Post by cal54382 on Apr 8, 2014 5:08:41 GMT
Finn pulled up at the front of the jail and she and Sara got out, both hurrying up the stairs, inside the building. She had never been as relieved as when she saw her best friend talking with Nick, unharmed, not a hair out of place. Sara ran straight to Nick and hugged him. He held her close, resting his head against hers, kissing her temple.
"Are you guys okay?"
"I am." He looked over at Russell.
"I'm alright, just tired."
"Good. I called Barbara, let her know you're all right. You're going home," Finn said, not taking no for an answer. "Greg and Morgan are tying up loose ends and then day shift's gonna pick up the rest."
"You too Nicky."
Nick nodded, not arguing, not letting go of Sara either. "Thanks."
"If you're done here, let's go."
The friends walked out together, Finn leading Russell to her Tahoe as Nick handed Sara the keys to his.
"Your place?" she asked Nick.
"Either's fine." He said tiredly.
Sara drove home, since it was closer.
"Are you hungry? I could call something in." Nick offered.
"Leftovers in the fridge."
"Better." Nick answered with a half-smile for her.
Sara kissed him. He kissed her back, stroking her cheek, moving her hair back behind her ear.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"Russell was the only one in danger. Well, Greg momentarily, but don't tell Morgan."
"I won't."
He studied her. "Are you okay?" He knew she and Russell were close; everyone liked and respected him. He didn't seem to cause the stress Grissom always had.
"Scared."
"I'm sorry, honey. At least it's over now." It wasn't over for the kid's mother and he knew from experience it wasn't over for Russell.
"I'm still scared."
"Do you want to talk about it?" He knew if he could get her to do that, normally it helped.
"It's nothing..."
"If it were nothing, it wouldn't be bothering you."
"It was just something Deb said at the hospital."
"The wife?" He frowned. "What was it?"
"She said I don't understand what she went through at the hands of her husband, but...."
Nick realized just at that. "Your parents," he said softly.
She nodded.
"I'm sorry, babe." He was sorry she had to go through that in the first place and then sorry she had to relive it on every bad case, every careless remark.
"It's nothing. I'm used to it."
"You shouldn't have to be." He held her hand with his own.
"But I am, Nicky."
"So why does it still bother you?" He asked gently, wanting her to tell him the truth, to talk to him.
"Really? You have to ask?" She took a breath. "Sorry."
"No, I don't have to ask, Sara, but I want you to talk to me."
"No. No. No. I won't talk about it." She had done that once before, and it had ended in heartache.
He was quiet for awhile and it was unclear if the conversation was over or if he was just being patient, biding his time.
"I can't talk about it Nicky....."
"I can understand that it hurts, Sar. But I also know that if you don't talk about it to someone it'll eat you alive, baby."
"You'll run too."
"What will it take for you to understand that I'm not runnin'."
"Promise?"
"I promise." He said yet again.
"Okay." Sara wiped her eyes. "What do you want to know?"
"Whatever you want to tell me. I'm here. I'm listening."
"He deserved it Nicky. He really did. He was so mean. He always hit my mum. Always."
He just held her and listened, realizing there was nothing else he could do, could say.
"And he tried to hurt me too. But mum always stopped him."
He held her, resting his head against hers, just listening, there if she needed him.
"Then she killed him during one of her fits....it was an accident but she went to a mental hospital anyway. I went to foster care....a whole heap of homes."
Nick knew most of this, having listened to what she said for fifteen years, but he also knew she needed to get it out or she would always be afraid and he never wanted that, not for her. She was the strongest person he knew in a lot of ways.
"I just want it to go away forever."
"Sweetheart, it won't. There'll always be something to remind you of it, but you get through it. You survive. You're one of the strongest people I know, Sara, and I'm right here to help you through it. I'm not going anywhere."
"That's what everyone says and they leave me anyway."
"We've known each other for fourteen years, Sara. Have you ever known me to tell you something that wasn't true? Have you ever known me to leave?"
"I'm sorry, but no-one has ever stuck by me before. I don't have a reason to believe you will."
"If fourteen years isn't enough, maybe nothing ever will be."
"If I tell you the rest, and you stay, then I'll never doubt you again."
