Greg opened the door, ran into the kitchen, where Sara was cooking some vegetables, got his arms around her, lifted her up, spun her around and kissed her repeatedly.
"Are you nuts?" Sara managed to ask when he let her down for a second only to pull her in his arms and cover her hair with kisses.
"I'm the happiest man in this town, if not in this county or the whole world!" Not only his mouth showed a huge smile, his eyes were sparkling, seemed to glow.
"What happened? Did Grissom made a CSI level 3 of you?"
"No, he still doesn't see how great I am and it wouldn't make me as happy as this." He turned the oven lower, got his arms around Sara, carried her out on the balcony.
"Are you throwing me down the balcony?"
"Nonsense. Look to the right, what do you see?"
"Buildings."
"Closer."
"The neighbor building."
"Closer."
"The railing of my balcony you won't throw me down."
"Further away."
"The balcony of my neighbors." Well, she couldn't actually see the balcony, she saw the six foot high railing.
"Partly correct."
"Greg, could you come to the point?"
"You see the railing of my future balcony."
"Sure."
"Yes. You know I annoyed your neighbors at least once a month that they please, please, please tell me if they ever consider to move because I want her condo?"
Sara nodded. Yes she knew, even worse, she had been next to Greg most times he annoyed the neighbors, made a fool of himself and her because he told them, she was the reason why he had to move, that his life could only be perfect with her by his side. Sara's neighbors were in their seventies, they didn't need a young man jumping around them, telling them, how much he needed a woman, who never loved him and would be with him.
"They'll leave next month! Move to their son in North Dakota. He found a perfect condo for them, with a elevator, a wheelchair suitable bathroom and close to a supermarket and a little park. They'll sell their condo and I can have it!"
"You're kidding!"
"No, I'm serious. I'll be your neighbor soon, Sara." He kissed her again and this time Sara embraced him and returned the kiss.
"That's great."
"That will make me stay at home instead of going to Hawaii for the next years, I'll have to spend every cent in it, but it's the condo I always wanted. Two bathrooms, four rooms, a balcony, a kitchen and the best, it's next to yours. We'll rule the upper level of the building. If we manage to get a door in front of the elevator nobody can come on our level."
"I don't think we're allowed to do that." She liked the idea, not having anybody walking around her door because they wanted to have a look out of the window.
"I'll ask. But first I've to turn the condo into the perfect dream. They'll move out in two weeks, I can start to renovate then and from the first of the next month I'll be listed as owner. I'll be your neighbor."
"No more reasons why you have to camp in my guest room."
"The couch. Usually a woman camps in your guest room." He grinned. "I can take one of them, there's enough space."
"It's a condo for a family, do you want to get married and have two children soon, Greg?"
"Hell, no!"
"In that case you can have both women and I've a nice and tidy condo."
"Sara." He cocked his head, smirked. "There's no way you'll let Jules sleep anywhere but in your bed when she's back the next time."
"True." Sara sighed.
"Hey, she'll be back soon." Greg got Sara in his arms. Jules had been here the last four days and left last night to go back to Quantico. It was harder to be without her the days after she left. Sara needed some time to get used to be without her again.
"I know and you'll be here permanently. We can turn your balcony in a barbeque paradise too."
"I'd love to connect both balconies but that's not possible. But I will ask for the extra door in front of the elevator. If we get that there's no point in locking my door anymore, it will be like we share a huge condo."
"I'll never get you out of my condo again." Sara laughed.
"If we make mine nice enough we might be the whole time there. Can I count on you as a renovation help?"
"Sure. Any ideas what you want to do?"
"Well, they'll leave the kitchen because they'll have a new one in the other condo. They take their bedroom, some other furniture but I can keep most of the furniture in their. They'll give some away to friends and family and all the rest I can keep or they'll let it throw out. I think I'll keep it, I haven't seen anything that's crap. It will be good enough for a guest room, saves some money for me."
"True."
"I'll give it a new color, the walls are all boring white, I want something more colorful. It's a shame that I can't have a bedroom next to yours."
"Oh Greg." Sara rolled her eyes smiling. Was there no chance that he ever stopped that?
"We could share one…after you suggest the wedding and children thing, we have five rooms for children, what do you think?"
"I think if you try anything stupid you'll be very, very sorry."
"You always say no to me."
"Only if you try to get into me instead of into my life."
"If you'd give me a chance…"
"No."
"Well, I tried."
"Again."
He cocked his head. "Are you at least a little bit happy that I'll move to the condo next to you?"
"Yes." She smiled and hugged him. "I can't imagine anybody else I want there to live."
"Jules?"
"No, you're perfect as a neighbor. And the condo is too big for Jules, she wants something smaller. I haven't seen anything that suits here in the newspaper, want to stop by a real estate agent in the next few days, maybe we can get a condo for her soon so it will be ready to use when she's back from Quantico."
"She has to see and buy it."
"Don't you think she'll trust me enough to let me handle everything?"
"She redecorated your condo when you were together because she didn't like it. Do I need to say more?" He giggled.
"She didn't like the decoration, but she likes the condo. And I think I know what she likes, so do you, we could do it together. First we do your condo and after that we'll do hers."
"If she can't find anything she likes she can also stay for a while with me, there's enough space for two people."
"You need a roomer."
"Yeah but Jules will say no, she wants her own place. I think she's afraid I'll get all her ladies."
"Sure, lover man." Sara laughed.
"Don't laugh."
"You think they want you when they go home with Jules?"
"Well you got Jules after all your boyfriends and before Grissom and your bartender. Looks like there is a possibility."
"Get your own girlfriend, Greg and don't fight Jules over one."
"She had you, she owes me something."
"I'm not a prize."
"You'd be the prize I'd put above everything."
"Are you hitting on me? Again?"
"Still."
"Oh, okay." She got her arm around him, pulled him closer, kissed his cheek. "Get us something to drink, I think dinner is ready to be served."
"Okay."
"And Greg?"
"Yeah?"
"The next time you come over bring some of your stuff with you. The guest room is quite full with Jules' things but we can get them out into my bedroom and you can bring day by day your stuff over, that saves us some times when you can move in next door."
"Good idea. Thanks." He smiled. If he got his big laundry basket and the huge hiking backpack full with stuff each time he came over, he had within a few days a good amount of his belongings in Sara's condo.
There weren't many cases where the complete shift appeared on scene. This was one of them. All Sara knew so far was, they had three dead bodies and a serious injured person. At least it seemed like that after the fourth person, the mother, was covered in blood.
"Three bedrooms upstairs, one dead body in each one." Brass told them when they arrived. "Father and children. The mother is seriously injured, is in the Desert Palms. Looks like somebody tried to kill the whole family."
"Warrick, you go up with Cath and me, Nick and Greg take the lower level, Sara take the outside." Grissom ordered.
