Disclaimers: Not mine

Spoilers: Nope

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SACRIFICES

(Chapter 2 - A Bitter Sacrifice)

"Sara, why don't you say what's on your mind?"

Sara glanced at Catherine and chuckled, "How'd you know?"

"You mean besides the many looks you've been giving me since the beginning of shift?"

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize when you've done nothing wrong."

"Hey, you need to go home to Lindsey right away?"

"She's at summer camp."

"Since our case is done, you wanna get some breakfast?"

Even though she didn't want to talk to anyone about the situation just yet, Catherine knew sooner or later she would have to face the truth. She knew what Sara wanted to ask her and the sooner this was done with, the better. "So? What's on your mind?"

Sara put down her cup of coffee before asking cautiously, "I heard something about you at work."

"Rumour mill's churning hard these days, I see."

"Is it true? Are you really replacing Ecklie?"

No matter how prepared she was for the question, it still took much of Catherine's energy to get her answer out, "Yes I am."

"Does Grissom know?"

"He's already agreed to it."

Sara seemed taken aback by this, "What? He said yes to this?"

Catherine nodded, turning to look out the window of the diner, not wanting the other woman to see the hurt in her eyes, "Yes he did."

"I can't believe this! Why would he do that?" When Catherine didn't answer, she continued, "Catherine, did something happen..."

She turned to look at Sara, "Did we fight? No."

"Then wh..."

"If I knew, Sara, I would tell you."

"Did you talk to him?"

"Yes."

"This is ridiculous!"

Catherine found it amusing that the person she least expected to be disappointed about her departure to actually be more disappointed than the person she had expected the most from. She smiled, "It's alright, Sara. I've always wanted to be a supervisor anyway. Plus, I'm only going over to day shift. We'd still be working in the same lab."

"Yeah, but it's gonna be so different without you around."

"Grissom doesn't seem to think so."

"You can choose to stay."

"I know. But I won't."

"Don't make this into some bitter sacrifice, Catherine. Don't make your decision based on your anger." Sara said daringly.

Catherine gave her a look but then shook her head and sighed, opting to not protest, "If this is what Grissom wants, then it's what Grissom's gonna get."

"He's going to regret it."

"Then that'll be his problem. Bitter sacrifice or not, I'm done trying to figure him out. Maybe he was right. Maybe it is better this way."

*To be continued*