Chapter 4

Amendments

"When walking through the valley of shadows, remember, a shadow is cast by a light."

          -- unknown

Catherine and Nick were almost back at the lab when Catherine remembered her promise to Sara. She quickly dug into her pocket to find the slip of paper Sara had written her friend's number on, flipping open her cell at the same time. Ignoring Nick's puzzled look, Catherine dialed the number.

"Hello?"

"Hi, I would like to speak to Amanda Bell. Is she there please?"

"Speaking." Catherine took a deep breath.

"Catherine Willows, Las Vegas Crime Lab." Catherine heard a gasp.

"What's wrong? I…"

"Relax, Ms. Bell…"

"Amanda."

"Amanda. Sara Sidle asked me to call. She said you know her and might be able to help us out on one of our cases," Catherine supplied calmly.

"What's Sara gotten into now?" Amanda's tone was affectionate, like a sister. Catherine smiled.

"Sara will be fine, she just needs a friend who can be with her most of the time. She's been through quite a scare. She… collapsed on a scene the other day. Doctors found morphine in her system."

"Sara won't take pain killers."

"That's what she told me. Look, can you meet us at the hospital in say… thirty minutes?" Upon getting Amanda's affirmative, both women said goodbye and hung up.

"What was that about?" Nick asked, turning into the crime lab parking lot.

"Amanda Bell, friend of Sara's," Catherine replied, climbing out of the car.

"What's she got to do with any of this?"

"That's what I want to find out."

Catherine entered Sara's hospital room to find Sara and another dark-haired woman talking animatedly. Catherine smiled as Sara laughed. She cleared her throat.

"Catherine, this is Amanda. Amanda this is the woman you talked to on the phone, Catherine Willows." Catherine and Amanda shook hands with a smile.

"I'm guessing you feel much better?" The question was directed at Sara who grinned up at the blond. "I'll take that as a yes." Then she paused becoming sober again.

"Amanda, part of the reason I called to meet here was because I wanted to talk to you with Sara present. Did you know Jack Banning?" Amanda jumped at the name and Sara's eyes turned cold. Amanda glanced at Sara who nodded slightly.

"I've been best friends with Sara for years. I knew Jack through work, both chemists. I thought they'd be perfect together. Judging by your question, Sara already told you what he did to her. I told him off the day after she left, and moved here. He came by my house and asked about Sara…"

"He asked about me? What is his problem?" Catherine laid a hand on Sara's shoulder, silently telling the younger woman to keep quiet.

"I, of course, didn't tell him anything. He got mad at me, went to strike out at me. I closed the door. He's been harassing me for a while now, about Sara, about my other friends."

"Those other friends wouldn't by chance be Emily Turner or Ellen Bizet?" Amanda's head jerked up.

"What?"

"Em and Ellen are dead. Died of a morphine overdose," Sara said.

"We've got Jack Banning in custody for the murders," Catherine added.

"On what?" Amanda inquired.

"Many containers of painkillers and a pile of darts in the corner of the basement. We're hoping he can tell us something of his accomplice," Catherine provided. Amanda began pacing.

"They were… really good friends of ours through school. We lost touch with each other for a while. I met up with them again a couple of months ago, right when Jack started harassing me about Sara again." Catherine nodded and turned to Sara.

"When do you get out?"

"Tonight, I hear. Why?"

"You owe the others an explanation."

Sara and Amanda entered the break room that night, Catherine guessed for Sara's emotional support.

"Sara! Thank goodness you're okay!" Nick said, grasping her in a tight hug. Catherine looked to Grissom and noticed him staring at her, and not Sara. She turned a slight shade of pink and looked back at the happy reunion. Once they were all seated, Catherine opened the case file.

"I know, Sara, Grissom pulled you off the case," that was said with no little spite in Grissom's direction, "but I want… you should…" She motioned to Sara, who knew exactly what Catherine was trying to say. The two had forged an unlikely connection since Sara had confessed to Catherine about her past.

"I… asked Cath not to tell you guys what I was forced to tell her. Trust me, Cath, I thank you a thousand times for that one, but… you guys need to know. Catherine and Amanda both convinced me of that."

"Sara, stop and just tell us," Warrick finally interrupted.

"Jack Banning and I were involved…" The rest of the story came out in a rush but each of the room's occupants caught and hung on to every single word.

"No wonder you and Catherine made a quite strong bond," Nick almost whispered, his mouth slightly agape in awe. Grissom's face was impassive, as it tended to be. Catherine rolled her eyes at his lack of emotion. Had it been her that had just told him this news, he would have flipped out, but it wasn't. It was torture for Catherine to watch in a way. Sara admired Grissom very much. He was her mentor and at a time she really needed her friends and mentors, he was nowhere to be found. Catherine shot an apologetic look towards Sara in terms of Grissom. She understood and shrugged lightly.

"Great. Now we need to go further into the case. Sara, I'm sorry to have to tell you that you need…"

"To testify, Grissom, I know. Thanks for the news," Sara finished sarcastically. Amanda shot horrible looks to Sara and Catherine.

"There's no way we can get her out of this, is there?" Catherine asked. Grissom shook his head.

"I'll be there with her," Amanda reassured. Catherine nodded her agreement.

"Thanks guys," Sara said.

"From what we've heard, he's still completely enamoured with you. We need to be extra careful in the courtroom. We, you, can't let him psyche you out." The room nodded solemnly at Grissom's phrase and the supervisor left. Catherine and the other immediately turned to Sara.

"I'm so sorry about him, Sara…" Sara held up a hand.

"It's okay, Cath. I didn't… expect a welcome back or anything."

