighed, "I didn't know that they were going to send that out this soon. In fact, I asked them to hold off for another week until I talked to you about it."
"Another week? Nick, this says that you are slated to take the position on the first that's only three weeks from now."
"I know." Nick sighed again, as he clasped his hands in front of him and leaned his elbows on his thighs, "Look, I knew if I gave you any more than the two weeks notice then you would try and talk me out of it and I would have let you. But, this is different. This offer wasn't like the rest..."
"The rest," Gil interrupted with a surprised question. "What rest?"
"Griss, man, we get offers all the time."
"What," Gil stared at the younger man. Surely Nick was mistaken. His team couldn't be getting job offers and not telling him. Why would they do that?
Nick ran a hand over his face. This was harder than he thought. "We're good, Grissom, and that doesn't go unrewarded. I know for a fact that Warrick got an offer from Encino about a month ago. Sara turned down a position in New York cause she doesn't like the supervisor. And Catherine not only gets calls from Miami, but Reno's been courting her for a while."
"Catherine, too," Gil blanched.
"Yeah," Nick's head dropped. "We get offers, but we turn them down."
"But not this one," Gil waved the paper slightly again.
"No, but not that one."
Gil studied the Texan for a moment, "Why? Is this about the promotion?"
Nick looked him square in the eye, "No. It is about time. Gil," he sighed again and leaned back in his chair, "I need to stop... to stop looking for your approval like a little lap dog. I need to stop measuring every move I make against you. It is time for me to be my own type of investigator, to be... me.
I can't do that in your shadow. I've learned so much from you and now I need to go apply that knowledge someplace where I'll be appreciated."
"I appreciate you."
"Yeah," he couldn't help the chuckled that escaped, "you appreciate me the way my father does, with love, but just a touch of doubt. Doubt in my abilities and my objectivity. Well, I've discovered that your doubt is coloring my view of myself and my performance, so I need to move on."
"I don't dou..."
Nick held up a hand, "Griss, please, just be happy for me and let me go. With me leaving, you can get Greg a CSI 1 position. And no matter what, I'll always be looking to you for guidance, just from a distance now."
Gil nodded slowly trying to process everything, "Okay. Are you going to tell the team?"
"Sara already knows, we discussed this when it first came up, but I was waiting to tell the other until I talked to you. Guess I can tell them now, huh."
"I guess. They're all in the break room, why don't you tell them now? I'll be down in a minute with assignments," Gil dismissed Nick from the room knowing that he couldn't be in the room when Nick broke the news.
Nick slowly pushed out of the chair, "Yeah, I'll go do that."
Gil calculated in his head how long it should that Nick to get to the break room and give everyone the news. Then he waited. He waited an extra five minutes till he moved from his chair towards the door, even he could tell that his gait was off as he strolled down the hall.
By the time he got to the break room it was evident that Nick had spilled the news. Sara stood behind and slightly to the right of Nick, her hand running a soothing pattern over his back both comforting him and warning the rest of the occupants of the room that if they wanted to mess with Nick and his decision she had his back. Catherine was hugging Nick forcefully her head lying on his shoulder. Her eyes opened as she sensed Gil enter the room, shooting him a watery and questioning look. Warrick still sat at the table a barely concealed pain and anger lingering on his features while Greg leaned against the counter trying not to cry. This was his team, all together. Normally the sight made him smile, but today he could only feel the looming dread of loss that soon one of their team would not be with them. Still, for Nicky's sake, he had to seem pleased by the whole thing, "I see Nicky told you all the wonderful news about his new position."
Everyone, including Nick, shot a confused glance at Gil. They had expected him to be upset by the break up of his team, which Nick knew he was, but instead they found him smiling in the doorway.
"If you can call it wonderful," Warrick grumbled from his seat.
"Of course it's wonderful. Our Nicky is going to be heading up the day shift at an up and coming lab, we should be thrilled for him," Gil hoped the words leaving his mouth didn't sound as phony as they felt.
