AN: Sorry sorry sorry. Sorry. It's back. I'm back. Here's the next chapter for those of you out there who are still interested :) Hope all is well with everyone. And my apologies to those who asked in previous reviews if Lindsey or Jeremy were going to be in this story - they are not in this story. Perhaps, if I write more stories in the future, I will include them in those.

As always, thank you for reading.


Pulling into our drive after Sara and I's talk in the desert, the sound of the engine is immediately replaced by the chirping of cicadas as I pull the keys from the ignition. Turning to the backseat, I am surprised that Sara still has not budged from where I laid her in the back. Always the light sleeper, I usually end up waking her from a rare nap simply by entering the room.

Just as I am debating the best way to get Sara inside, headlights flash across the drive. Recognizing Nancy's car, I approach where she has parked behind the Tahoe.

Seeing me, she exits the vehicle and raises her brows, "Perfect timing, apparently."

Nodding, I send her a smile, "Looks like it. What's up?"

Playfully ruffling my hair, Nancy sends me a devilish grin. "What's wrong, can't a girl just visit her sister?"

Grabbing her hand in mine, I playfully hold it hostage. "She can, but she doesn't," I say while sending a knowing look her way.

Nancy pokes me in the side until I am forced to release her hand. "Fine, whatever. I actually came by to talk to you about Saturday. Sara is taking Chris climbing in the morning, and I was wondering if we could have a sister bonding day?"

I quirk a brow, "A 'sister bonding day'? What the hell is that?"

Nancy laughs, "Oh, come on. You remember when we used to sneak into the movies or go smoke pot out by Lake Mead…"

"Nancy!" I chastise her, "I don't know what you are talking about…I would never participate in such illegal activities with my young and impressionable sister."

Nancy is smirking gleefully at me, "Right. Don't worry, I won't tattle on you to Dr. Grissom or anything. But really, I just thought it would be a good opportunity to have a day to ourselves – it's been awhile to say the least."

"I don't know Nancy," I hedge, "we have a lot of stuff to get done at the lab. With Sara gone –"

Nancy clamps her hand over my mouth. "I didn't want to have to play this card, but you need a day off. You look like shit, sis."

I snort and pry her hand off my face, "Gee, thanks." I shake my head in defeat. "Fine, I'll see what I can do."

Nancy's smile is ear to ear. "That's all I ask."

My sister turns to leave, but I quickly grab her arm. "Hey, can you help me with something real quick?"

Nancy shrugs, "Sure."

Leading her to the Tahoe, I open the back seat quietly. Gesturing towards Sara's body sprawled across the backseat, I whisper, "You think you could help me get her inside?"

Nancy's brows rise almost to her hairline.

"Oh my God, what did you do to her?" she asks in an animated whisper of her own.

I cross my arms across my chest and glare at her, "She's asleep, Nancy, I didn't do anything."

Nancy looks at me dubiously, "Sara Sidle, the girl who makes insomniacs look like narcoleptics, the girl who wakes up if you breathe the wrong way, is sound asleep in the back of your car?"

I gesture with exaggeration towards the brunette, "It would certainly appear so, now wouldn't it."

Nancy shakes her head with a sigh, "Well this is undoubtedly an odd site. I'm almost tempted to take pictures just to convince myself it really happened."

I shrug, "Well, when she wakes up and exacts revenge upon you, don't come crying to me."

Nancy seems to pause, "Good point."

Stepping closer to the car, she gestures inside. "So how do we do this?"

I lean into the Tahoe a bit, "If I pull her out from under her arms, you think you can get your arms under her well enough to carry her inside?"

Nodding, Nancy responds, "Yeah, let's try."

Reaching in, I thread my arms under Sara's shoulders. Surprisingly, Sara still does not move or stir in any way. Pulling her slowly out, Nancy gently places her arm under Sara's back, and then places her second one under Sara's knees once she is out of the car far enough.

I close the door quietly while Nancy waits for me with Sara hanging lifelessly in her arms.

"You okay?" I whisper to her. "She's not too heavy for you, is she? She seemed easy enough to handle when I got her in the car before…"

Nancy all but rolls her eyes. "I feel like I am carrying a load of laundry or something. You really should start sneaking some lard into her cereal."

I can't help but cringe at the thought.

