This is my second story and I'm just starting to get the hang of this writting but I haven't had the first chapter beta read so I hope there aren't to many mistakes.
They are not mine I'm just borrowing them
NOW BETA READ thanks to the help of the fabulous cathandsaraforver55
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Chapter 1
Mid-shift Catherine was assigned to a scene two hours away and she was going solo. As if this wasn't bad enough there was copious amounts of evidence that needed to be sifted through and lifted. The simple dead body that Grissom had promised when he had sent her there was not what she had expected. Still Catherine should have known better than to trust Grissom when he didn't look her in the eye. The murder appeared to be simple. Catherine came to the conclusion that it was most likely a junkie who was looking for money to pay for his next fix when he stumbled upon the owner, and had been spooked. Yet Catherine still had to go through all the evidence before she could close the case, and with this house that was going to take hours. There was no real way of knowing where the murderer might have been throughout the building, and what he had touched with all this clutter.
Catherine's phone started ringing while she was in the middle of dusting for prints. When she glanced at the ID Nancy's name flashed across the screen of her phone, so she assumed it must be important since her sister usually didn't call during normal shift hours.
"Hey Nance, what's up?"
"Hi sis, I know this is really terrible timing, but an emergency has come up and I have to get back to work."
Taking a deep calming breath Catherine let out a sigh before answering with a resigned voice, "Is it possible for you to take Lindsey with you? I'm in the middle of a scene that's going to take at least 3 more hours to process, and to top it off I'm 2 hours out of the city."
"I'm really sorry Cath, if I could you know I would, but that's just not possible this time. Luckily Jeremy is at a friend's so I won't have to find a place for him to stay too."
Sighing once more Catherine says, "That's okay, just bring her to the lab and I'll call Judy to tell her I'll be back as soon as I can. Take care Nance, and I'll talk to you later."
After exchanging goodbyes with Nancy and hanging up Catherine called Judy to ask her to take Lindsey to the break room and let her sleep on the couch. Judy agreed and even volunteered to check in on Lindsey once in a while to make sure she was okay.
Hoping that one of the guys would be back from their scenes shortly to look after her daughter, Catherine started processing her scene as quickly and thoroughly as she could so she could get back to Vegas as soon as possible.
Back at the lab
Nancy came through the doors of the Las Vegas Crime lab with a very sleepy Lindsey hanging onto one hand, a Scooby-Doo sleeping bag under her other arm, and a pink schoolbag with all the essentials an 11 year old could need or have slung over her shoulder. Lindsey was wearing her pink pajamas with a jacket over them, and her favorite teddy in hand. She wouldn't go anywhere at night without that bear.
They were met with a smile from Judy, who took Lindsey's things. Nancy helped Lindsey into the break room, getting her comfortable on the couch, and kissing the young girl goodnight before leaving the building.
Lindsey fell asleep just as Judy left the room and she wasn't bothered by any of the normal sounds of the busy lab. That is, before she bolted up, wide awake, screaming.
At the same time as Lindsey started screaming Sara was on her way to the break room for a well deserved cup of coffee. Sara was the only CSI in the lab at the moment because, as usual, she had already used up her monthly overtime, which only resulted in paperwork and lab work. The worst thing was Grissom wouldn't let her back out in the field until next month, which was still a week away. Sara was therefore in great need of coffee because there's only so much paperwork one girl could do in one shift before going crazy.
So walking into the break room as Lindsey started screaming and seeing a crying and startled Lindsey, Sara forgot that she usually didn't know how to act around kids and that this kid was Catherine's. Not to mention the older Willows clearly hated the brunette and didn't want Sara around her daughter.
Sara sat on the couch next to Lindsey and wrapped her in her arms holding the girl closely, while gently rocking Lindsey and humming softly in her ear.
Exactly what Sara always wished her mother would have done when she had, had a nightmare as a child, and it always calmed Emily right down when she was upset. Don't go there right now Sidle. Wait until you're alone and then you can have a trip down memory lane.
After sitting there and humming into Lindsey's hair trying to calm the girl for a couple of minutes Lindsey finally lifted her head up a little and looked at Sara.
"Are you okay now sweetie?" Lindsey slowly nodded which encouraged Sara to continue, "Did you have a bad dream?" While looking at the little girl with warmth in her eyes that she usually reserved for Emily.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Sara gently asked while still holding the little redhead.
Lindsey quietly said, "I was in the car and the water was coming in real fast." Lindsey started crying again and it was becoming harder to understand her as she continued, "And Mommy couldn't get to me before the water reached me, and then I woke up."
After getting that out her tears wouldn't seem to stop and Sara just wrapped her in her arms gently rocking the girl while whispering, "You're safe now, I've got you," over and over until the crying slowly stopped.
After just sitting and enjoying the comfort of Sara for awhile Lindsey quietly said "I'm thirsty and I don't think I can fall asleep again."
While this was happening at the lab, Catherine was trying to finish her scene but with all the clutter in the house it was hard to tell what's important, or what was just clutter. So far it looked like a robbery gone wrong, the burglar probably thought nobody was home and was surprised going through drawers.
At this point Catherine was cursing the Vegas criminals for being so busy on this night that she had to take this case solo instead of having somebody to help her. Then remembering why she had to be solo, Catherine loudly cursed Sara for working too much overtime already and Grissom for being such a stickler for the rules that he wouldn't allow Sara to at least help a little.
