There's a place in your heart to love me again
Happiness and joy you bring
When you call my name
Come on in out of the rain
ONE WEEK LATER... SAN FRANCISCO... SARA Hannah and I got off our shift to pick-up Grissom and the rest from the airport. I decided to bring Hannah's SUV since mine has car seats for kids in the back seat. She couldn't stop her babble about how excited she is on seeing her ultimate mentor. She lives by his words. And a tad bit of her slipped out something about Archie.
"Alright, we're here," I said getting off. "Their flight will be here any minute now." Hordes of CSI were roaming around the airport. All of them, in utility vests. "This is harder than I thought." But...
"Sara!" I heard a familiar female voice almost scream. "Oh my goodness, girl how are you?"
"Catherine!" we hugged. "I'm fine. You?" she smiled. The others followed on behind her. Nick stood with Grissom at the back and I gave him a small smile. Hannah cleared her throat. "Oh I'm sorry. Guys this is Hannah Valdez. Hannah, this is Catherine Willows." They exchanged hi's. "And this is Greg Sanders." He suavely offered his hand. "Warrick Brown. And... uh Nick Stokes."
"Hello Hannah," Warrick said shaking her hand. "Has Sara been good?" She just chuckled. Nick just smiled and they shook hands. Hannah held his gaze for a moment and I felt some jealousy surge through my brain so I carried on.
"And this is Archie Johnson," I said first giving him a hug. Hannah blushed furiously as her shaky hand took his.
"Hmm... Valdez? Spanish?" he asked with a smile. She was speechless.
"Filipino-Canadian. And finally, LVPD Senior CSI Dr. Gil Grissom." She just stared open-mouthed at him.
"Hello Ms. Valdez," he said politely. "I understand that you have followed my works. I am very pleased to hear such."
She silently smiled and almost whispered, "Please. Call me Hannah." We realized we were getting late so we carried on. They gathered their stuff and we all piled inside the SUV with Hannah in the back beside Archie. They were immersed in a conversation. Catherine offered to sit beside me and we chatted a while.
Half-way to the hotel, my phone rang. "Sidle. Yeah... but Hannah and I are excused. Ok, I'll ask them. Right," I pulled-up and turned to them. I can't help but laugh. Hannah was in between Greggo and Archie and she seemed to enjoy her time. "Uh guys, there's a 419 not far from here. Hannah, you have to go to the scene. But we have to drop by the lab first. Care to join us?"
Warrick smiled, "Only if your break room can accommodate all of us." I nodded all the while trying to avoid Nick's gaze. "I guess we could drop by."
"Thanks, you guys," I said going on the road again. When we reached the lab, everyone inside were excited. There were many like Hannah who followed Grissom and lived by his works. Some just want to see the Clark County, LV CSI because they were the best in the country. This is a big honor!
They were like celebrities when they got settled in our LARGE break room. Our female lab techs were gawking at Nick and Warrick. The interns and the younger ones were whispering about Greg and Archie and casting jealous looks at Hannah. The brave ones stepped up and shook hands with Catherine and Grissom. The sheriff pushed his way through and I introduced them.
"Captain, this is the Clark County, LV CSI. Their supervisor, Gil Grissom. Senior CSI, Catherine Willows. Lab technician, Archie Johnson. Junior CSIs, Warrick Brown, Greg Sanders and Nick Stokes," I said unconsciously placing my hand softly on his bicep. Our eyes met a moment and my breath hitched. I hurriedly pulled my hand away as if it was burnt. "They're here for the convention tomorrow."
He shook hands with all of them. "Welcome to San Francisco! We're very honored to have you here."
"Thank you Captain," Grissom said. I excused myself to check on the 419 case. Once inside my cold office, the wrapped my arms around me. My arms are so thin, I'm just amazed that I can carry both of my kids at one time. I still could feel the warmth of his skin. I could feel him radiating from my palms.
A knock on the door snapped me out of my reverie. "Hey, you okay?" Hannah smiled. She sat down in front of me and continued, "So that's Nick Stokes." I nodded. "Why the hell did you not tell me he's that hot? I mean he looked so sizzling on pic but in person? Sara, come on!" I gave her one of my glares. "Okay, okay. I know I sound like a teenager but hello. What happened between you two?"
I shifted on my seat. I don't really talk about my personal life around my work place. But Hannah's my friend and she deserves to know. "Well, things didn't work out the way we both planned it. A CSI from California, I think doesn't go well with a CSI from Texas."
