AN: SO SORRY EVERYBODY! Okay, got back into school, and it was madness. As soon as I finished exams, I had to plan my sister's baby shower (I'm gonna be an aunt!) Anyway, now, I'm finished for the summer. I've got no job, so I've got loads of time to do this. I know it's way after Christmas, but I still get reviews every now and again pleading me to continue, so, after a major case of writer's block…I did:-) Hope you enjoy! Again, thanks everyone for the reviews! They're the reason I've continued this story!

Nick looked out over the pond as he cast his fishing line out as far as he could.

"You're much better than you used to be." George grinned.

"Yeah well my arms are a little stronger now." Nick smirked at his dad and flexed his arm. They were quiet for a few minutes. "Sure is nice out here."

"Well, we haven't had any snow here except for a few flakes every now and again. Maybe Vegas is colder."

"Yeah right. It's a desert, Dad."

"And this is Texas."

"It sure is." Nick smiled as he watched the scenery.

"You miss it here, don't you?"

"Yeah. I do."

"I guess with Sara in Vegas, you don't miss us too much though." He teased, getting a laugh from his son. "Son, how long have you two been going out?"

"Um.." Nick swallowed. "Three months."

"Three? You told your mother two."

"Well, two, three… can you remember how long you and mom have been married?"

"Forty six years and five and a half months, my boy."

"Oh."

"Son, I didn't make DA for having my head up my ass all these years. How long have you two really been together?"

"Well we've been friends since she came to Vegas five years ago."

"Nick, we know that, she's all you've talked about since she got there. But how long have you been going out?"

"Uhh…" Nick looked around. "Two…days ago…?"

"Two days ago!"

"Yeah."

"That explains it."

"Huh?"

"You two. You haven't been able to keep your hands off each other."

"Dad…" Nick blushed.

"So, that first night when mom told you that you were both sleeping in your room, you—"

"… weren't going out." He finished.

"Oh. And that next morning?"

"Uh…yeah."

"I see." George covered his mouth to try and muffle his chuckle.

"Dad!"

"Son, why didn't you tell the truth before?"

"Because you know how the girls are! I brought Sar home cause her parents were cancelling their plans with her and going on a second honeymoon. I don't think they were the best parents…she doesn't talk about them much. Anyway, I knew if I brought her home the girls would try and push us together and I didn't want to scare Sara off, and she agreed to it."

"Makes sense, son. I know your sisters have been hassling you for a long time about finding someone to settle down with. But they love you, Nicky."

"I know." Nick sighed.

George was quiet for another few minutes while he reeled his line in. "You love her, don't you?" It was more a statement than a question.

"Yeah." Nick grinned at his father. "Yeah Dad, I think I do."

"Good for you." He put his hand on the younger Stokes' shoulder. "I could tell as soon as you introduced her. You think she's the one?"

"I don't know dad, it's looking that way. I think I've loved her since I met her."

"You need to tell her."

"I know."

George stood up. "Come on, son. We should get back to the house. The girls'll probably be back soon."

"But dad, we didn't catch anything!" Nick furrowed his brow.

Chuckling, his father put his arm around his youngest son's shoulder. "Nicky my boy, there's never any fish here this time of year."

"So why'd we go fishing?"

"When you were little, it was the only way we could get a moment of peace from your mother and your sisters, and I missed that since you've been away. Besides, I could never get you to sit still long enough to have a heart to heart man to man talk with you when you were younger unless we went fishing." George laughed out loud.

"Dad!" Nick laughed and put his arm on his father's shoulder as they walked back towards the house.

Nick was sitting on the front step, drinking a mug of coffee when his mother's car pulled up to the house. He laughed when he saw how squished everyone was, packed into the car amongst bags of presents and only God knew what else. They piled out, his mother in the driver's seat and Melanie in the front passenger seat. It reminded him of a clown car when Joanne, Kerry, Sara and Emily climbed out of the back seat, laden down with bags. By the looks of things, Sara was most likely squished in the middle; not a good place for her long legs during a half hour drive to and from the mall. His sisters saw it as a disadvantage when it came to living outside the city, but that was one of the things that he enjoyed the most about the ranch: no traffic, no horns, no lights, and best of all, no malls.

He chuckled again when they opened the trunk and began taking more bags out. Sara's frown suddenly turned into a grin as she saw Nick watching them. She came over to him, holding her bags, as he grinned back.

"You have coffee." She had a lustful expression on her face.

"Is that why you're so glad to see me?"

"Well that and you have a nice ass… and other body parts, but can I have some?"

He blushed. "Sure." Nick handed her the mug. Good think they both liked their coffees the same way.

"Mmmm…" She savoured it and cupped the mug with both hands. The expression on her face reminded him almost of how she looked the night before in a slightly more intimate encounter.