The officers assigned to watch the scene while the CSI was there was keeping their distance. They had both heard rumors of CSI Willows' temper and knew not to cross her path when she was in the kind of mood she was in.
She would have preferred to work with Nick or Warrick but she could have made due with Sara. They could have taken two cars and worked in different rooms so they didn't have to talk to or be in the same room for more than a few minutes at the time. That was all Catherine could handle so that she wouldn't start another a fight after Eddie's case. It seemed that Sara was just fine with that deal because she never backed down from a fight with Catherine. Never.
"Damn Sara, and damn this stupid junkie that got caught trying to steal the victim's money and prescription pills." Catherine was saying out loud to nobody in particular. "My little girl's alone at the lab and I'm stuck in God knows where."
Finally done with the crime scene Catherine headed back to Vegas and the lab.
Back at the lab Lindsey and Sara found some juice in the fridge that didn't smell like Grissom had put another experiment in there for the last couple of days. Sara offered Lindsey some of her lunch.
Lindsey understood that Sara had to work and wouldn't stay with her forever. She knew that Sara working was important, because Sara and her mom worked hard and long hours to get the bad guys. So the young girl asked Sara, "Can I come with you? I promise I'll sit still and I won't cause any trouble…please, I don't want to be alone." Who could say no to that beautiful little girl? Even though Sara knew Catherine would not be happy when she found Lindsey in the same room as Sara. The brunette really had no other choice than to say, "Of course you can join me. I'm only doing paperwork today."
Sara and Lindsey made their way to the back lab, which Sara had claimed as hers when she first started. It was known as Sara's lab to all of the lab techs. This lab was where people went to find Sara if she was at the Crime Lab.
Sara lifted Lindsey up on a stool so she could reach the table and put the rest of her lunch in front of Lindsey. "We are not really allowed to eat in the labs, but if you don't tell Grissom I'll make an exception just for you." Lindsey giggled while she happily said "I promise I won't tell Uncle Gil."
While Lindsey finished the rest of the food and her juice Sara was working on her paperwork and soon both of them forgot what they were supposed to be doing and started talking about anything and everything. Much to Sara's surprise she actually knew what to say to this kid. Maybe because Emily taught me a thing or two. Without them realizing they started talking about school and soon the topic ventured to math and science, which came much more naturally to Sara than friends, or about how stupid the boys were.
Catherine hurried through the front doors of the lab and Judy looked up from the phone and put a hand over the mouth piece while saying, "I haven't been able to check on her the last couple of hours but last I checked she was sleeping peacefully."
Catherine smiled and waved, "Thanks, I'm sure she's fine"
After dropping her evidence off in trace, DNA, and all the prints she found at the scene with Mandy she headed to the break room to see Lindsey.
Not finding Lindsey in her sleeping bag in the break room Catherine began to worry until she noticed what time it was, and figured that her daughter probably woke up and went to annoy one of the guys and was in one of the labs. At the same time she remembered that they didn't have that much time before school and Lindsey had to be on time today, because they would get in trouble if they were late one more time this month. Catherine had to hurry up finding Lindsey if they are going to have time for breakfast before school.
Catherine looked through the labs and started to panic when she couldn't seem to find her daughter. Suddenly she heard giggling from the direction of Sara's lab, of all places.
Just as Catherine was about to walk through the door she heard not only Lindsey but also Sara laughing. Sara never laughs. Not even with Greg goofing around in the break room; at least not when I'm around.
But what is Sara doing with my little girl? Sara hates me, we are always fighting, so why would she be in there laughing with my daughter? Get a grip Catherine! You don't have time to stand around thinking all day. Catherine's musings were interrupted when she was spotted by Lindsey.
"Mom! Look Sara was showing me! These really cool math things I could use in my science project."
Sara blushed at Lindsey outburst and the only response Catherine could formulate was, "Sweetie come on we're going to be late again and you still have to change and have breakfast."
"That's okay Mom, I already ate, Sara gave me," as Lindsey was saying this Catherine glared at Sara, "something to eat."
"Come Lindsey we've got to go". Meanwhile Catherine glared at Sara as Lindsey walked out of the door. Once her daughter was out of earshot Catherine hissed at Sara, "Don't feed my daughter the junk that goes for food in this lab." Then she left to join Lindsey in the locker room so she could change.
Sara just stared at Catherine's back with a sad expression, but nobody was around to see it. While she softly said to no one in particular, "We were just talking about her school work," before tears began to stream from Sara's eyes.
When Catherine and Lindsey were ready to leave, Lindsey turned around and started back toward Sara's lab, but Catherine grabbed her arm, "We don't have time we have to g…"
"But I have to go say bye and thanks to Sara for letting me eat her lunch, Mom."
"We'll be late, so you can say that the next time you see Sara."
"Yeah, but Mom, when's that going to be?"
"I don't know sweetie and no more buts." Not for a long time if I can help it.
On the way to school in the car all Lindsey could talk about was how cool it was to hang out with Sara, and how she gave her ideas for the science project they were supposed to start in a couple of months.
Catherine didn't really know how to react to her daughter's praise of all things Sara. She never saw the other woman as good with kids. Who was she kidding, she never saw Sara as anything other than the CSI that Grissom brought in, and a woman that puts her work before anything else including her social life.