It was an ordinary one family house, looked like all the others in the street. All lower windows were closed, the ones upstairs were open to get some air inside. Sara made the decision to start at the backdoor. Carefully she walked through the garden. Flowers, blossom in a lot of colors, some vegetables. Whoever was responsible for the garden took good care of it. There was no weed, everything looked accurate. A basketball basket was over the garage door.
She scanned the area around the backdoor. No shoe prints. No dirt, no rubbish,. No cigarette butts. Slowly she got on her knees, got the lock of the door into her flashlight and studied the lock. Some little scratches like every lock had. You don't hit the lock with the key and leave a little mark. This didn't look like somebody tried to break in. Nevertheless she printed the handle and lifted several prints. The size of some told her, children hat opened the door. What did Brass say? Three dead bodies, three bedrooms. It seemed like two of the dead bodies had been children. Probably the reason why Grissom sent her to do the outside. Every time he did that Sara wasn't sure if she was thankful for that or she should be mad that he treated her like she was made of glass.
She tried the door, it was locked. Usually a burglar doesn't lock the door after himself. Time to check the windows, to see if any of them had been opened from the outside. A cigarette butt, chucking gum, anything people threw away without thinking would give her very valuable clues. She had solved a lot of cases because the perpetrator had thrown away a cigarette butt right next to the crime scene.
"Anybody walked through the door?"
Sara didn't flinch. She had heard the footsteps coming closer and she had recognize them. They belonged to Sofia.
"A lot of people did, but as far as I can see, they all had a key or the door was unlocked. Right now it's locked so I don't think anybody came in through this door tonight." She got up to be on the same level like Sofia. The blonde looked tired even it had been only four hours of work and there were several waiting for them.
"Have you been upstairs?"
"Yes."
"How does it look up there?"
"Not nice."
"A dead husband and two dead children?"
"Yes."
"How did they die?"
"I'm not the medical examiner."
Sara lifted an eyebrow. She knew that but Sofia could tell her if the victims got shot or stabbed or if there wasn't anything visible.
"Slashed the throats."
"Right or left handed person?"
"Sara…"
"Sofia, don't tell me again you're not the medical examiner. You were there, you saw them, you were a damn good CSI, you see things like that. Especially you, with your eye for details. Don't try to tell me anything else."
"Right handed."
"Thanks."
"I've a weird feeling with this case."
"Why is that?"
"I don't know. I was in there, the rooms…there's so much blood. Like the killer dragged them through the room to cover the room in blood. Ceiling, floor, beds, furniture, everything is red. It's…I've never seen anything like this before. And…" Sofia stopped.
"And what?"
"The strange thing is, all three dead bodies are in the bedrooms, the mother was found in the kitchen, the kitchen wasn't covered in blood."
"But she was attacked?"
"Her throat is slashed, maybe the killer got sloppy and didn't cut deep enough. I've no idea, I don't now if she's still alive. I'll go to Desert Palms soon and see if she's alive, if I can talk to her."
"One of us will go there too to get her clothes and evidence."
"Okay. The garden is secured; just in case you wonder if an officer is around." Sofia smiled a bit. She knew Sara hadn't thought of that and didn't really bother if anybody was there to make she was safe or not.
"Of course there are officers around, otherwise I wouldn't be here." Sara answered.
"Uh-hum. I'll see you later."
"Later, detective."
"Sara!"
Sara stopped and walked back, into Grissom's office.
"Yes."
"How are you?"
"I'm fine."
"Sara…"
"Grissom, I'm okay." Why did she ever have a relationship with her boss? Why did she tell him about her past? He treated her now like she was unable to do her job.
"I sent Greg to the mother, she's alive. Can you work the evidence?"
"If you want me to stay away from the victims, you're the boss, I do what you tell me."
"Sara…"
"No, I'm sick and tired of this. I'll work the evidence, don't worry." She turned and walked away. She needed some distance, she needed somebody who didn't treat her like she was a baby.
She found Warrick in the room with the evidence.
"Hey."
"Hey. What are you looking for?" He asked.
"Something that isn't related to the vics. Any traces of the killer?"
"The only suspicious thing is that there isn't something suspicious. Did you find anything outside?"
"No. No signs of break and enter. All locks were alright, there were no shoeprints around, nothing that pointed out somebody was in the house who wasn't supposed to be in there."
"What about the vics?"
"Cath and Grissom work on them, Greg is with the mother and Nick works with us the evidence. So if you want to know anything about the vics you need to ask them."
"Great."
"Any problems with the bosses?" He smiled a bit
"They are bosses."
"True."
"Sofia said the rooms were covered in blood, only the kitchen, where the mother was found, wasn't covered in blood."
"True. The three bodies looked like somebody wanted to make a statement with them. The mother just looked like a slashed throat victim. Artery splatter."
"Strange."
"Yes."
"Anything in the house that tells us somebody broke in?"
"Nothing is broken, nothing looks like it's not where it belongs. It looks like nobody was in, like…well…the only person who wasn't in bed or around the bed was the mother…"
"You think she killed them?"
"And tried to kill herself? After it? Maybe. Nick is working on some background stories, he is with Brass who talked to the neighbors."
Sara's cell phone rang.
"Hey Greggo, what's up?."
"Hey. I've got some news for you and the rest. Misses Dawson is still in coma, but I had a look at her, took some evidence and…it looks like she tried to slash her throat."
"What?"
"Yeah, the angle, the fact that the knife was in throwing distance and there were no defensive wounds on her hands or anywhere else. I mean, she was found in the kitchen, I don't think she slept there on the floor. If she was dragged there, we had found some traces of that. My guess is, she was in the kitchen and tried to kill herself there."
"Any chances she'll wake up again?"
"Not the next twelve hours."
"Alright. Will you call Grissom?"
"I tried. He's phone is engaged so I called you."
"Do me a favor, try to call him again, will you? I'm not sure if he appreciates if I bring him the news."
"Will do. I'll see you guys later."
"Yeah, good luck with the rest of the evidence."
"Likewise."
One look told Sofia all she had to know. Sara sat on her new garden hammock on her balcony, knees up to her chin, arms wrapped around herself. They had worked together, a hard case, family tragedy and it was obvious to the blonde that the brunette suffered. There had been barely any words between them, everything was strictly business. The case wasn't closed but they had been sent home to get some sleep. For Sofia it was sure, Sara was far away from sleep.
Without a word she sat next to her new friend, offered her the bowl with the cut pineapple pieces and put it on a chair between them after Sara took a single, little piece.
For a few minutes they sat next to each other, watching the city, the sun and stayed quiet. Sofia knew the only way to get to Sara, to get anything was to wait until she was willing to talk. It could happen that Sara won't feel like talking and leave the balcony and go to bed, it was a risk Sofia had to take.
Two dead children, a dead father and a mother with blood all over her body. They say the men kill the family when they see no other way for themselves to solve problems, in this case it was the other way around. The mother had killed her two children, had slashed their throats, did the same to her husband and failed to do the same with herself. Sofia had never seen so much blood in one house, she had never walked through so much blood in one night.