Nancy's face grows a bit serious as we make our way to the front door. "Honestly though, Cath, she is actually eating, right? I have cancer patients going through chemo that are heavier than her."

Unlocking the door, I gesture my sister inside ahead of me. Turning on the lights, I nod my head. "Yeah, of course she eats. She's always been thin, you know that."

Seeming a bit pensive, Nancy is obviously deciding whether or not to press the issue. Apparently deciding against it, Nancy sighs. "Alright."

Her tone clearly indicates, however, that she is not pleased with the situation.

Entering our room, I pull the covers down on Sara's side of the bed and gesture for Nancy to lay her down. After doing so, we each take a shoe to pull off. Deciding to let Sara keep her dignity, I don't take off her jeans and simply place the covers over her.

Nancy glances at me, "She's really out of it, isn't she?"

Nodding, I move to turn off the lights, "It's been a rough week."

Just as I am about the flip the switch, Nancy's voice stops my motion.

"Catherine…"

Her tone scares me, and I immediately turn to face her. Her eyes are locked on Sara and her body is tense.

Before I can ask her what's wrong, her voice cuts the silence.

"What the hell happened to her face? It looks like someone hit her."

I take a breath. I had been hoping to avoid this particular revelation tonight. Not to mention the fact that I know Sara is going to be pissed about Nancy learning about her encounter at the lab.

Turning off the lights, I whisper to Nancy in the darkness, "Let's take this to the other room."

I hear more than see Nancy follow me out. Grabbing a water bottle from the fridge, I toss one to my sister as she stands anxiously near the couch. Joining her, I look her in the eyes to see her reaction.

"Mrs. Trenton paid a visit to the lab this afternoon."

Nancy's face grows puzzled, and then pale.

"No…"

I nod my head, "Yup. She caught Sara at the cemetery last night."

Nancy cringes, pinching the bridge of her nose with her free hand. "Shit."

My voice is hard, "You should have told me, Nancy."

Nancy removes her hand from her face, her voice as hard as mine. "It wasn't my place to tell."

I scoff, "There's a fine line between honoring a friendship and neglecting to share information when someone needs help."

Nancy's jaw tenses. "If you think for one moment I would ever sit by and watch if Sara was in real trouble, you are nuts. If Sara's health was in danger, I would have told you immediately."

I shake my head in anger, "I guess her emotional health doesn't count then."

Eyes flashing, Nancy steps closer to me, "That's crap, and you know it. I only found out about it recently, and she promised me that she would tell you. You know how Sara is, she tells both of us the absolute minimum about everything, and even that would go away if we started blabbing to each other every time she opened up to one of us. I needed to give her time to talk with you about this on her own, Cath."

I take a calming breath, knowing in my heart that Nancy would never put anything before Sara's wellbeing.

"You're right, Nancy. I'm sorry." I shake my head at myself.

Nancy's face takes on a softer expression and she steps close enough to me to put a gentle hand on my arm. "What's really bothering you?"

I laugh quietly at my sister's ability to read me so accurately. Turning my eyes downward, I study my water bottle, watching the way the moisture in the air condenses along the cold plastic.

"She's been going there for nearly a year. A year, Nancy. How could I have been so blind to have missed it all this time?" I scoff, "Not to mention, what else is she hiding from me?"

Nancy's hold on my arm gets tighter. "First off, you and I both know that unless Sara wants you to know something, you're going to have a heck of a time putting enough clues together to figure it out on your own. That girl has about fifty eight different walls to hide things behind." She gives me a stern look, "As for the second question, I don't think for a moment you really believe Sara would sneak around hiding all sorts of things from you. She may keep things from you out of an odd attempt at protecting you, but she would never betray your trust, Cat."

Nodding my head, I have now found the carpeting particularly enthralling. "That's what she told me."

Finally looking at my sister, I see confusion in her eyes.

"She said that she didn't tell me because she didn't want to worry me, burden me," I elaborate.

My sister remains silent, encouraging me to continue. "I don't think that she understands that I want her to burden me, I want her to let me help. We're a couple, we should be going through things together. I just hate feeling so useless."

Nodding, my sister asks quietly, "Did you tell her that?"

I let out a breath, "Yeah, I tried."

My sister again waits for my elaboration, raising her eyebrows in question.

