Foretold by SLynn
Summary: A woman walks into the crime lab only to tell Greg Sanders about her murder, a murder he's going to solve. Is she just playing games or is it something more?
Spoilers: Through 'Gum Drops'
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I'm just borrowing and will return them all when I'm done, virtually untouched.
READ ME: I wrote two endings, which is in part why this took so long. Chapter 30i is the original, it's the one I feel really does end this story, and it's also the one I think that people will like the least. Chapter 30ii is the ending I had hoped to write, the one I didn't think up until I was done with 30i and is also Tripp3235 and RivenSky's (thank you ladies!) favorite of the two. I completely feel like I'm copping out by not just posting 30i, but the two kind of complement each other. My hope is that anyone still reading will read them both. That's it except for thanks!
"If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story."
Orson Wells
Chapter 30: Ending I
"I got the pictures," Sara said into her phone, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "She's beautiful."
Sara listened as Jake exalted the praises of his newborn baby daughter a subject he never seemed to tire of, even a month later. She made her way through the lab with her head down appearing intent on the conversation, even if she heard only half of it.
It was the end of her last night.
Sara had promised to give it some time, but it wasn't going to work. Three months had passed and she couldn't let go. She needed a change of scenery, a change of life. Greg's replacement had only sealed the deal. Sara couldn't work here any longer.
Ducking into the break room to finish the call, Sara sighed as she hung up.
"Everything alright?" Catherine asked from the table.
"Yeah," Sara nodded. "That was Jake. He wanted to see when I'd be by and if I got the pictures they'd sent."
"Do you have them on you?" she asked, standing and striding over.
"Here," Sara smiled, taking them out of her wallet.
"She is adorable," Catherine beamed. "Bethany, right?"
"Yes."
"Well," Catherine said, still examining the picture, "they'll have their hands full I'm sure, she's got…"
Catherine stopped and forced an awkward smile.
"Greg's hair," Sara provided. "I know. Anne says the same thing. Can't get it to lie flat at all."
"Greg never tried very hard to do that," Catherine added warmly.
"No," Sara said, taking the picture back and putting it away, "he certainly didn't."
"So L.A. first?" Catherine asked.
"L.A. first," Sara repeated, feeling as if she was on autopilot. "I might not make it back to the west coast for some time. Thought I'd say goodbye to Anne and Jake. To Greg."
Catherine nodded; she hadn't been able to attend the funeral herself since he'd been buried in Los Angeles. There had been a memorial in Vegas, but ultimately he rested at his families plot.
"I've always heard good things about Boston," Catherine continued.
"Yeah, well, I figured since I went to college there… good a place as any, right?"
"Right."
"I've got to…"
"Go," Catherine provided. "I know. Good luck, Sara."
Sara managed one last weak smile before she turned and left.
Once she got to the locker room, she didn't hesitate. Sara opened her locker and began to empty its contents into her bag.
"You weren't going to skip out without saying goodbye, were you?" Warrick asked from behind.
"We said goodbye last night," Sara returned without moving.
Warrick leaned back and nodded.
"Sara…"
"Warrick, please," she interrupted him, slamming her locker shut as she spoke. "I can't. I just…"
Sara stopped, having caught sight of the locker marked 'ESLICH' that used to say 'SANDERS'.
"I can't," she whispered.
"You'll keep in touch?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing gently.
Sara nodded silently still facing the lockers as she reached up and placed her hand over his. He didn't try again to persuade her, just patted her once more on the back before leaving.
She took a moment to compose herself before gathering her things and heading for the door. Sara did her best to hold her head high as she left. A few of the techs from day shift she knew and recognized smiled that smile, the one she'd been getting since Greg had died. That tentative, nervous smile like they were afraid she was going to break. It only strengthened her resolve. It wasn't the reason why she was leaving; well, it wasn't the only reason she was leaving.
"Sara," Grissom called, just as she'd gotten to the door.
Taking a deep breath she turned back round towards the sound of his voice.
"Yes?"
Grissom smiled at her, but it felt forced. He'd probably fought hardest for her to stay and he probably was also the one who least understood why she had to go. Ultimately though, he'd accepted it. He had to.
"I've got a colleague in Boston," he said as he held out a business card to her. "He'll be expecting your call. When you're ready."
