Author's Two Cents –

This is a little break from the Rascal Flatts Series, but don't worry, I haven't stopped them either.

Sort of Post-ep "Butterflied"

Okay. I am no religious writer, but this story is based on a scripture I found. I don't want anyone freaking about the fact that this story is religious genre.

Let's just say sometimes, religion class does have an effect on you.

Okay, here's the passage.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The Narrow Gate

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few."

Matthew 7:13-14

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The Story

I shove the morgue doors open, letting them swing widely as I stride quickly through them. I can never go through another case like this.

That girl looks just like Sara!

A dead girl on a morgue slab looks just like Sara, and I can't deal with it. I don't even know why it's hitting me this hard, but it is. And I hate it. I need to find Sara. I need to see her right now, to make sure the real Sara Sidle is still alive and kicking as hard as she always is.

I round the corner straight for the break room, hoping she's in there. I hear a womanly laugh, and just as my hope rises in my throat, it dies. It's only Catherine, flirting with Warrick as usual.

I smile in spite of myself. Flirting, as usual.

Racking my brain for anywhere else she might be, I check the locker room. Nope. Great. Do you know how many rooms I have left?

Just as my hopes are dying down, there she is, sitting alone studying a piece of evidence from a case. I smile as I watch her through the window, as her brow furrows in concentration. In frustration, she looks up, shaking her head with a scowl. Then she spots me in the window…

…and stops. She grins widely at me, and I offer her a weak smile. She reads through my sadness, and her head motions for me to come in.

"Hey, you alright?" she asks, putting a hand on my side from where she sits. I put a hand on her back, rubbing it in a circular motion.

"Umm…yeah, a case just hitting a little too close to home." I respond. She looks up at me and our eyes connect.

"I'm sorry. I know it sucks when that happens." She offers, and I nod.

"What have you got here?" I change the subject. She smiles, understanding I'm done, and turns back to the table. Her arm leaves my side, and I halt my hand on her back, but I don't take it away.

"Well, to state the obvious, it's a piece of cloth. But, you wanna know the dirty part?" she turns, shooting a sly grin my way.

"Sure. Try me."

"Okay. On one side, there is presence of vaginal fluid." She says, and I roll my eyes.

"C'mon Sar –" I start but she slaps me lightly on the chest.

"Ah ah ah… who said I was done?" she boasts. I give a sigh and smile, wondering how much she is really enjoying this.

"Ha ha ha, okay, continue." I say.

"Gladly. On the opposite side of this piece of cloth, I found seminal fluid." This shot my eyebrows skyrocketing, and she gave a little tilt of her head and her eyebrows a quick raise, in a way that only Sara could.

"Makeshift condom?" I ask, the grin still on my face and my eyebrows still raised.

"Or extra pleasure." She adds. I chuckle.

"Kinky…" I drawl suggestively, bringing my hands to her shoulders and giving them a quick squeeze. She laughs and blushes.

"Oh, and tell me you've never done something like this before Nicky." She turns back to the table and rolls her eyes, trying desperately to diffuse the color of her cheeks. I grin, and, my hands still on her shoulders, I lean over until my mouth is right next to her ear.

"You'd be the first." I whisper. She breathes in deeply and sharply, and I grip her shoulders. She turns around, looking me straight in the eye.

"Nick!" she exclaims, lashing out at me. I jump back, laughing at her miss. She stands up in defiance, facing me with her arms crossed.

"I bet that's what you say to get all your women in bed!" she throws out as a comeback. My smile droops, and I look away. I know she meant that playfully, but it hurts that she thinks that of me. I hate my reputation, and I hate what effect it has on what my colleagues think.

"Nick…I…" Sara stepped close to me, and I felt her hand brush mine. I met her eyes, and they were full of sorrow and hurt.

"Oh Nick, I'm so sorry…I don't know what came over me…we were just playing around and…I really didn't mean it at all…" she's on the verge of tears, and I feel sorry that I put her there.

"I know you didn't. It just…it just sucks that you and everyone else think I'm this pimp or something." I say, really hurt that what I had feared all along was true; everyone thought I was this slut magnet.

"You aren't that kind of person. Everyone knows it. We all just like teasing. I get teased about overtime, Grissom gets teased about his bugs, and you get teased about…that."

I smile. Sara never really wears her heart on her sleeve, but when she does, it's powerful.

"Is that true?" I ask, not completely sure if it was the truth, or if she was making this story up to cover her mistake.

She nods vigorously.

"Every word Nick."

I look away, chuckling at her. When I meet her gaze again, she looks anxious, so I smile. She catches on, and smiles back at me, a wide gap tooth grin.

"Thanks Sara."

She nods again, wiping her eyes and laughing.

"Hey…it's okay…no need to get upset." My brow furrows, and I dip down to see her face. I put a hand on her arm, rubbing it gently.

"Sorry, I just uh, you know, didn't want you mad at me or anything." She says, still avoiding my eyes. I lift her chin with my other hand, and our eyes unite.

"I could never get mad at a pretty face like yours." I say, just to make her blush.

It works.

"Okay…making me embarrassed is definitely not nice…" she says. I move my hand from her chin to curl her hair gently behind her ear. Sara bit her lip, and I could tell she was really nervous.

I pulled her into a warm embrace. My arms slipped easily around her slender frame and she slung her arms around my neck. Her head was turned in towards my neck, and I could feel her breath against it. I inhaled deeply, enjoying the feel of her in my arms.

"We're good, right?" she asked, and I knew she must still feel a little vulnerable. I gave her sides a quick squeeze as I answered.

"Yeah. We're great." I answered. She took a deep breath, and I felt her grip on my neck get a little tighter.

"I'm glad."

A smile overtook my face, and an all out beam spread across it as Sara allowed me to keep hold of her. I relished in the fact that we could be like this. I savored that right now, I could pretend she was mine.

Whoa!

Mine?

This is Sara. Not some girl.

Sara.

Best friend Sara.

Oh man?? I thought…I was supposed to have let this "me and and Sara together thing" go. Damn.

I do know one thing for sure though.

She's giving me enough to have satisfied dreams for two weeks.

I hear a knock at the door. Sara and I turn our heads, and meet Warrick's gaze.

"Hey…uh, sorry but Nick? Call on line two for you man." He gives us a sad smile and a little wave before leaving.

I sigh. Sara looks at me, and I beam at her.

"I gotta take this." I motion with my head toward the door. She grins, and steps out of my arms.

"Go right ahead." She says.

"I'll catch you later okay?" I inquire hopefully. She nods enthusiastically and laughs out loud.

"Yes Nick, we work together. Now go!" she laughs, pushing me.

Once out in the hallway and out of Sara's sight, I stop, thinking over what just happened. I smile to myself, shaking my head and taking off down the hallway.

Warrick is waiting for me by the phone. His hand is over the microphone, and he's looking at me strangely.

He must of seen my smile.

"What's going on with you and-" he starts, but I shake my head and put a hand in front of his face to quiet him. I take the receiver from his hand; he just rolls his eyes at me.

"Hello?"