"She said she would work on it."

Squeezing my arm, Nancy gives me a light shake. "There you go, then. Don't expect her to change overnight, Cath, but something tells me Sara Sidle will try her damndest to do anything you ask of her."

Bowing my head once again, I close my eyes. "I know."

Nancy pulls her hand away and she grows silent. Eventually looking up, I see that she is looking at me intently. I can tell that there is something she wants to ask, but is hesitant to give it a voice.

I roll my eyes. "Just spit it out, sis."

Nancy looks away, playing with the label on her water bottle. "What did Mrs. Trenton say to her?"

I immediately feel my body tense as images from the altercation in the lab flood my mind. "I believe she called her a bitch, told her she was the one who left her child without a father, demanded to know why she thought it appropriate to show up at his grave, and so on and so forth."

Nancy's eyes close. "And she hit her?"

Nodding, I force myself to unclench my hands before I spill water all over the carpet. "Twice."

Eyes shooting to mine, my sister's expression is unreadable, but there is a definite undertone of anger. And, oh, I'm right there with her.

"What did Sara do?"

I shake my head. "Absolutely nothing. She stood there and took it. Sara tried to apologize to her at one point, but I believe Mrs. Trenton's hand slamming across her face cut that a bit short."

My sister's jaw clenches, and her chest rises and falls as she takes a deep breath.

Her voice is carefully controlled, "Knowing Sara, I bet she felt she deserved her anger."

I nod, "She told me that Mrs. Trenton is 'still grieving' and that she 'needed an outlet'."

Nancy snorts, shoving her free hand into the pocket of her jeans with obvious frustration. "But that outlet should not be physical violence against another human being."

I look at my sister, "I told her that exact thing, don't worry." I pause, "She didn't want to talk about it afterward, insisting we get back to work. After shift when we went to the overlook, she seemed alright with everything, but I don't know."

Nancy rubs her foot absently across the carpet. "I think she was starting to come to terms with the shooting, I can only hope this doesn't derail that."

I look at her, "She told you that? That she was coming to terms with it, I mean. She mentioned it to me as well, but I wasn't sure if she was just trying to placate me."

Smiling at me gently, Nancy shakes her head. "She told me that she never regrets pulling the trigger in light of what was at stake, that she was justified in her action. And then there was a bunch of lovey dovey stuff about you being the love of her life and her not being willing to lose you no matter the cost, blah blah blah. It all got very sappy…" My sister is grinning, obviously poking a bit of fun at me at the end.

Even though my sister is being playful, I feel my eyes moisten with tears at the revelation of her words. I know Sara loves me, she tells me herself often enough. But there is something about hearing your lover say it to someone else that makes it seem more real. I guess it feel s a bit like proof that their love for you still exists outside of your presence.

Feeling my sister's arms enfolding me, I take hold of her and breathe deeply. I feel her hand rubbing my back soothingly, her voice close to my ear as she lightly whispers, "She loves you so much, Catherine."

Not able to find my voice yet, I simply nod.

Finally pulling away, Nancy holds my cheek gently. "And hey, what's not to love?"

Smiling, I feel my body literally sagging with exhaustion.

Holding out her hand to me while placing our water bottles down on the end table, she looks me in the eye. "Come on, let's get you to bed."

Taking her offered hand, she leads me quietly into the bedroom. Pulling down the covers on my side for me, Nancy watches as I silently pull off my shoes and slide in next to Sara's still unmoving form.

Using her hand that is still in mine, I pull her down for a hug. "I love you so much."

She squeezes my hand and places a light kiss on my cheek before pulling away. "I love you, too."

She steps silently to the other side of the room, and I watch groggily as she looks down at Sara's sleeping form with a smile. After a moment she leans down and gives the brunette a kiss on the cheek, likely taking advantage of the rare opportunity.

Heading to the door, she whispers a final "Goodnight" before pulling the door closed with a quiet click.

Breathing in the fresh scent of fabric softener coming from the sheets, I roll over and place my arm protectively around Sara's waist. Other than a slight moan escaping from her lips, Sara does not stir.

Snuggling deeper into her, I give way to the undertow of exhaustion as I hear Nancy's car pull away.