"I miss her." Sara said slowly.
There was no need to say a name, it was obvious she was talking about Jules. Since Jules had left to become a profiler in Quantico, Sara got day by day quieter, built an invisible wall around herself and didn't leave her condo for more than work. Their meeting on the balcony became less, there was no celebration mood around.
"Not only as a friend." Sara's head touched her knees like she tried to hide her face behind them.
"As a therapist?"
"Too." Another break of a few seconds. "As my ex lover."
"You still love her." It was a statement not a question.
"Yes."
"It's not my business and if you don't answer this question I won't ask it again, but why did you split off?"
"Because." Sara sighed and look another long look at the city. She could see the top levels of some casinos, Mirage, Bellagio, New York New York and what all their names was. Her balcony gave her a pretty good view of the central Strip, a view to die for at night times if you like lights. Not that it was as nice as the light shows you saw when you were on the Strip but it looked nice. Now the sun was in the windows, was reflected and reached out for Sara's balcony. Very soon they needed some protection or would get sun burnt.
"Because it's not the love you are suppose to have for a lover. This will sound strange, I understand if you don't know what I mean but it was stronger. It is stronger. This love, these feelings between her and me…it was too strong that we could handle it in a love relationship. She is the only family I ever knew, she's the person I depend on most and with her away it's like the center of my life is gone."
"To tell you, she'll be back won't make it better, you know that." Sofia placed carefully her hand on top of Sara's, ready to pull it away if there was the smallest sign of the brunette wasn't comfortable with her touch.
"Did you tell her how much you miss her?"
"What for? First of all she knows how much I miss her and second, if I tell her, it will add the pressure on her to come back, to give up on her dream. I don't want that. Love means you need to let the other do, what she dreams of doing. I want her to be happy, I want her to all the things she wants to do."
"She's back next weekend." With three days full of appointments with her clients, barely any time to spend with her friends.
"She'll have a lot work with her clients, I won't make her little bit of spare time more difficult by whining." Sara laughed bitterly. "Actually, it doesn't matter because she'll know. She always knows. All she has to take is one look, that's all to tell her all the things I don't want to tell her, to see all the things I try to hide."
"All the questions I ask you, you don't have to answer, Sara. Just tell me it's not my fucking business if you don't want me to know, okay?"
"I never answer questions I don't want to answer." There was a hint of a smile in a corner of Sara's mouth. The first positive sign Sofia had seen today.
"I know but you could get bitchy and kick me out of your condo."
"I try not to act too stupid."
"Okay."
"Ask."
"Is she your therapist again?"
"No." Sara leant back, eyes closed, the pain of the last night and the pain of missing her friend clearly written all over her face. Something told Sofia Sara's answer wasn't finished yet.
"She never stopped to be my therapist." Sara's eyes popped open, she looked straight into Sofia's eyes. The hazel brown had turned dark brown, there was more pain in the eyes than in the face. There was desperation, helplessness and sadness in them.
"Want to hear the whole story?"
"The question is, do you want to tell me the whole story, Sara?"
The brunette thought for a second or two. "Guess so, otherwise I hadn't offered." She took another piece of pineapple, leant back, her shoulder touching Sofia's, almost leant on the blonde.
"I had to see a therapist because of my suspension when I got in Ecklie's and Cath's face because of the man we thought had abused his wife. With that I had a drinking issue so the only way to keep the job was getting a therapist.
I got sent to Jules and gave her a real hard time. I walked into her office and told her immediately I'd only work with her on the things we had to talk about for the job. There was no way I'd talk about anything else, all I wanted was that she gave me the form to make Ecklie happy. In anticipation of her to tell me to leave her office right away because there was no way she could work with me, I didn't bother to sit down. She said nothing, made a tea, gave it to me and offered me an armchair.
Caught a little bit off guard because she was friendly and seemed not to mind my bitching around I sat down and she said, it's not her goal to make me confess secrets. She started to tell me about herself, so that I knew to whom I was talking, told me what we could do and what were points we had to talk about so that she could give me the form. Most of the first appointment I was listening, started to get a feeling for her. Not the ordinary way how to start a session but it was the best – maybe the only way – to get started with me.
I liked the fact that she didn't try to push me straight to the point, that she gave me something of herself before I had to spill my guts. And I liked her. The second appointment made it very clear to me that I not only came back because I had to. I wanted to see her again, I wanted to talk to her. I started to tell her a bit, she never tried to get a lot out of me.
That weekend I went out with Greg, dancing. We went to the "Double Choc", his favorite club. I had been in there once or twice when he had worked really hard on me to join him. We danced, had some drinks and suddenly Jules was there. Right next to me on the dance floor. First I was shocked, I wanted to back up, leave the club. Then I thought, there was no reason to leave and something inside me didn't want to leave.
We danced, we walked to the bar, started to talk. Not about me as her case, about everything and nothing. Out of the blue she said she was afraid she had to cancel our next appointment and there won't be another. I was speechless, had no idea what to say. I knew you can refuse to go to a therapist if you feel like you can't trust him or her, I knew they can send patients away when they feel they couldn't help them but I thought that she was the only one who could actually help me. When I asked why, if she had the feeling I wasn't working with her, that I was sorry for being so bitchy and pissed off at the first appointment she said, it had nothing to do with me and my cooperativeness.
Confused because I couldn't think a good reason why it didn't work out I asked her why she wanted to stop the therapy, if there wasn't a chance to work the problem out and she said, there wasn't. After a few seconds of silence she said, she was the problem, she knew that she wasn't able to stay professional with me. There was something inside her that made her want to know me not as a patient but as a person and there was no way that she could be my therapist. It would violate the rule. She wrote down the number of a colleagues, told me she was sorry and left without any further words.
Shocked, unhappy and not willing to accept her decision I torn the number apart, stayed away from her, didn't bother to look for somebody else until Ecklie asked for the first form. It seemed like I was supposed to bring in a form every month that said, I was attempting the therapy. Guess they knew I wasn't keen of it. Still not willing to go to anybody else, I walked in Jules' office, I knew she had her last patient at five to close at six. Her assistant leaves around five to quarter past five, I told her I had to talk to Jules and that it couldn't wait. She let me wait and after the last patient left, I gave her a minute to finish her notes before I walked in her office. You could say I surprised her. I told her about the form and that I won't go to anybody else. Not without a good reason. Well, you know how stubborn and bitchy I can be, more than most people do." Sara smiled a bit and Sofia had no other choice than smiling too. Yes, she knew.
"Anyway, I stood in front of her desk, arms crossed in front of my chest, showing that I was not going anywhere before I heard an explanation I could accept. Without words she got up, walked towards me and before I could react I was in her arms, her lips on mine, sharing a long kiss. I had to say that was a very good reason why she couldn't be my therapist anymore. When our lips got apart I mumbled, that she had a point. She smiled, gave me a card with the number and address of her colleague. She knew I torn the one she gave me. She had talked to her colleague, told her that it would take some time before I was willing to go to her and it was likely I'd come back to get a reason I could accept. Even at that time she was able to read me.
