Thanks to: EmmyMik, River Goddess, candaceFABULOUS, PeTiTeCaT, CSIaddict, MissyJane, jd burns, pdhtgal, and krisnina77 for the great reviews of Chapter 5. You guys rock! :)

~~$~@~$~~

"Sara, are you going to eat any of that?" Nick asked. He had finally gotten her to go eat dinner with him around 5:00 that same afternoon. She had wanted to wait until after the janitor came to get the chicken. Now Sara was sitting across from him at one of the tables in Marycrest's cafeteria, staring down at her food: a fruit cup, salad, and pasta.

"I'm not hungry."

"Hon, you've got to eat something." Nick got up and moved over to sit in the booth next to Sara, his food now completely gone.

Sara looked up now, and gazed around the room. When she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. If Nick wasn't sitting right next to her, he probably wouldn't have been able to hear her. "There she is."

Circling your, circling your, circling your head
Contemplating everything you ever said
Now I see the truth
I got a doubt
A different motive in your eyes and now I'm out
See you later

Nick followed Sara's gaze over to a table on the other side of the cafeteria where he saw Tasha sitting at a table laughing with a few other girls. Nick brought his hand up to Sara's cheek, and turned her head to face him instead of the girls across the room. "Sara, don't worry. I swear I won't leave you." He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. He noticed a single tear escape her eye, and he brushed it away with his thumb. "Trust me," he whispered, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Sara looked away from him, back down to the food on her tray. She ate a few bites of her pasta and another few bites of salad before pushing the tray away, and leaning back against Nick. "I'm done now. I'll go take my tray up."

"Okay, I'll take mine up, too, and then maybe we can go for a walk or something." Nick said standing up and gathering his tray.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever." Sara took her tray and headed over to the trash cans. Nick following close behind.

I see your fantasy, you want to make it a reality paved in gold
See inside, inside of our heads, yeah
Well now that's over
I see your motives inside
And your decisions to hide

"Hey pup! I see your owner finally took your for a walk." Sara froze when she heard the voice from behind her.

She finished dumping her tray, and felt Nick grab her arm, and pull her away from Tasha. "C'mon, Sara."

"That's right. Run away. Oh, and tell your slut-bag whore of a roommate that if she ever comes near me again, I'll make her wish she was dead."

Even though Nick had a firm grip on Sara's arm, she somehow managed to get loose, and stormed back up to Tasha, not hesitating before punching her square in the nose, making her tumble backwards, knocking over the stack of trays and landing on her butt.

Sara didn't even say anything to her; she just turned, and walked past Nick towards the door leading outside. Nick quickly turned and followed her, picking his jaw up off the ground as he went.

AAAAARRRRRHHHH!!!!!
Back off we'll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
Headstrong, we're Headstrong
Back off I'll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
And this is not where you belong

Sara was half walking, half jogging up the hill that would lead to the main road that would eventually lead out of campus. Nick quickly caught up to her and grabbed her arm, to stop her. "Sara! Whoa, slow down!"

Sara stopped and bent over, resting her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. Nick rubbed her back gently, and led her over to a somewhat secluded bench. This part of campus was never really crowded, just a road to the drop-off area in front of Marycrest.

As soon as they were seated, Sara immediately threw her arms around Nick, holding onto him tightly as she began to cry, the sobs wracking her body. Nick wrapped his arms around her waist and held her to him just as tightly, rubbing his hand up and down her back to calm her down.

I can't give everything away
I won't give everything away

A few minutes later, Catherine and Warrick, who had taken a walk earlier, spotted Nick and Sara on the bench and both jogged over to them. "Nick?" Catherine asked breathlessly.

"She just punched that Tasha chick in the jaw. We were eating, and Tasha said something, and Sara just went off…." Nick hugged Sara closer to his body as Catherine sat down on the other side of her. Warrick knelt down on the ground in front of Sara, and put a gentle hand on her knee.

Sara pulled away from Nick slightly, and leaned back on the bench, revealing her tear stained cheeks and red-rimmed eyes. She forced a smile to her lips and whispered, "I'm fine."

Warrick took her hand in his, and ran his fingers over her bruised knuckles. "How about I go get some ice for this hook of yours okay?"

Sara nodded, and Warrick headed back into the building to get some ice.

Catherine put a hand on Sara's arm. "Hey Sar, maybe we should tell someone about her?"

"No, I'm fine. Really. But, Cath, what did you do?" Sara asked remembering what Tasha had said to her.

"Oh, I just introduced her to my fist after that chicken thing. Nothing major." Catherine said smiling.

"So, I guess that's what the nice bruise on her jaw was from, huh?" Nick asked patting Catherine on the back.

Catherine smiled again. "Oh yeah. I guess now she's got a bloody, maybe even broken nose to go with it?"

Sara just smiled.

