 | ShatterStorm Productions
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| ShatterStorm Productions
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Disclaimer: "CSI: Crime Scene Investigators," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Jerry Bruckheimer Television, Alliance Atlantis, and CBS Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. This site is in no way affiliated with "CSI: Crime Scene Investigators," CBS, or any representatives of Jorja Fox or Marg Helgenberger.
Author's Notes: There is swearing and physical expression of affection between women (but if you're a member of this list then that shouldn't be a problem ; ) ) , references to events in season 5, Timeline: after Living Doll. Unbeta'd and feedback welcome.
9:00 p.m. Sara Sidle's bedroom
Sara started awake as if a shock had been delivered to her system. This had been happening for awhile now where she would try to fall asleep and if she was successful then she usually woke within a few hours. The waking part was never pleasant. The room was pitch black and the only light came through her blinds from the parking lot lighting outside. She glanced to her bedside clock to see that she had been asleep for a few hours. She still felt exhausted but there was less of a heavy feeling in her limbs as she sat up and titled her legs over the side of the bed. Sara really needed to get back to sleep and she was hoping as she limped quietly into the hallway that she would find it in her recliner in the presence of a certain detective.
There was just enough light coming through the blinds to remind her the layout of the room as she slowly lowered herself into the chair. She glanced over at the figure on the couch and was pleased not to see any movement. It was only after she sat down that she realized that she hadn't brought a blanket and it was chilly in the living room. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms and tried snuggling into the chair.
"Sara?" Sofia's voice was rough with sleep and the sound of it sent a pleasant tingling down Sara's spine. "I'm sorry did I wake you?"
"No," Sofia's voiced sounded amused, "I've actually been awake for a little while now." Sara couldn't make out Sofia's features. She could only tell that she was still laying under the blanket. "Can't sleep?," Sara asked. Sofia's answer sounded nonchalant, "It happens to me sometimes." Sara knew from Sofia's appearance as of late that it had been happening a lot lately.
"Sara, get under this blanket. I can hear your teeth chattering from here." Sara opened and closed her mouth in surprise and then got up from the chair without a word. She meant to move to the other side of the couch but Sofia had patted the spot next to her and opened the blanket to invite Sara in. Sara hesitated only a moment before sliding in next to the warm body. Sofia had turned on her side with her back to the back of the couch with Sara's back curled into her to protect the injured ankle. Sara softly hummed in pleasure. Sofia was radiating heat like a furnace. Sofia freed her arm from under the blanket and rubbed up and down Sara's arm over the blanket. "Is that better?" "Much.," Sara confirmed. Sofia smiled in the dark as she soaked in the feeling of Sara lying curled into her. Sara smelled lightly of sandalwood and Sofia could feel strands of her soft hair tickling her nose.
"You know Curtis, you totally fell asleep on me but I've thought of a way you can make it up to me.," Sara said, rolling over onto her back. "I'm listening.," Sofia replied. Sara shivered at the proximity of the blonde's mouth to her ear. "Tell me about your accent." Sofia's reply was surprised, "Thought you'd forgotten about that. Alright, I'll tell you as long as you remember our deal." Sofia could see the outline of Sara's face in the dim lighting and saw the head nod in affirmation. Sofia took a moment to get her thoughts together and Sara patiently waited.
"Okay, my mother is American and my father is British. I was born in Boulder, Colorado but we moved to Essex, England when I was only a year old. My mother was there training with Scotland Yard and my father taught literature at Cambridge. So the accent is a product of living in England for the first few years of my life and the reason it isn't there all the time is because I have lived in the U.S. for most of my life."
"Have you been back since?" "Oh no Sidle, it's my turn.," Sofia teased. Sara bit her lip waiting for Sofia to ask a question about her family. This had always been a problem in the getting to know you stage of anyone she was dating. People always ask about family. Wait a minute. Are Sofia and I even dating?
"Where did you go to college?" Sara sighed in relief. That was an easy one. "I got my bachelor's at Harvard and my master's in theoretical physics at Berkley." "Which one had the professor with a penchant for breast-feeding?"
Sara recalled the odd conversation the two had while working a case that involved an adult man that paid a wet nurse for access to her milk. She was secretly surprised and touched for some reason that the blonde remembered it. "That's technically two questions but I'll let that slide just this once." Sara's voice dropped an octave, "After that you're in trouble." Sofia bit back a grin as the devilish part of her thought about provoking the sometimes volatile brunette to find out just what trouble entailed.
"I'll keep that under advisement. Now are you going to answer?" Sara kept her voice neutral not wanting to betray the slight disappointment that Sofia did not provoke her, "Harvard."
