xxx

She was proud of herself for managing to keep calm so far. After ringing her boss, and getting his approval, (he jumped at the chance to be able to say that one of his guys was personally called upon by Gilbert Grissom), she packed a bag with a few sets of clothes, just in case the case ran longer than she expected.

The cab ride to the airport, as well as the wait for her plane, she had remained fairly composed. As the pilot came on over the intercom to state that we were twenty minutes out from Las Vegas, she began to lose a bit of her self control. She tried her best to focus on the file Grissom had sent over. She continued to scrawl over the small notepad she had, making her own points on the investigation.

She felt herself getting hotter, and found it harder to sit still. She rubbed her hands together, flexing her fingers as the minutes ticked away, and soon they were touching down as she took a few calming deep breaths.

As she got off the plane, the first thing that struck her was the heat. Stifling, overwhelming, and making it difficult to breathe. She shrugged off the green cardigan she had and slung her carry on bag over her shoulder as she made her way through the airport, through customs and airport security.

She looked around as she made her way out to the front door, once again struck by the heat, struggling once more to keep her breaths even, but she didn't think it was just because of the humid air.

She checked her cell for the last message she had received from Grissom. He stayed true to his word (this time), by sending someone to pick her up. He said to look out for a black Denali, a tall guy with dark hair and sunglasses called Nick Stokes.

Well, he wasn't hard to find. She came across him almost immediately, leaning against the side of the dark Denali with a black sleeveless shirt on, looking at something on his phone. He looked up right then, and smiled softly as he put his cell back in his pocket as he stepped away from the Denali. "Sara Sidle, San Francisco?"

She smiled softly. "Nick Stokes... Let me guess... Texas?" There was no denying the slight drawl in his accent.

He laughed and offered her his hand. "Got it in one. Nice to meet you."

"You too." She said as she shook his hand.

"Have a nice flight? I know it was short notice, but you got out here fast? Eager to get home already?" He said as he took the carry on bag she had, despite her protest, and put it in the back seat.

More like eager to get here. "Yeah, something like that." She said as she slipped into the passenger seat as Nick started up the Denali and they pulled out of the collection area in the airport. She was even more relieved when he turned the air conditioning on.

"Don't worry, you get used to the heat."

"Oh yeah, how long did it take you, cowboy?"

"Eh, longer than you'll probably be here." She couldn't help but laugh, and he chuckled too.

"So, you're on the Holly case?" Nick asked as he looked over at Sara, who just turned to look at him. She had the darkest brown eyes he had ever seen.

"Yeah, I am. How is she?"

"I haven't heard much, to be honest. Grissom will know more than I will. There is so much going on, and I never even got to meet the girl. First day on the job shouldn't be like that."

"Yeah, you're right. Rough first day."

"What level are you?" Nick asked, trying to scope out this woman his mentor seemed to have so much faith in, despite the protests from the team. Mostly Catherine. He didn't have a problem with bringing someone in, that was the only way to finish this case, he knew that.

"Level two, for the moment. Not far off level three." She said with a smile, she had moved up through the ranks faster than any other CSI at the San Francisco lab, but she had a good inspiration.

"Yeah, me too. I bet I'll get there before you." He said with a cheeky smile.

"Oh yeah? Saddle up cowboy, you're on." She countered, arching her eyebrows in amusement.

"Expect an email from me soon when I get the promotion." He paused for a moment. There was one question they had tried to figure out. "So, how do you know Grissom?"

Sara took a moment to answer, clearing her throat as if she needed some water. "He was a guest lecturer at a seminar at the Forensic Academy Conference a while back. I had a lot of questions, and he had a lot of answers." That was putting it lightly.

The rest of the conversation flowed easily between them. Sara liked Nick, he was easy to talk to and the laughs came just as easy.

He offered to drop her off at her hotel but she declined. That could wait until later. Right now she wanted to see Grissom, for work reasons only ( well, mostly), and get started on her investigation. She didn't procrastinate.

