Sara woke up as the bright light shone through her blinds, much to her surprise she was now laying on the floor with Nick on the other side of her with the quilt beneath them. His arm was wrapped protectively around her waist as if never to let go and her hand was placed on his chest. The whole look made her remember about the case that she had worked with Greg a few months ago where the two college students were found sprawled out on the floor with a sleeping bag beneath them. Nick stirred awake and she smiled as he turned to look at her.
The sun caught her tousled brown hair making it an almost red colour, and her eyes looked so awake despite the obvious signs of sleep still in them. He smiled and fought back the urge to kiss her senseless.
"Morning beautiful." He grinned, rolling over and balancing his head on his hand.
"Hey handsome." She smiled, propping herself up on her elbow.
"How did we end up here?" He asked.
"I think I possibly pushed you and you pulled me down with you." Sara laughed, vaguely remembering coming crashing down onto his chest in the middle of the night,
"I always knew you were pushy." He chuckled.
"Get used to it Cowboy." She copied his grin.
"I can." He said, his brain not quite awake enough yet to come back with yet another flirty, cheeky comeback that they were used to giving each other.
She giggled and curled up to him, relishing in the warmth he gave off. He brushed her hair back from her face and looked at her glistening chocolate eyes.
"You're beautiful." He said.
"So I've been told." She chuckled. She had been told by many guys that she was beautiful but they were always a "sexy" beautiful not a "princess beautiful" that Nick saw her as.
He was about to respond when the house phone rang, running through the once quiet house and forcing everyone from the peacefulness and into the harsh, loud world.
"I'll get it." She sighed, realising she was more appropriately dressed for roaming around the house where other people were than Nick was.
"Come back." He called after her.
He could hear Sara answer the questions from the person on the other side with simple yes or no answers but with each word her previously happy disposition faded and she was left with an almost sad and worried one.
"Nick." She said, coming back in the room. She still held the phone in her hand and her smile had completely disappeared.
"Sara?" He sat up instantly after seeing her expression.
"I have to go into work." She said.
"Why?" He asked.
"They found him, my dad. He's in their custody but he refuses to talk to anyone but his daughter." Sara frowned.
"We'll go together." He nodded.
"But you could sleep a little more." Sara said.
"I couldn't sleep with you anywhere near dearest daddy." He said, standing up and walking over to her.
"Thanks Nick, they're coming in a little bit to pick us up." She said her face pale and emotionless.
"We'll be waiting." He said, stroking her cheek with his thumb as she leant into it before they both split and walked into their bedrooms closing the door.
Sara picked up the quilt and tossed it onto her bed before rummaging in her bag for something to wear. She changed into her jeans and underwear before she sat down and frowned. She had forgotten to pack another shirt for today and the rest of them were dirty. She frowned at her forgetfulness and rolled her eyes. Nick came through already changed into a blue shirt and jeans with his hair still tousled.
"Hey, Are you sure that's a suitable outfit for going to work and all. You know how all the guys are always ogling you." Nick laughed.
"I forgot to bring a spare shirt." She said, wrapping her arms around her bare stomach.
"Here have mine." He said, pulling his own over his head and handing it to her.
She slipped it on then looked down at herself.
"I look like I have been swallowed by a shirt." She commented.
"You look cute." He said, watching her fold the ever to long sleeves up her arms.
"So do you." She smiled, fingering his bare chest.
"I need to go and put a shirt on." He chuckled.
"If you have to." Sara sighed jokingly.
He laughed and wandered back into his room, leaving Sara to slip on her shoes and find her jacket.
They met each other at the doorstep where they both sat waiting for Catherine to pick them up.
"You sure you're going to be okay?" Nick asked, putting a hand on her own.
"Yes." Sara smiled weakly; she adored Nick's protectiveness of her.
"Remember I'm right there beside you." Nick said.
"I will."
"Do you want me to come in with you?" Nick asked,
"No, I have to talk to him without anybody there, Nicky." Sara smiled, using his nickname without thinking.
"Nicky. You only call me that when you are worried or scared, or I am." Nick said.
"Or when im really sure that I love you." Sara said.
"Who knew love could bring out the sappy side of Sara Sidle." Nick grinned.
"Love doesn't do it Nicky, you do." She grinned back, tracing his cheekbone with her thumb.
