Sara Sidle CSI Level 3 of Las Vegas Crime Lab woke up at six pm to work her regular shift, Graveyard. However this is a day she’d rather skip. Yawning and stretching feeling her bed sheets slide over her covered body rubbing against her pajamas consisting of shorts and t-shirt she sighed and got up. Moving her covers to the side she shuttered feeling the harsh cool air of her conditioned bedroom greet her bare legs and arms. Even though it’s Las Vegas by six pm the temperature goes down some due the declining sun. Going over to her mirror she noticed the remembrance of precipitation on her forehead. Reaching up shaking Sara wiped her brow with her right hand.

“Nightmares again,” She vocalized out loud to herself. She looked to her side and saw her calendar. September 17th she noted the date, a date she would well want to wipe from existence and time. Today was her birthday. Sara took some big deep breathes and shut her eyes as tight as she could, but instead of the darkness one sees when their eyes are shut she saw images of a past that won’t fade away.

(Flash)

A five year old Sara Sidle was sitting in her bedroom on September 17th, her birthday. She got up and ran down the stairs quickly and loudly so excited it was her birthday. “SARA! You stupid brat! I can hear you from here. If you keep running you won’t get a sprain ankle like last time you’ll get a broken one!” Her father shouted at her as Sara suddenly stopped with wide eyes and tried to move quietly down the stairs. She held a hand tight into her pocket with sweet building around two quarters she had in her pocket.

Sara was about to make it to the door when a hand grabbed her roughly on her shoulder. “Where do you think you’re going Ugly?” Her mother’s stern voice shot goose bumps all up and down her back. “What are you hiding in your pocket? Show me this instance!” Her Mother grabbed her left arm and yanked it roughly out of her pocket. Sara whimpered but her mother ignored it. “Ah you stole two quarters from me?” Sara began to quickly shake her head.

“No Mama, it’s mine, our neighbor Ms. Kennedy gave it to me for my birthday.” The little girl tried to explain to her Mother.

“How many times do I have to tell you Little Ugly, you don’t deserve to remember today is your birthday. You aren’t smart enough and you aren’t pretty enough, and you aren’t human enough to have one, you are just a little parasite, now get out of my sight and back to you bedroom where you belong!” Her mother yelled roughly and pushed her back up the stairs where she fell hard on her wrist.

(End Flashback)

Sara Sidle looked down at her left wrist and rubbed it absently. She looked up at her self in the mirror and noticed a round tear inching its way down her face from sadden brown eyes. Sara quickly wiped away and looked around, even though she is the only there, she remember in her mind, she didn’t even get to deserve to show emotion. She would just have to put on her fake smile, the smile that didn’t make her brownish hazel eyes glow and continue on like nothing has or will happen.

Still feeling the remembrance of the moisture from her eyes on the back of her hand Sara bent down and gave a tug on her dresser, opening up the top drawer and taking out her under garments for the day, almost in a slow trance she moved to her closet to find a top to wear with her dress pants. Once finding her top Sara organized her outfit on her bed then grabbed her towel to take a warm shower to wash away the memories of her past with a new clean mask.

Standing feeling the rain drops of hot water running down her face to the rest of her body. She closed her eyes as she tried to relax. Now for a moment she can’t see those images she just focused on the calmly sound of the water dripping down her body to the drain with the force of the dripping water from the faucet massaging her body to allow her a reprieve from the nightmares and memories of her past. Once Sara was clean and refreshed she gently caressed her towel over her body, her slim tall body, then swiftly over her shoulder length brown hair, then back down again where she barely caressed over her scars of the past from both parents and foster parents that took residence on her body.

Sara quickly crossed her hallway with her towel wrapped around her and walked into her bedroom. Calmly she got dressed then began to dry her hair. She applied a tad makeup to her face and proceeded to go and get her daily caffeine fix. She just put a pot of coffee on when her pager buzzed. She felt the vibrations on the counter. ‘Call Grissom’ her txt read. Sara frowned and picked up her cell phone, and dialed her Night shift Supervisor Gil Grissom.

“Grissom.” The voice of the calmly and emotional detached Supervisor answered the phone.

“Griss you uh you called me?” Sara asked while taking her coffee out of ht machine as it was dripping and finishing in the pot.

“Yes, Sara I got a call there’s a 419 out in Summerland and sense you live near those housing complex’s I’d figure I’d txt you the address and you can head there.” Grissom’s voice continued completely unaware of the obvious hesitation in Sara’s voice. “I’ll also be calling Greg so he’ll be joining you. Brass is there waiting for a CSI to get there, and Catherine will be heading with the Denali too. You and Catherine are running the evidence on this case.”