"You still deserved it. It's not fair…"

"Really, Cath. It's okay. I'm going to go and show Amanda around a little bit. I'll see you later?"

"Yeah. Save breakfast or something." Sara grinned and left, Amanda not far behind. Catherine turned the other way, towards Grissom's office.

"What is your problem?" Grissom sighed, knowing from Catherine's angry tone of voice he was in for one long lecture.

"Catherine…"

"No way. You are so insensitive! All Sara needed was something, a family, that supported her. You did not give her that! You are her mentor and she needed advice. If it were me, Grissom, you would have been there to support me, to help me through the pain of the memories. Why doesn't Sara get the same treatment?" Grissom pulled off his glasses and set them down on the file folder open in front of him.

"Catherine…"

"She's been through worse. I can understand that there is no way, because she's worked with and analyzed evidence, that she can get out of testifying but do you really think now is the right time to be telling her that."

"Damnit, Catherine, shut up!" Catherine took a step back shock registered on her face. Grissom stood and shut the door to his office, leaving the two of them to argue themselves out of whatever they were arguing about. Neither of them would have exactly been able to tell each other what they were arguing about, all Catherine knew was she was mad. He had withdrawn further from the team after Sara's collapse and Catherine felt… left out.

"I dealt with you through your ordeal. Sara's a little bit different."

"It's the same basic thing! Abuse! You've dealt with it before…"

"Catherine, you went through this yourself. You can offer her more support than I can. I have other things to focus on." Catherine shot him an incredulous look.

"How dare you. Sara and I never got along until this case. I'm not her mentor, Grissom. I can't do as much as you think," she said. Her voice was quiet, dangerously so, but Grissom – much like Catherine would have done had she been in the same situation – would not back down.

"Look who you're talking to Catherine. Have I ever been good with people."

"Grissom, I have an eight-year-old daughter to take care of. I have other things that I have to do and I can't really take care of Sara and Lindsey. Lindsey still doesn't know…"

"Catherine, stop…"

"I'm no where near finished yet. Lindsey doesn't know what Eddie did when she was out of the house and having Sara talk about it will have her asking questions. Would you like to be the one to shatter her heart?"

"Cath…"

"I didn't think so. Maybe, Grissom, you should take…" She hadn't realized he was so close until his lips were on hers. She hadn't realized how much she had wanted to kiss him. The urge was definitely there to, but Catherine hadn't quite vocalized that urge. Then he had kissed her. Her whole argument went flying out the window as she concentrated the sensations that Grissom's lips were creating through her body. Her arms went to wrap around his neck and his gripped her waist like a vice.

The finally broke apart for air, gasping and panting, but a fire had been ignited in each of them and as soon as air had replenished in their lungs, they attacked each other again, lips and tongues dueling with fervor. There was a knock on the door and the two of them jumped apart. Catherine couldn't help but smile at the unkemptness of Grissom's hair and couldn't help but think hers were in no better condition. Catherine quickly fixed her shirt and hair before motioning for him to call in his visitor.

"Come in!" Nick entered and took one look at the two of them. Both were red-faced and panting.

"Man, Cath, I didn't think you'd take that much out of him. I didn't think Sara minded that much that he didn't say anything…" Catherine held up her hand.

"We will finish this," she said to Grissom, keeping a cool face in front of Nick, but even Grissom knew there were two different reasons why she wanted to finish this conversation with him.

"Go ahead, Nick."

"Greg gave me fingerprint results on the dart. They're not Scott's, nor are they Jack's. They don't match either of the suspects."

"Three suspects?" Catherine was stumped.

"Unless it really isn't Jack that was involved with the crime in the first place. I mean…"

"We found it all in the evidence in Jack Banning's apartment. How could he not be involved?"

"Warrick's questioning him right now. We're hoping to get something…" Catherine nodded and Nick left. She turned back to Grissom and lightly closed the door behind Nick.

"We have an argument to finish and a talk to have," Catherine said, substantially calmer than before. Grissom nodded.

"Which would you like to talk about first?"

"As much as I want to finish that argument, I don't want to be mad during our more conversation part." Grissom agreed and they sat themselves comfortably on the couch. His arm lay across the back, playing with the strands of her hair that were resting on her shoulder and Catherine had a hard time trying to keep her senses to herself. His fingers kept brushing her ear.

"Grissom…you need to stop that if you want to have a good conversation. I can't…" her voice trailed off when Grissom placed his lips on her neck. "Grissom, I'm serious…"

"And so am I," he replied, his voice muffled in her neck. She moved away, intent on discussing his sudden change of heart. He groaned softly at the loss of contact and Catherine felt a rush of feminine pride rush through her.

"What on earth came over you?" She couldn't help but smile.

"This… I'm not good with this, Cath…" Catherine smiled.

"Let me guess," her tone was sarcastic, but her eyes and smile betrayed her amusement. "With the morphine injections you thought of what would happen if I had collapsed and not Sara. That made you realize that you couldn't live without me… how am I doing."

"Fantastic, actually. Right on the nose." And to punctuate his point, he kissed her lightly on her nose.

"Gil Grissom, I have never seen you like this!"

"Love makes you do funny things." Catherine pulled back to look him in the eyes. He seemed to realize what he had said and had the most embarrassed look on his face.

"What did you say?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I know, I know. Brutal place to leave you but I think we all know what's coming next. However, that doesn't tell you much about Sara's part in the trial for her friend (weird twist too!) nor does it go over Catherine's past.

Coming soon…

There's love in the air…

Catherine's past pain is relived through another and revisited in her memory

Some one is hospitalized

~Kavi Leighanna