A/N: Hello all! I know, I know, you were expecting this update a whole lot sooner, so was I, believe me. But life, and by that I mean the ridiculously large amount of work I am expected to do in ridiculously small amount of time, completely got in the way.
In fact, the only reason you have an update at all is because of the wonderful support of my amazing girlfriend, the love of my life, Miss Maggsie, to whom this update is dedicated. Sweetheart, believe me when I say that you inspire me in so many ways. And I know I can be a real idiot about the little things, but I'm getting better everyday. I love you so much. And happy belated anniversary!
Okay, so without further ado, I present…your update!
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"Oh, hey Sara." Catherine ran a hand through her hair. "Would you like to get a cup of coffee or…something?" She stared into her own blue eyes in her closet mirror, then sighed and slouched. "Stupid," she mumbled under her breath, before pulling her clean, burgundy blouse over her very…enhancing bra. She experimented with pulling her hair back, but then fluffed it back into place.
"Sara," she said offhandedly, gesturing to herself. "I hear there's a new vegetarian restaurant opening on Sahara. I've been dying to try it. Care to come with?" She rolled her eyes. "Like she won't see right through that." Disgustedly, she kicked aside two spike heeled ankle boots and stepped into a pair black leather calf-cutter boots.
"Sidle," she muttered as she moved to her bureau and slipped on her earrings. She put on her long lost farm girl accent. "How'd you like to be my woman?" She snorted at herself, heading downstairs. What the hell was she thinking? Its not like she was ever going to get up the courage to actually ask Sara out. That was never going to happen.
Then why was she dressing up for the twelfth consecutive night? She was running out of good clothes. She grabbed her jacket off the hook and picked up her purse from the hall table.
"Linds! I'm heading out! Nana will be here in an hour."
She looked once more into the mirror above the table. She unfastened one more button of her blouse and shrugged at her reflection. Couldn't hurt.
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Deep in thought, Catherine strode deliberately towards her office. So intent on the file in her hand was she, that she failed to see her attacker before it was too late. Someone grabbed her by the upper arm and pulled her into a darkened layout room.
"What the hell?" Catherine yanked her arm free, attempting to escape, but the door was already securely shut and locked and there was a dead weight against it. Questing blindly, she found the light switch and flicked it on. She turned, and then, startled, took a backward step into the door, or more accurately, what was blocking the door.
"Mmph." Greg protested as Catherine's elbow hit his gut and his mouth was filled with red hair. "Cafrim! Gep op!"
Catherine jumped in surprise. "What?" she asked, moving away from the younger CSI.
He wiped his tongue with his hand, making a face. "I said, 'Catherine, get off.'"
"Oh. Sorry." The woman looked back at her more immediate problem. "What do you want?" Catherine was understandably flustered, because behind the layout table stood Nick, Warrick, Wendy, and Sofia arms crossed, their expressions very clearly displeased.
It had been nearly two weeks since 'that day,' and much to Catherine's relief, her secret still seemed to be safe from the rest of the lab, and more importantly, from Sara.
"So…" Nick looked at her expectantly.
"So, what?" Catherine asked, throwing out her hands.
"So, what do you have to say for yourself?"
"About what?" Catherine was getting irritated.
"It's been two weeks." Greg said from behind her.
The red head played dumb. "Since what?"
"Since you came out to us and spilled your guts about Sara." Greg joined the others opposite the redhead.
Catherine's eyes widened. "I came out to you?" She tilted her head, narrowing her eyes. "Really?"
"Well…" Greg hesitated. "Not on purpose…"
The woman was tempted to cross her eyes, "You think?"
Sofia did roll her eyes, "Who cares if it was on purpose? The point is you need to do something about it. You can't hide from this forever."
"Oh, shut it, Fifi." Catherine's anger started to rise. "That is my decision to make."
Nick coughed gesturing with his head towards the glass windows that looked out into the hall. The room fell silent as they watched Sara pass by, fully absorbed with her own file folder.
Catherine's shoulders slumped and expression misted over. She slouched against the table. "God, you're right. Shit. You're so right. What the hell am I going to do?"
