Chapter Three:
It had been years since she had heard his voice but she recognized it as soon as he answered.
"Hey," she said.
"Sara?" asked Ben Foster.
"That's me," she said.
"This is uncanny. I was just thinking about you. In fact, I was trying to locate your phone number."
"Small world," she said softly as she swallowed the lump in her throat.
"Listen, Thomas wanted me to contact you about a new position working on high profile cases. Interested?"
"I might be," she said.
"Really? You're serious? I mean we would love to have you back. I'm going to be in Vegas in another day. Could I drop in and explain everything to you?" he asked.
She heard herself saying yes and then it seemed as if there had been no years between them as they talked about old times and how they had learned together under Thomas Parker's wing. Thomas had been a father figure to both when they needed it. Sara seemed the most taken by him not having the loving attention of an elderly man before and he was quick to scold and guide her but yet love and comfort her when she needed it. Thomas was simply more than a boss. He was the father she had never had and she trusted him.
Ben had felt the same way. He had been raised by his mother and she had worked two jobs getting him through school. He had just about finished college when she had been murdered one night at the small convenience store where she had worked. It had devastated Ben. Thomas had taken it upon himself to get the young man a job working at the morgue where he continued until he finished school and then began working as a CSI.
Thomas had protected them both when they needed it. He had shown them the ropes and guided their careers until both were considered two of the best crime scene investigators San Francisco had to offer. Thomas let it be known he was proud of his two students. They were paired up on the same shift with Thomas as their boss. They did little without the direction of Thomas.
She felt nervous seeing her old friend again. They had not parted on the best of terms. Thomas had felt betrayed by Sara's decision to move to Vegas at Grissom's request. Ben had felt the same. He was a handsome young man. He had been smitten the moment they had met and after several dates, he pursued her. She had seemed flattered at first but then Gil Grissom had come to town for the seminar and she decided there could be no one else except Grissom.
She sighed as she let her head rest against the glass window pane in the small booth. She had taken her medicine in hopes she would not embarrass herself by throwing up during dinner. He tapped on the window making her jump and they exchanged smiles.
He had not changed.
Even though he told her she still looked the same, she knew better.
She was never going to be the same after Vegas and Gil Grissom.
She pretended to be interested in the job.
If he had described a janitorial position, she would have jumped at the chance to leave Vegas.
He suddenly stopped talking and stared at her.
"You're not interested are you?" he asked with a frown.
"Actually, I am. I need a job as soon as possible. I can't stay here in Vegas anymore."
"Bad case?" he asked.
She shook her head.
"Bad relationship?" he asked.
She nodded slightly as she tried to smile.
"Sorry, honey," he said taking her hand before she had time to pull away.
"Want me to beat him up before I leave?" he asked.
"Not necessary," she said.
"So, does this mean I can call Thomas and tell him you've accepted?"
"Yes, you can," she said. "But I think I need to be up front with both of you about something."
"You didn't kill anyone, did you?" he asked.
"I'm pregnant," she said.
She waited for his reaction but he did not even flinch.
"Does this mean we get two for the price of one?" he said with a smile.
Her eyes misted and she tried to control the raging hormones.
"I think you should talk with Thomas first. He'll need to understand that I'll be out some. I won't take advantage of the situation…just nine weeks maternity leave. I won't ask for any more time."
"I think we could offer twelve and throw in babysitting," he said.
"Talk with Thomas," she said.
"Sara, he's missed you. He's worked night and day trying to get this position with you in mind."
"What about you?" she asked.
"Supervisor for a couple of years now," he said. "You would report directly to Thomas…not me or any other shift supervisor."
"Talk with him," she said.
She started to get up when he grabbed her arm.
"Wait," he said. "Wait right here."
He disappeared for a moment and then returned.
"Here," he said with a smile on his face.
She took the phone.
"Sara, come home," said a voice.
She swallowed all of the emotions that came with hearing his voice again. She had missed him. She had tried to call him for months after she left but he would never return her phone calls. She was persistent. She sent letters and cards but he did not reply until one day she sent him a card on Father's Day. She wasn't sure why she had done it. She had been in the mall and saw the flurry of people rushing to buy a card and then she realized it was Father's Day. She saw a card that caught her eye and Thomas came to mind.
She quickly plopped down the money and then sent it the next day not expecting to get a response. She received a card a few weeks later. It had come out of the blue. It was a generic post card of San Francisco but on the back he had scribbled a few lines.
Sara,
You can always come home.
Love,
Thomas
When things had been rough at the lab she would pull out the post card from her poetry book and it would remind her that someone did love her. She remembered how important the post card had meant to her. In the past few years, he had only responded one other time. He had sent a birthday card to her.
"Hi, Thomas. I've missed you."
"Come home, honey. You don't need to be in Vegas anymore. Get on the plane with Ben and come home."
"I have to tie up some things here…a week?" she asked.
"If you're not here in a week, I'll come after you myself. Sara congratulations on the baby. We can work around that. Okay?"
"See you soon," she whispered.