Sara nodded her head at the information as she put her coffee in a thermos. Although Grissom is emotionally detached he does care about his Team of CSI’s. Catherine is a CSI Level 3 and the Assistant Night Shift Supervisor, and Greg is a CSI Level 2.

The night shift of the Las Vegas is one of the closest and best CSI teams that Las Vegas has. Grissom and Catherine lead the group as sort of the parents. Sara along with Greg and two other CSI Level 3’s Nick Stokes a strong, polite, born Texan and so happens to be from the “perfect” family and Warrick Brown a tall, broad colored man with sincere green eyes, but the street smarts of a kid that grew up in the casinos of Las Vegas, are the kids, but all and all they are close. Well everyone is part of the family but me. Sara thought with a sigh as she grabbed her black CSI vest and slipped it on. Then grabbing her bag that was on her leather chair she headed out to her Crime scene.

Sara arrived at the scene about the time Catherine was getting out her department issued Denali. Looking in her review mirror she saw Greg pulling up behind her. With another sigh Sara got her kit from the back and jumped out of her car. Before she new it, Greg was already beside her, she turned to glance noticing he had his vest on too, with his short blonde hair spiked that night. Greg used to be the DNA Lab Tech for the Lab, and quite humorous and loud, but jumping from Lab to a field CSI brought out a certain maturity in the once rambunctious Lab Rat, however for his teammates aka family he would always have those bouncy blue eyes that was ready for fun and mischief, “Hey Sara it’s your day today right?” He asked with a grin and waggle of his eyebrows.

Sara shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know what you mean Greg, today is just another day the only thing is that yesterday was the sixteenth and today is the seventeenth.” Sara said briskly to Greg and walked by him to talk with Catherine and Captain Jim Brass. Greg just frowned at his friend as the concern began to brew within his eyes, but hurried to find out the details of the case, from experience now he new was not the time to be personal, but professional.

“Well the Vic’s name is Brandon Miller, he just recently bought this house and pool and according to the real-estate agent he was going to be rooming with couple friends.” Brass said looking over his pad of paper, upon seeing Sara’s arrival he looked up and gave her a fatherly wink. Brass was and has been a close friend to the Graveyard Shift, he’s actually more like an uncle to the team and a brother to Grissom and Catherine, although it seemed that to Sara he treated her more like a daughter than and niece. He was the kind of guy from Jersey the classic detective always in his suite and tie and ready for business with the occasional smart quip wit to back up the CSI team.

Sara just gave him her a small wistful smile back to Brass, not showing her gap-tooth smile which her team and other members of the Crime Lab have dubbed the Sidle Smile, and continued to listen to what the call to the Department was. “Anyway,” Brass continued clearly at odds with why Sara wasn’t showing any reaction on to the fact that today is her birthday. “Two of his friends were out at the grocery store and came back to find him dead in the pool. They are now calling the Vic’s family. The final and fourth roommate is missing so there’s an APB out on him.” Brass finished reading from his notes putting his small notepad back in his suit pocket.

“Thank you Brass, so Sara you’re leading this case would you like the body and pool area?” Catherine turned to her co-worker and friend as she wiped some of her strawberry hair from her eyes. Catherine’s blue eyes showed the wariness of also growing up in Las Vegas and obvious determination, but also with a hint of maternal instinct of being a single mother of a daughter, but also for the love of the team, especially the two youngest being the two standing in front of her. Sara nodded her head to Catherine in agreement and started out towards the initial Crime Scene.

“Greg you take the house and I’ll be there to join you once I finish taking perimeter.” Greg nodded grabbed his kit and headed inside while Catherine’s pager beeped. “Oh Sara the assistant coroner is on his way, I just got the page from Dave.” Catherine called out to her. Sara walked waved her hand up to show she heard Catherine.

Brass turned to look at her, “She ok?” He gestured toward Sara, “She didn’t even mention that today is her birthday.”

Catherine sighed in concern as she grabbed her camera from her kit placing it around her neck and then picking her kit up, “I don’t know Brass, in the past eight years she’s been here; she has always switched shifts with a Day or Swing shift member on this day. Grissom and I noticed it when we were doing team evaluations last November. We have cake and gifts for her in the Break Room at Headquarters for her this year though.” Catherine said taking a couple camera shots of what appeared to be a cigarette bud near to the side of the house away from the pool area. After a few flashes of the camera Catherine removed her tweezers from her vest and picked up the cigarette bud, then removed a small evidence bag and placed it inside. “Did any of them smoked?” Catherine asked standing back up beside Brass.

