A/N: Thank you so much for all your comments. I've truly enjoyed reading them.

Thank you again for reading and reviewing. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates it!

I don't own CSI.


The Student

Sara let herself into her apartment, vaguely surprised to find that it was silent. She had expected that Mary, her roommate, would be home. She knew that the other girl didn't have any classes so early in the day. Shrugging, she dropped her keys onto the table next to the door, and made her way into the kitchen. She dumped out the coffee they had made the day before and turned on the water to clean the pot before making a fresh brew.

"Good morning."

Sara jumped a mile and spun around. "Mary! Are you trying to scare me to death?"

Mary giggled, combing her fingers through her wet hair. "Sorry. I was in the shower when you came in, I guess. How was your run?"

"Fine," Sara replied. "Three miles."

"So short?" Mary teased. "What happened to the girl who used to run six miles every morning?"

"She took on too many classes," Sara replied. "I don't have time to run that long anymore."

Mary made a face. "I don't see why you always feel the need to sign up for everything."

"I do not sign up for everything," Sara replied. "I only take the classes I think are relevant to my major."

"Sara," Mary said. "You are studying for a Masters in physics. Explain to me how "The Role of Entomology in Forensic Science" is relevant to that."

"I want to fully understand all branches of science," Sara said.

"And that's why you're getting a degree in physics? A very specific branch of science? No one can fully understand all branches of science … or anything else, for that matter. You're going to have to do better than that."

"It's …" Sara trailed off into silence. Why had she signed up for this seminar, anyway?

"That's what I thought," Mary said when Sara came up empty. "Sara, you need to slow down. You're going to kill yourself if you don't stop working so hard."

"You work just as hard," Sara shot back.

"No, I don't," Mary said. "I know I sit around here and read all the time, but that's not the same as running to every class, workshop and seminar the school offers."

"Look, we all do things differently. We can't all be language majors," Sara said. "Just because I can't read Plato in three languages doesn't make me any less of a person than you."

"I'm not saying that I'm a better person than you because of my major!" Mary exclaimed.

"What are you trying to say?" Sara asked a bit impatiently.

Mary shook her head. "I'm worried about you."

"Well, don't be. I'm fine."

"Tell me what you have to do today."

"I have a lab this morning, then I'm going to have lunch with my study group, then I have another lab, then a class, then that seminar tonight."

"When exactly are you planning to eat dinner?"

Sara looked at her blankly. "I'll come back between class and the seminar," she promised. "We can have dinner together."

"What times does your class end?"

"Five."

"And what time does the seminar start?"

"Seven."

Mary nodded. "I'll make us something for dinner. It will be on the table when you get here."

A shadow passed across Sara's face. "No," she said forcefully. "I'll bring dinner home."

"Sara, come on, you know I can cook fine –"

"It's not that, okay? It's just … you're not my serving girl. I'll get dinner for both of us while I'm out."

"Okay," Mary said, surprised to see how upset Sara was over something that, in her opinion, was rather trivial. "Sara, are you all right?"

"Yeah," Sara said. She ran her hand through her tangled hair. "Look, I'm going to take a shower. I'll be back."

"Right," Mary said.

Sara made her way to the bathroom without looking back. She shut herself inside, and leaned back against the door, breathing deeply.

She knew that Mary was just trying to be helpful. She knew that the offer to make dinner was merely a nice gesture.

How could she possibly explain that the promise of having dinner on the table made her think of her parents? How could she tell her friend the awful truth of her past – that not having dinner on the table when her father came home from work usually ended in a black eye and bloody nose for her mother?

She finally moved away from the door and turned on the water in the shower, barely noticing how much her hands were shaking.


Sara Sidle was nothing if not dedicated to her studies. She had made education her life's passion; even the physics she studied came in second to her burning desire to learn as much as she possibly could. She realized as she ran from her morning lab to the café where she had to meet her study group that that was the reason she signed up for every class, workshop or seminar she could. She had an insatiable need to learn.

Hoping that she would remember to share her revelation with Mary later, she walked into the café. Her study group was already seated at a booth near the window. The three other physics students noticed her immediately; they waved her over to join them.

"Hi, Sara," Tom said, sliding across the bench to make room for her.

"Hi," she replied. "I'm sorry I'm late. My lab ran a little later than usual."

"Don't worry about it," Karen said. "We just got here, anyway."

"Have you ordered yet?"

"Just drinks," Danny said. "We told the waitress we were waiting for you; she should be back to take your order."

"Right," Sara said. "Okay, should we start going over our notes?"

"Let's eat first," Tom suggested. "That way we won't spill anything on our notes."

The others agreed. While Sara outwardly smiled her agreement, inwardly, she groaned. That was what she hated about study groups. Rarely could she find other students whose work ethic matched hers. But, their professor had assigned the groups; she had not had the option of working alone. At this point, she knew better than to try to fight it. Long experience had taught her that lab groups were not generally negotiable. Even if the group members themselves were open for negotiation, the group concept was not. Her years of studying science had taught her that it did make sense not to request to work alone in the lab.

