"We read that we ought to forgive our enemies; but we do not read that we ought to forgive our friends."

Sir Francis Bacon

"Willows"

"Hey Cath, it's Sara, Greg told me you called."

"Yeah, I did, I wanted to see what you guys have planned for today"

"Nothing so far, wait, did Greg try to mess around with you on the phone, again?" Sara asked.

"Nothing I couldn't handle, though, it is interesting to hear him pick up the phone in the morning two days in a row." Catherine inquired.

"Yeah he stops by after work, you know in the morning, since he's on graveyard." Sara didn't mind Greg stopping by at all, but she wasn't sure she wanted to be the next lab gossip. For now, Catherine seemed to accept the answer.

"Anyways," Catherine started, figuring she could get more out of Sara face to face. "Lindsey's on a maturity kick. Not that I'm against it in anyway, but I let her stay home last night instead of going to her aunts. I was pleasantly surprised to come home to find it still in one piece. Other than Lindsey had fallen asleep on the couch, the dishes were done and the trash had been taken out. Shocking."

"Some thirteen year olds are mature for their age." Sara interrupted. Catherine casually said.

"I bet you were." As Catherine continued. "Anyways, Lindsey would like to 'baby-sit' Sadie for you. I told her, not yet, but I was thinking maybe we could have her 'baby-sit' Sadie inside while we have some coffee and chat outside. It is a beautiful day out."

"I think that sounds good Cath, especially, that Greg's going to watch her Monday night when I go into work. Maybe this will get her prepared." Sara added. "We'll probably be over in an hour if that's ok." Catherine agreed. Sara walked into the living room where Sadie was coloring and asked the little girl.

"Sadie, would you like to go over to Catherine's and Lindsey's and have Lindsey baby-sit you." The little girl looked unsure. "You and Lindsey will be inside and Catherine and I will be outside, if you need me you can just come out and see me." This seemed to reassure Sadie.

On their drive to Catherine's both Sara and Sadie sang along with the radio, Sara was greatly enjoying this, until she thought about the words of the song. Sara tried to change the station but found nothing. Worrying about what music Sadie was listening too, now Sara knew she had gone off the deep end.

When they arrived at Catherine's, Lindsey greeted them. Sadie quickly ran off with her, as Catherine handed a large cup of coffee and motioned for Sara to join her on the porch. Sara and Catherine chatted for a while about stuff going on at work, and the cases the swing shift had been working on. Catherine asked how things were going with Sadie, and Sara explained about the monster's last night and about the 'Anti-Monster Spray'. Catherine began to laugh.

"What made you think of that, it's great!"

"Well, it wasn't really my idea. I figured I had already bothered you enough, so when I couldn't get Sadie back to sleep, I called Greg, and he suggested it." Sara stated.

"Greg, hmm, you guys seem to be spending a lot of time together." Catherine said with a smirk. Sara rolled her eyes and said.

"Come on, he and I are just good friends, and now that the whole shift got split, who else would I hang out with. Sofia? I don't think so. We've have been spending time together, more so since Sadie's been here, but I trust him, and he good with her." Sara carefully said. She liked Greg's friendship, but his willingness to help out Sara with Sadie was making Sara re-evaluate their friendship. Greg had held her when she cried; he had such a calming strength about him. He could make her laugh, even if it meant taunting Catherine over the phone and she felt comfortable with him. Maybe there was something more going on. But then again, maybe she had just inhaled a little too much 'Anti-Monster Spray'.

"Earth to Sara… Come back from Greggo Land." Catherine replied. She had seen Sara's gaze drift and knew that she was thinking of something, more likely someone.

"I wasn't thinking about Greg.." Sara tried to collect herself.

"Sure you weren't. Oh, and Grissom just became an exterminator." Catherine teased seeing the blush that had crept onto Sara's face. "Well, seeing as someone is toughly embarrassed, I'll be the adult and change the subject." Catherine added, as she saw Sara roll her eyes. "Have you thought anymore about what Sadie said?"

Sara knew what she meant. Had Sara thought anymore about letting Sadie stay 'forever'. Sara had more than thought, she had decided, but she was still worried about how her friends might take it. She knew Greg was supportive, but she was unsure what the rest would think. Sara knew Catherine would honestly tell her the truth about being a single mom and working eccentric hours.

"Well, I have been thinking. Sadie's too young to survive in a group home, and there's a connection that we have. She's seen a lot at such a young age, and group homes are awful." Sara began.