Under twenty minutes later, she thanked Nick and bid her goodbye as she slid out of the Denali, grabbing her bag out of the back seat, once again assaulted by the smothering Vegas air, and it was only around noon. The ever persistent nerves had kicked in full blast as she showed her I.D to the cop on the scene, and as she lifted the yellow tape she seen him.

Even though he had his back turned, she knew it was him. She stood for just a moment taking it in, trying to calm herself, as he started examining the dummies. She finally shook her head and stepped forward as she heard his voice.

"Norman pushed." Snaps photos. "Norman jumped." Snaps some more. "Norman fell."

She set her bag down as she stepped up, sliding her sunglasses off. "Wouldn't you if you were married to Mrs. Roper?"

"I don't even have to turn around... Sara Sidle." He couldn't help the smile that formed on his lips as he turned to face her, and the fact it grew even wider when he finally saw her.

"It's me." Duh, of course it is, Sidle. "Still tossing simulation dummies? There are other ways to tell, y'know?"

"How? Computer simulation? No thank you. I'm a scientist, I like to see it." And I definitely like to see you. He shook his head slightly, scolding himself. Things were different now. Completely different. "Newton dropped the apple, I dropped dummies."

"You're old school." He looked exactly the same, the same bright blue eyes, and the dimples. The photos she had of them really didn't do him justice.

"Exactly." That's the problem, I'm old. "And this guy was pushed."

"How's the girl?" Genuine concern made her ask.

His bright features darkened and he was reminded of what it was that brought Sara here to Vegas. "She's still in surgery, she's not doing too well."

She sighed and looked away from him. "That's too bad."

"God, Sara, I have so many unanswered whys."

So do I, Grissom. "There's only one why that matters now. Why did Warrick Brown leave that scene?"

xxx

Sara was thoroughly exhausted, yet proud. She found out exactly why Warrick Brown had left the scene, one unanswered why Grissom could scratch off his list.

Holly had died, but, thankfully, she had done enough to help them put her killer behind bars. Not that Sara had ever met her, but she felt she would have made a good CSI. Even in her last moments, she was thinking of evidence.

They stood outside, waiting to see him being taken away. Sara had stood a little way off from the team, until Grissom had come out, and he stood beside her.

"Well done, you did a good job." He said with a smile. He knew she would be more than capable for the job.

"Well, I had a good teacher." She shot back.

"I can't take all the credit, you did a lot of work on your own."

Sara smiled softly, trying to fight the blush that threatened to creep up on her face.

"When is your flight?"

"I still have a few hours before I have to be at the airport." She was trying not to think of exactly how much longer she had left here before she had to go back.

"Well then, how about we have dinner?" He asked not looking at her.

"What?" She asked, unable to contain her shock.

"As a uh, thank you. For your help on the case." He offered quickly.

"Oh, okay. Sure. Once we're finished here let me just get my stuff and I'm good to go." She didn't know if she was disappointed or relieved. Dinner with Grissom. What was going to come of this?

xxx

"Nice place." Sara said as she stepped inside his townhouse little over forty five minutes later, her bag slung over her shoulder, and Grissom carried the Chinese they had picked up on the way home. "It's very... You."

He smiled as he closed the door behind her, and he led her through his home. "Thank you." He was proud of his home, not that he spent much time here, but it was more like a larger office with a bed.

It was exactly what Sara would have imagined his home to be. Lined with shelves, filled with books of varying genres and jars with some very curious specimens.

Grissom had made his way to the kitchen, and began dishing out their food as Sara had a look around.

"Making yourself at home?" Grissom called as she looked through some of the books, taking particular interest in the poetry titles he had, making a mental note to read some of them, and smiling when she noted that she also had some of them. There were a lot of titles he had that she had read already.

"Just taking a look around." She said as she made her way down the few steps and over to the island he had in his kitchen, propping herself up on one of the stools as he passed a plate towards her.