He raised an eyebrow and cleared his throat. "Is it good?"

"Uh huh." She grinned and winked; she could tell what he was thinking.

"Want me to take those bags?" He reached for several that she had laid on the ground.

"No!" She slapped his hand away, getting a yelp from him. "Your gifts are in there."

"Gifts? With an s?"

"Uh huh." She kissed his lips and handed him the cup, with only a small mouthful of coffee left. "Now I have to go hide these." Nick chuckled as she ran into the house with her shopping bags.

Nick was still out on the steps, looking out over the ranch a few minutes later, when he felt a pair of hands grab his shoulders from behind and begin to massage him.

"Oh, Sar…"

"How'd you know it was me?" She whispered in his ear in a teasing tone before leaning down to suck on his neck.

"Cause everyone else in this house is related to me and that'd be just wrong, and God Sar that's driving me crazy…"

"Yeah, I bet." She leaned in to suck on his earlobe, getting a groan from him.

"C'mere." He growled and pulled her to the front of him, so she was kneeling in between his legs, one step down from him. Their lips met and their tongues began to slide against each other's sensually, completely forgetting where they were.

"You taste like coffee." She whispered.

Nick let out a deep throaty chuckle. "So do you." He leaned in and kissed her deeply again, getting lost in the moment.

Evelyn and George were standing at the window, looking out when their youngest son began kissing his girlfriend.

"Those two really are in love, aren't they?"

"Yes, they are. We quizzed Sara a little today at the mall. She's such a sweet girl, and from what she said, I think she's in love with him. Though I could tell as soon as I met the girl. She was shy, but the smile that came over her face as she talked about him was that of a woman madly in love."

"Yeah I think she'll be joining our family pretty soon."

"I hope they can have a wonderful long life together like us, George." She leaned up and kissed her husband.

"Me too, darlin'. Me too. Now how about we give those two young lovebirds a bit of privacy? It's a new romance after all."

"New?"

"Well, uh…" He widened his eyes when he realized he'd been caught.

"George Coleman Stokes III, what did Nicolas tell you?" She put her hands on her hips and looked up at him with her eyebrow raised, giving him a look that meant 'I mean business'.

"Uhh…"

"George…"

"Well, you see, um, they actually haven't been going out…"

Evelyn looked out to see that Nick and Sara were getting closer, and if they kept it up much longer she may have to break it up before they become indecent. "Oh and does that look like a charade to you?"

"Well, no not now."

"What do you mean 'not now'?"

"Eve, the boy didn't want to get caught up in his sisters pushing he and Sara together!"

"So why did he bring her?"

"Well her parents seem a bit flaky, from what Nick said. So he told her to come home with him, though I think he always loved her, to offer to take her home, he just never realized it. And she obviously loved him to accept, but they just didn't know it."

"George, are you saying that they were not going out before they came here?"

"Right."

"So when DID they become a couple?"

"Uh…" George laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"The morning after you made them sleep together."

Evelyn's eyes widened. "Are you serious?" He nodded. "You mean I made my son sleep with his friend and it wasn't until I did that that they became a couple?"

"Uh huh."

"Oh my God. I hope no one gets wind of that, that's just WRONG!" She looked out the window and the new young couple seemed to be getting a little too close for sitting on the front porch. "I have to tell them to stop."

"You'll embarrass them!"

"So you want them to have sex right there on the porch?" Her eyes widened and blushed when she realized what she said, putting a hand over her mouth. "Umm, honey could you call Nick in here, just, come up with something to talk to him about?"

He sighed. "Okay."

He opened the door slightly and called out, "Nicky!" His son never heard him; he just continued kissing his girlfriend. "Nick!"

"Mmm…" One of them moaned as they kissed and George's eyes widened when he saw Sara's hand go down and squeeze and rub his son's ass.

"Nicolas!"

"Wha?" Nick broke the kiss and looked around to see his dad staring at them. "Uh, yeah dad?" He gulped and Sara's hand stilled but stayed on his right butt cheek as she looked up at her boyfriend's father.

"You do realize the kids are coming home from school in a little while, right?"

"Uh… yeah…" Nick knew it was his dad's way of telling them to stop making out in front of the house before they became indecent.

"Okay, just letting you know." He closed the door.

"That was weird." Sara was confused. She just wanted to keep kissing Nick.

"That was his way of telling us to get a room." Nick grinned.

"Oh." She giggled. "Want to go for a walk?"

"Well I thought we were going to the mall."

Sara sighed. "I don't want to go back there. But come on."

"Okay. I promise after I'll take you horseback riding."

"Sounds kinky." She winked.

"Sara!" He laughed as he put his arms around her, kissing her deeply. "I just gotta go tell them we're going and get the keys to the truck."