Untangling herself from Nick, Catherine went to stand next to Gil. She knew that he was just putting up a front for the rest of the team. She had known him too long not to see through his facade, but still, like a mother stands by a father, she supported him, "Gil's right, guys. We're going to miss you terribly, Nicky, but this is an amazing opportunity for you and we should be celebrating with you. We just need a little time to adjust."
"Thanks, Cath, Griss," Nick nodded to them both, then turned towards the younger men in the room. "I know this is a shock, but just because I'm moving on doesn't mean I'm cutting you guys out. We'll still talk and see each other. Hey, Galveston is right on the Gulf, once you guys come for a visit I'll never get
rid of you."
Warrick and Greg just nodded half-heartedly at his words.
Sara sighed slightly as she moved closer to Nick's back and rested her chin on his shoulder, "Oh, come on guys, you haven't even seen the lab or the place that we picked out for Nick. Trust me, we have the best vacation retreat waiting for us. This place is amazing."
"How come she," Warrick waved an angry and dismissive hand towards Sara, "knew all about this and has helped you look for a place and everything?"
Nick tried to shrug, but with Sara's chin on one shoulder it came out rather lopsided, "I knew she'd understand."
"Nice to know who you consider your friends," Greg spat slightly, anger replacing his earlier hurt.
"Guys," Nick started, only to be interrupted by Gil.
"Okay, that's enough of this on city time. We do have work to do tonight. Rick, Greg, you are with Cath on a DB at the Luxor. Sara, Nick, your with me on a B&E at 115 Wilson Street," Gil mentally shifted the teams assignments, knowing that Catherine would be able to calm Warrick and Greg down by the end of shift. Also, he thought maybe he could use the time with Nick and Sara to go from just acting supportive to feeling supportive.
With a gentle touch to his arm and the slightest wink, Catherine took the case file from Gil, "Come on, boys. Nicky, you are buying breakfast this morning."
"Sure thing, Cath," Nick laughed, but turned somber at the looks that Warrick and Greg shot him on their way out the door. He felt Sara's hand return to his back, running up to squeeze his shoulder and he gently laid his head against hers. Sighing he looked at his supervisor, "Griss, man...."
"Don't, Nick," Gil held up a hand. "I'm not there a 100 percent yet, but I think I'm beginning to understand. This is a great opportunity for you. Plus, maybe this new place of yours will be a good retreat. I know Linds has been bugging Cath to take her to the ocean, the Gulf should do."
Nick smiled, "Anytime, I've got a spare bedroom or two that would love the company."
"Come on, guys, we've got a B&E to get to. The vacation planning can wait," Sara squeezed his shoulder again as she headed out of the room to start the shift.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the three weeks between Nick's announcement and his departure things got better around the lab. Warrick and Greg finally accepted their friend's decision as the right one for him and even helped him pack for the move. Catherine had arranged for a cake and small party at the end of his last shift,
where most of the lab techs, coroners, and cops stopped by to say goodbye. Still in the very end it was just the team and a watery-eyed Jim Brass sitting on the living room floor of Nick's now vacant house, eating pizza and saying good-bye.
Greg wiped tears away from his eyes, this time they were laughter induced tears after listening to some of the stories that the team was telling. Slapping Nick lightly, he smiled, "I would have loved to seen your face, man."
"I'm just glad you weren't there," Nick slapped him back. Suddenly the laughter died off all of them realizing that Nick wouldn't be there again. Finally, he broke the silence, "Thanks for all your help and love, not just now, but over the years. It almost doesn't seem real that I'm leaving."
The assembled group nodded in agreement, before Gil cleared his throat, "Nicky, my boy, we got you something."
"What? You guys already gave me too much," Nick waved a hand over the last lone box sitting in the corner of the room holding the new deep sea fishing gear that the team had gotten him after listening to two weeks of his chatter about the fishing in the gulf.
Sara shook her head, "This isn't really anything, but we wanted you to have something that would remind you of us everyday."
"Like I could ever forget," he smiled at each of them, letting his smile linger over Sara.
Gil handed a brightly wrapped, small package to Nick, "From us."
Tearing into the paper with as much glee as he had with the large gift, Nick found a name plaque with his name and the Galveston PD shield on it, "Guys..."
