Catherine and Sara lay quietly, happily embracing one another on the sofa, glad they had started to put the last few days behind them.

'Cat?'

'Yeah baby?' Catherine whispered, twisting in Sara's arms a little

'My bladder is going to be the death of me….'

Giggling, Catherine moved so Sara could get up 'You haven't had the worst of it yet'

'I know…I'll be right back…' Sara placed a kiss on Catherine's head as she went.

Just as Sara was about to step back out of the bathroom, she heard voices coming from the living room, pausing, she tried to make out who it was. If it was Nancy she would have stayed hidden for a lot longer, but she soon heard a light and welcome laughter, and realised it was Lindsey. A smile breaking over her face, she snuck quietly out of the room, hoping to surprise the little girl. She could hear that Lindsey was talking about how a boy named Jimmy in her year had been laughed at because he got an answer wrong in one of the classes, and how she didn't find it funny at all, how afterward she'd shared her cake with him, to cheer him up.

'You've got a kind soul Lindsey' Sara said, stepping around so Lindsey could see her.

'SARA!' Lindsey shrieked, running up to her and throwing her arms around Sara's waist 'I've missed you!'

'I missed you too Lindzz' Sara said, eagerly returning the embrace

'I never gave you your gift…' Lindsey said, tugging on Sara's hand

'What gift?'

'From the Zoo… you fall asleep, and then Aunt Nancy was here, and then you were gone…' Lindsey frowned, not understanding why

'I know… I'm sorry…'

'Where were you?' Lindsey questioned, not noticing the look between Catherine and Sara

'I caught a cold… I didn't want to give it to you or your mummy… I'm sorry I didn't call….'

Lindsey thought about this for a minute, looking between the two of them 'Is that the grown up way to say you two had a fight? I'm not a little girl… I heard Aunt Nancy shouting, but I don't know what she said…'

'Lindzz…' Catherine cut in; pulling her not so little girl into a hug, and lifting her up 'Remember what I told you, about Sara being sad?'

Lindsey nodded 'Well, baby, she was really really tired after our adventure at the Zoo, and it made her feel a little bit funny…'

Sara wrapped her arm around Lindsey, who was still in Catherine's arms 'I'm sorry Lindsey; I was more poorly than I thought… I needed a few days to feel better, and I didn't know how to tell your mum…'

Lindsey shifted a little bit, it was rare that she let herself be held like this, but right now, all 3 of them needed it

'I think I understand… sometimes I need a break from Jeremy and Aunt Nancy… I have a bed there, and I have a bed here…I can't sleep in the same bed every night…'

'Yeah… something like that…' Catherine and Sara grinned at each other, leaning around they shared a quick kiss 'Ewwww! Lindsey exclaimed 'I don't wanna be picked up if you two are gonna be icky like that!' Lindsey tried to wriggle out of Catherine's arms, but neither woman would let her

'Why not? Nothing wrong with it!' Catherine said, before peppering Lindsey's head with kisses, and Sara started to tickle the little blonde woman.

'Mum!' Lindsey squealed

'Ok ok….' Catherine relented, in part because Lindsey's movements were making her arms tired, she placed her back down. Lindsey quickly jumped out of the way, so they couldn't attack her again

'I'm glad you're here Sara'

'Me too'

Lindsey ran off into her bedroom, leaving Catherine and Sara cuddling one another

'I spoke to Ecklie… he's letting me come back to work this evening…' Sara began, a little unsure of how Catherine would take the news

'That's great sweetie… Hasn't been the same without you'

Sara smiled shyly 'Thanks… I'm gonna be stuck in the lab though, no field work, no gun…not for a while…'

'That's ok… Just as long as you're happy, and feel ready?' Catherine asked, placing a soft kiss on Sara's forehead.

'Yeah…I need to do this, otherwise I never will, and it will be too late…' admitted Sara

'Just don't do too much too soon…'

'I won't, promise… what time is it?'

'Nearly 4…'

'Ok… I need to go in for 9, sort out the paperwork and all that…' Sara pulled away

'I can take you if you like?' Catherine offered

'No, it's ok… I want to get a bit more sleep, shower and stuff…I'm going to call Jim…'

'You can sleep here, if you like?' Catherine whispered, holding her hand on to Sara

'What about Lindsey?'

'She's here until 8.40, she has homework, dinner, a bath… then she'll settle in front of the T.V…'

Lindsey chose that moment to walk back into the room, a piece of paper in her hands

'I want to watch a movie with Sara… please….'

'Lindsey, Sara needs to sleep; she still gets tired easily…'

'So we can watch a movie in bed, and then if Sara falls asleep she'll be comfy… please mum? Please Sara?' Lindsey almost begged

Catherine looked at Sara, trying to gage how she felt about the idea, she saw Sara nod ever so slightly

'Fine, but homework first Lindsey, and then you best have a shower… I'm going to run Sara a bath, ok?'

'Ok… Thanks mum, thanks Sara…' Lindsey turned to get her school bag, and then turned back again

'Oh… this is for you Sara…' Lindsey handed her the photos from the booth that they'd taken on Sunday, and the postcard she had picked out 'Read it' she asked, flipping it over, Sara saw in large, slightly uneven cursive, the words

'Don't be sad Sara, think of funny things like Porcupines, and the people who love you like me and mummy, thanks for coming to the zoo, xx'

Sara wiped a tear from her eyes 'Thank you…' she smiled, her heart racing a little at Lindsey's kind words and wisdom.

'Can we watch Thumbelina, please?'

'Again?' Catherine asked, fed up with the movie

'Yeah… It's not too scary, except for that one bit…and it won't matter if Sara falls asleep…'

'Ok… but this is the last time Lindsey, and then you have to find something else to watch, ok?'

