Title: Life and Death
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Okay, okay-they're not mine. Happy now?
Author's Note: I went forward a few weeks in this chapter to get the storyline moving a little bit more.
~*~*~*~
"Sara, how's this?" Lexi asked, holding up the pizza dough for Sara to inspect.
"Stretch it out a little thinner, Lex, and then we'll put it on the pan," Sara instructed, turning back to the cheese grater. Sara had the night off, and Carrie had left Lexi in their care. In the past few weeks Lexi had spent a lot of time with Nick and Sara. They had converted the office into a spare bedroom for the nights when she slept over, and their DVD collection now housed a variety of Disney movies. This was the first night that Sara was spending alone with Lexi, and she was trying her hardest to make a good impression on the girl. They had stopped at the local Blockbuster and rented "The Master of Disguise" and bought popcorn for a movie night later on. When they went to the supermarket to pick up a few things for the week, Sara, at Lexi's urging, had bought ingredients to make pizza. Now Sara was getting the cheese and sauce ready while Lexi spread out the crust.
"How about now?" Lexi asked.
Sara leaned over to look at the dough and nodded. "Yeah, that's perfect. You ready for the sauce?"
"Yeah!" Sara poured the sauce on the dough crust and Lexi spread it with a spoon. "Like this?"
"Perfect. Are you sure you haven't done this before?" Sara teased.
"Nope. Mommy doesn't like to cook, so we never do anything like this. But this is fun. I like you, Sara," Lexi said, still spreading the sauce.
"I like you, too, Munchkin." Sara was touched that she was making a good impression on her. She had been growing very attached to Lexi, and she wouldn't mind if the girl became a permanent fixture in their home.
"I'm ready for the cheese, Sara," Lexi said. Sara handed her the bowl of grated mozzarella, and Lexi sprinkled the shavings over the pizza until it was completely covered and the bowl was empty. "Can I put it in the oven?"
"No, let me do it. It's heavy; I don't want you to drop it and get hurt," Sara said, picking the pan up from the counter top and opening the oven door. Grabbing an oven mitt, she pulled out the shelf and carefully placed the pan down on it. Closing the oven and setting the timer, Sara turned to Lexi. "So, what do you want to do while we're waiting?"
"Don't we have to clean up first?" Lexi asked.
"Oh right." Sara laughed. Never in her life had she met a kid who wanted to clean up. "I'll tell you what-why don't you start the movie, and I'll be there in a few minutes once I'm done cleaning up and the pizza's done?"
"Okay. She hopped off the stool and grabbed the movie case from the kitchen table before running into the living room.
Sara chuckled and picked up the damp dishcloth from the sink. She wiped off the countertop and put the extra pizza sauce in the refrigerator. As she was drying off the counter, Lexi called out to her.
"Sara! Quick! It's starting!" Sara dropped the towel onto the counter and went into the living room, snuggling up on the couch with Lexi. After a few minutes both heads popped up at the sound of the timer going off.
"Pizza's done," Sara said. Lexi paused the movie and followed Sara into the kitchen. Sara grabbed two oven mitts and took the pizza out of the oven. Lexi sat on the stool and watched as Sara wielded the pizza wheel and cut it into six even slices. After putting a slice of pizza on each of the two plates that Lexi had taken out, Sara placed ice in two glasses and filled them with Coke. "You ready?" she asked Lexi.
"You mean we can eat it in the living room?" she asked incredulously.
"Sure, why not?"
"I don't know. It's just that Mommy always makes me eat in the kitchen," Lexi explained.
"Oh," Sara said, embarrassed. "Well, we can stay in here if you want, I just thought it would be something special."
"No! I want to go in the living room. You're a lot cooler than my mommy, Sara. C'mon." She took Sara's hand and led her into the living room, where they settled themselves on the couch to watch the rest of the movie and eat their pizza.