"But he's Sammy and Nicky's dad, right?" she asked. "Does he know? When are you going to tell them, if ever he doesn't know?"
I sighed. "Yes... No and eventually," I answered silently. "I don't think any of us are ready for the truth. Me, especially. I mean, Nick is... was... no, still is the one I love. But there many things that complicate what I have now. Work, our past, the twins, him, me!"
"Whatever you choose, Sara. I'll be here for anything," she said. "I have to go, I'll take this case so you'll be free to take them around. You go and use my car. You don't want them to sit on baby seats." She started to go out but immediately said, "Make me sound good for Archie, okay?" I chuckled at her. Yes, he's her type anyway.
I met back with them a few moments later, sipping on some coffee. Greg was commenting on how he should've brought along some of his own. "Hey guys. Tired?" Greg just gave me an exaggerated yawn. "Okay, I'll drive you to your hotels then you can rest."
"No, no!" Warrick smiled. "We were just joking. You owe us some catching up."
"Yeah, you owe us your annual meal out," Catherine smiled. "Three years without the vegetarian health food of Sara Sidle is long enough for us to miss it." They all stood up and followed me out the door.
As we reached the SUV, I said to Catherine and Warrick, "I'm sorry to burst your bubbles but I'm not a vegan anymore. I don't want them to miss out on protein." They just grinned for they realized who 'they' are.
But what came next, I didn't expect. Nick said behind me, "Who's 'they'? I'm pretty sure that Hannah is a vegan. You do rub off." I met with his eyes and gave him a hesitant smile.
Grissom, the boss that he is, ordered us to hurry up and pile into the car. "It's getting warm, if you don't mind." So we did with Cath still beside me. Oh, I could just thank Grissom for getting me out of that. "So, Sara... what made you give up being a vegan?" I take it back.
ringring And I thank my phone, "Excuse me... Sidle?"
"Hi Mommy!" Sammy's bubbly voice burst from the other end. Is there anyone to thank? "Nicky and I just want to know if you're okay. Are they there with you?" "Uh..." I looked at Cath and mouthed, "Sammy." She gave me a big smile and winked at the others. Good thing Archie's getting Nick busy in the backseat. "Yeah, they're with me. All of them. You okay?" I hated sounding so professional... it's my daughter. She chuckled back. "Say... this is a bad time. I'll just see you later."
"Aw, call me..." she whined. I laughed. We said goodbye and hung up. The ride to the hotel was pretty silent except for the radio and our short conversations. I'll have to prepare myself for the long one later.
"We're here," I announced. They all got out and carried their overnight bags and let the bellboys take care of their luggage. The PD reserved them a suite with 3 bedrooms. Kind of like a condominium unit. Nick and Warrick took one as well as Archie and Greg. There's no question who paired up with Grissom. Maybe I can play matchmaker after all. Back in the car, with the intent of my promised luncheon, I almost slipped when Archie said they would all want to eat in a diner. Nicky, Sammy and I eat at this one pizza/pasta place all the time.
We crammed into a corner booth, like we used to and ordered up. I sat between the younger guys. Then we started talking... about me being a Lead CSI, high-profile cases, their cases, how the lab changed after I left and such... anything but my social life. Grissom even pried open the reason why I quit being a vegan. I just told him I got fed up and over the pig thing. When the food arrived, Archie started asking me questions about Hannah... which is a good thing. He's interested, she's interested as well. They have 10 days to get to know each other. As promised, I made her sound good to his ears.
"Let's see," I started, "Hannah Lisa Valdez. She's 27, CSI2, graduated at UC Berkley and she started in DNA just like Greg. She's pretty responsible and very reliable. She's um... half-Filipino half-Canadian. She knows four languages. And hey, she's single." He smiled AND blushed. "A HUGE fan of you, Grissom! She was so floored when she knew I was your student and colleague at LV. She rained me with questions about the stuff you work on and how you work."
"How about you?" Nick suddenly said. "You still single?" We all silenced and I just nodded. He also nodded in understanding. The tension in the air was so thick that you can cut it with a knife. He who started it, also lightened up the mood. "Y'all, where do you plan to take us after the convention? We're with'ya for a week."
I seemed like nothing happened. I was like I was back in Vegas and we all just finished a big case and it was Archie's turn for breakfast. After lunch, they decided to rest. And I have to go back to the lab. I drove them back to the hotel and we exchanged goodbyes. Archie shyly asked for Hannah's number which I confidently gave. In the elevator, Nick took the chance to brush against my side and take my hand for a second. If only I wasn't that scared to let the moment last.
