Title: Jet Lag 3
Author: neo-chef
Pairing: Catherine/Sara
Rating: PG for now, will progress later
Spoilers: anything is fair game
Archive: let me know and it can go anywhere
Disclaimer: If they were mine, I wouldn't have the time or the energy to write about them…
A.N. Thanks to all for the great feedback. Its good to know that my first story has been so well received.
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After the endless chatter of a young child over the dinner table, Catherine had rounded Lindsay up and dropped her off at Nancy's place. Catherine had spent the better part of the afternoon debating her feelings for Sara. On the way to CSI headquarters, hundreds of thoughts flew around her head. Do I like Sara more than a friend? Does she like me at all? Are we even friends? Is she even interested in women? How do I talk about it with her?...
With all these thoughts running through her mind, she parked her Tahoe and stepped into the warm evening air. Walking across the parking lot towards the front doors, the tune she heard on the radio that morning flowing in her head, she jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Bloody hell War, don't sneak up on me like that," squealed Cath as she spun around to lock eyes with her green eyed counterpart.
With a chuckle, Warrick replied, "I didn't Cath. I called you name twice. You were off in your own little world. A penny for your thoughts?"
'You can have them for free if you help me figure out Sara.'
"Its nothing Warrick, just something I dreamt about last night. No biggie," replied strawberry blonde CSI as Warrick pulled the door open for her. "I'm just heading to locker room and my office. I see you in the break room."
"Ok Cath, I grab you a cup of coffee."
As she pushed the door to the locker room open, she heard a locker door slam shut. Rounding the row of lockers she saw the object of her dreams, with her head resting against the cool metal. "Hey Sara." The younger CSI's head snapped up at the voice. 'She's going give herself whiplash if she keeps this up,' thought Cath.
"Cath," came out as a choked squeal, "how are you? Sorry about yesterday, I didn't mean to snap at you." Words were flying at a mile-a-minute from Sara's mouth.
"I'm fine, and it's ok. If you want to talk about it, I'm here for you," replied Cath as she laid her hand on Sara's arm. At the physical contact, Sara jumped back, slamming into the lockers. A quick stuttered apology and the brunette fled the room. 'She can barely stand to be in the same room as me, let alone be touched by me,' thought Cath as she put her belongings in her locker and headed to her office.
Sitting behind her desk, staring at the pile of case files in her in-box, she thought about the latest revelation in her 'relationship' with Sara. The last 2 occasions where Cath had tried to talk to Sara ended in the younger woman fleeing the room at speed, after a gentle hand from Catherine. She was now even more confused in her feelings about her younger workmate. 'Yes, I like her, does she like me? Now I'm not so sure.'
Catherine's musings were interrupted by a knock on her door. "Cath you in here, we're waiting for you in the breakroom," a light southern drawl beckoned the senior CSI.
"Yeah Nicky, I'm on my way. Just got sidetracked with some stuff. I'm on my way," called Cath as she grabbed some of her paperwork and headed for the breakroom.
"Hey Gil, sorry I'm late," greeted Cath as she walked into the break room. Sara was sitting on one of the lounges, trying to be engrossed on a forensic journal. Cath took the offered cup of coffee from Warrick and sat down at the table. She watched Sara's eyes flick up to meet hers and back to the page again. Cath sighed and looked up to her boss.
"Okay, quiet one tonight everyone, only the one new case at the moment. B&E out in Henderson. Looks easy. Nick take Greg and head out there," delegated Grissom as he passed the slip the Texan, "Everyone else, catch up on paperwork or any open cases you still have." A collective groan flowed from the rest of the night shift as Grissom turned and left the room, followed by Nick and Greg leaving Cath, Warrick and Sara sitting in the break room.
"Well ladies, I have a stack of paperwork to finish off, I'll leave you to it." Sara's shoulder tensed at Warrick's parting words, something not missed by Catherine. As Cath stood from the table to walk around to where Sara was sitting on the couch, the younger CSI jumped up.
"I have heaps of paperwork too, I should probably get that done as well," Sara muttered as she walked hastily from the room before Cath could even open her mouth. Cath slumped to the couch, in the space previously occupied by Sara, feeling the warmth in the leather. The start of the chorus of that song flowed through her head, thinking it fitted Sara to a 'T'.
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I got jet lag and I never even left the ground
See it's like that every time you come around
Cath was feeling exhausted trying to understand the younger CSI, hoping that the end of the chorus fit too.
See I can't get enough
This must be love
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Did she love the younger CSI? Her thoughts were dominated by the chocolate eyed CSI, she was sure it was beyond friendship. How much effort was she willing to put in to win Sara over. Then and there, she made a decision to talk to her colleague before the end of shift, as she walked to her office to finish whatever paperwork she had left.
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TO BE CONTINUED...
