Thanks for the reviews peeps! Sorry for the delay, writers block is killing me on this story. Don't worry, I doubt I'll quit! Anyways, I hope this is okay. I'm sorry, I really struggled with this. I mean really struggled. It's not the best but I really wanted to update. I'm sorry. I couldn't even get a chapter name that didn't suck. I'm sorry. Please reviews, even if to tell me how s**t it is. :-(
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Chapter Thirty Three # Trying to tell Secrets #
"So, Mr. Stokes, if you want to you can go right home or you can go to school, it's entirely up to you, so long as you go home if you do become too tired, okay?" the doctor asked, and Nick nodded.
"What will it be, Pancho?"
"I'd like to go to school. Please?"
His dad nodded proudly. "Sure."
He got to school early. Well, a lot earlier than usual, anyway. He walked through the doors feeling...
Well, he wasn't really sure what he was feeling. He didn't feel ill. The infection that had initially had prolonged his stay at the hospital was gone. It could be nerves maybe - the fact that he still couldn't speak too loud was always present.
Nevertheless, he arrived at A11 to a small cheer.
"Hey guys. Where's Sar?"
"I'm not sure." Tali replied, hugging Nick and kissing him on the cheek. "She's late."
"When does she get that cast off?" Archie asked.
"Uh, next week, I think." Tali mused. "Maybe the week after."
The door opened and Sara herself entered, looking flushed.
"What's up, Sar?"
"Hi Nick. I'm glad you're back." She smiled.
"What's going on with you?" Tali frowned.
Catherine opened the door. "She rode to school with Tony DiNozzo. And he kissed her in front of the whole school just to avoid any misconceptions."
"What?" The others cried.
"Wow..." Archie blinked.
"Since when?" Greg frowned.
"Since last night. He took me on a date." She said sheepishly.
"So that's why you didn't come to hospital... Good for you." Nick grinned. "But I hope this doesn't mean you're gonna stop coming riding with me 'cause I bet Muse misses you."
Sara laughed. "I think that can be arranged, in a couple of weeks when this cast has been off for a while, I don't wanna tempt fate. Thanks."
"Where'd you go?" Morgan asked.
"He took me to this fancy Italian restaurant and it was so amazing and way too expensive."
"Wow..." Morgan sighed. "My boyfriends a bit slack in the whole posh restaurant department."
"Hey!" Greg protested.
"I'm teasing." She smiled and he grinned back.
"I know."
"You do know what's gonna happen now, though." Warrick spoke up. "Rumour city. No, actually make it rumour universe."
"Damn. I hate being in the spotlight." Sara frowned.
"I'm guessing you didn't think that part through." Ryan mused.
"Actually no. Thanks for the wake-up call, Warrick."
"You're welcome." He saluted jokily.
"Don't worry; I'll throw some good stuff into the rumour mill for you." Catherine winked. "It may help protect you from the backlash of jealous cheerleaders."
"Thanks." Sara grinned gratefully.
"No problem. I'm off to play politics." Catherine grinned.
She left A11 and headed straight for the cafeteria, where her friends sat whenever they weren't in lessons. "Hey guys."
"Did you know about this?" Calleigh immediately asked.
"You mean Tony and Sara? Yeah, I helped her get ready for their date last night."
Natalia Boa Vista choked on her apple. "You what?"
"I helped her get ready. She's a friend, so what?"
"I bet she had no idea what to wear." Teri Miller, a blonde cheerleader laughed,
"Actually she did. She just didn't know what Tony meant by 'fairly smart', exactly the same problem you had at the start of the year, Teri." Catherine smiled sweetly, and Teri smirked back.
"So is it a joke?"
"No." MJ said firmly, grinning at Catherine who smiled back. "Why do you think he swapped groups with me?" The red head continued.
Everyone apart from Catherine, Kate, MJ, Ziva and Jess looked as if their eyes were about to pop out of their heads.
"He really, really likes her." Kate nodded. "So be nice." She looked at a group of girls who all crossed their arms.
"Why?" EJ Barrett smirked in disgust, flicking her blonde hair over her shoulder. "What is there to like about Sara Sidle?"
"Okay, you have crossed a line there, EJ!" Catherine's eyes flared with anger.
"You don't even know her! Sara Sidle is really nice." Sofia Curtis backed Catherine up.
