Disclaimer: I do not have any rights to CSI or it's characters. Ergo anything I write using its characters belongs to those who do own them. Don't sue me; I'm just a fanatic!
Spoilers: References here and there, but we've seen all the episodes by now, haven't we?
Summary: A multiple homicide hits to close for comfort. Warning: violence, gore, and language
A/N: Special thanks to Kati Owen for giving me the push I needed to write a fanfic of my own and for making me her very first CSI convert!
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Chapter 1
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It was almost the end of shift and Catherine was glad to be done for the night. Having just finished the paperwork on the last case, she flipped through one more time to make sure she hadn't missed anything. The case had been frustrating as hell. There was almost no physical evidence, and what they did find put them no closer to finding the perpetrator. With nothing to go on, the team had filed the case as "unsolved" and turned in their reports. Catherine gathered hers together and headed toward Grissom's office to turn it in.
When she got to the door, she reached forward to turn the handle and open it, when suddenly Sara came storming out. Catherine hurriedly moved out of the way so as not to be trampled as Sara marched out of the office and down the hall, slamming the door to the break room behind her. Poking her head in the door of Grissom's office before stepping in, Catherine shook her head. "What did you do to piss her off this time?" she asked, adding the papers to the growing pile on his desk. Grissom lifted his face out of his hands long enough to glare at Catherine. "I'm not even sure!" he sighed, frustrated to no end. "Every time I say anything to her, it seems to end up in an argument!" She smiled wryly. "Well, not every time."Grissom shot her an acid look. "Did you come in here just to harass me or was there something else?"
Catherine was taken aback at the venom in those words.
"Careful, Griss," she shot back. "That could be construed as slander, and you've actually been in a court room, remember?"
She tossed the report at his chest before turning on her heel and heading for the door. She stopped in the doorway for one last shot.
"You know, if you weren't such an ass towards her, she might actually stay, instead of constantly making threats to leave."
Grissom's head snapped up, realizing the full meaning of those words, willing her to explain, but she'd left. He got up and headed straight for Sara's workstation, only to find it empty. He searched the locker room and the break room, but to no avail. The only sign of recent occupation was the semi-fresh pot of coffee and some spilt sugar on the counter. He'd just missed her.
Sighing, he convinced himself it was for the best. He didn't have the emotional strength to start another argument right now. Sara's emotions, when she let them show, were like a sledgehammer. If she swung hard enough, she could put a dent in anything.
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After her months of research, she immediately recognized the faces of Sara and Catherine as they marched out of the lab to their cars. Under their evident irritation, they both looked tired.
She smiled. "Get your rest, ladies. By this time tomorrow, you're going to need it."
She turned the key and started to pull away, hoping that they'd do better on the next case than the others had. They'd done well on the last one, but it looked like they'd be needing some help, and she was more than willing to give it to them.
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