Conclusions manifest
Your first impressions got to be your very best
I see you're full of shit and that's alright
That's how you play I guess you get through every night
Well now that's over

Soon Warrick came strutting out of the building, back of ice in his hand, and a wide grin on his face. "Hey, Sara. You must hit hard. The chick is still in there on the ground, bitching about a broken nose. Good job, girl!" He handed the ice pack to Nick, who held it to Sara's hand.

"I've never hit anyone before. Not like that. I'm so against fighting, but I just couldn't take it. I don't know what came over me." Sara said resting her head on Nick's shoulder.

"Hey, I've never hit anyone before, either, Sara. I didn't even break a nail doing it. Sure did hurt like a bitch, though. Let me tell ya." Catherine said, rubbing her knuckles.

"I think I need to go lie down or something." Sara said beginning to stand up. She wobbled a bit, and fell back down onto the bench.

I see your fantasy, you want to make it a reality paved in gold
See inside, inside of our heads, yeah
Well now that's over
I see your motives inside
and your decisions to hide

"Hey, Sara, you okay?" Nick asked wrapping his arm back around her shoulder.

"Yeah. I guess I'm just tired. I'm fine."

"Well, come on, we'll walk you back up to your room." Catherine said, standing up, and holding her hand on to her friend.

Nick helped her up, and linked his arm through hers, Catherine doing the same on her other side. Warrick led the way through the back entrance of the building, making sure to avoid the cafeteria.

AAAAARRRRRHHHH
Back off we'll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
Headstrong, we're Headstrong
Back off I'll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
And this is not where you belong

Catherine opened the door to their room, and Sara immediately went over to her bed, and ripped all the sheets off. She threw them down in a pile, and then went to her closet, where an extra set of sheets was stored. "I need to burn these" she said crumpling the old sheets up into a ball and throwing them in a plastic bag.

Nick stepped over to her, and helped put the new sheets on her bed.

Warrick took the bag with the old sheets down the hall to the trash room.

Catherine brought over an air sanitizer, and sprayed the whole room to get rid of the smell that the chicken left behind.

"I'm never going to eat meat again for sure!" Sara exclaimed as soon as her bed was fitted with new sheets. She sat down on the bed, and leaned back up against the wall. Nick sat down next to her.

Catherine reached over and turned on her radio.

I can't give everything away
I won't give everything away

I know, I know all about
I know, I know all about
your motives inside
and your decision to hide

Warrick came back into the room and sat down on Catherine's bed next to her. Catherine immediately snuggled closer to him, wrapping an arm around his waist. "What a day," she muttered.

"I agree," Sara whispered, cuddling up to Nick, who wrapped a protective arm around her.  He leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

Just then Greg came bursting into the room. "Whoa, party up in here! What did I miss?" He sat down on the floor between the two beds, and leaned up against Catherine's.

Warrick and Nick both laughed as they began to tell Greg of the day's events.

AAAAARRRRRHHHH
Fuck off we'll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
Headstrong, we're Headstrong
Back off I'll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
And this is not where you belong

"Wow," Greg breathed. "Remind me never to get on the bad side of these two ladies."

"I'll second that one." Nick and Warrick said at the same time.

Nick looked down at Sara, and noticed she was half asleep. He gently moved her into a lying position, and covered her up with a blanket.

"Well, I'm gonna head back up to the room, guys," Greg said standing up.

"Yeah, I'll come with you," Warrick said getting up from Catherine's bed. Before leaving, he leaned over and kissed her quickly on the cheek. "See you tomorrow."

"Bye Warrick. Bye Greg." Catherine called as they walked out of the room.

I can't give everything away
I won't give everything away

"I've got a study group in about a half hour, so I'm gonna head out." Catherine said to Nick. "I'll be back by 9:30, though, if you wanna stay with her until then." She reached over, and switched off the radio.

"Nick. Stay," said a sleepy Sara.

Nick looked down at her. Her eyes were shut, but she had moved over towards the wall to make room her him. "I guess I'll be staying then. Thanks Cath."

"Don't mention it. I'll see ya later."

"Bye."

As soon as Catherine was gone, Nick walked over to the door and locked it, and then headed back over to Sara's bed. He got into bed with Sara, who quickly snuggled close to him. Nick wrapped his arms around her, and then kissed her forehead gently.

"Thanks, Nick," she whispered.

"You're welcome."

~~$~@~$~~

TBC

The featured song was "Headstrong" by Trapt. It's a very fun song! LoL Just so everyone knows, I'm not condoning fighting in any way shape or form. I just thought it was something Sara and Catherine might have done.

I've decided that this story is almost over. I'm either going to have one more chapter and then an epilogue, or just one more chapter which would be the epilogue. I'm not sure yet. I just know that I'm going to end it before I move on the 18th.

Well, it's that time again. Hit that little purple button, and tell me what you think!