"I guess that curiosity has never changed." He said with a small chuckle as he took his seat beside her.

"Well, I'm not a CSI for nothing, I think that is something that is in the job requirement, must be curious." She said as she started eating, savoring each bite slowly. "Chinese tastes so much nicer in Vegas than is does in Frisco."

"Have you forgotten already?" Grissom laughed as he popped a prawn cracker in his mouth.

Sara looked at him, a little puzzled. "What?"

"Remember that Chinese we had? What was it called? Fortune Cookie? We found brillo pad in the chicken."

Sara grimaced, and almost choked on the mouthful she had as she started to laugh. "Oh my God, how did I forget that? That was disgusting. I can still feel it in my mouth. No wonder it tastes nicer here."

"That depends where you go in Vegas. Luckily for you, I know all the good places."

"Well, ever since then I've had a serious re-think of all the places I eat from back home. Now I know the best places too." She countered.

"About time." He smiled, a genuine smile. This was going much better than he thought. There was no awkwardness, everything was as normal between them, as if the last few months had not happened at all.

Sara found herself looking around his kitchen, a comfortable silence taking over. "I like your decorating in here. A lot of butterflies." She said with a knowing smile.

"I like butterflies." He added as her eyes met his, brown eyes locked with blue. His coy smile matched hers, both thinking of the butterfly farm they had visited on many occasions, as well as the small butterfly tattoo Sara had on her left side.

"How much longer do we have?" Grissom asked, clearing his throat, as he set his now empty plate aside.

Grissom stood, taking her empty plate also, and bringing them to the sink to wash them. Sara took their glasses and stood by him at the sink. "Just under two hours before I have to check in." She said with a small sigh as she picked up a dish cloth to dry the dishes as he washed them.

"I am not looking forward to this flight back." She most definitely was not. This was so good, to be back with him, but she knew it was only for a short while, she had been preparing herself for leaving before she had even stepped off of the plane.

"You don't have to go back." He said as he began washing the dishes. "I mean um... You could stay here."

Sara gasped slightly as she looked at him, but he remained focused on the dished. "What?"

"What I meant was, um.. You know we're down a CSI, and you are incredibly talented, and I trust you, the lab, the team, would really benefit from having you working there." I would benefit greatly too.

"You want me to stay here, and work on the team, on your team?" She asked as she started to dry them and stack them aside.

"Yes, I do." He said honestly. It wasn't a lie. He just didn't reveal why else he wanted her here. He tried to tell himself over and over it was just professional, it was simply a working relationship. He knew deep inside there was more than that. He just wanted her close, in any selfish way he could have her, without actually having her.

"We are one of the top labs in the country, Sara. I know it's a lot to ask of you, to leave San Francisco, to leave your home, and to come out here, to a place you don't know. But, I think you would do a great job here, really, I think everyone would get on well with you."

Sara laughed a little as she dried the last of the dishes and he started to put them away. "I really don't think I made a good impression. I'm the one who investigated Warrick, and got him in trouble, which, if it weren't for you being very forgiving and offering a second chance, he would be out of a job right now. Catherine, definitely does not want another female on the team. Yeah, we got on alright for a while, but that was because she knew I was leaving. I don't think she'll appreciate me being here."

"But I heard you got on well with Nick, I heard him and a lab tech talking about the new girl." Grissom was never one to listen in on conversations, but when it was about a certain brunette, and centered around how beautiful she was, and the fact that yes, he legs did seem to go on forever, he couldn't help but listen. He hated to even bring that up to her, knowing what was said, but he was pulling out all the stops, he wanted her to stay.

"Greg with the crazy hair?" Sara said with a small smile. "Yeah, he was nice. Nick too, very polite." She said with a small smile, noting the change in Grissom's stance.

Sara took a deep breath, as Grissom watched her closely. He was starting to regret asking her.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked. You have a job, and a home, and friends and a life in San Francisco."

