"Hey Nicky, we've got a live one. Main Street." Sara leaned against the doorway. I looked up from where I had been working, sending her a grin. My smile grew as I watched Sara blush under my gaze. Her quiet innocence is such a turn on.

"Don'tcha mean a dead one?" She rolled her eyes in a playful way at my smart remark.

"Ugh. C'mon bozo." She came over and grabbed my arm, pulling me towards the door. She turned and looked at me, and I waggled my eyebrows suggestively.

"You're lucky I'm not drunk. I might take this the wrong way you know." I said, joking around. But instead of blushing again, Sara looked away. We stopped walking, and my hand came to her shoulder.

"Hey, is everything okay?" I asked, and she bit her lip.

Okay, I'm going to take that as a no.

"How about breakfast after shift? We can talk then, alright?" she asked. I was so surprised I nearly jumped out of my skin. I took a mental deep breath to calm myself.

'She's not asking you out Stokes, settle.' I thought.

"Sounds perfect."

That came out quite unexpectedly nice.

" 'Kay" she said. She sighed and looked down.

"I have to go get my kit, I'll be back." I stated, kind of offhandedly. Sara started to walk down the hallway. I fished with an idea in my head, wondering whether or not to go through with it. I made a quick fist, and decided.

"Hey, Sara?" I called.

She turned, and I jogged down to meet her.

"Whatever it is, don't let it get you down." I pulled her into a quick hug with one arm. She rested there for a little longer than I had expected, but it was not unwelcome. She backed away, and I released my hold on her waist. I noted the faint blush on her cheeks once again making itself known.

"Thanks Nick." She said with a smile. "I won't."

I nodded, returning her smile, but I was still concerned.

I studied her for a minute, and she didn't break my gaze. Finally, I turned to head off down the hall for my field kit and jacket.

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The murder was pretty sick. Some psycho had taken three young girls, they were all around twenty-five, and tied them to the bed, raped them, and then carved a huge X shape over their stomach, letting them bleed out. It had been very cold lately. Frost had formed on the lips of the girls. Then they were laid next to each other.

I had to turn away, as did Sara. I wanted to reach out and hold her, but I also valued our friendship, and that was a little risqué for us as of now. I came up behind her and gripped both her shoulders, and she sent me a pleading look, putting one of her hands on mine.

I wondered what had gotten into her. Suddenly, she was responding to me, reaching out instead of holding back. I can't say I don't like it though.

We processed, took pictures, and took what little evidence we could find from the scene. This case affected Sara and I so much that we stayed the entire shift searching for more. No prevail.

The ride home was silent. When we returned to headquarters, we handed in evidence, and packed it up. I thought Sara had left, and so I trudged to the locker room to replace some stuff into my locker.

I found Sara in the locker room, in the middle of changing her shirt. In other words, on top she now had on nothing but a bra.

"Uh...sorry Sara." She turned to me and I smiled sheepishly, looking down.

"No, it's okay, you're fine." She said, and I figured she had now replaced her shirt. But, I discovered when I looked up, that no she didn't, that there she stood, in a dark lacy bra.

Does she know what she does to me? Lets just say I stifled what would have been a very husky groan.

I walked to my locker without looking at her again. I don't think my body can handle it.

"Are we still on for breakfast?" she asked fishing around in her locker.

"Yeah, sure." I mustered, still not looking at her for fear of what action Mother Nature would take.

Finally, she found a shirt, and she started pulling it over her head. When she had, she walked over and touched my shoulder.

"Are we okay? You are avoiding me." She looked kind of sad and angry.

I gave her a huge smile.

"Yeah. Never been better." I said truthfully.

"Are you sure? You wouldn't look at me when I was over at my locker." She said, totally innocently, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Sorry Sar, I just didn't think it was common courtesy to stare at a woman while she dresses." I said, and she started laughing with me.

"I guess you're right. Sorry." She said as our laughter died down.

"It's okay. Ready to go?" I asked.

"Yeah."

In the car, we sat in comfortable silence until Sara asked me something.

"Nicky, who taught you all this common courtesy?" she asked, looking in my direction.

"Mostly my grandmother I suppose. She always told me, always treat the people you care about in your life with respect, or they won't be around for long."

She laughed, and I sent her a questioning smile.

"You know Nick, if I caught you staring at me in the locker room, I wouldn't have left Vegas." She chuckled, and I shook my head in amusement.

"Hey! Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about." I say as we pull up to the restaurant. Her laughter turns to seriousness when she answers.

"No, no I do know. I think it's really nice actually. I'm glad I know someone who cares enough, especially in Vegas."

We share a smile before getting out of the car.

"Hey," I say suddenly, feeling my pockets, "forgot my cell."

Sara waits for me on the sidewalk as I head back to the car for my phone. I fish around in there 'till I find it.

"Victory!" I call, and I hear her laugh. I am just closing the car door when I feel her at my side, her hand on my forearm.

"What's wrong?" I ask her. There is a flash of fear in her eyes as she points.

A very, very drunk man is coming up the street. He staggers and sways, heading our way.

"C'mon Sar." I say, gesturing to the sidewalk. I offer her my hand, and she takes it. She walks extremely close to me as we head up the path, my hand never leaving hers. The drunken man gets closer, and Sara looks at me with a slightly scared expression. I give her hand a squeeze and she squeezes mine back.

We reach the drunk man. He is ten feet away when he calls to Sara.

"Hey baby where you going? C'mon home with me we'll get to know each other better." He calls, and Sara squeezes my hand, hard. I steal a glance at her. But all the sudden, the man reaches out to grab Sara's chest. I knock his hand away so he only feels part of one breast and then trails down her stomach. She shudders violently.

