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| �So this chick comes barreling through the door, yelling �get your hands off my man� when she realized she was in the men�s bathroom and it was a man with her boyfriend,� Greg said in between laughs.
�No way,� Sara sarcastically said. �They started fighting right there! Oh man you should have stayed on to watch it.� �I have enough drama in my life, don�t need more,� the CSI commented. �Yeah, but this is funny drama,� Greg said. �Found something your level of intelligence, Greg?� A new voice added into the conversation. �Catherine!� Greg beamed when he saw the other woman. �I was just telling Sara about some quality Dynasty type drama last night.� The blonde quirked her eyebrow in question, her words cut off by Sara standing up abruptly. Two pairs of eyes locked in on the woman, waiting for an explanation. �I�ve got to go. Drop the file off when the results are ready, Greg,� Sara hastily offered as she walked out of the lab. �So much for the good mood,� Greg sighed. �My report, Greg?� Catherine mentally noted which direction Sara headed to. The young lab tech moved over to retrieve the piece of paper on his desk. �Looks like your perp got sloppy.� �Thanks,� Catherine mumbled before stalking off in Sara�s direction. Spotting the brunette walking out of the lab, Catherine hurried to catch up. �Sara.� �Catherine?� A slightly irritated Sara turned around, only to find herself face to face with said woman. �What is your problem?� Catherine�s angry voice reached Sara�s ears. �Excuse me?� �You heard me.� Catherine stepped closer to the brunette. �What crawled up your ass this time? Grissom turned you down again?� Sara made a conscious effort to unclench her balled up fists and concentrated on her breathing. Making herself count to 10, she took a deep breath and answered Catherine. �Think what you want,� Sara steeled her gaze. �I don�t care.� �Sure, easy for you.� Catherine took another step to block Sara�s way. �Stop and think of the people around you, Sidle. Get your head out of the clouds for once and reflect on your actions.� �What�s with you today?� Sara was irritated at the woman. Her anger was slowly growing and she knew it would not be a pretty sight. �What�s with me? This is great. She goes around turning the labs into Antarctica and she asks me what�s wrong.� Catherine did not give Sara a chance to speak up. �Look, whatever�s crawled up your ass today, keep it to yourself. The lab will be better off without your pitiful dramas.� To Sara�s ears, the woman had just stepped over the line. Unable to hold her anger in any longer, Sara focused on evening her breath. �If and when I decide to ask for advice on how to live my life, you�ll be the last person I�ll ask,� Sara gritted her teeth as she came inches away from Catherine�s face. �And don�t pretend that you know what I�m going through. Don�t even bother to try.� �Why? Because I�m not smart enough?� �Whatever.� With that, Sara turned and walked away. But apparently, Catherine wasn�t done with the conversation. She caught up with the brunette, grabbing her by the forearm. In a blink of an eye, Sara had forcefully pushed away the intrusive limb. �Don�t you ever touch me again or I will report you for assault,� Sara warned Catherine. �So now you�re made of glass?� Catherine continued to bait the younger woman. Not bothering with a retort, Sara got into her car and drove away. She tried to calm herself down, not giving her mind a chance to think of Catherine�s angry touch. What bothered her more was how much she wanted to lash out both verbally and physically at the blonde. �Deep breaths, Sara. Deep breaths,� the brunette repeated her mantra as she took the longer way home. Meanwhile back at the lab, Catherine was headed toward the locker room when the graveyard supervisor cornered her. �Gil, shift�s officially over. What can�t possibly wait?� The blonde never was one to snap at her friend but she was tired and drained from the argument with Sara. �This won�t take long.� Grissom stepped aside to let Catherine walk first. When they both had settled down in his office, he took off his glasses and sighed. �What�s wrong, Gil?� It was unusual to see the quiet man this fidgety and Catherine wondered if something had happened. �When are you going to ask Sara out?� As soon as the words left his mouth, Grissom knew he had hit a nerve. Catherine, with her mouth agape, did not answer him immediately. The gamut of emotions that was coursing through her body earlier was mixed with shock right now. �Gil�� �You�re interested in her, aren�t you?