“Yeah the other two roommates said Jacob smoked. He’s the roommate that’s missing.” Brass answered removing his notes from his pocket again. Catherine nodded as she and Brass continued to look and take evidence from the perimeter of the house.

Meanwhile Greg began his part of the investigation of the Vic’s bedroom. He noticed many posters of sports players and millions of calendars of sport events that schedules of the surrounding area of Las Vegas. Hmm it appears our Vic is part of the Sport Scene, maybe gambling community, I’ll have to let Warrick know. Greg thought when he turned and notices the Vic’s desk, Greg slipped on some evidence gloves and opened one of the desk drawers, inside was a long thin white envelope. Picking it up carefully noticing it has already been opened Greg first smoothed it out with a covered latex index finger and took some tweezers to open up the envelope. Nothing was inside but the envelope had been torn open, Greg brought the envelope to his nose and sniffed.

It was the crisp scent. It filled his nostril and he gave a sigh. “This envelope had been home to loads of dollar bills.” Greg said putting the envelope in an evidence bag. Then Greg removed his printing powder and began to print the room.

Sara sighed as she slipped on her evidence gloves, she couldn’t touch or get near the body without the Assistant Coroner arriving so all evidence that was in the pool would have to wait till David, the Assistant Coroner arrived. Opening up her kit she began to place evidence markers around the pool. Setting a marker near some yarn or some sort of clothing material she grabbed her camera and snapped some pictures.

Once the flashes subsided she glanced back over at the body and took out her tweezers. This looks like materials made from jeans. Sara thought after a close inspection then glancing again at the body, He is wearing jeans. Sara thought as she was picking up a small evidence bag she placed the piece of clothing inside.

Catherine and Brass were now just about to make it all the way around the house. “There wasn’t much evidence around the house perimeter maybe there will be some around the pool.” Catherine spoke to Brass as she carried her kit with her.

Brass nodded, “Hopefully Sara and Greg have found some evidence too.”

Sara was just about to take pictures of some tipped over lawn chairs, clearly the evidence of a scuffle. As she was focusing the camera the fence around her gave a shook. Sara paused after one picture and was going to turn around when two strong hands gripped her from behind. With a shatter the camera fell to the asphalt of the pool as Sara gave a muffled scream, flinging her arms trying to get the assailant off her.

“Stupid Investigators trying to prove I’m guilty, well you won’t get that chance you Bitch!” Came a voice filled with anger and hate. However finally Sara was able to break free long enough to turn around and face her assailant. She turned and reached for her gun but suddenly there was a loud smack. Sara’s eyes began to roll to the back of her head as she was pushed roughly backwards.

Catherine and Brass just rounded the house when the heard a loud smack. They took off running with Brass drawing his firearm to see Sara collapsing into the pool with a surrounding splash compromising all surrounding evidence and making Sara herself part of the crime scene. “Jacob Hendrix!” Brass shouted as more police officers came running with their weapons drawn, Catherine also removing her firearm. “Put the bat down and put your hands behind your head.” Brass commanded.

As soon as the bat fell with ping to the asphalt the surrounding officers quickly moved in to make the arrest. Upon hearing all the commotion Greg rushed out of the patio door of the house to see the officers making the arrest. As Jacob was being handcuffed Catherine raced to the pool sheathing her gun and jumping in, causing a medium level splash, she quickly swam to where Sara fell and pulled her out.

Brass already radio for the ambulance, the dispatcher responded they would be there in seven minutes, Brass sighed anxiously but left Sara’s care to Catherine while he approached the struggling Jacob. “Alright pal, you’re going downtown with me.” Brass said taking the young man roughly by the arm and leading him to an officer car. “Catherine, call me once you get her to the hospital.”

Catherine nodded as she was wiping the spit up water from Sara’s mouth, while Brass was calling for the ambulance and taking care of the suspect, Catherine successful provided CPR and Sara was breathing, but she was completely out of it, she was aware, but not showing any sign of knowing what was happening. Within moments the EMT’s arrived and was helping Sara onto the stretcher. Greg stood watching his friend being put into the ambulance. Catherine put her hand on his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Call Grissom Greg, I’ll ride with Sara to the hospital.” Catherine said letting go and hoping in the back of the ambulance. As soon as the doors closed Greg already had his cell phone out.

The trip to the hospital was a blur, upon arrival the scent of disinfectants and bleach filled Catherine’s senses as Sara was wheeled into an examination room. Catherine watched her friend being wheeled in and tried to follow. “Sorry Ms. Willows. The doctor needs to see her alone, please wait in the Waiting Room, we’ll come back for you in a bit,” said a crispy short ER nurse. Catherine opened her mouth to respond but the door was shut hastily in her face. Catherine knowing that she lost the round to the nurse went to the Waiting Room to wait for her friend.

