Sara found herself feeling a little unsettled. Ok, if she would admit it
to herself, she was feeling a lot unsettled. The conversation with Nick
had not worked out quite as she had imagined. When she'd asked him the
question in the first place she presented it as she would when presenting
evidence. She figured that they both knew that they were just friends and
that if they just articulated it to each other that they could pose a
united front against whatever his sisters had plotted to do to get them
together. Now she wasn't so sure. Nick didn't seem to know what he
thought, and quite frankly, neither did she. Chelsea had managed to plant
a seed of doubt, and at the moment it was running rampant in her mind.
Nick was her friend. Her completely gorgeous, single, male friend. She
knew that he was attractive, she'd even ogled him in the locker room on a
couple of occasions to try and embarrass him, but she'd never considered
him anything other than a very good, close friend.
At least until now. Now she kept mulling the situation over in her mind. She'd been in Dallas less than twenty-four hours with nearly two weeks to go until they returned to Vegas, and she was completely questioning what she thought of her friend. She had been so obsessed with Grissom for so long that the thought of Nick being anything other than a friend had never occurred to her.
And now that it had, she began to evaluate how she felt. Of all the people she worked with, she felt the closest to Nick. When she'd moved to Vegas, he welcomed her. Catherine had viewed her with suspicion and Warrick had been the one she was investigating. Nick though had always been himself. No pretense, no agenda, no reason to be anything but real with her about who he was. And she admired that.
When she'd stopped at his house in the middle of the night after she'd left the crime scene, he didn't turn her away, he invited her in and listened. He was definitely a good friend. But the question begged. Was he more than that? Had he silently won her heart without her realizing it? Without even trying to?
Sara had gathered from their conversation that Nick didn't seem to think that it would be such a bad thing if they were in love with each other, and she didn't either. But were they in love? She wasn't sure. She really didn't know.
As she continued to mull things over, she realized that something in her life needed to change and maybe, just maybe she should be open to letting herself fall in love with Nick. If it was supposed to happen, maybe she should just let it; just relax and see what happened.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nick had been thrown for a loop when Sara had asked him if he was in love with her. Chelsea had already planted a seed of doubt into something he thought he was sure of. Now he didn't know. He had never expected that Sara would ask him that question. Oh, he knew that she was just trying to get the facts out on the table to make him feel better, but the spiral he was in when she'd asked the question had just put him into a tailspin.
Was he in love with Sara? He couldn't say no, but he wasn't sure he could say yes either. The fact that he didn't know the answer without a doubt, left open the possibility that he was in fact in love with her. He had just never thought of Sara that way before. In his mind, Grissom always had some claim on her. So Nick had never considered that Sara would be anything more than his friend.
Maybe Chelsea was right. Maybe he needed to be questioning himself on why he'd asked Sara to come to Dallas. Maybe he needed to question why she'd agreed to come. Maybe they were both in denial.
Sara seemed to be just as unsettled as he was. She didn't seem to know what she felt either. Nick wasn't sure whether that or the fact that Sara still had to meet the rest of his family scared him more. It wasn't that he was afraid of being in a relationship. It was that Sara was such a good friend, he was afraid of ruining it if things between them didn't work out. And with his sisters seemingly intent on trying to get him and Sara together, he was feeling vulnerable.
He definitely found Sara attractive. He'd have to be blind not to notice the slight curves on her tall slender body. Hell, they'd spent the last three years flirting shamelessly with each other at work. And if he was being completely honest, he'd have to admit that he'd had carnal thoughts about Sara on more than one occasion, however, he had just attributed that to the fact that he was a guy and she was an incredibly attractive woman.
But above everything, they were friends. Weren't they? Or was there more? Should there be more? He just wasn't sure. But then, maybe they owed it to themselves to find out. If something was supposed to happen between them, maybe they should just let it. They didn't have to be back in Vegas for almost two weeks. Surely in that time they could figure out whether they had any real feelings for each other. Maybe he should just relax and just see what would happen.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chelsea smiled over her cup of coffee as her husband Kevin walked through the front door. "Hey, honey."
