Author: Joyce

Title: New Beginnings

Disclaimer: Nope, not mine.

Note: Thank you for the reviews I got for the first chapter! I love you all. Also, I decided to write this story in a different format. Each chapter will be written in the perspective of either Sara or Warrick. Chapter one focused on Sara, this chapter is about Warrick and how he sees things. The next chapter will be about Sara and then...you guessed it, it's a chapter from Warrick's point of view. I'm not really good in explaining it but you people are smart, you'll figure it out. Enjoy!

A work in progress

'My grandmother used to call me a work in progress' Warrick had told James his grandfather just now and he smiled a little while he rounded the corner. His case, the first one he had been assigned to after Holly died, had been tough. It had reminded him of the life he used to live with his grandmother and all the things he had done to make sure that she would be ok.

Gambling had been one of those things, at the time he had thought that his winnings would help them both. It would give her some financial freedom and it would give him...It had given him nothing he now realized. Warrick Brown was always searching for challenges and for a while gambling gave him the thrill he needed. Now his biggest challenge was his decision to not gamble anymore. He hadn't realized how hard it was going to be, he had never realized that gambling had become a part of his daily routine and he was missing it. He was missing it more then he was willing to admit and he hated it the feeling of loss he was having.

Sighing, he entered Grissom's office, seeing that his boss was not there and he hesitated for a moment. He knew that Grissom wouldn't mind and so he picked up the phone, smiling when he heard her familiar voice.

"Hey, grams," he greeted her and then he just listened to his grandmother talking. "No," he finally said, "I'm not hurt and nothing is wrong. I just felt the need to talk to you."

He heard a noise behind him and found Sara Sidle standing in the doorway of the office.

"I gotta go, grams" he said in a warm tone. "I'll see you soon, ok. I'll drop by after shift."

He sensed that Sara was looking at him with a mixture of curiosity and something he couln't quite place. "I love you too," he told his grandmother before he put down the phone and turned to his new co-worker. "Hey," he welcomed her a little awkwardly, not really comfortable with the fact that she had heard parts of a private conversation.

Sara raised her eyebrows but said nothing on the subject and he was thankful for that.

"How was your shift?" she asked him and he shrugged. "Difficult," he admitted, "It was one of those cases where the truth will not set you free."

She nodded, silent and sat down in one of the chairs in Grissom's office while he just watched her. Not really knowing what to think of her, their first meeting had been strange. She had come across as someone who was judgmental and stubborn but then she had grabbed his hand and in that short moment she had seemed...beautiful. Like she was now, sitting there lost in her thoughts. He shook his head in a short, angry, gesture. He had enough problems right now and the last thing he needed were feelings for a co-worker. She was pretty, yes, but he had seen a lot of beautiful woman in his life who had not scared him like she did. Her voice shook him out of his trance.

"I never expected to like it here as much as I do," she said with bright, sparkling eyes and he couldn't help but smile at her, secretly liking the way she was blushing and smiling back at him.

"I take it your case went well?" he asked her and she nodded. "It was not easy," she commented, "But we managed to nail the bad guys." She paused a little. "Grissom is very interesting to work with," she finished and he just nodded.

"He's the best," was his only reply and he meant it. Grissom had been his mentor from the moment he had stepped into this lab. He had took him out in the field, had guided him when necessary and he had trusted him above all. Next to his grandmother, Grissom was the first person who had took the time to get to know him. Something that was odd when he considered the fact that he knew nothing about Grissom himself. The man was an interesting mix of conflicting emotions but Warrick respected his boss just the same.

"Do you want to grab some breakfast?" Sara asked him and he did not bother to mask his surprise.

"You want to have breakfast?" he asked her. "With me," he added rather stupidly and she grinned. "Do you see anyone else in this room?" she teased him and he shook his head slowly, trying to read her mind, searching for her motives but she was guarding her feelings well and he found nothing.

"Breakfast would be nice," he eventually told her, deciding that spending a little time with her was not a bad thing. They had to work together after all and getting to know your co-worker was a very sensible thing to do. He knew that this wasn't his only reason for coming with her though. He liked her and he liked spending time with her.

"Ok," Sara said, smiling at him again and he was glad that she didn't smile all that often, it was making him think that she was beautiful again and he didn't want to think that. She was his colleague and he could not think of her as beautiful. It was never a good idea to be attracted to your co-worker, especially not one that had been brought in to investigate him and had wanted him fired from his job.

"Let's go," Warrick said, deciding that he had done enough thinking for one day. "So, what do you want to eat?" he asked her.

"I'm dying for some good pancakes," she admitted with a little grin on her face. "They had the best in San Francisco but I haven't been able to find a place with the perfect pancakes in Las Vegas."

"Your troubles are over, my lady," Warrick exclaimed dramatically. "You are looking at a Vegas native and one who knows where you can find the best pancakes in town. Follow me and I'll show you heaven."

"Really?" she asked suggestively and he just winked at her, enjoying their easy banter.

Half an hour later Warrick was looking at Sara with an amused twinkle in his eyes. "Easy, Sidle," he commented dryly, "I'm not going to steal your pancakes, you don't have to eat them all in five minutes."

"These are great!" she said with a mouth full of food, which made him laugh. "The best ever, they even beat the ones in San Fran."

"Go Vegas," he muttered but she didn't hear him, being to busy taking another bite of her pancakes. Eventually she put down her fork and leaned back in her seat with a satisfied smile on her face. "You really showed me heaven," she sighed and Warrick waggled his eyebrows. "Could you please tell that to Nick tomorrow, I keep telling him that I can show women heaven but he never believes me."

She laughed and shook her head. "You're on your own there, Brown," she told him and they were silent for a while before she spoke again.

"Is your grandmother important to you?" she asked him and Warrick looked up from his eggs, seeing a genuine sign that she cared in her eyes.

"Yes," he answered simply. "She raised me when my mom died, she encouraged me to be the best I could be. She's my family," he finished with a small smile and she studied him for a while.

"Why did you call her today?" she eventually asked and he shrugged. "I guess the case made me think of her," he answered. "She always calls me her work in progress," he added and he couldn't figure out why he told her that but she just nodded and he finished his eggs.

He had already paid the bill when she grabbed his hand again, forcing him to look at her.

"She did a good job," she said and Warrick shrugged, not really believing her. Sara released his hand and stood up. " You're not a work in progress anymore, Warrick," she whispered. "You'll make it, I know you will."

She left him to finish his coffee alone and he watched while she walked to her car, seeing the way her hair shined in the light of the morning sun. He couldn't help it, she looked beautiful again.

Tbc...