Title: Drinking to forget her
Summary: What if Grissom had been preoccupied at the end of shift in 'Bloodlines? (F/F)
Spoiler: Set during blood lines with references to an earlier season 4 episode
Disclaimer: CSI is the respective property of CBS and Anthony E. Zuicker. None of the characters are mine, no matter how hard I wish.
Rating: PG-13
Note: This story contains Femslash. If you don't like it don't read it. I've given fair warning, so if you read it and suddenly realize that Catherine and Sara are acting unusual don't flame me. Constructive criticism is welcome.
Three days laterSara stood behind the pane of glass that separated her from the driver of the SUV that had run over Catherine. He was middle-aged with slightly greying hair and a business suit that should have made him look sharp and intimidating, but the anguish in his face made him look weak and vulnerable.
Grissom had brought in an outsider to handle the case, Sara had protested, but in the end gave in. She didn't want to mess up the case and any justice she could get for Catherine.
The temporary CSI on the case was from dayshift, Sara had seen him once or twice when she'd worked overtime, but he didn't know any of the night shift, he didn't love the woman who the man had slammed into, he hadn't seen her as she lay dying in an ambulance. Sara tried to concentrate on what the man was saying.
"I'd just gotten this big merger deal at work. It took months to get...so a few colleagues and me went for a drink. I was just gonna' have one, I thought I could handle it, but then I had a few shots and I got in my car to drive home...I remember hitting something, I just didn't remember it was a woman...I'm so sorry."
Sara snapped at his explanation and stormed into the room, grabbing him by the collar she shoved him against a wall. "You're sorry? You ran into her because you were too drunk to control your car! You slammed your SUV into her at forty miles an hour because you were celebrating your job! Why don't you say sorry to her daughter, the one who lost father a few months ago? Why don't you say sorry to me? I watched her in the ambulance as the monitor stopped and she said she loved me! Why don't you say sorry to everyone who knew her...?"
Warrick and the day shift CSI pulled her away from her and Sara broke down in tears as Warrick held her protectively in his arms and rocked her backwards and forwards to soothe her. Later that day Jeremy Clark, the SUV driver, was charged with death by dangerous driving and hit and run.
On a cold and wet Saturday morning in Bozeman Montana, Catherine's hometown, Sara Sidle and the rest of the night shift, as well as Greg stood by Catherine's grave and listened to the priest's sermon. Lindsay stood holding Sara's hand and tears lined the cheeks of both girls.
Once the sermon was said and all of Catherine's family had said goodbye, Catherine's sister took Lindsay with her, and the night shift, her second family, said their own goodbyes. Sara was the last as the cemetery emptied and she was left only with the cold rain and the memory of Catherine.
She'd already laid a red rose on the casket, but now, just like Catherine, it was buried six feet below ground. "Why did you have to leave Catherine? I loved you and you left me all alone." Her tears fell freely from her cheeks and mingled with the rainwater that beat down upon her. "You said there'd always be an us. How can there be if you aren't here? It took us so long to see the truth that it was too late...I'm scared Catherine, I don't think I can make it on my own." Sara looked down to the tombstone and a faint smile touched her lips as she read what it said.
'Catherine WillowsMarch 26, 1963-November 3rd 2003
Never doubt and never look back. That's how I live my life.'
When Sara arrived back in Las Vegas she went straight home and into her kitchen. Raiding the cupboard and refrigerator she gathered every bit of alcohol she could find and opened the first bottle that came to hand. 'She was having problems. We dealt with them, Gil.' She could hear Catherine's voice as if she were standing right behind her and sighed. She didn't know if she could deal with her life if Catherine wasn't in it. Raising the bottle she paused and then shook her head. She was doing what she needed to do.
The smooth, clear vodka ran freely from the bottle and splashed off the sink before disappearing forever. "Always." Sara mumbled before starting on the next bottle. She was forgetting drink, for her.
Fin