ONE WEEK LATER... SAN FRANCISCO... SARA Hannah and I got off our shift to pick-up Grissom and the rest from the airport. I decided to bring Hannah's SUV since mine has car seats for kids in the back seat. She couldn't stop her babble about how excited she is on seeing her ultimate mentor. She lives by his words. And a tad bit of her slipped out something about Archie.
"Alright, we're here," I said getting off. "Their flight will be here any minute now." Hordes of CSI were roaming around the airport. All of them, in utility vests. "This is harder than I thought." But...
"Sara!" I heard a familiar female voice almost scream. "Oh my goodness, girl how are you?"
"Catherine!" we hugged. "I'm fine. You?" she smiled. The others followed on behind her. Nick stood with Grissom at the back and I gave him a small smile. Hannah cleared her throat. "Oh I'm sorry. Guys this is Hannah Valdez. Hannah, this is Catherine Willows." They exchanged hi's. "And this is Greg Sanders." He suavely offered his hand. "Warrick Brown. And... uh Nick Stokes."
"Hello Hannah," Warrick said shaking her hand. "Has Sara been good?" She just chuckled. Nick just smiled and they shook hands. Hannah held his gaze for a moment and I felt some jealousy surge through my brain so I carried on.
"And this is Archie Johnson," I said first giving him a hug. Hannah blushed furiously as her shaky hand took his.
"Hmm... Valdez? Spanish?" he asked with a smile. She was speechless.
"Filipino-Canadian. And finally, LVPD Senior CSI Dr. Gil Grissom." She just stared open-mouthed at him.
"Hello Ms. Valdez," he said politely. "I understand that you have followed my works. I am very pleased to hear such."
She silently smiled and almost whispered, "Please. Call me Hannah." We realized we were getting late so we carried on. They gathered their stuff and we all piled inside the SUV with Hannah in the back beside Archie. They were immersed in a conversation. Catherine offered to sit beside me and we chatted a while.
Half-way to the hotel, my phone rang. "Sidle. Yeah... but Hannah and I are excused. Ok, I'll ask them. Right," I pulled-up and turned to them. I can't help but laugh. Hannah was in between Greggo and Archie and she seemed to enjoy her time. "Uh guys, there's a 419 not far from here. Hannah, you have to go to the scene. But we have to drop by the lab first. Care to join us?"
Warrick smiled, "Only if your break room can accommodate all of us." I nodded all the while trying to avoid Nick's gaze. "I guess we could drop by."
"Thanks, you guys," I said going on the road again. When we reached the lab, everyone inside were excited. There were many like Hannah who followed Grissom and lived by his works. Some just want to see the Clark County, LV CSI because they were the best in the country. This is a big honor!
They were like celebrities when they got settled in our LARGE break room. Our female lab techs were gawking at Nick and Warrick. The interns and the younger ones were whispering about Greg and Archie and casting jealous looks at Hannah. The brave ones stepped up and shook hands with Catherine and Grissom. The sheriff pushed his way through and I introduced them.
"Captain, this is the Clark County, LV CSI. Their supervisor, Gil Grissom. Senior CSI, Catherine Willows. Lab technician, Archie Johnson. Junior CSIs, Warrick Brown, Greg Sanders and Nick Stokes," I said unconsciously placing my hand softly on his bicep. Our eyes met a moment and my breath hitched. I hurriedly pulled my hand away as if it was burnt. "They're here for the convention tomorrow."
He shook hands with all of them. "Welcome to San Francisco! We're very honored to have you here."
"Thank you Captain," Grissom said. I excused myself to check on the 419 case. Once inside my cold office, the wrapped my arms around me. My arms are so thin, I'm just amazed that I can carry both of my kids at one time. I still could feel the warmth of his skin. I could feel him radiating from my palms.
A knock on the door snapped me out of my reverie. "Hey, you okay?" Hannah smiled. She sat down in front of me and continued, "So that's Nick Stokes." I nodded. "Why the hell did you not tell me he's that hot? I mean he looked so sizzling on pic but in person? Sara, come on!" I gave her one of my glares. "Okay, okay. I know I sound like a teenager but hello. What happened between you two?"
I shifted on my seat. I don't really talk about my personal life around my work place. But Hannah's my friend and she deserves to know. "Well, things didn't work out the way we both planned it. A CSI from California, I think doesn't go well with a CSI from Texas."
"But he's Sammy and Nicky's dad, right?" she asked. "Does he know? When are you going to tell them, if ever he doesn't know?"