"Hey, Lovebirds!" Came Catherine's loud voice from the road, where a red car was parked with a smiling women with blonde hair and leopard print sunglasses sat inside waving them over.
"Hey Cath." Nick greeted, taking Sara's hand and walking her over to Catherine.
"Hey Nicky, Hey Sara." She smiled, pushing her sunglasses down to her nose so she could see the two people in front of her without the distortion of the dark sunglasses.
"Hey." Sara smiled, getting into the back seat followed by Nick.
"Off to see dearest daddy." Nick whispered in Sara's ear.
"I don't know what's worse: seeing Ecklie or my father." Sara chuckled.
"Ecklie doesn't look like you." Catherine piped up.
"What?" Nick and Sara asked simultaneously.
"Sara, you never told us you looked so much like your father. Well apart from the scars, the beard, the bloodshot eyes and the shaggy hair." Catherine said.
"Once you see a picture of my mum you'll realise how very much we looked like brother and sisters as a family." Sara said, remembering the comments from the children at school on the odd occasion her Mum and Dad would come to pick her up.
"Your father's got a picture for her in his wallet, she's beautiful." Catherine smiled.
"You have a picture of her in your kitchen; she's almost your twin." Nick said, remembering the picture Sara had that sat on her kitchen worktop.
"And now you'll see my father." Sara sighed as they pulled into the CSI parking structure.
-TCOS-
"Sara!" Grissom called as Sara set a foot into the building.
"Grissom." She replied.
"Ecklie wants to talk to you before you… go into…meet your father."
"Okay." Sara sighed, feeling Nicks clasp on her hand tighten.
"Only if I come too." He said.
"Ecklie only wants Sara." Grissom said.
"If he wants Sara then he gets me too." Nick said, stubbornly.
"Nick, you are of no use here." Grissom changed his tone from concerned to angry.
"I'm here to protect Sara." Nick said, clenching his teeth.
"She's not a child." Grissom stated.
"No, she never was one. Cause that idiot took it away from her." Nick snarled.
"Nick, calm down." Sara said.
"No Sara. That… that man took everything from you." Nick shouted.
"Not everything, I have you." Sara smiled softly.
"Nick, wait outside. I can't trust you anywhere near Sara's father. This is much too personal for you." Grissom ordered.
Catherine put a hand on Nick's back and led him out, he held onto Sara's hand for as long as he could before it dropped and he was taken outside.
"You didn't have to do that." Sara said as she walked with Grissom to Ecklie's office.
"He's too personally involved." Grissom answered.
"So am I." Sara said, before she entered Ecklie's office leaving Grissom outside.
-TCOS-
"Nick, what happened back there?" Catherine asked.
"I see it, every time she talks about her father, every tiny detail I see. The poor little eight year old girl hiding. Crying, Catherine. Crying because the ones that were meant to protect her let her down. She saw war every night, she put up with it. She was strong. Stronger than anyone I've ever known but she shouldn't have had to be. She should have gone to parks, had sleepovers, and went on family holidays like normal kids. She shouldn't have had to see her father beat her Mother to a pulp. She shouldn't have been beaten herself. Did you know she used to clean the house every day before she went to school, mop up the blood and get rid of the alcohol bottles just so if anyone came by they wouldn't see what happened. She didn't play doctor as a kid; she was a doctor to her Mother. I just wish someone had stopped it before it got to knives', I wish it had never happened to her Cath." Nick wept, tears trickling down his face as he tried to stop them.
"Nick, what happened to Sara is what made her Sara. I agree with you, Nick. She should have never had to deal with it and I like to imagine what she would be like if that hadn't happened. But Nick she's one of many, I wish I could protect them all, parents who do that don't deserve their children but Nicky this is Sara's battle and we have to be strong for her. She needs you. Just to be there beside her and to hold her hand, whisper all that romantic crap that makes me jealous. She needs you to be there Nick." Catherine smiled, holding has hand and smiling sympathetically.
"Sometimes I think she's stronger than me." Nick sighed.
"Oh she is Nicky. Stronger than all of us." Catherine chuckled.
Nick laughed at Catherine's comment and nodded, wiping traces of tears from his cheeks.
"I need to go pick up a few things, do you think you could escort me since I don't have a ride?" Nick asked.
"Of course, Sir." Catherine curtsied.
"Why, thank you Madame." Nick bowed, following Catherine to her car.
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