A New Beginning

A/N: I'm so sorry it took me so long to post this. I didn't think anyone would like it so I didn't plot beyond the first chapter. That and the fact that my muse got made at someone and ran away for at least two weeks. She can be very sensitive at times. Thanks for the great reviews and please stay patient I will update again eventually.

Enjoy!

Chapter Two

Catherine knocked on Sara's door. Brass had called her and asked her to check up on Sara before shift started. He didn't give a reason why, he just asked her to do it.

She was about to leave when she heard footsteps inside. Sara opened the door looking like she had just rolled out of bed. Catherine had to bite her tongue, she had an almost uncontrollable urge to tell Sara that she looked like shit.

"Catherine," Sara exclaimed, "what are you doing here?"

She had to smile slightly at Sara's question because she really didn't know why she was there. She knew the last thing Sara wanted was to be checked on, but that was exactly what she was doing.

"Just though I would come by and see how you were doing after this morning."

Sara snorted slightly, -Well since Catherine knows, then I bet the entire lab knows- She thought.

Catherine attempted again, "Do you want to go get some dinner or something before shift?"

"Catherine look, I don't want to talk about it okay." Sara said.

"Then we won't talk about it. Let's just go get some food then get to work and put this behind us."

Sara raised her brow, "Promise?"

Catherine smiled again, bigger this time. "Promise, now go get ready and I'll meet you by the car." Sara shut the door and went inside to get ready.

When Sara came out five minutes later, Catherine noticed that she no longer looked like death and that she was almost smiling.

"Where do you want to go?" Catherine asked.

"Why don't we go to that little diner a few blocks from the lab." Sara replied.

"Sounds good to me. I'll follow you."

Inside the diner the two girls enjoyed themselves. They had never really been friends but the steady stream of girl-talk allowed them to move in that direction.

Sara was beginning to relax when she saw a couple take a table across the room from them. The woman was laughing softly at something her partner had whispered in her ear. Sara could help but notice the difference in their ages; he had to be at least ten year the woman's senior.

She watched as they held hands across the table, smiling continually at each other. -That should be us. Why wont Grissom let it happen?- Sara wondered. She felt her cheeks turn red as her temper rose.

Catherine caught the change in Sara and followed her gaze across the restaurant. Spotting the couple she bit her lip, -This can't be a good thing. She's going to think of Gris now.- Looking back at Sara she saw that she was right. She let out a small sigh, "Uh-oh." she mumbled under her breath.

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Grissom felt his head pound in time with the banging on his door. Whoever was on the other side he wished would disappear. Opening it he came face to face with Nick Stokes and Warrick Brown.

"Hey Gris." Nick said cheerily.

"What are you two doing here?" Grissom grunted.

"We just thought we would stop by." Warrick answered, "So how you doing?"

"For being a poker player you sure can't lie." Grissom said, "Brass called you earlier didn't he?"

"Yes." The boys chorused.

"Well for your information I don't need to be baby-sat, I'm fine." said Grissom.

"Are you sure about that? No offense but you look like hell. How much did you drink anyway?" Warrick queried.

Grissom leaned against the door rubbing his forehead, "Enough to give me a monster of a hangover."

They pushed their way in to the townhouse and into the living room. Grissom followed them. "Come on guys I didn't invite you in and I would appreciate t if you would leave."

"Nick shook his head, "We're not leaving until you tell us what's going on with you and Sara."

Grissom sunk down into a chair, "There is nothing going on between us."

"Griss, have you ever thought that maybe that was the problem?" Warrick conjured.

"What!" came Grissom's response.

Nick sat foreword on his seat, "Listen, maybe if there was something going on between you it would make life easier. I mean you do like her don't you?"

"Of course I like her. She's a good person, a good CSI."

Nick groaned, "Would you stop being a supervisor for a second and be a single guy for a change? Everybody at the lab knows about you two and to tell you the truth it's starting to get a little annoying. Why don't you just Do what you've been wanting to do for a long time and ask her out already?"

"Nicky could we not do this I have a headache."

Nick smiled at his supervisor, "Well boss we have just the cure for you. Go get your stuff and one of us will drive your car."

Grissom, who didn't feel like arguing, went inside and grabbed his coat; his kit was in the Yukon still.

-The whole lab knows. That's a little unnerving.- He thought walking out to the car.

I few minutes later they pulled into a small diner.

"Why are we here?" Grissom asked.

"Because this place serves the blackest coffee on this side of town." Warrick answered.

The two boys pushed Grissom through the front doors without noticing Catherine's suv in the packing lot. They took a bar seat at the counter and waited for a waitress to come take their orders.

Nick turned to Grissom to bring up their earlier conversation. Before he could though They heard a familiar voice coming from a booth somewhere on the diner. They had gotten there just in time to hear Sara's reaction to seeing lover's hiding in a corner booth.

"What an asshole!" They heard Sara say. She was trying to keep her voice down but wasn't succeeding. "Who does Grissom think he is anyway? He comes sweeping in like he's prince charming here to save the day. But does he even realize that he's the reason I pick up the bottles. That I drink so that I don't have to think about being alone. So I can forget all the pain he's caused me."

Catherine just sat listening to Sara's outburst, she didn't know how deeply Sara was hurt and now that it was all coming out she was afraid to try and stop it. She looked past Sara towards the front of the diner and spotted the boys just sitting there staring. Grissom had his back to her back to them but she could tell from his posture that he was hearing every word that was being said.

Catherine raised her hand slightly to try and stop Sara. "Um, Sara, you might want to uh,"

Sara continued with her ranting, "He calls me out here four years ago, spends the first year and a half that I'm here flirting his little heart out and then drops me as soon as I make a move."

Catherine tried again, "I really think you should um, turn around."

Once again she went unheard, "I mean the nerve, 'I don't know what to do about this.' That man must have balls of jelly if he can't even figure out what to do about being asked out."

Catherine rested her head in her hands not know if she should laugh or cry at the situation unfolding before her.

Sara finally looked at Catherine, "Cath, are you even listening to me?"

She shook her head at the younger woman, "Yes I am. And so is Nick and Warrick," She said pointing in the boys direction. She took a deep breath before finishing her sentence, "and Grissom."

Sara had at first whipped around to see Nick and Warrick's astonished faces but when she heard the last part stared horror struck at Catherine.

Catherine felt really sorry for Sara at that moment. "I tried to tell you." was all she could say.

Sara began a frantic scan of the diner looking for Grissom. She spotted his retreating as it headed into the men's bathroom. She got a quick glance of his face as he turned to make sure the door shut behind him.

Sara had never felt like she wanted to die as much as she did right then.

TBC