A/N : Another Unbound challenge response. Thanks to Cybrokat for her Beta. First and last lines provided. I believe I did make it within the 1000 word limit.

The hot chocolate warmed her as it slid down her throat, making her groan with pleasure. She closed her eyes, hands grasping the hot mug even more tightly. This, was probably one of the best moments at work since she'd become supervisor. It was certainly in the top ten. No one bothering her, begging for time off, or her signature on some useless paper or another, no Ecklie demanding to know why her team actually spent time solving cases, instead of going with the quick close. The boys were still out on their 419, and neither seemed perturbed at the thought of another double shift. Catherine kept her eyes closed and smiled softly, top ten, hell, this was definitely the best working moment since she took over Swing shift.

Noise in the hallway outside her office finally prompted her to open her eyes. Gil and Sara were returning from their scene already? Catherine must have spent more time at work than she thought. She watched them idly as she gathered her things to go home.

Something was…not quite right with the pair of them. She blew out a harsh breath at that thought. When was anything right with Gil and Sara?

She slowed her trek to the locker room when she saw Sara sitting by herself in one of the labs. Poking her head in the door she watched the brunette idly staring down at DNA printouts. "Rough Night?"

Sara looked up with a shrug, "Hey Cath. You're still here it's…" a glance down at her watch let her know that maybe it was Catherine who was having the bad night, "Three AM. You keep these kind of hours, people might forget that you're Swing now."

"Well, you know as much as Ecklie loves tormenting Gil, three AM is still the least likely time he'll be around here, getting in everyone's way."

"Yeah," There was no mistaking the bitterness in Sara's voice, "Avoiding Ecklie has become a sport around here."

Catherine sat at one of the stools, "He cornered you, too, huh?" She would have liked to have said more, to have expressed her true opinion of the weaselly little man. But she couldn't. Such were the determents of command.

"Yeah." Sighing, Sara laid the DNA results on the table. "I think…I think some of the things I said…"

"Hey. Whoa there Sara." Catherine shook her head, "He cornered all of us, and twisted everything we all said. He was a man on a mission. You can't be blaming yourself." At the wince on the younger woman's face Catherine sighed, "You are, aren't you. Well stop. It's not your fault."

"I don't think that's what Sophia thinks."

Catherine laughed, "You're thinking of that…what did she call it…joke? How could she know what you said to Ecklie? And since when does what Sophia think of any of us matter, Sara?" She watched the woman carefully, her eyes scanning the other's face. "Sara?"

When the younger woman looked up Catherine continued, "Have you talked to Grissom about this?"

Sara just lifted a brow as Catherine explained. "I think you might listen to him, when he tells you this isn't your fault, more than you will to me."

"I did…ah…mention it to him."

"And?"

Sara just shrugged and looked back down at her print-outs.

"Listen Sara. I don't have to tell you that with Gil…well sometimes communication isn't his strongest suit." She chuckled when Sara finally cracked a smile. "You've noticed, have you? Something I've noticed…Listen Sara, I don't particularly like talking about my own shortcomings…"

"You?" Sara's smile hadn't left her face, "I would never have guessed."

"Smart-ass. The point is, sometimes I…we…get so wrapped up in believing Gil's going to screw up whatever conversation we're having, that we beat him to the punch."

All pretense of work laid aside, Sara sat up straight and looked at the Swing supervisor. "I'm not following."

"We screw it up first. We come out swinging, figuring we'll have to eventually. Or," she paused, looking Sara in the eye, "Give up too soon." She paused, watching the other woman for a moment before smiling again, "In my case, it's usually the first. Did I ever tell you how I cornered him, demanding a good AP score when I applied for the Days position?"

Sara watched, mutely shaking her head.

"I did. Went on and on about how I deserved it, how I was always defending myself to him. Blamed him for…well, you don't need to know the details. Suffice it to say I was rather…histrionic."

Sara's eyes widened as Catherine continued her tale. Details or not, she knew what it cost the older woman to admit that last. "Cath…"

"Shh. I'm not finished. Do you know what Gil said?" When Sara shook her head again, Catherine grinned. "He said he agreed, which was why he gave me good scores on the evaluation he'd already done, and in the conversation he'd already had with the Director."

"Oh."

"Sara!" Catherine stood and rounded the table to talk to the younger woman, "Sara. Sometimes he's an ass. I know that. But the point is, sometimes, we are too. Give him a chance to really let you know that none of this…none of this Sara…is your fault. So which was it?"

"Excuse me?"

"Did you jump on him before he had a chance to hear what you were saying, or give up too soon, before he could come up with a reply?" She grinned at the look on Sara's face, "Never mind. None of my business."

Her brow lifted as Sara began gathering up her evidence, "Off somewhere?"

"You should be going home. It's after three-thirty now." At the blonde's relentless stare she shrugged, "I have someone to talk to."

Catherine grinned and moved toward the door. "Say no more. I'm out of here. I may even get an hour or two of sleep before I get Lindsey off to school." She grinned to herself as she left the building, sure Sara would be heading toward Grissom's office. "Maybe I should rearrange my top ten list."