DISCLAIMER : I don't own CSI nor it's characters. Everything belongs to the brains behind this wonderful show. Props go out to them. :D

AUTHOR'S NOTE : Thanks for the continuing flow of reviews. They are great and a source of inspiration.

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CHAPTER X

"Wow, what was going on back there?" Nick chased after Catherine after assignments were handed out. Grissom had assigned both of them to a 419 and Nick was hella curious about what just went on at the break room.

Catherine gave a shrug and said, "I'm tired of being in the middle of Grissom and Sara's dancing about each other. I just wanted to give it a little kick."

"A little kick, huh?" Nick gave a laugh. "That didn't look like a little kick to me. More like hitting a gong in front of Sra's ears. I've never seen Sara look so shocked before."

"Well, she shouldn't be," Catherine put in, "Aren't you tired of the whole silent-movie thing they're performing whenever they're together?" She had stopped on her tracks and was now facing Nick.

"Yeah, I am, but that doesn't mean I want Sara homicidal." Nick defended himself. "And that Sara who came away from assignments is certainly homicidal."

"Oh please!" Catherine scoffed, "How much damage can she do?"

"Uh-huh," Nick shook his head, "I wouldn't bet against Sara's temper if I were you. What made you so brave as to say those things in the first place?"

"As mentioned, one would be the way that Sara and Grissom are behaving around each other. I'm so tired of it." Catherine counted down her reasons. "Two, number one is clearly not doing them any good. Have you seen how those two have been moping around? These can only be caused by love problems."

"And you know this because ... ?" Nick looked at Catherine suspiciously, eyebrow arched.

"Personal experience. Trust me, I've had many of those, too many in fact." Catherine simply replied.

Catherine continued after not getting any verbal response from Nick. "Lastly, and this will knock your boots off, no pun intended, it's in the songs she sings."

"Songs?" Nick looked confused, "I've only ever heard her hum. Where and when have you heard her sing around the lab?"

"She doesn't," Catherine explained, "Not in the lab anyway. She performs at this bar. And before you ask, no, she doesn't know Warrick and I know."

Nick was now gawking like a kid at a candy store. "You've seen her sing? As in band, audience, spot lights and the whole nine yards?"

"Yes, the works!" Catherine nodded, she then pulled Nick aside and said in a much lower voice, "You should have heard her. Heart-wrenching! She was beautiful!"

"I've told her she had a good voice." Nick smiled proudly, "she joked about it though. Said that it was like chalk on a board or something."

"Well, she's good alright! She had me teary-eyed and wistful." Catherine confessed. It was true. The way SAra had sang those songs made her heart ache for that familiar felling. The feeling you get when you're in love? Yes, that kind of feeling. "Anyway, Warrick tells me that she sings at Tikirocks, that's the name of the bar ; it's a couple of blocks from here; every Tuesdays and Fridays."

"Yeah? You think I could sneak in and maybe watch? See how good she really is and all?" Nick's voice was unsure. Catherine figured that he was half afraid that Sara would find out and kicked his ass.

"Go. Tell you what, I'll inform Warrick that you now know. It'd be better if we didn't go together this time. You can go this Tuesday and you just tell us all about it." Catherine offered.

"Sounds good. I promise to report to headquarters right away." Nick joked. They both smiled at this and without further discussion, set their minds back to the job at hand. Oh yes, that 419 at the Bellagio.

x x x x x x x x x

Sara shook her head. She couldn't believe Catherine. What the hell possessed that woman? How could she read me like that? Do I have a biblical sign on my forehead that says, "In love and aching about it."?

"God, I hope she doesn't automatically think its Grissom!" Sara muttered to her self while walking towards her car. She had told Warrick and Grissom she'd meet them at the crime scene. She didn't need to say how nervous she was about working with Grissom again.

Too long have they avoided one another. She just wished she could pull through this night fine.

Her mind went back to Catherine. "Would she know it was Grissom?" the question jumped at Sara. The team must have noticed the tension that had settled between her and Grissom, plus they must have heard the 'dinner invitation' incident by now. The gossip grapevine at the lab was one of the tops. A building full of investigators? What do you expect?

"Oh god!" realization hit her. "I'll never hear the end of it!" Sara crinkled her nose, looking at her reflection on the car window. "Maybe Catherine knowing isn't all that bad. I mean, isn't getting over somebody better with someone else there to help you?"

The idea of Catherine knowing about her and Grissom didn't seem to be as bad to Sara anymore. Though she had always found it hard to keep friendships, friends she indeed found here in Vegas. Warrick, Nick, Catherine, Brass and Greg, despite all his flirting, were her closest friends. Grissom? Nowadays, she couldn't tell what he was in her life.

Sara decided there and then to talk to Catherine the soonest she could. She needed to make sure that Catherine would keep this under wraps and not discuss this with Grissom. Things would only go downhill from there. God knows he doesn't want anything to do with her anymore.

"Maybe I'll even tell her about the singing," Sara thought. She gave a long sigh. She was already starting to feel better about this. This was a good decision.

Driving to the crime scene proved to be relaxing. There were no thoughts or worries about the earlier scene at the break room. Normally that would have had her all worked up but deciding to come clean to Catherine proved helpful. She could talk to Catherine about not creating more scenes like that.