I asked if she was allowed to see me in private even after I've been a patient. It's not what she was supposed to do, it nothing she ever did before but we had stopped our appointments after the second one, she had removed my name from her list immediately, before she told me that there won't be any other appointments. She had felt the same like me, that there was something else, something that had nothing to do with a therapist – patient relationship. So I guess there're a lot of people who'd want her to quit her job for having an affair with me, it was a reason why kept it secret."
"You didn't have an affair with Jules, the two of you were in love. There's a difference." Sofia linked her hand with Sara's. "Plus she got you off her list, she sent you to somebody else and it wasn't like she was using you or you her. You went there because you had to, not because you wanted. All you wanted was the form, not her advice. And it's impossible to tell anybody not to fall in love at their place of work. There's no better place to meet your future partner; at least that's what I read somewhere."
"Maybe."
"I assume you went to her colleague after you…felt her reason why she sent you away."
"Yes." Sara chuckled. "I got an appointment the next day, I talked to her, not more than I had to and Jules…she didn't need an office or a couch to make me talk. I told her everything, we talked for hours, it was her who gave me my therapy. Still does.
It's not like we're having sessions, that I go to her office and lay on the couch, it has never been like that. We use the balcony, a quiet restaurant table, anything where we have some privacy. I think it comes with the job, she can't stop being a therapist when she sees somebody has trouble. Like in the law enforcement, there's no time she's really off duty as long as she's surrounded by people."
"Did you ask her to have an appointment when she's back? Or something like an appointment after you don't end on the couch."
"Why do you think she stays in my bed when she's back? It's not because she can sleep there so god or because we can't let go of our relationship. We both can be in my bed, we can both be naked, we don't have sex, it's all…this deep relationship we have. I've no idea how to call it, it's…our…special."
"Did she tell you to talk to me? When you're down." Sofia asked this question very slowly, very carefully.
Another little smile appeared on Sara's face, taking some of the tension of Sofia away.
"She never used these words." Meant, Jules had told her but knowing Sara and her sometimes stubborn head, she didn't use these words because it was more likely the brunette refused it when she got told to Sofia.
"She used these words when she talked to me." Sofia was looking for some surprise when she said these words to Sara but there was no. Only a knowing smile, like it was obvious that Sofia and Jules had talked about things like this, like it was obvious that Sofia had asked Jules for some advice, had told her things, you were supposed to tell your therapist and not your friend. Sometimes it happens your friend was a therapist.
"Why me?"
"Because you'd understand."
"What did she tell you about me?"
"Nothing. She keeps her therapist code, Sara and you know that. There's no way she'd tell anybody anything about you without your permission."
"You miss her too." Not a question, a statement. A friendly one. One with a lot of sympathy and a hand, that got linked to Sofia's.
"Yes." Now it was Sofia who took a break to think of her words, to think how far she wanted to take this. Sara hadn't told her what was haunting her, she didn't tell her what she and Jules were talking about when they saw each other in private. Should Sofia make the start? Should give a little bit of herself free?
"I was on her couch."
"Before you became friends?"
"No, short before she told us she will go to Quantico."
"As long as you don't have a sexual relationship it's nothing she isn't allowed to do; I think. I'm not sure how far the rules go with friendship."
"You know Jules and me share a friendship and that's it. And she didn't know it's me. I mean, she saw it when I came in, but I got an appointment with her assistant under another name. Jules was expecting a Misses Miller."
"A lot of trouble for something you could have have easier by just asking her to talk to you." Sara smiled. "I guess you needed some protection in case you changed your mind."
"Yes." Jules was right, Sara did understand. "Care to know?"
"Ready to tell?"
"Guess so." Sofia closed her eyes, lay her head on Sara's shoulder. Trust. All not that easy, but Jules was right, Sara would understand her without a lot of words. And Sofia was sure, the brunette wouldn't judge her. "I never considered a therapist to be a help, so far it looks like we're the same. Talking about things that happened in the past don't help, won't change anything. I think knowing that she got you talk at one point impressed me, you never stroke me as somebody who wants to talk about her problems, her past, her business. Not even to her friends. It was obvious she made you talk and you liked to talk to her. So after I knew her better I started to think of talking to her. I didn't want to ask her to meet me alone, it had put some kind of pressure on me to come up with a very good reason why I wanted and even worse, why I didn't want to talk if I had changed my mind in the last second. I knew once I asked her to talk to me in private, she knew there was something going on that bothers me; probably she knew anyway because I think too that she can look though people and see if and sometimes what is troubling them. And I too think it's scary sometimes." Sofia smirked. Some of these things Sara didn't say with words, but she said them between the words she used.
"So I got an appointment as Misses Miller, who asked for the last appointment of the day. In case I changed her mind, Jules could go home. I was often to call her assistant to cancel the appointment, I was close not to go, when I was in the building I turned twice, I stood at least a minute in front of her office door, like an idiot, not ready to knock. Then I got myself convinced that I have to do this, that it will help me. Her assistant got me through immediately like she knew, any minute I've to wait could change my mind again.
I ended up in her office, not knowing if I was happy or horrified about that, not knowing what to do and what better not to do. I wished for world to open up under me, get me away, far away to a place I've never have to face Jules again. Surprisingly the carpet stayed the way it was, I was trapped in her office. I wanted to stop it, I wanted to leave, I didn't want to talk about everything, I told her, she never asked me to tell me anyway. She made me a tea…did you like them?"
"They are disgusting!" Sara laughed.
"Good I thought I'm the only one who doesn't like them."
"You need a lot of sugar to make them taste anything but disgusting. I didn't take a second one after I got the first one."
"Me neither. The last time I got a coke."
"She improves her beverage, good to know."
"Yeah, maybe we're not the only ones who hate the tea. Apparently they are very relaxing, get your thoughts away from all problems. Could be true, your whole body has to fight the taste, has to fight the urge of throwing up. Anyway, I don't know how and why, but she got me talking. When I saw her the second time, after she told us, she'd go to Quantico, she said I should talk to you if I need somebody to talk and don't want to call her. You would understand me without many words."
"So far I do."
So far they both hadn't talked about what was haunting them. It didn't seem like any of them wanted to change that. They were comfortable with the things they had shared, were happy that the other one reacted the way they had supposed.
"Mind if we stop here?"
"Haven't you learnt that in therapy that the one who talks makes the decision how far the conversation goes? It's always in your hand, you can get up and walk away whenever you feel like it, there's no way that the therapist will hold you back. They don't handcuff you to a chair and interrogate you."
"And they don't bitch at you, ask for evidence and samples of whatever."
"No." Sara took the last piece of pineapple. "Open up."
Sofia obeyed and let Sara feed her.