� Grissom pressed on. �And she�s interested in you,� Catherine evaded answering the question expertly. Her reply gave him all the indication he needed. �The lady doth protest too much, methinks.� �The only murder that�s going to take place is yours if you don�t stop pestering me,� Catherine half-heartedly challenged him. �Get thee to a nunn�ry,� Grissom replied calmly. �Quoting Hamlet twice in a row? What�s your point, Gil?� Clearing his throat, Grissom schooled his expression back to its unreadable state. �I�m not sure what you were thinking, arguing with Sara like that at the parking lot earlier but there is to be no repeat of that.� �Why are you protecting her?� �I have a responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of my entire team. Catherine, what you did earlier could have been passed off as an assault,� Grissom gently said. �That�s bullshit and you know it. I barely touched her!� Catherine could feel her anger rising again. �But you did, didn�t you? You initiated the touch. One that was not welcomed, I might add,� Grissom pointed it out. �What are you trying to say, Gil?� �Discretion, Catherine.� �Since when did you care about office politics?� Catherine asked, her chin still held up defiantly. �I care about the two of you, and what happened earlier today was out of line.� The man took a wipe of his glasses before continuing. �Look, you�re both my friends. Don�t force my hand.� �Gil�� Catherine�s words died on the tip of her tongue. �I don�t know what to say. I feel like the biggest ass in the world.� �I�m sorry would be a start.� He turned back to the eight-legged beauty in front of him, his distraction signaling the end of the conversation. Catherine let herself out, all the while trying not to dwindle on her actions at the parking lot. �Smart move,� Catherine chastised herself as she drove to her destination. As she parked her car in front of the apartment building, the blonde calmed her nerves and straightened her hair. Stepping out of the car took more effort than convincing herself she needed to do this. Catherine walked up the stairs, each step weighing her impending apology a little heavier in her heart. She stood in front of the apartment, took a deep breath and knocked. Not getting a response, she knocked again. This time, a door opened. �Can I help you?� It was the old lady next door. �Uh, can you tell me if Sara�s home?� Quickly, Catherine added, �I�m her co-worker.� �Well, she�s usually not home that early,� the old lady replied. �Sorry, can�t help you.� Defeated, Catherine hung her head low and headed back to her car. She sat in her seat, staring into space while she allowed herself to regroup. Just as she reached for the ignition, she spotted an identical nondescript car pulling up. Quickly, she got out of the car when she saw Sara walking toward the front door. Even with their distance, Catherine could sense the anger rolling off the brunette. And she has every right to be, Catherine silently told herself. �I don�t want to talk to you,� Sara simply told Catherine. �Sara.� �Come to continue the argument, Catherine? Thought of something else to rub it in my face?� The angry voice and the defensive stance should have deterred Catherine but it only spurred her on. �Sara, please.� Catherine didn�t like how pleading she sounded. �No, we�re done. I�m not going to tell you to stay away from me again.� With that, Sara headed for the safety confines of her apartment. Refusing to accept the brush-off, Catherine followed Sara to her apartment. �Sara, I�m not leaving until you hear me out.� �Fine, let�s hear it,� Sara said, irritated. She stood in front of her apartment, her arms crossed and her gaze steeled. Temporarily caught off guard, Catherine readied herself as she tried to formulate her apology. She didn�t shy away from Sara�s gaze, meeting the angry gaze with one of remorse. �I�m sorry.� Sara opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. An angry remark was at the tip of her tongue, ready to lash out at Catherine. Her arms dropped to her sides, her shoulders slouching a little. �Yeah.� �If there�s a way for me to turn back time and undo the harm that I�ve caused you earlier, I�d do it in a heartbeat,� Catherine continued as though she had not heard Sara. �I-I don�t know why I get so worked up whenever you�re around.