The waitress appeared to take their orders. Sara asked to order last and quickly scanned the menu. She had barely made up her mind by the time she had to order; she hoped she would not regret ordering the chicken salad once it arrived.

The group returned to chatting as soon as the waitress was gone. Sara wanted nothing more than to abstain from the conversation, but found herself being drawn in by her group members. The whole situation was gradually making her angry. She just wanted to go over the notes from their last lab. Why did they insist upon chatting when there was so much work to be done?

Oh, why couldn't she have just worked alone?


By the time they finished lunch, they barely had time to go over their notes before they had to leave for the lab. Much to Sara's surprise, things there went well for them, despite the lack of studying.

Once they had cleaned up, she and Tom crossed the campus together for their afternoon class. Karen and Danny had class in another building; they did not walk as a group. Sara was always inwardly relieved to say good bye to Karen and Danny at the end of the lab session. While they were both nice people, Danny was quite obviously enamored with Karen. It made Sara distinctly uncomfortable to spend too much time with them.

"So, how about Danny and Karen?" Tom asked, as though he had read Sara's thoughts.

"What about them?" she replied.

"It looks like we have another case of department-cest."

Sara smiled. Of the sixteen students studying for their Masters degrees in physics, four were already dating one another. They all took a fair amount of teasing, but generally responded with comment about how brilliant their children would be. "So, Danny and Karen are dating now?"

Tom nodded with a smile. "They're going to the movies together this weekend. Danny finally worked up the nerve to ask her."

"That's great," Sara smiled.

"Do you really think so?"

"Well, yeah, of course. I mean, it's been rather obvious that he's wanted to ask her forever. What made him finally do it?"

Tom shrugged. "I guess he finally found the right time."

"I suppose that makes sense." Sara paused. "Do you think it's going to make things awkward for the group?"

"In what way?"

"Well, with them dating … I'm afraid things will get weird."

Tom shook his head. "I'm sure it will be like it always was."

"You really think so?"

"You really think it's going to change?"

Sara shrugged. "I guess I've never really thought of work and romance as two things that can mix easily."

"I think two people who are determined enough can make anything happen."

"You're right," Sara agreed. "And Karen and Danny tend to be fairly determined."

Tom nodded. "Don't worry. Our group will only be better now."

Sara smiled. "I hope so."

As always, they reached their classroom just as class was beginning. Their conversation ended as they slid into their seats and turned their full attention to the professor.


Tom always walked Sara back to her apartment building after class, regardless of how dark it was. At nearly five o'clock it was never that dark, but he insisted, telling her that his mother would kill him if she knew that he was letting a "young lady" walk home across a dangerous college campus alone. Sara let him, as much as her feminist side rebelled against it. He just wanted to be a gentleman.

As they started across campus, Sara remembered that she had promised to bring home dinner. She was about to ask Tom if he minded stopping at her favorite Chinese restaurant on the way when he spoke.

"So, what are you up to this weekend?"

Sara shrugged. "I think that Mary and I were talking about driving out the beach one day, but no definite plans yet. What are you doing?"

"Nothing yet," he said slowly, "but I was hoping you could help me out with that."

Sara glanced at him sideways. She had an awful feeling that she knew where this was going.

"Would you like to hang out sometime this weekend?" he asked.

Sara sucked her breath in quickly. Even her last-minute realization of what he would ask hadn't truly prepared her. "No," she said before she had time to think.

Tom's face fell.

"Look, it's not you," she said in a rush. "I think that you're a great guy, really, I do. It's just that I'm totally focused on school right now, and I don't think that I have the time to devote to a relationship. I would make you miserable. I'm … I'm sorry, Tom. I really am."

"Don't worry about it," he said a bit stiffly. It was his turn to look at her sideways. "You might not believe this, but I'd rather hear that than have you string me along, pretending to care."

She exhaled. "This … this isn't going to be a problem, right?"

"No," he said quickly.

A bit too quick, Sara thought. She was sure that this would become a problem. Karen and Danny would not be the ones to add the awkward feeling to the group. She and Tom would be. Their group dynamics were going to shift in the worst possible way.

All thoughts of asking Tom to accompany her to the Chinese restaurant were gone. Now, all she wanted was to get home and away from him.

She and Mary could always order a pizza.


"Hi," Sara called as she walked into the apartment.

"Hey!" Mary called.

Sara could hear her footsteps coming down the hall from her bedroom. Judging by how slowly she was walking, Mary was probably reading on her way down the hall. Smiling at the horror that was the language major's life, Sara made her way into the living room and collapsed onto the couch.

"What's for dinner?" Mary asked as she entered the living room.

"Um, about that …"

Mary dropped her book onto the coffee table. "You forgot!" she accused.

"No, I didn't forget. I just had a traumatic experience on the way home, that's all."

"What happened?" Mary asked, sitting down next to her with wide eyes.

"What's this?" Sara asked, picking up her book.

"El cantar de mío Cid," Mary said distractedly. "Sara! What happened to you?"

