Chapter Six- Leaving Las Vegas…Again

Thanks to Nisha.Boo.14, Daydreamer1127, FoxyWombat, Dardeile, starkidtw, DrusillaBraun, JacobedRose, mj0621, jwoods471, CissaMalfoy, soliz, and myfairlady for reviewing!

Sergeant…there is a problem when you pay more attention to some animated graphic electronically induced picture on a tv screen than the living, cellular- respirating, mentally thinking woman beside you.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

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"What the fuck did I miss?" Sara demanded staring down at them.

Catherine slid out of a sleeping Grissom's arms. "He needed someone to be with him." She said softly.

She motioned for Sara to join her outside Grissom's room. "He needs rest." She said shortly, leading the obviously fuming CSI out.

She gently shut the door behind her and faced the very angry looking younger woman.

"Can I ask what the hell happened in there?" Sara demanded, walking closer to Catherine, eyes showing that she was indeed not afraid of a fight this time.

Catherine remained calm. Living in Montana had tamed her temper, but not her will. Her blue eyes were firm as she started her own explanation.

"You weren't here. He was scared, Sara. He didn't know if he would live or die and you weren't there by his side. I was. I was the one that carried him through last night." She said firmly. "I was the one he held because he had no one else to go to."

Sara slapped Catherine across the face...hard, making her wince. Tears of hurt and rage ran down Sara's cheeks.

"You whore! How could you do that to me? I thought we were friends. Before Montana screwed you up you were probably one of my closest friends. You knew I loved him. I always knew he had a thing for you and when you left, he came to me. Now you come back here as if nothing had changed, as if you never left. You come back in here not knowing the hurt we've been through the past years and take the only thing I have left? You're a bitch Catherine Willows. You deserved Eddie, you deserved every single piece of shit that's happened to you!" Sara raged at her.

Catherine was silent. The words cut deeper than the slap. Her face was red where Sara's hand had come in contact with it. Her eyes were frosty as she spoke.

"Sara I'm sorry. I just couldn't bear the fact that you were the one he loved, but you weren't there by his side. Maybe he needed someone there, just so he knew someone cared enough to cry for him if he dies." Catherine said, using words as weapons. "But you know what, I think the two of you need to figure this out between you two, so I'll leave you guys to talk."

She spun on her heel and headed away from Grissom's door. She paused and looked back.

"Sara talk long and hard. Get it all out in the open." She advised. "And you're still my friend."

She left, leaving Sara standing alone, trying to comprehend the change in Catherine Willows.

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Perhaps it was the fact that she was scared. Maybe she had foreseen it. Maybe it was her guilty conscience, but Catherine Willows did not understand what made her walk away from the one person she loved. Was it pride? No it wasn't. Catherine Willows, however, did know.

She refused to be the other woman. Eddie had always had another woman. It had scarred Catherine and made her distrustful. She blamed the women for the crumble of her marriage. She refused to carry that title and that weight on her shoulders.

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She sat down on the curb of the hospital. She put her face in her hands. Lord she needed help. Nick pulled up his Tahoe in the parking spot beside her. She lifted her head.

"Catherine?" He asked, stepping out, a bunch of files in one hand.

"In the flesh." She said sarcastically.

He sat down beside her and dropped the files by his side. "What happened?"

"Sara caught me and Grissom, I was sleeping in his arms." She stated bluntly.

He drew a sharp intake of breath. He had seen this coming. He had seen it the moment she waltzed back into the Las Vegas Crime Lab doors. Foreseen it like he had foreseen a Texas rain shower by the clouds.

Catherine blurted out the whole story. Every detail.

Nick sighed. "Catherine, she's right. They worked hard at their relationship to get where they are today. You ruined it in 24 hours. She has every right to be more than a little upset." He reasoned with her. "When you left, Grissom was a mess. He was always angry and the smallest things would make him reach his limit. Sara fixed that. Maybe you should let them be."

Catherine looked at Nick with surprise. He had no doubt changed. Before she left, he had always been protective of her, but now it seemed like even he was on Sara's side. She couldn't stand being attacked from all sides.

