Author: Joyce
Title: New Beginnings
Disclaimer: They are still not mine.
Note: I decided to go back in time for my new story. This story begins when Sara first comes to Las Vegas. It will follow the original stories and cases of the first season but with one big difference: Sara finds herself being attracted to Warrick from the first moment she sees him. This story is a rewrite of season one, meaning that it will be AU pretty quickly once the story progresses. I hope you all enjoy this new Swarrick story and I promise that it will have none of the darkness that Choices had! As always, please tell me what you think!
A first impression
Coming to Las Vegas had seemed like a great idea when Grissom called her but now, only a few hours after she had arrived, she wasn't that sure anymore. The team had not welcomed her with open arms because she was investigating one of them. Warrick was a part of their family and she was a stranger from San Francisco, having to solve problems that were not hers to begin with. She had to do this though, she owed Grissom that much. She had been lost until he had showed up in her classroom and told her all about forensic science. From that moment on, she had a goal in life.
Stepping into the casino Sara took of her sunglasses and let her eyes get used to the dark, smoky, surroundings. This place was a dive she mused and her contempt for Warrick, a man she knew only through a hazy picture that Grissom had given her, grew. She looked around, trying to find him and finally spotted him ten feet away from her. And while she knew who she was looking for she was not prepared for what she saw in front of her. She had expected a somewhat geeky man, a scientist, but he looked nothing like that. Sitting there was a tall, handsome and muscular man and Sara was a bit confused by these turn of events.
She steeled herself and took a deep breath, determined to do her job no matter what he looked like. Approaching him she found him debating whether to hit or stay in a game of blackjack and she made the decision for him.
"Stay," she told him, surprised by the fact that her voice sounded strong while her heart was racing. "I need to talk to you."
Angry green eyes looked up at her and she held her breath for a moment, if his body wasn't confusing enough then his eyes definitely were.
"Who are you?" he asked her in a low tone and she swallowed a bit before she shook his hand, not trying to feel the shiver that ran across her spine once they touched.
"I'm Sara Sidle," she answered and a look of recognition crossed over his features, apparently Grissom had already told his protege about the investigation she was assigned to.
"Welcome to Vegas," he replied shortly, gesturing around in a sarcastic manner. "You're gonna love it here." His face spoke of contempt and hate but she sensed that it wasn't meant for her, he was directing it at himself.
"Can we get a cup of coffee somewhere?" she asked him, still in the same cold tone because she sensed that she needed to protect herself from him.
"Sure," he replied, inning his winnings before they left the casino and they walked the short distance on the Strip in silence, with her observing the way he walked. It looked like he didn't have a care in the world, he took his time to get to where he wanted to be. To an outside observer he looked like a cool, relaxed man but she saw trough the facade. Noticed that his hands were shaking a little and that there was a certain look in his eyes that she could only describe as guilt.
Sitting down at the counter she glanced at the man sitting next to her.
"You were playing a hundred on every spot," she told him, "Do you have a system?"
He didn't look at her when he replied with a shrug. "Counting cards," he confessed.
"Isn't that illegal?" she said in a somewhat harsh tone, really not getting why a CSI, who was as brilliant as Grissom had described him to be, would throw his life away like this.
"Not if you do the math in your head," he grumbled, obviously not wanting to talk about.
"Do you play anything else?" she retorted, still trying to have eye contact with him but finding him looking everywhere but at her.
"I bet sports from time to time," he said with a sigh that told her that Warrick Brown was anything but a patient man.
"So," she drawled while trying to rationalize the effect this man was having on her nerves, "You were assigned by Brass to shadow a trainee, a robbery comes up and you go for coffee?"
"An officer was there," he mumbled slightly uncomfortable, almost like he had told himself that a thousand times already.
"So you felt save to leave," Sara concluded, "Do you know the policies and restrictions for clearing a scene?"
"Yes," he answered shortly and she knew that he was running out of patience.
"So, why did you leave?" she asked him again. "What was so important that you had to rush out of there?"
"I told you," he said , "I went for coffee."
Him ignoring her like that was driving her crazy and she decided to pull out the big guns, wanting some answers, needing him to look at her while they were talking.
"Was that before or after you made your bets?" she asked with venom and when he didn't reply she continued; "Sunday, NFL, football...C'mon, are you trying to tell me that a guy like you didn't make a little pit stop?"
He just shook his head, still not saying anything and for the first time in her life Sara Sidle had found someone who could be just as stubborn as she was. "Look at me," she ordered, "Did you log on? Tell anybody where you were going?"
He finally looked at her and she felt a small victory for getting him to acknowledge her presence. "Do you know how many times I was left alone at a crime scene as a rookie?" he spitted out, her green eyes shooting daggers at her and she mused once again that eyes like that should be illegal.
"Yeah well, this time its different," she told him and he rubbed his head in a tired manner. "Why is that?" he asked her and she hesitated, knowing that she had to shock him to get to the truth but not wanting to hurt him either.
"Holly Cribbs died on the operating table twenty minutes ago," she said like she was telling him what time it was and when he looked at her and she saw the hurt and shock in his eyes she cringed.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, surprising both him and herself by grabbing his hand. She didn't know why she did that, all she knew was that she had felt the need to make it better.
He looked at her for a moment before he stood up, letting go of her hand with a gentleness that touched her.
"Don't be," he whispered, "Just tell Grissom that I screwed up and that I'm sorry."
She watched him walk away and frowned, not getting why she cared so much.
A couple of hours later Sara found herself surrounded by her new team, watching the police take away the murderer of Holly. One by one the team left the spot to go home but she couldn't get herself to move, her eyes glued to the person standing there all alone, not moving at all. Grissom had decided to let him stay and she had mixed feeling about that. Her mind knew that Warrick had made a mistake, was addicted to gambling and it was a risk keeping him on the team but her heart...Her heart wanted nothing more but to be near him and she feared the effect he had on her.
"You should go home, Warrick," she said to him, approaching him carefully and he turned his head in surprise at her presence.
"I guess we're both staying," he responded in tired manner, shaking his head. "Why did he decide to let me stay?" he asked her and she shrugged.
"I don't know," she answered honestly. "I advised him to fire you."
He grinned a little and she watched him in fascination, happy that he didn't smile all that often because it was not helping her nerves at all.
"You were absolutely right," he mused before he straightened his back a little. "I'm going to prove to him that his faith in me is justified," he mumbled and she knew that he was making a promise to himself.
"Good luck with that, Warrick," she told him with a small smile and she turned around to go back to her hotel room, knowing that she had a lot to do. She needed to find a home, adjust to her new job.
"Sara," he called after her and she turned around.
"Welcome to the team," Warrick told her. "I'm sure having you around is going to be interesting."
She just nodded and continued her way, a small smile on her face.
Tbc...