From the moment she'd arrived I'd known this moment was inevitable. I had dreaded it, and yet, somehow, I didn't think it would come. My wish that she could stay had been stronger than my logic. Now, the ugly truth stared me straight in the eye: She was leaving tomorrow. Had she really only just arrived yesterday? I didn't understand how everything could have changed so quickly. It felt as though in just two short days, she had turned my entire world upside-down. Though, I was beginning to wonder if perhaps I had been living upside-down all along; maybe this was what things looked like right-side up. Maybe I was just too disoriented from so long standing on my head to realize I was finally on my feet.

We gravitated back to the futon after eating, the alcohol slowly beginning to dull the ache in the pit of my stomach, though it would take much more than a shared bottle of wine to kill it completely. Catherine was right, I should make the best of the time we had left. It was hard though, when every happy moment only circled back to the knowledge that it was ending.

"Where does the time go?" Catherine sighed from her place on the futon.

I gazed up at her from where I lay stretched out on the floor, now wondering the very same thing. "I don't know," I replied. "It seems like you just got here, and now you have to leave."

"That's true," she nodded, "but I mean in the larger sense. Sara, do you realize we've known each other for almost ten years now?"

"That long?" I asked, the number taking me by surprise. I'd never really thought about it. My life in Vegas was the only one that ever seemed to matter. Everything that came before it was just the past. I'd never stopped to put a number on it before.

Catherine seemed pensive. I could tell she had something to say, but she was hesitant. "I just wonder," she finally began, "in all that time, I wonder why we never did this before."

"Did what?" I asked, not entirely sure what she meant. "Ran off to another city to drink wine in a crappy apartment?"

"Well, kind of." She smiled, almost shyly. "Minus the foreign city. We never really 'hung out.' I just wonder why we weren't better friends." She ran her finger around the rim of her glass, watching it go round as she spoke.

I wasn't drunk by any means, but the wine was making me just a little too bold. I was tempted to tell her that maybe it was my fault, because of the feelings I had been unaware I harbored for her. I caught myself though, opting for a more neutral answer. "Maybe we were both just too stubborn to try harder."

Catherine glanced up at me briefly before her attention returned to the finger dancing around her glass. Something didn't seem right; she always looked me dead in the eye when she spoke, especially when it was serious. Whether proclaiming her seniority or scolding me for the way I did my job, she never faltered. They weren't my fondest memories, but that confidence was nowhere to be seen.

"I suppose you're right," she replied. "I think I did want you to try harder. Not consciously, of course. In hindsight though — I guess I was waiting for you to make the first move. It never occurred to me you might be doing the same."

"Make the first move?" I asked, poking fun at her phrasing in an attempt to lighten the mood. "What'd you want me to do, ask you out on a date?"

"What? No… no, of course not," she said dramatically, but her cheeks were pink, and the chuckle that followed sounded forced. "I mean, there are countless reasons that just wouldn't make sense, right?"

"Right," I replied, frowning a little in confusion. Not that I had actually been asking, but I had heard Catherine turn down dates before. She never got flustered like that, and she most certainly never blushed. "Catherine, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," I explained, suddenly feeling very awkward about my comment. "You know I was joking, right? I know you wouldn't have wanted that."

She finally looked up, giving me a small smile before simply stating, "You didn't make me uncomfortable."

I watched her skeptically for a moment. Something in her mood had shifted in the past few minutes, but I couldn't put my finger on what was wrong. "Hey, Cat," I called gently, sitting up to place a comforting hand on her knee. "Are you okay?"

She smiled again, but looked at me sadly, and I knew the next words out of her mouth would be a lie. "I'm fine," she said. "Just tired, I guess."

"We can go to bed if you want," I offered, knowing there was no point in pushing her to open up. If there was one thing we had in common, it was our stubbornness.

"Sure," she nodded. I told her I'd meet her there, and she went to change while I put away the dishes and the unfinished wine. Catherine was already in my bed as I passed by on my way to the bathroom, lying on her back, staring up at the ceiling. I wished so much that she would tell me what was bothering her, that I could take away whatever it was that was hurting her. I knew she wouldn't though, and — even if she did — I doubted I could solve the problem, so I continued on my way.