"Okay." She kissed him again.

"I'll only take a second." He kissed her.

"Then go." Kiss.

"Yup I'm going." Kiss.

"Nick."

"Yeah?" He kissed her.

"Go!" She laughed and squeezed his butt, getting a yelp from him.

"What's this sudden fascination with my ass?" He grinned.

"Oh it's not sudden. I think you have a really nice bum. Always have."

"Is that so?"

"Yup." She kissed him again, putting her hands in his jeans' back pockets. "Mmmm….firm…" She mumbled against his lips.

"Sara…" He laughed into the kiss.

"I'm just calling it like it is. Now go!" She gave his butt another small slap as he turned around and disappeared into the house, only to come back a few seconds later holding the keys to an old Chevy pickup that sat in the driveway.

"What is it with farm boys and old trucks?"

Nick grinned. "I'll have you know Ol' Bessie here is a part of the family!" He looked at her as he rubbed the wheel hub with mock affection, getting a laugh out of Sara.

"You're crazy."

"Aw but you love me." He smiled, but they both froze when it said that. "Uh, umm let's get going, hopefully we'll be back before dark so I can take you for a ride."

"I prefer it in the dark." She looked at him suggestively.

"Sara, it's not safe to…oh…" He blushed when he realized what he said. "I wasn't talking about that, but you know, when I'm riding the horse maybe I'll let you ride the cowboy." He waggled his eyebrows.

"Mmm can't wait." She leaned in to kiss him again as he leaned against the truck. When they broke apart they stared at each other for a few minutes. "Do we have to go shopping?" She ran her thumb along his bottom lip.

"I do need to get a few things. We'll try to be quick."

"You'd better not be too quick." She winked and stood back from him, running over to the passenger side of the truck before he had a chance to say anything about it.

"Nick, you're impossible!" Sara laughed as he put pointed to a lingerie store window where a particularly risqué satin and lace negligee was on display. He had come up behind her and put his hands on her hips, whispering in her ear that if she bought that he'd have everything he wanted for Christmas.

Nick laughed and kissed her cheek as they continued walking through the mall, and all the while he begged like a puppy for them to go back so she could try it on.

"Sara, please? It'd be so sexy…I could get something to match…" He waggled his eyebrows.

Sara stopped when she pictured Nick in a male version of the "naughty Santa" display in the store.

"How much were they?" She asked him.

Nick grinned. "I'll pay."

"C'mon." She grabbed his hand and they went back to the store.

The saleslady who served them gave them a knowing grin as they picked out their respective outfits and went into separate dressing rooms. Nick and Sara could hardly wipe the smiles off their faces when Nick pulled out his credit card and bought them.

"Okay, now that we've got that covered, we need to get what we came for."

"I got what I came for." Nick quipped.

"I'm talking about your Christmas presents!" She smacked him. "Now who do you need to get things for?"

"Uh…" He looked up and thought for a minute and began counting on his fingers, "Nicole, Annabelle, Hannah, Jessica, Penni, Emma, Victoria, Elizabeth, and Melissa." He told her.

Sara starred at him open mouthed for a minute. "What about your nephews?"

"Oh I got stuff for them a while ago." She cocked her head. "Hey, I know what little boys like. I was one myself a while ago."

"You still are." She told him, deadpanned.

Nick responded by sticking his tongue out at her. "Maybe so, but I need your help."

"Nick, I don't have enough training to help you… but there are professionals who—"

"Sara!" He laughed and grabbed her sides. "C'mon, help me pick out some gifts…what do little girls like?"

Three Barbie dolls, two Lion King DVDs and three Dora the Explorer stuffed toys later, Sara and Nick walked out of the toy store with the bags. Nick looked tired and frightened, while Sara looked content.

"Sar, I had no idea how much you loved shopping…" Nick told her. When they got into Toys R Us it was like a hurricane went loose in there, as she tossed various toys, books and games in his direction.

"I love to shop…I just hate the crowds." Sara answered as she continued pulling him towards Virgin Records. "We just need something for Victoria." She reasoned a fifteen year old wouldn't want a Barbie.

"Well I was thinking we could get her a CD, but I have no idea what she likes."

"Why don't you call Donna and ask her?" She reached over and took his phone off his belt and handed it to him. She was tempted to reach for his belt again, however she just shot him a grin to let him know what she was thinking.

