Disclaimer: Not mine, not mine, not mine! Not getting any money from it either, and unfortunately have no rights to the characters, no matter how much I might wish otherwise!

Author's Note: Here we go, final chapter, much as I hate to say it! Promise you'll read the sequel, peeps ;o) This has been fun to write, and I hope you guys have had as much fun reading it!

Chapter 10

Catherine had never felt smaller in her life. Worse, but not any more petty… she had just outdone herself in the stupidity stakes. She and Sara had often had their differences, but being the only two women on the team had brought them together against the boys many times, and they had had a friendship that she had been happy to believe in. Now she had gone and ripped a great hole in that.

"Oh shit… she's not going to forgive me for this one for a long while," she groaned, softly.

Greg fixed her with a glare, "Why should she? Hell. Not sure I am either." Since Sara's abrupt departure, he had ordered the check, and now he followed Sara's path towards the door, tossing the bill and money down on the counter as he passed.

His emotions were whirling all over the place. He was beyond annoyed with Catherine, and to a lesser degree Nick and Warrick, but his heart was also singing. Sara had asked him out! She wanted to go out with him, just like he did! Well… like he wanted to go out with her, not how he wanted to go out with him. Because that would be weird and take self-love to a whole new level. But, she had asked him out!

And now he had to find her and give her an answer to her question.

Sara was back in the evidence room, and had thrown herself back fully into the processing. It was all she could do. After that show, Greg was going to be avoiding her for months. As usual, just when she began to fall in like with someone, something happened, and it completely shattered her chances. Not that she would be able to blame him. She wouldn't want to go out with her either.

Would he even bother to give her an answer? She doubted it.

She wearily rested her head in her hands, surprised to find that there were tears under her eyes. She hadn't even noticed. And she couldn't remember the last time she had shed tears over a fight. That was what it was really. Catherine's invasion had turned it from a possibly happy moment into a fight, rupturing her trust and it was going to cause problems, no doubt.

How could it not when you worked with someone?

"Sara?"

She looked up in a start of surprise. The last person she had expected to see was standing there, gazing at her in a concerned puppy-like way.

"Greg…"

Greg wanted nothing more at that second to just pull her into his arms. She looked so sad and serious, as if the weight of the world had just crashed down, and she was in charge of sorting it all out. But, he could also tell that if he tried, she would probably pull away, and that would just make her feel all the worse.

"You didn't wait around for my answer," he chided, gently.

"Was there any need to?" Sara asked, a bitter note residing in her tone, "Who would want to go out with me after that little outburst. You probably think I'm some sort of harpy now, snapping at Catherine like that."

He gasped, and this time he really did go to her, gently tilting her chin so she was forced to look into his eyes, no matter how much she tried not to, "Catherine deserved all you said to her, and a lot more. She was spying on us, invading our privacy, and hell, being downright rude. If I hadn't wanted to get over here with you, I would have chucked in a few pieces of my mind too."

She gaped at him, "Huh? But they were only trying to make sure we were okay."

"We're adults Sara, not thirteen-year-olds who need watching over every minute to make sure they don't do something they're going to regret later. Catherine was being a busybody – hell, it's her job – and she dragged the guys into it too. If she doesn't get why you're pissed off with her, we'll damn well explain it to her. But from what she was saying when I left, she's pretty damn contrite about the whole mess. I don't think she's going to be messing in our affairs again." Greg was a little surprised at that little speech – he didn't often start spouting 'wisdom', unless it was of a forensic nature. But Sara looked so sad… he had to convince her she wasn't the one in the wrong.

"So… you don't think I'm an irrational harpy?" Sara said, a plaintive and at the same time hopeful tone coming into her voice, "You should, you know. I can be."

"I've never seen you be irrational, let alone a harpy," Greg stated. No question there, no tone for argument. He couldn't believe that she'd think such things of herself. Didn't she realise just how great she was?

When she opened her mouth to respond, he cut her off with a sharp shake of his head, "Nuh-unh, you're not allowed to run yourself down. Not now, not ever when I'm here. Well, unless you deserve it… but that doesn't often happen, and I'm pretty sure that Gris would be on your case if it did."

