Thank you all for the reviews. I almost have 100 reviews, that's so great! Yay! Thank you for that.

Jess, thank you for being my almighty beta. Thanks for making the decisions I can't make myself.

I had so much fun writing this chapter, so I really hope you all like it. Hope you will review and tell me what you think of it and if you had fun reading it… Enjoy…

Chapter seventeen

Eating and Talking

"Aren't you glad that you're out of the lab now?" Nick asked with a grin, pointing at Sara's coffee cup. "That's gotta be better than the slush we have back there."

"I guess it isn't all that bad." Sara smiled.

"So… you wanna talk about it?" He asked gently when she didn't say anything more.

"Talk about what?"

"It must have been hard for you back then. How old were you?"

"It… Look, I'm not really that comfortable talking about it."

"Ok, I respect that." Nick paused for a moment. "But… Have you ever talked to anyone about it?"

"I've talked to Veronica."

"And you haven't seen her in over ten years." Nick reached out and squeezed her hand. "It's not healthy to keep everything bottled up, Sara. If you ever want to talk about it – about anything – you know where to find me. I can keep a secret."

"Thanks Nick." Sara smiled, staring intently into her coffee cup.

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"So, what's new with you?" Warrick asked after they had placed their orders. "Got a new guy?"

"Hah." Catherine almost choked on the water she was drinking. "No… No, you can't really say that I do."

"So what other than the case and Lindsey's birthday has you stressed out?" He asked with a smile.

"You heard that, huh?" Catherine stalled.

"Yeah, I heard that." Warrick grinned.

"You weren't supposed to hear that."

"I know… but I did, so spill."

"I uhm… I have been realizing lately that uh… Well, I'm attracted to someone."

"That doesn't usually stress you out. What's the problem?"

"Well… I'm not sure that I'm comfortable talking about it."

"Come on! What… It's someone younger than you?" He asked, trying to figure out the problem.

"Well, yeah…" Catherine said laughing. "But that's not really the main problem… But now you mention it, that might be a problem." She finished with a frown.

"Ok… Well, some young stud will keep you on your toes. I don't see the big deal."

Catherine laughed at his words. She could just imagine the scowl on Sara's face if she was called a 'young stud'. She looked over at Warrick, who was clueless as to what she was laughing about.

"Ok, look…" She leaned forward slightly and Warrick mirrored the pose. "This does not get further than here, got it?"

"Of course."

"I must have gone completely crazy." Catherine whispered shaking her head. "Promise you won't laugh."

"I promise… Just tell me already." Warrick whispered back.

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After sitting in silence for about five minutes, Sara started talking.

"I was 21 when it happened."

"That's pretty young."

"Yeah… But not as young as Veronica. And he didn't hurt me nearly as bad." She said, still staring into her coffee.

"You shouldn't compare the two of you." Nick started. "What happened to her was very traumatic. But what happened to you was as well. It doesn't matter that you know that someone has had it worse than you, you still hurt the same. Believe me, I know."

"Yeah, that's what Foxy used to say. Are you talking to anyone about what happened to you?"

"Yes, I have a therapist. But let's talk about me next time we have breakfast together, and just deal with you on this one. What do you say?" He offered with a sympathetic smile.

"I'm not so good at that." Sara said and looked up, meeting his eyes for the first time. "Talking about me, I mean."

"It's not that hard once you get started really. I had a little trouble talking to my therapist at first too."

"But you're not my therapist…" Sara started.

"No, I'm a friend who cares about you."

"Ok." Sara took a deep breath and started talking while looking around the diner. "The injuries weren't that bad really - a concussion, a broken arm and a couple of fractured ribs. The thing that really hurt was the fact that he had been able to find me so easily. That I never noticed him following me."

"How do you know that he was following you?"

"He must have… Veronica was… It happened in the room we shared, so they had moved me to a new room. I didn't really talk to a lot of people other than Foxy, so he couldn't have gotten the address from any friends."

"It must have scared you, though."

"Yes, it did. But I've gotten past that. You can get used to a lot of things."

"What do you mean, you can get used to a lot of things?"

"I don't think we've got enough time for that story now." Sara said with a small smile. "But I got over this attack."

"So you're perfectly ok with everything now?" Nick asked, sounding doubtful.

"No, of course I'm not. I'm still mad as hell, but I don't let it eat me up anymore. This was done to me by a guy who is absolutely sick, and now he's in jail. There's nothing more that can be done. I only blame myself for loosing the best friend I have ever had."