"Well," Warrick said, holding out his arms, indicating the rest of the people in the room, "We're here to help." He smiled widely.
Wendy raised an eyebrow, smirking, "And we have a plan."
Greg began, addressing the detective, the lab tech, and the three CSIs. "We've thought this through, and we think it will work." He unrolled a large sheet of poster paper, the top of which read 'Operation Get Sara,' then he reached down into a bag at his feet. "I have the walkie talkies…"
Catherine looked disbelieving. "Walkie talkies? Seriously?"
Greg looked up, "What? Too much?"
Catherine shook her head vehemently, raising her hand in 'hold it' position. "You know what? I don't want to know. Thank you, all of you, for being so concerned, but I can really handle this one on my own, okay?" She looked at them all until, one by one, they nodded. "Good." She turned and walked out the door.
The problem, she thought to herself, is that I have no clue how to handle this. She paused in the hall, and wondered briefly just what their plan had been. But then she shook her head. It was probably best that she didn't know. She might just be desperate enough to try it.
If she had stayed a moment longer, she would have caught sight of Sofia as she winked at her fellow investigators, and she would have seen their answering diabolical grins. "Plan B, anyone?"
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It was an hour before the end of shift when Catherine received a page. Thinking her DNA results must be ready, she left her office. It had been a long shift and she was more than ready to get out of the lab. It had been oddly quiet tonight, and if she had bothered to notice, she would have realized that she hadn't seen Wendy, Sofia, Greg, Warrick, or Nick in several hours.
As she was turning the corner, she caught sight of a slim, dark form. She recognized it immediately. There was Sara, leaning against the wall outside the break room, apparently waiting for someone or something. Catherine's heart melted. It just wasn't fair for someone to be so amazing and so unattainable. The redhead snapped out of her haze when she noticed Sara staring at her with an odd expression. She quickly looked away and kept walking. She really needed to get over this. Before it consumed her.
"Whoa," Wendy exclaimed as Catherine walked into her lab. Her eyes went to the abundance of skin at the top of the other woman's blouse. "Hellooo, Catherine."
The redhead arched an eyebrow, clearly not amused. "You paged?"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah." Wendy cradled her face in her hands, elbows resting on the table. She gave what looked like a scheming smile, and Catherine was momentarily suspicious. "So, how are things on the Sara front?"
Catherine looked at her, then pursed her lips in an effort to control herself. "Wendy?"
"Yeah?"
"Is that the only reason you paged me?"
"Umm…" The brunette appeared to think hard for a moment. "Yeah, I think so."
"You don't have any results for me?"
Wendy waved a hand, "Oh, no. I'm completely backed up and yours were the last ones to come in, you'll be lucky to get them by next shift."
Catherine bit the inside of her cheek. "Right."
Wendy stood, smiling. "Why don't you just ask her out? What's the worst that could happen?"
"She could full out reject me and then slap me with a workplace sexual harassment suit."
Wendy nodded slowly. "That would...definitely suck."
"No kidding."
"But she might not say no," the DNA tech proffered, coughing and scratching her ear casually.
"How could she not? Do I have to go through all the reasons it would never work? Or mention that she's smarter, younger, and sexier than I am? What reason could she possibly have to say yes?" She looked off into space. "Why am I even talking about this with you?" Catherine frowned as she took in Wendy's expression. "What's funny?"
Wendy looked like she was about to erupt, her shoulders were shaking with effort it was taking not to burst into laughter. She waved a hand, "Nothing, nothing." She looked like she might cry. As her arm moved, the collar of her lab coat was pushed aside and something caught Catherine's eye. All of the color drained from her face.
"Are you…? Are you wearing a wire?"
Wendy stopped laughing abruptly. "Uhh…no. No, absolutely not."
Catherine stepped forward and pulled open her lab coat. "Yes, you are!" Panic quickly turned to anger as it always did. "Why the hell would you be recording…?" Catherine's eyes widened as an image of Sara outside the break room with that strange expression flashed through her mind. She had been waiting for something…or someone. She was completely ashen. "Oh, God. Please tell me you didn't." Before Wendy could respond, Catherine was out the door and careening down the hall.
