"You're done?" Steve came to Sara's desk. It was seven in the morning, they had worked the whole on the case.
"One minute."
"Perfect. Let's have breakfast."
"Am I under your personal surveillance or do you try to feed me?" Not that she would mind, she just wanted to know.
"Usually I'd say: First I feed you and than I'll eat you but that won't happen with you. So I'll just feed you and leave the eat part to somebody else." He stroke his hand over her back, gave her a quick massage on the shoulder. If he goes on with that Sara would sit at her desk for another few minutes. It felt good to have his hands massage away the tensions. She closed her eyes and concentrate on her breathing.
"You're flirting."
"I like to flirt. So far you never seemed to mind."
"No, I don't." Sara closed her file. A few more seconds and she'd stay here as long as Steve gave her the massage. "Okay, let's go. Does Sofia come with us?"
"We'll ask her. I was here, talking to Cath because of the robbery when I had the idea to have Breakfast with you. I'm sure Sofia will join us." Steve put his arm casually around Sara's waist. Sara raised an eyebrow. If Cath saw that she'd annoy her next evening even more about her and Steve. The perfect picture for her gossip.
"We're not in a club."
"I know, doesn't matter, we're off duty."
"You'll produce rumors we've got an affair."
"No, we'll produce them. Feel free to tell them the truth." He gave her a cocky smile and pulled her closer.
"I tried. Cath thinks we've got an affair. I couldn't convince her that this isn't true."
"Did you tell her more?" He smiled.
"No. Not her business."
"That's why she doesn't believe you…or if I think about it, she wouldn't believe you if you tell her everything. Too unlikely." He also didn't believe it when Sofia told him, she was in Sara's bed.
"I know." Sara chuckled. It was difficult for her to believe it all the time. But it was one of the few cases when reality was better than fantasy.
"I'd like to talk to you."
These words were fatal for Sofia. She knew it when she heard them. Said were these words by the woman who called herself Sara's mother. What was this woman doing here? What did she want from Sofia?
"Did a crime happen to you?" Yeah, that was good, she had to try to stay business like.
"I heard you saying you want to look for my daughter…I'd like to talk about Sara with you. It looks like you're friends."
"Does Sara know that you're here?"
"No."
"Did you ask her if it's alright that we talk?"
"No."
In that case Sofia's answer was easy. "I won't talk to you without her permission."
"Do you ask her for her permission when you talk to everybody?"
"This is about her, it's about her private life. She isn't a suspect, she isn't a dead victim. If she's all right with me talking to you, we can talk. Otherwise I won't talk to you about Sara."
"You know she won't give you her permission."
"I don't think so." As much as Sofia had heard from Sara about this woman, she wasn't likely to agree that Sofia talked to her.
"Means there's no point in talking to you about her."
"No."
"Is that your last word?"
"Yes." Sofia wanted Sara to talk to this woman. It made no sense if she talked to her, that would only bring trouble in Sofia's and Sara's relationship.
"Hey Sofia, do you want to join us for…" Sara stopped in the middle of her sentence when she saw the woman in front of Sofia's desk.
"…breakfast."
"I'd join you."
"I don't have breakfast with strangers."
"I'm not a stranger, Sara, I'm you mother."
"My mother died."
"I'm alive."
"You're not my mother. And I don't have breakfast with liar either."
"I'm not lying."
"Sure." Sara felt Steve's arm around her, holding her closer to give her some support. On one hand she didn't want his arm there, that made her look weak, on the other side, she was thankful that he was there.
"Sara…" The strange woman tried again.
"Sofia, do you join us? Now?"
"Give me a minute, okay?" Sofia begged Sara would know that she didn't and won't do anything Sara didn't want her to do. She hoped Sara would see it in her eyes.
"We'll wait for you in the diner." Steve pulled Sara softly out of the office.
"I think it was obvious." Sofia closed her files.
"She's my daughter."
"I've no idea if you're telling the truth or not…"
"You're not a scientist, she's a scientist, she can do a DNA test and she'll see I'm not lying."
"I used to be a csi, I know that she could do that."
"You could do that and show her I'm not lying."
"Doing that without telling is like betraying her. I won't do that. I tell you what you can do if you're telling the truth and want her to talk to you. Leave your card at her desk. She'll throw it away, I know. But leave it there. Leave one with her supervisor Grissom and one with me. This way Grissom and me know how to reach you if she changes her mind. And then leave. The more you try to force yourself into her life, the more she'll block you, withdrawal from you. Give her time, let her make the next step. Otherwise you'll lose her before you ever had the chance to get into her life." It was the best she could give the woman.
"Do you know her long?"
"No, but I think I know her better than most people who know her for a long time."
The woman looked at Sofia for a few seconds, then got a card out of her pockets.
"Take this one, I'll put one on her desk and will give one to her supervisor. Thank you."
"You're welcome." And Sofia hoped she wouldn't be in trouble for this.
"What did this woman want from you?" Sofia knew that would be the first thing Sara wanted to know when she was in the diner. And she was right. The blonde didn't really sit when Sara's question hit her.
"She wanted to talk to me about you." Sofia put her hand on Saras and was happy when the brunette didn't pull her hand away.
"What did you tell her?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"I told her if she wants to talk with me about you, I need your permission. It's your life, it's private I won't talk to her about this without you or your permission. Your reaction in my office made it clear, you don't want me to talk to her."
"And she didn't try?"
"She tried and gave up. I can be stubborn too."
"Thanks…what do you mean with stubborn too?" Sara furrowed her eyebrows. She had heard that hint.
"Nothing, honey." Sofia smirked.
"Do you think I'm stubborn?" No, Sofia didn't think that, she KNEW that.