"So tell me," he whispered, stroking dark hair out of her face again.
"The homes were just as bad. A couple were nice, but the rest were just as mean as my father."
Nick wanted to change the subject. The last thing on his mind was telling her the truth about him, not tonight anyway, but he knew from experience there were only two places this topic could go from here.
"They did hit me, but when they did, my social worker moved me. In the end, I ran away."
He was relieved to know she hadn't been through what he had, but knew enough not to show it. He just stroked her hair, rubbed her back.
"I love you Nicky. You know that, right?"
"I know, baby. I love you too."
"You're the only one. Nobody has ever loved me, except my mother."
He wished he could argue that someone else had, her dad, even her ex, but found both of them inexcusable. "I'll always love you," he whispered. "You know that...right?"
Sara nodded and moved closer to him, her arms finding their way around his waist. He stretched out on the sofa with her, his arms still around her, holding her close. That was what he'd been most scared of today. He knew that things happened in their line of work. Every friend he had in Vegas was living proof of that: Catherine losing her father, Warrick's death, Greg being in the explosion and fire, Morgan's shooting, Sara's kidnapping, and he'd faced his own mortality far more than he liked to contemplate, but he'd gotten cocky, started thinking that the worst was over. How easily Russell's life could have been changed, could have been ended, today. Or Greg's. Barbara would have had the kids, Morgan would have had her dad, but aside from him, Sara had no one. It scared him, the thought of something happening, leaving her alone yet again.
"I want to get away from here for a while."
"Like camping this weekend or like an actual vacation?"
"Vacation. Somewhere far from here."
"Okay, sweetheart. Wherever you want to go."
"Texas."
He smiled at that.
"Your farm."
"We can do that." It would be quiet, just the two of them. His brothers and sisters were all scattered around the state and his dad was in Austin in court.
"Yeah. Sounds good." She smiled.
His eyes fluttered closed, only for a moment, before opening again.
"Sorry, you're tired. You should sleep." Sara stood up and moved from the couch.
"I'm awake."
"Sleep."
"Come back here and I will," he whispered.
Sara grinned automatically and moved back to him. He made room for her next to him, his heartbeat evening out when he held her again. Sara fell asleep as soon as she was in Nick's arms, feeling safe and a lot better.
"Are you guys okay?"
"I am." He looked over at Russell.
"I'm alright, just tired."
"Good. I called Barbara, let her know you're all right. You're going home," Finn said, not taking no for an answer. "Greg and Morgan are tying up loose ends and then day shift's gonna pick up the rest."
"You too Nicky."
Nick nodded, not arguing, not letting go of Sara either. "Thanks."
"If you're done here, let's go."
The friends walked out together, Finn leading Russell to her Tahoe as Nick handed Sara the keys to his.
"Your place?" she asked Nick.
"Either's fine." He said tiredly.
Sara drove home, since it was closer.
"Are you hungry? I could call something in." Nick offered.
"Leftovers in the fridge."
"Better." Nick answered with a half-smile for her.
Sara kissed him. He kissed her back, stroking her cheek, moving her hair back behind her ear.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"Russell was the only one in danger. Well, Greg momentarily, but don't tell Morgan."
"I won't."
He studied her. "Are you okay?" He knew she and Russell were close; everyone liked and respected him. He didn't seem to cause the stress Grissom always had.
"Scared."
"I'm sorry, honey. At least it's over now." It wasn't over for the kid's mother and he knew from experience it wasn't over for Russell.
"I'm still scared."
"Do you want to talk about it?" He knew if he could get her to do that, normally it helped.
"It's nothing..."
"If it were nothing, it wouldn't be bothering you."
"It was just something Deb said at the hospital."
"The wife?" He frowned. "What was it?"
"She said I don't understand what she went through at the hands of her husband, but...."
Nick realized just at that. "Your parents," he said softly.
She nodded.
"I'm sorry, babe." He was sorry she had to go through that in the first place and then sorry she had to relive it on every bad case, every careless remark.
"It's nothing. I'm used to it."
"You shouldn't have to be." He held her hand with his own.
"But I am, Nicky."
"So why does it still bother you?" He asked gently, wanting her to tell him the truth, to talk to him.
