Disclaimer: Don't Own. Don't Sue. Do Review.
A/N: Hello again. I'm so sorry that it took so long, but things suddenly got very hectic and I no longer had any time in which to write this. Hopefully the situation has changed now and I won't be too long posting the next chapter. Thanks to all who reviewed: Emily Elizabeth, britbrat, Brianna, Me_A, The tooth fairy once told me, Pam, oOoOo, PeTiTeCaT and MissyJane. You guys are great! And a special thanks to my beta Brianna and a special 'hi' to anyone from the Snickers group. Well R&R and enjoy!! - Bex
'Broken branches and a family tree, Blown over this wind is wide, A lone loner's, and our great divide.' - Vertical Horizon 'Great Divide'
Nick examined her carefully over his menu as she scanned hers. Being so close to her had brought all the pain back. All the confusion. Her return had opened old wounds and was already creating new ones. He brushed his plagued thoughts aside for the time being and decided to start some small talk at least. "Do you want some coffee?"
Sara scrunched her nose slightly at the suggestion. "Ewww yuck! Can't stand the stuff at the moment. Even the smell of it makes me feel sick."
"Ok. Do you know what you want to eat? I hear they make really good pancakes here-"
"Can't stomach that either."
He gave her a look. "Man, this baby's as fussy as you are."
"I'm not fussy," She denied.
"Uh-huh Sar, keep telling yourself that."
She glared at him and looked as if she was about to say something, when the waitress came over. "Do you want to order?"
"Yes I'll have an orange juice and...fruit salad please," Sara replied, then quickly added, "But no bananas."
Nick rolled his eyes. "Can't stomach them either?" Ignoring her frosty glare, he ordered some French toast and some juice.
"So, how long have you been with Pippa?" Sara inquired, trying to sound casual, after the waitress had gone.
"Piper," He corrected with a slight glare, "Round four months. We meet just after you left. Piper's a lawyer, a good one; all of us at the graveyard work with her a lot. She was... she's supportive. A good person."
"I bet," Sara commented with a false smile, "She just doesn't seem your type."
"Since when have know what 'my type' is?" He countered with a raised eyebrow.
"Since the day I met 'Nick the ladies man'."
"And what's that supposed to mean? I'll sleep with anyone? I can't stay committed?" Nick demanded with a raged edge to his tone that she could only cause.
She shrugged and turned away to look out of the window. Nick ran a hand through his hair, realising that any part of his mind that stupidly thought that this was going to be easy had just received a loud wake-up call. When it came to Sara and his feelings it was never a walk in the park. He watched her as she gingerly rubbed her swollen stomach, causing him to wonder about the life growing inside. His child. "Do you know the sex?" He asked and her head snapped round to regard him with a puzzled look. "The baby's."
"Oh." She shook her head. "I decided to wait in case you didn't want to know. Do you?"
"I'm not sure."
The awkward silence settled again, until the waitress brought back their orders. As Nick began to eat, Sara regarded him carefully over the top of her glass. "You still work the graveyard right?"
"Yeah." He nodded and continued to eat.
"How is everyone?"
He stop abruptly at the question, placed his toast down and took a sip from his glass. "They're alright. Greg took over your place on the team; Catherine's been saying how unfair it is that she's the only girl, but she survives. Warrick broke up with Lucy a couple of months after you left. And Doc Robins still cutting up people on the slab."
"And Grissom?"
He froze for a split-second and stiffened. "He's engaged to Catherine."
"Oh." Was her only answer once more. That toneless 'oh' he hated. The awkward silence quickly settled and they both continued to play with their food rather then eat it.
Nick felt something twisting his stomach tightly: jealously. Jealously caused by the part of him that believed she was still in love with Grissom.
~*~*~*~*~
"Where are you staying?" Nick questioned as he unlocked the door and they walked back into his apartment.
Sara gave him a sheepish look. "No where right now; I need to book into a hotel. My stuff's in the rental car and the rest I'd put in storage when I left. I haven't really had the chance to look for an apartment yet."
"Oh." He was silent for a moment, wondering if his next suggestion was wise: "You could always stay here, if you want?"
She raised an eyebrow on her shocked face. "Are you sure Piper's gonna be happy about that?"