"Don't worry," Sara wrapped her arms around his arm, "I cleared it with Harry."
"I think you've talked to my new boss more than I have," Nick smirked at her.
She shrugged, "Just got to make sure our guy is going to be taken care of. Turn it over, the real gift is on back."
Turning it over, Nick was surprised to see his friends faces smiling back at him, notes from each of them written next to their faces, "What is this a CSI yearbook?"
"Kinda," Catherine smiled. "We just wanted you to have us with you on this new adventure."
"Always, Cath, always, right here," Nick touched his heart lightly. "But now I'll get to see your beautiful faces everyday still."
"Aw, thanks, man," Warrick joked.
Throwing a napkin at his friend, Nick laughed, "I was referring to Sara and Cath. Your ugly mug is getting covered with a post-it."
"Oh, that is low," Warrick threw the napkin back at him.
"Come on, guys, we just cleaned this place. Don't go messing it up. Nick's got settlement in the morning," Cath chided.
"Speaking of which, I think we should get out of here. Some of us have shift tonight," Gil reminded, hauling himself awkwardly from the floor.
Jim stood as well, "You mean all of us, except Nicky, have shift."
"Not Sara," Greg's voice was now a whine. "She got off tonight."
"Really," Jim's eyebrows shot up; surprised that Gil would let her have off on the first night he was down one CSI and training Greg.
"Somebody's got to make sure that this guy gets to his settlement on time in the morning," Sara smiled and knocked her shoulder against Nick.
"Okay, team, let's move out. Warrick grab the trash, we'll dump it at work," Gil clapped his hands to get his team moving.
With several hugs from each and the promise of one last breakfast in the morning after his settlement and their shift, the team left Nick's house for one final time. Closing the door, Nick sighed and turned back towards Sara. He could barely muster a half-hearted smile.
"Come're," she opened her arms to him and he stepped easily into them.
Clinging to her he sighed, "It's really happening, I'm leaving."
"I know, Nicky, I know," Sara ran a hand over the short hair at the base of his neck, "but think of the opportunity and the experience. Besides, Galveston isn't that far from Vegas."
"I'll miss you most of all, Sar," he kissed her neck.
"Mmm," Sara agreed enjoying the feel of his lips against her neck, "Remember Harry said the next opening is mine if I want it."
"Want it, baby, please."
"More than anything," Sara agreed, taking his hand and leading him to the back bedroom where she had laid out the sleeping bags and pillows earlier.
The one factor in Nick's decision had been one that no one but he and Sara knew about. Months before their flirtatious relationship had become more than that and both knew that it could mean immediate dismissal from the Vegas Crime Lab, but Harry Garber, the Galveston Sheriff, had had no such problems. In fact, the mere chance that he could get two CSI's from the number two lab in the country meant he was more than willing to rewrite city code if need be. Of course, the major problem was that right now he only had one opening in the budget. He had promised a new position, just for Sara, the first of the next fiscal year, so they decided to take the chance and suffer through a long-distance relationship
for a few months.
For one last time, Nick and Sara made love in his desert home and dreamed of eventually making love in their new home on the coast.
Fandom: CSI
Characters: The whole team and an non-“GSR” pairing
Prompt: #65 Passing
Word Count: 2710
Rating: K
Summary: Damn straight it is a letter. A letter from the Galveston Police Department, Crime Lab, to be precise.
Author's Notes: This was half written years ago when I was still a huge CSI fan. I then had a huge falling out with CSI and stopped watching almost completely. Then the writer’s strike happened and I started watching repeats of the old CSI’s and I remember why I liked it - mostly a guy named Nick. I also remembered this half started fic and decided to finish it. Someplace tvjunkie1013 is screaming silently in pain and disbelief that I wrote this!
Gil Grissom glanced once, twice and then a third time at the paper in his hand. Granted, he had read the letter four times already and committed every line to memory, but he still could not believe it was real. He was just about to go back to reading it for a fifth time, when his Big Mouth Billy Bass began singing above the door. Looking up he saw the subject of the letter standing sheepishly in his doorframe, eyes crinkling towards the signing fish.