I caught my reflection after I'd changed, running my fingers through my hair, once again vainly trying to make myself more presentable. I scowled into the mirror, wondering why I kept bothering with such things. Catherine was never going to be mine, and the smoothness of my hair wasn't the problem.

I didn't even recognize the woman staring back at me. Sure, she looked the same as ever, but she was not the same woman as a couple months ago. She wasn't even the same woman that I'd seen less than 48 hours ago. I wondered who she would become after Catherine was gone.

Realizing I was contemplating my reflection in the third person, I decided I should probably hit the sack. Catherine was lying in exactly the same position as when I'd passed by, though she turned to look at me as I entered, a tiny smile appearing on her face. My stomach somersaulted when I saw her, as it had taken to doing ever since she first arrived. She really was the most beautiful person I had ever seen.

Not wanting to be caught gazing, I climbed into bed, turning off the light before I settled in all the way. I wanted to say something, anything to keep us from falling asleep, to prolong the moment she would leave. Given her current disposition, it was hard to think of anything relevant, so we laid in silence for several minutes.

"Sara?" she finally called, rolling over onto her side to face me. "I'm sorry I killed the mood."

I turned towards her as well, her face becoming clearer as my eyes adjusted to the dark. "No big deal, Cat," I assured her. "Things happen. I don't mind."

"I'm sorry about Ecklie, too," she continued.

"It's not your fault," I said as firmly as I could muster. "The team needs you."

She nodded, but didn't say anything. We lay like that for several long moments, the moonlight from outside lighting up her face quite clearly now, making her appear to glow in the otherwise black room.

I wanted so badly to tell her how I felt, despite its inevitably horrible outcome. "Catherine," I called in a hushed voice, deciding to express myself on a lesser scale. "I… I wish you didn't have to go."

"Me too," she whispered, surprising me when she grabbed my hand, moving a couple inches closer. "I wish you would come back."

"I know," I replied, deciding to take a small risk as I gently brushed her hair back from her face. "I'm trying."

I wasn't sure how it happened, but I suddenly realized we were much closer together than we had been at the start of this little chat. If I moved the slightest bit, our noses would touch. She licked her lips, which I realized I'd been staring at, having no idea how long I'd been doing so. I snapped my eyes back to Catherine's, knowing I was caught when she smiled at me, though it was the first genuine smile I'd seen since before our conversation in the living room. That smile, along with the look in her eyes, sent butterflies dancing through my stomach yet again. I didn't think it was possible that she actually wanted me to kiss her, but I wanted it to be true so badly that, for that moment, I chose to believe it.

I moved in closer, and, when she didn't pull back, I placed my lips lightly on hers. I kept it as chaste as I could, knowing I could have easily just made the biggest mistake of my life. Even so, I felt my entire body start to tingle at the contact. I expected her to be angry, or at the very least shocked. Instead I felt a gentle tug on my hand that was still held in hers, as she now leaned in towards me.

I was still having trouble believing this could be happening, but I wasn't about to let that get in the way of me taking what may be the only chance I would have to kiss the woman I was so desperately falling for. So I did it again, still tentative, but just a little firmer, lingering just a little bit longer. She let go of my hand and I felt a quick wave of panic, already formulating an apology in my mind as I began to pull back. To my surprise the hand came to rest on the back of my head, bringing me back in before I even had a chance to make a sound.

I may have started it, but there was no doubt that Catherine was now the lead. I was happy to let her take charge. At least this way I didn't have to worry whether or not I was playing by her rules. I couldn't stop a small whimper from escaping my throat when I felt her body push up against me, feeling as though every inch of my skin had suddenly burst into flames.

Things had escalated rather quickly, and my tiny sound of appreciation proved to only fuel the fire as she kissed me harder. I found myself engulfed by it, rational thought slowly melting away as my body began to move of its own accord. My hand that had landed in the little valley just above her hip now trailed up her side, eliciting a dissatisfied grunt from Catherine when it stopped just short of her breast, retracing its way down her silhouette. I allowed it to land on her backside, gripping tightly to pull her even closer.

