A/N: Only the epilogue to go after this I'm afraid. All good things must
come to an end I suppose... *sniffle*
***
"Are you okay Nicky?" Sara asked quietly, caressing the back of his hand with her thumb as the couple made their way through the parking lot to his Tahoe.
He reflected a moment before answering her. "I don't know. I will be," he said, then looked over at her and noted the troubled expression on her face. "Are you?"
She nodded slowly, but Nick wasn't convinced. "You sure Sar?" he pressed, turning her to face him when they reached the vehicle. His concerned eyes searched her face.
"It's just..." she started and trailed off dropping her head and biting her lip.
"What?" he asked patiently, bringing his hand up to cup the side of her face. He rested his forehead against hers. "What is it baby?"
She took a deep breath and placed her hands lightly on his waist, meeting his tender gaze. "I've never seen you like that before."
Nick's head dropped shamefully, his actions in the interrogation room resurfacing in his mind. "I... I don't think I've ever been like that before," he said shakily.
"The look in your eyes Nick, your voice..."
He nodded, his pained eyes closing. "I know."
"It scared me," she admitted, sending a twinge to Nick's heart.
"Me too," he whispered, his voice strained and cracking slightly. "God, Sara I came so close..." Tears pooled in his eyes and he swallowed hard against the lump in his throat.
"Close to what?" she asked, frowning in concern and taking both his hands in hers.
"I was- I was going to kill him. I snapped. If Warrick hadn't pulled me off when he did..." he trailed off, shaking his head, tears tracking down his cheeks. "Jesus, I was so close to being just like him."
"Oh, Nick please don't say that," Sara chastened, appalled that he would even consider such a thing. "Listen to me, you are nothing- NOTHING- like Alex Connor. He's a- a pathetic, wretched, despicable excuse for a human being, if you can even consider him that, who doesn't deserve anything less than being locked away for the rest of his miserable life.
"You," she reached up to wipe his tears, drawing his tortured gaze back to hers. "Nick you are the most wonderful man I have ever met. You're sweet and kind and loving and gentle and generous and honest. You are so... beautiful and so strong. Nicky, I... I have never loved anyone, needed anyone, like this before."
"Sara, I love you so much," he murmured with a soft sob, pulling her tightly against him. "So damn much."
"I know," she said warmly, wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her head on his chest.
He sighed deeply. "God, what was Rachel even doing with him, what was she thinking?" he wondered aloud, his tears running silently down his face. "She was so much better than that."
Sara shook her head slowly. "I'm afraid that's something we'll never know Nick. That's the one thing the science can't tell us."
He nodded and rested his head on her shoulder. "I promise I'll never ever let anyone hurt you like he hurt her," he said against her neck. "I swear to God, Sara."
"I know you won't, I know," Sara assured him, her hands moving soothingly up and down his back. She sought his mouth with hers and kissed him deeply, tasting the salty tears on his lips.
"I don't ever want to lose you," he whispered, nuzzling her nose with his and combing his fingers through her hair.
"Then don't," she said simply, her hands on his chest. She smiled at him and he smiled back, pressing his lips to hers as his arms circled her waist.
"Yes ma'am," he whispered, the inflection in his voice and the look in his eye carrying a promise. He kissed her lips then her forehead and held her tightly again, one of his hands cupping the back of her head. They rocked gently back and forth neither of them speaking for a while.
"Well I guess we don't have to worry about them finding out about us anymore," Sara said wryly, trying to ease the solemn mood.
He laughed lightly. "Yeah, you sure took care of that little problem pretty quick." He pulled back enough to see her face, his hands moving up and down her sides. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"
"Yeah, I'm sure," she said, reaching up to smooth his hair, her gap-toothed grin making an appearance. "I want everyone to know you're off limits,"
"Oh, really? Am I now?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Damn right you are, cowboy. I don't share well with others." She held the collar of his leather jacket and pulled him down for another kiss. "Is it okay with you that we shared our little secret?"
"Hell, yeah. I'm thrilled," he said with a wide boyish grin. "However, I don't think Greg appreciated the gesture so much," he went on, making her laugh out loud. "He may be in denial in regards to my bragging rights for the next little while. Not to mention insanely jealous about the fact that I get to do this," he leaned down to seize her mouth with his and she smiled against his lips. "Whenever I want."
He deepened his kiss, his soft tongue demanding access to her mouth. She gladly complied with a soft content sigh, snaking her arms around his neck. She walked backwards, pulling him with her until his weight was pressing her against the side of the Tahoe.
"I seem to recall us being right in the middle of something before we were so rudely interrupted earlier," she breathed into his ear, grinning when they finally broke away and he chuckled.
"Mm, that's right," he murmured, trailing soft kisses on her neck. His hands slipped down to her butt and squeezed, pulling her hips firmly against his. "Where were we exactly?"
"Not here," she giggled and slid her hand into the front pocket of his jeans making him groan softly, and searched for his keys. Their lips met again for a brief kiss. "Let's go back to your place."