"Food's gone, time to go to bed, don't you think?"
"We've to be back on the job soon, we won't have a lot of sleep at all but not a lot of sleep is better than no sleep at all."
"True." Sara offered her hand to Sofia, pulled her from the garden hammock. "Greg is sleeping in the guest room, do you want to sleep on the couch or in my bed?"
"Since when do you offer me to sleep in your bed when there's a free couch?"
"Since you ignored the empty couch a few weeks ago and invited yourself in my bed."
"You dared me, you knew if you'd tell me I'm too coward to surprise you in your bed I'd be in there the next change I had."
Sara only smiled a bit, the little sparkles in her eyes told Sofia was right and there was no way Sara would say these words out loud. But the look was enough for Sofia to know and understand. Maybe they both could understand each others without many words. Maybe that was why Jules told them both in her own words to talk to each others. What a smart and thinking ahead therapist.
Sara managed to avoid Grissom and walked straight to Greg, who was in the break room. Her friend looked like, he was ready to leave any time soon.
"Hey."
"Hi, how are you?" He had left Sara's condo early to go at his place, packing a few things, he wanted to bring to Sara's condo later.
"Alright. Are you leaving?"
"Yes. I got a call from Desert Palms, the mother is awake. I'll meet Brass there. We want to hear, what she says when we tell her, she's our suspect numero uno."
"I processed the knife of the kitchen, there were only her prints on. Covered in blood." Sara couldn't think of a reason, how somebody else than the mother could be the killer. Everything pointed straight to her. But she knew also, there had been cases when all the evidence pointed to one suspect and this person was innocent. Grissom's mantra, the evidence is always right, could be wrong.
"Why does a mother kill her family?"
"I don't know."
"Why does she drag the bodies through the room?" They had found out, the bodies had been dragged through the rooms, to spill blood everywhere.
"I can't tell you, Greg."
"I'll try to get answers to all these questions."
"Are you going alone?"
"No, with me." Grissom appeared behind them. Looked like Sara wasn't able to avoid him at all. He found her. Or Greg. Her with Greg.
"Do you want me to process the other evidence?"
"I need you for a new case. Possible 419, Sofia is on her way to pick you up. You'll go up the hills."
"Body dump?"
"I can't tell you more."
"Okay." She made the decision it was better to leave before he could start to ask how she was, if she had any problems with the last case.
Sofia was waiting for her in her car.
"Where are we going to? Grissom mentioned something about the hills."
"Yeah, we'll head north. Park ranger found a male DB, possible 419."
"A dead man in the hills, are there any wounds?"
"Yes."
"Well, that speaks for an assault or a killing."
"Not if the wounds are from animals. Man is out, walks around, gets a strokes, dies or passes out, a mountain lion takes this meal without hesitation."
"There's a difference between the way a mountain lion attacks and how a human kills another one."
"Yes, that's why you and the ME are on your way out, to find out, if we have to look for somebody with two or four legs. We need the smarties out."
"Smarties?" Sara raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, you know, cops are into coffee and donuts, you guys are into science."
"Are you trying to mock me? Or do you try to make me angry?"
"What do you think?"
"A few months ago I had said, you want to make me angry, you're pissed off because you've to spend the shift with me. Now, after you spent the day with me, in my bed, I'll settle with the first version. For your sake."
"Not for yours?"
"Our sake."
"Officer on scene said, it doesn't look like the guy just died in the hills and got half eaten by a mountain lion. But he's not supposed to say something like this officially. You're really good with your temper, Sara."
"Was that a test?" Sara looked at Sofia and smiled.
"Yeah, I thought, I'll try how far I can push you."
"Sofia, we had a very serious conversation this noon, we talked about things, we don't talk to other people; expect one crazy psychologist. There was no reason why you want to have me angry. We don't annoy each other anymore."
"Not?" A huge grin appeared on Sofia's face. "What makes you think, you don't annoy me anymore, Sara Sidle?"
"Your body in my bed."
"It was all about the sleep."
"Sure."
"It was."
"Are you calling me a liar?"
"Lion?"
"Liar, lion, panther. Why are you not in black, today?" Sara cocked her head. The white shirt and the blue jeans were unusual for Sofia. Usually the detective wore something more formal.
"I need to do my laundry."
"You ran out of suits?"
"Shut up!"
Sara chuckled. That was good. That was something to tease Sofia with. And let her think less of her last case. A mother, who apparently killed her children and her husband. Domestic violence. It would take some time to get the case out of her head, without Jules even longer than usual, but it looked like, Sofia was a help too.
When Sara saw the body her first thought was: mountain lion. Or a bear. The throat of the man was wide open, traces of teeth all over. The chest and the upper body were wide open too, she could see parts of the stomach and only half a heart. Flesh was missing, hanging on some skin, ready to fall of.
"If this was a human, he or she was very hungry and I'd call animal control to catch him or her and not the police."
"Try the vet, rabies." Sofia took a deep breath. She was glad, her stomach was steady.
"He looks like he was attacked by a large animal." David tried to get a body temperature. Sara saw, there was no liver left.
"Mountain lions eat the liver?" Sofia furrowed her brows.
"I think, they eat whatever they get. Same for coyotes. They left him the shoes."
Sara's eyes fell on the hiking boots of the man. "They look expensive. If he was killed by a human, do you think, the killer would leave them behind?" She took some more photos.
"I found a watch on the arm of the vic, bagged it." David pointed to a bag, a yard away. "Doesn't look like robbery."
"No. Wallet?"
"So far not. Can I turn him?"
"Yeah." They turned the man. His shirt was covered in blood on the back, but there was no sign of an exit wound. The shirt wasn't torn.
"So far there's nothing that suggest, he was killed by a human."
"No. The blood got from his front and the sides to the back, which means, the animals found him fast, maybe when he was still alive." Sara took a hand of the man. They were covered in blood, a finger was missing. Bitten of.
"I need to get him to the morgue to tell you, if he was killed by a human or an animal."
"Okay." Sara got up. There were traces of animals around. She took several photos of the scene, the paw prints and started to have a look around.
"Got boot prints." Sofia said, knowing what Sara was looking for.
"Thanks." The brunette smiled and took some photos. She followed the prints for a few yards before they vanished in a bush. A piece of cotton was hanging there. She got it with her tweezers, took a good look at it and bagged it. It looked like a piece of the shirt of the victim. The boot prints indicated, the man was running. Running away from a human or an animal killer?
Carefully she walked into the bush. There were no other prints around, nothing that told her, who chased the man. Behind the bush were huge, flat stones, it was impossible for her to find any kind of prints. Did the man came from here? She climbed up the stones, walked around. Nothing. No clothes, no prints, no blood. The stones lead her to a rocky area. She could need some help, somebody, who would try to find out, where the man came from, so that she could stay around and look for clues at the scene. Probably primary crime scene.
"Hey, don't go on a hiking trip, you're on duty." Sofia shouted when she found Sara on the rocks.
