Disclaimer: Fine, Fine... I don't own it...

A/N: Thanks so much for your reviews on chapter one... They were of great inspiration. (grins) This chapter is a little shorter than the last one, but I wanted to end this one where I did. The little kid in this chapter cracks me up... It's always funny when little ones have outbursts... Anyway, his name is pronounced 'Kah-Nah-Yay'. I like complicated names... It's Japanese. By the way, Shirley Temples aren't bad. I had my first one ever a few weeks ago. Pretty sad, eh?

Chapter 2: "Gedda Room!"

"Drinks are up!" Sara heard Dorthy holler from a few booths down. The eccentric server was thunking her way down the small aisle to their table, carrying two glasses: one filled with orange juice and the other with a drink of a childish pink color. Nick, who's eyes had caught Sara's in a sticky gaze as he held her close, bit his lip and sighed. Sara smiled sheepishly, knowing what was to come.

"Here y'are, Sara, dah'ling…" Dorthy hummed as she finally approached the table. She stepped back at what she saw, apparently a little surprised to see Sara caught in Nick's tight embrace, his fingers running through her raven hair as he bit back an embarrassed smile. The pair had meant to pull away, but neither could find it in themselves to leave the other's touch so soon. A knowing grin crossed Dorthy's plump face as she finally placed both drinks on the table to their side. "I'll… uh… leave y'eh two to it, then…" she managed, chuckling lightly. It was nothing she hadn't seen before.

"Thanks, Dor." Sara's cheeks flushed a little as she offered a self-conscious smile. Dorthy winked animatedly in her general direction and headed back to the coffee bar to serve a waiting customer, messy ponytail swinging in her wake. Nick watched her totter back to her post until he was sure she wasn't watching or coming back again. He shot Sara one of his dazzling grins, still holding her close. Her heart skipped a beat… and she couldn't help but smile in return.

Almost right after, the pair could hear more footsteps heading in their direction from down the hall. A young blonde boy was running to sit at a table adjacent to them, his rain boots making squishing sounds as he went. Huh. Rain boots. In the desert. Sara bit her lip as she instinctively pulled away; slowly. She wasn't fast enough. The little boy had turned around to see the pair and was now staring at them; a mischievous twinkle in his cobalt eyes.

"GEDDA ROOM!" he exclaimed, loud enough for the rest of the café to hear. An impish grin crossed his pale face as he crinkled his nose is laughter.

"No! Sweetie…!" came another voice down the hall, presumably the boy's mother's. "Oh hell's biscuits…" Sara could hear her mutter under her breath as she stared at the stupid little kid. By now she had fully parted from Nick, the pair of them just stood together in alarm, watching the four-something kid who had just told them to get a room in front of an entire restaurant. A breath caught in her throat as she bit her lip in embaressment.

"I am so sorry…" the boy's mother came rushing down the aisle, shaking her head in embarrassment. "He has a big sister…" She scooped the young child into her arms, scolding him for his outburst. "Now, Kanaye… just because your sister talks that way… doesn't mean you should be. Don't you ever do that again… Now, apologize..." Her young face was stern. To Nick's surprise, the boy did apologize.

"Sorry," Little Kanaye mumbled, staring at the ground from his mother's arms. Sara and Nick didn't really know what to say. The whole situation was so completely sudden, not to mention embaressing. Sara's words were caught in her throat; a four year old had just apologized to her in front of his mother… What the hell was Nick thinking right now? It was him, however, that finally spoke in response to the mother's expectant look.

"Hey, no worries, little man." He threw on another dazzler and winked at the boy and his mother. Kanaye scrunched his nose up again and grinned, giving Nick the thumbs up sign over his mother's shoulder as she walked away with him with a final 'Sorry,' and a shake of her strawberry blonde head. He raised his eyebrows in surprise when the kid started nodding in approval, presumably at his choice in women; and winking at Sara. Feeling a little victimized, Sara reached for Nick's hand as the boy's mother walked away with her son, clasping it like a lifeline in her hand. Several people at other tables had looked up, trying to see around the wall that secluded their table. Nick sighed as he watched the pair make their way to another, farther away table for a moment before turning his head to look at Sara with a nervous smile.

"Err…. Wasn't expecting that one…" Sara pursed her lips failing to prevent the gap-toothed grin that was spreading on her face. Nick laughed.

"Yeah… me neither. Do you want to…" He nodded in the direction of the kid and his mother, cocking an eyebrow in a mock annoyed look.

