"Are you in a witness protection program?" It was the only explanation that made sense to Sara. A faked funeral, a faked death, a new name, a new life.

"I was." Sofia gave up. She had tried to make Sara believe in Evi, tried to talk her into leaving the thought of Sofia alone, accepting the blonde detective from Las Vegas was dead. It didn't work out. The brunette was convinced she was Sofia and not Evangeline from England. She didn't believe the lies Sofia built up so carefully, tried to keep up all the time.

"And now?`"

"Now I'm…I'm Evi."

"Who knows Evi is Sofia?"

"You." It felt strange to admit to the truth. Sofia sighed. She had tried to keep her new life the only life, hoped Sara hadn't recognized her, tried to act so hard not like herself…too hard?

"Your parents…?"

"Think I'm dead. The FBI got me into witness protection, I cooperated with them, got my new ID and a new life. Four months later they found a body burnt beyond recognition in a car that was registered to my new ID. I died for them as well. You're the only one…who knows Sofia Curtis does still exist."

"We keep it this way." Sara pulled Sofia into her arms. "You've no idea how happy I am you're alive. It's so good to see you."

"Thanks. Especially for keeping it to yourself."

"Of course. I like your accent, very convincing."

"Like you said, my grandmother was from England, I spent most of my childhood and teenager time with her, it's not difficult to speak in British English, using the Queen's English. Only when your former and now again colleagues makes the decision to have a swim in ice cold water and you have to check if she's really alive, pretending to be somebody else isn't that important anymore."

"I'm fine. I think. Got a headache."

"Why don't I give you some pain killer and some more tea? Are you hungry?"

"I should be, I haven't eaten all day."

"A sandwich? Vegetarian with a lot of salad? Egg, cheese?"

"Sounds great."

"Good. You stay in bed and I fix dinner…and send a message over that everything is fine. We don't want them to know what happened, do we?"

"No." Sara smiled.

"Thought so. And am I right you'll stay here longer anyway? I saw your bag."

"Bruce wants me to stay as long as the groups are in. As a punishment for you to go after the bear. Sorry for that."

"It's all right."

"I thought you don't want anybody here."

"You know the truth, there's no point in sending you away, I can relax with you around, don't have to make sure I'm Evi. When Sofia comes through you know it, I don't have to explain myself."

"Am I supposed to call you Evi when we're alone?"

"Can you switch to Evi when somebody is around or will it confuse you?"

"Hey, I pretended for years Grissom and me are nothing more than colleagues."

"Yeah…" There were some questions on Sofia's mind about Sara and Grissom, if they were still together or if her being here meant, they broke up. Questions, she might ask some other time, today wasn't a day for them. "The first case after you got sent to another shift got me killed. You know, I remembered a few times your words when we were in the car to see Moreno the first time. You told me you have a bad feeling about the case. I never thought you could be so right."

"Sometimes we've to rely on our feelings. Like when they tell you, the British lady is a smug Vegas cop in reality. Okay, I saw a blonde with long hair and blue eyes…was a little bit wrong there."

"No, not at all." Sofia grabbed her short hair and pulled it off. Long blond hair appeared and fell softly over her shoulders.

"Wow." Now Sofia looked like Sofia. At least from where Sara was.

"I like my long blond hair and there was no way I could cut it. The wig is the solution for the day, in the evening when I'm all alone in my hut I can have my blonde hair."

"And your blue eyes?"

"Yes. Want to see them?"

"Of course. Sofia Curtis isn't complete without her deep blue eyes."

"I didn't know you like my eyes so much." Sofia grinned. "Give me a second, I just finish our sandwiches."

"Shall I…"

"You stay where you are."

"Okay."

"There's a reason why I packed everything I have on you, you need warmth. Finish your vegetable stock so I can give you some more. It's good for you, like chicken soup only easier to make."

"All right, mum."

"Don't make fun of the British English."

"Bruce calls you a Pome."

"I know. Means I'm good, everybody believes Evi is real." Sofia put a plate with two sandwiches in front of Sara, vanished for a moment in another room and came back. With blue eyes. "Better?"

"Much better." Sara smiled. "The real Sofia."

"Did you miss the real Sofia?"

"No, we were all glad when you were dead."

"Sure."

"Did you watch your own funeral?"

