Disclaimer: I don't own CSI or any of its characters.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews to FanficAddiction, ObessedTWFan, Lalenna and Tripp3235.

Chapter 6: Nothing to worry about

Greg was walking the hallway back and forth nervously, waiting for Catherine and Sara to return.

All leads that the team had found after the shooting had petered out but now they had a new one. One thing was clear: neither he nor Sara could work this case anymore, as they were both personally affected.

He continued walking up and down, realizing that Sara could now be examining the house of the person, facing the man who had shot her down.

She would not notice it. They both had not seen the faces of the assailants.

After wearing out the floor for a while longer, Greg finally settled down in the break room again and waited.

When he saw Sara and Catherine coming along the hallway, he jumped up quickly. Catherine came up to him while Sara dropped behind, busy reading a report.

"Hey, Catherine. Can we talk?" he greeted her. He had to talk to her first before he even could consider telling it Sara.

"Sure, what's on your mind?" Catherine smiled while Sara had stopped some space away from them, absorbed in reading.

He looked at Catherine beseechingly. "Alone?" he asked.

Catherine looked into Sara's direction for a split-second, and then shrugged. "Sure."

Sara had looked up now and threw Greg a questioning look.

They left Sara standing behind, Greg staggering uncomfortably, knowing that Sara would inquire what that was all about. He would have to come up with a very good explanation.

"So, what's wrong, Greg?" Catherine finally wanted to know.

"I got the results for the bullets from the shooting case you and Sara are working."

"And?" Catherine asked impatiently.

"Bobby says the gun has been used before…," he faltered, frowning.

His hesitation provoked a thought in Catherine. "It's your case, isn't it? It's one of the guns that was used at that night, isn't it?"

"Actually it's the gun that was used to shoot Sara," Greg confirmed quietly.

Now some more things became clear to Catherine. "Because of that you didn't want her to know."

Greg nodded weakly. "Yeah." He leaned on the table behind him. "And of course she can't work this case anymore," he added quickly.

Catherine nodded. "Okay, I'll let Grissom put her on another case."

"Great, you'll do that," a fierce voice came from behind.

Catherine and Greg turned and saw Sara standing behind them. Greg noticed that she did not look happy at all – and that was definitely an understatement.

"And then…when did you want to tell me the truth?" Sara asked grimly. She looked at Greg with an expression of deep disappointment.

"Sara, I didn't want to-."

"You don't have to handle me with kid gloves, you know," she said sharply. "I can pull myself together." She was tempted to say something about the lines 'As opposed to you, Greg,' but shook her head and did not wait for any reply from her helpless looking boyfriend or her co-worker and left quickly instead.

Greg followed her some seconds later. He approached her from behind, calling her name, but she did not even turn around when she hissed coldly, "Leave me alone."

Greg stopped dead and watched Sara walking towards Grissom's office, feeling briefly sympathy for his boss.

He waited some minutes before he searched for her, hoping that her first anger had gone. He found her sitting in the break room, browsing a file.

"Hey Sar-," he started but did not get a chance to continue.

"I said 'Leave me alone'," Sara interrupted him irritated. "For your information: this means you don't need to show up anymore."

Greg looked at her taken aback. "Do you mean - ?"

"Get out of my sight, Greg," she hissed and Greg decided to retreat.

"Before I say something I'll regret," Sara added under her breath sadly when Greg had already left the room.

She leaned back and sighed. Now she had driven Greg away. It was probably better this way, as she had no intention to fight with him, something that would only lead to even more harsh words that would hurt them both.

What she actually felt was surprise, almost a slight shock from the information she had overheard some minutes ago. That guy that had been standing so self-content in his house, when she and Catherine had examined it, had probably caused them – her and Greg – so much pain.

Sara shivered slightly. And Greg had wanted to protect her from that information. She could not really be angry at him for that. It had been pointless of course, as she was very well able to assimilate this information and keeping it secret from her was not the way to deal with it either. Her anger was more a mixture of the surprise, the realization that made her a little grumpy that she would not be able to work the case anymore, the attempt to keep it secret and Catherine's matter of course to go to Grissom to let her taken from the case.

She was a little angry at Greg, a little at herself and some more at Greg because he made her feel this way.

She groaned quietly, rubbing her forehead. Now she had analyzed it greatly and it did not help a little bit.

Sighing, she decided to get some more work done before heading home, although it was almost noon now, giving herself some time to cool down before facing Greg.

Giving Sara time to calm down was also Greg's intention when he walked into Sara's apartment.

He took a bag quickly and put all his things in there that seemed necessary to him, as well as some of his clothes that he had stored in Sara's wardrobe.

She had appeared to be really furious at him. Sure, she had been pissed at him before but it had been a while since he had seen her like that.

He did not know if she had really meant what she said, if she had really meant that she did not want him at her place anymore but he thought that it could not hurt to stay at his place for a day – or maybe two or three – to let her cool off.

He decided against leaving a note – it was only something Sara would probably like to make a nice warm fire with – she would notice without it as well that he was not there.

Greg was not really worried. Sara would calm down, see that he had had good intentions – though he had to admit that he had acted not really ingeniously as it had been clear that Sara would want to know – and realize that everything was not so bad. He was not worried, really not.

Sara was a little nervous when she entered her apartment in the afternoon. Her anger was almost completely gone and she was sure that Greg was not resentful, but still she was slightly tense.

She opened the front door and walked into her flat, noticing that Greg was not there. She called his name but got no answer. So, either he was sleeping or he had gone out or whatever, she thought and started looking for some food rather calmly.

Half an hour later she went into the bath room and noticed surprised that Greg's things were gone – his toothbrush as well as the hair gel.

She hurried into the bed room and pulled her wardrobe open. Some of Greg's clothes were gone as well though not all of them, so he obviously intended to return. Sara hoped not with a larger bag to get the rest of his things.

Altogether, one matter was clear: the coward had fled.

Sara kicked the wardrobe shut in anger but regretted it immediately when pain shot through her foot. She cried out and let herself sink onto the bed, cursing silently. She looked at her foot that was pounding heavily.

Great, if she had managed to break it, she could skip around like Greg had done after he had broken his leg.

Sara let herself fall back on the bed. She had scared Greg away. After all she had said that he should leave her alone. He had taken it too literally.

She congratulated herself on her success, cursing silently again. Now she had another reason to be angry at herself.

She remained lying there for some minutes. She was not really worried. Greg would come back sooner or later.

Sara hoped sooner.

TBC