Sara ,Warrick, and Nick had continued their banter around the table as they
ate. Warrick had helped Sara with the dishes and Nick was close to falling
asleep on the couch in his sweats. Nick was exhausted.
"Hey, man, I'm taking off. I'll see you later." Warrick called out as he headed out the front door.
Nick's head bobbed up, "Ok, later, War." He lifted his hand to wave wincing in the process.
Sara closed the front door and made her way over to Nick. "You need to get some rest, Nick."
Nick looked at her, his eyelids heavy. He cursed under his breath momentarily. "I need to call my mom. If I don't and she hears about this later, she's going to kill me. Can you hand me the phone?"
Sara took the phone from it's charger and handed it to his as she sat next to him on the couch.
Nick punched in the familiar number and after a few rings someone picked up on the other end. Nick smiled as he heard his mom's voice. "Hey, Mom, it's Nick." He chuckled, "I know, I'd know your voice anywhere too." Nick took a deep breath. "Mom, I called because I need to tell you something." A smile took over his masculine face, "No, Mom, I'm not getting married. I do have a new girlfriend though." He glanced over at Sara, who was trying to contain a chuckle. "You remember Sara? Yeah, that's the one." Nick took Sara's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Uh, Mom, I called because I needed to let you know that I was in a car accident last night." Nick's voice took on a serious, yet reassuring tone, "No, Mom. I'm ok. Just a few bumps and bruises mostly and a little concussion." Sara squeezed his hand. "Uh, it was totaled." A hitch formed in Nick's voice. "Hey, don't cry, Mom. I'm fine. A little rest and I'll be as good as new. Don't worry, Sara's making sure I'm following the doctor's orders." Nick let out a sniffle as he tried to fight back tears that threatened. "I love you too, Mom." He ended the call and closed his eyes.
Sara squeezed his hand. "Everything alright?"
He opened his eyes and smiled at her, putting on a brave face as a tear rolled down his cheek. "I came awfully close to never seeing them again."
Tears formed in Sara's eyes and then began rolling down her cheeks. "I know. If I hadn't made you stay with me, this wouldn't have happened."
Nick eyes clouded and he began to caress the back of Sara's hand with his thumb, "Sara Sidle, this is not your fault. You did not make me stay with you. I wanted to stay with you. Wild horses couldn't have kept me from staying with you. I know things between us have been moving at warp speed, but I wanted to be with you. Don't you even think otherwise."
Sara began to choke with sobs. She had been doing a good job of holding it together all day, but she finally fell apart. "I feel so stupid. If I hadn't. If we hadn't. Oh, Nick."
Nick put his arms around her and gingerly held her against his bruised chest, kissing the top of her head. "Shhh, Sara. It's ok. It's not your fault."
Her tears subsided eventually and she wiped her tears with the back of her hand, sniffling. "If you didn't have such a damn fine ass, Stokes." A hint of a smile played at the corners of her mouth.
Nick let out a chuckle, "There you go about my ass again."
She pulled out of his embrace, a smile etched on her face. "I told you it's a cute ass."
Nick waggled his eyebrows at her, "Well, I think yours is pretty hot too."
Sara laughed and stood up. "Hey, you need to get some rest."
Nick eased himself off the couch, "Yeah, I know." He looked at Sara and noted how tired she looked. "I think you need some too. C'mon." He took her hand and led her into his bedroom. They held each other as they drifted off to sleep, thankful that the Tahoe had been the only real casualty of the day.
"Hey, man, I'm taking off. I'll see you later." Warrick called out as he headed out the front door.
Nick's head bobbed up, "Ok, later, War." He lifted his hand to wave wincing in the process.
Sara closed the front door and made her way over to Nick. "You need to get some rest, Nick."
Nick looked at her, his eyelids heavy. He cursed under his breath momentarily. "I need to call my mom. If I don't and she hears about this later, she's going to kill me. Can you hand me the phone?"
Sara took the phone from it's charger and handed it to his as she sat next to him on the couch.
Nick punched in the familiar number and after a few rings someone picked up on the other end. Nick smiled as he heard his mom's voice. "Hey, Mom, it's Nick." He chuckled, "I know, I'd know your voice anywhere too." Nick took a deep breath. "Mom, I called because I need to tell you something." A smile took over his masculine face, "No, Mom, I'm not getting married. I do have a new girlfriend though." He glanced over at Sara, who was trying to contain a chuckle. "You remember Sara? Yeah, that's the one." Nick took Sara's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Uh, Mom, I called because I needed to let you know that I was in a car accident last night." Nick's voice took on a serious, yet reassuring tone, "No, Mom. I'm ok. Just a few bumps and bruises mostly and a little concussion." Sara squeezed his hand. "Uh, it was totaled." A hitch formed in Nick's voice. "Hey, don't cry, Mom. I'm fine. A little rest and I'll be as good as new. Don't worry, Sara's making sure I'm following the doctor's orders." Nick let out a sniffle as he tried to fight back tears that threatened. "I love you too, Mom." He ended the call and closed his eyes.
Sara squeezed his hand. "Everything alright?"
He opened his eyes and smiled at her, putting on a brave face as a tear rolled down his cheek. "I came awfully close to never seeing them again."
Tears formed in Sara's eyes and then began rolling down her cheeks. "I know. If I hadn't made you stay with me, this wouldn't have happened."
Nick eyes clouded and he began to caress the back of Sara's hand with his thumb, "Sara Sidle, this is not your fault. You did not make me stay with you. I wanted to stay with you. Wild horses couldn't have kept me from staying with you. I know things between us have been moving at warp speed, but I wanted to be with you. Don't you even think otherwise."
Sara began to choke with sobs. She had been doing a good job of holding it together all day, but she finally fell apart. "I feel so stupid. If I hadn't. If we hadn't. Oh, Nick."
Nick put his arms around her and gingerly held her against his bruised chest, kissing the top of her head. "Shhh, Sara. It's ok. It's not your fault."
Her tears subsided eventually and she wiped her tears with the back of her hand, sniffling. "If you didn't have such a damn fine ass, Stokes." A hint of a smile played at the corners of her mouth.
Nick let out a chuckle, "There you go about my ass again."
She pulled out of his embrace, a smile etched on her face. "I told you it's a cute ass."
Nick waggled his eyebrows at her, "Well, I think yours is pretty hot too."
Sara laughed and stood up. "Hey, you need to get some rest."
Nick eased himself off the couch, "Yeah, I know." He looked at Sara and noted how tired she looked. "I think you need some too. C'mon." He took her hand and led her into his bedroom. They held each other as they drifted off to sleep, thankful that the Tahoe had been the only real casualty of the day.