"Code Red! Code Red!" Wendy's voice echoed throughout the lab. "Abort! Abort!"
The redhead turned the corner just in time to see Greg snatch a pair of headphones out of a bewildered Sara's hands, and hightail it down the hall in the opposite direction. Several heads seemed to duck behind the corner as soon as he reached it, pulling him along. I will kill them with my bare hands! She caught sight of the brunette. But first thing's first.
"Sara!" Catherine called out as she power walked towards the younger CSI. "Sara, I can explain. Its…uh…" she panted as she came to stop. "Its not what it sounded like."
Sara looked at her, appearing somewhat dazed. "Really? Because it sounded like…you have a thing for me."
Catherine paused. Okay, maybe its exactly what it sounded like.
Sara's eyes narrowed, she seemed to have cleared her head a bit, "You have a thing for me? How is that possible?" She seemed to be thinking out loud.
"Well…" Catherine looked at the wall over Sara's head.
"I mean, I'm…and you're…" the brunette shook her head, "just how?"
"I don't know, I-"
"Hang on, you think I'm sexier than you?" Her tone was incredulous.
"Ah…" Catherine scratched the back of her neck uncomfortably.
"Have you ever looked in the mirror?"
"Look, the thing is- wait, what?" Puzzled blue eyes snapped up to meet dancing brown ones.
Sara stood a little straighter, realizing she had the upper hand. For the moment. "Younger, I'll give you- I cant do anything about that. Smarter- I think I'd prefer to say we have different strengths. But sexier?" Sara gave Catherine a half-quirked smirk and a long slow blink, "That's not even a competition, Cat."
Catherine gaped like a fish. Was…? Couldn't be. No way. Wait, what?
Sara looked around the hall. The lab had gone oddly quiet. She coughed. "Cath? Can we finish this conversation somewhere a little more private? Like your office, maybe?"
Catherine nodded silently. If she wasn't already stunned enough, what happened next really threw her for a loop. Sara reached out and clasped a warm hand around her forearm, just above the wrist, and guided her down the hall. And it was a good thing she did, because Catherine's eyes never left the hand on her arm.
Safely hidden in the locked office, with the blinds down to deter any curious onlookers, Sara turned to the other woman in the room. "So…" She held her hands behind her back.
Catherine carefully looked anywhere but at the brunette in front of her, at the moment she was particularly interested in her own feet. She felt she should at least attempt a proper apology. "Sara, I am so sorry. You were never supposed to hear any of that."
"Well…I did." The younger woman took a step toward her crimson-cheeked co-worker.
"I am completely mortified, Greg and the others were way out of line."
Sara cocked her head to one side. "Others?"
"Uh…" Catherine bit her lip. Oops.
"Who else?"
"Well, Wendy obviously."
"Uh-huh."
"And…Sofia."
"Okay."
"And Nick."
Sara furrowed her brow.
"And Warrick."
Sara looked at her, disbelieving. "Anyone else?"
"That's it…but considering where Greg probably got the gadgets, Archie may know something."
"Right." Sara stood directly in front of Catherine. "So you confided in Wendy, Greg, Sofia, Nick and Warrick, and you never came to me?" Was it Catherine's imagination or did the younger woman sound a little hurt?
"Well, I didn't exactly tell them…it's a long story. But I never meant to tell anyone."
"And you were never going to."
It wasn't exactly a question, but Catherine answered it anyway with a shake of her head.
Then came the weighted word. "Why?" The single word, charged with such emotion that it seemed to radiate throughout the room.
Maybe it was the way the simple question slipped from Sara's lips, maybe it was the weeks and months of tossing and turning in bed all day, or maybe it was just the fact that she was tired. Tired of hiding, tired of lying to herself, to the world, to Sara. Tired of the churning ball of confusion that had taken up residence in her gut. Whatever the reason, Catherine lost it.
"I don't know! I don't! I'm confused, I'm scared. I've never felt this." She put a hand over her stomach and then on her chest. "Not for a man, not for a woman, not for a single minute have I ached for someone as much as I ache for you. And there seem to be so many reasons why it could never happen, not the least of which is I have absolutely no freaking clue how to be a lesbian-"
This drew a snort from the other woman. At a glare from the redhead, Sara held up her hands in surrender. "Sorry, but you have to admit that sounds pretty funny."