"Man, I thought War and I fixed that," a half chuckled escaped his throat.
For the briefest second the words on the paper were forgotten as Gil smiled at the younger man, "Nicky, my boy, Billy is not going to stay 'fixed' long if all you do is remove the batteries."
Nick again smiled at his boss and mentor, "Well, the other idea would have landed us in a little too much hot water. You wanted to see me?"
"Yeah," the words on the paper returned to the front of his mind, burning the start of a headache across his skull. "Yeah. Nick, what's this?"
Nick looked at the paper Gil waved, "Well, I would assume it is a letter, but if I've learned anything from you it is to assume nothing. So, I'm not sure, Griss. I'd need to look at it better."
Nick was playing with him? Everything about their relationship and the team he had so carefully crafted was about to change and Nick was playing with him. An unreasonable anger surged red hot through him, "Damn straight it is a letter. A letter from the Galveston Police Department, Crime Lab, to be precise."
"Oh," the word half slipped, half jumped from his mouth. Moving to slump into Gil's visitors chair, he sighed, "I didn't know that they were going to send that out this soon. In fact, I asked them to hold off for another week until I talked to you about it."
"Another week? Nick, this says that you are slated to take the position on the first that's only three weeks from now."
"I know." Nick sighed again, as he clasped his hands in front of him and leaned his elbows on his thighs, "Look, I knew if I gave you any more than the two weeks notice then you would try and talk me out of it and I would have let you. But, this is different. This offer wasn't like the rest..."
"The rest," Gil interrupted with a surprised question. "What rest?"
"Griss, man, we get offers all the time."
"What," Gil stared at the younger man. Surely Nick was mistaken. His team couldn't be getting job offers and not telling him. Why would they do that?
Nick ran a hand over his face. This was harder than he thought. "We're good, Grissom, and that doesn't go unrewarded. I know for a fact that Warrick got an offer from Encino about a month ago. Sara turned down a position in New York cause she doesn't like the supervisor. And Catherine not only gets calls from Miami, but Reno's been courting her for a while."
"Catherine, too," Gil blanched.
"Yeah," Nick's head dropped. "We get offers, but we turn them down."
"But not this one," Gil waved the paper slightly again.
"No, but not that one."
Gil studied the Texan for a moment, "Why? Is this about the promotion?"
Nick looked him square in the eye, "No. It is about time. Gil," he sighed again and leaned back in his chair, "I need to stop... to stop looking for your approval like a little lap dog. I need to stop measuring every move I make against you. It is time for me to be my own type of investigator, to be... me.
I can't do that in your shadow. I've learned so much from you and now I need to go apply that knowledge someplace where I'll be appreciated."
"I appreciate you."
"Yeah," he couldn't help the chuckled that escaped, "you appreciate me the way my father does, with love, but just a touch of doubt. Doubt in my abilities and my objectivity. Well, I've discovered that your doubt is coloring my view of myself and my performance, so I need to move on."
"I don't dou..."
Nick held up a hand, "Griss, please, just be happy for me and let me go. With me leaving, you can get Greg a CSI 1 position. And no matter what, I'll always be looking to you for guidance, just from a distance now."
Gil nodded slowly trying to process everything, "Okay. Are you going to tell the team?"
"Sara already knows, we discussed this when it first came up, but I was waiting to tell the other until I talked to you. Guess I can tell them now, huh."
"I guess. They're all in the break room, why don't you tell them now? I'll be down in a minute with assignments," Gil dismissed Nick from the room knowing that he couldn't be in the room when Nick broke the news.
Nick slowly pushed out of the chair, "Yeah, I'll go do that."
Gil calculated in his head how long it should that Nick to get to the break room and give everyone the news. Then he waited. He waited an extra five minutes till he moved from his chair towards the door, even he could tell that his gait was off as he strolled down the hall.
