His Birthday

Fandom: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Pairing: Sara/Greg
Rating: K
Genre: Friendship
Warnings: None
Spoilers: For Season 8, I guess.
Length: 578
Prompt: Birthday.
Summary: Sara/Greg drabble. She may be gone, but at least she hadn't forgotten his birthday. Drabble. Sandle-ish. First CSI fic I've written in a while, it was fun to write Greg's character again but I'm still iffy about the ending. Reviews/comments are appreciated. Xx


Greg Sanders, now a year older, made his way through the maze of corridors at the crime lab, his mind far away. His birthday should be a day of celebration especially after the difficult first few years of adjusting to his new role as a field agent but today high spirits were at an all time low. In the past, when he had been a lowly lab rat to Sara Sidle's crime scene investigator, his birthday was the one day of the year when she actually seemed to notice his existence. He knew he was over-exaggerating but sometimes I really had felt that way. Every year after he had passed his proficiency examinations, Greg would receive a car and a kiss on the cheek from Sara, and he cherished this more than any other gift he may receive. Until she was gone, he didn't realise how much he had relied on Sara's yearly tradition. It had continued even when he had finally learned the truth about Sara's relationship with Grissom but this year she was miles away, leaving Greg here alone in Vegas.

He sat in the locker room, idly changing after his shift and making the task take longer than it needed just to put off the inevitability of going home to an empty apartment. He barely even looked up to acknowledge Catherine when she joined him in the locker room. After a few attempts at trying to strike up conversation with Greg, she handed him the light blue envelope.

"This just arrived for you," She said, watching his eyes light up as he took it from her. There was only one person who would send him personal mail through the crime lab.

"Thanks Catherine," Greg smiled, jumping to his feet and rushing from the locker room, anxious to get home so he could open his mail in private. His suspicions about it being from Sara for correct, he would recognise her handwriting anywhere. "Bye!" He called back over his shoulder.

Catherine gave him a quick wave and smiled to herself. Still, she couldn't help wondering why they were both still holding onto love when it was impossible.

Greg put the card on the passenger seat of his car, refusing to give into temptation and open it before he arrived home. When he did reach his apartment, he could see that his mail man had already been. A pile of cards greeted him when he unlocked the door and stepped inside. He forced himself to open all of the other mail before Sara's card. He arranged them on the mantelpiece in his living room and went through to the kitchen for a drink.

Finally, settled in his favourite chair, with a cold beer by his side Greg opened the blue envelope. The design on the front of the card was simple but impersonal, and to Greg it was the least important part of the package.

"Dear Greg," The card read. "Happy birthday! I'm so sorry I can't be with you to celebrate this year. I really hope you have a wonderful day. I'll be back in Vegas sometime in the near future, we can get together to celebrate then. I hope you are well. I miss you, Greggo. Love and a birthday kiss, Sara."

He re-read it twice, three times and then went to place it amongst the others. Taking a another sip of beer, Greg smiled, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad birthday after all.