"And you would know about what happens in group homes from your own experience." Catherine stated. She covered her mouth wishing the words had not come out. She hadn't been thinking, she just had blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. She looked at Sara who had a mixture of pain and anger in her eyes. Sara stood up and started to walk away as she said.

"I can't believe him, I trusted him, he couldn't even wait till he got into work to spread my personal life around. I'm going to kill him!" Sara was yelling.

"Wait, wait, Sara who are you talking about." Catherine had braced herself for the onslaught of anger, but for Sara to pick out someone else confused her.

"What? Like he didn't call you on his way home. God, how can I be so stupid. I really trusted him. He's been so kind and compassionate, and now I know all he wanted was some dirt on me." Sara said trying to hold back tears.

"Are you talking about Greg?" Catherine asked.

"Of course, how else would you know I had been in a group home? I just told him this morning. I thought I could trust him." Sara said, trying not to cry.

"Sara, you've got to believe me, Greg didn't tell us anything." It was one thing for Catherine to feel guilty about going behind Sara's back, but it was another thing to break up an ever-budding romance. She had to convince Sara that Greg had nothing to do with it. Even if it meant bearing the full force of Sara's anger. Sara looked at Catherine confused and asked.

"Us?"

"Yeah, us," Catherine took a moment to try to figure what would be the best way to explain what she had coerced Nick and Warrick to help her with. "Sara sit down," Catherine tried to start. "I've got something to tell you, and you're not going to like it. I had Nick and Warrick helping me with something when it was slow. God, Sara, I'm sorry, but I wanted to know, and Grissom wouldn't say anything." Sara sat confused. She looked at Catherine, not sure weather to trust her, or continue on her rage about Greg.

"I don't understand." Sara said.

"Ok, I'm just going to be honest with you. Grissom said he had 'objectives' as to why he sent you to the hospital with Sadie. I wanted to know what those 'objectives' were that he pulled off his best CSI on a murder case. He said I should 'drop it' and I knew there was more. So I did a search in the National Crime Database with your name." Catherine noticed Sara starting to go pale. "And I came up with a bunch of information about you solving cases, but I found one piece of information about a woman by the name of Laura Sidle, who had killed her husband." Sara was now white as a ghost. "And it said that there was a child, but all it said was the child was taken into protective services. So I begged Nick and Warrick to help me find more info. We found an old newspaper article that went along with the crime. It had a picture of a police officer walking out a young girl. Sara, that was you, we'd recognize your face anywhere." Catherine stated. Sara sat there with shock spread across her face. "Sara, I'm sorry, I just wanted to know. I'm so sorry, and Nick and Warrick feel awful too." Catherine stopped and prepared herself for the onslaught that was about to hit. Sara sat for a while before she began to speak.

"You wanted to know! You really want to know? You want to know what it's like to get beat by your parents? What is like to hear them screaming all hours of the night? What it's like to watch your mother stab your father? You really want to know what it's like being sent to a group home? Having everything stolen from you. Being so tormented that your only escape is to graduate a year early from high school and move 3,000 miles away. Is that what you wanted to know about Catherine?" By the time Sara had finished she was screaming. Lindsey and Sadie had come to the window overlooking the porch and Catherine motioned to them to stay inside. Sadie paid no attention to Catherine and ran out to Sara. Sadie wrapped herself around Sara's leg tightly. Sara looked down at the little girl and felt slightly calmer. Pissed as all hell, but no longer needed to scream. She picked up the little girl and gave her a hug. She looked at Catherine and simply stated.

"I think it's time we go," as Sara carried Sadie out to the car, Catherine ran after them.

"Listen Sara, I'm truly sorry. I felt so guilty knowing, and I wanted you to know. You're an amazing person to take your past and make such a future for yourself. You would be great for Sadie, and we'll all help you with whatever you need. I'm sorry Sara, but I've enjoyed the time we've spent together this weekend as friends instead of coworkers. I don't know what else to say." Catherine begged.

"Catherine, I'm pissed." Sara simply stated. "A few hours ago, Grissom was the only one that knew, and I didn't willingly tell him. Now everyone knows. It's something I've kept to myself for so long that I don't know how to approach other people knowing. It's not an experience I like to remember. I don't appreciate people going behind my back to try to find out about my past. I'm glade you were honest with me, but I need time to think. Think about who my friends are, what is happening, and what I am going to do." With that, Sara placed Sadie in her booster seat, got into the car and drove off.

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