"No. When you buried the empty casket I was in Florida. It wasn't safe to be around, I'm sure some of Moreno's people were around. Plus I couldn't bear to see my parents and friends cry. It's not like I made the decision easy. I had preferred to stay "alive" and keep everything how it was. The problem was, the FBI and I were sure, the mob would continue to send their hitman to kill me until they succeeded and sooner or later they would have. It was the only way to stay alive.

There's no day I wish I could fly to Vegas, see my parents, tell them I'm fine and they don't have to grief for me anymore."

"I think so." Sara took Sofia's hand. "I left soon after your …the funeral…but I know from Greg they still think of you, miss you. You're not forgotten."

"Makes it not easier to stay. I wonder every day if I should risk and go back, we have most of them in prison. Then again, it's a big family, some are still free and wouldn't hesitate to get somebody after me. I'm better off here."

"How did you end up here?"

"I thought of a place nobody would look for me. Alaska. After I got my really good copy of a British passport, I got an also very good fake of a CV which qualified me for this job. I used my lab skills and was sure, it was the safest place on earth…and then your voice suddenly appeared and I thought, my life is at risk."

"Do you really believed I'd tell anybody about you?"

"Well, if we had met with somebody around, like with Kevin the other day, and you realized it's Sofia and not Evi, it could have ended badly. Blew my whole cover."

"Even if I had been sure at that time you're not Evi, I had asked you in private why you pretend to be somebody else."

"It was a risk. Still is."

"Do you really think I tell somebody who you are? Who Evi really is?" Sara looked straight into Sofia's eyes.

"No."

"Good. Because I won't. I promise."

"My life is in your hands, Sara. As much as I want to trust you, believe you, I don't feel comfortable."

"I understand that. At the moment I've no idea how to make you trust, believe me. The only thing I can think of is that I can prove it to you the next weeks…months…you won't just vanish, will you? Get a new passport and start a new life somewhere. You did it once, made the FBI believe you're dead. You can do the same with me."

"No. You know I'm alive."

"So did they."

"I'm tired of running away. No more faked deaths. You promise you keep my secret, I trust you. If for whatever reasons somebody finds out the truth I can run…again. Hopefully it will never happen."

"No, you stay and we work together – again. Which takes me to my next question: where am I supposed to sleep? Bruce sent me over, there must be some place to stay."

"You stay exactly where you are. There is a sofa in the other hut, that can be used as a bed. It's not an option now, it's too cold and you have to stay as warm as possible. Right now you might feel good, it can change. You've been in freezing cold water for one or two minutes."

"It's your bed."

"For tonight it's yours."

"You can't sleep in the cold place either."

"It won't kill me. Or I stay in here."

"Where?" Sara had a look around. There were four chairs, a table, no armchair, no sofa. "Don't tell me you wanna sleep sitting on a chair."

"I slept on worse places."

"If you want me to stay here, you will sleep in your bed too. It's a king size bed, there's enough space for both of us and I won't let you sleep on the floor or a chair. Otherwise I will get up and sleep in the other hut. Or in the sled if I have to."

"Still stubborn, still up for a fight. Some things never change." Sofia smiled softly.

"Well Miss Curtis, nobody said it would be easy."

"No. Nothing is easy."

Sara cocked her head. "Do you have any movies on your laptop?"

"Yes, why?"

"Get your laptop, get something to drink and we'll have an easy movie night. Or do you have work left to do?"

"No. All I…or we have to do is send the mail at ten. Do you want to do that?"

"Sure, I can tell them Evi and me are fine, we go along and had a good time together so far. Are we going to chase a big white polar bear tomorrow?"

"Yes we are." Sofia grinned. Together they shouldn't have any problems to get the bear. If Sara was all right. If there were any signs she might have problems, Sofia wouldn't hesitate and get her to a doctor ASAP.

"This is so weird." Sofia closed the bathroom door behind herself. Not only did she have a visitor, no, this person knew about her, knew who she really was. Knew her before her new passport made her to somebody else. No, this person was in her bed.

"What?"

"All of this. You in my bed, you knowing who Evi really is, we meeting here, working the same job. Don't you think it's weird? Very strange?"

Sara thought about it for a few seconds, giving Sofia time to get into the bed. "Yeah, it is. In a good way. Nice coin-cidences." She pulled Sofia in her arms. "I said it already and I'll say it again: I'm really happy you're alive, Sofia. Really, really happy."

"Thanks. So am I. How do you feel?"

"All right. Warm actually after you made me drink all these hot drinks, forced me into staying under all these blankets."

