Part 2

"You know one more day and I would have thought you don't want to spend time with us." Greg teased Sofia. He, Sofia, Sara, Cath, Nick and Ray had met after shift for breakfast.

"I'm sorry that it took so long."

"We're here now so it doesn't matter anymore." Sara said before Sofia has to explain why she had no time.

"Right. Coffee and breakfast, I pay. The new one."

"New old one."

"I didn't hear the word 'old', Nick."

"I didn't mean it as like you're old. I meant it like a welcome back. I hope this time you'll stay longer."

"I'm afraid I asked Ecklie to transfer me to day as soon as a spot opens up there."

"You don't want to work with us?"

"Greg, I like working with you but I don't want to work nights anymore. I didn't work it in Boulder and I have to say, I didn't miss being awake the whole night. There's something nice about sleeping around midnight."

"So is sleeping around noon."

"As I said, I'm happy to be back with you, I enjoy working with you but I'd like to work days. If I have to wait a few month for that I won't complain. I'm sure I can teach you some things, boy."

"You? You're the rookie now. Out of business for over four years, we'll have to teach you everything."

"The last two weeks showed Sofia still knows how to handle evidence." Cath said. "I think we don't have to train her. What brought you back to CSI?"

Sara threw a short look at Sofia. Of course this question had to come up, it was natural. The question was, would Sofia tell them about Ricky or would she tell them something new? So far she hadn't mentioned her son at work.

"Driving every day to Boulders takes a lot of time and a colleague of me got shot last month. I thought it's safer to be a CSI."

"Not always." Nick sighed. He had to think of his abduction, two years later it was Sara whose life was in danger and another year later Warrick got killed.

"It's safer than being a detective. I don't need this adrenalin shots anymore."

"You're involved?" Cath asked suspiciously. "Usually men don't want their woman to do dangerous jobs."

"No, I am not involved and I wouldn't let any guy make the decision what I do for a living. It's my decision, not the one of anybody else."

"And you mother hates you for that."

"She will learn to live with it. It's my life."

"If you guys go on like that Sofia will feel like a suspect." Sara said and got a thankful look from Sofia. "She's back that's all that count. I'm happy you're back again." She rose her cup of coffee. "To Sofia."

"To Sofia." Greg joined her. "And Sara. We've got you both back in a few months. I've to say that were the best decisions Ecklie had made so far."

"It was about time for him to make a good decision." Nick grinned. "He made enough wrong ones."

"I didn't hear that." Cath chuckled.

"You're not working at the moment, Cath, you're allowed to say what you think. No needs for politics."

"You never who is next to you, listen and give all the words you said to the wrong person."

"They all look fine." Nick took a look around. "And it's all true what we're saying."

"Sometimes the truth is exactly the thing the other person doesn't want to hear." Cath warned him.


"Where is my favorite guy?" Sara got down on her knees and opened her arms. Ricky let go of Sofia's hand and run to Sara. They met on a playground in the afternoon, Sara hadn't seen Ricky for a few days and Sofia had told her, her son was asking for Sara on a daily base.

"Here he is. Hey Sweetie." She hugged him and took him on her arms.

"Yes. He annoyed me the whole time. Usually it's a fight to make him wear all his clothes, he hates his jacket and the boots, but today he was about to put them on before he had eaten anything. I told him after lunch and when he's dressed up proper he can see you. There was nothing that could get him distracted from the fact you were waiting. I've to teach him how to read the clock then he can sit in front of it and stare at it."

"You wanted to see me, that's cute." Sara let Ricky back to the ground. "Go and play."

"Sara too."

"I should come with you? Okay. Let's go to the slide." Together they climbed up the stairs and glided down the slide.

"'Gain."

"Again? Okay. You'll make me fit." Sara took his hand and climbed up the stairs again. Ricky got her to repeat this two more times then Sofia stopped her son and told him to play in the sand. Both women wanted to see a huge and beautiful castle. With this order Ricky climbed in the sand and started to build a castle, with Sofia and Sara only a few yards away on bench.

