Greg and Sara meet for dinner after she comes back to the team, and he tells her about Riley. Spoilers for season 10's "Family Affair."
I've always loved the friendship between Greg and Sara. And, like a lot of fans, would have liked to have seen Greg and Riley develop into something more than friends, had she not left. So, I thought Greg and Sara might meet for dinner and talk about how their relationships have progressed, one way or the other. Please read and review!
And I don't own CSI.
Sara Sidle had been back in Vegas all of two days and it felt like she had hardly left. Some things had changed-Warrick was gone, Greg was a CSI Level Three, Riley Adams had come and gone, and she and Grissom were now married. But as she walked into the break room and saw Greg Sanders heating up some leftover vegetable lasagna in the microwave, she smiled as she realized some good things in life-like her friendship with Greg-stay the same.
Greg smiled when he looked up and saw her walk into the break room. "Hey!"
"Hi," Sara replied, smiling.
Gesturing towards the microwave, Greg said, "It's not exactly Cordon Bleu, but I saved you some veggie lasagna."
"Thank you!" Sara took the plate of food Greg offered and both sat down at the table to enjoy an informal dinner before they both had to head home.
Sara smiled as she looked at the young man she considered to be her brother. Greg looked up and smiled slightly when he saw Sara's smile. "What?"
"I was just thinking," Sara began with a sigh. "Remember when I first came here about ten years ago?"
Greg nodded as he took a bite of his food. "When Grissom asked you to help with the Holly Gribbs case, yeah."
"I remember when I first saw you," Sara said. "You were in the lab with your crazy shirts..."
"And crazier hair," Greg added.
Sara laughed softly. "Yeah. Remember how you had that-that turban thing? When we had that case with the magician."
Greg nearly choked on his food. "Yeah! I still have that." Sara looked at him, surprised. "Yeah, it's hidden in my apartment. Maybe I should drag that out again."
Sara laughed. "No! Just give it to Hodges or something." Both of them shared a good laugh.
Looking at the young man that had been through so much since he first moved into the field, Sara smiled. "And now look at you...CSI three!"
Greg's smile grew wider. "Yeah, got promoted right before your husband left."
"Mm-hmm. Used to be I was helping you get out in the field, and now we're equals." Sara smiled and Greg nodded. "How 'bout that?"
"Yeah," Greg said with a thoughtful grin. "Yeah, how 'bout that?"
The two silently ate for several moments. "Oh, I talked to Catherine earlier," Sara said. "She's promoting Nick to assistant supervisor."
"Yeah? Awesome. He's earned it, really." Greg said.
"Yeah," Sara replied. After a few more moments, Sara sighed. "So, um...Ecklie said I was coming back to the team after the new girl left?"
Greg nodded. "Riley Adams. She was only here for...man, not even a year."
Nodding, Sara asked, "What happened?"
Greg sighed. "I really don't know. I thought...I thought she was fitting in well here. She got along with me and Nick really well." Greg looked down at the table and Sara reached over and squeezed his arm.
"But?"
Plopping his fork on the table, Greg said, "She wasn't...she was kind of hard to know."
Sara looked at Greg for a moment. He looked up to meet her concerned face. "I can imagine it couldn't have been easy coming here. I mean, Warrick..."
Sara smiled gently and squeezed Greg's arm again. "I am so, so sorry I wasn't here."
Greg shook his head. "Don't be! None of us knew what would happen." Looking away, Greg added, "I wish I had."
"Me too," Sara said softly.
Sighing, Greg said, "Anyway, with us still getting over what happened to Warrick, and Grissom leaving and Langston coming on board, I guess...I don't know, I guess she felt..."
"Undervalued?" Sara offered.
Greg smiled slightly and shook his head. "No. She left me a letter in my locker." Greg took a sip of his iced tea. "Sounds like we're in junior high school, huh?" Sara smiled sympathetically. "Anyway, she said the team was fractured and stagnant. Said she didn't feel respected or-or that she could move on if everyone else was standing still."
Sara said nothing, she just squeeze Greg's arm gently and smiled softly.
"I-I guess I really did like her," Greg said, looking at the table. "I mean, she said I was one of the strongest people she knew."
"She was right," Sara softly said.
Greg looked up and smiled shyly. "Don't get me wrong, I am really glad you're back. But...I would have liked to have seen what might have happened between me and Riley."
"Thanks," Sara said with a soft smile. "And you deserve to be happy, Greg."
Greg looked away and blushed.
"Look," Sara began, "After what Gil and I went through trying to keep our relationship secret and then after...everything, I am probably the last person that should give relationship advice." Greg looked at Sara with a raised eyebrow. "But you are a good guy. You're one of the best guys I know, Greg. And you deserve to find someone special."
Greg smirked at the word 'special'. "Gee, thanks."
"No, I mean it!" Sara said. Raising his chin with her hand so she could look him in the eyes, Sara said, "Riley may not have fit in here, and I'm sorry about that. But it is her loss, because you, Nick, Catherine and Brass are the finest team there is. And...she's crazy not to see the amazing guy that was right there for her."
Greg smiled and blushed furiously. "Thanks," he mumbled.
"It's true!"
Greg's smile grew wider as he looked into Sara's eyes and realized she meant it.
"Greg, you are my brother," she added. "You are my best friend and a great CSI. She's insane not to have seen that."
Cupping her hand in his, Greg said, "Thank you. Really."
Sara smiled and both finished off their dinner.
"Oh, by the way," Greg said before taking a last bite of his food. "Nick and I found Little Stevie."
Sara's eyes widened in surprise. "Gil's tarantula?" Greg nodded. "Wow, I haven't seen him since before I left."
Greg grinned. "You'll have to inform your husband we found his pet."
The two friends laughed. "Was he okay?" Sara asked.
"Mm-hmm," Greg answered, taking a sip of his tea. "Nick set out a cricket hoping to lure his spider out of hiding, and out came Little Stevie," he said with a laugh.
"So...do I want to know what happened to Nick's spider?" Sara asked with a grin.
"I just hope we find it soon!"
They laughed again. "Man," Sara said, "I have really missed this place."
"We've missed you," Greg said with a thoughtful smile.
Now Sara blushed as Greg smiled at her.
"Really," he continued. "You're a lot happier. Marriage looks good on you."
Sara smiled widely. "Thank you. I am a lot happier."
They finished their meal and made small talk before Greg stood up and stretched. "Well, I've gotta get home." Discarding his paper plate in the garbage can, Greg looked back at his adopted sister. He knew she was right about Riley, and that he deserved to be as happy as she was now.
"I'll see you in a few more hours," Sara said as Greg picked up his cup of tea.
"See you then, Mrs. Grissom." Sara shot Greg a smirk.
Watching her best friend leave the lab, she couldn't help but feel that she was home. True, she would love to have her husband back, but he was off exploring. That made him happy, which made her happy. She felt like with Greg, Nick, and everyone else, this was home.
The End.