Disclaimer: I don't own CSI or Catherine and Sara. It's a real shame isn't it?
N/A: This is sort of a prequel, if you will, to This Could Be Perfect. It's all about how Sara came out moving in with Catherine. So, enjoy.
The tears that ran down her alabaster cheeks reflected the spectrum of orange protruding from the building in which she had lived. The tall brunette watched as flames literally engulfed her apartment building; her home. She looked around at all the desolate and hopeless people, who once called that very same building home. She watched as babies screamed in fear; and she watched their equally as terrified parents try to calm them to the best of their abilities, though some seemed almost immune to the sound.
Fear stung at her heart as she watched the scene play out like an epically terrifying fairy tale before her very eyes. She wanted to do something, but she couldn't She couldn't help but wonder how she could be more concerned about the family of four huddled together, tears leaving salty trails down their skin, then herself. She was in the same situation; having just lost everything she ever knew to a raging blaze of nature. She adjusted the strap that was flung over her right shoulder and set her plant on the hard earth in front of her feet. She studied the plant for a moment; silently wishing she was the greenery in the pot, not having to feel the emotions ripping through her with the adrenaline of a thousand stags. She lifted her head and watched the fire again; "How can something so beautiful cause so much pain?". Using the back of her hand, she wiped away the tears that had fallen freely from her deep coffee colored eyes.
She carefully picked her plant back up before walking off into the naked street of Las Vegas. She tried to rack her brain for places she could go, but came up with nothing. Warrick was out of town with Tina, Nick was out of town. Grissom, Sofia, Brass, and Greg were all at the lab working; and the lab wasn't somewhere she wanted to be, not right now at least. The fact that she would show up with red eyes and a plant would raise questions, and the very thought of them prodding her life a farmer to a cow made her skin crawl. She couldn't go to a bar, she didn't want to loose herself to a woman, and end up in some sleazy motel without her plant. She couldn't deal with that tonight. The emotional weight on her shoulders from loosing everything was already too much. She just wanted sleep; and it seemed like tonight she wouldn't find that solace anywhere.
She pulled out her cell phone and searched her contact list for anyone she might have missed. Her heart skipped a beat when she remembered that the object of her every thought and affection was still an open possibility. She smiled despite the sorrow, and decided to trek it to Catherine's house.
The walk was something Sara didn't remember much of because she was too engrossed in her own mind, trying to find an answer to all the questions the tragedy raised. She hadn't even noticed she was crying even harder than before until her eyes started to sting and she wiped them, soaking her hand. She sat down on a very dirty looking bus stop bench for a few minutes, resting. She wasn't sure what to do; internally she was still trying to even comprehend what had happened. She stood up and continued to walk, thankful that she didn't have to pass any huge gang areas on the way to Catherine's.
Soon enough Sara was on the blonde's front porch, debating weather to knock at this ungodly hour, or find a hotel. She decided not to go with the latter, the very thought of the sheets made her gag. She raised her fist and knocked then tentatively let out a breath she was unaware she was even holding. What seemed like minutes later Catherine answered the door.
The look on the blonde's face went from pissed off to worried when she saw the disheveled Sara standing on her doorstep. "Sara? Are you okay?" Sara shook her head slightly, before looking into Catherine's deep oceanic eyes. She felt another tear slip past her walls and run down the previously marked trenches of tears.
"I… f, fire… Cath." Catherine's eyes shot up, she understood exactly what Sara meant. She gingerly took Sara's free hand and led her inside her quite home. After Catherine shut the door, she took Sara's plant and slid her bag off her shoulder and set them on the floor by her shoes. She then took both of Sara's hands in hers and slowly walked backward towards the living room; never breaking eye contact. "What am I going to do?" Sara's voice cracked and Catherine wrapped her arms around her, before Sara could collapse in a heap of sobs. Sara could feel all the emotions she had tried to keep at bay rush to her at once as she clung onto Catherine as if her life depended on it. She buried her head in the crook of Catherine's neck and sobbed; all the while the blonde held her tightly and rubbed soothing circles on the brunette's back; her heart slowly breaking as each sob raked Sara's body.
"Sara, I've got you." She moved only slightly and kissed Sara's head before speaking again. "Shh, its okay; let it out." Sara didn't know what to do, she was scared, yet her heart was racing from being in close proximity with the blonde. Finally Sara calmed down and was now listening to Catherine's slow, steady breathing; willing herself to stay calm. Catherine pulled back slightly so she could look into Sara's eyes. Her face was red and her eyes were puffy, but Catherine still thought she looked gorgeous. "Stay with me tonight."
Sara could only nod.