Title: Untitled
Author: mobius-varient
Pairing: Sara/Sofia
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own them...but how I wish I did. Come on, who wouldn't?

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Once upon a time everything was going pretty well for me. I was supervising the swing shift; I had an amiable relationship with most of the people from days and grave. All this came to a sudden and totally uncalled for halt due to one nasally-voiced, power-hungry mongerer who could barely tie his shoes and chew gum at the same time, but could kiss ass with the best of them. Yes, indeed, one Conrad Eugene Eckley....the asshole. He wanted to nail Grissom for incompetence all because he did the right thing in calling the trial to a halt when discovering a latent print on a matchbook that he'd processed.....well that and he just generally has a bug up his bum for Grissom. The only thing I did wrong was assume that Eckley was discrete when it came to exercising his grudges, I mean Grissom didn't do anything wrong, there wasn't any negligence on either his or his team's part that I could find. That was my assignment...to assess and report my final findings, all with impartiality. So where did that get me?

It got me a demotion to graveyard, where I basically have to start over in regard to gaining respect and trust. Understanding people's work dynamics, and getting use to taking orders rather than dispensing them. Conrad is a serious jackass, but you know what, maybe I can use this opportunity to learn something; I mean graveyard does have its appealing assets....

So I've been working on the nightshift for a little over a month and a half now, and while I know the splitting up of your team is not the easiest thing to get over or acclimate to, why is it that I have to be the scapegoat for it. I mean I got screwed to you know.

Walking into the break room I see Sara there sitting at the table, head buried deep in hospital records, trying to figure out the who the kid found in the trash can is. It's a daunting task, but if there is one thing I know about Sara it is that she can be tenacious, stubborn, and incredibly headstrong when she's so inclined. She's been working a large amount of hours, even for her, since the split. She still hasn't noticed me yet; guess it's time to change that.

"Hey Sara, would you like some help with those?"

"No," she says with an edge to her voice that says she really doesn't want to be bothered.

While I know that I may have just committed the paramount cardinal sin in her book, I couldn't very well in good conscious standby and watch her further sink into herself. Could I? Sara's a big girl; she can take care of herself. So why does the fact that she won't allow me to help her sting so much?

Not allowing her thoughts to dwell on that line for more than a mere nanosecond, Sofia once gain breaches the silence. "You know...." Sofia allowed her statement to teeter off as she just shook her head and made her way out of the break room. Just as she reached the threshold, she was stopped by the tone in Sara's voice calling after her.

Sara had lifted her head from the file she was currently perusing in order to give her attention to Sofia to, if anything, get her out of her way so she could continue with her task in peace. When she looked up; however, she found herself unprepared for the slightly lost look that ghosted Sofia's eyes. She had never seen such a look on the confident and collected CSI. Sara was only able to find her voice as the sight of Sofia's slumped shoulders as she was about to exit the break room broke her out of her momentary shock.

"What is it Sofia?" Sara asked in a tone that held both self-reflection and outward curiosity, barely above a whisper.

Turning around at the break room door, her gaze firmly planted on the floor, Sofia took in a deep breath as if fortifying herself for battle and placed both her hands on either side of the doorway bracing herself. Elevating her gaze until her eyes met Sara's she didn't speak for a moment. She just stared into Sara's eyes, trying to determine something. Determine what exactly, she wasn't sure. Her eyes took on a defiant glint as she began to speak, but her tone belied that of her gaze to betray her state of mind.

"You know...I know that it can't be easy having your team ripped apart. I know that it takes time to adjust after such an event, and I'm fully aware of your uneasiness, if not utter dislike of me, whenever I'm around. I've tried to give you space, thinking that maybe, in time, you might be able to see...see that..." Sofia closes her eyes, an attempt to compose herself as she begins to feel her control slip ever so steadily, "You know Sara, you and your team aren't the only ones who were screwed. I miss my friends, I miss being able to sleep at night, I miss going out, I miss...most of all, Sara, I miss being trusted. I miss being trusted." Sofia spoke that last statement so softly that Sara had to strain her ears to hear it. Even with the strain, she was frozen to her seat with the guilt that flooded her as she heard the hurt and loneliness in Sofia's voice.

With that said Sofia turned and left the break room. Sara just sat there watching Sofia's retreating form until she could no longer see the blonde. All the while a singular phrase was running through her mind. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Words uttered so softly, but reverberated off the break room walls, bombarding Sara with so much pain. I'm so sorry....

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