The Spoils of War (Sara)

[Sara Quinn]

At the word 'lonely', Sara found herself slightly uncomfortable. Oh yes, she was lonely. Before Travis had come around, she had been a mess because of lonely and bored she had been living alone. Then he came along, moved in with her, and every thing was good. Better then it had been in years for her. Then he had left again, and the loneliness came back harder then before.

She had to admit, she was surprised he had picked up on that. She was pleased though, but still surprised. He was proving to be very different from most other guys she knew. Most wouldn't have even given how she felt a second thought.

"Ya... It can get pretty lonely." She smiled as she spoke. It was sad, but strong. She could handle it, no problem. But it still hurt a little. She didn't want his pity though, preferring to think that she was strong enough to not let the stress get to her. "I find ways to keep myself entertained though..." She gave him a small wink and turned away, wondering when they were going to be there. She felt weak and silly right now, she didn't want to talk about how pathetic her life seemed at the moment.

[Nicolas Constantine]

Nick smiled lightly at the wink. He didn't feel pity or sympathy for Sara, but strangely enough, he felt empathy towards her. He had to admit he wasn't constantly social and even though he had his instruments at home, it did get lonely every so often. He wondered if Sara had realized how much they had in common.

Even when she winked at him he just lightly smiled back, half because he was driving and half because he was thinking that Sara was just more than a one night stand, not that that's what he was thinking in the first place.

They had finally arrived at the restaurant. They pulled into the parking lot and parked the car in the driveway for the valets to take care of it. Nick got out of his side and gave the valet his keys, for which in turn he got the valet ticket. Then he jogged over to the other side of the car and opened the door for Sara, holding his hand out to help her to get out of the car.

He would then motion at his arm once she got out of the vehicle so she could hold it as they walked into the restaurant, him smiling the whole time. Nick was taught how to be a gentleman from a young age, growing up in a rather wealthy family in London, now the teachings just a natural thing etched into his brain.

[Sara Quinn]

They drove the rest of the way in silence, but it wasn't that bad. The silence was the good type. It didn't feel awkward at all, and that was nice. In fact, she felt quite content. It also gave her some time to sort out her thoughts. She had shared quite a bit of herself with him. That was rare for her. She normally didn't share her personal life with anyone. He should count himself lucky.

The rest of the trip was short though, and that was good. There was always a chance the silence wouldn't have stayed bearable for much longer. As he got out of the car, and handed the keys to the valet, she took the chance to pull down the mirror from above her seat. She checked her face, and then the top of the dress.

She had been a little worried about wearing it, because of the scar, but it hid it quite nicely. The thing was, the dress was meant for someone much taller, so it came up her chest slightly higher. On top of that, the scar had healed nicely, and with a little bit of cover-up, she had been able to hide it. She really didn't need anyone seeing that she had some guys hand print burned onto her chest. The same went for her ankle. A little bit of cover up, and she was fine. But something about having Nick notice them made her... sad. She didn't want him to see that.

The passenger door opened and she stepped out, carefully smoothing the dress as she stood. She grabbed lightly onto the arm he held out and began to walk with him towards the restaurant. She looked around a little wide eyed. Even though she came from a fairly wealthy family, they had never been the type to go to places like this and she was always awed when she did get the chance to go out. "It looks... So nice." She blushed, feeling a little awkward. She wasn't sure she liked the idea of people spending money on her.

[Nicolas Constantine]

Nick looked down at her, seeing her eyes scan the place in awe. He smiled when she commented on the restaurant's elegance. It was supposedly nice and romantic, quite expensive, but Nick didn't mind as long as he and Sara enjoyed themselves.

They arrived at the reservation desk and Nick spoke to one of the receptionists there.

"I'm here for Constantine, party of two."

She replied by taking two menus and leading the way to their table. When they got there, the table was positioned near a corner, not many people seated at the surrounding tables, giving them a bit of dining privacy. He stood behind the chair Sara would sit at, and pulled it out for her to sit in before he would push it back towards the table. He would then go and sit down in his own chair and begin looking at the menu. Their server would be with them shortly.

[Sara Quinn]

Sara watched, blushing, as he pulled out the chair for her. Wasn't he just quite the gentleman~<3 She sat down, smiling at him as he walked to his own seat. The spot they were seated at was private, and quiet. Very nice. Kind of sweet actually. She was nervous though, and her hands shook as she copied him, picking up the menu.