"Yes."

"Really?" He said, shocked. He had not expected her to agree. At least not as fast.

His words had struck a cord with her. All she really had there was a job. Not a home, she was barely there. She only had two good friends, Doug and Orla, and they all worked together, so that also came under the fact that her life was revolving around her job.

She could start over here. Get better at her job by working with some brilliant people in one of the best labs in the country. She could start a new life here, and make some friends, in work and out of work. And, she would be close to Grissom.

"Yes, really." she confirmed with a nod as she set the dish cloth aside, leaning against the counter now. "I'm going to need some time, sort things out back in Frisco, with work, and my apartment and all that."

"Yes, of course, take as much time as you need." Grissom nodded. He rubbed his lower jaw between his thumb and index finger. "I'll get working on the paper work and have it all in order for when you come back. I'll even have a little scout for apartments here for you."

"Thank you, I would appreciate that. After all, you know all the good places in Vegas." She said with a small smile. This was surreal.

He laughed and nodded. "You're right."

"So... You're my boss now." Sara mused.

"I'm your boss." He confirmed with a nod. He took a deep breath. "I want to apologise for what happened... For how things ended." He didn't know where this was coming from. This was not what he had in mind for wanting to make her come and work in Vegas.

Sara looked at him with a small smile, and shook her head. "Don't apologise. It was a long time ago. It's fine. Things are different now. You're my boss."

Things were different. Maybe this was what they both needed. They could have a professional relationship, maybe even friendship, but it had to remain professional, he knew that. He could not risk everything he had worked for his whole life.

"I should get going." Sara said, breaking the silence that had settled over them.

"Yeah, right, you have a lot to sort out. I'll give you a ride." He said as he went to get his keys.

Sara shook her head as she made her way back to the table, picking up her bag and slinging it over her shoulder. "No, no, it's fine, I've intruded enough, I'm gonna get a cab, and make some calls on the way back, try to speed things up." She said as she made her way back to his door, and he followed.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." She said as she turned to look at him. "I um, forgot I got something for you. I meant to send it a while ago." She unzipped her bag and rummaged through it for a moment before pulling a wrapped package out, and passed it to him.

He knew it was a book and he smiled, a little taken aback. "There was no need for that."

"You will be thanking me when you open it."

"I'm thanking you already."

Sara smiled, and this time she did blush. "Well, I better get going. Thank you for the dinner, and for the job." She said, trying to lighten the mood again.

He smiled and shook his head. "No, Sara, thank you for the great work. I'll be in touch soon, about everything."

Sara smiled. "I'll look forward to it."

She opened the door and stepped outside, letting it close behind her.

What had she just gotten herself into?

xxx

As the door closed, Grissom took a deep breath. He stood there for a moment, still inhaling her scent, the sweet vanilla that disappeared all too soon.

He held the package in his hand for a moment before he made his way to the sofa and sat down to open it.

He smiled and laughed when he read the title. Did she remember every conversation they had?

'The collected works of Oscar Wilde.'

She knew him too well.

He wondered then just how much willpower he had when it came to Sara Sidle.

xxx

Her cell buzzed in her pocket as she sat in the cab. She pulled it out and flipped it open, reading the message, a sigh falling from her lips.

'Memory is the diary that we all carry about with us.' G.

That was so Grissom. But once again, he was right. Memories were all they could have now.

xxx

A/N: So, there we go, chapter number two, based on 1x02, Cool Change. Big thanks to a great girl, notreadytosaygoodbye on tumblr, who has read this chapter for me and given her go ahead! Thanks for the reviews so far guys, you have all been great, please keep them coming. I would love to read some more guys ;)

A/N2: Please, let me know, should I include the bits that we have already seen in the episodes, like I did in this one, like the 'I don't even have to turn around, Sara Sidle.' or, do you want me to avoid that and keep it just kind of, when the cameras have stopped rolling? Let me know!