By the time he got to the break room it was evident that Nick had spilled the news. Sara stood behind and slightly to the right of Nick, her hand running a soothing pattern over his back both comforting him and warning the rest of the occupants of the room that if they wanted to mess with Nick and his decision she had his back. Catherine was hugging Nick forcefully her head lying on his shoulder. Her eyes opened as she sensed Gil enter the room, shooting him a watery and questioning look. Warrick still sat at the table a barely concealed pain and anger lingering on his features while Greg leaned against the counter trying not to cry. This was his team, all together. Normally the sight made him smile, but today he could only feel the looming dread of loss that soon one of their team would not be with them. Still, for Nicky's sake, he had to seem pleased by the whole thing, "I see Nicky told you all the wonderful news about his new position."
Everyone, including Nick, shot a confused glance at Gil. They had expected him to be upset by the break up of his team, which Nick knew he was, but instead they found him smiling in the doorway.
"If you can call it wonderful," Warrick grumbled from his seat.
"Of course it's wonderful. Our Nicky is going to be heading up the day shift at an up and coming lab, we should be thrilled for him," Gil hoped the words leaving his mouth didn't sound as phony as they felt.
Untangling herself from Nick, Catherine went to stand next to Gil. She knew that he was just putting up a front for the rest of the team. She had known him too long not to see through his facade, but still, like a mother stands by a father, she supported him, "Gil's right, guys. We're going to miss you terribly, Nicky, but this is an amazing opportunity for you and we should be celebrating with you. We just need a little time to adjust."
"Thanks, Cath, Griss," Nick nodded to them both, then turned towards the younger men in the room. "I know this is a shock, but just because I'm moving on doesn't mean I'm cutting you guys out. We'll still talk and see each other. Hey, Galveston is right on the Gulf, once you guys come for a visit I'll never get
rid of you."
Warrick and Greg just nodded half-heartedly at his words.
Sara sighed slightly as she moved closer to Nick's back and rested her chin on his shoulder, "Oh, come on guys, you haven't even seen the lab or the place that we picked out for Nick. Trust me, we have the best vacation retreat waiting for us. This place is amazing."
"How come she," Warrick waved an angry and dismissive hand towards Sara, "knew all about this and has helped you look for a place and everything?"
Nick tried to shrug, but with Sara's chin on one shoulder it came out rather lopsided, "I knew she'd understand."
"Nice to know who you consider your friends," Greg spat slightly, anger replacing his earlier hurt.
"Guys," Nick started, only to be interrupted by Gil.
"Okay, that's enough of this on city time. We do have work to do tonight. Rick, Greg, you are with Cath on a DB at the Luxor. Sara, Nick, your with me on a B&E at 115 Wilson Street," Gil mentally shifted the teams assignments, knowing that Catherine would be able to calm Warrick and Greg down by the end of shift. Also, he thought maybe he could use the time with Nick and Sara to go from just acting supportive to feeling supportive.
With a gentle touch to his arm and the slightest wink, Catherine took the case file from Gil, "Come on, boys. Nicky, you are buying breakfast this morning."
"Sure thing, Cath," Nick laughed, but turned somber at the looks that Warrick and Greg shot him on their way out the door. He felt Sara's hand return to his back, running up to squeeze his shoulder and he gently laid his head against hers. Sighing he looked at his supervisor, "Griss, man...."
"Don't, Nick," Gil held up a hand. "I'm not there a 100 percent yet, but I think I'm beginning to understand. This is a great opportunity for you. Plus, maybe this new place of yours will be a good retreat. I know Linds has been bugging Cath to take her to the ocean, the Gulf should do."
Nick smiled, "Anytime, I've got a spare bedroom or two that would love the company."
"Come on, guys, we've got a B&E to get to. The vacation planning can wait," Sara squeezed his shoulder again as she headed out of the room to start the shift.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the three weeks between Nick's announcement and his departure things got better around the lab. Warrick and Greg finally accepted their friend's decision as the right one for him and even helped him pack for the move. Catherine had arranged for a cake and small party at the end of his last shift,
where most of the lab techs, coroners, and cops stopped by to say goodbye. Still in the very end it was just the team and a watery-eyed Jim Brass sitting on the living room floor of Nick's now vacant house, eating pizza and saying good-bye.
Greg wiped tears away from his eyes, this time they were laughter induced tears after listening to some of the stories that the team was telling. Slapping Nick lightly, he smiled, "I would have loved to seen your face, man."
