Fanfic: “In the Dark”
Author: amluv
Fandom: CSI
Pairing: Sara Sidle/Sofia Curtis
Rating: PG-13
Archive: Realm of the Shadow, Passion and Perfection
Disclaimer: Sara Sidle and Sofia Curtis are the property of Jerry Bruckheimer and CBS and their parent company.
Author’s Note #1: I’ve only watched a handful of episodes of CSI and rediscovered my
Jorja Fox obsession, which led to the discovery of Louise Lombard and this is the result of that discovery.
Author’s Note #2: “In the Dark” is taken from the title of a song written by Lil Green and performed by Nina Simone, however, this isn’t a songfic.
Author’s Note #3: this unbeta’d…so ya know, mistakes are bound to be made…
Long, well toned arms swayed back and forth in tandem with slim hips, as long, denim clad legs made strides along the corridors of the Las Vegas Police department headquarters. To the casual observer the brunette crime scene investigator seemed cocky, arrogant even, with her, head held too high, hard ass walk and penetratingly patronizing gaze. And Sara Sidle did nothing to dispel the preconceived notions that the casual observer had about her. Truth be told, she enjoyed the image she projected to the outside world. It served as a buffer between her and everything outside of her. She liked the advantage that kind of buffer had to offer, which basically meant she always had the upper hand and she liked having the upper hand. And that’s enough to put a little swagger in anyone’s step.
As she neared her destination, she could hear faint strands of piano chords interspersed with what sounded like a harmonica. The closer she came to the interrogation room, the more distinct the sound became and she was able to make out the voice that accompanied the bluesy arrangement that initially caught her ear. The voice was almost gruff, leaning on the side of hash and yet at the same time was filled with a flirty playfulness. The song itself seemed completely out of place as she listened to the lyrics. It spoke of how love could be found in the dark. Given that this was the homicide division and she herself investigated crime scenes that told tales of unspeakable horrors, the dark would be the last place you would go searching for love.
Sara stopped short of the door frame as she came upon Detective Sofia Curtis sitting in one of the chairs, head cupped in the hand of the arm that rested on the table. She wore a cobalt blue button down top that clung tight enough to give a good outline of the curves of her firm breasts and form fitting, black slacks that slightly hung over well heeled, black leather boots. Despite her posture, she had a look of serenity about her as she sat there with her eyes closed and long, blonde hair cascading just over her shoulder and down her back. Something inside of Sara twitched as she regarded the woman in the room. She couldn’t quite pinpoint exactly what it was about this scene playing in front of her that caused it, but it was unsettling enough for her to get on with the reason that brought her there.
She cleared her throat as a means of catching the attention of the person whom she came to see. “Curtis?” “Ah, Sara. I was wondering when you’d show up.” Sofia said as she slowly got up to greet the other woman.
Although her tone was light and bordering on the blasé, there was a hint of derision in the statement. It never failed that when the two women had to work a case together, a major clash of egos would occur. She knew Sofia was baiting her, and had it been any other time Sara would have been up to the challenge. But because it was so late, she really didn’t have the energy to engage the detective in yet another tete-de-tete. “I would have been here sooner, but then I wouldn’t have had this…” She handed the other woman the manila folder from under her arm that contained the results of a DNA test she ran on a suspect earlier that evening. “Just what I was hoping to see, thank you.” the detective said, and gave the csi an appreciative smile as she opened the folder to read the findings of the test.
While the other woman read the report, Sara was once again drawn into the song that was playing in the room. “I wouldn’t have pegged you as a blues lover Curtis.” She commented.
“I’m not, per se, but I adore Nina Simone.” The blonde responded as her eyes peered over the papers in her hands.
“I’m not familiar with her, but this sounds nice, it’s different.”
“It’s one of my favorites.”
Sara noticed a hint of sadness in Sofia’s eyes and then the quick recovery as she went back to reading the report. There was a story there that piqued the investigator in her and wanted to get to the bottom of the little mystery she just happened upon.
