CSI:LV, T, Angst/Romance, Sara Sidle/Sofia Curtis

Disclaimer: CSI, its characters, places, and situations are the property of Jerry Bruckheimer Television, Alliance Atlantis, and CBS Productions. This story was written for entertainment not monetary purposes. Original characters, and this story, are intellectual property of the author. Any similarities to existing characters, fictional or real, living or dead, are coincidental and no harm is intended.

Happy Birthday, Hun.

I hope this will, though I doubt it, measure up to the bar I set lately. And yes, it's a tad bit more than a drabble, despite the predicament I'm still in with the computer, which ate the fic I originally wrote, too.

So it is a bit rushed and a bit clichéd, I am aware of that!. Just imagine it to be a scene taken out of a much longer story, and then it works quite well.

There you go!

This diffident smile

1.

It had been three days since Sara was supposed to return from her unexpectedly and in quite a haste requested days off. Yet Sofia had not seen her at any crime scene nor in the labs whenever she had business there. Like right now.

Well, her main reason to drop by had mostly been that Greg had promised her a very decent cup of coffee after she had almost been freezing her ass off at their latest crime scene, a conveniently cooled slaughterhouse. She'd cursed the fact that she'd foregone to put at least a sweater into her sedan more times than she liked to admit, and goosebumps still seemed to cover her skin almost everywhere just thinking about the past one and a half hours.

So she nipped at the hot black goodness again, her thoughts far away, when she heard someone clear their throat. Loudly.

As her head whipped around and she was faced with two raised brows and a curious grin on Greg's face, she concluded that he must've tried to get her attention for some time already.

"Are you okay, Sofia? You seemed to have completely spaced out."

Concern grew on his still so boyish features, and Sofia scowled, knowing Greg he wouldn't back off an time soon.

"I was just wondering if Sara prolonged her sudden holiday. She told me she'd be back by Tuesday, yet I haven't seen her around."

Looking torn, Greg carefully wagered how much he would be allowed to tell Sofia.

Who wouldn't be as good a Detective as she was had she not noticed the silent internal struggle in the young CSI.

"Look, I don't want you to tell me anything you're not sure you should. I can tell by the look on your face that you do now what's up, and it already calms me to know that you obviously have information of where she is and what's going on. I was just..."

She paused, realising what she'd just been about to say.

I'm just worried. I just wish Sara would trust me more. I wish we would talk more at all. I wish I knew what was going on, she looked so forlorn when she left that afternoon. I wish I had the guts to just ask her to have coffee with me, or breakfast. I wanna get to know her. I wish she'd let me. Let me show her why I care. I'm worried for a fucking reason.

Never missing a beat, Greg read Sofia shockingly well.

"I know you're worried about her. I'm too. Knowing 'what's up' doesn't ease that notion. Not at all." He stared directly into Sofia's eyes, as if daring her to inquire some more. Like he wanted to share what was obviously a bit of a burden to know. "I'm guessing I'm the only one she told. Well, apart from Grissom, but you know him, he doesn't do well with social clues and he often doesn't see emotional hardships when they take hold of his people. He has Catherine for that, she never fails to kick his butt and politely point him into the right direction. But when it comes to Sara, Cath is a little indifferent herself."

The hint of a smile that had played around Sofia's mouth for a moment during Greg's explanation was gone almost as quickly as it had appeared. She frowned and Greg sighed and sucked in a long, tired breath.

"She's already back in town, even a day earlier than she'd planned. There was some-" He paused, intent to avoid the actual subject matter, yet give Sofia something. "Some serious business she had to attend to in San Francisco. I can't give you any more than that, as much as I'd like, you know how careful Sara is with trusting in people. And she does trust me and I won't betray that. She just called me when she got back and told me she'd taken some more days off, that she needed some time and most of all space to deal with a couple of things. Dealing usually involves a drink or two and countless hours of brain-melting contemplation when it comes to Sara. A week can be long, Sofia. Like I said, I'm worried, too. I tried calling yesterday, but her cell went directly to voice mail and at home I only reached the machine, too. She obviously doesn't want to talk. I had planned on simply dropping by unannounced today, but something tells me that maybe it should be you who should be going."

Sofia felt a wave of heat followed by the feeling of freezing right down to her bones, not unlike the moment she'd left the warehouse, and she trembled, not liking the implication.

"Why me? We're not even friends. I don't think Sara even likes me. And I sure as hell know she doesn't trust me. Not with anything that's not work-related. No, Greg, you go and make sure she's okay. Just tell me tomorrow, okay?"

Looking rather dejected, Greg took one step towards the Detective.

"Sofia, could you trust me on this? Because you're wrong in your assumption, I think you couldn't even be more beside the point. She told you, in person, that she was leaving Las Vegas for a couple of days, didn't she? Well, then the two of us are the only ones, aside from Grissom, but then he had to sign the papers and had to know. The guys didn't know, Cath didn't know. That's what I have to say about you thinking she doesn't trust you. As far as liking goes, I guess that's something you should be asking her yourself."

Lowering his voice, the concern on Greg's face grew.

"There's a juicer in the second cupboard from the right. Buy some grapefruit, a wholewheat bagel and I'll give you some of my coffee. She'll be hungover when you go directly after your shift ends in the morning, I can tell you that much. When she lets you in, don't bother any of the shit she'll probably be throwing at you for invading her privacy. Just don't buy it. Let her rant and prepare her some breakfast. Don't let her get away with just drinking the coffee. Don't let her get away with telling you bullshit about where she's been and what she's done there. Grill her. Go all Detective on her if you have to. Don't be intimidated by anything. Tell her you've been worried. Tell her you care. Sara's got a front made of pure granite, a whole system of walls protecting her, but beneath, there's this wonderful, warm, caring, loveable, attentive, charming, thoughtful and sensitive person. She rarely shows just how beautiful she is, inside and out. But I bet my next pay check you can manage to get through to the real Sara."

Sofia listened carefully, and astonished by the insights Greg possessed about this woman who had remained an enigma to Sofia as long as she'd known the broody brunette.

"How did you-"

Greg interrupted her with a wave of his hand.

"I've been mature for once, Sofia, quite some time ago now, and maybe I was also lucky and caught her in a good mood. We're friends, better friends than most know. Like I said, Det. Curtis. Just trust me on this."

He was being serious. Way more serious than she had ever seen him. And she didn't question that she already knew she'd do exactly as he'd just told her. It would take a lot of guts to face Sara the way Greg had suggested, but it would probably also finally resolve some things.

Issues Sofia had with Sara. Her very private ones. But those were a secondary concern now. She just wanted to know why Sara had first confided in her and then: nothing. She just wanted to make sure she was okay. Just wanted to know if there was anything she could do. Stop this game of one step forward and two steps back that seemed to have been going on between them for wuite some time now.

"Okay..." She pressed out, chewing on her upper lip, eyeing Greg for a reaction.

He smacked his lips and nodded.

"Good. She won't rip your head off, you know. Just don't expect her to be the least bit accommodating. And Sofia?"

She raised her brows in question.

"Huh?"

"When she softens, give her room to explain. Time. Just go with it. You have great instincts in your job. I suspect they translate beyond that..."

The hug came unexpected, even for Sofia who had initiated it.

"You're that kind of a friend most people can only hope for, do you even realise that, Greg? I really hope you do."

More the old Greg she knew, the sandy haired man blushed. But took the compliment in stride, with a sheepish expression on his clear shaven face.

"Thanks. I'm trying."

"Mature suits you Greg. Now gimme some of that precious coffee of yours."

No, this is not it. End part 1/3.