Author's Note: "Afterw(o)rds" is finally here! Obviously, it's a play on words--afterwords versus afterwards. Each short chapter is set during or immediately following the episode for which it is named, hence the title. Eventually, it will cover all of Sara and Grissom's time on CSI...with my own special A/U twist! Ah, the joys of endless watching and personal interpretation... Quotes from the episodes will be in italics.
Disclaimer: All quotes from episodes belong to CBS, et al. My imagination is mine and mine alone.
Sara Sidle? Who's that?
She's a CSI out of San Francisco. She's a friend of mine, someone I trust...
I don't even have to turn around. Sara Sidle.
That's me.
God, it was good to see her.
And not just because I needed a familiar face that was not too familiar. Not just because I knew that she would handle things with the kind of scientific poise I appreciate. Sara Sidle is young and eager and brilliant, and I like that about her. But mostly, I needed to see her smile.
Catherine's smile is pretty, Nick's is infectious, and Warrick's, though rare, is always genuine when it appears. But when Sara Sidle smiles, the room lights up and the sun appears from behind the clouds. I know I sound besotted. Maybe I am a little—she's that rare combination of natural beauty and exceptional brains that actually holds my interest. But I just needed a friend today, which sadly, usually can't also be a coworker. Catherine and Jim are possible exceptions, depending on the day. But Sara is a former student, a CSI from a different state. She can be my friend, and at the end of the day, I don't have to be her boss. It's a bit of a relief.
I'm not sure how well I'm going to handle this supervisory responsibility. Teaching is my passion, to be sure, but there is more to this than mere instruction. I'm not a people person; I'm an entomologist. Insects don't cry or get angry or demand your approval. They're simple, and predictable. People are not.
I need something to take my mind off all of this.
Maybe I'll ask Sara to dinner.