I sighed. "Yes... No and eventually," I answered silently. "I don't think any of us are ready for the truth. Me, especially. I mean, Nick is... was... no, still is the one I love. But there many things that complicate what I have now. Work, our past, the twins, him, me!"
"Whatever you choose, Sara. I'll be here for anything," she said. "I have to go, I'll take this case so you'll be free to take them around. You go and use my car. You don't want them to sit on baby seats." She started to go out but immediately said, "Make me sound good for Archie, okay?" I chuckled at her. Yes, he's her type anyway.
I met back with them a few moments later, sipping on some coffee. Greg was commenting on how he should've brought along some of his own. "Hey guys. Tired?" Greg just gave me an exaggerated yawn. "Okay, I'll drive you to your hotels then you can rest."
"No, no!" Warrick smiled. "We were just joking. You owe us some catching up."
"Yeah, you owe us your annual meal out," Catherine smiled. "Three years without the vegetarian health food of Sara Sidle is long enough for us to miss it." They all stood up and followed me out the door.
As we reached the SUV, I said to Catherine and Warrick, "I'm sorry to burst your bubbles but I'm not a vegan anymore. I don't want them to miss out on protein." They just grinned for they realized who 'they' are.
But what came next, I didn't expect. Nick said behind me, "Who's 'they'? I'm pretty sure that Hannah is a vegan. You do rub off." I met with his eyes and gave him a hesitant smile.
Grissom, the boss that he is, ordered us to hurry up and pile into the car. "It's getting warm, if you don't mind." So we did with Cath still beside me. Oh, I could just thank Grissom for getting me out of that. "So, Sara... what made you give up being a vegan?" I take it back.
ringring And I thank my phone, "Excuse me... Sidle?"
"Hi Mommy!" Sammy's bubbly voice burst from the other end. Is there anyone to thank? "Nicky and I just want to know if you're okay. Are they there with you?" "Uh..." I looked at Cath and mouthed, "Sammy." She gave me a big smile and winked at the others. Good thing Archie's getting Nick busy in the backseat. "Yeah, they're with me. All of them. You okay?" I hated sounding so professional... it's my daughter. She chuckled back. "Say... this is a bad time. I'll just see you later."
"Aw, call me..." she whined. I laughed. We said goodbye and hung up. The ride to the hotel was pretty silent except for the radio and our short conversations. I'll have to prepare myself for the long one later.
"We're here," I announced. They all got out and carried their overnight bags and let the bellboys take care of their luggage. The PD reserved them a suite with 3 bedrooms. Kind of like a condominium unit. Nick and Warrick took one as well as Archie and Greg. There's no question who paired up with Grissom. Maybe I can play matchmaker after all. Back in the car, with the intent of my promised luncheon, I almost slipped when Archie said they would all want to eat in a diner. Nicky, Sammy and I eat at this one pizza/pasta place all the time.
We crammed into a corner booth, like we used to and ordered up. I sat between the younger guys. Then we started talking... about me being a Lead CSI, high-profile cases, their cases, how the lab changed after I left and such... anything but my social life. Grissom even pried open the reason why I quit being a vegan. I just told him I got fed up and over the pig thing. When the food arrived, Archie started asking me questions about Hannah... which is a good thing. He's interested, she's interested as well. They have 10 days to get to know each other. As promised, I made her sound good to his ears.
"Let's see," I started, "Hannah Lisa Valdez. She's 27, CSI2, graduated at UC Berkley and she started in DNA just like Greg. She's pretty responsible and very reliable. She's um... half-Filipino half-Canadian. She knows four languages. And hey, she's single." He smiled AND blushed. "A HUGE fan of you, Grissom! She was so floored when she knew I was your student and colleague at LV. She rained me with questions about the stuff you work on and how you work."
"How about you?" Nick suddenly said. "You still single?" We all silenced and I just nodded. He also nodded in understanding. The tension in the air was so thick that you can cut it with a knife. He who started it, also lightened up the mood. "Y'all, where do you plan to take us after the convention? We're with'ya for a week."
I seemed like nothing happened. I was like I was back in Vegas and we all just finished a big case and it was Archie's turn for breakfast. After lunch, they decided to rest. And I have to go back to the lab. I drove them back to the hotel and we exchanged goodbyes. Archie shyly asked for Hannah's number which I confidently gave. In the elevator, Nick took the chance to brush against my side and take my hand for a second. If only I wasn't that scared to let the moment last.