A/N: This is the start of a sequel to "New Year's Eve." I know it's a short one...this part's been lurking in my brain for ages, but I'm still having a hard time with the next part. Keep checking back, the muses have started to softly chatter again. I'm not sure the end of this scene flows as nicely as I want it to, but...

Please R&R!

Jan. 1

The early morning sunlight coming through the window tells me it must be close to eight o'clock. I throw my arm over my eyes and groan. I'd like nothing more right now than to just go back to sleep. The phone on the nightstand is ringing, though: Grissom must have other plans. I blindly reach over and grab the phone, answering it without bothering to check the caller ID. "Willows," my voice is hoarse from sleep and I clear my throat as I sit up and emerge from my cocoon of pillows and blankets.

"I woke you up," it's less a statement of surprise or observation as it is a statement of realization.

"You're not Grissom," it's all I can think of as my brain struggles toward full consciousness. "No one else ever wakes me up."

"I'm sorry, I'll call back later," Sara says, clearly at a loss for what else to say.

"Sara, it's okay. Is something wrong? Do you need something? Have we been called in? What's going on?" Phone calls from Sara are so few and far between, I know something has to be going on or she would have simply texted me.

"No…nothing's wrong. I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…" her voice trails off and she sounds much more concerned than she needs to be over waking me up.

"Really, Sara it's okay. You already apologized. It's fine – no harm, foul."

"Catherine," Sara starts over. "I called to apologize for last night. I'm sorry I kissed you; it shouldn't have happened. I just…" she pauses, choosing her words. With a sigh, she continues, "I was trying to avoid an overly flirtatious girl. I turned around and you were there, so I kissed you. I didn't mean anything by it, really." Her words are beginning to get faster, as if she's getting nervous. "I hope you aren't mad at me or anything. I mean, I wasn't really hitting on you. I guess…you were there, and all I could think about was not kissing Maggie. I didn't mean to kiss you like that. I just meant to avoid Maggie." She sounds defeated after this explanation. "God I sound pathetic."

I'm sitting in shocked silence until Sara brings me back to reality. "Catherine?" her voice has turned tentative. "Please say something."

"It's fine, Sara." It's all I can say. My voice is flat and dull – not angry, but not lifeless. "Forget about it. I'll see you at work tonight." I hang up the phone, pull my knees to my chest and rest my forehead on them.

It's not fine. It's anything but fine. Eight hours ago, Sara Sidle kissed me. My head tells me that it was simply a New Year's kiss and that Sara didn't mean anything by it. She even said as much. But my heart won't accept that it was nothing. My heart knows that I put eight years of pent-up emotion in that kiss. I didn't expect her to kiss me. I didn't expect to kiss her back. But her lips were like sweet honey and soft velvet. I couldn't help but kiss her back; my mind had nothing to do with my body's response.

The more I think about it, the more it hurts, the more horrified I become. What if Sara figured out how I feel from that kiss? Did she call to apologize and "explain" things so that I would know that she doesn't feel as I do? Twelve hours ago, the idea of never kissing Sara was completely normal. But now, the idea of never again kissing her hurts more than I knew it could. Twelve hours ago, I knew nothing could happen between Sara and I. Now, the thought of it is physically painful.

Last night, I saw a side of Sara I've never seen before: a side that made me fall even more in love with her. It was a softer side, a more vulnerable side. It was almost as if outside the CSI walls, she feels like she doesn't have to be invincible. She told me about how her cat, AFIS, can be practically invisible for a few days and turn around and nearly glue himself to Sara. I smile at that thought. Only Sara would name her cat AFIS. She even talked a little bit about her lack of relationships and her lack thereof. Our conversation was totally relaxed and if Annie hadn't mentioned something about the length of our conversation, I would never have realized we talked for so long. Until last night, I'd overcome the longing during short interactions with Sara. I never did master that skill when we worked a case alone together. Now, after last night, I know that longing will be back full force. I know the only way I can cope with it is to avoid Sara for a while.