"Yes!" She wouldn't lie to Sara. Not even when she asked her things like this. And it was a good way to get Sara's attention away from the woman.
"Why did she give up so quickly?"
"I told her to leave you alone, to leave a card. This way you can make some contact if you want. And if you don't want, she has to accept that."
"I hope she got that and will leave my life."
"You can tell the guards not to let her in the lab anymore." Steve said.
"I was thinking of this."
"She should be gone now. You'll be safe in the lab." Sofia stroked Sara's hand with her finger. A little symbol that worked. Sara relaxed.
"I'm sorry that she bothered you and that I was…not that trustful as I should be. Steve tried to whole time to calm me down by telling me, you'd never do anything I don't want. I should know that without anybody telling me."
"Consider this as a fight, what means, we have to kiss and make up." Sofia smiled.
"Okay." Sara had to laugh. And then she moved quickly closer to Sofia and kissed her cheek. "Consider this as a commission."
"I want the rest later and you can add some interest."
"Deal."
"I love watching you, you're so cute." Steve grinned.
"Shut up, baby brother."
"No, really. Seeing you is like watching a perfect couple."
"We're far away from being a perfect couple." Sara said.
"You're on the way to it. Give yourselves a few more weeks and you'll be there. You, my lovely sis-in-law, have to learn to trust Sofia and open yourself up to her. And you, my dear big sis, you have to learn to give Sara some freedom and have to be patience."
"Are we taking advice from a guy who's divorced and has every weekend another woman in his bed?" Sofia asked Sara skeptical.
"I don't. Do you?"
"No."
"That's why you should listen to me, I know how NOT to do it. And I'm not made for long time relationships. I found that out in a very painful way. You can learn from my mistakes and don't have to make the same ones. I offer help for free. Like Ophra."
"Ophra?" Sofia started laughing. "Oh Steve, you're one of a kind. I'm so happy that you moved to Las Vegas. I've no idea where my entertainment was when you were in Los Angeles. You're definitely…you're my brother."
"Means?" Steve grinned.
"That means…" Sofia tried to think of the right words.
"…depends on who you're asking. According to some people in the lab, you've got both great DNA. Of course I'd never reduce you on that."
"No, you wouldn't." Sofia laughed. "You weren't interested in him because he's Mister Boombastic."
Sara felt how her face got red. Why did Sofia say that? Sara wanted to strangle her.
"I knew it." Sofia knew her girlfriend was embarrassed now.
"Wasn't this guy made of plasticine?" Steve wondered.
"Maybe. I can only remember he rescued this girl by putting down his pants."
"You want me to do the same for you, Sara? I'd do that."
"Shut up, baby brother. Keep your hands of my girl."
"I never fought with my big sis for a girl…could be interesting…but I think for now I'll back off and try to find an answer to my question." He got his cell out of his pocket.
"I think my brother was coming after you for a second or two." Sofia took Sara's hand.
"I think so too. Don't worry, he can try as much as he want, he won't have any success. I prefer the ice blue eyes and the long term relationship. He can have Cath, she'll be happy to play with him again."
"Hah, I knew it. Plasticine." He pushed his cell over to the two women. "I love the internet, it answers all your questions."
Sara and Sofia took a look at the screen of Steve's cell. The old advertisement of the jeans with the song was playing g in front of their eyes. Chuckling and laughing they watched it.
"I was thinking to let my hair grow. Shall I get this Elvis style haircut? Would that make me sexy? And I get a bike, buy me a pair of these jeans and all blond women on top of a burning house will be mine. The real Mister Boombastic."
"Oh Sofia, you know what I really like about your brother? He can laugh about himself."
"Yeah that's why I keep him in my apartment. He's entertaining. Hey, there was this other ad, for the same jeans, with this sexy guy that jumped into the river, I think. Let's see if we find that one too. I loved it." Sofia started to play with Steve's cell.
"The song was cool…they had a lot of cool songs." Steve said.
"I've got it." Sofia smiled.
"That looks like Yosemite." Sara guessed. The rocks reminded her of the photos she had seen of the famous national park.
"Wow! I'd stare too." And Sofia stared at the little screen. "Why can't I see somebody like that when I go for a walk? All I see are drunken bastards who ask for some change."
"Honey, I sit next to you." Sara reminded her with a sugar sweet voice.
"You'd stop and stare with me, be honest."
"Yes, I would."
"Aren't there any ads with hot chicks and cool music?"
"Not that I can remember."
"No, I can also only remember the hot guys." Sofia grinned and gave the cell back to Steve.
"You, my beautiful brunette, can't tell me that you never had a girl before my sis and you, my dearest sis, I know one girl who shared your bed and two you had a crush on. So please, ladies, don't pretend to be anything you're not."
"How often have you been interested in guys?"
"Beside a football player for his skills? None. Women are too sexy. Bruce Willis was a cool guy, so was Jean-Claude van Damme. But they weren't sexy."
"You'll never bring a guy home? How boring." Sofia grinned.
"I'm man enough for your apartment. Having a blonde and a brunette in there, I've to get a redhead. Or a black one. What would you prefer?"
"One you keep for a few months."
"One woman for a few months? Not my cup of tea. Not even your girlfriend…or let me think about that again…"
"If try again to hit on my girlfriend I'll kick you out of the apartment and let you kick out of the department so that you have to leave the city." Sofia's eyes became small and angry.
"She's territorial."
"Stop teasing her or it was the last time that I have breakfast with you. Dancing in clubs will be something of the past too." Sara warned him.
"Well, it's nice to know you're both serious with each other. If I get some trouble to find that out, it's worth it." He cocked his head. All he wanted to know was how serious both women were with their relationship and it looked like they took it very serious. That was all he needed to know.