She told him that they'd take a cab, but Tony wouldn't hear of it, insisting that he'd bring her and Warrick to the airport. So they made their way to the precinct, signed off on some outstanding paperwork, bid farewell to the detectives, and once again, Sara had felt every eye on her.

Conversation flows easily between the three of them in the car, and though she tells Tony he doesn't have to, he waits while they check in, and they're standing looking at one another when Warrick clears his throat, gestures over his shoulder to the bookstore. "I'll be over there," he says. "Reading matter for the flight." He shakes Tony's hand and then he's gone, leaving Sara grinning at Tony.

"Subtle," she says, and he shrugs, hands in his trouser pockets.

"I work with Sipowicz," he deadpans. "It's a nice change."

She laughs, now more than ever appreciating his meaning, but her laughter doesn't last long. "I hate this part," she tells him, honest as ever, and understanding flickers in his eyes.

"Yeah," he says, stepping forward with a sigh, pulling her into his arms. "Me too." She looks over his shoulder at first, then sighs herself, burying her head in his jacket, closing her eyes and holding on to him for dear life. They've done this countless times, but it never gets easier. "Don't leave it so long the next time," he says, his voice muffled by her hair, and she pulls back, flashing a quick smile.

"I won't," she promises. "Keep me updated on Cameron?"

"Count on it," he says. "And if you have to come back to testify, no hotels, you hear?" Because he'd teased her about that on the second night, the first night he'd walked her back to her room, about how his hospitality wasn't good enough for her any more.

"Yes Sir." She gives him a mock salute, and they stand there a moment, brown eyes meeting brown, communicating silently as the rest of the world goes on around them. Finally, she breaks the silence, if not the gaze. "You should go … traffic's gonna be hell …"

"Yeah." He stays still for a moment, pulls her into another, quicker, hug, before kissing her cheek. "Call me when you get in."

She nods, watching him walk away for the second time in as many days, and she doesn't move until he's walked out the doors. Only then does she suck in a deep breath, tilting her head back and closing her eyes, pulling herself together before she turns to join Warrick. To her absolute non-surprise, he's not in the bookstore; he's outside the entrance, where he can see her clearly, and she knows that he was looking at them the whole time. She expects him to say something teasing, but he doesn't, just looks at her somewhat worriedly. "You ok?"

She considers it, then realises that she is. "Yeah," she tells him, nodding with a smile. "Let's go home."