Disclaimer: I don't own them, I didn't create them, and I don't profit from them, but as always, coffee with George and Jorja would be nice.

Author's Note: This idea came from a spoiler I read about a line in the first episode of Season 5 that is directed at Nick and Sara. I have no idea what context the line is delivered in and whether it has any bearing on the story line as a whole. However, with that said, this idea came out to play and I couldn't resist, so I really am not responsible for where it chooses to go.

"Uh, we're not." Sara gestured between herself and Nick at the question hanging in the air. The priest that they were questioning in connection with a missing person's case had asked them a perfectly innocent question and it had Sara stammering to keep a blush from infusing her cheeks.

"Married." Nick finished, trying to keep a telltale smirk from his face.

"My mistake." The priest looked at the pair of CSIs doubtfully, but decided to take them at their word.

Nick extended his hand to the priest. "Thank you, Father Ryan. We'll let you know if we have any further questions."

"It was nice to meet you, Nick. Sara." He gave each of them a pointed glance. "If you two change your minds, we're always here." It was evident to him that there was more than just a professional relationship between these two.

Sara's eyebrows shot up and she swallowed hard before pasting on a smile that was far too bright. "We've got to get back to the lab. It's been nice meeting you." With that she brushed past the priest, casting a wide-eyed stare at Nick on her way.

Nick had to restrain a chuckle as he followed her out of the church. When he got the Denali, Sara was leaning against it with her arms crossed over her chest.

She just shook her head in disbelief. "How the hell did he do that?"

Nick raised an amused eyebrow. "Maybe he's just very perceptive."

"We've kept this a secret from our coworkers for two months and he takes one look at us and asks the $64,000 question?" Sara looked incredulous.

Nick's voice was soft, but serious as they both climbed into the SUV. "Maybe we shouldn't be keeping it a secret."

A tiny smile began to play at Sara's lips. "I thought we decided it was better this way."

"Better for whom?" Nick looked at her fully. His face held a myriad of emotions. "Better for the rest of the team maybe, but not better for us."

She nodded and glanced out the window. She knew he was right. "Yeah." She was getting tired of keeping up a façade around their friends.

Nick started the Denali and pulled it out into traffic. Neither one of them said anything for a while as they headed back towards the lab.

Sara didn't look over at Nick, but continued staring out the window. "Do you think we should tell them?"

"Better now than when we're working on our fifth child." There was a smirk on his face.

Sara tried to look mad, but the smile on her face gave her away. "We are not having five children."

"Look, Sara, I just want the world to know that I'm in love with you. We've proved that we can work together and keep our personal life outside of the lab." He reached over and took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers.

"I know." There was some hesitancy in her voice. "They're all going to kill us for not telling them."

"They'll leave too much evidence." Nick quipped, earning a smile from Sara.

Sara let out a groan. "I feel so guilty lying to a priest."

Nick raised an eyebrow. "Technically you didn't lie since I finished your sentence."

She closed her eyes and shook her head as she started to giggle. "Ok, that right there is a sign that he should know that we were lying."

"But we've been doing that for years, even before we started dating." Nick observed, pleased with himself that he'd found someone to spend his life with that was a perfect compliment to him. They had been finishing each other's sentences almost since they'd met.

Sara let out a sigh. "You know what I don't get?" She glanced over at him and noted his expectant expression. "How none of them picked up on it."

"We have been perfectly professional at work." Nick began.

"Nick, I filed a change of address to where you've lived for the last five years. Grissom signed off on it." Sara rolled her eyes. "If that's not an announcement that our relationship is no longer just professional, I don't know what is."

Nick cleared his throat. "Submitting your name change to HR wasn't very subtle either, but no one seemed to pick up on that."

"Well technically they can't process it until I get my new social security card and we get an official copy of our marriage license." Sara groused.

Nick squeezed her hand. "Both of them came in the mail today. I picked it up right before shift."

Sara couldn't keep the grin from spreading across her face. "That was quick."

Nick pulled into the parking lot of the crime lab. "So I guess maybe we should tell them."

Sara smirked. "It might be a good idea." To emphasize her point, she leaned over and kissed him not too subtly as he turned the ignition off.

Nick smiled against her mouth and then pulled away, mischief dancing in his eyes. "Now then, Mrs. Stokes, let's keep this professional." He let out a chuckle as she swatted at him and rolled her eyes, letting out a laugh of her own.

Without another word, they descended from the vehicle and headed into the lab to see if Grissom had returned from his crime scene.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Grissom looked a bit dumbfounded at the announcement he'd just been given.

"We eloped two months ago." Nick repeated, glancing over at Sara who was grinning at him.

Grissom furrowed his brow as he took off his glasses. "So your change of address was to Nick's." The pieces were beginning to slide together. He knew that something had seemed familiar about the address, but he hadn't thought much of it since then. He'd been a bit preoccupied with other changes around the lab, most notably, Ecklie's promotion to assistant director.

"Yes." Sara confirmed. She took a deep breath and continued, stealing a quick glance at Nick. "Uh, we should have said something."

"The reasons we had for keeping it a secret don't really make sense any more." Nick added.

Grissom looked at the pair with a bit of confusion. "What made you think that keeping something as big as getting married a secret was a good idea at all?" He might be the first to confess his failings in relating to people, but even he knew that it was a bad idea to lie about something that important.

Sara interjected. "It was my idea. I didn't want our professionalism to be called into question because our personal relationship had changed."

Grissom raised an incredulous eyebrow at Nick. "And you agreed to this?"

Nick exhaled loudly and glanced at Sara. "I just wanted to be with Sara and at the time I didn't really care what it took for that to happen."

Sara continued. "I can see now that it was a bad idea. I want everyone to know how much I love Nick." She smiled as a wide grin spread across Nick's face.

Veiled amusement began to dance across Grissom's face as the knowledge that two of his CSIs had gotten married began to sink in. "Well one thing is certain."

Nick and Sara looked at him a bit quizzically.

"I think our ranking as the number two lab in the nation is in serious jeopardy." He replaced his glasses and glanced down at a file he'd been reviewing before Nick and Sara had come into his office.

The newlyweds began to protest. Nick cleared his throat. "Gris, we've behaved in a purely professional manner while we've been at work."

He glanced up at their worried faces. "Oh, I don't doubt that. However, the fact that you were able to keep your marriage a secret this long calls into question the observation skills of everyone else in this lab."

Sara looked visibly relieved.

Nick raised an eyebrow in question. "So you're not upset that we didn't tell anyone we got married?"

Grissom's lips twitched into a boyish half smile. "I think congratulations are in order, Mr. and Mrs. Stokes."