Running Away

(AN: This chapter was the most difficult to write so far, and I never would have been able to get it done without help from Mingsmommy and Smacky30. They are both amazing, and their help and suggestions made this chapter so much more than it was. Thank you both so much! Disclaimer: I don't own CSI)

Chapter 25

The aroma of frying bacon wafted throughout the small restaurant, permeating the air with an unmistakably tempting scent. Now the smell was a little appealing to Sara despite her vegetarian stance, but a month ago it would have sent her running for the nearest restroom. She closed the menu, took a sip of the decaf coffee the waitress delivered only a minute before, and looked up in time to see Catherine open the door, the sun brightly shining behind her caused Sara to squint until the door closed.

"Hey, you order yet?" Catherine asked as she took the bench seat across from Sara.

"Nope," Sara shook her head as she handed Catherine the menu.

Catherine took only a brief minute to make her decision, and when she closed the menu the waitress appeared, "What can I get you ladies?"

"Cheese and mushroom omelet and an orange juice," Sara ordered first.

The waitress turned her attention to blond across the table, "And you?"

"Coffee," Catherine practically pleaded, "And the Denver omelet." She smiled as she handed the menu to the waitress.

"Alright, they'll be up shortly." She slid her pen behind her ear and dropped a couple silverware bundles before leaving the two women in silence.

Their first few attempts at small talk included menu options, the pros and cons of decaf coffee, and the weather. After the waitress brought Catherine a cup of very caffeinated coffee and she had expressed her gratitude to the server's retreating back, they knew it was now time to get to the more important topics.

"So," Catherine began hesitantly, "Congratulations on the baby, by the way. Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?"

"Thanks," Sara gave a slightly nervous half smile as she began to unravel the bundle of silverware before her, "And no we're not going to find out."

"Really?" The blonde's eyebrows rose. "You're not even a little curious?"

Laughing just a little, the younger woman shrugged. "More than a little but I like the idea of a not knowing until it's born."

"That's sweet." There was no sarcasm in Catherine's voice; she'd promised Gil she would try and she was a woman of her word. "Does Alex know yet?"

"Well, we've told him, but I'm not completely sure how much he really understands." She absently stirred the decaf in front of her. "I don't think it becomes real for kids until there is some sort of visual proof."

"Yeah," the older woman nodded in agreement, smoothing her napkin into her lap, "At that age seeing is believing."

Both women were really making an effort, but it was still an uncomfortable conversation. Sara was the first to break.

Taking a deep breath, she began, "Look Catherine, I know we're here because of Gil." She rested her hands, palm up on the table in an unconscious gesture of openness and vulnerability. "I know that it's important to him that we get along, but I don't know what it is you want from me? I mean I know we were never best friends before, but we were friendly."

"You're right we were," Catherine was prevented from going on by the arrival of the breakfast plates.

Once the food was delivered the waitress asked, "Anything else I can get you ladies?" as she popped her gum.

"No, thank you."

"No, thanks"

Smiling, the friendly woman moved on to wait on another table.

Sara turned back to her breakfast companion, "So, you were saying?"

Catherine hesitated very briefly before asking, "Can I be frank?"

"I've never known you to be anything but." Sara cocked her head slightly and smiled as she spoke.

The older woman quirked half a smile in response; then paused as if choosing her words with the utmost care. "Sara, when you left, I didn't know what exactly had happened between the two of you. I am not deaf, dumb, and blind. I had suspected something was going on, but it was your business and I thought the two of you would say something when you were ready. I was willing to be patient. That is until you left without warning. Gil returned from that seminar a different man." She shook her head slightly, "Threw himself further into work than I have ever seen him, and was short with everybody," she thought for a second as her eyes roamed the table as if she were looking for the right words to use. "After a while he started seeing Sofia, but he still didn't really…" She shook her head slightly, "Seem like himself. The old Gil was gone, and I missed my friend."

"Catherine," Sara tried to make her voice gentle, mother to mother, "I had to do what was best for my son and myself."

"Was it really best for Alex or was it just easier for you?" Catherine eyed the woman before her; she didn't want to hurt Sara, but Catherine needed to say it.

The words stung, mainly because if Sara was honest there was some truth to them. Her eyes fell as she reached for her orange juice and took a sip. After swallowing, she chanced eye contact with Catherine.

"Sara," Catherine sighed softly, fiddling with the edge of her napkin. "If I were being honest, I would say that Gil is happier now than I have seen him in years if not ever. He is not spending all hours at the lab, he's a proud father who's eager to share Alex's accomplishments, and I see his face light up when you enter a room." She chewed on her lip briefly, idly toying with her coffee spoon. "I am happy that that he has found this contentment in his life. I just don't want to see him this fulfilled in his personal life only to lose it because you've changed your mind again." She held up a hand to quell the other woman's attempt to interrupt. "You left last time; I was here to pick up the pieces, even though I didn't completely understand what pieces I was picking up."

"Thank you."

Catherine's confusion showed in her response, "For what?"

The brunette's gaze was soft and slightly misty. "For being there for him. You may not believe me but that was the second hardest thing I've ever done. I never wanted to hurt him, but I would be lying if I said I didn't know I had." She paused as she took another sip of her juice. "For what it's worth, I have no intention of leaving again. When I came back I knew it had to be for good. I couldn't do that to him or to Alex; I'm not a cruel person." She unconsciously touched her stomach. "Besides if I thought there was a chance I'd leave, I never would have agreed to have another baby with him."

"You mean this was planned?" The words were out before Catherine could stop them. Realizing how rude her question was, she said, "Sorry. That was…the wrong thing to say."

"Yes," Sara couldn't help but laugh at the faux pas. She gave the woman a nod before adding, "It was planned, and for what it's worth, Catherine, Gil asked me to marry him nearly a year ago, long before I got pregnant."

"Well, I guess that means congratulations are in order." After a pause she added, "Next time we do this over drinks."

Sara lifted her glass of orange juice in a toast, "Agreed."

The tone of the conversation relaxed enough so they could actually eat the rapidly cooling food before them.

"So," Catherine's voice had lost its tension as she spread jelly over her whole wheat toast, "How is the pregnancy going?"

Sara smiled bashfully, "Pretty well actually. I'm past the hump with the morning sickness, and I've hit the energy rush of the second trimester."

"Oh, I remember that. One day you feel like you've had five cups of coffee. Then boom the third trimester starts and just getting out of bed some days is too much." She sucked a bit of jelly off of her thumb. "Have you had an ultrasound yet?"

Sara reached into her purse, "Two days ago." She proudly handed the image across the table.

"Oh wow," Catherine's voice took on the wistfulness of a mother briefly living vicariously through a mother-to-be. She studied the picture as Sara watched.

Snorting, the expectant mother finally said, "You can look all you want, but the baby's turned the wrong way. The tech who performed the ultrasound said that even if we wanted her to she couldn't tell the gender."

"Well, that proves the kid is yours and Gil's." Catherine handed the image back to Sara.

"What do you mean?" Sara curiously asked as she carefully tucked the precious picture back into the side pocket of her purse.

"Only giving up the information it chooses," she smirked.

They finished their meals with more casual conversation, but before leaving Catherine asked the question she had debated in her head for the last half hour, "Sara, you said leaving was the second hardest thing you've ever done."

Sara nodded.

"What was the hardest?"

Sara looked Catherine in the eye and responded, "Coming back."

TBC...