Noticing the chirping of birds and feeling the bright sun on my face, I instantly know something isn't right. The birds are never this loud and the sun is never this bright when my alarm goes off.

Cracking open an eye, I look at the clock on the night table. 9:04am.

Crap.

Instantly, I throw the covers off and all but jump out of bed. Glancing over to Sara's side, I stop my movement when I see a note on her pillow. Reaching over to grab it curiously, I read her unique handwriting:

Cath –

Sorry for falling asleep last night at the overlook, I don't know what happened. Hope you didn't have too much trouble getting me back home – I'm sure if you had poked me hard enough my lazy ass would have woken up…

I headed into work to get a head start on things, and I figured I would let you sleep until something important came up. I hope you're not upset, you just seemed really tired these last couple days.

See you soon – love you.

-S

Folding up the paper and setting it on the dresser, I sigh to myself. I wish I could say I was upset at her for letting me sleep past the start of shift, but mostly I am relieved at feeling rested for once in my life.

Grabbing some fresh clothes, I head to the shower to get ready for the day.

Wind tousling my hair, I step through the lab doors. Instantly, the golden Nevada desert hues are replaced with the cool blues and silvers of the lab.

Waving to Judy, I make my way towards my office to check my inbox.

Opening the door, I nearly drop my purse on the floor when I see a figure sitting in my chair. Placing a hand over my racing heart, I shake my head. "Jesus, Sara, way to give a girl a heart attack."

Rising to her feet, Sara makes her way around my desk a bit sheepishly, "Sorry, I needed someplace quiet to think."

Sending her a warm smile to let her know I don't mind her using my office, I take note of the Vergenson case file in her hand. "Any progress?"

Shaking her head, Sara's defeated expression says it all.

"I was actually thinking of heading back out to the last scene, see if there is anything we missed."

Nodding my head, I can't help but agree that the last scene may be key. There has to be a reason why the killer altered his MO for this one particular scene. "Take Jim with you."

"Cath…"

Not even giving her a chance to argue, I look at her sternly. "Sara, you're taking him with you or you aren't going. I'm not taking any chances, not on a case as vile as this one."

Giving in, Sara offers me a reluctant nod. Gathering the rest of her things, she leans in and places a gentle kiss on my lips. "Good morning, by the way."

Smiling, I draw her back in for a more…active…kiss. "Good morning, indeed."

Sara pulls away, sending me a casual wave as she exits my office.

Sighing, I lower myself into my chair. Glancing at my inbox, I see there are two case files in it. Grabbing them in curiosity, I see that they are the two cases that Sara still had open. Looking through the files, I see that they are now complete. One is being closed due to insufficient evidence, but the other has record of a suspect being identified and brought in for questioning. After the interview, the suspect was arrested under suspicion of murder and is now awaiting trial.

Signing off on both files and placing them in my outbox, I am amazed that Sara found the time to bring these cases to a close. Something tells me Sara's insomnia had a lot to do with it.

Sending off a couple of emails that needed my attention and returning a few phone calls, I am debating whether or not to delve back into the evidence boxes from the Vergenson case when my pager goes off. My eyebrows furrow when I see that Doc Robbins is the one that paged me.

Making my way to the morgue, I grow more and more curious as to what the Doc has to share with me that he didn't share when we met yesterday. Pushing through the heavy metal doors, I shiver as the temperature drop hits my exposed skin. Hearing my entrance, Doc Robbins glances up from a body that I do not recognize as being from one of my cases. Snapping off his rubber gloves, he pulls a piece of paper off the work bench behind him.

"Good, Catherine, you got my page. You remember how I mentioned to you that the wife in your last scene was pregnant?"

Nodding, I try to push away the feelings of anger as I am reminded of the gruesome revelation that occurred during yesterday's autopsy.

Hedging slightly, the Doc looks up, hesitating.

I have never seen Doc Robbins this nervous.

"I don't know how to say this, Catherine, but it's not your victim's fetus."

I'm sure you could hear a pin drop in the silence currently permeating the room.

"Excuse me?"

Reaching over, he hands me the DNA report in his hand. "I was testing the fetus to confirm paternity, as is standard in cases such as these. However, upon receiving the results, it became apparent that I should have been checking to confirm maternity."

