Disclaimer: I don't own the main characters.

Summary: After Nick offers Sara an unexpected job position, Day Shift Supervisor at the San Diego Crime lab, she accepts, then sometime later her past surprisingly shows back up in her life. Decisions will be made and an unexpected event comes up that will once again test their love.
7 Months after Season 15 finale. Please Read and find out what happens.

AN: Hey everybody, sorry it's been a awhile, but I'm now back and I hope you all are ready for a new story.

Title: Finding their way Back?
Genre: Romance, Drama, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Tragedy
Rating: T
Spoilers: Multiple episode subtly implied from Pilot to Series Finale
Time-line: 7 Months after Season 15 finale (Sept. 2015)
Warnings: Implied/suggestive adult behavior, a few questionable words, Mention of Minor & Major Characters death
Main Parings: GSR
Minor Parings: Nick/OC, OC/OC's
Other Characters: Greg, Morgan, Catherine, Lindsey, OC's, Warrick & DB (Mentions Only)

Chapter 1: Job Offer & Introductions

Flashback

5 Months Earlier

After arriving in San Diego, Sara followed the directions Nick had sent her that lead her to a nice little diner, which reminded her of the one in Vegas where the team, especially the original one, use to go to all the time. She took a breath, thinking about that time, before shaking her head and getting out of her vehicle then walking through the parking lot until she reached the glass door to the building.

When she opened it and stepped in, feeling the welcoming cool air from the air conditioner,
she was slipping her sunglass off when she hears a familiar voice. "Sara!"

She only had time to chuckle before he picked her up in a nice bear hug.

"It's nice to see you too Nick." As she wrapped her arms around his neck.

It has been a month since Nick accepted the directors job at the San Diego Crime lab, so she hasn't seen him in that time, and when she wanted to take her first trip in what seemed like years, she decided to go see him, which he had accepted her presence without hesitation.

When her feet was back on solid ground, he pulled back with a smile on his face. "Sorry about that, I just really missed you."

Sara nodded with a smile. "It's ok, I missed you too."

He gave her one more smile before they headed toward the booth he had been sitting in while he was waiting for her to show up, and as they sat down across from one another, he asked. "Any trouble finding the place?"

Sara shook her head. "Nope." Then after looking around, feeling the familiarity of the restaurant, even though she's never been here, looked at Nick again. "I see why you wanted to meet here. It kind of reminds me of home."

Nick nodded while clearing his throat. "My thoughts exactly when I first saw it."

She couldn't help but smirk next. "So, a part of you does miss Vegas, huh?"

He didn't even hesitate on his response. "A part of me will always miss the city I lived in, with people I worked with for 15+ years. But at the same time, I'm happy here. It's been a great change."

"I can see that you are, and I'm happy for you, even though like I said, I miss you. We all do for that matter."

He was about to ask something, but the waitress interrupted him when she walked over to the table and asked if Sara wanted anything to drink, and after ordering an ice tea, she left, so Nick finally got to ask his question while Sara picked up the menu to see what she wanted to eat.

"So, speaking of everybody, how are they? I heard Catherine came back to the lab and is now the supervisor/director."

When Catherine found out Lindsey was going to join the CSI team, she wanted to come back to the lab and work with her daughter, then not more than a month later, DB left the lab and Vegas, making her once again the supervisor, and the director.

After she told him that everybody was good, she smirked again as she finished. "And I think that Morgan and Greg are a thing now."

Nick smiled, actually really happy for the younger man. "Really?"

"Yep, they just have that certain look between them."

Nick chuckled while shaking his head. "I think they've always had that look between them."

Sara chuckled with a slow nod. "Yeah, now thinking about it, you're probably right." When they calmed back down, she asked. "So, is there anybody that has finally claimed the lady's man?"

Sara could see a shy look on his face as he looked down, whispering. "Maybe."

"Ooh, this is getting interesting, who is she?"

Nick cleared his throat before looking at her again. "You won't believe it, a lawyer."

That did kind of surprised her, so she looked at him with wide-eyes. "Really, you know CSI's and Lawyers don't mix."

He then smirked with his brown eyes beaming. "Normally I would agree, but there is just something about her from the first moment I met her."

Of course the first time they met they were debating in the courtroom, and there was definitely sparks between them, professionally and personally.

Sara smiled, seeing even more happiness from her friend. "How long?"

"Only two weeks, but so far everything has been great."

As she nodded with another smile, the waitress came back to the table with Sara's tea, then after setting it down, she got their lunch orders before leaving them alone again, and while Sara was taking a sip of her iced drink, Nick asked. "And what about you?"

She swallowed before asking as she sets her glass back down on the table. "What about me?"