"I thought you hated her." Natalia frowned, and Sofia rolled her eyes.
"I had an argument with her, once, and suddenly I hate her?"
"So if she's so amazing answer the question. What is there to like about Sara Sidle?" Teri backed up EJ.
"Uh, how about she's smart-" Catherine started only for MJ to take over.
"Funny."
"Pretty." Kate added.
"Brave as hell." Catherine interjected again. "She had her leg shattered in a bear trap and she kept insisting she could walk."
EJ just scowled. "Whatever."
"I think she's good for him." Jeanne Benoit said quietly.
"Coming from his ex." EJ remarked. "I'm sorry, I don't like Sara Sidle and I'm entitled to an opinion."
Catherine just sighed angrily.
"Once you said exactly the same thing." EJ stared at Catherine who felt more anger bubble over. It was true.
"Yeah well, then I gave her the time of day."
CSIVCSIVCSIV
"Sara Sidle?"
"Yes."
"The mystery girl, this whole time, was Sara Sidle?"
"Uh huh."
"Sara Sidle?"
"Why is it so hard to believe?" Tony rounded on Don, getting pissed. That had been all he's heard all day. "Sara Sidle?"
"Because she's not your type."
"And why not?" Tony growled.
"Hey man!" Don held up his hands in surrender. "I like her. Honestly, I like her, and to be honest I'm glad. I'm just surprised. That's all."
Tony sighed. "Okay. I guess she's not exactly who I'd usually go for."
Don laughed. "I think it's great. I think she's great. She seemed amazing at the hospital."
"She is." Tony smiled. "She really is."
Don chuckled again. The bell rang and they got up.
As they walked past the girls' table Tony heard EJ talking to a couple of other girls, including Teri Miller.
"Sara Sidle is such a whore! I mean, come on, Tony is way out of her league, and-"
As Tony turned angrily Don put a hand on his arm. "Save it, Tony." Tony jerked away, scowling at the girl as he left the cafeteria.
CSIVCSIVCSIV
At lunch time Catherine slipped back into A11, followed by a slightly more nervous Jess. Tony and Don were also there, and Tony's arm was wrapped around Sara's shoulders.
"You two-" she nodded at them "-have absolutely no idea what you've started."
"Uh oh." Sara bit her lip.
Tony opened his mouth but Catherine held up her hand. "I'm not saying it's a bad thing or I'm not on your side. But boy, is there shit going down in the cafeteria."
"What do you mean?" Morgan asked.
"Revolution." Catherine said simply.
"Everyone's splitting to back Catherine or EJ." Jess explained slightly nervously.
"With what?" Sara frowned.
"You know I'm not entirely sure." Jess sighed.
"Look, we're just dating, it's no big deal." Tony shrugged. "Not for anyone else anyway."
"I agree, but EJ's jealous." Catherine half grinned. "So she's started the usual rumours. Bitch rumours, whore rumours..."
"Lucky me." Sara murmured.
"And so then Catherine and EJ had an argument and Catherine accused her of being jealous...basically you've just split half the school into girls who fancied Tony DiNozzo and the guys who fancy them and girls and guys who think it's none of their business and are trying to get on with life as usual." Jess explained.
"That's ridiculous!" Don scoffed. "The first one, I mean."
"I agree." Jess nodded. "As do most people."
"Who doesn't?" Nick frowned.
"EJ Barrett, obviously. Uh, Teri and Wendy Miller, Heather Kessler, Paula Cassidy, Monica Williams, Cassie Yates, Pam Kim, Riley Adams, Frankie Reed, Holly Gribbs, Hank Peddigrew-"
"Okay, Jess, I get the picture." Tony frowned.
"That's a lot of people." Sara glanced at Catherine.
"You'll be fine. You've got Calleigh Duquesne, MJ Stokes and Catherine Flynn on your side." Jess grinned. "I doubt they'll do too much. If they did they'd be in trouble."
"Thanks." Sara grinned.
Jess smiled, though she still looked slightly uncomfortable.
"Are you okay?" Greg asked her bluntly.
"Me? Oh, yeah, I'm fine." Jess smiled.
Don raised his eyebrows at her.
She smiled sheepishly. "I'm fine, honestly. I just don't wanna be, uh, butting in."
Nick laughed. "Don't worry about it, honest."
