Thanks for the reviews. I'm back with two chapters to compensate the long delay.

Enjoy

So ;)

Ps: TJ the answer as to what Lindsey's agenda is will come soon.

Chapter 10

Sara's POV

My concentration is disturbed by soft knocks on the frame of the door. I make a head movement to acknowledge my visitor without tearing my eyes from the giant jigsaw puzzle in front of me.

"My super senses told me there was a puzzle around," Catherine's voice resounds cheerfully.

Ever since her outburst about my 'prank call' concerning Lindsey's whereabouts two months ago we have had rather cold interaction, meaning we'd greet each other curtly, speak only if work demanded it and that'd be it; a bit like in the old days when we had our first arguments.

I gave her space and time; to her I committed a cardinal sin 'reaching out for Lindsey in order to get to her' so it was no surprised that she's been cold as ice to me, she is a momma bear and anyone who has ever watched the discovery channel knows never to mess with a cub.

The algid air between us wasn't only her doing though, I was pissed. I was pissed off that the brat she has for a daughter did me in twice and that in the end I was the one getting burnt, but then I considered that Catherine had the worse position; she doesn't really know that her own flesh and blood is playing her like a violin and I can say first hand that Lindsey is quite the maestro.

I was also angry about the fact that Catherine and I took a big step back because of this. I came to really appreciate our relationship, we talk more, we confide into one another, we can count on each other, we are great friends; even though sometimes we clash we always try to work things out, or like this time we give each other space. I care for our friendship even more because it was hard to get there in the first place, so to have Lindsey wiping all of that carelessly pissed me off to no end.

I thought that everything was ruined for good, but the fact that Catherine is now standing in the doorway of the lab I'm working in, a shy smile playing on her lips and her playful greeting lets me know that we're back on tracks; something which I'm grateful for.

"Your super senses or a bird named Grissom?" I ask with a smirk.

"My super senses, woman of little faith," she jokes back. "How is it going?"

"As arsons do, it's going rather smoothly so far," I shrug. "Slow shift?" I go on not wanting to cut our first friendly contact short.

"To say the least, paperwork is done and I've been looking around in the different labs to see how everybody is doing, yours is the last stop," she informs me. "Well, it was… you told me it was going alright, so…" she motions the corridor with a tilt of her head.

"You'd leave a puzzle?" I tease her. "I could use a fresh pair of eyes," I try to convince her.

"I can lend you four if you count my glasses," she jokes bitterly. I know she hates the fact that she has to wear glasses because she takes it as a sign of the passing time; I personally find her very sexy with them on, not that I ever told her.

"Sweet," I chuckle.

She walks to the other side of the table and leans over it. She digs her hand in the pocket of her white coat and takes out a pair of gloves; she crosses her fingers then balls her fists until she's comfortable in the latex. "What do you need me to do?"

"I've already logged everything, just look for the usual suspects," I grin and wink at her before returning to my observation.

I give her details of the case and answer any question she has, then we work in comfortable silence for a little more than an hour before one of us finds something interesting.

"Say you love me," she demands as she beams at the small piece of metal in her hand.

I know she's joking yet my heart skips a bit. "You love me," I reply after a short pause.

She sighs and rolls her eyes with exasperation. "I found a sticky green-blue substance."

I make my way around the table to get next to her and look through the magnifying glass she's holding, indeed she found an unknown substance.

"Alright, you won, I love you," I smirk. I like arsons but it's always hell to find evidence in the middle of burnt things.

I squint a bit and get closer to her so our shoulders are touching. I have a small absence when the scent of her shampoo and skin fills my nostrils. I shake my head into focus and take the evidence in my own hand.

"I'm going to test it might be the combustible."

"Or it could be blue soap," she deadpans.

"Thank you to raise my hopes up."

She turns to look at me and laughs, since I haven't moved from my position our faces are too close for my comfort because my eyes flicker to her lips for a split second.

Yes, things between Catherine and I didn't work out, but it doesn't mean that I stopped being attracted to her, at least my body didn't have that specific memo. In good days, I manage to keep that attraction under control but sometimes it spikes up. Considering that we have barely had any interaction for the past two months and that suddenly everything is fine again I'm inclined to give myself some slack for my sensory overload.

The funny part of those momentary slips is that sometimes I even believe that she's still attracted to me; like right now for instance, she's staring back at me and I'm pretty sure her body is saying that she wants me.

"Hello?"

"Sorry, what?" I come out of my lust filled haze.

"I asked what you were thinking about, you spaced out, I figured that brain of yours must have come up with something," she smirks.

It hadn't… now I have visuals I wish I could block out right now because they are not anywhere near appropriate, damn hormones.

"Actually, no; it was my 'brain fart' expression. I'm back," I joke.

The glint in her eyes combined with the velvety sound of her laughter makes my heart flutter. "I should get to trace," I inform her, I have the good sense to take a step back to break the spell she has unknowingly cast on me.

"And I should make another round," she takes her gloves off.

I go back to my original position on the other side of the table. "Thank you for the help," I smile at her then focus on my evidence when I see her walking to the door; her footsteps stops abruptly which makes me look up to understand what made her come to a halt.

"Is that it?" her question makes me frown. She's obviously amused by my confusion, I don't know what she put in her coffee today, but she is in a teasing mood – not that I'm complaining. "Thank you is all I get?" she elaborates. "Arson case, I probably solved your case," she pauses with a small pout. "Don't I get some sort of treat?" she bites her bottom lip.

Oh.

"Do you have plan after shift?" I ask tentatively.

"Depends on what you offer, then I might."

"Breakfast?"

She feigns to consider my proposition. "You got yourself a date…" she chuckles at my expression. "A deal, you got yourself a deal," she winks at me then walks away.

I like Catherine a lot, but more times that not I'm not sure on what foot I'm supposed to stand on. I enjoy that confusion and the fact that it's always spontaneous, but I wouldn't be against some regularity.

Thanks for reading.