~*~*~
Nick unlocked the door to the apartment and walked in looking exhausted. He dropped his jacket on the floor and walked farther into the room, stopping short at the sight before him. Greasy paper plates and empty glasses were on the coffee table, and Sara and Lexi were cuddled together on the couch, asleep. The television hadn't been turned off so the faint sounds of static could be heard in the room, but apparently didn't bother the two sleeping figures on the couch. Nick chuckled softly and walked in the direction of the kitchen, grabbing the debris as he went. After turning off the TV and DVD player, he bent down next to the couch, smiling. He gently tapped Sara on the shoulder.
"Come on, Sleeping Beauty, get up." Sara sat up groggily, unaware of her surroundings. She glanced over at Lexi, who was still sleeping, and the events of the night registered. After they finished their pizza, Sara had made microwave popcorn, and the two had spent the night watching the movie and eating. By the end of the movie, both had fallen asleep.
"Did you guys have a good time?" Nick asked quietly, so as not to wake his sleeping daughter.
"Yeah," Sara said, rubbing her eyes, "Yeah. We made pizza and popcorn and watched a movie. And then we fell asleep."
"I can see that," he teased. "C'mon. Let's get her to bed." Nick carefully picked the little girl up, cradling her in his arms. He walked into the lavender room they had made for her and turned to Sara, "Can you turn down the covers?"
Sara pulled back the pink and lavender comforter and lavender Jersey knit sheets. After fluffing the pillows and picking Nala up from the floor and placing her on the bed, she turned to Nick and he gently placed her down. Lexi stirred, but didn't wake. Nick planted a kiss softly on her forehead and left the room, followed by Sara. They walked into their own bedroom and got ready for bed.
As soon as Sara put her pajamas on and brushed her teeth, she sank into the plush, king-sized bed and fell right to sleep. Nick followed suit, and soon everyone in the apartment was sound asleep.
~*~*~*~
A/N~ This was a short chapter, I know. But I don't know when I'll get a chance to write again, so I figured I'd post this much now while I have the chance. Please review-your feedback is what keeps me writing.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Okay, okay-they're not mine. Happy now?
Author's Note: I went forward a few weeks in this chapter to get the storyline moving a little bit more.
~*~*~*~
"Sara, how's this?" Lexi asked, holding up the pizza dough for Sara to inspect.
"Stretch it out a little thinner, Lex, and then we'll put it on the pan," Sara instructed, turning back to the cheese grater. Sara had the night off, and Carrie had left Lexi in their care. In the past few weeks Lexi had spent a lot of time with Nick and Sara. They had converted the office into a spare bedroom for the nights when she slept over, and their DVD collection now housed a variety of Disney movies. This was the first night that Sara was spending alone with Lexi, and she was trying her hardest to make a good impression on the girl. They had stopped at the local Blockbuster and rented "The Master of Disguise" and bought popcorn for a movie night later on. When they went to the supermarket to pick up a few things for the week, Sara, at Lexi's urging, had bought ingredients to make pizza. Now Sara was getting the cheese and sauce ready while Lexi spread out the crust.
"How about now?" Lexi asked.
Sara leaned over to look at the dough and nodded. "Yeah, that's perfect. You ready for the sauce?"
"Yeah!" Sara poured the sauce on the dough crust and Lexi spread it with a spoon. "Like this?"
"Perfect. Are you sure you haven't done this before?" Sara teased.
"Nope. Mommy doesn't like to cook, so we never do anything like this. But this is fun. I like you, Sara," Lexi said, still spreading the sauce.
"I like you, too, Munchkin." Sara was touched that she was making a good impression on her. She had been growing very attached to Lexi, and she wouldn't mind if the girl became a permanent fixture in their home.
"I'm ready for the cheese, Sara," Lexi said. Sara handed her the bowl of grated mozzarella, and Lexi sprinkled the shavings over the pizza until it was completely covered and the bowl was empty. "Can I put it in the oven?"
