Title: For Now: Surprised

Author: Jeanine (jeanine@iol.ie)

Rating: PG

Pairing: Sara/Warrick

Spoilers: None

Feedback: Makes my day

Disclaimer: If it was in the show, it's not mine.

Archive: At my site Checkmate () , Fanfiction.net; anywhere else, please ask.

Summary: Sara gets surprised

Notes: Written for the LiveJournal Writer's Choice "Homecoming" challenge. Part of the "For Now" universe, previous parts "Leaving" and "Staying" at my site, as can the Warrick POV companion piece is "For Now: Homecoming"

***

Sara is not having a good day. She and Nick are working a robbery-homicide at the Orpheus, and not having much luck with it. Aside from a marked lack of evidence, everyone who knew their vic seems to be lying for one reason or another, the hotel don't want crime scene tape scaring off the tourists, and thus are being less than co-operative, and while Sara doesn't need much sleep normally, she's reaching the stage where a good eight hours is an absolute necessity.

She's saying as much to Nick as they make their way across the parking lot towards the lab, though Nick takes that moment to stop, tries to convince her to come out to breakfast with him. When she declines, he reminds her that she's taken rain-checks the past few mornings, that he's going to think that she doesn't like him anymore, and she's about to protest further when she's quite literally saved by the bell.

She pulls out her cell phone, her mood brightening considerably when she sees Warrick's name on the cell phone display. She's missed him since he's been gone; letters, phone calls and the occasional visit not near enough to fill the surprisingly large gap he left in her life, and she knows well that Nick's solicitude just now isn't just because he's friends with her. Rather it's that Warrick exacted the same promise from all their friends before he left, to look out for her, and it's a promise that Nick's taken to heart. Sara's grateful for it, touched even, but the fact remains that Nick's not Warrick, and Sara's constantly surprised to find out that nothing less will do.

She says hello, and feels even better when she hears his familiar voice coming through the tiny ear-piece. "Hey," he says. "You busy?"

She checks her watch, just to make sure that it is the time she thinks it is. "Just coming off shift," she confirms, glancing at Nick to tell him who she's talking to. She doesn't miss how his face lights up in a grin, and she knows she's going to be teased about this over breakfast and throughout the next shift. Nick tells her to say hi for him, and she does, following it up with a question of her own. "Where are you?" It's the first question she's asked him for most of the last year, and she's waiting for the day that he tells her that he's on his way home.

"Pretty close to home," Warrick replies, her heart unaccountably skipping a beat, and she glances down at the ground, hoping to get a hold on her tell-tale emotions before they dance all over her face and tell Nick exactly what she's thinking. Nick wants to get her attention though, tapping her on the shoulder, that huge teasing grin of his still on his face. It confirms Sara's guess about the teasing that she's going to have to face, but she's relieved when it's deferred, Nick pointing in the direction of the lab, indicating that he'll see her inside.

She waves acknowledgement to him, concentrates on the cell phone and the man on the other end. "So we're gonna be seeing you soon?" she asks, hoping that she's keeping the note of schoolgirl hope out of her voice.

"I'd say it's a good bet," he tells her, the words not doing anything to dampen her good mood. His next words do that however, as he asks, "So what're you and Nick working on?"

The last thing she wants to talk about right now is her dead-end case, and her tone makes that abundantly clear to him. "Robbery-homicide in the Orpheus," she says, knowing that this is Warrick, so he'll understand.

Which he does, if his "Happy days," is anything to go by. She rolls her eyes at the obvious sarcasm, almost missing his next words. "So, tell me," Warrick asks, "Did Stokes tell you?"

The notion that Warrick and Nick might have been talking about her behind her back worries her, though she's sure that they have, and more than once. It doesn't mean she has to be happy about it though. "Tell me what?"

"How good you look in red."

His voice is completely calm, unruffled, as if his words are the most natural thing in the world. She frowns, because she doesn't understand at first, but then it hits her.

She's wearing a red shirt.

She's wearing a red shirt, and the only way he could know that is if…

The realisation literally stops her heart, she's sure it does, because when it starts up again, it's with a jolt that's actually painful. Her heart knows the truth, but her head takes a little longer to accept it, because she's so afraid of being disappointed, of being wrong.

"Warrick?" she whispers, and his next words are music to her ears.

"Turn around Sara."

It's a long time before she can make herself move, and she sees him standing there, cell phone in hand, looking at her as if he's afraid of how she's going to react. Of course, she's not sure how she's going to react, suddenly not sure what to do.

Then she realises that it's Warrick, and he's here, and she smiles.

She's smiling, and she's not sure when she made the decision, but she's running towards him, and then her arms are wrapped around his neck and he's holding her. He lifts her off her feet, spins her around, and she knows that if Nick and Greg could see her now, they'd be teasing them both until the end of time.

Then she realises that it's Warrick, and he's here and he's holding her.

For now, that's all that matters.