"Are you happy?"

Knowing she was looking at a well trained CSI, she didn't hesitate on her answer. "Of course." But of course she could have said that wearing a party hat with a bright smile on her face, and Nick would still know that she wasn't being very truthful, so when he was giving her that sympathy look, Sara sighed and said. "Nick, I'm..."

He cuts her off before she could finish a sentence he's heard plenty of times in the past from her. "Don't say you're fine. You know how many times I've heard that from you through the years, and actually believed it." She was about to open her mouth again when he leaned forward and placed his hand on top of hers in a friendly gesture. "When is it your turn?"

She raised an eyebrow. "My turn for what?"

"For you to be happy, and to get what you want." Sara was about to speak again, but he continues before she could. "Now be honest, weren't you a little hurt that you got passed over from being a supervisor... again?"

Sara cleared her throat before nodding. "I guess I was a little." Then she raised her eyebrow asking with curiosity. "Why, where are you going with this?"

Now he didn't have this idea for very long. In fact, it only came to him when he saw her walk in the diner, but when the thought had crossed his mind, he couldn't get it out of his head, so he asked anyways. "Why don't you come work at the lab here?"

Sara looked at him with wide-eyes. "What!?"

Nick nodded with a smile as he pulled his hand back. "Yeah. The current Day Shift Supervisor is retiring next month, and they need a new leader. Why can't it be you? You're one of the most qualified CSI's out there."

There was a pause before she spoke with a small chuckle, seeing the seriousness in his eyes. "You're actually serious abut this."

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't think you could do it, so what do you say?"

Sara paused for a second before trying to speak, still surprised about the offer. "I'm...well...wow. I mean, it's a new city..."

Nick cuts her off again, this time with a small smirk. "It isn't like you haven't moved to a new city for a job before."

The minute he said that he kind of regretted it because her look and the atmosphere around them just shifted drastically before she cleared her throat and looked down at the table. "That was a completely different circumstance."

He sighed a little with a nod. "I know, and we both know that this is not the same thing. I just want you to be happy, and if staying in Vegas still does that for you, then forget what I said. But please really think about it before rejecting it completely."

Sara looked at her best friend with a smile and nod. "I will, thank you for asking, I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome."

They were each reaching for their glasses of tea when the waitress came back with their meals, and once everything was set, she left them alone once again, and as Sara was reaching for the ketchup for her fries, Nick asked a question she had a feeling would be coming sooner or later. "Have you heard from him?"

Sara took a breath and shook her head. "No." Then she looked at him just as Nick was about to speak again. "And don't say it, please."

Nick sighed before he spoke. "Look, it isn't like I hate the guy. He was my mentor for a long time, and I know I owe a lot of credit on where I am in my career to him. I just wish that he would have done things dif..."

Sara cuts him off. "It's not only his fault that things fell apart, I'm part of the blame too. Maybe if I had..." She paused and shook her head before continuing. "Can we not talk about this right now?"

"Yeah. Sorry I brought it up."

"It's ok. I just want to enjoy this trip without all of that."

"You got it." Then he finished with another smirk. "I'll make sure you enjoy this city so much you won't want to leave it."

Sara chuckled as she picked up a fry. "Ok, we'll see what's so great about your new city, Director Stokes."

Nick chuckled as he reached over and grabbed a fry from her plate, even though he had plenty on his own, and spoke as he was moving it to his mouth. "Remember, you aren't the only that likes a challenge."

As he stuck the fry in his mouth, she just shook her head and rolled her eyes before putting her fry in her mouth, happy to be here and excited for the rest of her trip.

4 Months Earlier

When she got back to Vegas after her weekend trip, she gave Nick's job offer some serious consideration, and the more she thought about it, the more she actually liked the idea.

She loved the people she worked with, and knew she was going to miss them very much, but she was ready for a new start, a place she can make new memories and not feel so dragged down by the bad ones here.

And if she was completely honest with herself, she felt she was ready to be a leader. Not once has she ever regretted a certain choice that she made in the past that could've delayed her on being promoted at the Las Vegas Crime lab. But now that the job was pretty much all she had, she felt it was her turn, so after telling Nick that she accepted his offer, she turned in her resignation to Catherine, which she and the team were very surprised but supported her decision, and two weeks later, with her things in a moving truck, she headed to San Diego to start a new life.

Once she, and the person she hired to drive the moving truck, arrived at the address Nick had sent to her, which was a nice 10 floor apartment complex, she gets out of her vehicle just as Nick, a woman, whom she assumed was his girlfriend, and three other men walked out of the building together.

Nick and Sara greeted one another with a hug before he pulled back and looked to his left with a smile. "First off. Sara, I would like you to meet Whitney Jones, my girlfriend."