"Sorry then. I'll close the case as fast as I can and get my butt back to Montana." She said, getting up and wiping her hands on her jeans. "Thanks for the advice."

Then she was gone again.

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Nick sighed deeply. This was the hard part. Letting Sara go. He had just convinced Catherine to let Sara and Grissom stay together, for her to leave them alone. He didn't do it because he thought they belonged together, he did it because he loved Sara and wanted her happy.

If you love something, let it go. If it returns to you, it's yours. If it doesn't, it was never meant to be.

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Catherine looked through the grainy security videos until she was cross-eyed. It was hard to make out anything. She rapidly hit the keyboard a few times. The image became clearer…barely.

"Wow you look like Dracula on drugs." Greg said, slipping into the room.

Catherine groaned and hit her head on the desk. "I'm getting no where."

Warrick put down a bottle of Visine beside her. "Let me try." He said, pulling up a chair.

Catherine moved over, while Greg fidgeted behind them to get a good view from behind both their heads. Warrick worked magic. Within minutes the image was as clear was it was going to get. Good enough for Catherine.

"Guest ran into a security guard. He fell. His gun hit the floor and fired." She said with wide- eyes. "The whole shoot out was an accident. One shot that started the security guards firing, probably in panic…probably not aiming."

Warrick was gaping too. "Such a huge scale and completely an accident." He said in wild eyed wonder. The shittest things could happen sometimes.

Catherine felt stupid. Why hadn't she caught this before? Oh right, you were distracted. She told herself, gritting her teeth.

"Does that explain the victims?"

Catherine pointed to a guard behind the poker table. "He's only a few feet away from the vic we thought was executed. He isn't even looking where he's aiming." She said.

"When panic sets in, people run blindly." Warrick said, quoting Grissom.

Catherine made a face. "And we just wasted hours and a plane ticket working this case."

"But why were the bodies stolen?" Warrick wondered.

"Maybe the guards didn't want to be arrested." Catherine said thinking out loud. "Something like this can carry a reckless endangerment charge."

"Well I'm glad you guys solved the case." Came a voice from behind them.

They spun around to see Ecklie standing behind them.

Shit…Catherine thought.

He looked at Catherine, obviously speaking to her. "I guess since this case is closed. You can return to Montana. I'm sure your squad misses you and probably needs you. Got a call earlier saying they were backlogged and needed Detective Willows back." He said stiffly. "Not to mention, I think you've caused enough trouble." He said.

Warrick and Greg were confused, but Catherine knew exactly what he meant.

"Yeah. I'll pack tonight and be outta your hair by tomorrow." She said with a forced smile. It was going to be hard to leave again.

"Will do."

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"Grissom, what the hell were you doing with her?" Sara yelled.

He winced. Sara's temper always scared the crap out of him, even if he was bigger than her.

"I don't know." He said, still woozy from the sedatives in his system.

She slammed her fist down on his bedside table.

"Gil, she doesn't love you. She runs off and then comes back again. If she loved you at all, she wouldn't have left in the first place!" Sara said, forcing him to digest her words.

She immediately regretted it. His eyes became dark with grief and pain. She moved toward him, only to have him turn away. She sighed and walked away. Maybe he needed to be alone for a little while. Maybe she needed time to think as well.

What she didn't see was that the moment she left the room, Gil Grissom's shoulders began to shake as heaving sobs tore through his body.

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Catherine was throwing things into her suitcase when there was a knock on her hotel door. A lawyer in a suit was standing before her.

"Miss Catherine Willows?" He asked.

She nodded. "That's me. What can I do for you?"

"It's more what I can do for Sam Braun. I'm Arthur Melbourne. I'm his attorney." He said softly. "May I come in?"

Catherine shut the door, undid the chain and opened it again…further. He slipped through the door and placed his briefcase on the coffee table, beckoning her to sit down. She sat.

"Miss Willows, I'm here to talk to you about your father's will." He said, pulling out some papers.

She nodded. "Continue Mr. Melbourne." She said.

"Mr. Braun has left everything to you, including all his casinos." He said, handing her the document.

