Title: Third Time's the Charm
Summary: AU: Catherine returns to Vegas to help find the terrorist who exploded a bomb in her casino, the Eclipse. This tragedy also brings back Gil Grissom. Is she ready to see her ex Sara with her Ex-husband, and what are these strange feelings she is having every time she is near Sara?
Fandom/Pairing: CSI – LV: Catherine Willows/ Sara Sidle
Author: Cherokee62
Rating: NC-17/M Sexual Situations involving women, hurt, comfort, language, angst
Spoilers: Final episode of CSI Fix it fic
Word Count :20,212
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, just having some fun with them. They are owned by CBS Corp. No profit is being made with this story.
Edited by: dhamphir
A/N: This is a fix it fic in response to the final episode of CSI. I love the show and have shipped Catherine and Sara for years and felt insulted both intellectually and fan wise to her 'sailing off in the sunset' with Grissom at the end of the series finale. So I decided to end it my way. Made me feel better at least. I hope you at least are amused by it and thanks for reading it.
Third Time's the Charm
Chapter 10
Sitting in the back of the taxi heading toward the airport, Catherine stared out the window at the passing sights. Her mind was running at breakneck speed over all the things that had happened over the past few days and it was enough to make her dizzy. So many reasons to run back to L.A. and never look back, so many reasons to not get on that plane, and so many reasons to just slow down and think for a minute. "Do I even know what I want anymore?" she whispered to herself.
"You say sometin' lady?" the driver asked, looking up into the rear view mirror.
"No, sorry. Just thinking out loud."
"Happens all da time. More dan you would tink." He replied. "Ya lose a lot back der? Dat has a tendency ta make it happen." He laughed then coughed a smoker's hack.
"No, no. Just thinkin—" Catherine suddenly sat up straight and leaned toward the divider. "Wait. I need to make another stop before the airport."
He looked back at her and shrugged, "Whatevah you want, lady."
Catherine knocked on D.B. Russell's door. "Heading out?"
"Yeah. Not one for big good-byes. Cakes, candles, and hullaballoo." He said as he packed his personal belongings into a file box.
Catherine smiled and nodded, "Well, I'm not one for good-byes either. Which is why I'd like to put my hat in the ring for that Director's position. I mean if Sara doesn't take it."
D.B. gave her a look of shock. "Really?"
"Yeah. I'm coming back home," Catherine explained. "Vegas is in my blood. I have my daughter, Lindsey, and…just so much of what my father left behind is here." Catherine paused for a moment. "Not to mention those two little girls who don't have anyone. All the reasons to come back where I belong; home."
D.B. nodded and smiled, and Catherine took a deep breath and changed the subject before she blurted out her real reason for deciding it was time to come home: Sara. Her heart was in Vegas, and if Sara would, could, try again, Catherine was more than willing.
Catherine went looking for Sara, but she wasn't anywhere in the CSI building. With a smile she sent her a text, "Hey, beautiful; meet me at the Eclipse when you get off of work. Come directly up to Suite 2212. Bring just that beautiful smile." She hit send and wanted to kiss the screen like a giggling teen. "Stop being silly, Willows," she admonished herself. "And get moving! I have tons to do!"
Sara pulled out her phone and her eyes got wide as she read the text from Catherine. Grissom began to bend slightly to read over her shoulder but Sara suddenly shoved the phone back in her pocket. When she looked back up at him, her face was reddening.
"Everything all right, Sara?"
"Yes!" Sara barked then cleared her throat. "Yes, yes. Everything's fine…fine."
"Are you sure? You're hands are shaking. Did you receive some bad news?
"No, surprising news, but not bad." Sara shook her head in wonder and began to smile.
Sara stood outside Suite 2212 and ran her hands through her hair and puffed out a nervous breath. She laughed when she saw her hands were trembling, "Jesus, Sidle, it's just Cat. Get a hold of yourself." She reached out and knocked solidly on the door and then shoved her hands in her back pockets. When the door opened, she looked into the darkened room and frowned. "Cat?"
"Come in, Sara," came the smoky reply.
"I'm surprised you're back so soon, Cat," Sara said as she walked into the suite. "Did everything go okay in L.A.? Did you change your mind about staying a few days?"
Catherine stepped out of the shadows wearing a skimpy negligee and a sexy smile. "Anyone ever tell you that you talk too much, Sidle?"
Sara just went slack jawed and stared at Catherine. "Good Lord…"
"I have been thinking about you ALL day, and all of the things you did to me last night."
"You have?"
"Mm Hmm." Catherine moved smoothly forward and took hold of the edge of Sara's jacket and began to walk backwards. "And just how much I really, really want you to do each…and every…one of those things to me again…and again…and again."
"God…" Sara breathed as she helplessly followed Catherine into the suite's master bedroom.
Three hours later Sara lay flat on her back breathing heavily and grinning widely. She raised her head and looked at Catherine, rolled her eyes, and let her head drop to the mattress. "God…" she said for the dozen time that night.
Catherine just laughed lightly then sighed. "My thoughts exactly." She gave a long sigh again then giggled, causing Sara to lift her head to look at her and burst into laughter.
"Nothing like excellent loving to make you giddy," Catherine said bending up and curling her body so her upper torso was now at the bottom of the bed with Sara's. "Plan to stay down here, beautiful?"
"I might," Sara said with a grin and a quick kiss. "Seems to have worked well for me so far."