She smiled at him, "So does that mean my answer isn't a no?"

He grinned in return, "It means your answer definitely isn't a no. And that you're a better man than I am! I was still steeling myself up to asking you."

" Oh! I wasn't sure if you still liked me, since you've gotten to know me,"

"Sara! I've liked you pretty much since the first moment I set eyes on you! I would have thought that I'd make that pretty obvious with my attempts to pick you up since I started here! Getting to know you has just confirmed what a great person you are. I wasn't sure if you liked me, or if it was all just a part of the ruse."

"Oh, I'm not that good an actor," Sara told him, a smiled coming back to her face, "We probably couldn't have carried it off if I hadn't really liked you." She sighed, glancing towards the door, "I wonder what the others are going to tell the rest of the lab. I hope they keep the scene at the café to themselves."

"It's still not anyone's business but ours," Greg pointed out, "Catherine will probably be walking on eggshells, trying to make up. I don't think those three will be telling anyone anything, even if they are asked."

The rest of the graveyard shift was at that point making their own way back to the lab, the three of them deep in conversation.

"I hope Greg's talking with her," Catherine said in concern, "I really hope I didn't manage to throw the pair of them off track. Sara's right though, I had no business being there – and I shouldn't have dragged the pair of you in with me." She wanted Sara and Greg to be well, both of them. But she had never expected that the pair of them could want to go out with each other for real. After all the times that Sara had shot Greg down, purposely and not, the last thing Catherine had expected was that Sara might develop real feelings for the lab-rat.

The way Sara had been, it made Catherine remember how it had been with her and Eddie at first. Which made her get the feeling, that maybe what Sara felt was a little deeper than lust. It was possible she was actually in love. Whether she knew it herself or not, Catherine wasn't sure. But the older woman had had a fair bit more experience than Sara, and her brain was crying out that this relationship might actually be one that could last.

Sara deserved it to be. That girl had experienced more pain than one so young should have.

"If they really like each other, there ain't no way you've thrown them off track," Warrick pointed out, "In fact, you've probably just sent our boy running to his lady-love to comfort her. Chucked them together."

"I hope you're right," Catherine said, still fretting. She ought to have just butted out from the start – she wasn't usually one to gossip too much. Hopefully, Sara would forgive her for her intrusion, in time. Though, if the situation went bitter, maybe not. She would have to corner her and have a girl-talk. Discord within a team as close as theirs wasn't a good thing, and it needed to be resolved, or at least brought to a halt as soon as it possibly could. She'd just give Sara a couple of days to cool off, first.

"We're not going to mention the café to anyone, right?" Nick asked, "I mean, it's no-one else's business."

Catherine nodded, "Uh huh. Lips zipped. The rest of them can wonder until Sara or Greg decides to tell them."

"Even Gris?" Warrick said, "I mean, he's going to find out sooner or later."

"Probably sooner. But it's their responsibility to tell him, not our," Catherine said firmly, "We're staying out of this from now on."

"So, Sara Sidle, you gonna be my girl for real now?" Greg teased.

"For now," Sara said, a mischievous gleam coming into her eyes as Greg feigned shock, "Come here. You're mine now."

She pulled his head down to hers and captured his bottom lip with her teeth, nibbling gently, before turning it into a full-on kiss.

Grissom chose that moment to come looking for his team. Sticking his head in the doorway, he asked, "Have you seen everyone else? They should be back by now."

Sara and Greg separated and stared at him for a moment.

His eyes finally registered what he had just interrupted, the head was quickly withdrawn, with a slightly embarrassed shake, and he retreated down the hallway, muttering to himself,

"Those two are paying all together too much notice to the rumours going around."

Sara smiled as that comment floated down to them, before putting her mouth to better use, and picking up back where they had left off. Backing Greg against the door to keep it shut while they kissed.

And to think this had come from one little white-lie and a favour to a friend.

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has helped by reading this and reviewing. And thanks to some of you for sticking around since I started Spiral of Chaos, nearly three years ago! I hope the writing isn't too jilted from my changing style over that time, and I hope that if (when) there is a sequel, you'll come and read and/or review it too!