"I know. I want to know where he came from, but I need to process the scene first. Problem is, the longer I wait, the more prints and clues will disappear." Sara came back. "Got any information from the ranger?"
"No, nothing new. He found the body, called us. He comes here every three to four day, just to check. There's a hiking trek half a mile away, our man might have been on that one. This area isn't famous for walking or hiking."
"If he was a hiker, where are his things? There was no backpack."
"If he had food in his backpack, it is possible that animal took it away."
"Like I said, I need some back-up, it's a large area to cover."
"I can have a look around, if you want. I can't talk to witnesses, there's only the ranger and that's it. You go on and process the scene, I'll walk around and look for any other clues, the backpack or something, that leads us to the killer."
"You'll play CSI?"
"I'm here to serve and protect the CSI on scene. If the CSI needs a servant, I'll do that. Just don't get used to it."
"I won't – if it's any other detective. You like to help out, you do that most times."
"Sometimes."
"Yeah." Sara grinned. Sofia did help the CSI more than other detectives. Not only Sara, she knew, that Sofia also helped Nick out, when they were working on a robbery in a veterinary practice. She had help him with the prints.
"Don't be cheeky, be thankful."
"I can be both."
It was almost noon when Sara entered the morgue to talk to doc Robins.
"Hey."
"Back from the hills?"
"Yes, with a lot of questions."
"Maybe I can answer some." Doc Robins walked to the body. "It wasn't possible to make a proper y-cut."
"I'd say, some animals did that for you."
"Mountain lions and coyotes, to be more specific."
"Did they also kill him?"
"With help."
"Who helped them?"
"That's up to you to find out, all I can tell you is, that you're looking for a mountain lion as a the final killer and a helper with two legs. The man was stabbed, something long, sharp, probably a hunting knife. I found traces of that on his ribs. My guess is, somebody stabbed him, left him to die in the desert and a mountain lion killed him finally."
"That it vicious."
"The only good thing I can tell you, the man had passed out by the time the mountain lion killed him. He lost a lot of blood, his shirt was soaked in his blood. The mountain lion smelled the blood and took a deadly bite."
"Did you find defensive wounds?"
"I found some abrasions on his knees, suggest, he fell, the killer stood above him, stabbed him three times and left him." He showed Sara some x-rays of the upper body of the victim. She could see where the knife had hit bones.
"Alright. I think, I'll concentrate to find the assaulter and not the killer. The thing is, there weren't another pair of boot prints around."
"As far as I know, animals don't hunt their prey with knifes or any other sharp things."
"No. Thanks doc." Sara sighed. She had to work through the evidence to find something, that helped her to find the assaulter.
"Do you have any plans for the rest of the day?" Sara asked when she and Sofia met at the front door of the department. Their case wasn't closed, too many questions were still not answered.
"Joining you?" The blonde smiled a bit.
"Sounds good."
"What about the puppy?"
"He'll stay at his place, the last night, and comes over later in the afternoon."
"So it's you and me. Wanna share a ride?"
"You let me drive your car?" Sara grinned.
"If I do so, you'll owe me big time, Sidle." Sofia dropped her keys in Sara's hands.
"I'll think of something nice in return." Sara took the keys and opened the doors to Sofia's car.
With only little violations of the traffic law, Sara got them fast back to her condo. Dark orange wasn't red and Sofia simply closed her eyes and could swear, she didn't see any red lights in case they got stopped.
While Sara took a quick shower, Sofia started the breakfast and when Sara finished her shower, the breakfast was cooked and served. All she had to do was sit down and eat. Because it was one of the few days with rain, they had to use the couch and not the balcony.
"I got a long phone call last night, around five minutes after you left. Could it be that you told somebody, who lives at the east coast at the moment, that I miss her?" Sara ask sweet.
"I didn't call Jules."
"Did you text her?"
"Are you interrogating me, investigator?"
"Do you have anything to hide, detective?"
"Eat your breakfast."
"So you did text her. What did you tell her?"
"That she should send us a sign that she's still alive. That we talked the whole morning about her and we miss her."
"You can't say things like that to a psychologist, do you have any idea what she makes with information like this?"
"She calls you, makes you smile, happy and relaxed. You looked much better this night, Sara." That was mainly because of her new case, the fact, that she could work with Sofia and not because she had talked to Jules. Maybe a little bit.
"I'll get a long session when she's back."
"You'll be in her arms, in your bed, snuggling in her arms, talk to her, fall asleep in her arms and wake up in them the next morning. Can't see anything bad there."
"Well, if you can't see anything bad in that, why don't you share your bed with her, fall asleep in her arms and so on?"
"Because she'd misunderstand that. I'm sure if you don't want her, Greg will be happy to inaugurate his new bedroom with her."
"You're not over that, are you?" Sara grinned.
"What?"
"Knowing that they sleep together sometimes."
"Not my business."
"Not your kind of relationship either."
"No, it isn't, but it looks like they're both fine with it. Don't you mind? That he sleeps with her? Or are there any things I might better not ask and think about?"
"Like a threesome? Sorry to disappoint you, they play alone, I don't join them. As I told you yesterday, I don't have sex with Jules anymore. That includes also not with her and somebody else. Besides, I don't have sex with Greg, never had. I don't know what you think of us, but it seems like you're thinking wrong."
"After seeing the doc and the puppy nothing would surprise me anymore."
"Not? Do you still believe there is this rule that says everybody has to have at least once sex with me to be in the club?"
"I wouldn't be surprise if I get a form that says so."
"The day you'll leave us and we'll be two bitches and a puppy."
"Don't take it personal."
"How else?"
"Professional. We work together."
"As far as I know there is no rule that says a detective and a investigator aren't allowed to be together. It's not like we're in the same team."
"Or I'm your supervisor."
"Yes. If that would be the case, we had to keep it in private."
"You know how to do that." Sofia smiled. "I mean I can understand that you didn't tell me, but poor Greg? All these years and he never had a clue. While Jules knew."
"There's the difference between a puppy and a doc."
"I thought people tell their pets everything and lie to the doctor."
"There's no point in lying at her when she knows everything before I say a single word."
"True." Sofia finished her coffee. "I guess it's time to hit the sheets."
"Yeah. Wanna come with me?"
"There's a spare bedroom…"
"You need to get new sheets, Greg threw his sheets in the laundry, there's nothing new on the bed."
"You did that on purpose!"
"You know where the sheets are, have a good sleep." Sara smiled and walked into her room. Sofia stayed for a second on the couch. If Sara thought Sofia would be too lazy to make her bed, she was wrong.
Pouting she walked in the room to find out, that there were not only no sheets on the bed, the whole room was filled with Jules' stuff, inclusive the bed. She had to remove everything and rearrange it before she could think of putting on the sheets.
Stripping down, slipping into her sleep shorts and top she left her clothes in the room and walked to Sara. The door was only ajar and the brunette was in bed, reading a magazine.
