A/N: Hello. How are you today? I'm just fine, thank you. I actually got this chapter out much sooner than I had originally anticipated. But I'll ask again that you bear with me if there are big gaps between posts. Thanks again for your support and feedback!
"Sara. This is my son, Benjamin," Nick introduced. He spoke lightly, but the hesitant if not cautious undertone didn't go unnoticed by either of them.
"Your son," she whispered softly. His eyes met hers, a shared pain reflected in them. Sara gave herself a mental shake; no need to go there. No need whatsoever. Steeling herself she smiled at the child. "It's nice to meet you Benjamin."
The boy smiled again, a bashful grin inherited from his father. "I'm this many," he announced matter-of-factly, sticking up two pudgy little fingers.
She laughed a little. "Wow, you're a big boy aren't you?"
"Yeah, I'm big," he said proudly. "But Brandon's bigger. Daddy?"
"Yes, Ben?" Nick replied, looking away from his perusal of her face to the boy in his arms. He pulled his son's cap off and brushed sweaty dirty-blonde hair off his forehead. Sara noted the flash of gold on his finger.
"Um, when is Mommy and Brandon coming again?" he asked, cocking his head and furrowing his brow. Another Nick-ism.
Nick's eyes went to Sara's again. "Soon, buddy. Why don't you go play and let me know when you seen them coming, alright?" He set the toddler down and watched him scurry back over to the playground.
"So," he turned back to Sara and rubbed the back of his neck. He gestured to the bench he had been occupying and they both sat, eyeing each other carefully. "What, uh, brings you back to Vegas?"
"Well, work, funnily enough." Her fingers fidgeted with the strap of her bag. It all felt so odd. She never thought she'd even see this man again, let alone make small talk with him in a park while his two-year-old son played nearby. To be near him again and try to pull off something of a normal conversation was proving difficult for her. Especially after seeing just how much things had changed. "There's a forensic DNA analysis conference this weekend-"
"At the Flamingo, yeah, yeah. But I thought it was-"
"FBI?" she smirked. They still managed to finish each other's sentences. Old habits die hard after all.
Realization dawned on him and he smiled. "Oh, I see. So, Sara Sidle finally went fed, huh? I don't believe it." He rested his elbow on the back of the bench, propping his head on his fist.
"That's Special Agent Sara Sidle now," she replied, smiling and starting to feel a little more at ease. He'd always had that affect on her. "Of the Boston field office forensics lab."
"That's where you've been all these years," he said quietly.
She nodded. "For the most part. I was back in California for a little while, right after..."
"After you left."
She dropped her gaze feeling uncomfortable again. His even tone was accusatory but the hurt in it made matters that much worse "Yes."
Nick shifted again, turning to rest his forearms on his thighs and looked across the park to where Ben sat, digging happily in the sand. He started cracking his knuckles one by one, a habit that had always driven her nuts. Once upon a time she would have admonished him for it with playful threats and promises of looming arthritis, but now she found the act was almost comforting in its familiarity.
"Sara," he spoke again, his eyes turning back to hers. He struggled, trying to sort through the extensive jumble of thoughts that raced through his mind. There were so many, many questions that he wanted answered, needed answered, that he had no idea where to begin. "Sara... why did –"
The shrill sound of the bell ringing, swiftly followed by the roar of the children that came pouring out of the school interrupted him. He sighed and chuckled under his breath, shaking his head.
"Saved by the bell," he quipped with a crooked grin, nudging her with his elbow. She smiled back.
"They're coming, Daddy!" Ben's little voice announced. He arrived at his father's side out of breath and rosy cheeked, and pointed back towards the schoolyard. "Mommy and Brandon are coming!"
"Thanks buddy. You wait with me until they get here, okay?" Nick said, pulling him up into his lap. He turned back to Sara. "You going to be in town for a while?"
"The conference is just a couple days, over the weekend," she replied, watching Ben examining his father's watch. "I've got to get back as soon as it's over."
"Oh." Nick wasn't sure why he felt a bit disappointed to hear that. "Well, if you have the time," he twisted to reach into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He removed a white business card then scribbled on the back with a pen and handed it to her. "That's my cell number. I'd like to catch up, you know. Maybe meet for coffee or something. If you want."
Sara nodded and took the card knowing that he wanted more than to just catch up. He wanted to know exactly what it was that had happened seven years ago and she owed him that much.
"That would be really nice," she glanced at the card and raised an eyebrow. "Supervisor Stokes?"
"Long story," he said, smirking while he tickled Ben's ribs, making the boy squeal laughter. "You've missed a lot."
"Yeah," she sighed. "I know."
He frowned, seing the unhappiness that crossed her face and was about to apologize when Ben squirmed out of his grasp and started running across the grass.
"Mommy!" he shouted running up to a lovely blonde woman coming towards them with a dark haired boy of about four in tow. She scooped him up and planted a big kiss on him before looking over to where Nick and Sara were sitting.
"Well, I should probably go," Sara said. She quickly rose from the bench, trepidation fluttering in her stomach.
"Yeah, okay." Nick stood as well, sensing her unease and feeling a bit of his own as his wife approached. "But please, Sar. Think about giving me a call."
"I will," she said quickly, slinging her purse over her shoulder. She was starting to back away when the other woman reached them. The two boys were laughing and chasing each other back and forth.
"Hey babe," she greeted Nick, sliding her hand into his.
"Hey," he said back, leaning down to drop a quick kiss on her lips. "Nat, I'd like you to meet my... friend, Sara. We used to work together at the crime lab a few years back. Sara, my wife Natalie."
"It's nice to meet you Sara," Natalie said with a friendly smile and offered her hand. She stood a few inches shorter than Sara and had her long blonde hair tied back. Her kind blue eyes sparkled when she smiled.
"Likewise," Sara managed, doing her best to control the bitter jealously that suddenly came crashing through her without warning. Right away she could sense why Nick would be attracted to this woman's warm personality; it rivaled his. It was also served to remind her that it was something that Sara herself lacked. "Well, I've really got to get going."
"Okay," Nick nodded, understanding her need to flee. "Good to see you Sara."
"You too." She turned and walked away, her heart pounding in her chest.
"It was nice to meet you!" Natalie called after her.
Sara looked back for a second and forced an awkward smile and a half wave, then quickly continued on her way, feeling Nick and Natalie watching her go.
"So is that the Sara? As in 'your ex-fiancée' Sara?" she asked.
"The very one. As I live and breathe." He waited in silence for a minute to see if she would say anything about him and Sara, ready to defend himself and his intentions as honorable but his worry proved unnecessary.
"I don't think she likes me very much," she whispered conspiratorially in his ear, drawing his arm up and around her shoulders, not letting go of his hand. "Boys! Let's go! Brandon, get your backpack sweetie."
Brandon and Ben started racing back to their parents, both shouting that they were going to beat the other, despite the elder boy's lead.
"Yeah, well," Nick shrugged, looking away from Sara's retreating form and replacing his sunglasses. He squeezed her shoulders and kissed her temple. "I don't really like you much either."
He grunted when she less than gently bumped his hip with hers and led her away to where he had parked their SUV on the street. Buckling Ben into his car seat, he looked around for Sara again and saw her disappearing around a corner down the street. He sighed as he pulled the driver's side door open, feeling emotions that he had thought long since dead begin to stir in his heart.