� �Me too,� Sara tried to smile a little to lessen the tension. Grateful for the little distraction, Catherine continued. �I really am sorry about earlier. I shouldn�t have said the things I did. I shouldn�t have grabbed you like that.� �Look, it�s over. What�s said is said and what�s done is done. Let�s not bring it up again,� Sara said plainly. �No.� �No?� Sara was confused by Catherine�s answer. �I-I�d like for us to go beyond this,� the blonde said. �Beyond this?� Sara thought it over. �As in a friendship?� Catherine nodded, not trusting her voice to work. She knew it was wishful thinking, considering they both were born with a nasty stubborn streak. �Catherine, we don�t exactly get along on the best of days. What makes you think it�s going to work now?� �Because we�ll be making a better effort?� �Look, I don�t mean to be rude but I really need some sleep and from the looks of it, so do you.� When Sara saw Catherine was about to protest, she added, �so why don�t we continue this next time?� �Huh?� Catherine could barely catch up with Sara�s train of thought. �No offense, but you look like hell,� Sara offered with a grin. �Whatever it is, we�ll continue later, ok?� �Oh. Ok, I guess,� Catherine said dejectedly before asking in a small voice, �are we ok?� Sara shrugged as way of reply. She inserted her key into the lock, turning back to face Catherine. �I�ll see you at the lab later. Bye,� Sara nodded before disappearing into her apartment. As the door clicked shut, Catherine let out a heavy sigh. She pushed away all thoughts of Sara, focusing instead on her routine throughout the day. Try as she might, the guilt that she felt earlier kept making its presence known. A small sliver of hope started growing by the time Catherine made her way back to the lab hours later. She headed for the break room right away, mindful of the suspicious stares shot her way. There was no doubt in her mind that news of her heated argument with Sara had made its way around the labs again. This time, though, she felt shameful that she was at fault. �You�re early today.� Catherine turned to the owner of the voice. �So are you, Warrick.� �Technically, I�m late,� he chuckled. �Haven�t left since God knows when.� �Grissom called you in, huh?� Catherine returned her smile. �Me and Sara,� Warrick corrected the woman. �Though the two of them should be back from breakfast anytime now.� �Oh?� Catherine felt her heart sinking. The man nodded. �I think if Grissom didn�t drag her away, she�d still be working.� �Case that bad?� �Double homicide. Daughter killed the dad when he tried to rape her.� He closed his eyes then, trying his best to purge the sight of the crime scene from his mind. �Wait, you said double homicide. Who else was killed?� Catherine tapped her foot lightly, waiting for an answer from him. �Her mother,� he said softly. �She was in so much shock that she didn�t know her mother was trying to help her. When the EMTs took her to the hospital, she was still very much hysterical.� �How old was the girl?� Catherine felt herself asking. �Cath�� Warrick saw how unsettled his friend had become and he didn�t want to add fuel to the fire. �Tell me, please.� Catherine�s voice came out as a whisper. �She�s 10.� Lindsey�s age, Catherine�s mind screamed. �Who�s with her now?� �Sara. Or at least she was until they sedated the girl.� Warrick let out a sigh. �Brenda Collins,� Catherine mumbled. �Who?� �Little girl who survived a quadruple homicide.� It pained Catherine to just think about the case, let alone the girl. �The sister was her mom.� Now it dawned on Warrick. �And the little girl stuck to Sara like bees to honey.� Catherine remembered seeing Sara and little Brenda waiting at the hallway holding hands. She also remembered wondering if she ever could get as close to Sara as did the little girl. �They feel safe around her,� a new voice joined in. Startled, Catherine and Warrick turned to see Grissom standing in the doorway. She craned her neck to peer around the man, but found no one behind him. �Where�s Sara?� Catherine had a good guess where the younger woman was. �Hospital, keeping the girl company,� Grissom shrugged. The food did wonders for Sara, that much he observed, but her mind never strayed far away from the case. �How�s she doing?� Warrick asked. �Better.� Grissom�s cryptic answer could have meant the little girl or Sara, but Catherine knew he was talking about the brunette. �I�ve already sent Nick on his way for a B&E. Catherine, keep working on your open cases.