"I'm just glad you weren't there," Nick slapped him back. Suddenly the laughter died off all of them realizing that Nick wouldn't be there again. Finally, he broke the silence, "Thanks for all your help and love, not just now, but over the years. It almost doesn't seem real that I'm leaving."
The assembled group nodded in agreement, before Gil cleared his throat, "Nicky, my boy, we got you something."
"What? You guys already gave me too much," Nick waved a hand over the last lone box sitting in the corner of the room holding the new deep sea fishing gear that the team had gotten him after listening to two weeks of his chatter about the fishing in the gulf.
Sara shook her head, "This isn't really anything, but we wanted you to have something that would remind you of us everyday."
"Like I could ever forget," he smiled at each of them, letting his smile linger over Sara.
Gil handed a brightly wrapped, small package to Nick, "From us."
Tearing into the paper with as much glee as he had with the large gift, Nick found a name plaque with his name and the Galveston PD shield on it, "Guys..."
"Don't worry," Sara wrapped her arms around his arm, "I cleared it with Harry."
"I think you've talked to my new boss more than I have," Nick smirked at her.
She shrugged, "Just got to make sure our guy is going to be taken care of. Turn it over, the real gift is on back."
Turning it over, Nick was surprised to see his friends faces smiling back at him, notes from each of them written next to their faces, "What is this a CSI yearbook?"
"Kinda," Catherine smiled. "We just wanted you to have us with you on this new adventure."
"Always, Cath, always, right here," Nick touched his heart lightly. "But now I'll get to see your beautiful faces everyday still."
"Aw, thanks, man," Warrick joked.
Throwing a napkin at his friend, Nick laughed, "I was referring to Sara and Cath. Your ugly mug is getting covered with a post-it."
"Oh, that is low," Warrick threw the napkin back at him.
"Come on, guys, we just cleaned this place. Don't go messing it up. Nick's got settlement in the morning," Cath chided.
"Speaking of which, I think we should get out of here. Some of us have shift tonight," Gil reminded, hauling himself awkwardly from the floor.
Jim stood as well, "You mean all of us, except Nicky, have shift."
"Not Sara," Greg's voice was now a whine. "She got off tonight."
"Really," Jim's eyebrows shot up; surprised that Gil would let her have off on the first night he was down one CSI and training Greg.
"Somebody's got to make sure that this guy gets to his settlement on time in the morning," Sara smiled and knocked her shoulder against Nick.
"Okay, team, let's move out. Warrick grab the trash, we'll dump it at work," Gil clapped his hands to get his team moving.
With several hugs from each and the promise of one last breakfast in the morning after his settlement and their shift, the team left Nick's house for one final time. Closing the door, Nick sighed and turned back towards Sara. He could barely muster a half-hearted smile.
"Come're," she opened her arms to him and he stepped easily into them.
Clinging to her he sighed, "It's really happening, I'm leaving."
"I know, Nicky, I know," Sara ran a hand over the short hair at the base of his neck, "but think of the opportunity and the experience. Besides, Galveston isn't that far from Vegas."
"I'll miss you most of all, Sar," he kissed her neck.
"Mmm," Sara agreed enjoying the feel of his lips against her neck, "Remember Harry said the next opening is mine if I want it."
"Want it, baby, please."
"More than anything," Sara agreed, taking his hand and leading him to the back bedroom where she had laid out the sleeping bags and pillows earlier.
The one factor in Nick's decision had been one that no one but he and Sara knew about. Months before their flirtatious relationship had become more than that and both knew that it could mean immediate dismissal from the Vegas Crime Lab, but Harry Garber, the Galveston Sheriff, had had no such problems. In fact, the mere chance that he could get two CSI's from the number two lab in the country meant he was more than willing to rewrite city code if need be. Of course, the major problem was that right now he only had one opening in the budget. He had promised a new position, just for Sara, the first of the next fiscal year, so they decided to take the chance and suffer through a long-distance relationship
for a few months.
For one last time, Nick and Sara made love in his desert home and dreamed of eventually making love in their new home on the coast.