Hi y'all! New story. This is based on a storyline from Hollyoaks and some characters and locations (Scarlett Bar) are borrowed from Neighbours. It is a Cath/Sara fic but will take some time to get there. Anyways, hope you enjoy and as always let me know what you think. New chapters will be up asap.

Disclaimer: I don not own CSI, Hollyoaks, Neighours or any of their characters/storylines. I am merely borrowing them.

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She couldn't believe it. She was in a nice bar, away from the glitz and glamour of the strip, being wined and dined by a handsome guy a few years younger than herself, and she was bored. Catherine hadn't expected this to be a long-term thing but this guy was young, cute and infatuated with her so he was good for a few dates at least. However, he also lived in his parent's basement and collected comic books. Once that revelation came up she had stopped listening.

She was now surveying the bar: the walls were a deep red (which explained the name Scarlett bar) and there were tables dotted around the room and couches arranged in corners and along the walls.

There was a stage on one side where a young band was playing Martha Reeves and the Vandella's 'Nowhere to Run'. Next to the stage was a pool table and darts board where a group of people in their twenties or thirties were hanging out. The bar itself was in the centre of the room where a young boy of about 21 was serving and a blonde biker chick, who Catherine had assumed to be the owner, was chatting to customers over the counter.

It had an almost 70s feel to it, and the atmosphere was relaxed, friendly. Definitely not your typical Las Vegas bar, that's for sure.

As she was absentmindedly glancing around something caught her attention.

"Lucas! Put me down!" Recognising the voice immediately she turned to the pool tables where a dark-haired man in his early 30s had a young brunette thrown over his shoulder like a fireman's lift. She was kicking her jean-clad legs and laughing as the man, presumably Lucas, tried to tickle her without dropping her. The biker chick and another two guys were laughing and egging Lucas on. However it was the struggling brunette who had caught Catherine's attention because unless her eyes were deceiving her it was Sara Sidle in the flesh!

"Cath?" she spun her head around to look at Jason who was staring at her with confused eyes.

"Huh?" she eloquently asked.

"Are you alright?" He had become concerned at how quiet she was.

"Yeah, sorry what were you saying?" He dived back into his spiel about fast cars and Catherine couldn't help her eyes drifting back to the group by the pool table. Sara now had her feet back on the ground and was currently trying to wrestle her way out of Lucas' grip around her middle. Cath couldn't help but smile at her young co-worker fooling around, she could not remember ever seeing her this relaxed or playful in the three years they had known each other. And she kinda wished she had a video camera because the guys would never believe this.

"So, you wanna go somewhere else? I know a great club on the strip, its called…"

"Sorry Jason, I really need to get home. Rain check?" She interrupted him. He nodded and offered to walk her to the car but she made the excuse of going to the bathroom and told him to go ahead. Once he was outside she stood up and headed over to where her colleague was thrashing one of the other guys at pool. As she got closer she recognised the other guy as Jarrod Rebecchi, a local defense lawyer.

"No, no, no! Oh c'mon that's not cool!" Rebecchi moaned as Sara cleared the table in one visit and started doing a little victory dance that Cath found so cute. She was about to go over and make her presence known when a woman with very short bottle blonde hair, and a nose stud, sauntered over and wrapped her arms around Sara's waist from behind, startling the young brunette.

"C'mon Toadie, you should know by now no one can beat my girl. She's invincible." Catherine watched in awe as Sara turned and placed a kiss on the woman's lips. Now she knew her eyes were deceiving her. Sara Sidle was kissing a woman! Well, Catherine thought, that was something interesting. Now she really wished she had a video camera! This would make the guys' night.

She was tempted to stick around for a while and see what else she might find out about the enigmatic young CSI but after a while her conscience took over and she decided to slip out before Sara noticed her. After all, in her shoes she would not want her colleagues spying on her either.

Just before leaving she turned to see Sara wrap her arms around the blonde and kiss her deeply as her friends wolf whistled in the background.

"Go Sidle!" Rebecchi whistled, earning himself a smack upside the head from the biker chick, just as the song changed to 'High school never ends.'

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