"I'm sorry that he takes you over so much. He's really into you."

"I love playing with him. Thanks to Ricky I know now I can handle children."

"You're very good. I think you're ready to get your own one even if I'm not allowed to say that because my son wants your full attention."

"He'll get it, I won't get an own child."

"The husband is too far away. Don't you get special holidays? So that you can fly to France every few weeks?"

"I think my husband could come over."

"Doesn't he have to wait for holidays?"

"Yes. The last time he had a week off he went to a conference about bugs in London."

"Oh."

"That's what I said."

"I know it's not my business but I wonder about that a few weeks, now that we spend some time together. Are you happy?"

"With Grissom? With my marriage? With my life?"

"Shouldn't all these three things belong together?"

"Grissom is in Europe, my marriage is on pause and my life is in Vegas. I'm happy with my life."

"Okay." Sofia took that as an answer of her unasked question if Sara wanted to talk about Grissom. She couldn't blame her for not saying anything, Sofia herself didn't talk about things Sara had asked her of. Like Ricky's father.

"Mom! Sara! Casl!"

"You finished your castle? Good boy." Sofia got up. "That's a really nice castle. Where's my room?"

"There." Ricky pointed in the middle of the little hill of sand he had built in front of him.

"And where's your room?"

"There." He pointed on the top. "And Sara."

"Sara sleeps in your room?"

"Ya."

"You're having an affair with my son, Sara Sidle! Don't you want to ask me first if I approve your relationship?"

"I didn't know you're that old-fashioned." Sara laughed. "Ricky I think your mom wants me to have my own room. Can you build a room for me?"

"No. Sara me."

"I'm sorry Sofia, the love of your son is stronger than your wish. I've to share a room with him. I'll live on top of the castle."

"Are you two playing against me?"

"It's always against the mother, it's called rebellion. Ricky is quite early with that but you'll have to handle it."

"I might consider to separate the two of you. No more meetings."

"You won't break our hearts."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes." Sara took Ricky in her arms. "I don't give him up, not without fighting."

"Sara like." Ricky kissed Sara's cheek.

"See, it's real love."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Come on you Romeo and Juliet, time to walk back. Otherwise the big builder will fall asleep on our way back and we have to carry him."

"Come on, Ricky, let's go home." Sara let him down. He grabbed Sara's hand.

"Sara too."

"Yes Sara comes with us." Sofia said. Do you still like mommy?"

"Like mommy."

"Good." Sofia smiled. "You've got the night off, haven't you?"

"Yes. So do you."

"That's right. Shall we have dinner together?"

"I can also take care of Ricky and you go out and have some fun. I bet it had been ages that you were out the last time."

"I don't miss it. I've got time for my son, I want to spend this time with him. The time for dancing and clubbing was ten or twenty years ago, now it's time for family. After he adopted you as his new aunt, you're family and can join us for a family pizza."

"Aunt? You got that wrong, he loves me, I'm his lover not his aunt. Aunt sounds awful old and old-fashioned and not like me."

"My son isn't two years old yet, he's much too young for a lover. You've to wait another nineteen years for him. And I insist that you divorce first before you date him."

"I'll think about it. But I'm afraid in twenty years I'm much too old for him, he'll call me grandmother."

"I'll teach him some respect."

"Thanks. No, I'll flirt with your son now and when he goes to kindergarten there'll be other girls, young ones that will take my place. I'll have to cope with that."

"Poor thing." Sofia grinned.

"I know."

"Sara? Arm." Ricky stopped and held his arms up to Sara.

"One more block, Ricky." Sofia stopped his idea. "You can walk another block and I'll carry you home."

"Sara."

"Yes I'll carry you." Sara smiled. "After you made this one block. You can do it, come on, you're a big boy."

"You don't have to carry him, Sara."

"That's no problem. I like having him on my arm."

"Okay, but you'll stay for dinner? Then I'll order the pizza."

"I can do that. I'm sure I can make Ricky eat a lot of pizza."

"Yeah, one piece for you, two for him. A nice way to feed him."

"I know." Sara grinned.