Changes

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Summary: Life is constantly changing. Sarah and Ethan have to deal with that together when they are forced to share an apartment. But where does it leave the two of them? Sarah/Ethan, of course

Hey, guys, look at that. One long continuous story. That's a first for me in this fandom! The story loosely follows the show but, obviously, it is AU. It takes up sometime before Monday Mourning. Enjoy!

Chapter 1: New Territory

Not for the first time, Ethan wondered how he had gotten where he was at the moment: sitting by his kitchen isle watching Sarah preparing dinner for the two of them.

Not that he was complaining. He liked the view.

She looked like she belonged there even though it was obvious that she was feeling slightly put out by the situation herself - if her incessant talking was anything to go by. But he liked that, too. Moving in his kitchen, entertaining him with little nonsenses was in stark contrast with her withdrawn behavior at the hospital. And he found this side of her completely charming. And he had to admit hot, too. Earlier that evening he was practically ordered to go and warm the bench while she insisted on making dinner.

Once again, he wasn't complaining. He liked a woman who could take control… and who knew her way in the kitchen.

And if he was not mistaken, she was similarly impressed by the state of his kitchen. It was, after all, a kitchen well used… and well stocked.

"So," he chimed in her monologue when there was a little pause. "Do you cook a lot?"

"Not as much as I'd like, no," she shrugged nonchalantly. "It's no fun when I'm the only one eating it."

Ethan frowned. "What about Joey?"

"Oh, he has a special diet," Sarah chuckled but Ethan couldn't hear the humor in it. "And he has a special place to go to eat."

"I have to say it's his loss. It smells heavenly."

"Well, let's hope it tastes so, too," Sarah smiled as she opened the oven. "It's ready."

The dinner started with a little awkward silence but Ethan quickly forgot about it. That lasagna was indeed heavenly. He smiled appreciatively.

"You know, I'm keeping you," he informed Sarah, just before stuffing another forkful into his mouth.

"Be careful what you're saying."

"Is that a threat?"

"It's a possibility," she said in a small voice. "It may very well be that my building's become uninhabitable."

Oh, yes, the fire. Ethan quickly sobered up. It was horrible. He would never forget seeing Sarah's building on the news… in flames. He knew that Sarah had the day off so seeing the footage made his world stop for a moment. Fortunately, Sylvie Brett had just answered the call to the scene when she was passing by so he quickly followed her and joined the EMTs.

Fortunately, it turned out that having a day off for Sarah means volunteering at the local dog shelter and not lounging at home. He'd been actually sooner on the scene than her. It was a relief.

She was all right. The rest, they could sort out.

"Hey, Sarah." He reached over the table to take her hand. "What matters is that you are all right. You gave a serious scare to all of us."

"Tell me about it," she frowned. "But, hey let's talk about something else. I'm just not ready to deal with it right now."

"Okay," Ethan concurred then long silence ensued. "So… puppies. It figures," he smiled teasingly, referring back to her preferred free-time activity.

"Says the man who brought a panda to the hospital."

"Okaaay, something else then."

"What about your girlfriend? Vicky, right? Do I get to meet her?"

"No," was Ethan's succinct reply.

"You can't actually hide me from her, you know," she teased then something occurred to her. "It won't be a problem, right? I mean me being here? I don't want to cause any problems. Maybe I should have just gone with Natalie's offer… or Will's or Connor's. At least their girlfriends know me."

"You should have not." A patient smile was playing on Ethan's lips. She was doing it again. "And you won't. You are here. She won't be."

"I guess she's not the jealous ty… Wait. What do you mean: she won't be?"

"She'd been deployed," Ethen answered, standing up and collecting their empty plates. "We broke up."

"I'm sorry." He heard her say as he put the dishes into the sink.

"Don't be. It wasn't going anywhere while she was here. It definitely wouldn't have gone anywhere with her on the other side of Earth."

"Still, it sucks." Sarah appeared next to him.

As he looked at her pouting face, he couldn't help but think that it might not.

Sarah stepped into the unfamiliar room with some trepidation. It had a minimalist design, like the rest of the apartment, and it did not help in the least to help her feel at home. She hadn't felt that way when Ethan was around. Her initial awkwardness disappeared as soon as Ethan put a reassuring hand on the small of her back and ushered her into the apartment. It was still strange, being alone with Ethan, but she felt welcomed.

Now, in the room, she felt alone. She felt unanchored. She might have just lost her apartment. Granted that she had been only renting it but it had become a place she called home. She had no home now.

What would she do now?

She looked at the door as she heard Ethan moving about. It was such an unfamiliar experience: having someone living with you. She'd never been much for sharing. She loved her personal space too much. Not as if there had been too many people trying to invade it.

But it was Ethan moving around and it put a smile on her face. A smile that quickly turned into a frown.

She should really not think like that. Maybe, she should not have come here at all. She had a boyfriend for God's sake!

But did she really?

If she found her reluctance to ask Joey to let her stay with him troubling, she found it downright concerting that he had not offered her the possibility at the first place. Everybody was so quick to offer her a place – even Natalie with the baby or Will without an own place to offer – but Joey just gave her a sympathetic look and reassured her that it would be all right.

It was not reassuring at all as far as their relationship was concerned.

Just like the fact that she was so quick to accept Ethan's offer. She groaned as she pulled the cover off the bed and jumped when a knock sounded on her door.

"Hey," Ethan gave her a small smile. "I brought you some clothes you can sleep in," he offered her the pack in his hands. "When we get the clear, we can go back to your apartment and get your stuff."

"Thank you," suddenly she felt miserable. As the fire broke out on a lower leveler, her apartment must be mostly all right. She couldn't help the feeling, though, that she'd lost everything.

"Hey, it's okay," Ethan reached out to touch her arm. "You have some rest now. And you are home here, all right? Don't tiptoe around me, you hear me?"

She could only nod before closing the door.

She was home. She wished she could feel that way.

TBC

Thanks for reading!