"Okay, but as soon as we get there I'm unplugging that damn phone!" he insisted, climbing into the passenger seat.
***
"Are you okay Nicky?" Sara asked quietly, caressing the back of his hand with her thumb as the couple made their way through the parking lot to his Tahoe.
He reflected a moment before answering her. "I don't know. I will be," he said, then looked over at her and noted the troubled expression on her face. "Are you?"
She nodded slowly, but Nick wasn't convinced. "You sure Sar?" he pressed, turning her to face him when they reached the vehicle. His concerned eyes searched her face.
"It's just..." she started and trailed off dropping her head and biting her lip.
"What?" he asked patiently, bringing his hand up to cup the side of her face. He rested his forehead against hers. "What is it baby?"
She took a deep breath and placed her hands lightly on his waist, meeting his tender gaze. "I've never seen you like that before."
Nick's head dropped shamefully, his actions in the interrogation room resurfacing in his mind. "I... I don't think I've ever been like that before," he said shakily.
"The look in your eyes Nick, your voice..."
He nodded, his pained eyes closing. "I know."
"It scared me," she admitted, sending a twinge to Nick's heart.
"Me too," he whispered, his voice strained and cracking slightly. "God, Sara I came so close..." Tears pooled in his eyes and he swallowed hard against the lump in his throat.
"Close to what?" she asked, frowning in concern and taking both his hands in hers.
"I was- I was going to kill him. I snapped. If Warrick hadn't pulled me off when he did..." he trailed off, shaking his head, tears tracking down his cheeks. "Jesus, I was so close to being just like him."
"Oh, Nick please don't say that," Sara chastened, appalled that he would even consider such a thing. "Listen to me, you are nothing- NOTHING- like Alex Connor. He's a- a pathetic, wretched, despicable excuse for a human being, if you can even consider him that, who doesn't deserve anything less than being locked away for the rest of his miserable life.
"You," she reached up to wipe his tears, drawing his tortured gaze back to hers. "Nick you are the most wonderful man I have ever met. You're sweet and kind and loving and gentle and generous and honest. You are so... beautiful and so strong. Nicky, I... I have never loved anyone, needed anyone, like this before."
"Sara, I love you so much," he murmured with a soft sob, pulling her tightly against him. "So damn much."
"I know," she said warmly, wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her head on his chest.
He sighed deeply. "God, what was Rachel even doing with him, what was she thinking?" he wondered aloud, his tears running silently down his face. "She was so much better than that."
Sara shook her head slowly. "I'm afraid that's something we'll never know Nick. That's the one thing the science can't tell us."
He nodded and rested his head on her shoulder. "I promise I'll never ever let anyone hurt you like he hurt her," he said against her neck. "I swear to God, Sara."
"I know you won't, I know," Sara assured him, her hands moving soothingly up and down his back. She sought his mouth with hers and kissed him deeply, tasting the salty tears on his lips.
"I don't ever want to lose you," he whispered, nuzzling her nose with his and combing his fingers through her hair.
"Then don't," she said simply, her hands on his chest. She smiled at him and he smiled back, pressing his lips to hers as his arms circled her waist.
"Yes ma'am," he whispered, the inflection in his voice and the look in his eye carrying a promise. He kissed her lips then her forehead and held her tightly again, one of his hands cupping the back of her head. They rocked gently back and forth neither of them speaking for a while.
"Well I guess we don't have to worry about them finding out about us anymore," Sara said wryly, trying to ease the solemn mood.
He laughed lightly. "Yeah, you sure took care of that little problem pretty quick." He pulled back enough to see her face, his hands moving up and down her sides. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"
"Yeah, I'm sure," she said, reaching up to smooth his hair, her gap-toothed grin making an appearance. "I want everyone to know you're off limits,"
"Oh, really? Am I now?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Damn right you are, cowboy. I don't share well with others." She held the collar of his leather jacket and pulled him down for another kiss. "Is it okay with you that we shared our little secret?"
"Hell, yeah. I'm thrilled," he said with a wide boyish grin. "However, I don't think Greg appreciated the gesture so much," he went on, making her laugh out loud. "He may be in denial in regards to my bragging rights for the next little while. Not to mention insanely jealous about the fact that I get to do this," he leaned down to seize her mouth with his and she smiled against his lips. "Whenever I want."
He deepened his kiss, his soft tongue demanding access to her mouth. She gladly complied with a soft content sigh, snaking her arms around his neck. She walked backwards, pulling him with her until his weight was pressing her against the side of the Tahoe.
"I seem to recall us being right in the middle of something before we were so rudely interrupted earlier," she breathed into his ear, grinning when they finally broke away and he chuckled.
"Mm, that's right," he murmured, trailing soft kisses on her neck. His hands slipped down to her butt and squeezed, pulling her hips firmly against his. "Where were we exactly?"
"Not here," she giggled and slid her hand into the front pocket of his jeans making him groan softly, and searched for his keys. Their lips met again for a brief kiss. "Let's go back to your place."
"Okay, but as soon as we get there I'm unplugging that damn phone!" he insisted, climbing into the passenger seat.