A/N: thanks again for all the reviews. This story is G/S and G/C. While I think that Grissom and Sara are ultimately a mistake, I felt the need to write this as true to character as possible. I also like to think that when Catherine said that Grissom had been burned bad in "Burden of Proof" that it was by her.

Chapter 3

Grissom stepped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around his waist and opened the bathroom door. He wanted to wrap his arms around Sara and tell her that everything would be ok, but Sara was not in the bedroom, only a note on his pillow.

Gris-

Went home to change. I'll do whatever you think is best. See you later.

I love you.

Sara

He smiled and walked into the kitchen, dropped the note on the counter, and grabbed a beer from the fridge. He felt bad about the way that she had left. He was about to grab some clothes when the doorbell rang. He wasn't expecting anyone. It was probably Sara. She always rang the bell when she knew that he was home, as a courtesy.

He opened the door not to find a tall brunette there, but someone quite the opposite.

"Catherine, is something wrong," he asked, alarmed. She rarely showed up unannounced. "Did something happen at the lab…something happen to Lindsay?"

She smiled, "Everything is fine. Can I come in?"

"Yeah, sure," he answered, tightening the towel around his waist. "Just let me go get some clothes on."

"It's ok," she said, holding up her hand. "I'll only be here a minute and it's not like I haven't seen you in a towel before."

Catherine walked in, playing with the keys in her hands.

"Can I get you anything?" Grissom asked nervously.

"Are you sleeping with Sara?" Catherine blurted out.

He just looked at her, guilty clouds in his eyes telling her more than his words ever would.

"That's all the answer that I need," she said, pacing a small space around the living room. "I'm not going to give you the integrity of the lab speech or the coworkers dating is impossible speech. I know that you've heard them both. You said them to me. I just wanted to say that, as your friend, I wish that you had told me. We've been friends for more than twenty years and for me to find out that you're seeing Sara from a phone call that I accidentally overheard, shows me just what you think of me."

She stopped, tears in her eyes. He couldn't deal with a crying Catherine, he never could. She wasn't the angry, condemning, jealous Catherine that he had seen in his dreams. She was tearful and sad and it made his heart break in more ways than he thought possible to see her like this.

"Catherine, I…We didn't want anyone at the lab to know. I didn't want to put you in that position," he said, not knowing what to do. He felt more naked standing there in front of her now than he had this afternoon with Sara.

"I don't care about what position you put me in," she said, looking at him in the eye. "I hope you know that I want you to be happy. I want you to have someone in your life. Even if that person is Sara, and not me."

He seemed surprised by her sincerity.

"I just thought that it would be better for everyone involved, if we kept it quiet," he said, relaxing a little.

Catherine sank down in one of the leather chairs in his living room and looked out the window.

"I guess I can understand that. God knows that's one of the reasons that it didn't work out for us," she said, looking over at him.

He returned her stare, remembering the day that they had both sat in the director's office and were told that they couldn't work together and be in a relationship. It had been relatively new to them and neither of them had wanted to sacrifice their careers. Catherine had just broken up with Eddie and she had to provide for Lindsay and he had never known anything else. It was a risk that neither one of them had been willing to take. And even though that moment in time had passed, both of them had regretted not trying harder to make it work at times.

"Once Ecklie found out...the director knew by that afternoon…then we spent the whole night saying goodbye…All I've ever wanted is for you to be happy," Catherine said, tears in her eyes. "And if Sara is the one that does that for you…."

"She does," he confessed, sitting on the arm of the chair and looking down at her. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you."

"You know that I wouldn't have said anything. I wouldn't hurt you or the lab," she replied.

"I know that, Catherine. I just needed some time," he said, taking her hand. "I fell in love with someone I worked with before and it didn't work out. I wanted to be sure."

"Are you sure?" she whispered.

"I don't know. I know that I love her and right now that's enough," he said honestly.

"Well, then that's good enough for me," she answered, getting up out of the chair. She kissed him on one cheek and pressed her hand to the other one.

He felt closer to her than he had in years. Each of them having allowed time to make them grow further and further apart. He watched her as she walked to the door and admired the amazing dancer's body that she still had after all these years.

"I know you're watching me," she yelled across the room.

"I'm not dead," he said with a laugh. "You wanna catch a bite to eat tonight?"

"Don't you have plans with the missus?" she teased, turning to face him as he approached her.

"I do, but I thought that you could join us," he offered, wanting two of the most important women in his life to be friends.

A huge smile crossed her face, "I'd love to."

"See you at Tony's at 8?" he asked, laying a hand on the doorknob.

"I'll be there, but if you two start making out at the table, I'm outta there," she teased as he opened the door and leaned in to gently kiss her forehead.

"Thank you, Catherine," he whispered as she turned and walked out the door, just as Sara was coming up the sidewalk with a confused look on her face.

"What was that all about?" she asked, eyeing the towel around his waist.

Grissom just smiled and held the door open for her. He kissed her on the lips and laughed.

"It was about telling Catherine," he answered, closing the door.