Whitney Jones was about six years younger than Sara and Nick, stood about 5'8, had shoulder length, straight blond hair, brown eyes and a slim build.

The younger woman smiled as she stepped toward Sara and held out her hand. "It feels like I already know you. I'm sorry we didn't get to meet when you were here."

When Sara came for that visit, Whitney was in LA visiting a client.

Sara chuckled with a nod as she shook her hand. "I feel like I already know you too. And I'm glad we get to meet now."

Whitney smiled brighter with a nod as they released hands, then she stepped to the side as Nick introduced the next person.

"This is Brad Jones, Whitney's twin brother."

Brad Jones had a little above average build, short blond hair, brown eyes and stood around 6'1. And instead of following in his sister and father's footsteps as lawyer, he chose to become a doctor like his mother.

He smiled with his hand out to her. "It's nice to meet you."

Sara nodded politely with a smile. "You too."

As they released hands, the next man, who looked a little older than everybody here with graying hair, hazel eyes, stood around 5'10 with an average build, and the only one wearing a wedding ring, also smiled with his hand out to the her. "I'm Nathan Miller, the Captain of the Police department."

When Nick first moved here, Nathan was the fist person he really got to know and they became really good friends.

After another polite greeting, Nick introduced the last man that was here. "And last but certainly not least. This is Kevin Woods, who will be your second in command at the lab."

He was 30, a level 3, 6'0, with an athletic build, short black hair and blue eyes.

Sara was a little shocked that she was already meeting a team member, which also made her a little nervous because she wasn't sure what kind of greeting she was going to get, considering she was an outsider coming in to take over a position she was sure someone in-house could have filled.

But if she thought this team member was going to be hostile, she was very relieved when he just held out his hand, like the other guys here, and smiled. "I'm glad you're here. If what Director Stokes says about how you work is true, I think you'll fit in just fine."

Sara smiled as she shook the younger man's hand. "Thank you. I will certainly try my best."

Kevin nodded as they released hands, then Nick cleared his throat and spoke again. "Alright guys, let's get to work."

They all nodded before walking toward the back of the moving truck, but before Nick and Sara joined them, she looked at her friend with a smile. "Thank you, not just for asking them to help, but for offering me a new start."

Nick smiled while putting his hand on her shoulder. "No problem. I'm glad you're here."

Sara takes a breath with a nod. "You know what? Me too. I can't wait to see what I can do here."

He smirked a little as he removed his hand from her shoulder. "Then the streets of San Diego better be careful now."

Sara smirked back as she pushed his shoulder. "You better believe it."

They chuckled as they started walking toward the truck so they could help the others move her stuff into her new place.

End of Flashback

Sara's thoughts were interrupted when she heard her team laughing while walking into the break room, where she was currently sitting at the conference table.

She smiled at them all. "Good Morning."

Mariah Owens, who was around 5'6 with red hair that went just below her shoulder blades, above average build, 24 and a level 1, smiled with her amber eyes sparkling. "Morning, boss."

Nicole Barnes, who was 5'7, 30, had a petite build with long blond hair, blue eyes, and a level 3, asked as she sat down in the chair between Tim Price and Devon Murray, who were both 26 and level 2. "What do you have for us today?"

Always the eager one to get out there, Sara gave her a warm smile before clearing her throat and answering as she held up the first assignment. "I'll actually let you guys decide on this first one, a decomp in a abandon warehouse."

She looked at Tim and Devon, which they winced as they looked at one another, then smiled before Devon, an African-American, asked. "Rock, paper, scissors?"

Tim nodded. "You're on."

A few seconds later Devon smiled in victory as Sara passed the assignment sheet to Tim with a sympathy look, who sighed as he grabbed it from the table. "I guess I better dress for the occasion, I'll see you all later."

They all nodded as the slim Build, 5'11, shaggy black haired, brown eyed man walked out of the room, before she assigned the rest of the assignments, placing Devon, who was 6'0, had an athletic build with very short brown hair and green eyes, with Nicole, and placed Kevin with Mariah.

Once everybody was out of the room, Sara stood up from her seat, filled up her cup of coffee before walking to her office to continue on paperwork since she didn't have a case for herself right now.

On her first day of work here she was still nervous about meeting everybody else, but unlike when she started working in Vegas, there wasn't any major tension. Well, maybe except for a brief moment or two when she walked into the break room for the first time. But now after 4 months it felt like she's worked here for years, and even though the team she was a part of when she first started in Vegas will never be replaced in her heart as her favorite group, she loved working with this team very much.

AN: Hope you are interested in more. Anybody miss me? Please Review.