"This is nice..." And then quietly, "Thanks..." She then avoided his gaze. She didn't know why she was thanking him, he had won this date. Technically, she wasn't here of her own choosing. But she felt the need to thank him anyways. It had been nice so far, and she could only assume it was going to get better. Under the table, she let her leg brush against his, a small, innocent smile coming to her face. This wasn't part of the game... Okay, maybe a little, but it was more just a need to touch him, let him know that she was happy, and enjoying herself. "I guess... I'll just have whatever you're having...?" These prices were insane...

[Nicolas Constantine]

"You're very welcome. And you deserve it for being able to fight me for so long." he made a toothy smirk.

Sara's leg brushed against his on purpose, her smiling while doing so. He smiled back. Apparently she liked him enough to be needing to have some sort of physical contact with him. He liked it and was glad that even though this was the prize he had won from her, she was enjoying her time by her own free will. That's why Nick was starting to have affection towards her, and it seemed the same the other way around.

"I guess... I'll just have whatever you're having...?"

Nick looked down at the menu. He knew what he was going to get right when he saw it. Nick could read, but not speak a little French.

"Well I'm going to get the Fillet Mignon. No appetizer to save room for desert, and if they don't card, maybe some red wine."

Yeah, Nick knew he had exquisite taste, even though it was expensive. He didn't mind though, because his father said to charge it on his credit card, but he wouldn't let Sara know that.

[Sara Quinn]

Ohhh~Expensive wasn't he? But were girls supposed to eat steak? She pictured herself hunched over the table trying to cut through the meat and couldn't help but smile. Maybe she would be better off getting something else. Something that cost less then his order, then she wouldn't feel bad. The thought of drinking had her stomach doing little flops in nervousness and excitement as she wondered if she was supposed to drink with him. She became drunk extremely easily though, and she knew that if he offered her a drink, she would accept. And then she would get drunk. Very fast. And Sara wasn't the brightest when she drank. Thoughts of the drug ran though her mind. The root.

In a way, it was the root that had started everything the day at the bar, planting the ideas in hers and Matrims heads, and ending with Travis leaving her. Sara wondered whether it all would have happened if it hadn't been for the drugs that day at the bar. She had become addicted to the root after only one use. During her rehabilitation, she had learned that it was going to be an addiction that she would always have now. She would always crave it.

Sara had spaced out, her mind going blank as she stared dumbly at the menu. Sara realized that if Nick knew all this about her, he might hate her. She wanted to curl up under a rock and die because she knew most people would be disgusted with her. Dimly, her mind registered the words on the menu. The Canadian school systems taught French from grades JK-9. She had 11 years of French schooling her. Although the French from Quebec was technically only slang of the French spoken in say... Paris, it was easy enough for her to equate the words on the menu with the words in her own vocabulary.

And then she saw it.... Le poulet grille aux fines herbes. Oh god she loved chicken... O_____________________O She slammed back into reality, looking up at him, blushing deeply. "I... can have anything...?"

[Nicolas Constantine]

Sara seemed to have spaced out while looking at the menu. Maybe Fillet Mignon wasn't her style, or she just thought it was rather expensive. It didn't matter to him, she could get anything she wanted. If there was one thing that learning English manners had taught him, it was how to treat a lady, and even though Nick was a flirt most of the time, he was a gentleman when it came to things like dates. But that didn't mean he wouldn't keep things fresh but not flirting.

Nick laughed rather loudly at her inquiry.

"Yes, love, of course you may have anything on the menu." He paused and thought for a second.

"Unless you weren't talking about food."

He laughed ridiculously again at his half-pun. It was his English upbringing that made him susceptible to the glory of the pun. He looked at her, embarrassed.

"Sorry about that, I couldn't resist."

[Sara Quinn]

"Yes, love, of course you may have anything on the menu."

She titled her head to the side and studied him. You know.. That was really nice. This date was really turning out to be a nice night. She smiled politely, feeling the blush coming to her cheeks again. But she was determined not to let it show. She took a deep breath and looked back at the menu.

"Unless you weren't talking about food."

Eh? She looked back up at him, her eyes wide. She was shocked. Not in a bad way, but in an 'omg, I can't believe he went there' sort of way, with a funny twist to it. Did that make sense? And then he started to laugh, and she couldn't help but laugh with him, the blush finally hitting her cheeks.

As her laugh died down she leaned forward on the table, arms under her, pushing her chest up. "Well... You've definitely enlightened me to some new possibilities." Ya... Like she hadn't already thought about it. Her eyes were teasing and her smile was more then inviting. "But first... Food." She laughed, sitting back up.

[Nicolas Constantine]

Nick smirked. He liked how Sara was shy, but not over the top shy to where she didn't enjoy a good innuendo when she caught one. And Nick liked that she knew how to flaunt herself when the appropriate timing arose.