"Anything wrong, detective?"
"Shut up, move over and give me a pillow." Sofia slipped under the blanket, tried to pull one of Sara's pillows away and when the brunette didn't let her do this, Sofia simply put her head on Sara's shoulder and snuggled into Sara's body.
"What are you thinking what you are doing?" Sara asked very calm.
"I got myself a pillow after you didn't want to give me one. Now you have to live with me on your shoulder, Honey."
"Over twenty years of material arts, Sofia." Sara warned.
"Yeah, yeah, I know that, I met your skills already. What I also know is, that you'd never hurt me. No need to play dangerous female Bruce Lee. You offered me your bed five minutes ago."
"You didn't want to sleep here."
"Who said I've got sleep on my mind?" Sofia asked coy.
"You better have nothing else because otherwise I will hurt you."
"You won't." Sofia closed her eyes and pulled her arm over Sara's waist.
"Sofia…"
"Yes, Honey?"
"You're living very dangerous."
"Can't be. Twenty years of material arts will protect me."
"They might be the threat."
"Sara, it's cute how you pretend you don't want me close, why don't you save yourself the time and the effort and stop doing that? You won't push me away, you won't kick me out of the bed and you don't mind me being here."
"Since when are you able to read my mind?"
"Since I've kissed the sand in the desert because of you. I know how you look when you're really mad, you are not mad, you are amused. When you tell Jules you had me in your bed, I snuggled into your arms and used you as my pillow, she'll get a heart attack."
"Why do you think I'll tell her?"
"No need to tell her, she'll know anyway."
Sara grumbled something.
Sofia got a little up, looked straight into Sara's eyes.
"Tell me now that you want me in the guest room and I'll go. It's not a problem, really."
Instead of an answer Sara got her arm around Sofia and pulled her back on her shoulder.
"Jules would be proud of you." Sofia grinned.
"Jules would be proud of me if I tell her, that I got laid by you. Telling her you were half naked in my bed and I didn't do anything, will make her slap me."
"I doubt that."
"It's Jules."
"Yes, it's Jules and it's me."
"Means?"
"Means she'll not tell you to get me in your bed and make me sleep with you. Trust me on that." The way Sofia said that Sara believed her. And she knew, there was a story why Jules would react like Sofia said.
"Okay." No questions. They had this deal, they've never made with words, that they won't ask questions, won't push if the other didn't offer.
"I had some less nicer experiences in the past, the reason why I talked to Jules, wanted her to be a therapist, what doesn't work when you're already friendly."
"It works. It's not like it's suppose to be, it's not text book like, but it works. Or didn't you feel better after you talked to her?"
"I felt much better." Sofia said, her eyes closed, her hand laying still on Sara's belly, her ear listened to the heart beat of the brunette. It was comforting, steady, the same rhythm her own heart beat was.
"She has this…I don't know. She makes you talk about everything, even if you had planed not to tell her everything. But she makes you tell everything without judging you, without giving you for a single second the feeling you're a complete idiot for thinking/feeling what you did. And she always finds something good in every story. She might not tell you the first or second time, she'll give you some time to find it out for yourself and if you're too blind to see it, she'll point it out for you in a way, that you'll see it very clear. I haven't met many people, who amazing me, I adore so much and value so much like her."
"It's clear when you talk about her."
"I can say these words because you'll understand me. There's no way I could say these things to anybody, who doesn't know her or me and there's no way I'd tell anybody, I don't trust what I think of Jules, because she's too special to be wasted for somebody stupid."
"I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me." Sofia smiled.
"Was it?"
"Yes, you called me special in a good way and you said you trust me."
"I do trust you, Sofia. Otherwise you wouldn't be here and you know that."
"There's a difference between knowing and hearing something."
"That's true." Sara got her arm around Sofia and placed her head on the head of the blonde. "Want to sleep or a little bit more of a talk?"
"I wouldn't mind a talk, but I know we've to get up early, we didn't have a lot of sleep last night. Do you think we can have a rain check on the talk?"
"I think we can. I can't see any reasons why we can't go on tomorrow."
"Neither do I." Sofia smiled a bit. "Sleep tight, Sara. And the next time you want me in your bed, don't bother with making a mess in the guest room, just tell me."
"Smug bitch. I offered you because I knew about the mess."
"Yeah, yeah, the mess is only the pretended argument to make me stay here. No need to do so, I like your bed, it's comfortable and I like you, I'll stay here if you just say it."
"Shut up and sleep." Sara pinched Sofia softly and closed her eyes. The blonde could be very cheeky.
The best thing of waking up was the part, when you hit the shower and the hot water gently woke you up. It was like cuddling into your pillow again, warm, comfy and you didn't want to let go of it. Sofia sighed and turned the water off. She couldn't stay the rest of the day under Sara's shower, she had to get dressed, they didn't have a night off, they had a case to close.
She wrapped herself in her huge, fluffy towel and stepped out of the shower. Before she could start to dry herself, the door was opened and Greg was in the bathroom. She had forgotten to lock the door.
"Other men would be delighted to surprise a sexy blonde under the shower." Greg cocked his head and grinned.
"Get out!"
"Make me leave…but bear in mind, you mind lose your towel while we fight."
"I count to three…"
"One, two, three."
"Greg!"
"Don't worry, you're too blond for me." He stepped into the bathroom and came to Sofia.
"What the…" Before she could go on with her sentence, Greg had her in his arms and sniffed on her neck.
"Yummy."
"Greg, I'll hurt you."
"You used my shower lotion, I take my part of my property. Rule number one of the bathroom is, you use my shower lotion, body lotion or perfume, I'll sniff it off your skin again."
Sofia could remember that Sara had mentioned something like that the first time Sofia had stayed over. She had remembered the warning all the time, today she had found out, she was out of shower lotion and had used Gregs. It smelled great, it smelled expensive and Sofia had been sure, he wouldn't find out what she did. She was wrong. He had smelled it.
"How do you know? How can you smell that? You were in the kitchen."
"Even puppies have a great nose. I'm trained to smell it."
"That's scary."
"No, sexy. Almost makes me forget that you're a blonde."
"I'm a detective."
"That too. The body lotion is perfect for you, feel free to use it."
"You'll be on me the rest of the day, sniffing. I seriously think about another shower to get smell off me."
"Really? What a waste of the good stuff. And at the same time, it's cute."
"Bite me."
"My pleasure." His teeth got softly into Sofia's neck.
"Greg!" She pushed him away.
"I did what you told me to do."
"Out! Now!"
"Hurry up, detective, we're waiting with the breakfast." He grinned and left the room.
Sofia stared for a few seconds at the closed door. Greg came in the bathroom while she was practically naked. He got his nose on her skin, sniffed at her neck and he bite her in the neck. What if she got a mark now? How was she supposed to explain that to her colleagues?
She dressed up, stayed away from his body lotion and walked into the kitchen, where Greg and Sara were sitting, drinking coffee.
