Title: Beautiful

Disclaimer: Blah blah, not mine, blah blah

Rated: For two words (in the previous chapter :D)

Summary: A day off lead Nick to reflect: what were people like in high school?

A/N: Second and final chapter. I don't really know what I was thinking with the whole Willy Wonka scenario, but… I'll chalk it off as lack of sleep. Hope you guys like!

The thing about days off from the lab was that they always ended with grocery shopping left undone and restaurants left unvisited. Any football games would have, of course, been supplied undivided attention, as it should be.

In some ways, the day after a day off was like Willy Wonka himself tearing your Golden Ticket in two, and having two jacked up Oompa Loompas throw you out of the factory. But if you were returning the same day as a co-worker, you were guaranteed only half the slack from those who'd worked, and were not too overburdened with cases or evidence to catch up on.

As it was, Nick and Warrick could have taken today off as well; the most serious case that came in was a wealthy woman (with whom Sheriff Mobley shared an important political relationship) reported her tiny little dog "Chihuahua-knapped". Grissom, in an effort to evade the mountainous stack of paperwork threatening to bury his desk, offered to work the case solo. The rest of the team either relaxed in the break room, or wandered the halls with no real purpose.

Among the four of them (Greg had been sent off to a seminar just two days ago), Catherine was the only one wandering the hallways, stopping in the break room occasionally to chat, but otherwise content to amble around the labs.

This let Nick, Sara, and a rather smug looking Warrick lounging in comfortable silence in the break room.

Warrick was the first to break it.

"So… Sara?" he asked, his tall fame leaning casually against he counter near the coffee pot, "Wanna play a game?"

Sara quirked an eyebrow from her seat on the couch, shifting to face Warrick. Behind her, seated on the next cushion, an alert Nick shot a warning glare at Warrick, who chose to ignore it, instead pouring himself some coffee.

"What kind of game?"

Nick, sensing exactly what type of game his friend was planning, waved his arms frantically, signaling for Warrick to stop. But he just ploughed on; "Nick and I played it just last night. You just pick a person, say… Nicky, here, for example, and try to guess what they were like in high school. You in?"

Nick slumped his shoulder in defeat, but Sara didn't notice. "Sure. Sounds… well, sounds like something you two'd come up with after a couple of beers, but why not?"

"Cool" Warrick nodded. "I vote Nick was a baseball star."

"I'll bet he was a jock" Catherine offered, poking her head inside the break room inquisitively before leaning against the doorway. "Won't ruin my chances like Warrick by getting too specific" she jibed, grinning at him.

Nick blushed a bit sheepishly as Sara turned to give him a once over; if she noticed (which he was sure she did) she didn't say anything, instead deciding, "Frat-boy type, definitely."

Warrick raised and eyebrow at Nick, asking, "So who's closest?"

Nick failed at concealing a grin as he gestured towards Warrick, "'Rick is…pitcher on the team all four years."

Catherine shook her head, conceding defeat as she walked back down the hallway. Warrick grinned smugly, but Sara seemed to mull something over (for all of one second) before declaring, "Wait! You guys said you played this last night…so you obviously know your guys' own answers!" She watched the two of them, noting the guilty expressions that settled on both of their faces. "Well, that's cheating, isn't it?" she asked, crossing her arms defiantly.

"Fine" Warrick grinned, "You've caught us. We just won't guess about Nick or me. So that leaves you, girl." He grinned, grabbing his cup of coffee and gravitating towards the door. "As I'm sure Nick will tell you," he glanced at his Texan co-worker, who appeared deeply embarrassed with a definite blush forming on the back of his neck, "I didn't put in a guess last night. Just couldn't decide. But Nick had a very interesting idea that I'm sure he'd love to share with you."

Warrick shot a meaningful look at Nick before heading out the door. "I'm gonna go see what Catherine's up to."

And that left just Sara and Nick in the break room.

Alone.

Sara cocked her head, a curious expression on her face as she took in the uncomfortable look of her co-worker. "What was all that about? What did you say?"

Nick sighed, "If I tell you, you'll have to promise not to laugh. Or get pissed" he added as an afterthought.

"Scout's honor" she smirked.

Nick took a deep breath, refusing to meet her gaze. "I told Warrick," he said quietly, "That I though you were, back in high school…

Beautiful."

Sara let out a soft, surprised gasp as Nick finished, "Because you still are."

His eyes leveled with hers, and they both leaned towards each other, unaware of it until they were a few inches apart.

"Sara" Nick whispered solemnly – they were so close she could feel his breath on her lips as he spoke – "I think, if you don't mind, I'm going to kiss you now."

She just closed her eyes and nodded, words escaping her at the moment, and without any further hesitation, Nick leaned forward, closing what little distance there was between them as his lips crashed against hers unapologetically.

And lurking just outside the break room door, Warrick and Catherine exchanged very knowing glances, a smug looking Catherine mouthing, "Told you that stupid game idea would work."

A/N: Let me know what you thought :D