� �What?� Catherine frowned at the new information. �You can�t be serious, Gil. You guys need all the help you can get!� �Yes, we need people to catch whatever case that comes in.� For once, his tone brokered no argument. �I�m gonna go check on the samples I left with Greg,� Warrick offered as he made his hasty retreat. He was smart enough to pick up on his friend�s facial expression and what he just saw sent a red flag in his mind. �Gil.� �No, Catherine.� �Why?� �The three of us can handle this. There�s no need for all of us on this case,� Grissom said calmly. �With Sara all tied up with the girl, you�ll need another pair of hands to help out,� Catherine continued to push further. �Catherine, there�s nothing much for us to do except process the evidence.� Unhappy that she was getting shut out, Catherine continued with her questions. �How did you know the dad was trying to rape her if the mother�s dead?� As soon as the words left her mouth, the realization clicked. Catherine went pale at the thought, her hands flew to the chair in front of her for support. �She died on the way to the hospital,� Grissom�s brows furrowed. �And you guys still managed to get her statement?� Catherine loosened her grip on the chair a little. �She was screaming for us to help her child when we got there.� Grissom�s mind flashed back to the scene he came upon earlier. Everyone had tried to calm the little girl down, even the female EMT but the little girl responded only to Sara. Standing not too far away from them, Grissom had overheard the girl asking Sara why she couldn�t hug her. When his mind came back to the present, he was met with Catherine�s confused gaze. Grissom stood up abruptly, leaving her to watch him from her seated position. �Page me if you need anything.� �Gil!� She called out to his retreating back, but she knew it would not help. Frustrated, Catherine poured herself a cup of coffee and headed back to her office. She stared at the pile of paperwork in front of her and groaned. Pulling the file on top, she channeled her frustration into productivity, going through the files in a fevered pace. By the time the blonde CSI went back to the break room for a fresh cup of coffee, half the shift had gone by. She looked around, hoping she could catch a glimpse of the woman that�s been on her mind. �Eat your heart out.� Catherine sighed. She went back to her office, intent on using the rest of the shift to catch up on her latest cases. As time winded down, she spotted a tall brunette headed toward the locker room. Feeling a little confident, Catherine quickly followed behind. �Sara?� �Yeah?� a tired voice answered. �You ok?� Catherine took a tentative step toward the brunette sitting on the bench. Straightening herself when Catherine was standing near her, Sara nodded. �Just tired.� �Did you get any sleep at all?� Sara flinched when she felt Catherine�s body close to hers, but she held her ground. �An hour, I think.� Sara turned to face Catherine, a weak smile on her face. Not wanting to spook the woman next to her, Catherine moved closer to Sara slowly. She was hesitant to reach out to Sara, but she couldn�t stop herself. Catherine reached out and held Sara�s hand, tightening her grip when she felt Sara trying to pull away. �Catherine?� Sara tried not to think about how much she was enjoying Catherine�s touch. She knew Catherine was going to touch her, and this time, she allowed herself to enjoy the touch. �You can lean on me, you know,� Catherine said softly. �I�m not used to having someone there for me,� Sara confessed. Catherine scooted closer to the brunette, reminding herself this might be the only time she could get this close to Sara. �Let me.� Instead of replying, Sara pulled her hand away from Catherine�s. She slid her arm around Catherine�s waist, drawing the woman in for an embrace. The blonde gladly accepted the hug, snaking her hands around Sara�s neck. It wasn�t what Catherine wanted, but she knew they were well on their way toward it. And judging by the sharp intake of breath she heard moments ago, that day would come soon enough. I'm always adding new stuff. Check back soon for more or join the mailing list. To submit your work click the Email link below. Email C/S MAIN HOME CSI MAIN JOIN THE YAHOO GROUP |
| The Name of the Game |
| Author: wingsfan Pairing: Cath/Sara Ratings: PG-13 Summary: An argument, an unwelcomed touch and a murder. Where does it lead our favorite CSIs? Disclaimer: Not mine. |