"Nicholas Stokes!" Sara exclaimed, her eyebrows now raised as she laughed in shock. Nick stared at her for a second. Finally getting the joke, he gestured to the drinks sitting untouched on the table.

"Err… I meant… Not that I would mind, of course." He grinned broadly at her with a mischievous look, squeezing her hand with a wink. Sara's jaw dropped a little as she then squeezed his hand even harder.

"Ow… Jeeez, Sar… That hurts…" Nick cringed as her nails dug into the top of his hand. "Why are you so strong? And violent!" He shot her a glance with those trademark Nicky Stokes puppy eyes, trying to free his right hand from her grasp.

"Aww…" Sara smiled mischievously as she watched Nick's slowly coloring but still pallid face wrinkle along its smile lines. She let his hand go, winking at him before lowering herself into her chair. Nick cradled his 'injured' hand in his other one, rubbing the welts inflicted by Sara's nails with a thumb before sitting himself down in his own chair. Pouting, he picked up his orange juice and sipped at it a little, eyes never leaving Sara's. He smiled as he put his tall glass back on the table.

"What?"

"Have I ever told you that you have beautiful eyes?" Nick grinned and leaned on the table with his elbows. Sara's cheeks glowed with a slight pink blush.

"No… I don't think you have." Sara smiled nervously. "Thank you…" Her chestnut hair fell off her shoulders as she tilted her head to look into his eyes. They twinkled with Nick's usual playfulness, deep in color, kind and good natured. Somehow, his eyes also contained an air of alluring mystery, and she found herself struggling to see further, drowning in his gaze as if falling into the dark, intense pools. It took her a moment to gather herself enough to talk.

"You know… you have quite dazzling eyes yourself." She bit her bottom lip, stirring her drink with the plastic stick that her maraschino cherry had been pinned with. Slowly, the stick found its way to her mouth… she slid the cherry off it seductively. Nick chuckled appreciatively, but just stared at Sara's drink.

"Is that a Shirley Temple?" He asked incredulously, his eyebrows raised.

"Of course! I need the sugar." Sara renounced her efforts, pitching the cherry stick carelessly into the pink drink, then taking a sip out of the straw. Her fingers tapped to an unknown beat on the table as her eyes finally darted from his.

"I haven't had one of those since I was about eight, Sar."

"Your point?" Sara grinned. Nick shook his head with a smirk.

"Sara Sidle… and a Shirley Temple."

"…Yeah…"

"How come you never ordered one all the times you came out for lunch with Warrick and I before the shifts split?"

Sara grunted, suppressing a laugh.

"Because Warrick was there." Her eyes had again locked with Nick's, and she could feel herself beginning to drown in them once more. Damn.

"So…?" Nick knew he was making a big deal out of nothing, but was enjoying questioning her. Quite frankly, he liked where the conversation was going.

"I must remain professional around… uh… fellow employees of the LVPD. I have a reputation to uphold." A smirk threatened to cross the woman's face as she absentmindedly stirred her Shirley Temple with her straw.

"I'm a member of the LVPD." Nick answered slyly.

"Yeah, well Nicky doesn't count." She talked as if he wasn't there, but she knew she'd have to explain herself. "I'm trying not to hide anything from him, you see..." Sara pursed her lips, cocking an eyebrow and resting her head in her hand with a content, almost teasing sigh. Nick grinned fully at her response.

"Ahh… I can see now why you've been so forward…" He goaded in response, winking at her as he spoke. "The hidden agenda of Sara Sidle becomes ever clearer…"

"Shaddup…" Sara giggled, unsuccessfully suppressing the smile that had been toying at her lips for some time. She slapped Nick over the right shoulder in playful punishment, but was surprised when the lively expression on his face left as swiftly as it came. Her laugh ceased immediately, a look analogous of confusion and worry crossing her features. "Nick…?" the woman whispered almost coyly. She could see his eyes falling, his face turning to look at the female hand that still rested on his shoulder. He felt the ache building as it traversed his upper forearm and down somewhere adjoining his right shoulder blade. Shivers ran down his spine as his breath caught momentarily in his throat… In hitting that spot, everything felt all too shrilly familiar.

A/N: Alright... sorry... slight cliffie... Don't kill me, please... (hides...) Next chapter should be longer...this one was a little short. Reviews make authors update faster... (hint, hint) XD

Sahariah