AN.

When you get to the end of this chapter it may seem obvious where I'm going with it but I promise it's not an average cliché. The result of this cliff-hanger causes the rest of the story but isn't the story itself. (If that made any sense)

The timeline for this story is early season 9 but the only reference to the plot of that season is that Warrick died.

There will be no romances in this. Just friendship! (I know Sara and Grissom were in a relationship at this point but pretend he was just a mentor too her. It's easier for me to write and isn't the point of the story)

I'm going to apologise now. I don't tend to remember details so will make mistakes, some are deliberate others aren't. Please just go with it.

For anyone reading Lucas too, I will finish it I just wanted to get this one started.

Anyway, hope you enjoy it

Chapter 1

It was a relatively quiet night in Vegas. Sara was riding shotgun as Catherine drove them back from a homicide scene. Sara had a feeling it was going to be a pretty simple one to solve seeing as they had a bloodied murder weapon and an AWOL boyfriend. There was something about this case that really pissed her off. She couldn't help the feelings of rage and upset she felt on behalf of the victim. It was feeling she was definitely used to after all this time being a CSI and she knew Grissom would disapprove but to be honest she didn't care. The girl was beaten and abused until getting shot in the head would've been a preferable option. Anyone who didn't feel any anger at the disgusting things the human race could do was definitely the one with the problem, not her.

Although she did have to admit the emotional rollercoaster her job sent her on was definitely not one of the things she missed while she was gone. Despite this Sara didn't regret staying in Vegas after Warrick's funeral. There was no way she could walk away from her family again. They were the ones that could help her face her daemons head on rather than running from them. The one thing she did regret however was that she didn't see Warrick again before he died. She would always feel guilty for that; Sara felt she should've been there when he needed her. Whenever she had brought this up to anyone they told her it wasn't her fault but somehow that didn't make her feel any better about it.

Catherine who had been singing along to the radio noticed her fellow CSI was being unusually quiet. By now Sara would have normally told her off for singing and then went on to tell her why popular music was evil. Secretly Catherine loved that the two could still bicker; it was their dynamic but they both knew it was just for fun now.

If Catherine was honest she was really glad Sara was back. She had missed her more that she realised she would and definitely more than she would ever admit. Catherine just hoped she could help Sara deal with whatever was still disturbing her. It was obvious she was still recovering from the kidnapping and Catherine couldn't blame her. But she also knew that if Sara decided it was too painful to remain in Vegas again the team would be devastated with her departure. They couldn't face anymore losses, to death or otherwise. They had barely made it through the last one.

Catherine knew she needed to talk to the younger women but she wasn't sure how to go about it. Sara prided herself on independence and having a fierce feisty attitude. Showing weakness was not an option. If for one moment Sara thought Catherine pitied her she would build up an impenetrable fortress. She wouldn't seek or take help until it was too late.

Catherine was about to try one approach when she was shaken from her thoughts by a startling scream from Sara. Before she even had time to turn around to see what was scaring the brunette Catherine felt an overpowering force collide with the driver's side. The car was forced off the road and was twisted around a nearby tree at an astonishing speed.

When the car came to a stop Catherine was on the brink of losing consciousness. The last thing she remembered seeing was Sara's body. Or at least the half that hadn't been engulfed by the wreckage.

...

AN, sorry it's short. I just wanted to set the scene for the story and put out a tester to see if people are interested.