'ok' the little girl agreed

'Good, now, homework and shower…'

Instead of getting an answer, they just saw Lindsey run off

'Come on…' Catherine led Sara upstairs

'I haven't got any clothes…'

'Don't worry about it, I'll find you something….' Walking into the bathroom, Catherine began drawing a bath, filling it up with oils and a few bubbles, testing the heat, she smiled 'Get in….'

'Cat…' Sara tried to protest

'Come on, I've seen you naked before Sara, it will do you good…'

Wordlessly, Sara began stripping her clothes off, feeling a little self-conscious as she took her trousers off, knowing the gauze covering her leg would have to come off, if Catherine noticed it, she didn't say anything, and soon Sara slipped into the warm and welcoming water.

Xxx

'Thanks Cat…' Sara said, looking up at the building before her, she was anxious to be back, and with a few more steps she would be there

'That's ok…I've got my own paperwork to see too and some reports to chase up on from last shift… poor Bobby had about 30 different shell casings to go through from 6 different cases… and Mandy about 70 or so fingerprints… I'm going to see how they got on with them before I see if any new cases have come in… are you going to be ok?'

'Yeah… Thanks… maybe it's the lack of booze talking, but Ecklie is being surprisingly nice about all of this… but I best not keep him waiting…'

'Ok…' Catherine gave Sara a quick kiss, before they headed their separate ways, Catherine too the locker room, and Sara to Ecklie's office.

Knocking on the door, Sara waited for Ecklie to call her into the room

'Hey Conrad…'

'Sara…' Ecklie gestured for her to have a seat

'I've drawn up your paperwork, your new hours… I've had to do a little reshuffling, I've bought Frank over from dayshift, he'll be working nightshift permanently, he's a CSI2, but this isn't to replace you, just to help relieve the pressure, and deal with fieldwork… I'm hiring two new dayshift people, I'm interviewing this week, so there might be a couple of weeks of crossover and doubles for people… the lab keeps getting busier and busier, and I should have admitted to needing to make new hires a while ago, not waiting for something to happen… that being said Sara, I want you to be the number one position heading up work in the lab… things haven't always run as smoothly as they could have, and I want you to make the most of your talents… you have a great eye for detail, and I feel it's time to make a few changes around here…' Ecklie shifted a few pieces of paper on his desk

'Thank you, Conrad… but, why are you being so nice too me? I… I really screwed up, but here you're praising me…'

Ecklie twisted his lips into a smile, pinching the bridge of his nose 'Sometimes, Sara, it takes something extreme to make people re-evaluate the way they have been doing things, like I've said, you're a great criminalist, you just hit a very rough spot…we should have done more for you a year ago, more for everyone… we didn't. Now we, the lab, want to make amends…'

'You mean you're scared I might sue you?' Sara asked, although she was smiling a little'

Ecklie sighed, admitting defeat 'That's what the board think, yes… that's not what I think… I know I'm not the most liked person around here, but I do recognise talent Sara, and you have it… you're a valuable asset, and we don't want to lose you… your new contract reflects this, a new position has been made for you… look… let me show you…' Ecklie twisted the contract around so Sara could see it, in bold lettering near the top it read

'Contract of Employment for the Position of CSI 3, cases and procedural reviewer, evidence analyst and key cold case investigator, for Sara Sidle'

Sara blinked a few times 'You… you created a new role, for me?'

'Yes… it comes with a few perks too… you only need to work a minimum of 27 hours a week, not the 40, and you'll also get paid an extra $250 a month compared to your old job, plus overtime, and possibly bonuses… '

'Why?' Sara questioned, thinking this was too much of a good thing to be true

'Because Sara, despite any past issues we may have personally had, and despite your recent set back, you realise you are one of the reasons we are the number 2 lab in the country? Someone once said, the lab isn't a lab without it's people… back then I was too pig-headed to listen…'

'Grissom…' Sara smiled

'Yeah, Grissom… he couldn't help but smirk when I showed him this…' he gestured to the contract that lay on the table between them 'He approves of all of it, he doesn't want to lose you either…'

'Thank you, Conrad… really…'

Ecklie just smiled 'Will you sign the contract?'

'I… I have a few questions…'

'Ok…' Ecklie sat back in his chair a little

'You're aware Catherine Willows and myself are in a romantic relationship?'

'Yes… I'm aware; Catherine will be granted some leave when the baby arrives… how much is yet to be determined though…'

'Thank you… and the lab are willing to let me work less hours, for more money, as well as pay part of my hospital and therapy bills… on top of the compensation? The lab can afford this… afford such expenses…'

'Yes, your compensation is coming from a separate source, as is the money for the bills, we have various insurance policies in place, as for your wage, we, the directors, board, Grissom and myself, think your new wage better reflects the work you shall be doing, and over the next few months we will actually be looking at the wages that all of our employees receive… from the highest CSI and lab tech, to the cleaners and receptionists… like Grissom so rightly pointed out, we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the people… tech companies and investors are always looking to give us funding, or new equipment to test and use, and the Nevada government are setting aside more money to tackle crimes… so yes Sara, all of the finances have been agreed upon… I'm just sorry it took something like this…' he smiled weakly, gesturing to Sara 'for us to realise we had to do better…'

Sara smiled gratefully 'Thank you… ' she reached for a pen, and signed the various bits of paperwork, pausing briefly to take her prescriptions, and then writing down what doses she needed to take, and when, so Ecklie would have a permanent record of it

'I believe Grissom is waiting for you in the break room… shift starts in five minutes… good luck, and welcome back' he stretched his hand out, and Sara shook it, a genuine smile on her face, as she walked out of the room, feeling a little lighter than she had an hour ago.

Xxx

a/n Thanks for the review mstonks and Elliot ashes, they always brighten my day. Once again, time for sleep… more soon. Thanks for reading, Emz.