Looking down, it is obvious that the genetic profile of the fetus does not match that of the husband or the wife in the current family of victims. I feel my stomach drop, and I hope the Doc can't see the tremor in my hands.

"How…? She was pregnant…then where…where is her own fetus?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

I shake my head, "This is beyond fucked up. Who the hell is this son of a bitch?"

Doc Robbins looks genuinely sympathetic as his blue eyes meet my own. "I'm really sorry, Catherine."

Nodding, I simply thank him for the results and make my way out of the morgue. I mean, really, what is there to say?


Grabbing the evidence boxes from the vault, I drop them angrily on the layout table. Opening one after the other, I comb each piece of evidence with renewed fervor and rage.

Shaking my head in disgust, I realize that the better part of two hours has gone by with no progress being made. I am so damn sick of getting nowhere on this case.

Tossing down the lid on the latest box with much more force than necessary, I try to focus on the items inside.

I feel like I am going out of my fucking mind.

Just as I am about to have some sort of mental breakdown, there is a light knock on the door before it swings open to reveal Sara.

Stepping into the room, she closes the door behind her. I can see her taking in the all the items strewn about, sweeping her observant gaze over the evidence boxes, and then over me.

I don't know what it is, but there is something about seeing Sara that makes something inside of me shift.

Sara represents love, hope, strength. Desperately, I need to feel all off that, be a part of all of that. Most of all, I need a distraction, something to take me away from the awful recesses of my mind where the dark and violent facets of this case are trying to hold me hostage and play me like a puppet.

Before I know what has come over me, I find myself grabbing Sara by her cotton shirt and pushing her back into the counter along the side wall. Instantly, my lips are on hers, kissing her forcefully.

Putting her hands on my chest, she tries to push me back gently.

"Catherine…" Her voice is concerned, confused.

Grabbing her wrists, I pull her hands away and hold them tightly to her sides so she cannot push me away. Again, I aggressively place my lips on hers, biting down on her bottom lip when she starts to pull her head back.

Finally, I break our kiss, moving my mouth down her neck.

"Catherine, stop." Her voice is still concerned, but now there is a distinct edge to it.

Pulling my head up, I look her in the eyes. "Please, Sara, I need this."

My tone is desperate, pleading. I can tell by the emotions playing across her hazel eyes that she is torn, unsure of whether it is right to put an end to this or let me have what I so obviously need.

Taking advantage of her uncertainty, I let go of one of her wrists in order to reach for her pants.

Hastily unbuckling her belt, I have her belt undone and her jeans unbuttoned before I register that her free hand is once again attempting to push me away – this time with significantly more force. Deciding to change tactics, I once again grab her free wrist in my hand and hold it tight. Using my leg instead, I force my thigh between hers, pushing into her center.

Sara's head pulls away from me, connecting with the wall behind her. Trying to use her height advantage, she attempts to lift herself on her toes enough to get herself onto the counter and away from me. Pushing my leg harder into her, I simultaneously pull down on her arms to keep her in place.

My mouth makes its way to her neck, feverishly taking in her exposed skin. Feeling the vibrations in her neck, her voice once again makes its way to my ears.

"Catherine, I am asking you to stop."

Her voice is stern, demanding. It's a tone that I have so rarely heard come out of her mouth that it alone gives me pause. Pulling away, I truly see her for the first time.

Her eyes are a curious mix of anger, concern, and fear. This time, it's the fear that stops me in my tracks.

Sara Sidle isn't afraid of anything.

Looking down, I see my fingers digging into the skin of her wrists, my leg forcefully placed between hers and pinning her against the counter. Pulling away slowly, I remove all contact between our bodies. Taking my head into my hands, the reality of the situation pushes its way into my consciousness.

What in the hell am I doing?

I feel myself shaking, and I am afraid I am going to collapse. Blindly reaching for a stool behind me, I sit myself on its edge.

Sara still hasn't moved.

Continuing to hold my head, I shake it back and forth in disgust. "Sara, I am so sorry."

Her closing her eyes is the only recognition of my words.

"I am so sorry."

I don't know how many times I have repeated the words before I register movement.

After readjusting her belt, Sara shifts slightly away from the counter, her arms folding themselves protectively across her chest. "Stop saying it, Cath. I heard you the first time."

Her tone is unreadable.

Instantly, I quiet myself, waiting for her to make the next move.