Nick hesitated. "I'll talk to her about it." He sat down on the couch and patted the seat by him in a wordless request for her to sit down; uncertainly, she complied. Nick looked straight into her eyes and took a deep breath. "Look Sara, I want to be the best father I can for my child and right now that means taking care of you." Sara opened her mouth to speak, but he continued before she got the chance. "Just hear me out before you say anything. All I'm suggesting is that you stay here for the time being until," He swallowed hard, almost chocking on his words, "Until we can find a larger apartment; a three bedroom one, so there'll be a room for you, me and our baby. What do you think?"
She shifted awkwardly and averted her gaze. "I don't know Nick. Are you sure it would work?"
"It has to," He said softly and she looked questioning up at him, "I want to be there for my child Sara; not just a weekend dad, but a 24-7 one. I want to be there when they take their first step, when they say their first word, hell even when they get their first cold. I want to be there for all of it. And if we live together - as friends - I can help out and do my share. And also won't it be good for our kid to see their parents getting along regardless of whether they're together or not?"
There was a silence that seemed to last a lifetime. Nick's hand got clammier, as nervously he stared at Sara's expressionless face as she thought through what he'd just said. "I guess we could try," She agreed slowly, "But if it's not working out-"
"We'll find another arrangement," He promised, a relived smile touching his lips. She gave him a small smile in return.
"Do you have a shift tonight?" Sara asked.
Nick's eyes flickered towards his watch. "Yes and I really should be getting some sleep. Not everyone can survive without it like you," He teased and she faked a hurt look. He was about to head towards his room when he saw her yawn. "Maybe for once a little bit of shut eye wouldn't hurt you either?"
"I suppose it won't do any harm."
"Ok, well lets get your stuff from the car and then I find some where to put it in my room-"
"Where will you be sleeping?" Sara questioned.
"In here," Nick replied, nodding to the couch, "It's got a pull out bed."
"I think I should sleep in here Nick," Sara stated and cut him off when he opened his mouth to protest, "Look, I'm not that tired and at least this way I can watch some TV or something if I'm bored without disturbing you." He gave her an unconvinced look and she added, "I'll be fine Nick. Anyway, you need your sleep more. Come on, I might need a bit of helping getting my stuff from the car."
He watched her go before he had the chance to say a word. After a beat, he followed her out, wondering if them living together was really the best idea. Was it really going to work?
A/N: What do you think? I know you have an opinion and I would love for you to share it with me; so hit that button NOW!! Lol :o)
A/N: Hello again. I'm so sorry that it took so long, but things suddenly got very hectic and I no longer had any time in which to write this. Hopefully the situation has changed now and I won't be too long posting the next chapter. Thanks to all who reviewed: Emily Elizabeth, britbrat, Brianna, Me_A, The tooth fairy once told me, Pam, oOoOo, PeTiTeCaT and MissyJane. You guys are great! And a special thanks to my beta Brianna and a special 'hi' to anyone from the Snickers group. Well R&R and enjoy!! - Bex
'Broken branches and a family tree, Blown over this wind is wide, A lone loner's, and our great divide.' - Vertical Horizon 'Great Divide'
Nick examined her carefully over his menu as she scanned hers. Being so close to her had brought all the pain back. All the confusion. Her return had opened old wounds and was already creating new ones. He brushed his plagued thoughts aside for the time being and decided to start some small talk at least. "Do you want some coffee?"
Sara scrunched her nose slightly at the suggestion. "Ewww yuck! Can't stand the stuff at the moment. Even the smell of it makes me feel sick."
"Ok. Do you know what you want to eat? I hear they make really good pancakes here-"
"Can't stomach that either."
He gave her a look. "Man, this baby's as fussy as you are."
"I'm not fussy," She denied.
"Uh-huh Sar, keep telling yourself that."
She glared at him and looked as if she was about to say something, when the waitress came over. "Do you want to order?"
"Yes I'll have an orange juice and...fruit salad please," Sara replied, then quickly added, "But no bananas."
Nick rolled his eyes. "Can't stomach them either?" Ignoring her frosty glare, he ordered some French toast and some juice.
"So, how long have you been with Pippa?" Sara inquired, trying to sound casual, after the waitress had gone.
"Piper," He corrected with a slight glare, "Round four months. We meet just after you left. Piper's a lawyer, a good one; all of us at the graveyard work with her a lot. She was... she's supportive. A good person."
"I bet," Sara commented with a false smile, "She just doesn't seem your type."
"Since when have know what 'my type' is?" He countered with a raised eyebrow.
"Since the day I met 'Nick the ladies man'."