"Get off her, jackass!" I yell as we head once again toward the restaurant door. I place my hand on the small of her back now, guiding her gently. She turns around to see him again, and shivers, crossing her arms in front of her body. I let my hand glide to her hip, holding her closer.

Once we get inside, I sit her down.

"I'm going to enter our name I'll be right back." I say, my hand on her knee. She places her hand on mine, stands up, and shakes her head no.

"I'll come too." She says, grabbing my hand with a scared expression. I nod, giving her hand a quick squeeze before leading her to the desk.

After we check in, she sits down next to me on a bench.

"Are you okay?" I look her straight in the eye. She shakes her head no. I release her hand and slide my arm around her waist pulling her closer. My other hand joins with hers, and she lets herself relax in my arms.

"I'm sorry." I say, "I should have led us around the long way. I didn't think he'd even speak to us, let alone try to...grab you." I speak slowly, treading carefully into unknown territory. Something deeper was going on here, I could tell. I don't really want to think about what.

"No, it's not your fault...Thanks for shoving him off me." her eyes connected with mine one last time before she rested her head against my shoulder. I let my chin rest against the top of her head, and I felt her take a deep breath.

"I wouldn't let anything happen to you Sara." I assured her. I spoke the truth, and I hoped she believed it.

"I knew you wouldn't." she said, and I could feel her smile. I squeezed her waist gently, and she did something that surprised me.

She brought my hand to her lips and kissed it. We rested against each other for a while, both of us enjoying the sensations of soft caresses and gentle squeezes.

"Stokes, party of two, your table is ready." The host spoke over the announcements. I took my chin off Sara's head, and she took her head from my shoulder. I caught her eye, and we smiled at each other.

"You know, I kind of like being a Stokes." Sara said, and I laughed as we stood.

"I do too." I added, giving her hand a final squeeze as we followed the hostess to our table.

We slid into our booth, and made small talk as we ordered drinks. When we received them, we ordered our breakfast and settled in for a discussion. I start it.

"Sara, will you please tell me what's going on with you?"

She looks away, and sighs.

"Yes. I will tell you." She says. "But not here. Not now. We can talk after breakfast."

I smile at her, feeling quite proud that she trusts me enough to tell me what's really on her mind.

"But you're doing alright now?" I inquire, wondering what present state of mind she's in.

"Well, besides feeling sort of gross, I think I'm okay." She comments while crossing her arms in front of her and shivering.

"But I'm sure I'd feel a lot grosser if you hadn't hit him before he got the chance to touch me where he really wanted...Or if you hadn't been there at all..." she trailed off, looking away.

I placed my hand on top hers, caressing it tenderly.

"If I hadn't been there at all, you would have gone home, not come here." I reassured her.

Silence.

"Sometimes I do worry about you though. I worry about you being in situations like that. Average guys can't control themselves around beautiful women you know."

In spite of herself, Sara broke into a gap-toothed grin.

"So, imagining I'm the beautiful girl, that means you have to be way more than the average guy, because you are going over and beyond controlling yourself."

I smiled at how she had no idea of how pretty she really is.

"Okay, for one, you are beautiful, and two, I can't help it if I'm an above average guy."

Sara blushed.

"What if you are the most gorgeous guy I have ever met?" she teases.

I smiled and gave her hand a kiss. She smiled and flamed red.

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met." I say, quite seriously in fact.

Sara stopped short. She pulled her hand almost completely out of mine and looked away.

"No I'm not."

I was in awe. How could she think that of herself? I would never say these things casually!

Oh God.

I know what she's thinking. She's thinking of all the prostitutes I've been with. No...I can't believe she thinks that.

"Sara...you have to believe me when I say this to you. I would never say those things about your beauty if I didn't fully believe them to be true. There are a million ways to be beautiful, and I think you've got most of them down pat. But these girls you are thinking of, they only have outward beauty, something you mastered without even trying. Trust me Sara. You are the most beautiful person I have ever known."

Sara smiled and wiped her eyes.

"How are you so perfect?" she asks me, and I chuckle.

"I'm not much more perfect than you."

She nods. With teary eyes, she looks at me.

"Nick, can I give you a hug?"

"Of course you can, Sar." I smile, standing. She enters my arms quickly, letting one sob escape her before she calms down.

"Here, sit." I say, sitting on the edge of one bench and patting my lap. She smiled through her tears and sits eagerly on my lap. I hug her tight as she rests in my arms, her head on my shoulder.

"Why are you crying darlin'?" I ask, unconsciously calling her a pet name. She smiles at me as I rub her back.

"No one has ever called me beautiful like that before. You are the first one to really tell me how beautiful you think I am." She says as one more tear runs down her face. I catch it before it reaches the end, cupping her face with my hand.

"No, I told you how beautiful I know you are."

She smiles, her head once again resting against my chest. I kiss her forehead and speak.

"You wanna come sit on this side by me?" I ask quietly.

"Yeah." I hear her whisper.

I move her drink and silverware without releasing her from my arms.

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After dinner –

Sara and I left the table. The bill was paid and we walked out the door.

Almost.

"Wait." Sara said. I stopped, searching her eyes for a reason. Then it hit me. The drunk man.

She took a deep breath and then turned to me.

"Do you trust me?" I asked, and she nodded her head without hesitation.

"I trust you with my life, and more." She added.

"If he is out there, I will not let anything happen to you."

Sara smiled broadly. She took my hand, gave it a squeeze, and pushed open the door.