"No, let me do it. It's heavy; I don't want you to drop it and get hurt," Sara said, picking the pan up from the counter top and opening the oven door. Grabbing an oven mitt, she pulled out the shelf and carefully placed the pan down on it. Closing the oven and setting the timer, Sara turned to Lexi. "So, what do you want to do while we're waiting?"
"Don't we have to clean up first?" Lexi asked.
"Oh right." Sara laughed. Never in her life had she met a kid who wanted to clean up. "I'll tell you what-why don't you start the movie, and I'll be there in a few minutes once I'm done cleaning up and the pizza's done?"
"Okay. She hopped off the stool and grabbed the movie case from the kitchen table before running into the living room.
Sara chuckled and picked up the damp dishcloth from the sink. She wiped off the countertop and put the extra pizza sauce in the refrigerator. As she was drying off the counter, Lexi called out to her.
"Sara! Quick! It's starting!" Sara dropped the towel onto the counter and went into the living room, snuggling up on the couch with Lexi. After a few minutes both heads popped up at the sound of the timer going off.
"Pizza's done," Sara said. Lexi paused the movie and followed Sara into the kitchen. Sara grabbed two oven mitts and took the pizza out of the oven. Lexi sat on the stool and watched as Sara wielded the pizza wheel and cut it into six even slices. After putting a slice of pizza on each of the two plates that Lexi had taken out, Sara placed ice in two glasses and filled them with Coke. "You ready?" she asked Lexi.
"You mean we can eat it in the living room?" she asked incredulously.
"Sure, why not?"
"I don't know. It's just that Mommy always makes me eat in the kitchen," Lexi explained.
"Oh," Sara said, embarrassed. "Well, we can stay in here if you want, I just thought it would be something special."
"No! I want to go in the living room. You're a lot cooler than my mommy, Sara. C'mon." She took Sara's hand and led her into the living room, where they settled themselves on the couch to watch the rest of the movie and eat their pizza.
~*~*~
Nick unlocked the door to the apartment and walked in looking exhausted. He dropped his jacket on the floor and walked farther into the room, stopping short at the sight before him. Greasy paper plates and empty glasses were on the coffee table, and Sara and Lexi were cuddled together on the couch, asleep. The television hadn't been turned off so the faint sounds of static could be heard in the room, but apparently didn't bother the two sleeping figures on the couch. Nick chuckled softly and walked in the direction of the kitchen, grabbing the debris as he went. After turning off the TV and DVD player, he bent down next to the couch, smiling. He gently tapped Sara on the shoulder.
"Come on, Sleeping Beauty, get up." Sara sat up groggily, unaware of her surroundings. She glanced over at Lexi, who was still sleeping, and the events of the night registered. After they finished their pizza, Sara had made microwave popcorn, and the two had spent the night watching the movie and eating. By the end of the movie, both had fallen asleep.
"Did you guys have a good time?" Nick asked quietly, so as not to wake his sleeping daughter.
"Yeah," Sara said, rubbing her eyes, "Yeah. We made pizza and popcorn and watched a movie. And then we fell asleep."
"I can see that," he teased. "C'mon. Let's get her to bed." Nick carefully picked the little girl up, cradling her in his arms. He walked into the lavender room they had made for her and turned to Sara, "Can you turn down the covers?"
Sara pulled back the pink and lavender comforter and lavender Jersey knit sheets. After fluffing the pillows and picking Nala up from the floor and placing her on the bed, she turned to Nick and he gently placed her down. Lexi stirred, but didn't wake. Nick planted a kiss softly on her forehead and left the room, followed by Sara. They walked into their own bedroom and got ready for bed.
As soon as Sara put her pajamas on and brushed her teeth, she sank into the plush, king-sized bed and fell right to sleep. Nick followed suit, and soon everyone in the apartment was sound asleep.
~*~*~*~
A/N~ This was a short chapter, I know. But I don't know when I'll get a chance to write again, so I figured I'd post this much now while I have the chance. Please review-your feedback is what keeps me writing.