Title: Years Ago

Author: Banana Tooth

Rating: K

Spoilers: Refers to a Season Three storyline.

Disclaimer: I am in no way connected with CBS, the CSI Franchise, or its writers, producers, or directors.

A/N: This is a collection of 100-word drabbles from seven perspectives.

1. Sheldon

I knew she was feeling bad, so I took her to lunch. We lingered there, talking about anything besides the real issue at hand. At last she fell silent, and her eyes, still troubled, met mine.

"Stella…I believe that sooner or later, most people end up with the right person. And it's going to happen for you, sometime," I said slowly.

She smiled. "You know, you have a gift for making people feel better."

"Thanks," I said, flattered, because nobody had ever said that before.

She squeezed my hand and stood up. "It's going to happen for you too. Sometime."

2. Peyton

His eyes were always sad then. Sometimes they would light up, but it was never for me, no matter how much I wanted it.

I finally got the courage to speak up. I didn't tell him the real reason, but I got the feeling he didn't need much of a reason anyway.

Afterward, we stood at my door. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"Don't be sorry. We tried and it didn't work, that's all." He nodded. I leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Goodbye, Mac."

He left, and I closed the door and leaned against it, trying not to cry.

3. Sid

"What've you got?" she asked as they entered.

"I've got one beautiful visitor. You're a breath of fresh air, Stella."

"Sid—the vic?" Mac asked pointedly.

"COD is this gunshot wound to her shoulder. She reminds me of my second wife—quite attractive. Not as pretty as Stella, of course…"

"Sid," Mac said sharply.

"Anyway…" I demonstrated the wound tract.

Mac's phone rang, and he left. Stella's mouth twitched. "You really should stop doing that," she murmured.

"Just trying to help you."

"Help me what?"

"If we make him jealous enough…"

I could have sworn she blushed. "Shut up, Sid."

4. Jane

I hadn't known her all that well before, but over time, Peyton and I got to be good friends. I remember once when she brought some samples to the lab herself since she was coming this way. Amy, the new tech, was out in the hall giving some results to Mac, and Peyton looked from them to me with an amused little shake of her head.

Amy came back in, grinning, and went back to work, and my eyes met Peyton's.

"Don't even bother, kid," I murmured.

"You don't have the hair for it anyway," Peyton added under her breath.

5. Mac

I surprised her by making dinner on her birthday. I always remembered her birthday, of course, but that time I got tired of just giving her a lame gift, year after year. So I cooked for her, and got flowers, and lit candles everywhere.

She surprised me when she looked around in delight, and got tears in her eyes, and threw her arms around me.

I surprised us both when I kissed her. She was laughing and crying all at once, and kissed me back.

But later, when we whispered that we loved each other, that wasn't a surprise, somehow.

6. Stella

The morning sun streamed in despite the closed blinds. Mac was still asleep on his stomach, his arms folded under the pillow and his face half-hidden.

I sat up to watch him, one arm wrapped around my knees, grinning at the view of his bare back. Mac has the nicest back—my stolen glimpses in the lab as he leans over tables can attest to that.

After a while, I reached out and brushed my fingertips lightly across his skin. When he stirred, I murmured, "Good morning."

He opened one eye and grinned up at me. "Good morning, Detective Taylor."

7. Carina

Stupid hair.

I used to think that a lot. (Still do, actually.) I remember once when I was little, standing impatiently while Mom tried to bring order to the tangled mess. Finally she finished, and began to run her fingers through my curls in long, soothing strokes.

"You know, you could cut it if you wanted to."

"I don't want to," I said, like I always did, but this time I told her why. "Daddy likes it."

She laughed and pulled me back against her in a backwards hug.

"What?" I asked.

"That's why I didn't cut mine years ago…"