For those curious about Lindsey, I promise I haven't forgotten about her but she won't appear in this story. She does get a mention in a couple of chapters though

This chapter is a little shorter than some of them, but I hope you enjoy anyway :)

x x x x

"I can't believe she's coming back, after all that talk about needing a change when she left." Nick stated, shaking his head in loss.

"Well, I suppose it is still a change." Greg pointed out, stirring his coffee lazily and dragging the foam-covered stirrer across his tongue. "I mean, she'll be doing something different. She'll just be doing it in Vegas."

"What exactly is the job?" Finn enquired, leaning against the counter. She had heard a lot of talk about it, but nobody had mentioned the official job title as of yet.

"It's a Forensic Science Commission: they'll make decisions on national forensic science matters that will affect every lab in the country." Morgan explained. "It will involve some travelling, especially to DC, but the Sheriff's arranged it so that most of the time she'll be based in Vegas."

"That's convenient," Finn smirked, locking eyes with the younger blonde. "She'll be closer to Sara."

"Well, yeah." Nick frowned, missing her point completely. "I think that was the idea. Although I don't get why, we're perfectly capable of taking care of her."

"Are we?" Greg countered, cocking an eyebrow. "We did nearly lose her once."

"Guys, I wouldn't take offence." Finn chuckled softly. "I don't think Catherine changing jobs has anything to do with what happened, although I do suspect that Sara is her only reason for staying."

"Come on." Nick scoffed exasperatedly, finally cottoning onto her meaning. "You guys aren't still on that are you?"

"On what?" Greg asked curiously, catching the amused look passing between the women.

Nick rolled his eyes, gesturing between them with a dismissive wave.

"Oh, they think that Catherine has a thing for Sara."

"Seriously?" A giddy smirk crossed Greg's face. "Cite your source?"

"Are you kidding?" Morgan laughed, her long blonde hair spilling over her shoulders as she threw her head back in delight. "Catherine has been all over Sara since the day she got here. She actually moved herself into Sara's house. I mean, how much more proof do you need?"

X x x

Catherine shuffled into the living room in her slippers, attempting to drag a brush through her tangled hair. Sara was curled up on the couch, already in her pyjamas, with a mug of something hot and sweet clasped between her hands.

"Hey you." Cath smiled, trailing a hand across her shoulder as she swept around the couch and dropped down beside her.

"How is she?" Sara asked, stifling a sleepy yawn.

"Fine." She exhaled, tossing her hairbrush onto the coffee table and shaking her golden tresses out. "Which was about as much as I got before she disappeared. Apparently, she has a party to attend to. To be honest, it sounded like it was already going on outside her door."

"Ah." Sara smiled knowingly, four years of dorm parties flooding back to her in a rush of hazy memories. "Enjoying university then?"

"As far as I can tell."Cath chuckled. "She assures me that she does have time to do her work as well, although I'm not convinced."

"I'm sure she's doing great." Sara promised, folding her legs beneath herself and sliding down into the corner of the couch.

Catherine hummed in agreement, taking a minute to note Sara's appearance.

"You're sleepy." She smiled sweetly at last.

"Hmm." Sara nodded weakly, letting her head fall back into the cushions.

"Why don't you go to bed?"

"No, I'm okay." She murmured, her eyes drifting closed of their own accord.

Cath smiled, patting her knee gently as she made herself comfortable opposite her friend.

It was still hesitant, but the relationship she had with Sara felt easy and natural. It felt like they had been doing this for years.

She knew there was still a long way to go, but she could certainly get used to this.

X x x

"I don't think there'll be too much of a clash." Mandy frowned. "I mean, Catherine's going to be working away from the lab, right? And her job will be on a much larger scale. The Sheriff and Ecklie only focus on this lab."

"Yeah, but still she's going to be aware that every decision she makes will influence this lab." Henry pointed out, slamming his locker shut and leaning against it with his arms crossed.

"She's the forensic expert; she's not making the final call." The brunette rolled her eyes. "She's just there to clarify issues on lab policy and forensic techniques. If anything, having her on board will probably benefit the lab even more."

"Yeah, we might get first dibs on new equipment." Archie grinned from his position between them on the bench.

"You know what I don't get?" Hodges asked, lazily doodling an image on the inside of his locker door with his fingertip. "Why did we know before Sara did?"

"You know how word gets around." Mandy shrugged. "It was probably halfway around the lab before Cath even left the building." She paused, cocking her head to the side. "Still, they are living together at the moment. You'd think Catherine would have mentioned it to her first."

"Exactly." He spun around to face them. "But it was quite clear that she didn't have a clue what I was talking about."

Henry cast a glance nervous glance into the deserted hallway before leaning conspiratorially closer to them all.

"Well, Finn has a theory about them…"

X x x

"Julie Finlay," Cath stated, idly shedding clothes as she wander around the bedroom.

"What about her?" Sara pressed, already curled beneath the blanket with her back to the strawberry-blonde and her eyes closed.

"You and her seem to get on alright?"

"Yeah. Finn's great to work with."

"I meant outside of work." Cath pursed her lips, perching on the edge of the bed as she shuffled out of her jeans and into a pair of shorts. "You and her are pretty close, right?"

"I guess." Sara frowned. "What's your point?"

Cath leant back against Sara's coiled form, resting her hands on the mattress, and exhaled thoughtfully.

"I don't know. There's just something about her that I'm not sure I trust. You want to be careful."

Sara twisted, cracking an eye open and shooting her companion a cheeky smile.

"That 'something' wouldn't happen to be jealously would it, Miss Willows?" Sara asked with a touch of amusement.

Catherine narrowed her eyes, swatting her lightly on the hip.

Electing not to answer at first, she moved back to her own side of the bed and threw the covers back. No doubt, she understood where Sara was coming from; but she was not about to confess to being that kind of woman.

"All I'm saying is stay on your guard." She offered at last. "You've been hurt enough recently."

"Finn wouldn't hurt me." Sara yawned, snuggling back under the blankets.

Realising that trying to hold such a conversation when the girl was already half under the Sandman's spell was fruitless, Cath clicked off the light and slipped beneath the sheets herself.

Beside her, Sara shuffled and wriggled until she was comfortable. Eventually, they found themselves in their usual position with Sara on her side and Catherine facing her back, one arm slung across her stomach. By the time they woke up, she would have nestled closer and have Sara wrapped in a protective cocoon.

They remained chaste. Sex had been discussed, briefly, but it was something they both agreed they didn't need right now. Sara less so, although Catherine did not admit that out loud. Aside from anything, Sara was still … delicate, for want of a better description. The last thing Catherine wanted to do was set back her physiotherapy just so she could indulge in her lustful urges.

Besides, they had their whole lives to explore each other on a physical level. Right now, they were content with getting to grips with the emotional side of their relationship.