"The Underdog"

Couples: Sara/Warrick and a little bit of Grissom/Catherine

Rating: It depends on your part. But now K

Summary: Sara and Warrick discover Catherine and Grissom are together but, in trying to make them jealous, they slowly fall in love. Set after Season 5 with the team back together again.

Chapter Seven ( Megara )

The next day, at the CSI lab, for the first time since the beginning of Warrick's and her masquerade, Sara felt uneasiness at Nick's questions.

"So, Sara, how was your little date with Warrick?" he asked, suggestively wiggling his eyebrows.

"How did you know about that?" she replied surprised.

"I know how Warrick can be romantic when he wants to, so I can imagine…" Nick smirked.

"We went for a boat ride on the lake…it was very romantic," answered Sara with a fake smile. She came to remember the end of their conversation, which froze the whole evening and now, surprising herself, her heart.

Luckily for her, Greg came and greeted them.

"So Nick," Greg began mischievously. "Do you have some news on Sara and Warrick's date ?"

"Why? Would you like some ideas for your girlfriend?" asked Nick teasing Greg.

Greg reddened and Nick laughed but Sara, at that moment, was lost in remembering the conversation on the lake with Warrick. When Warrick entered with Catherine, talking animatedly with her, Sara felt what she had once felt a long time ago when she saw Grissom with Terri Miller or thought of him with Lady Heather: a very powerful jealousy that she attempted to erase with great difficulty. But Warrick caught her eye and sent her a small smile before he went to grab some coffee.

Just then, Grissom came and began handing out their assignments. Sara was happy to work alone, she didn't want to be with Warrick and really didn't want to be with Catherine or even Nick who could see clearly that she wasn't happy when she volunteered herself for a dull solo case; Warrick was with Nick and Catherine with Greg.

All were leaving when Warrick caught hold of Sara's wrist to stop her.

"Could we please have time alone when your case is closed?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know, honey," Sara replied. "I'll try but we'll see each other quite soon anyway."

Warrick raised his eyebrows at the "honey" in her sentence but then noticed all the technicians, smiled and leant over to whisper into her ear.

"It's really important, Sara."

Sara simply nodded her head and hurriedly left. As she walked briskly down the hall, she felt shivers run across her skin and wondered to herself, "Why did he have that effect on me?"

A few hours later, Sara was taking her clothes from her locker when she felt another long shiver running through her veins as Warrick entered and she asked herself again why Warrick had the same effect to her that Grissom once had. Wait – once? Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear him speak to her, and when he spoke again, she jumped.

"Sara, are you okay?" he leant close to her, concerned.

"Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts," she excused.

Warrick looked at her closely. "She must've been thinking about Grissom again," he realized with an aching dread sinking in his stomach. "I should stop this now or I will have my heart broken for a second time."

"Can we go dinner?" he proposed, wanting to have more time with her.

"I thought that what you wanted to say was important," said Sara.

"It is," Warrick replied. "But I'm hungry; aren't you?"

"Yes, a great salad will be good." Sara nodded and smiled faintly.

"Perfect."

They left the lab together, but now undecided over wanting to play at being lovers.

-

In front of his dinner, Warrick seemed to forget what he wanted to say to Sara, wanting only to watch her. It was some minutes later before Sara spoke, feeling awkward in the heavy silence.

"Warrick, I know what you are going to say…" Sara began tentatively. "Grissom and Catherine only reacted a little when they found out about us; perhaps they felt something but didn't want to analyze it." she suggested.

"No Sara, Catherine was only surprised," Warrick told her. "Grissom, I believe, felt nothing."

But Sara shook her head, not wanting to hear the harsh truth.

"So…do you have a new plan?" Sara changed the subject swiftly.

"We already did everything Sara," Warrick deadpanned. "I'd rather we stopped now. I know, I promised you but you – you promised to let it go if it didn't turn out as we wanted."

"So, you're choosing to abandon me?" asked Sara, with tears in her eyes.

"I'd rather not be hurt a second time," answered Warrick quietly, paying and standing up.

"Hurt..?" Sara murmured, frowning. "Hurt by Catherine?"

"No," he said. "By you."

Warrick left and Sara sat there, feeling confused and hurt – so bad that she said to herself that maybe it had always been a very bad idea. She'd only wanted to know if the hurt she'd got in return from so many years of chasing Gil Grissom was worth it but now she'd gone and lost Warrick – and it was that, she discovered with some surprise, that hurt more.

She decided to go back home and think very hard about what she should do now.

To be continue...next Sunday !