"Your puppy attacked me in the bathroom!"
"First of all, he's not my puppy, but our puppy." Sara grinned and gave Sofia a mug with steaming coffee. "Second, you should lock the door when you're taking a shower. Third, I told you the first night, when you use his stuff, he'll sniff it off your skin. He knows when you use his stuff. You did it anyway, you have to pay the price. Sorry detective."
"He bit me."
"You told him to bite you."
"I didn't mean it that way."
"You prefer that I bite your sexy ass, detective? We're not close enough for that." Greg laughed.
"You're very close to being arrested, Greg."
"What for?"
"Assaulting an officer, sexual harassment and voyeurism."
"I want to see when you charge me with this and all your colleagues will hear about it. I'm sure, they'll be delighted to read this report again and again and again. Go on, report me, it's worth it."
"I'm gonna bring you to the vet and he'll alter you."
"Talking about assault, detective."
"If I have a bite mark on my neck…"
"Let me have a look." Sara walked to Sofia and checked her neck. "Just a small one, it will be gone in an hour or so. Nothing to worry about."
"Are you on his or my side?"
"I'm on no side."
"He came into the bathroom."
"He didn't join you under the shower."
"He'd be dead if he had dared to do so."
"I'm really good in washing backs, Sofia."
"Never ever think of that, Greg! Never ever!"
"You know, when you not lock the door, the puppy comes in the room, they steal towels, come under the shower, rip off the curtain…" Sara said.
"Maybe we need a leash for him."
"She's mean."
"She's pissed off."
"She hates me now."
"No, I don't."
"Does that mean, when I tell you some news, you might be able to feel happy for me?"
"Maybe. If these news have nothing to do with bathrooms."
"Uhm…well…Sara? You tell her!"
"Coward."
"There's a bathroom involved."
"Yes, but…alright. The puppy will move into the condo next door. My neighbors will leave, Greg annoyed them for years, that he wants the condo. They had enough of him, will leave to their children and he can move in. That's why the guest room is this full, next to Jules' things, he brings his stuff in and I'm running out of space."
"Yeah, people have to sleep in your bed because there's no space left."
"I don't mind to be in Sara's bed." Greg smiled.
"Neither do I, she's very comfy, a lovely pillow."
"And because nobody cares if I mind or not, everybody is happy." Sara said dryly.
"We mind if you mind, but we know, you don't mind." Sofia hugged Sara. "You like having us close, be honest, Sara."
"The next time you forget to lock the bathroom door, I'll come inside and I'll throw a hairdryer at you while you're under the shower."
"You won't do that, Sara. You need your detective, your CSI-like detective." Sofia smirked.
"Need a hand?" Sofia offered Greg, who was struggling with a huge backpack and two big bags in his hands and the door to Sara's building.
"Thanks." He gave her a bag.
"Where do you want to put this stuff?" Sara's condo looked already like a warehouse. There was no way that anybody could use the guest room anymore. It was packed, when Sofia made herself very thin, she could squeeze herself through the door, only to end up in front of a mountain of clothes, furniture and she had no idea what else. Same with Sara's living room, that was filled with more things and even in her bedroom was furniture.
"In my condo. I've the keys, I can start to put things in there. Got it this morning."
"Wow, you can move."
"Well, I want to renovate some rooms first, but I'll put my stuff in my condo. I think, when I paint the walls in my bedroom, in the living room and in the kitchen, that's enough. There's no need to work on the other rooms. First things first. It's not like the condo looks old and dirty, just…white."
"What colors do you want?"
"Something friendly in the living room, I thought of some yellow – orange mix, same for the kitchen. And green in the bedroom."
"Do you need some help with the walls?"
"Always." They stepped out of the elevator. "Want to have a look at my new home?"
"Sure." Sofia hadn't seen the condo before, of course she was curious, how it looked.
Greg unlocked the door and let Sofia in. Both left the bags right behind the door. A long hallway was the first thing, Sofia saw of the condo.
"There are four bedrooms and two bathrooms." Greg opened the door next to him. A bedroom with a single bed inside was behind it.
"They left some furniture, basically the former kids rooms are all with furniture. In their new condo will be one bedroom, so they took their bedrooms, the living room furniture and some other stuff."
"What are you going to do with four bedrooms and two bathrooms?"
"I don't know. All I cared for, was that I got the condo. Better having a lot of rooms than not enough." He opened the next door. Another bedroom. He had guest rooms, for a lot of guests.
"Wow, nice kitchen." The kitchen was spacious, fully equipped and there was enough space for a huge table in the room.
"Yeah, I don't have to carry anything to another room, everything fits in here." They walked to the living room.
"You can have a huge, cozy sofa in here, for cold winter nights. A big TV, some candles and nobody wants to leave this place anymore."
"Will you stay with me every night, detective?" Greg grinned.
"I thought, you don't want a blonde."
"We're talking about snuggling on the couch, I'd do that with you. And we can have parties on my balcony to give Sara some quiet time."
"Is your balcony bigger than hers?"
"Slightly." His condo was twice the size of Saras, his balcony was also bigger. Not that they didn't have enough space on Sara's balcony. As long as it were the four of them, they were fine.
"Not too bad, Greggo, really nice place." Sofia got lost in the view over the city for a few seconds. There was a part of the strip, in the other direction were the mountains. Almost the same view like Sara had.
"Want to move in with me?" Greg asked.
"What?" Sofia turned. "Are you kidding me?"
"No."
"Why…?"
"It's a huge condo, like you said. There's enough space for two, you can have your own bathroom."
"And my own room?"
"Yeah, even if I share the couch with you, I let only brunettes in my bed." He smirked.
"You're such a racist."
"Tell me you're a brunette in reality and we talk about the shared bed."
Sofia grinned. Nice try. "No."
"No for the bed or no for the condo?"
"No for…" She wanted to say for both. She had her apartment, it wasn't big, but it was enough. Moving in with Greg was… she wasn't a teenager anymore, she didn't need a shared house.
"Do you think that would work out?"
"I won't have condo parties – well I will, but you'll be part of it because you're part of the group. There might be some guys over every now and then for a night in front of the computer, but we'll sit in another room, not in the living room. There are four empty bedrooms, I'll make one to my computer room, so we'll be out of sight. And that I don't take my dates home, you know already. I prefer a casino room for that."
"Can I think about the offer?" Maybe she should give the thought a few more minutes, or a few days. It was a big decision, something, she had to think through.
"Sure. Think about it, if you don't want to move in, it's alright, I might look for somebody else to keep me some company. If you want to move in, you can do that whenever you want. There'll be three rooms and a bathroom waiting for you. Take your time, Sofia." He got her arms around her. It had been a spontaneous idea to ask the blonde, to move in with him. He didn't need this much space, a roomer made the place more alive and he could need the extra money. After all, the condo was expensive and it would take him a long time to pay the dept.