A/N: Where is everyone? Where are all the usually faithful reviewers? Is the world losing interest in Cath/Sara? Sadness. Lol. Well, I still love em, and here's another chapter for those of you who are still with me on that! :)
Catherine had never been to the bar the boys had chosen. It was dimly lit, and slightly humid from all the bodies crammed inside. An eclectic mixture of music played loudly in the background, making conversation difficult, though not entirely impossible.
Halfway through her second beer, Catherine decided she was actually having fun. Leave it to her boys to cheer her up. She sat facing the door, contentedly sipping her beer, until a chill ran down her spine when, only for a moment, she was certain she'd seen Sara's face among the throngs of people. She turned to Warrick, wide-eyed and panicked, the look on his face indicated he'd seen her as well. Her fears were confirmed as Sara fully emerged from the crowd.
"You could have told me she was coming," Catherine hissed between her teeth.
Warrick shook his head apologetically. "I didn't know Cath. Honestly."
Sara picked her way over to the table, her demeanor becoming slightly sheepish after her eyes momentarily met Catherine's now cold blue ones. Catherine immediately felt guilty, realizing she was actually glaring at Sara for nothing more than expressing her feelings and showing up at the bar.
Everyone seemed surprised to see her, aside from Greg who victoriously proclaimed that he'd been the one to convince Sara to join them. Catherine carefully avoided eye contact with Greg, certain her icy glare would now be directed at him as well.
Nick and Greg scooted over on their side of the booth as Greg eagerly gestured for Sara to take the seat beside him. The seat directly across from Catherine. Sara looked to Catherine as though anticipating some sort of objection, but Catherine said nothing.
Sara slipped into the seat, apologizing awkwardly when Catherine jumped as their feet bumped under the table. Catherine brushed it off, focusing her attention on picking the label off her beer bottle.
"Don't do that!" Greg exclaimed, making Catherine jump again. She raised her eyebrows at him in quizzical annoyance. Greg looked around the table for support, only to find four more equally confused faces. "It's a sign of sexual frustration," he explained smugly, gesturing at the bottle in Catherine's hand, "tearing the label off."
"There's no evidence to support that," Grissom scoffed from the other side of Warrick. "Site your source." Greg shrugged dismissively as the rest of the group laughed, drowning out Catherine's exasperated sigh. She resisted the compulsion to finish removing the label, bringing the bottle to her lips for a long swig before deciding to down the whole thing.
"Whoa!" Warrick said softly, guiding the bottle back to the table. "Save some for the fishes."
"Fish drink water." Catherine spat, moving the bottle from his reach.
"Actually, they just live in it." He countered, trying to keep the banter lighthearted.
Catherine rolled her eyes and turned her head the opposite direction to kill her drink without interruption. She could see Sara watching her, analyzing her, out of the corner of her eye. Catherine had planed on calling it quits after her second beer, but as she slammed the empty bottle on the table – finally beginning to feel something resembling 'normal' while at the same time Sara peered at her curiously – a third drink sounded increasingly enticing.
The waitress finally came around again, noticing a new member had joined the group. Sara ordered a Long Island, obviously playing catch up with the substitute for her usual beer. Catherine was just the right combination of buzzed and uncomfortable to decide that a Long Island was just what she needed as well.
The entire table eyed the tiny woman suspiciously. "You on a mission tonight, Cath?" Nick teased from the opposite corner.
"What? It sounded good," she lied, gesturing at Sara to indicate she was only following her lead, and not daring to look at Warrick. She was 'on a mission,' she knew it. He knew it too. The last thing she wanted to see was the warning look she knew he'd be giving her right this moment.
The drinks arrived, and Catherine noticed the way Sara nursed her drink; slowly, but barely taking her lips off the straw, steadily consuming the liquid courage. Seemed she was on a mission of her own. Catherine matched her speed, becoming increasingly aware of the way Sara's lips wrapped around the straw, the way her hair fell around her face, partially concealing her shy expression.
As they drained their glasses, the waitress reappeared. Sara ordered another, and Catherine followed suit. She felt the disapproving eyes of the entire table on her, but she didn't care. Her worries had slowly begun to dissolve with each passing sip, the angry churning in her belly replaced by a comfortable warmth. The warmth spread through her body, melting the icy walls she'd put up upon Sara's arrival.
Downing their second drinks faster than the first, Catherine found it hard stay in the conversation. Random questions and comments thrown her way continually snapped her back to reality until, again, her gaze would land across the table. Sara didn't look at her, seeming to be focusing most of her attention on her drink, though Catherine was fairly certain she was being watched as well from the corner of those brown eyes.
Try as she might to maintain her defenses, the alcohol had worn them thin as well. She began to wonder if loving Sara would really be so bad. After all, this was different than before. This time, Sara had come to her. Maybe it won't hurt this time, the alcohol whispered to her, as the laughter of her friends seemed to echo in the background.
"Cath, you gonna dance?" she heard Nick call as she was once again pulled back to earth. Confused, she looked at him with an expression that she hoped implied, "what the hell are you talking about?" which was apparently successful as he tapped his ear, indicating for her to listen. Tuning her brain into the music, John Mayer finally registered in her ears, the same song she and Nick had had their dance to not so long ago. Though that night had ended less than favorably. She remembered how she'd called Sara the next morning, how she'd dropped everything to come to her aid before she even knew what was wrong.
She looked back at Nick, finally smiling as she nodded and stood. Sara's cheeks were rosy from the alcohol as she turned face Catherine, who was lazily tugging at the sleeve of Sara's T-shirt. Surprised brown eyes looked up at her as she finally slurred out, in an almost childlike way, "Sara, dance with me."