Hey. Hehe cliffhangers are fun arn't they.

There's a bit of language in this one.

I don't own CSI

Sara sat down on the couch beside Joey. "Hey."

"Hey." He replied. Sara looked down to the toy he wasplaying with, "Is that an eagle?"

"It's a bald eagle. Did you know that they're the only large black bird in North America with a white head and tail." He looked up at Sara wide eyed and excited.

"Really, thats kinda cool." She smiled at him.

"And they can see a dark fish in the water while flying hundreds of feet up in the air!" He made a soaring motion with his small hand to demonstrate. "And they can see forward and to the side at the same time." Sara's smile grew larger as Claire watched from the kitchen.

"Hey have you ever seen one up close." She had an idea.

"No. Have you?" He looked a little sadden by this.

"No. But I have a friend who could show us one." His eyes lit up instantly.

"Up close!" Claire watched the exchange, Sara always did love making him smile.

"Yeah! I bet he might even let you hold him." She whispered.

"Cool! Can we go tomorrow?"

"Only if you go to bed and get some sleep." Sara was suddenly aware of Claire speaking. She smiled at Joey.

"Go on, bed time." Claire continued. Joey got up quickly but suddenly got very tired as he walked towards the bedroom. Claire rushed over to him quickly and picked him up, carrying him to bed. His head resting on her shoulder, legs on either side of her waist.

"Goodnight Joey." Sara called to him.

"Goodnight." his voice was sleepy.

Claire emerged back into the living room soon after and sat down next to Sara, who offered her a cup of coffee she had just made. "Thanks. Hes out like a light."

"He got tired quickly." Claire just nodded in reply. They didn't make eye contact. When Joey was in the room he was a distraction, they could be happy, laugh and smile but when he left, it was a different story. Just the two of them, akward moments, silences. Over the last couple of days however Claire had noticed that her heart had stopped skipping a beat when Sara made a sudden movement. She realised that Sara had changed. Back in San fransisco when she had first started using, it was almost as if there were two versions of her, the normal Sara,without drugs, and the drug induced version. That one was violent, angry and unpredictable. Over time it became harder and harder to tell the two apart. But now the drug induced version was gone. Hopefully for good.

"You don't mind me taking him to see the guy with the eagle tomorrow do you?"

"No, not at all, he's really excited." Sara finally looked at Claire her deep red hair was down, it hung loosly around her shoulders, dark green eyes, were tired and sad.

"I'm sorry Claire."

"For what?"

"Fucking everything up. I hate that I hurt and Joey. I hate what I became. I'm sorry, I'm not saying this so that you can forgive me we can pretend it never happened. I'm not asking for your forgivness, or even a second chance, you guys deserve better then that." Sara's eyes filled with tears and she looked away.

"Yeah we do."

Claire leaned over and kissed her. Long soft kisses.She broke the kiss and reached down to the buttons on Sara's shirt, undoing them one by one. She reached around Sara's waist with one hand and guided them both up of the couch and towards Sara's bedroom.

Sara looked at Claire asleep beside her. A million thoughts raced through her mind.
Shit
What am I doing
Shes beautiful
He's dying
Shes beautiful.
She turned and looked over at the clock it read eleven thirty. She got up and went into the living room. Picking up the phone she dialed Greg's cell phone. He answered after a few rings.

"Sanders"

"Hey Greg it's Sara."

"Hey, and hows the world outside the lab. Does it still exist? 'Cos ah,I haven't seen it in a while." He said with a laugh.

"It's ok, listen about your big case,"

"The triple?"

"Yeah a friend of mine was interveiwed as a suspect. She said it was because of a ticket stubb."

"Ah I can't discuss it with you then you know that."

"Yeah, no, I know, I just, Okay I'm not suggesting your not doing your job properly.I don't know any details of the case but I wanted to make sure you were aware of the amount of time between.."

"when the plane landed and the crime occured? Not very long." There was a short silence.

"Shit, I'm sorry Greg. I trust you I shouldn't worry about it."

"It's ok"

"I'm just confused about why she's a suspect thats all." Greg listened to her ramble. He was a little dissapointed that she called to check on it, but apparetly they had interveiwed her friend, he probably would have wanted to know as well. He thought about it for a moment, they had only interveiwed one woman, Claire Mathews.She must be who Sara was talking about.

"Don't worry Sara we just followed the evidence, it's a weird case. Don't wory about your friend we don't have any serious suspects at the moment."

"Thanks Greg. I"m sorry." She knew he shouldn't have told her that but was grateful that he did.

"Don't mention it." They hung up. Damit. Now Greg probably though she didn't trust his work. She stretched out her neck, put the phone back on the hook and went back to bed.

"SARA, Sara wake up" Sara heard Claire's panicked scream. She shot up in bed. Her heart raced. Joey. She jumped up out of the bed.

"Claire!" She ran into the spare room Claire was on the phone.

"I need an ambulance, my son, he has AIDS hes not waking up. Yes hes breathing, has a pulse, I just...I can't wake him up please..."Claire continued on the phone quoting Sara's adresss in a panicked voice. Sara rushed over to their son.

"Joey. Joey! JOEY!" She shook him by the shoulder. He didn't respond.

Oh God! Don't let him die yet. Please!