"What happened to you here today?"

Her eyes are boring into mine, obviously looking for some sort of understanding.

"I don't know," my voice is shaking, on the verge of cracking. "I think everything just piled up for me. Doc Robbins told me that the fetus in the victim yesterday wasn't hers. That somehow the killer had managed to expand upon his fettish with swapping body parts by placing someone else's baby inside of her. Who the fuck does something like that? So then I came back here to find something, anything, to nail the bastard. But once again I get nowhere."

She is slightly thrown, her expression clouding as she takes in the new information about the fetus. Shortly after, she shakes her head, gesturing between us, "But why…this? Is it because you were angry?"

I get where she is going with her question – wanting to know if I needed someone to take my anger out on. I feel like I am going to throw up.

"God, no, Sara. I saw you and I needed to feel the love that you embody to me. I needed something to ground me again, to take me away to a place where evil like the Vergenson killer doesn't exist."

Sara doesn't move her eyes from mine. "You could have asked."

I shake my head, "I know, trust me. I wasn't in my right mind, it's like I was watching myself from somewhere else. I knew what I wanted, what I needed, and it was all I could see."

Sara's tone loses some of its edge, "Cath, I think you should go home. Or, at the very least, work on another case for the rest of shift."

I look up, protests lining up along my tongue like soldiers in a war against reason.

Sara raises her hand to stop me, "I know, you're the boss and I have no right to question you. But if this were the other way around, you would pull me from this case immediately. I'm not trying to be a jackass here, but I am worried about you. You need a chance to clear your mind for awhile. All I am suggesting is you take the day to get yourself back in order."

I sigh, her request really isn't unfair. And to be honest, if the roles were reversed I would have had her off this case permanently after the events of today. All she is asking for is a day.

I essentially assaulted the woman that I love, ignoring her requests to stop. If that doesn't tell me I need to get my shit together, I don't know what would.

"You're right, Sara." I stand from the stool, gathering the evidence back together. Stacking the boxes up for her to do with what she pleases, I make my way to the door. "I really am sorry."

She is still looking me in the eye, but after a moment her gaze finally falters. Focusing on a spot to my left, she nods her head. "I know you are."

Without another word, she steps up to the table to begin going through the evidence herself. I understand that this is my cue to leave, silently departing the room without another word.


NANCY POV

It's Friday, and I'm bored. I know I should be grateful for the lull at work, but unfortunately I am the type of person that does best with multiple things on my 'to do' list. The way our oncology clinics have patients scheduled for chemo and radiation, it leaves Fridays more or less open for emergency cases. And, alas, today there appear to be absolutely no emergencies.

Which, again, I have to keep reminding myself is a good thing.

No one wants patients to have health crises just because they are bored.

Picking up my book, I continue where I last left off.

I hear the shuffling of feet as someone approaches from my right. "Ah, 'A Molecular View on Cancer', sounds absolutely thrilling, Flynn."

Not even bothering to look up, I smirk. "It really is, Dr. Richards, thank you for asking."

I hear him snort as he grabs a cup of coffee and leaves as quickly as he came. Looking around to be sure that no one else is in the room, I carefully readjust the book jacket to be sure it is properly in place.

Something tells me my attending physicians would be less impressed with me if they discovered the real title of the book underneath the phony jacket. I believe 'The Revenge of the Galaxians – A Battle for New Arbatron' would make me a bit of a laughing stock around here. Thus the bogus book cover, effectively leaving my love of science fiction a secret guilty pleasure.

Just as I am getting to the part where the hero is about to settle the 128.75 light-year war between two rival alien species, my cell vibrates in my pocket. Pulling it out, I see that Sara is the caller.

"Hey."

I immediately pick up on the strain in her voice as she states, "Hey, Nancy. I'm sorry to bother you again at work."

Putting my book down on the counter, I give her my full attention. "Don't worry about it, Sara. What do you need?"

"I'm calling about Catherine."

My heart rate picks up. "Is she alright?"

Sara pauses. "Yeah, sort of. Look, something happened at work today – there was a new piece of evidence that really took its toll on your sister. She was obviously distressed, so I told her to go home and take the rest of the day off."

I feel slightly better knowing that she is at least physically okay. "Alright, things here are slow so I can probably clock out in about half an hour and go check on her."

