Author: Joyce

Title: New Beginnings

Disclaimer: Nope, they are still not mine. Yeah, I don't get it either.

Note: I hope you guys enjoy chapter three. I must say that I like writing this story. I kinda feel like I can start fresh with both the characters and that is a good feeling to have. As always, thank you for all the responses and don't hesitate to leave me more reviews. They make me happy...lol...

Naughty boy

Coming into work a week later Sara hadn't seen much of Warrick. He had been busy in the lab while she had been out in the field with Grissom, working a case. They had only greeted each other in passing and she kinda missed talking to him, having enjoyed their breakfast and the way he had opened up to her. She would have never guessed that Warrick Brown was a loving family man but apparently his grandmother meant the world to him and something about that dedication had made her heart flutter a bit.

Sara walked into the locker room, her mind not ready for the sight she was about to see. In front of her were Nick and Warrick, both shirtless. The latter one in the process of putting on a grey suit.

"Fine suit," she told Warrick, trying very hard not to stare at his bare chest that he was covering up quickly by getting dressed. "And just fine," she added to Nick, who had made no move to dress himself and gave her a teasing smile after her comment.

"I'm late for court," Warrick mumbled and he rushed out of the room, leaving her to stare after him. "What's with him?" she asked her partner for the shift that night and Nick shrugged.

"He's tired and irritated about going to court I guess," he answered before he paused, "Why? Do you want to make him a bit happier?"

She blushed a little and Nick's teasing smile intensified.

"So," she said hastily, changing the subject. "Grissom told me we're working together and that you would fill me in on the case. Tell me partner, what's on the menu for our second shift in a row?"

Nick winked at her. "We're going back to college, honey," he grinned.

Several hours later Sara paced the halls in the lab, angry by her case and the idiotic violence she had seen in that fraternity house. A boy had been choked to dead because he had tried desperately to fit in and his killer had been an arrogant prick. Raised with money while having no regard for life what so ever. Getting him had giving her a brief moment of satisfaction, she knew that he would be convicted for murder but that didn't change the fact that a young man had been killed for no apparent reason.

Turning around she spotted Warrick walking towards her, a tired slump in his shoulders and wearing a black t-shirt with brown pants to match. It looked good on him she observed before she reprimanded herself, he looked like he needed a friend, he didn't need her lusting after him.

"Hey, Warrick," she greeted him softly and he looked up and gave her a small grin. "Sidle," he greeted her back and normally the use of her last name would have angered her but there was something in the way he said it that made her smile.

"Tough night?" she asked him while she joined him on his way to the locker room.

"I don't really know yet," he answered vaguely and she frowned.

"Want to talk about it over breakfast?" she questioned. "I could use some decent food before I go to bed. Food always helps after a double shift, we need our vitamins," she babbled and she cursed herself while he raised his eyebrows and looked down at her, a twinkle in his green eyes that she couldn't really understand.

"We do need our vitamins," he agreed and they grabbed their personal belongings before they left the lab. "You want to do the pancakes again?" Warrick wanted to know and she nodded and smiled, she had been dying for those pancakes all week but hadn't found the time to go there again.

"Pancakes are great," she responded and she was confused when he laughed. "Right," he commented, "Because they're full of vitamins."

She got in her car and narrowed her eyes at him. "Just get in your car and drive, Brown. I'm hungry." He winked at her before he walked to his car, parked a couple of feet from hers, and she told herself to stop reacting like she was now. He was someone she worked with and there was no need to act all silly whenever he winked at her.

Half an hour later they were sitting in the same spot they had occupied before. "Good?" Warrick asked her and Sara could only nod, wondering if there was anything better then these pancakes. Glancing at the man that was sitting across from her she figured that their were a lot of things better then these pancakes, among them...She shook her head and stopped her thoughts, angry by the fact that now her dreams seemed to continue while she was awake. You did not think about a naked co-worker while you were having breakfast with him, that was not the professional thing to do she told herself. She noticed Warrick talking and frowned.

"Huh?" she said distracted and he smiled again in that same manner, like he knew all about her secret and didn't mind at all.

"I was asking you if your case was tough," Warrick repeated patiently and she shrugged. "I'm glad I never joined a fraternity," she answered. "It was a pointless murder but we got the bastard."

He nodded, "That's good," he commented and Sara decided that she wanted to know why he looked like his favorite puppy had just died.

"What happened tonight, Rick," she said in a low tone, not wanting the other customers to hear them and it was his turn to shrug.

"I made sure that another bastard ended up in jail too," he told her and she raised her eyebrows. "While you were at court?" she needed to know and he sighed.

"There was this judge that blackmailed me because I had made a bet for him when...when Holly died," he finished, not looking at her. "Tonight he wanted me to contaminate evidence in a rape case because he owed the family of the rapist and I made sure that he was arrested."

"That's a good thing," Sara told him, grabbing his hand again, something that had become a ritual for them. "You did the right thing," she repeated and Warrick shook his head.

"Yeah," he said, not sounding very convinced. "But I hesitated, Sara. This man is powerful and what I did tonight could make life very difficult for me and I hesitated...I almost took the easy way out. Again," he emphasized, obviously mad at himself.

She forced him to look at her.

"But you didn't, " she whispered. "You made a courageous decision and showed him that you could not be messed with. Don't beat yourself up over this, Warrick. Anybody would have hesitated in this situation. You're trying to become a better person, not a saint."

He laughed after hearing her last comment and she was fascinated while watching him. When Warrick Brown laughed he seemed like a different person, like he was carefree and ready to show you places you had never seen before in your entire life.

"I would not be a good saint," he said, still grinning a little.

"Oh, really?" she grinned back, his laughter contagious. "Are you telling me that you can be a naughty boy?"

He winked again, his thumb stroking her hand in a manner that was suddenly not friendly at all. She felt like her hand was on fire.

"Maybe I'll show you someday, Sidle," he said, his voice low and sounding way to sexy for Sara's current piece of mind.

He got up after paying their bill, leaning down next to her. His breath on her cheek and his voice in her ear.

"But not today," he drawled. "If I ever want to get naughty with you, Sidle...I need to be fit."

He straightened his back and smiled at her once again, in a slow seductive manner. "Real fit," he added and he left the diner while she stared after him, seeing him look back and grin one more time before he drove off and she couldn't help it. She wanted him to be fit so desperately that no pancake could erase this hunger she was having right now...

Tbc...