"No complaints from me."
Sara laughed and rolled onto Catherine, kissing her wildly until they both laughed themselves breathless. "I have to say, Cat, you sure did surprise me today. I really hadn't expected to even hear from you until later tonight, and not see you until sometime tomorrow or the next day." Sara kissed her again. "How did you manage to get everything done so quickly?"
"I had an epiphany on the way to the airport, I guess you could say." She sat up and ran her hands through her long hair, which just fell back across her face, making Sara smile.
"So gorgeous…"
Catherine blushed happily and winked at her lover. "Glad you think so, baby. All that matters to me." They stared at each other for a moment then Catherine laughed, "Oh, you are distracting, Sidle! As I was saying…epiphany."
"Yes, epiphany." Sara leaned forward and began to kiss Catherine's upper thigh and down to her calf. "Such long, lean legs…so yummy…"
Catherine closed her eyes for a moment then reached and pulled Sara up by her ears, "Focus, Sidle."
"I was focused. On you." Sara tried to pull away and return to her exploration, but Catherine put her hands on either side of her head and made Sara look at her. "Sara. Baby. Time to listen…play later."
"Promise?" Sara pouted her lips and it was such a rare sight that Catherine almost said "Fuck it!" and jumped her but instead nodded.
"Promise." Catherine kissed her on the tip of the nose. "Anyway; I was thinking how much I hated the idea of flying back to L.A. to ask for time off, then just how much I hated the idea of returning to L.A. at all. Vegas is home to me, it always has been. Everything I hold the most dear, is here. I grew up here, in more ways than one. I fell in love, more than once, here. I had my daughter here and she has chosen to live her life and have her career here. Everything I love is right here." Catherine took Sara's hand and kissed it, "Everyone I love, is right here, Sara. How can I be anywhere else?"
Sara frowned, "But your job isn't here, it's in L.A. I thought you loved working with the F.B.I.?"
"I do…I did." Catherine shrugged. "If I was honest with myself I'd admit I took the job to run away. I convinced myself that I was taken for granted here in Vegas. That CSI didn't use me to my full abilities…that I would be better off. In a way I was; the job is exciting, the money is good, but it's not enough. I thought it was until I came back. Even if you and I hadn't found…this, whatever this is we have right now, I still would be thinking seriously of coming home."
Sara sat up and looked deep into Catherine's eyes. "And work? What will you do? I mean I know your father left you well off, but I also know you're not the type to just stop working."
Catherine smiled, "I already spoke to D.B. this afternoon about that very subject."
"D.B.? But he's gone, well as of today he's gone. Wait…what did you talk to him about?"
"I told him I wanted to throw my hat into the ring for Lab Supervisor. You should have seen his fa—"
"You told him WHAT?" Sara sat straight up and gawked at Catherine. "How could you? You know…I told you that Conrad said…" Sara jumped out of the bed and began to grab her clothing from around the room. "SHIT! How could you do this to me Catherine?"
"Sara, what in the world are you doing? What's wrong?"
"What's wrong? Seriously?" Sara stood there naked, her clothing forgotten in her hands. "You waltz in here, make me think you've changed, think you actually cared for me! God, I'm such a fucking idiot! And all you really wanted was to sweep in and take my damn JOB!"
"What? No, that's not what I'm doing!"
"No? You knew I wanted that position. I told you Conrad said I was almost guaranteed to get it and that it was a matter of formality at this point. So why would you mess up the works by putting your name in contention if not to steal it from me?" Sara took a deep breath, apparently ready to scream, cry, and lash out at the woman in front of her. "Who do you think they would rather have? Me or the F.B.I. agent? Think of the PR! FUCK!"
Catherine leapt out of the bed and grabbed Sara. "Sara, honey. I have no intention of taking that job!" She practically had to shake Sara to make her stop fighting and listen to her,. "I had to tell D.B. why I wanted to come back to Vegas. I want my old job back at CSI, the job you have now, not D.B.'s job. If I had said that, he would have suggested the Director position. I told him I was interested only, ONLY, if you turned it down, which I knew you wouldn't."
"Why? I don't understand."
"Baby, I want to be with you. I am hoping against everything that you will want to be with me. I know it's sudden and I intend to give you as much time as you need to think about it but I know what I want. What I always wanted and never stopped wanting." She saw the confusion and fear in Sara's eyes and just smiled.
"I didn't want to let on too much about why I was coming back, for a variety of reasons. But I did want to let him know I was interested in working for the department again. I know they will offer you the Lab Director's job and you will take it. That will leave team leader open and I will apply for that. Being in the field is what I love anyway." Catherine pulled Sara into her arms, taking the clothing from her hands and tossing them onto the nearby chair. "Hurting you is not part of my plan baby. I never want you to think I would purposely hurt you."
"I'm sorry. I over-reacted. It's just…"
"What you've come to expect." Catherine closed her eyes and hugged her tighter. "And for that I will forever be sorry. But in case I wasn't clear, and I never want you to have to wonder or guess, Sara, I love you."
Sara looked up, shock plain to see on her face, "You do?"
"Oh, yes, I do. I love you, Sara Sidle. I never stopped." Catherine kissed her long and passionately then placed one finger over her lips, "Don't say it back. Not yet, not until you are absolutely sure you not only want to say it, but mean it. Just know either way, I love you. Nothing changes that, Sara."