Nick grinned and dialled his sister's number. "Hey, Donna? Yeah, it's me. Listen, me and Sar—sorry, Sara and I…" He rolled his eyes and looked at Sara. "She's an English teacher. Yeah, she's right here. Yes she is laughing at me." A pause. "Donna!" He turned beet red. "I'm not telling you that! Anyway, changing the subject… Sara and I are out at the mall. We've got almost all the gifts bought but I have no idea what to get Vicki. Yeah, I got stuff for the little kids and the older ones, well most of them are tomboys so I got them Dallas Cowboys stuff… but I have no idea what to get Vicki. Yeah, I'm by Virgin Records. What does she listen to? What? No way! That stuff's crap! Yeah. Uh huh. No. Donna! I'm not! I'll tell mom! Okay. Yeah, yeah I got it. Uh huh. Okay! Bye!" He hung up the phone, chuckling. "They're unbelievable."

"What?"

"Ah, it's just my sisters. They're afraid we're going to do something indecent here in the mall and get arrested for indecent exposure. Apparently because I'm a guy I can't control myself." He rolled his eyes comically.

"Well, you can't."

"True, but they don't know that."

"So what does Victoria like?"

"Crap." Sara cocked her head. "She likes pop."

"Of course she does, she's a teenage girl."

"Yeah, I guess. Anyway, she's asking for John Mayer."

"There's nothing wrong with John Mayer."

"Well she's actually asking for him, not for his CD. Apparently she has a huge crush on him."

"I guess she'll have to settle for the CD then. C'mon. I want to get home and go for a horseback ride." She took his hand and flashed him a wink and a smile that made him groan inwardly.

"Sara, Sara, Sara. You drive me crazy." He told her in a thick accent with a sexy grin.

"You love it." She told him and kissed his jaw.

Nick stayed close to Sara the entire time they were in the record shop. Several people even rolled their eyes in their direction as Nick held onto her hips from behind, occasionally whispering in her ear and kissing the side of her head.

For some reason, he was being exceptionally dirty and whispered a few choice words in her ear. She gasped and smacked his arm. "NICK! I cannot believe you just said that!" She tried her best to sound upset, but she wanted nothing more for him to take her home and do exactly that to her.

"But you'd love it. Soon as we get home, baby." He winked.

"Maybe so, but…" She looked embarrassed, but truth be told she was getting quite flustered. She picked out a CD and grabbed a John Mayer poster. "This should do. She can put it above her bed—"

"Sara! Don't be talkin' bout my little niece like that!" He screwed up his face.

"What? I was just going to say it's the last thing she'll see when she goes to sleep and the first thing she'll see when she wakes up!" He raised an eyebrow. "Look, all teenage girls do it. It's just…someone to drool over. No worries."

"Okay…" He still looked a little worried.

"Oh come on, Nick! It's not like he's naked or anything!"

He sighed. "Okay, fine. I just see my nieces, even the older ones, as little girls."

"Boy, you are gonna be one over protective dad if you ever have any daughters."

Nick froze for a second and cocked his head.

"Uh, I mean…"

"Hey, I know how boys think. I was one once…and I wouldn't let any little girl get near any boy who's thinking that nasty stuff." Sara burst out laughing. "What?"

"You were a boy once? So you're a girl now?"

"Sara… now after last night, and the night before… and yesterday morning… don't you know the difference of that?"

"Okay, right. You are a boy."

"Hey!"

Sara giggled and kissed his jaw. "I'm kidding. You're all man. You proved that to me…again and again."

"And don't think I'll stop provin it." He leaned in closer to her and whispered in her ear, "Especially since you pleaded to me last night, and I quote 'don't stop Nicky…God don't ever stop…'" His voice was husky and he placed a kiss on her cheek before stepping back and winking at her, knowing it would just make her melt.

Sara pursed her lips, sticking her tongue in her cheek as she raised an eyebrow at him. "I believe I might have been a little louder than that. Not to mention, you said a few things last night too…like 'oh yeah Sara baby do it to me harder…'" She winked back at him and he suppressed a groan. She giggled when he took one of the bags he held in his hand and held it in front of his pants.

He looked at her, trying to keep a straight face. "It's not funny."

"Yeah it is."

"No it isn't. It's perfectly natural, for a man…"

"For an 18 year old, yeah. You should have learned to control yourself by now."

"If you were a man you'd know these things are hard to control."

"If I was a man, I wouldn't be here, and I wouldn't do this." She leaned up and kissed him.

"No, I certainly wouldn't be sleeping with Warrick." He told her with a grin.

"That'd be kinda hot." His eyes widened as he starred at her. "I'm just saying…" She smiled innocently.

"You suggesting a threesome?"

Sara thought about it for a moment, seeing some very entertaining images in her mind. "Nah, I don't want to share you."

"Good. Cause I don't want to share myself with Warrick." He told her with a grin.

Sara laughed and went to the cash to pay for Victoria's gift. As they walked out of the mall, she linked her arm with Nick's. "Now, I seem to remember someone promising me a horseback ride." She shot him a grin and he grinned back at her as he walked her to the truck.