Catherine shook her head and dropped her gaze to the floor, momentarily drained. "I wouldn't even know where to start."
Sara stepped in close. When the shorter woman didn't recoil, she took that as a sign. "Catherine," she spoke the name in a gentle, soothing tone, and took two slender hands in her own.
Catherine drew a sharp breath and looked up, her heart beating out of her chest.
Sara smiled encouragingly as she met searching eyes with her warmest, most honest look. Then she leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to the other woman's cheek.
Catherine's eyes fluttered shut and she sighed. When she opened them again, it was to be greeted by a gap-toothed grin.
"Why don't we start…with coffee? Hmm?" Sara tucked a lock of hair behind Catherine's ear. "And we'll take it from there."
Catherine smiled and then nodded, suddenly completely unafraid. "I'd like that."
Sara dropped one of the other woman's hands and tugged the other in the direction of the door. "Come with me to get my stuff?"
Catherine smiled again but shook her head. At Sara's frown, she bravely moved up on her toes to place a returning kiss on the taller woman's cheek. "I've got something I need to do first. Meet you at the front desk? Ten minutes?"
Sara grinned and nodded, then she squeezed Catherine's hand one more time before making her exit.
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"I ought to kill each and everyone of you, slowly and painfully." Catherine stood in the doorway of the break room, arms crossed over her chest. "At the very least I should have you fired or written up for insubordination." She stepped into the room.
Lounging throughout the room, the team of cohorts did not seem perturbed by the threats. Sofia raised a hand. "I don't actually work here anymore, so…good luck getting me sacked."
"Yeah, and you can't prove anything." Nick jumped in.
Warrick nodded. "We've had the tapes erased, fingerprints expertly removed."
"Disposed of all the physical evidence."
"And none of us remembers anything, isn't that right?"
The group nodded. "In fact, we were all on lunch break, weren't we, guys?"
Nick smiled at the redhead. "Doreen down at the diner will be happy to attest to that."
Catherine shook her head. "What you did was deceiving, conniving, and absolutely humiliating." They all knew enough to look shame-faced. "If I weren't as nice as I am, I'd be in Grissom's office right now instead of here. Lucky for you, I'm letting you off with a warning. Pull anymore stunts like that one, and you'll find yourselves working in the crime lab on the North Pole. Do I make myself clear?"
There was a mumbling of guilty 'yes's' from around the room.
"Good."
"Cat?" Sara called. Just the sound of her voice made Catherine smile. "You about ready?"
Catherine turned to see the other woman standing just inside the entryway. She took the few steps towards the door, and casually slipped her hand into Sara's. "Yes. I am very ready."
As they left the room, hand in hand, the redhead looked over her shoulder and winked at her friends. "Thank you," she mouthed, grinning like the sun itself was shining in her smile.
A chorus of whoops and celebratory cries, clapping and high fives followed them out into the morning light. Sara beamed at her and dropped her hand to wrap an arm around her shoulder and kiss her cheek once more. Catherine looked at the pale sky thinking that this could be just the beginning. And as pulled out into traffic, she felt Sara's hand tentatively take hers again. Interlacing their fingers, she caught sight of her reflection in the side mirror, thinking how nothing had ever felt so right.
And it might never have happened. But for a little help from friends.
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Alright, what did you think? I know it wasn't quite as funny as the first two, but as the most beautiful girl in the world has reminded me, its always a bit more serious when they get together.
There may be a fourth chapter to this, or I may turn the idea I have into a separate fic or a companion piece. So for now, I'm marking it as complete, but that is subject to change.
And I would be remiss if I didn't take the time to say REVIEWS! THEY MAKE THE WORLD GO 'ROUND!
Thank you everyone for your outstanding and continued support! Oh, and will more people post please? Nobody has been posting with only a few exceptions and I need more reading material. So writers, get typing! And newbies, I encourage you to try your hand at fanfic!
Okay, that's all for now folks (Review!)