"Oh, it was stupid …"

"Tell me."

She sighed. "You know Tom, right?"

"Your study buddy? The cute one with the pretty green eyes?"

"That's him."

"What about him?"

"He asked me out."

Mary squealed. "When are you going? What are you doing?"

Sara looked at her blankly. "I turned him down."

"What?" Mary exclaimed. "What happened? Why would you do that?"

"Mary," she sighed, "I just don't want a boyfriend."

"What on earth is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I want to focus on my education. I still have almost a year left before I finish my Masters, then I'll go on to my PhD, and …"

"You turned him down because you're married to your degrees," Mary sighed, shaking her head.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Sara said defensively.

"Sara, Sara, Sara," Mary said with a sad smile. "Is this really all you want from life?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you realize what you're going to do to yourself? In six years, all your education will be done. What will be left for you then?"

"I … I guess I'll start teaching."

"Teaching?" Mary asked. "I never picked you for the professor type."

Sara shrugged. "I love academics. I love to learn. What other career is there for me?"

"'What other career?'" Mary repeated. "What about, 'what other life's passion?'"

"Learning is my passion," Sara replied simply. "You know, I realized that today when I was going to my morning lab. You asked why I sign up for every possible class. It's so I can learn everything. I … I have to keep learning. I have to keep discovering. That's why I went into science in the first place. It's a field that is constantly evolving. I have to keep up with everything, and to make myself the best student, teacher, or whatever that I can be."

Mary looked at her for a long minute. "So, this is it for you, then? No desires beyond education and career? No thoughts of a family?"

Sara shrugged again. "Before you can be the wife or the mother, you have to be the girlfriend. I just don't see myself as the girlfriend."

"Not all girlfriends are the same. You're just thinking of people like the girls we knew in undergrad who would hang all over their boyfriends."

"Yeah, I guess I am."

"You wouldn't have to be like that."

Sara shook her head. "Look, I dated in undergrad. I know what it was like. Guys just want some pretty girl they can parade around and use to impress their friends."

"Not all … oh, never mind. There's no getting through to you."

"I'm sorry, Mary. I wish I could be more like you."

"No, you don't," Mary grinned. "Besides, it's not like I'm one to talk. I don't have a boyfriend, either."

"Well, I'm trying to keep myself single."

"You know, maybe it's just that you haven't found the right one."

Sara started, thinking of her childhood dreams of being found by her very own Prince Charming. "Is there really a 'right one?'"

"Isn't that what everyone believes?" Mary asked. "We're all just hoping to find Mr. Right, aren't we?"

"Maybe you are," Sara replied, "but, I'm not. I can take care of myself."

Mary shook her head. "So, you really turned him down?"

"I really did."

Mary smiled, a mischievous sparkle shining in her eyes. "Can I have his number?"

Sara laughed. "The body is barely cold, you know."

"What? It's not like you want him. Can't I poach your rejects?"

Sara laughed again. "Can't we just order dinner or something?"

"Fine. How about pizza?"

"That'll do."

"You know, we could have a lovely, homemade meal right now, if you had just let me handle this."

"How was I supposed to know that my gentlemanly escort would accost me on the way home? I'm not psychic!"

"You never really get the points that I try to make, do you?"

"I try to," Sara said earnestly. "I'm sorry, Mary. I'm a terrible friend."

"No, you're a very good friend," Mary said. "You're just a bit odd, that's all."

"Well, I suppose that could be a good thing …"

Mary laughed as she picked up the phone. "Just tell me what you want on the pizza."


Despite the promise of having the pizza to them in thirty minutes, it took nearly an hour. Sara had spent the last half hour bouncing around the apartment, nervous that she would be late for her seminar. The pizza finally arrived. She paid the delivery man and nearly threw it on the table in her rush to grab a stack of napkins.

"Would you calm down?" Mary said. "You need to actually digest this, you know."

"I don't have time," Sara replied, taking a huge bite of her slice of pizza. "I'm going to be late for the seminar."

"So, skip it," Mary said. "Why bother going in if you're going to be late?"

Sara gave her a look of annoyance. "You know I can't do that, Mar. I signed up. I'm supposed to be there. I'm committed."

Mary shook her head. "Well, I hope you don't make yourself sick with this speed eating."

Sara put her plate in the sink and her napkins in the trash. "I won't," she said as she ran into the bathroom to brush her teeth.

Five minutes later, with teeth brushed and hair in a messy ponytail, Sara grabbed her bag. "Okay, I'm out of here."

"Have fun," Mary said, still sitting at the kitchen table with her pizza.

"I will," Sara said, throwing her keys into her bag. "I'll see you in a couple hours."

Mary nodded. "Bye."

Sara took off out the door and practically ran across the campus. Quick glances at her watch told her how little time remained; she was actually running as she closed in on the lecture hall. She ran into the building where the seminar would be held just as the clock struck seven. Wishing that she had run the whole way, Sara skidded to a stop outside the door of the lecture hall. She paused for a moment to catch her breath, then opened the door. She was ready to let her education in forensics begin.