She stared at him in disbelief. "Are you kidding?" she asked, a disbelieving look on her face.

"No Miss Willows. He specifically said everything was entitled to his only daughter. He only had three children. One dead. Another in jail for murdering the dead one. Your half brothers were out of the question."

She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "I don't know how to run a casino, much less five. I'm a forensic analysis. I have a degree in medical technology, not business." She moaned.

"Well you can always sell them." The lawyer tried to point out in order to comfort her.

She shook her head. "Those casinos were Sam's legacy. I can't get rid of them." She said softly. Her mind raced through every plausible option she had.

Mr. Melbourne stood up to leave. "Miss Willows, I would be glad to continue to provide legal services."

"Save it Sir. I'm not my father. I know the legal system too. If I need you for business I'll call you." She said shortly. "Until then, thanks for letting me in on this."

He gave her a firm handshake and exited her hotel room. She sank down onto the couch. What was she going to do now?

A second knock, and she found the majority of the Las Vegas forensic team in her doorway. She let them in as they piled on top of her.

Greg, Sofia, Warrick and Brass barely fit in her small hotel room.

Brass handed her a sheet of paper filled with names and numbers. "Our new numbers, in case you ever need us." He said with a smile.

Catherine returned the smile as she took the paper. Sofia and the other two approached her.

"Cath, we know you're a detective now, but we thought you might want this. I managed to get it back from Ecklie." She said, handing her a small bundle.

Catherine pulled out a .45 caliber automatic from its leather holster. It was the gun she has used when she was a Vegas CSI.

"Something to make sure Catherine stays okay in the country." Greg said, serious.

Catherine smiled through tear stained eyes. "Thanks guys. I really appreciate it." She said wrapping her arms around them all, a surprising feat for a rather small woman.

After a long conversation, the Vegas lab staff left, silently agreeing not to tell Grissom anything until he was out of the hospital.

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Her arrival in Montana was quiet. Her partner was there waiting. He smiled at her.

"Good to have you back Catherine." He said, wrapping her into a hug.

"Likewise Charlie." She said with a smile.

He drove her home nad once she was out of the car, Lindsay rocket launched herself at her mother.

"Mom are you okay? Last I heard you got hit by a car."

Catherine returned her daughter's hugs. "Yeah I'm fine. Uncle Gil took the worst of the hit, but he's okay too." She said.

"Good I was worried." Lindsay said.

Catherine heaved her luggage out of the trunk. "Thanks for the ride Charlie, I'll see you tomorrow."

He gave her a wink as he walked off.

Lindsay threw Catherine an accusing glance. "He has a thing for you." She said bluntly.

Catherine made a face. "No way."

"So way. He didn't have to pick you up. He didn't have to come here and check on me everyday. He didn't have to call the Vegas Crime lab to ask for you back." She said.

Catherine blushed. "Alright alright, you crazy teenage love theories have quashed my stubbornness."

Lindsay beamed. "Always Mother," She said sarcastically.

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Grissom was on his feet and back in the lab again. It felt good to be back after being out for days. The issue was that the doctors still wanted to keep a few more days, but he didn't want to stay. He was getting restless lying there all day.

He was greeted with wild applause from his team.

"WHOO! DA BOSS IS BACK!" Greg squealed, bouncing up and down.

He smirked. Way to be immature. There was someone missing from this little welcoming party, however. It wasn't Sara she was standing in the backdrop watching. He was still unsure of their status at the moment.

"Where's Catherine?" he asked Warrick, who lowered his eyes.

"She went back to Montana."

Grissom stared. His emotions were crazy within him. Pain filled his eyes as he walked away and into his office. He closed the blinds and locked the door, sinking in his chair. He stared at the picture on his desk. Catherine was smiling back at him with a bouncing Lindsay in her arms. How had they drifted so far apart? It was only a few days ago that he had fallen asleep with Catherine by his side. It had been so perfect. Now here he was again, alone. She was gone again. He closed his eyes and for the second that week, Gil Grissom cried.

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Heart wrencher ain't it? Love writing 'em. Enjoy!