Kevin Flanagan was tall and lanky, and unlike the Stokes' clan he had a fair complexion and red hair. He smiled at his wife and could tell by the curve of her lips that she was up to something. "What did you do, Chels?" Kevin Flanagan might work as a contracts attorney for the Dallas Cowboys, but he could have been a very sharp litigator in the court room.
She chuckled. "Nick's here."
Kevin just shook his head as he walked over to where she sat. "You know, he is very capable of handling his own life."
Chelsea turned her lips upward to meet Kevin's in greeting. "You haven't met Sara yet."
Kevin chuckled. "Well you've been talking about her nonstop since you got back from Vegas, I feel like I already know her."
"Well she's perfect for him. They're both just in a little bit of denial." Chelsea explained.
Kevin raised a cautionary eyebrow. "What do you and your sisters have up your sleeve?"
Chelsea smirked. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Kevin laughed. "I know you better than that, honey. The five of you have been trying to marry Nick off for years."
Chelsea smiled. "Ok, so I had a little talk with Nick after Conner repeated something to him that I might have said to Megan on the phone."
"Chels?" Kevin wanted more information. "What exactly did Conner say?"
A sheepish expression crossed Chelsea's face. "He said that I thought Nick was in love with Sara."
Kevin shook his head in amused disbelief. "You didn't." He knew full well that she had.
"But, honey, I really think he is. In fact, I think Sara's in love with him too. They're just both in denial. They need a little push." Chelsea rationalized emphasizing her point with the heel of her hand.
Kevin laughed again. "Do you remember the last time you tried to give Nick a little push?" The Stokes women had this idea that everyone, especially Nick, should be just as happily married as they all were.
Chelsea feigned innocence. "I'm not sure I follow."
"That's when he moved to Vegas." Kevin sounded as if the evidence spoke for itself.
Chelsea's expression was earnest. "But this time, I'm sure. You haven't seen them together, I have."
"Chels, he's a grown man." Kevin chided gently.
Chelsea raised her eyebrow. "Kev, trust me. Sara's perfect for him."
"But they're not even dating." Kevin reminded her.
Chelsea laughed. "That didn't seem to stop you."
Kevin looked sheepish. "Ok, so you have a point."
"Yes, I do. You know very well that two people who claim to be 'just friends' can end up very happily married without ever dating." Chelsea looked amused.
Kevin rested his hands on Chelsea's shoulders and leaned his forehead against hers. "But honey, I thought we went on at least one date before I proposed."
Chelsea chuckled. "She's perfect for him, hon. You'll see."
At least until now. Now she kept mulling the situation over in her mind. She'd been in Dallas less than twenty-four hours with nearly two weeks to go until they returned to Vegas, and she was completely questioning what she thought of her friend. She had been so obsessed with Grissom for so long that the thought of Nick being anything other than a friend had never occurred to her.
And now that it had, she began to evaluate how she felt. Of all the people she worked with, she felt the closest to Nick. When she'd moved to Vegas, he welcomed her. Catherine had viewed her with suspicion and Warrick had been the one she was investigating. Nick though had always been himself. No pretense, no agenda, no reason to be anything but real with her about who he was. And she admired that.
When she'd stopped at his house in the middle of the night after she'd left the crime scene, he didn't turn her away, he invited her in and listened. He was definitely a good friend. But the question begged. Was he more than that? Had he silently won her heart without her realizing it? Without even trying to?
Sara had gathered from their conversation that Nick didn't seem to think that it would be such a bad thing if they were in love with each other, and she didn't either. But were they in love? She wasn't sure. She really didn't know.
As she continued to mull things over, she realized that something in her life needed to change and maybe, just maybe she should be open to letting herself fall in love with Nick. If it was supposed to happen, maybe she should just let it; just relax and see what happened.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nick had been thrown for a loop when Sara had asked him if he was in love with her. Chelsea had already planted a seed of doubt into something he thought he was sure of. Now he didn't know. He had never expected that Sara would ask him that question. Oh, he knew that she was just trying to get the facts out on the table to make him feel better, but the spiral he was in when she'd asked the question had just put him into a tailspin.