I hear Sara sigh. "Thank you so much, Nancy. I am not going to be able to leave here for quite some time and I don't think she should be on her own for that long right now."

I hesitate about whether to ask the next question, in the end deciding to go for it. "Is there something else, Sara? Something specific that happened with her today? I'm sorry for prying, but it just sounds like you are really upset about something."

There is another pause. "No. She just…wasn't herself. There's a park on Wellshire that she likes to go to sometimes. I would check there if she's not at home."

I recognize the change of subject and decide to drop it, I'll be talking with my sister soon enough.

Starting to gather my things, I say to Sara, "Thanks for calling, I really appreciate you letting me know."

Sara sighs. "I feel like we are bugging you all the time – you have your own things to worry about."

Again, her voice is strained, leaving me convinced that something in particular happened during their shift today.

"Sara, you guys are family. Nothing else comes before that."

Hearing her silence, I can almost picture her pinching the bridge of her nose.

Softening my own voice, I hope to alleviate some of her stress. "I'm always here for you both. I'll find Cath and make sure she is doing alright – don't worry about a thing."

She now sounds exhausted more than anything else. "Alright, thanks Nancy."

I pause, "Oh, and Sara?"

"Yeah?"

"Take care of yourself as well, alright?"

I hear her snort, and I'm glad if nothing else I have hopefully brought a smile to her face. "Yes, mother."

"Good. I'll check in with you later."

"Please do."

And with that, we hang up.


Pulling my Honda into the parking lot of the park, I don't have to look far to find my sister. She is sitting on a picnic table, her back to me as she faces out into the gardens. Without saying anything, I sit myself next to her.

She doesn't look over, knowing exactly who it is. "Sara called you."

It's not a question, so I don't provide an answer. "She was worried about you, Cath."

She continues to stare into the distance.

"What happened today, Catherine?"

Finally, her eyes dip from the distance to her hands folded in her lap.

"There was a development in the case. It was…horrifying, disturbing. It really enraged me to the point that I wasn't even seeing straight anymore." Finally, her eyes meet mine. "I can't really talk about what it was, I can't take any chances of getting this case pulled from court. I'm sorry."

Holding up my hand to stop her, I shake my head. "Say no more, I understand."

We sit in silence for a bit, and eventually I turn to face her. "Did something else happen? Something between you and Sara?"

She looks over at me, "What did she tell you?"

"Nothing, actually. She just sounded a bit upset, I guess, when I talked to her earlier."

Catherine looks away from me again.

"Come on, Cath. Now I know there is definitely something that happened, so just spill it. Did you guys have a fight?"

Her hands are clenched and her facial expression is tense. "I practically assaulted her in the lab."

My brows furrow, and I'm sure I look as confused as I feel. "You mean physically or verbally?"

She gives me a look, her cheeks turning a bit red.

Finally, it hits me. "Oh…"

Looking away again, she nods. "Yeah."

I shake my head, kind of at a loss for what to say.

Catherine finally takes a deep breath, still looking out into the gardens. "I forced myself on her. I was all over her, Nancy. She told me to stop, and I didn't."

With a sigh, her head bows. "I was out of my mind."

I place my hand on her leg. "I'm sure she knows that, Cath. She knows that you would never hurt her under any normal circumstances. You got caught up in the case and lost touch with reality for a bit."

Her voice is lost. "I am beginning to wonder if she actually trusts me at all. Especially when all I seem to do is keep hurting her."

"Cather-"

"No." My sister gets to her feet, cutting off my protests. "I don't want to go into this right now. I can't go into this right now."

I stand alongside her. "Alright, no pressure from me. I think this is a conversation you should be having with Sara, anyway."

She doesn't argue, and I place my hand gently on her arm. "Come on, I'll follow you home."

Looking at me, she shakes her head. "I don't need a babysitter, Nancy." Her voice is saying one thing, but the look in her eyes is saying another. Her blue gaze is practically screaming at me not to leave her alone right now.

"I tried that argument with you for years, Cath. It never worked for me back then, and it isn't going to work for you right now. Let's go."

She lets out a glimpse of a smile, squeezing my free hand in hers as we make our way back to our cars.


AN: Thank you for reading. Let me know your thoughts.