In a half an hour later Catherine was still pacing the Waiting Room her hands fidgeting with each other as she sighed as other names were brought to attention but her own. Damnit! Catherine thought angrily running her hands anxiously through her hair for like the hundredth time since she’s been here. “Ms. Willows? Hi I’m the doctor whom examined Miss Sidle.” A tall slim woman in her forties with wisps of her gray hair in a bun approached Catherine with her hand extended, “I’m Dr. Sawyer.” She smiled genuinely and her eyes showed a distinct brightness which as Catherine shook her hand calmed her anxious nerves.

“Is Sara alright?” She asked immediately.

Dr. Sawyer nodded, “Yes she did suffer a concussion but no permanent brain damage, she’s a bit out of it right now, but is insisting that she would be fine.” The doctor said with a smile, which then turned into concern purse of her lips, “However I don’t believe she’s knows what’s going on, she’s acting very anxious and a bit skirmish around me and the nurses, we’ve been trying to get her to tell what happens and she just keeps saying that she fell.” The doctor told Catherine, Catherine, looked at the Doctor as her eyes widen in confusion.

“But sense we see that there’s no brain damage it may just be a tiny phase she’s experiencing, we do suggest that she stays with someone for a few days and come back and see me again in a few days.” Doctor Sawyer advised as she began to lead Catherine to the Examination Room.

As the two stopped outside Sara’s room Catherine peeked inside and instantly her heart melted. Sara was dressed in one of those horrid white blue dotted hospital gowns, but her eyes were distant it appeared that Sara Sidle wasn’t there, but someone different, someone filled with fear, “She’ll be staying with me and don’t worry I’ll look after her,” Catherine said turning to the Doctor.

“Ok I’ll start preparing the dismissal papers.” She said as she adjusted her stethoscope around her neck.

“Thank you and I will talk to her and as we wait for you, I don’t want to leave until she’s out of her haze.” Catherine said shaking the Doctor’s hand and then slowly entering her friend’s room. “Hi Sara,” Her voice sounded gently as she came up to her.

Sara saw this woman and she brought her knees tightly to her chest, “Hi.” A meek whisper escaped her lips. “Are you from the social service department? Ms. Kennedy my neighbor always sends them to talk to me.” Sara said her voice taking on a child like manner of a five-seven year old.

Catherine eyes came to an understanding, Sara wasn’t just in a haze, she was in a different time! She was a five or seven year old girl again. Now it made sense why the Doctor checked for brain damage right away! Catherine cleared her throat in a conscious decision and nodded to Sara, “Yes Sweetie, I am, do you want to tell me what happened?” She asked as if she was speaking to a child. It was clear that Sara won’t come out of this trance or flashback unless she plays through it.

“She’ll hurt me,” Came a scared whimper.

“Who Sweetie?” Catherine asked quietly.

“My Mama, even though she made sure Daddy can’t hurt me anymore she keeps hurting me.” Said the little Sara as she began to cry. “She stabbed him…a lot! Then she turned to me and hit me over my head. Her and daddy always find ways to hurt me, people will always hurt me…cuz I’m not human and I don’t deserve to be treated like one.” Tiny Sara cried out to Catherine.

Catherine turned and grabbed Sara and gave her a hug that took the young woman in her arms. Everything about Sara fell into place, why she gets angry about domestic cases, why she’s so withdrawn, she doesn’t think she has the right to participate in anything; she feels that no one is there for her because of her parent’s words telling her she’s not human!

For what seemed like hours Sara cried and Catherine just held her close. Then suddenly Sara stopped and looked around, her eyes squinted and she frowned. “Catherine? Where am I? What about the scene?” The firing and intense questions shot from Sara’s mouth.

Catherine reached up and put two fingers over Sara’s mouth shushing her. “The case has been passed to Nick; he just finished his Hit and Run case. You and I are off for two weeks which you’ll be staying with me.” Catherine explained calmly.

“Why don’t I remember this?” Sara asked. Catherine reached over and moved some of Sara’s hair from her eyes.

“You’ve had a hard night, but you now have family to take care of you.” Catherine said quietly in Sara’s ear has she wrapped a tight arm around her and looked into Sara’s brown eyes deeply.

Sara looked back into Catherine’s and instantly recognized the truth! Catherine knew of her past! But she doesn’t see pity? She sees love, compassion, and…admiration. “Catherine..?” Sara asked nervously.

Catherine moved Sara’s head to her mouth and kissed her forehead, “You are human, you are not less Sara, and you do deserve emotions, love, and a birthday.”