She smiled at him and then looked at Tali. "Oh, uh, Ziva and Paula started arguing, it got a little heated."
Tali rolled her eyes. "What a surprise."
CSIVCSIVCSIV
Greg Sanders could honestly describe himself as really, really happy.
Two and a half months had passed since Halloween. There were ten days until Christmas and things had changed.
Morgan was better. She had put on a little weight, but not too much that she felt uncomfortable. Greg and Morgan had grown closer than ever – he was her rock and she was his. Sara and Tony had managed to shake off the rumours and Sara's confidence had soured. She was also, strangely, closer to Greg than ever, though cheating never even flickered into either mind for a second.
Nick had returned to the confident, funny, big brother type friend that Greg had known before Maria Johnson had shown up, and Warrick was still wrestling with him to figure out who was the wingman.
Ryan had asked Anya Boa Vista out on a date and they'd started going steady. Archie was still, as he put it, single and proud, like Tali. Unlike Archie, however, Tali wasn't happy with being single. According to Morgan and Greg's musings, she didn't know why she was unhappy but she they thought it was because she was in love with Nick, or someone like that.
Catherine occasionally joined them in A11 and almost appointed herself as their 'damage control' helper, dissolving any rumours relating to them before they could even surface, and she was even slightly protective over all of them.
"Fifteen days 'til Christmas!" Greg announced as he entered A11 first thing in the morning. "And it's ten days until Christmas vacation, seven not including the weekend!"
"We know, Greg. You told us yesterday, and sixteen minus one isn't that hard." Sara teased.
"Ha ha." Greg rolled his eyes.
"You know guys, my parents were wonderin' if anyone else wanted to come over for Christmas. You know, we're already making it a major family Christmas and Ethan and MJ are bringing friends so..."
"All seven of us?" Ryan asked.
"Well, MJ's inviting Catherine and Ethan's inviting Tony, so if they don't count then yeah."
"Seven friends?"
"And your families, obviously." Nick said. "Parents, siblings...I think we can stretch to grandparents."
"Are you kidding?" Sara frowned.
"Nah. It won't be like Greg's Halloween, just your average large family Christmas, mind but it should be fun."
"I will ask my parents." Morgan smiled
"And me! If you can handle one more hyper child among all your nieces and nephews, at Christmas Emily kinda goes over the top..."
"One more isn't gonna make much difference. The logic is that Joanne and Robbie and Katie and Livy all bring their family back and they all have at least four kids. Joanne is pregnant with her seventh, so we get seven friends or under." Nick explained.
"Okay..." Tali mused. "Nick, your house is big, but it's not that big."
"Well, we don't have it at my house. Back in Texas it wasn't a problem, we have a ranch and a big house. Carlos has lent us the big house on his ranch. It's big but it's not a mansion. Anyway, he wants to go to back to Texas so we're it's a Stokes family take over."
"Hey, will your niece Hailee be there?" Warrick asked.
"Yes..." Nick said suspiciously. "Why?"
"Then I'm definitely in!" Warrick grinned.
"What?" Nick frowned.
"Well, man, I've seen pictures, she's hot!"
"Warrick!" Nick yelled, hitting his shoulder. "She's my niece! My niece!"
Warrick chuckled. "Hey man, calm down!"
Nick rolled his eyes.
"This feels like Halloween all over again." Greg remarked. "You oughta be careful Nick or you'll be in a car crash later on."
Sara laughed slightly awkwardly.
"Oh, sorry." Greg grinned sheepishly.
"It's not a problem." Sara smiled, before glancing at the floor. "I wanna come, but...uh. Tyler's getting out, three days before Christmas, and uh..."
"Bring him along." Greg insisted, glancing at Nick who nodded.
"Sure, man, bring him along."
Sara sighed. "First off, I'm not a man, Nick. Second, I...uh... Wouldn't that be a little awkward?"
"It's a time for forgiving, a time for forgetting!" Greg sang. "Honestly Sara. It wouldn't be the same with everyone and not you."
"But he put you in hospital!"
"And he said he was sorry. Bring Tyler. Please?" Greg made puppy dog eyes and Sara hit him on the shoulder.
"Fine. I'll ask my parents." Sara grinned.
"Great." Nick grinned.
The door opened and Lindsay Monroe walked in. "Hi guys! Uh, Nick, Judy at reception asked me to give this to you."