“Why?”
“Excuse me?”
“The song, why is it one of your favorites?”
“Oh…” She replied and a curious smile ghosted her lips as she appeared to be thinking of an answer. It wasn’t until after several beats that she looked up again and looked at the other woman with the one of the most intense gazes Sara had ever seen. She felt as if she were about to hear the secrets of the universe and felt like if she moved even a fraction of an inch, she would miss it, so she stood there and waited for the answer.
After several moments, Sofia began to speak again, “Because it talks about that thing you don’t know how to describe, yet you feel so acutely, so completely. It speaks to how even in the dark, where nothing else exists, except two lovers and what they feel for each other can be found. How the power of it can’t be denied and at the same time the end of it is also inevitable. In this song, love is both illicit and elusive and therefore, most exciting and incredibly powerful. And when she’s singing, she’s singing it with an awareness that allows her to surrender to it.”
“That and it‘s a pretty kick ass arrangement.” This was said with a wink. And again Sara felt a twitch from deep within her. And again, it made her feel uncomfortable.
It was several moments later before she realized the blonde woman had stopped talking and was looking at with a somewhat bemused look in her eyes. Sara shrugged her shoulders as if that would have explained her sudden silence.
“Have you ever been in love Sara?” the detective asked suddenly. The question caught her off guard, which didn’t happen often. And somehow she felt as if the tables had been suddenly turned against her as she saw the knowing smirk and upturned eyebrow of the women standing in front of her.
“Don’t you think that’s an intensely personal question Detective Curtis?” she replied, giving Sofia her best icy stare.
“C’mon Sara, I didn’t ask for intimate details. I’m only asking if you’ve ever been in love. Besides, you initiated this friendly conversation and as they say ‘turnabout is fair play…’ ”
“I asked you a simple question about a song, I didn’t ask you to divulge your most private thoughts or secrets.”
The other woman merely smiled and set the papers that she had been reading down on the cold, green surface of the table and slowly began to walk toward Sara. “I suppose not then. I mean being in love requires relinquishing control, surrendering yourself. I can’t imagine you allowing yourself to be that vulnerable. You couldn’t allow yourself to give in to something so savage and unbridled, could you? “You would never allow anyone or anything to have that much power over you, right?”
By this time they were standing face to face as cool blue met furious brown.
“You suppose a lot of things,” the brunette grounded out.
“Do I?” she answered as she inched her way even closer to the other woman.
“I suppose you‘ve never stopped to think why is it we can’t seem to be in the same room without not being able to have a go at each other? And I suppose you have no idea how insane you drive me, how distracted I get whenever you’re around, right?” Sofia had closed the distance between them so much so that there wasn’t enough room to pass a sheet of paper between the two of them. Her breathing had become ragged and her body tensed as she leaned in to whisper into Sara’s ear, “I suppose if I were to kiss you right here, right now…”
It finally hit Sara, what that twitch was, what it meant. She stood there betrayed by her deepest desires right in front of the woman, who up until that very moment, had been the bane of her existence. She was so close, too close, not close enough, she thought to herself. And she slowly turned her face to the side where Sofia’s lips had just lingered…so close…yet not close enough. She closed her eyes and swallowed hard. And just as she opened them again, she could see the whip of blonde tresses headed for the door.
“Do you really love is savage?” she asked the retreating figure, in a quite voice.
The other woman stopped in her tracks and stood motionless for a moment. And then without turning around, she replied in a resigned tone, “At this moment, it’s fucking brutal.” And with that, she walked out of the dimly lit room and into the corridor leading out of the building.
Sara watched her as she walked away, long, well toned arms, moving in tandem with slim hips, though the gun holster did give them a bit of heft. Sofia Curtis was cocky and a bit arrogant and to Sara Sidle’s chagrin, everything she truly desired.