"Veronica?"

"Yes. I ran away from her as fast as I could. I couldn't handle seeing her so defeated - so lost and closed off. She was the most open person I'd ever met, and all that was lost in what seemed like a second."

"But Veronica seems to have forgiven you. Maybe you haven't lost her. Maybe you just went your separate ways for a while and now you're meeting back up."

"Maybe." She answered. "But how can she forgive me, when I can't even forgive myself."

"Well, that's what friends do, Sara. They forgive each other."

Their food arrived and they started eating in silence until Nick interrupted it.

"So, you didn't have many friends in college?" He asked, wanting to know more about her.

"No, I didn't. I still don't."

"You do. You just don't realize it." Nick told her honestly.

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"Ok, it's someone we work with." Catherine told him.

"What?" Warrick nearly shouted.

"Shhh…" Catherine shushed him. "Keep it down."

"Sorry." Warrick lowered his voice. "Someone younger that we work with…" He thought out loud. "Well, it's not Nick, because he would have told me something. Grissom is older, so are Brass and Doc Robbins. Greg would never be able to keep his mouth shut if it was him…"

Catherine smiled over the rim of her glass, thinking that he would never guess who it was.

"That leaves…" Warrick frowned. "Hodges?" He asked disbelievingly.

Catherine spat out the sip of water she had just taken and started coughing violently. Warrick dried his face and went over beside her to make sure that she was alright.

"God, Rick." Catherine managed to get out between coughs. "Trying to kill me here?"

"Sorry, it was the only one who fitted the description." Warrick tried to defend himself when Catherine had gotten herself under control, and he went back to his own seat. "Unless," He added. "It's Bobby?"

"No, not Bobby," Catherine shook her head. "And definitely not Hodges!" She said forcefully.

"Well, I can't really think of anyone else. I mean, I'm relieved that it's not Hodges." He said with a grin. "The only thing that would surprise me more would be if it was Sara." He laughed. "But you're not…."

He stopped mid sentence when he looked over at Catherine, who was looking intently at the table and fiddling with her napkin. He leaned back in over the table and whispered:

"It's Sara?"

Catherine looked up and met his eyes – the surprise clearly written in them.

"Yes, it's Sara." She whispered back.

"Wow." Warrick leaned back and looked at her. "Wow…"

"You already said that." Catherine stated.

"And it's such a small word for that kind of news." Warrick wasn't even sure that he had heard her right. "You mean, you… Wow." He shook his head and started laughing.

"Rick, you promised not to laugh." Catherine tried to sound mad, but she couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips.

"Here's your food." The waitress sat their plates down in front of them. "Enjoy."

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"What do you mean, I don't realize it?" Sara asked curiously.

"Well, I'm your friend, but you didn't seem to know that. Hell, the entire nightshift are your friends – or they would be if you let them."

"The entire nightshift? Yeah, right…" Sara didn't believe him.

"Yeah right." Nick said seriously. "Well, maybe Greg wants to be a little more than friends, but we all care a lot about you."

"I'm sorry for Greg, but that's never gonna happen." Sara informed him, ignoring his second statement.

"Really?" Nick asked playfully. "Have someone else in mind?"

"That, Nick, is none of your business." Sara shot back smiling. She liked this talking thing more than she'd thought.

"Oh come on, Sara. It's not like I don't already know who you have in mind; I just want you to actually say it."

Sara froze.

How could he know? She thought that she had hidden her feelings for Catherine so well.

"What do you mean you already know?"

"The entire office knows, Sara."

"The entire office?" Sara squeaked. "How can the entire office know? I haven't been that obvious, have I?"

"Just a little. But as a friend I have to tell you - I think you should just give up on him. Nothing is going to happen there." He offered sympathetically.

Sara leaned back in her chair defeated. She already knew that nothing was going to happen, but it was different when someone else told her out loud. Suddenly she straightened up as a word from Nick's sentence registered with her.

"Him?"

"Yeah, Grissom. I think he cares for you, but he'll never allow anything to happen between the two of you. You'd save yourself a lot of heartache if you just try to give up on him."

Sara leaned back in the chair again laughing. She was relieved that people still thought she had a thing for Grissom. At least that was better than everybody knowing that she had feelings for Catherine.

"What's so funny?" Nick wanted to know.