"Thanks." Nick grinned at the girl who passed him an envelope and flew back out of the door.
"Bye Lindsay!" Morgan cried.
Nick tore open the envelope and frowned, opening the plain white sheet of paper.
"Well it's nearly Christmas
And what have you done?
You have many secrets
Some old and some young
A very merry Christmas
Have a happy New Year
It might be your last one
If you don't listen to fear
A very happy Christmas Nicky-boy
Tell Sara I say hi.
Lots of love – JJ." Nick read aloud, his voice trailing off to the end.
"Well that's creepy." Greg muttered.
"Who's JJ?" Tali asked.
Nick didn't move.
"Nick?" Sara asked, hesitantly touching his shoulder. "Nick?"
"I don't know who JJ is." Nick lied quietly.
"Nick... the guy who mugged us...Didn't he call you Nicky-boy?" Warrick asked slowly.
Nick shrugged. "Uh, maybe...look this is probably some sick joke." Nick shook his head, scrunched up the piece of paper. "I have no idea what it's talking about. It's probably just a prank."
He stuffed it into his pocket and swallowed.
"Nick...it says-"
"Sara, it's a prank." Nick snapped.
Sara recoiled and Nick winced. "Sara...I'm sorry."
She half smiled. "It's okay. We can talk later."
Nick nodded.
"So are we gonna talk?" Sara asked hours later as they mounted two horses and left the ranch.
Nick shrugged and flicked Muse's reigns.
"Don't ride away from me!" Sara almost smiled, flicking Ant's reigns in retaliation. MJ's horse jolted forward to catch up with Muse.
"I'm sorry, Sara, but there's nothing to say." Nick stared straight ahead. "It was a prank."
Sara rolled her eyes. "You know, if you don't want to tell me what's going on, you don't have to, I know what it's like when you wanna hide things that hurt you, but you don't have to lie to me."
Nick glanced over. "Oh yeah?"
"I'd rather you just told me to butt out than to lie to me." Sara said honestly. "But of course, you're too much of a gentleman to do that."
Nick snorted. Then he sighed. "Sara, I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it." Sara smiled. "Like I said, I know what it's like to hide things that hurt you."
"What do you mean?" Nick frowned. Then he hung his head. "I'm sorry, I'm a hypocrite."
"It's okay..." Sara bit her lip. "My dad used to hit me."
"W-what?" Nick half stammered, half cried.
Sara took a deep breath. "My dad used to hit me. When he was drunk...mostly. Or when he was angry."
"When Tyler hit Greg and you were off school..."
"That wasn't the flu." Nick whispered hoarsely.
"No. That was the worst time..."
Nick looked horror-struck. "Sara-"
"But Nick, you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone!"
"Sara, he must have beat you half to death, I can't just-"
"Please, Nicky, please! He stopped. On Halloween, the phone call that I got. He told me that he was at an alcoholics meeting and he'd figured some stuff out. He wanted to turn himself in, and he was calling me to tell me that. But I... I begged him not to. I begged. And Nick, he hasn't touched me since. He's been the dad that I've wanted for my whole life, and if they take him away now, I'll lose that. And Nick, if you tell anyone, they'll send my mom away and they'll take me away and I'll end up in foster care and I-"
"He's stopped hitting you?" Nick swallowed.
"Yeah, he has." Sara nodded.
"I...I won't tell on one condition."
"What's that?"
"That you promise me that if he so much as threatens you again that you'll go to the police. Please, Sara?"
Sara swallowed. "I... I think I can promise that."
"Okay. Then my lips are sealed." Nick nodded.
"Nick?"
"Yeah?"
"Please don't pity me."
"I don't." Nick smiled. "You're the strongest person I know, how can I pity you?"
She grinned at him. "Thanks Nicky."
"No problem." He grinned. He steeled himself. She told him... he should tell her, he could tell her.
His phone rang and he picked it up quickly. "Hello?"
"Hey Nicky-boy? Enjoy the note?"
"Leave me alone!" Nick snapped.
"Tell Sara I say hi!" Jason sang, before hanging up the phone.
"Sonofabitch." Nick swore.
"Who was that?"
"Prank call." Nick answered automatically.
Who was he kidding?
He wasn't telling anyone.
Sorry for the s**tiness.
Review? Please?