Author: Joyce

Title: The Consequences of Flirting

Disclaimer: Nope, still not mine.

Note: Sorry for the lack of updates! What can I say, life got in the way. Anyway, I had some free time today and decided to write an update. It's not a very long chapter but I'm still somewhat happy with how it turned out. I hope you guys like it too and I hope that you keep reviewing this story like you have before. Your responses have been amazing and it's kept this story flowing in my head so thank you! I really, really, appreciate it.

In times of need

Sara walked out of the kitchen, taking a deep breath to calm down her nerves while trying very hard to forget how good his lips had felt on her skin. She told herself that he was not going to win but when she turned around and saw him follow her out of the kitchen all thoughts flew out of her head. It was almost like he was trying to catch a pray, he was walking even slower then usual, his eyes traveling over her body. He looked arrogant, slightly amused but most of all sexy and she gasped a little. Immediately cursing herself for it but damn it... he was gorgeous.

"Ready to give up, Sidle?" he asked her, stopping in front of her and taking the glasses of wine out of her hands while she tried to pay attention to what he was saying.

"You're not going to win," she repeated again, not sounding very convinced and he wrapped both his arms around her, noticing that she did nothing to stop him.

"I don't want to win," he whispered in her ear and he felt how she pressed herself closer to him, her soft curves against him.

"You always want to win," she stated, looking up at him and he shook his head, giving her the slightest hint of a smile.

"No," he denied, his green eyes staring into hers. "I just want you."

Sara closed her eyes, the words repeating themselves in her head. I just want you. She was vaguely aware that she was caving in but then she decided that this would be a game that she was more then willing to lose.

"Then take me," she told him, seeing him blink to process her words before she pressed her lips against his, letting him know that she wanted him too.

They were laying on the couch when the phone rang, both of them not even remembering how they got there or how Warrick's shirt had disappeared from his body.

"Phone," Warrick whispered before he kissed her again and she blindly reached for it while kissing him back with the same amount of passion.

"Sara Sidle," she managed to say, panting a little while Warrick was kissing her neck, her fingers gliding over his bare skin.

"Sara?" Nick said, sounding very scared and she froze at the sound of his voice. "Is Rick with you?" he asked her and she confirmed that he was.

"It's Nick," she told Warrick, who had looked up when he felt her freeze. "He's not sounding to good," she continued in a whisper and he reached for the phone and jumped up from the couch, a look of concern on his face.

"Are you ok, bro?" he asked him and Sara looked at him while he listened to his friend.

"I really need to talk to somebody," Nick said in a little voice, one that Warrick had never heard before and never wanted to hear again.

"I'll be there in a few minutes," he promised his friend and he reached for his shirt that was laying on the floor. "Just hang in there, bro. I'm coming," was the last thing he told Nick before he hung op the phone.

He turned back to Sara, wanting to apologize but she silenced him, giving him a short kiss before she almost shoved him out of the door.

"Go," she told him, "He needs you."

"I'll be coming back, Sara" he promised her and she smiled. "Damn right you'll be coming back," she said before she closed the door behind him.


Warrick raced towards his friend, standing in front of his door fifteen minutes later.

"Nick," he yelled, banging on the door. "It's me, open up!"

The door opened a few seconds later and Warrick was shocked to see Nick standing there, shaking, looking very much like he wanted to cry.

"It won't go away," he said to him and Warrick walked in, trying very hard to hide the shock he felt after seeing his friend like this.

"What won't go away, Nicky?" he asked him, being careful not to get to close and Nick looked at him, a blank expression on his face.

"I'm still in that coffin, I never got out," he whispered, sitting down and wrapping his arms around himself.

"No you're not," the taller man replied, crouching down in front of him. "You're out, man. You made it."

"I didn't make it!" Nick replied with venom. "I'm a mess, Rick. I keep reliving it, it won't go away. It will never go away."

Warrick closed his eyes, wishing yet again that he had been the one to pick the wrong side of the coin that day. He still saw that coin flying in the air and he didn't think that it was an image that would ever leave his mind.

"You were strong enough to survive, Nicky," he told his friend, forcing him to look at him. "You are the only person I know that could have survived that," he continued, nodding to emphasize his point..

Nick just shook his head, rocking himself back and forward.

"But it stays silent," he mumbled and Warrick frowned, not really getting what his friend was talking about.

"Look at me, bro," he told him sternly and Nick looked up. "You are going to be fine because I won't let you think otherwise. You are the most courageous person I know and my best friend. I won't let you do this to yourself. Don't let that jerk win, Nicky. You're better then him, you know that."

Nick just stared at him blankly, hardly giving a sign that he had heard him.

"I'm always afraid," he finally confessed before he broke down, sobbing in front of him and Warrick reached up and wrapped his arms around his friend. "Sssshhh," he tried to comfort him, letting him cry while he kept talking to him. "It's ok, it's going to be ok."

Warrick couldn't tell how often he repeated that sentence before the sobbing stopped and he stood up, taking a seat next to his friend.

"Have you talked to anyone about this?" he asked. "Because I think you need some help, bro."

Nick gave him a watery smile, still shaking a little.

"You think?" he said dryly and Warrick laughed, the other man joining him a few seconds later.

"That wasn't funny," Nicky said once they were done laughing.

"I know," the dark man confirmed. "None of this is funny but it's happening and I know you'll get over this."

"How can you be so sure?" Nick asked him, sounding more then a little confused.

"Because that bastard had the bad luck that you were the one to respond to that call," Warrick said simply. "He didn't know that he would bury the strongest CSI we have. I look up to you, bro," he confessed and he saw the look of surprise on Nick's face. "I know that people think that I'm the strong, cool one but on the inside..it's you, man."

"You really believe that, Rick?" the other man questioned and Warrick just nodded.

"Like I believe the fact that Sara Sidle is falling head over heals in love with me," he commented dryly and this time the laughter that came from Nick was real and he just leaned back and watched him, glad that he could have been there.


Several hours later there was a knock on Sara's door and she opened the door with a huge smile on her face.

"Are you back for more?" she said with a flirty smile on her face but her smile disappeared when she noticed the look in his eyes.

"Is he ok?" she asked him and Warrick nodded. "He will be," he said before he pulled her towards him, clinging to her for dear life. Wanting the same kind of comfort that he had just offered his best friend.

"It's going to be ok, Warrick," Sara whispered in his ear and standing there with her in his arms he finally allowed himself to believe just that. With her, everything seemed like it was going to be ok.

Tbc...