"Oh… That's hard to explain."

"Try. You've got me all curious."

"It's just that it isn't Grissom. It was for a short while, but then I came to my senses. That's all."

"Ok… Good for you." Nick paused thinking before adding: "Then why were you so worried that the entire office know who you have your eyes on?"

"Uh..." Sara struggled, internally cursing the fact that she was eating with an investigator. "I like my privacy?" She tried uncertainly.

"I know you do, but why would you care about what people at the lab think, unless…" Nick's face lit up. "…it's someone else at the lab?"

Sara felt the warm spread on her face and knew that she was blushing - busted! There was no way she'd get out of this one without telling Nick.

"It's someone at the lab!" Nick felt almost giddy. "Spill! Who is it?"

"Uh…" Sara was feeling very eloquent.

"Wait, let me guess… You've said that it's not Greg or Grissom. That leaves Warrick, Brass, Doc, Bobby and uh… Hodges." He looked at her worriedly. "Please tell me it's not Hodges." He said with a frown.

"It's definitely not Hodges." Sara laughed.

"Good!" Nick sighed. "Ok, that leaves four. Doc's married, so we'll drop that theory as well. Brass is… well, Brass. Bobby? I'm not feeling it. Is it Warrick? I mean, he's married as well, but it's still my best bet."

"I hope you haven't put money on that." Sara said. "It's not Warrick… Or Brass, or Bobby, or Doc Robbins either."

"Who is it then? I can't think of others." Nick asked confused, he had been sure that he had guessed correct.

"You're my friend?" Sara asked.

"Yes." Nick said strongly.

"And you can keep a secret?"

"Definitely."

"Good, because you really can't tell anyone about this."

"I promise. Just tell me already."

"It's…" Sara paused, wondering what the hell she had gotten herself into. "It's Catherine."

-----------------------

"Wow." Warrick stated again.

"Ok, I think we have established that you're surprised now." Catherine answered in response.

"Well, yeah!" Warrick chuckled. "I never in a million years saw that one coming. But it's a good surprised, I just never…"

"… Saw that one coming." Catherine finished for him. "You said that."

"What are you going to do about it?" He asked curiously.

"I don't know." She sighed.

"You don't know? That's new."

"Not when it comes to Sara Sidle."

"You're right on that one." He started chuckling again. "I can't believe this."

"I am never telling you anything again." Catherine mock threatened.

"I say go for it." Warrick shot back.

"Warrick, this is a female colleague we're talking about me making a move on here. I think that needs a little consideration, don't you?"

"I don't know… What's the worst that could happen? The two of you go back to biting each others heads off?"

"I think a sexual harassment suit would qualify as the worst that could happen."

"Sara would never do that."

"And how exactly do you know that, Rick?" Catherine asked playfully.

"She just doesn't seem the type to… Oh no! No, no, no, I don't know because I… I never…." Warrick suddenly realized what she was suggesting.

"Oh relax, I know you've never had a thing for Sara." Catherine laughed.

"Good. So are you going to go for it?"

"I'll think about it." Catherine answered as she finished the last bite of her food.

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"Catherine?" Nick asked not quite sure that he had heard her correctly. "Catherine Willows?"

"Yes, the one and only." Sara answered, looking down at her now empty coffee mug.

"So, you're gay?" He asked for clarification.

"Not really."

"Bi?"

"Yes."

"Ok." Nick smiled, finally he was getting to know Sara. "So, does Catherine know about this?"

"Are you crazy?" Sara exclaimed. "She'd slap me with a harassment suit faster than you can say 'Sara you're fired'."

"Nah, Catherine wouldn't do that." Nick defended the blonde.

"You're ok with this?" Sara asked to make sure.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"I just told you about my crush on our female colleague."

"Well, she is a hot female colleague…" Nick stopped when Sara slapped his arm. "Ok, sorry! But what are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing!"

"Why not? I say go for it… Wait." He held up a hand when he saw Sara was about to interrupt him. "It's just, Catherine never stops surprising me, so you never know. At least think about it?"

Sara sighed.

"You are so wrong, Nick. Even if she hypothetically would be interested in a woman, there's no way she'd be interested in me."

"Not interested in a gorgeous, smart, intelligent woman with a big heart hidden underneath those walls she's built up? Why wouldn't she be interested in that?"

Sara blushed for the second time in an hour.

"Ok, I'll think about it." She muttered.