Sara took the card with a simple 'thank you'.
"And you know that you'll always have a place here."
She nodded, but they both knew she wouldn't be back.
"Take care of yourself," Grissom said.
"You too."
Sara pocketed the card and turn in a haste to leave.
The daylight was assaulting to the senses, but welcome. Sara hadn't been able to breathe properly inside the lab for some time. She knew she was doing the right thing, it felt right, but she'd miss it. She'd miss her friends.
Sara stopped in her tracks twenty feet from her car.
Nick.
She should have known.
"You're not going to change my mind," she sighed as she pulled out her keys.
"I know," Nick said, sliding off the hood of her car as he spoke, "but I thought I'd try."
"I have to do this."
"Why?" Nick asked. "Sara, I know it's hard but you have to give it time. You can't just run away…"
"Is that what everyone thinks?" she asked in return. "That I'm running away?"
Nick didn't answer, just looked down as he ran a hand across the back of his neck.
"Is that what you think?" she asked.
"Well…"
Sara laughed sardonically.
"I'm leaving," she said, "because I've wasted my life. I'm leaving because I still have a chance to have a life, but not here."
Nick said nothing, just shuffled his feet and looked awkward.
"Nick," Sara said, calmer now, "I've been doing a lot of thinking about the choices I've made. All the things I've done and given up to be who I am. And you know, I could probably stay here and push through. Get back into a routine and just make it work. It would take some time, a lot of time, but I might be okay. I could be my old self."
She paused, arranging the thoughts in her head.
"Or I could go," she continued. "I could take a chance and just go."
"But you don't know…"
"I know that I used to take chances," she cut him off. "A long time ago, I did. And for whatever reason I stopped. I just stopped living and just kind of existed. Either I was too afraid to get hurt or too afraid of change. And I don't know how, but Greg…"
Sara, so steady before, inexplicably choked on his name.
"Greg changed that," she finished. "And that's why. I don't want to be my old self again; he wouldn't want that either."
Nick thought he understood what she was saying, but it was still hard to hear.
"He'd want me to laugh and smile," Sara said. "And I can't, not here. Not when every time I walk that hall I expect to see him turn the corner…"
She hadn't realized she'd been crying until Nick took her up into his arms.
"You understand," she asked, having collected herself, "don't you?"
"Yeah," Nick nodded solemnly, "I do."
Sara flashed him the briefest of smiles.
"I still wish you'd stay," he added.
"I'll visit," she promised. "Or you can come see me. Boston's a nice town."
Sara put her things into the trunk before coming back over to him.
"You know," she started, "it's never too late to take a chance."
"I don't…"
"Nick," Sara interrupted, "you do know what I mean. I think we all get caught up from time to time in what we do, but there are other things out there besides this job."
"Sara…"
"I don't want you to wake up one day like me and realize you waited too long."
Nick looked as if he didn't know what to say to that.
"Goodbye then," Sara managed, hugging him one last time.
"Bye, Sara."
Nick watched as she got into her car and pulled away, feeling a little lost. Everything was happening so fast. First Greg and now Sara. Just gone. There was some comfort in knowing that Sara he could at least see again, but he doubted even that. He was certain that Sara wouldn't come back to Vegas.
"You alright?"
Nick turned at the sound of a very familiar voice.
"Fine," he managed with a small nod.
"I can't believe she's really going," Sofia said sadly. "I can't pretend we got along, but I liked her. She had her own way."
"That she did," Nick said, looking at his feet.
Sofia seemed to want to say something more, but couldn't quite do it.
"I've… I got that credit card report you needed," she finally said. "For the Wu case. Now's probably not the time."
"No," he answered, turning towards her and trying a smile on, "now's fine."
Sofia scrutinized him for a minute, seemingly mulling him over.
"Why don't we go get some coffee," she said. "You look like you need a break."
Nick stammered but didn't respond.
"Or no," Sofia continued, "forget it. You probably… never mind. I'm just going to drop these off inside. I'll see you later."
Nick watched her turn and go, but only so far.
"Sofia," he called out, running a bit to catch her. "I think I'd like that. Coffee."
Sofia smiled at him as she nodded in agreement.
Nick smiled back, the first real smile he'd worn in quite some time and thought about what Sara had said.
It was time for a change.
The End