"And what's that supposed to mean? I'll sleep with anyone? I can't stay committed?" Nick demanded with a raged edge to his tone that she could only cause.
She shrugged and turned away to look out of the window. Nick ran a hand through his hair, realising that any part of his mind that stupidly thought that this was going to be easy had just received a loud wake-up call. When it came to Sara and his feelings it was never a walk in the park. He watched her as she gingerly rubbed her swollen stomach, causing him to wonder about the life growing inside. His child. "Do you know the sex?" He asked and her head snapped round to regard him with a puzzled look. "The baby's."
"Oh." She shook her head. "I decided to wait in case you didn't want to know. Do you?"
"I'm not sure."
The awkward silence settled again, until the waitress brought back their orders. As Nick began to eat, Sara regarded him carefully over the top of her glass. "You still work the graveyard right?"
"Yeah." He nodded and continued to eat.
"How is everyone?"
He stop abruptly at the question, placed his toast down and took a sip from his glass. "They're alright. Greg took over your place on the team; Catherine's been saying how unfair it is that she's the only girl, but she survives. Warrick broke up with Lucy a couple of months after you left. And Doc Robins still cutting up people on the slab."
"And Grissom?"
He froze for a split-second and stiffened. "He's engaged to Catherine."
"Oh." Was her only answer once more. That toneless 'oh' he hated. The awkward silence quickly settled and they both continued to play with their food rather then eat it.
Nick felt something twisting his stomach tightly: jealously. Jealously caused by the part of him that believed she was still in love with Grissom.
~*~*~*~*~
"Where are you staying?" Nick questioned as he unlocked the door and they walked back into his apartment.
Sara gave him a sheepish look. "No where right now; I need to book into a hotel. My stuff's in the rental car and the rest I'd put in storage when I left. I haven't really had the chance to look for an apartment yet."
"Oh." He was silent for a moment, wondering if his next suggestion was wise: "You could always stay here, if you want?"
She raised an eyebrow on her shocked face. "Are you sure Piper's gonna be happy about that?"
Nick hesitated. "I'll talk to her about it." He sat down on the couch and patted the seat by him in a wordless request for her to sit down; uncertainly, she complied. Nick looked straight into her eyes and took a deep breath. "Look Sara, I want to be the best father I can for my child and right now that means taking care of you." Sara opened her mouth to speak, but he continued before she got the chance. "Just hear me out before you say anything. All I'm suggesting is that you stay here for the time being until," He swallowed hard, almost chocking on his words, "Until we can find a larger apartment; a three bedroom one, so there'll be a room for you, me and our baby. What do you think?"
She shifted awkwardly and averted her gaze. "I don't know Nick. Are you sure it would work?"
"It has to," He said softly and she looked questioning up at him, "I want to be there for my child Sara; not just a weekend dad, but a 24-7 one. I want to be there when they take their first step, when they say their first word, hell even when they get their first cold. I want to be there for all of it. And if we live together - as friends - I can help out and do my share. And also won't it be good for our kid to see their parents getting along regardless of whether they're together or not?"
There was a silence that seemed to last a lifetime. Nick's hand got clammier, as nervously he stared at Sara's expressionless face as she thought through what he'd just said. "I guess we could try," She agreed slowly, "But if it's not working out-"
"We'll find another arrangement," He promised, a relived smile touching his lips. She gave him a small smile in return.
"Do you have a shift tonight?" Sara asked.
Nick's eyes flickered towards his watch. "Yes and I really should be getting some sleep. Not everyone can survive without it like you," He teased and she faked a hurt look. He was about to head towards his room when he saw her yawn. "Maybe for once a little bit of shut eye wouldn't hurt you either?"
"I suppose it won't do any harm."
"Ok, well lets get your stuff from the car and then I find some where to put it in my room-"
"Where will you be sleeping?" Sara questioned.
"In here," Nick replied, nodding to the couch, "It's got a pull out bed."
"I think I should sleep in here Nick," Sara stated and cut him off when he opened his mouth to protest, "Look, I'm not that tired and at least this way I can watch some TV or something if I'm bored without disturbing you." He gave her an unconvinced look and she added, "I'll be fine Nick. Anyway, you need your sleep more. Come on, I might need a bit of helping getting my stuff from the car."
He watched her go before he had the chance to say a word. After a beat, he followed her out, wondering if them living together was really the best idea. Was it really going to work?
A/N: What do you think? I know you have an opinion and I would love for you to share it with me; so hit that button NOW!! Lol :o)