Disclaimer: see chapter one

Sara's POV

Alright, think Sara. Julie shows up here with Allie and wants me to take her. Of course the fact that she's using again makes it a much easier decision. First things first, get inside with Allie and away from Julie. Let's start on our mental list, Sidle.

--Talk to Grissom about taking a few days off—starting today.

--I have to call my lawyer and pick up those papers for Julie to sign and find out if there is anything else I need to do.

--I have to take Allie shopping. She needs clothes, a place to sleep, and, uh, I don't know what else.

--I should buy a book. Surely someone has written a book about what I'm supposed to do. Maybe that's the first thing I should do. Well, the first thing after I talk to Grissom.

I walk through the doors to the Crime Lab and straight toward the break room. Sofia is sitting there reading a newspaper and drinking a cup of coffee. She looks up and smiles at me as I enter the room with my little girl on my hip. "Hey, Sof. Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure. What is it?" she says to me as she puts her coffee and newspaper down. "Hey, who is this beautiful little girl?"

"I'm Allie," my little one has never been particularly shy.

"Can you watch her for a few minutes? I need to talk to Grissom about something."

"Sure," she says to me before extending her hand to Allie. "Maybe you can help me figure out the answers to this puzzle in the newspaper," she said as she picked her up and put her in her lap.

"Thanks. I'll be right back."

Sofia looked at me and smiled. "Take your time. I love kids."

His door is always open. Why is it shut? I knocked twice before he finally told me to come in. He wasn't alone. Ecklie was there.

"Grissom, Ecklie," I said as I nodded my head in greeting toward each of them. "I, uh, need to take some time off. A few days—starting today."

"You've got enough days to take off as many as you want. Plus you're maxed on overtime. I don't see a problem with that. Exactly how many days do you want?" Grissom replied.

"Hold on, Grissom. See, this is exactly what I was talking about. Your people walk in and tell you they need time off and you just give it to them. We're running a lab here, not a boarding house. People cannot come and go as they please," Ecklie was lecturing Grissom before he turned to me. "Sidle, you're supposed to give notice when you need time off. I won't approve the time off. Grissom spoke out of turn."

I felt my blood beginning to boil, but before I could say anything to Ecklie that might have cost me my job, Sofia was standing in the doorway with Allie. "I think she wants her mommy. At least that's what she's been crying since you walked out of the breakroom." I could barely hear Sofia over my little girl's sobs. I picked Allie up in my arms and turned back to Grissom and Ecklie, who were both sitting there with eyes like saucers and their mouths hanging open.

"I have a family emergency. Now, do I get the time off or not?"

They both continued to sit there in silence until I said, "Well, do I? One way or the other, I'm taking a few days off. It's up to you whether I bother coming back here when I'm done." I turned and walked out of Grissom's office leaving the two men with no one to stare at but each other.

Sofia followed me with her eyes for a moment before tagging along behind me toward the locker room. Allie's crying had subsided and she had her tear-stained face lying on my shoulder.

"Wait! Sara? You have a daughter?" she asked me.

"Yeah, I do. And look, no one knows about her right now. I'd like to keep it that way until I know how to tell the rest of the team."

"Yeah, uh, no problem. Was that your sister? Your nanny? Uh, what I mean to say is who's been keeping her while you work?"

I froze. Moment of truth. I'm about to come out to a coworker.

"My mama keeps me, silly." Out of the mouths of babes!

Sofia just smiled, blushed a little, and said, "Oh. Well, call me if you need anything. You do have my number, right?"

I merely nodded before grabbing my things out of my locker and walking towards my car.