"Really? You have to ask?" She took a breath. "Sorry."
"No, I don't have to ask, Sara, but I want you to talk to me."
"No. No. No. I won't talk about it." She had done that once before, and it had ended in heartache.
He was quiet for awhile and it was unclear if the conversation was over or if he was just being patient, biding his time.
"I can't talk about it Nicky....."
"I can understand that it hurts, Sar. But I also know that if you don't talk about it to someone it'll eat you alive, baby."
"You'll run too."
"What will it take for you to understand that I'm not runnin'."
"Promise?"
"I promise." He said yet again.
"Okay." Sara wiped her eyes. "What do you want to know?"
"Whatever you want to tell me. I'm here. I'm listening."
"He deserved it Nicky. He really did. He was so mean. He always hit my mum. Always."
He just held her and listened, realizing there was nothing else he could do, could say.
"And he tried to hurt me too. But mum always stopped him."
He held her, resting his head against hers, just listening, there if she needed him.
"Then she killed him during one of her fits....it was an accident but she went to a mental hospital anyway. I went to foster care....a whole heap of homes."
Nick knew most of this, having listened to what she said for fifteen years, but he also knew she needed to get it out or she would always be afraid and he never wanted that, not for her. She was the strongest person he knew in a lot of ways.
"I just want it to go away forever."
"Sweetheart, it won't. There'll always be something to remind you of it, but you get through it. You survive. You're one of the strongest people I know, Sara, and I'm right here to help you through it. I'm not going anywhere."
"That's what everyone says and they leave me anyway."
"We've known each other for fourteen years, Sara. Have you ever known me to tell you something that wasn't true? Have you ever known me to leave?"
"I'm sorry, but no-one has ever stuck by me before. I don't have a reason to believe you will."
"If fourteen years isn't enough, maybe nothing ever will be."
"If I tell you the rest, and you stay, then I'll never doubt you again."
"So tell me," he whispered, stroking dark hair out of her face again.
"The homes were just as bad. A couple were nice, but the rest were just as mean as my father."
Nick wanted to change the subject. The last thing on his mind was telling her the truth about him, not tonight anyway, but he knew from experience there were only two places this topic could go from here.
"They did hit me, but when they did, my social worker moved me. In the end, I ran away."
He was relieved to know she hadn't been through what he had, but knew enough not to show it. He just stroked her hair, rubbed her back.
"I love you Nicky. You know that, right?"
"I know, baby. I love you too."
"You're the only one. Nobody has ever loved me, except my mother."
He wished he could argue that someone else had, her dad, even her ex, but found both of them inexcusable. "I'll always love you," he whispered. "You know that...right?"
Sara nodded and moved closer to him, her arms finding their way around his waist. He stretched out on the sofa with her, his arms still around her, holding her close. That was what he'd been most scared of today. He knew that things happened in their line of work. Every friend he had in Vegas was living proof of that: Catherine losing her father, Warrick's death, Greg being in the explosion and fire, Morgan's shooting, Sara's kidnapping, and he'd faced his own mortality far more than he liked to contemplate, but he'd gotten cocky, started thinking that the worst was over. How easily Russell's life could have been changed, could have been ended, today. Or Greg's. Barbara would have had the kids, Morgan would have had her dad, but aside from him, Sara had no one. It scared him, the thought of something happening, leaving her alone yet again.
"I want to get away from here for a while."
"Like camping this weekend or like an actual vacation?"
"Vacation. Somewhere far from here."
"Okay, sweetheart. Wherever you want to go."
"Texas."
He smiled at that.
"Your farm."
"We can do that." It would be quiet, just the two of them. His brothers and sisters were all scattered around the state and his dad was in Austin in court.
"Yeah. Sounds good." She smiled.
His eyes fluttered closed, only for a moment, before opening again.
"Sorry, you're tired. You should sleep." Sara stood up and moved from the couch.
"I'm awake."
"Sleep."
"Come back here and I will," he whispered.
Sara grinned automatically and moved back to him. He made room for her next to him, his heartbeat evening out when he held her again. Sara fell asleep as soon as she was in Nick's arms, feeling safe and a lot better.