Was he in love with Sara? He couldn't say no, but he wasn't sure he could say yes either. The fact that he didn't know the answer without a doubt, left open the possibility that he was in fact in love with her. He had just never thought of Sara that way before. In his mind, Grissom always had some claim on her. So Nick had never considered that Sara would be anything more than his friend.
Maybe Chelsea was right. Maybe he needed to be questioning himself on why he'd asked Sara to come to Dallas. Maybe he needed to question why she'd agreed to come. Maybe they were both in denial.
Sara seemed to be just as unsettled as he was. She didn't seem to know what she felt either. Nick wasn't sure whether that or the fact that Sara still had to meet the rest of his family scared him more. It wasn't that he was afraid of being in a relationship. It was that Sara was such a good friend, he was afraid of ruining it if things between them didn't work out. And with his sisters seemingly intent on trying to get him and Sara together, he was feeling vulnerable.
He definitely found Sara attractive. He'd have to be blind not to notice the slight curves on her tall slender body. Hell, they'd spent the last three years flirting shamelessly with each other at work. And if he was being completely honest, he'd have to admit that he'd had carnal thoughts about Sara on more than one occasion, however, he had just attributed that to the fact that he was a guy and she was an incredibly attractive woman.
But above everything, they were friends. Weren't they? Or was there more? Should there be more? He just wasn't sure. But then, maybe they owed it to themselves to find out. If something was supposed to happen between them, maybe they should just let it. They didn't have to be back in Vegas for almost two weeks. Surely in that time they could figure out whether they had any real feelings for each other. Maybe he should just relax and just see what would happen.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chelsea smiled over her cup of coffee as her husband Kevin walked through the front door. "Hey, honey."
Kevin Flanagan was tall and lanky, and unlike the Stokes' clan he had a fair complexion and red hair. He smiled at his wife and could tell by the curve of her lips that she was up to something. "What did you do, Chels?" Kevin Flanagan might work as a contracts attorney for the Dallas Cowboys, but he could have been a very sharp litigator in the court room.
She chuckled. "Nick's here."
Kevin just shook his head as he walked over to where she sat. "You know, he is very capable of handling his own life."
Chelsea turned her lips upward to meet Kevin's in greeting. "You haven't met Sara yet."
Kevin chuckled. "Well you've been talking about her nonstop since you got back from Vegas, I feel like I already know her."
"Well she's perfect for him. They're both just in a little bit of denial." Chelsea explained.
Kevin raised a cautionary eyebrow. "What do you and your sisters have up your sleeve?"
Chelsea smirked. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Kevin laughed. "I know you better than that, honey. The five of you have been trying to marry Nick off for years."
Chelsea smiled. "Ok, so I had a little talk with Nick after Conner repeated something to him that I might have said to Megan on the phone."
"Chels?" Kevin wanted more information. "What exactly did Conner say?"
A sheepish expression crossed Chelsea's face. "He said that I thought Nick was in love with Sara."
Kevin shook his head in amused disbelief. "You didn't." He knew full well that she had.
"But, honey, I really think he is. In fact, I think Sara's in love with him too. They're just both in denial. They need a little push." Chelsea rationalized emphasizing her point with the heel of her hand.
Kevin laughed again. "Do you remember the last time you tried to give Nick a little push?" The Stokes women had this idea that everyone, especially Nick, should be just as happily married as they all were.
Chelsea feigned innocence. "I'm not sure I follow."
"That's when he moved to Vegas." Kevin sounded as if the evidence spoke for itself.
Chelsea's expression was earnest. "But this time, I'm sure. You haven't seen them together, I have."
"Chels, he's a grown man." Kevin chided gently.
Chelsea raised her eyebrow. "Kev, trust me. Sara's perfect for him."
"But they're not even dating." Kevin reminded her.
Chelsea laughed. "That didn't seem to stop you."
Kevin looked sheepish. "Ok, so you have a point."
"Yes, I do. You know very well that two people who claim to be 'just friends' can end up very happily married without ever dating." Chelsea looked amused.
Kevin rested his hands on Chelsea's shoulders and leaned his forehead against hers. "But honey, I thought we went on at least one date before I proposed."
Chelsea chuckled. "She's perfect for him, hon. You'll see."