It was then that I felt the sensation of something soft against my tongue; so fleeting I wasn't entirely sure I had felt it at all. Patiently waiting to see if it would return, her tongue slipped smoothly back between my lips, more commanding this time. At that moment it finally hit me: I was really kissing Catherine. Not just kissing, we were making out, in my bed, hands exploring every curve of each other's body. Her breath was coming out ragged and needy as she rolled to her back, pulling me with her. With the sudden shift my hand ended up between her thighs, slowly creeping its way upward.

Just before I reached the top, I paused, though Catherine had made no objection to my actions. I couldn't remember ever wanting something or someone so badly in my life, so I had to be sure. Fevered kisses and fooling around was one thing, but to take it all the way would be something else entirely.

I detached my lips from hers for the first extended period of time since we'd started. Catherine looked up at me, a hint of worry in her eyes. I tried to think of a delicate way to phrase my question, my fingers lightly massaging her inner thigh to quell her concern.

"Sara," she breathed, placing her hand firmly over mine between her legs. Her eyes remained locked to my own, drawing our hands up just a little higher as she silently nodded her consent to the question I had yet to ask.

At that moment I was lost. To know that she actually wanted this felt more amazing than I could have ever imagined. I pressed my palm between her legs and she groaned, rocking her hips against me as her hands finally found the bottom of my shirt, yanking it over my head. The rest of our clothes followed quickly, discarded to the floor or lost in the sea of blankets.

Propping myself up on my arms to look at her, I was amazed to discover that she was suddenly more beautiful than she had ever been before. Even with her tussled hair and kiss-stained lips, she was perfect. I wanted to tell her that she was breathtaking, that she was flawless, that she was the most incredible creature I had ever encountered. Words seemed to fail me though. I stared at her in awe, finally leaning down to kiss her again, in a way that I hoped would somehow express what I wanted her to know.

I slithered my hand back up her thigh, unable to stifle an excited gasp when I felt the extent of her arousal. The sounds she made when my fingers found their way inside her were so intoxicating it made me feel drunk. She echoed my actions and it was all I could do to keep from going over the edge right then. The steady rhythm we fell into didn't last long, rapidly evolving into something much more frenzied.

Despite my efforts I came first, feeling the physical and mental release as the tremors shot through my body. After a moment I found I was grateful to have been first, my attention completely undivided and focused only on Catherine as she too found her release. The sight, the sounds, the feeling of Catherine coming by my hand was a moment I knew I would never get out of my head.

I waited for her to come down before withdrawing my fingers. Now that it was over, reality was back, along with my nerves. I worried she would instantly regret what she'd done, or worse, that she would feel I'd taken advantage of her. All those thoughts were hushed for the time being when she finally managed a grin in between her heavy breaths. At least it she didn't regret it yet.

I was afraid to speak, certain that the sound would break whatever spell we were under, that my voice would somehow make her realize she'd made a terrible mistake. So, instead, I leaned down and kissed her forehead, pushing her sweat-dampened hair away from her face with my fingertips. She never said a word either, finding my lips for one last kiss before bringing me all the way back down to the mattress and snuggling into my side. I ran my fingers through her hair, relishing in any and every way I could touch her. Her breathing slowly began to even out, and I knew she'd fallen asleep, though I didn't stop, hoping maybe she still felt it on some unconscious level.

I was left to wonder where we now stood. Catherine wasn't the type to use someone she cared about for a meaningless fuck, even spontaneous as it may have been. We may not have always gotten along in the past, but I know even then she would never have intentionally hurt me.

Maybe tonight meant what I wanted it to mean. I thought back over the last two days. Catherine had come to find me. She'd been affectionate, caring, and there was more than one occasion that could have potentially been construed as flirting. Not to mention her strange behavior tonight, even before the spontaneous sex. Then again, the devils advocate in my head continued to ask why in the world she would want me.

I looked down at the sleeping woman next to me, pulling her even closer in the wish that she would never go. At least I had tonight, and this moment, and maybe, just maybe, there were more moments like this waiting for me, if I returned to Vegas. On that hope, I finally allowed myself to fall asleep.