"Bet those were some interesting class discussions. Now, to answer your question from earlier, yes I have been back to England. My parents are divorced and my father still lives there." Sara was aware of the contrast between their answers. Sofia gave a lot more information than she did when answering. She chose not to question more about the divorce for now. She didn't want to cause the detective any pain. "So, why law enforcement?" "That's two questions, Sidle, but I'll be a good sport and answer since you did. I like that hands on approach to it. I like being able to do the arresting instead of just collecting evidence. I like seeing their faces when those bars slam home." Sara picked up a far away quality to the rich voice next to her. "I like being able to tell the victims and their families that we got the person that hurt them." Sara remained silent and listened not wanting to disturb the free-flowing words. Sofia seemed like she had something there that she needed to get out and Sara was determined to let the woman vent.
"I had this mate back in school," Sofia paused before saying the name, "Sam." "We used to get into so much trouble. We were the terrors of the school our senior year. Sam and I were responsible for covering the principal's car in blown up condoms and other such teenage nonsense. I think you get the picture." Sara smirked at the image of a teenage Sofia pulling pranks in high school. Sara had graduated by the time she was sixteen. She had been a loner and had spent most of her time studying. "Anyway, towards the end of the year Sam had started seeing someone and she was real secretive about him even from me. All I knew about him was that he was older and she was nuts about him. So she started missing class and when she would come back, she was wearing long sleeves in ninety degree weather. I confronted her about it and she said that he loved her and I needed to mind my own business."
Sara could hear frustration and helplessness in Sofia's voice. She turned over on her side so she was facing Sofia and continued to listen. "I uh, told her that she deserved better and I could help her get away from him but she wouldn't listen. She was so broken. So beaten down. I told my mother about it and the next day Sam wasn't in class again. I went to her house and her mother thought that she had been in school. I got this cold feeling in my chest and I knew at that moment that she was dead. I went to this park that had lots of wooded areas around it because we used to hang out there and I found her by the rocks." Sofia had silent tears tracking down her face and she fought to keep her voice from trembling. "When I saw her there naked and bound with blood everywhere, I completely forgot everything my mother had ever taught me about a crime scene. I um, dropped to the ground near her and just hugged her until my mother found us. They never caught the guy that did it." "Sometimes I wonder if they would have caught him if I hadn't-.." Sofia couldn't finish the sentence. Sara wrapped her arms around the conflicted woman who still wouldn't allow herself to break down. She could feel tears from Sofia's face against her neck but the woman made no sound as she fiercely hugged Sara back.
"You didn't do anything wrong, Sofia.," Sara whispered as she comfortingly stroked the detective's back. Sofia said nothing as she leaned her head against Sara's shoulder and hugged her close. She wiped her eyes and then closed them as she felt Sara's soft lips against her forehead. Sara held the warm cheeks in her hands and slowly brought Sofia's face towards hers. The kiss was short but firm and Sofia felt comforted and reassured by the warm touch. It grounded her after her emotional memory.
"Sara-.,"
"Shhhh, sleep now. It's late." Sara gently tugged the blonde to rest against her shoulder and wrapped one arm around Sofia's body. Sofia wrapped her own arm around Sara's waist and gratefully surrendered to the exhaustion that had been lingering for weeks.
Next morning
A startling lack of feeling in Sara's left arm woke her from her awkward position on the couch. She relieved the pressure from the numb appendage and rubbed it quickly trying to restore the blood flow. It was only then that it registered that she was alone on the couch. Sunlight streamed in from cracks in the blinds and a quick glance at the wall clock told her it was mid morning. Sara threw the blanket aside and sat up still slightly disoriented from being asleep. She hadn't rested that well in a long time. Her eyes were drawn to the coffee table where a paper cup rested with steam rising off the surface of the light brown liquid. Sara wrapped both hands around the warm cup and inhaled the aroma experimentally. Her eyebrows rose as she detected the unmistakable smell of a vanilla chai latte. There was a note folded next to it and after she took a sip she picked the note up and unfolded it.
Sara,
Thank you for listening. I thought you could use something pleasant to help you wake up. I don't know about you but I'm a bear before I've had coffee. See you tonight.
Sofia
Sara couldn't have suppressed the grin on her face if she tried. She was sorry she had missed the blonde's exit. This was unusual since she was a light sleeper. It also puzzled her that the detective knew what her favorite coffee drink was. The woman must have an incredible success rate in her cases. Sara took a sip of her liquid heaven and let the warmth fill her body. She would have to find a suitable way to pay Sofia back in kind.
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