She handed the phone back to Ben who sat there smiling.
"I know of a great apartment complex not far from work. I can get you a great deal," he said.
"Good cause I'm going to need it," she said.
"Consider it done," he said. "Anything else I can help you with?"
"I guess I'll see you in a week," she said.
He leaned over and hugged her before leaving.
"If you need anything, call me."
She sat there and took a deep breath.
She was leaving. She was going back to San Francisco. She was returning to Thomas who had been like a father to her and she would no doubt work with Ben again.
She stood outside the lab that evening and swallowed hard. She was going to miss them. They had become like family to her and now she was returning to another family she had left years ago. She stepped into the locker room and began cleaning out her things. She had already dropped off the resignation letter and she knew Catherine would no doubt have read it by now.
She turned and saw him standing there.
"Don't start, Nick," she said softly. "I've already handed in my resignation. Ben Foster came and we discussed my new position in San Francisco. It's actually a promotion of sorts."
"That's not the answer," he said. "Look you can play the tough card with everyone else but I know you. I hear you crying more than I care to. You deserve better," he said.
"I'm going," she said.
He held her hand. "Come to the diner with me…we can talk."
She sighed.
They found themselves sitting across from one another.
"I appreciate everything you've done, Nick. You're a good friend," she said.
"Marry me."
She spewed the juice.
He quickly handed her a napkin.
"You're kidding, right?"
"No. Marry me….it makes sense. You're pregnant, let's get married."
"No!"
"This will put an end to the rumors."
"No," she said not so forcibly this time.
He took it as a good sign.
"I can help. I want to do this. You don't have to leave. The others will pitch in."
"What about Mandy?"
"It's over."
She bit her lower lip.
"Sara, think about the baby."
She had.
She thought of nothing else.
"Nick, I can't marry you. I can't stay either. I have to go."
"Sara, please…"
He cursed as he watched her leave. He sat there a moment before getting up and leaving. They were unaware of the young woman who had been sitting in the next booth. Mandy swiped at her eyes and then quickly left.
He had been angry all shift but said nothing. She had said her goodbyes to everyone and then returned to Nick's apartment for one last night.
He stood there now as she lay curled up on the couch.
"What do you want to do on our last night together?" he asked.
"Sleep…a nice veggie burger would be good," she said.
"Take a nap and I'll go pick up dinner," he said.
When he returned she was curled up asleep on the couch. He gently nudged her.
"Veggie burger?"
She ate all of it.
He stared at her. "Appetite getting better?"
"Not so much morning sickness now."
"Good. Sara, if you get there and don't like it, you know you can call me and I'll come get you," he said.
"I know," she said softly.
"Bastard should have come back," he said.
"Don't be mad at him. I didn't know how to fix it. I realize now, I couldn't fix it. You can't make yourself love someone. He just didn't love me."
"He's still a bastard," he said.
It had not been easy telling Brass. He had cursed for days and then said little the last two except try to convince her to stay.
"Want to tell me why you're leaving?" asked Brass.
"I wanted a promotion," she said feeling his eyes watching her every move.
"Bullshit."
She said nothing but continued to pack.
"You're leaving because Grissom left."
She sighed setting some books down.
"Jim, I need you to support me in this."
It was her seriousness that caused him to sit down beside her.
"People make mistakes….we try to fix them…it's not always the best solution but….it was the best one at the moment," she said.
"How come you told Nick about the baby and not me?" he asked.
She stared at him.
"You're holding a pregnancy week by week book along with another baby book…much different than that entomology book you just packed away."
She glanced at him.
"You're pregnant."
"Yes."
He stared at her.
She expected him to be angry but he wasn't.
"Taking care of yourself?" he asked.
"I'm trying," she said.
"Don't overdo it."
She nodded.
He turned to leave but stopped.
"Sara?"
She looked at him.
"You deserve to be happy."
He didn't wait for a reply but left quickly.
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"I didn't say I wasn't coming back!" Grissom yelled.
"Yes…you did."
"Look, I had a bad connection that day. Personnel called me about my resignation letter. I'm not resigning!"
"Why didn't you come back?"
"I had to help a colleague. He'd got himself in a mess with a student…his wife found out."
Catherine cursed. "Grissom, I'm sorry. I thought you were talking about yourself…Look I'll talk with personnel…."
"How's everything? How is everyone?" he asked suddenly.
"Well, there have been some changes."
"Changes?"
"Sara left."
The pause remained too long.
"Grissom?"
"Sara?"
"Yes…She went back to San Francisco. Grissom?"
"I've got to go," he said.
"I'll talk with personnel."
"I'll do it," he said.
He felt himself crumble.
He had lost her.
No more would he feel her body against his.
He had wanted to tell her those three little words.
He was too late.
He typed up his resignation and faxed it.
It was rejected.
He was sent a form for an indefinite leave of absence.
He signed and returned it.
Note from author:
Don't worry. They won't be apart for long. PLEASE continue to leave a review for each chapter!
Take care,
Penny