"But first... Food."

She was right, and Nick was starting to get hungry.

"Do you know what you want, or should we wait a little longer?"

If she knew what she wanted, he would signal the nearest waiter so that they could order. He would order his meal first, Fillet Mignon with some Merlot red wine, and then look over to Sara to insinuate it was her turn to pick what she wanted to tell the waiter.

[Sara Quinn]

"Do you know what you want, or should we wait a little longer?"

She looked back down at the menu, reading her choice again. Despite the blushing and the shyness. In fact, she was actually feeling quite relaxed. "Umm.. Ya, I think I'm ready."

She continued to look at the menu as he signaled the waiter, only flicking her eyes over to him at his movement. She didn't know what it was, but the only thing she was worried about what choosing and eating in front of him. She felt kind of awkward doing that, but she didn't want to let it ruin the night. She was scared he was going to think she was weird for what she ordered, or maybe he would think she ate funny or something... She really needed to calm down...

She glanced up as he finished speaking to the waiter, and realized it was her turn. She hesitated for only a moment, taking a deep breath and saying that she wanted the chicken and herbs, a glass of water and a glass of wine like him. She didn't think a soda would be appropriate at a restaurant like this, and she wasn't worried about getting carded. If she did, one glance at her ID with her uncles last name on it, and she was homefree~<3 Her only concern was how easily she would get drunk off one glass -_-" After she ordered and the waiter left, she would sit back awkwardly, wondering what she should say now.

[Nicolas Constantine]

Sara seemed to debating something in her mind, as Nick looked at her, studying her face. He thought it might be good if he spoke to her when the waiter left.

"That was a good choice of food. That's probably what I would have gotten if I didn't love Fillet Mignon so much." he chuckled and smiled at her.

"Are you alright? You seem a bit uncomfortable." he looked at her sternly while saying this.

Nick just hoped it wasn't him that was making her uncomfortable.

"Whatever it is, you can tell me, Sara."

[Sara Quinn]

Sara smiled, her blush worsening. That was so sweet of him. It kind of surprised her that he had picked up that something was wrong, the average guy probably wouldn't have. And his comment about her choice made her feel more comfortable, however, the picture in her head of her hunched of the table sawing away at the plate still had her stomach doing flops. She should have gone with a pasta... No cutting... Did the French have pasta?

"No, I'm alright." She met his gaze this time, as though proving her words. "I'm just feeling a little shy is all, a lot on my mind." She let out a laugh, and leaned onto the table again, folding her hands in front of her, and smiling. "That's sweet of you though... I appreciate it."

Ok, enough mush =_= "So what do you think of 42 so far? Get into many fights yet?" She laughed. Probably not the most appropriate dinner conversation, but it was a nice chance of topic (Epic move by Shy Sara~<3), and she was actually curious.

[Nicolas Constantine]

Nick was giggling at her in his head. She was so cute and shy. And her question didn't help covering that at all.

"Actually you're the only person I've fought at 42 yet. I've mostly had good luck with meeting new people who didn't want to beat me up."

Nick realized that he just said the opposite of the two of them meeting. He smiled embarrassingly, and rubbed the back of his head.

"Ow."

Nick forgot that the back of his head was damaged from the other day, and he touched the spot directly where the soda can had hit him. It didn't bleed anymore, as the head heals quickly, but there was a nasty bruise on his scalp.

"Don't worry, it's fine." he said before Sara could interject with an apology or something to that degree.

[Sara Quinn]

Oh jeez... She felt bad now. Her head turned away and she looked around her trying to think of something to say. It didn't matter if he said it was fine. The fact was, he had gotten hurt because he had saved her. It would have been different had she meant to hurt him, but he had gotten hurt trying to save her. That changed everything.

And she was the only person he had fought? That was... wow... Looking back at him, she smiled sheepishly. "I'm still sorry it happened. Thanks again for it." She cringed inwardly thinking of what would have happened to her face if it hadn't been for him. She didn't mind though she had been the first to fight him. Sara loved fighting. It was that simple. She hadn't at first. Oh no. But now? It was a fact of life. She was proud of her battle scars... The few she had.

She smiled at him more confidently. "That's amazing though, you were lucky. I came over from 259 after the earthquake. In my first month, I must have been in a dozen or more fights. Lets see... I had my ankle broken, I was knocked out three or four times... Mostly by the same guy... Lost a fight and had to run through the school naked..." She laughed. She was actually proud of herself. That's what these schools did to her. She was so messed up now <3