"Good. I forgot to check your temperature but you feel normal. Anyway, I'll check it tomorrow morning to make sure, you're really okay."

"Oh come on."

"I won't argue on that one, Sara."

For a second Sara was about to tease Sofia, if she didn't leave her alone she'd call her by her real name when they were with somebody else. A stupid idea. This wasn't a topic to tease, for Sofia it was something that could make the difference between being alive and killed.

"No arguing, deal. But if my temperature is normal we go out and have a look for the bear together?"

"Yes."

"And you show me everything I need to know about the work here?"

"Not everything, we start with one part and continue the day after tomorrow. You stay here a few days, no need to rush."

"Would you like me to stay here more often?"

"Lets take it this way: if Bruce really insists on me having somebody over all the time, it would be you."

"If our boss doesn't force you, you don't want to have me over."

"On one side it's nice having somebody here, on the other side…the last years close contact to somebody meant, I'm at risk to blow my cover. You already blew it, insisting Evi is Sofia, seeing the little mistakes I make. Means there are already one hundred percent more people who know about me than I wanted them to know.

Sooner or later he will send somebody here…how long will you stay?"

"I've a contract for six months."

"He likes you, he'll let you stay longer."

"Maybe."

"Would you agree?"

"I found out I'm not the biggest fan of the cold weather. Then again I've nowhere else to go, I don't want to be a CSI…at the moment? Anymore? At all? Don't know."

"Do you like what you're doing now?"

"Yes. If I don't fall into the water I enjoy my time here. Or fall on my head."

"You fell on your head?"

"Yeah, while I practiced to drive a sled."

"Ouch."

"It was painful, Ryan carried me into my hut, he was really carrying."

"He's a cutie. And he likes you."

"I like him too."

"Is there something I should know?" Sofia grinned.

"Like the fact you have something between your teeth, Evi?" The brunette shot back amused.

"I do?"

"Maybe."

"If you make me get up, walk to the bathroom and get cold feet for nothing…I'll warm my cold feet on your legs, Sara Sidle. Think of your answer: do I have something between my teeth?"

"No."

"Good. So, you and Ryan? Isn't he a little bit too young for you?"

"He's just a friend."

"Who caries you home."

"So did you."

"It's more like I pulled you home."

"You saved my life: again."

"The detective takes care of her CSI."

"You're not a detective and I'm not a CSI anymore." Sara smiled and put her head on Sofia's shoulder. "Which isn't that bad anymore because now I can work with you again. I missed our time together, the cases…I should shut up, it's not like you had a choice and you surely miss it more than I do because you had no choice. Sorry to get the past back in your mind."

"It's on my mind anyway. And it's nice to hear you enjoyed our time…after a few years."

"Oh come on…I know I was bad at the beginning but after that…I got better and we worked a lot of cases together."

"It was a good time and if I'd be still a detective I missed you. So we should be happy we're both here and can work together."

"Yeah…Greg will come here to see me at some point in the future…I better not get him here."

"No." Sofia sighed. "It's too dangerous. I'd really like to see him but…no, I can't do it. It's like letting my parents know I'm fine. I thought of asking you to pass them a note when you go to Vegas the next time. Or anywhere else. The risk the note gets traced back to me is too big. Sofia Curtis has to stay dead."

"Most times."

"She can be alive for you when we're here alone, the rest of the time and for everybody else she has to be dead. And Evangeline will never go anywhere near Las Vegas. She'll stay here or go back to England."

"Stay here, I'd like to spend some time with her alter ego and I don't know if I can work in England."

"You're a good CSI, you can work there. Or let this organization send you there."

"Maybe…when I have enough of the cold…we could go to Australia and save some whales…"

"We?" Sofia laughed. What made Sara think she wanted to go somewhere with her?

"Yes, we. I can help to keep your cover up."

"Why don't we stay here for a while and see what happens then. Maybe you don't wanna spend time with me anymore after your six months."

"Could be…although I can't imagine it…I'm way too happy to have you back. Which is a little shock for myself. I didn't realize I missed you that much…missed a smug and arrogant bitch…ouch…"

"You have to learn when to stop so your compliments stay compliments and don't become nasty. Nasty comments end up in pain too often."

"The truth hurts sometimes."

"You better sleep now."

"I should. It's late and we've to get up early, let them know we're okay." Sara yawned. "Sleep tight."

"You too. If there's anything unusual, anything that points out you might have some problems due to the fall and the water, wake me up, okay?"

"Okay."