Thank you all so much for the reviews, I hope you will like this next part as well…

Lady J, again thank you for betaing this… Especially since this was the sneakily revised chapter…

Chapter Twenty

In the Office

'What happened at my office? I almost kissed her, that's what happened. If it hadn't been for the goddamn bad timing of Grissom, I would have kissed her. God Gil, I could just kill you right now! Maybe I could get Warrick to help me cover up. Who would suspect me anyway? Does she know that I almost kissed her? Did she feel it too? The moment felt so right, it felt like she wanted it too.' Catherine was lost in thought on the way to her office. 'I have got to talk her out of going to that interview. She'll get hurt no matter what she says and I don't want her to get hurt. God, this is more than a mere attraction, this is wanting more than just a one night stand. Can this week get any better? I catch the case from hell, I can't plan Lindsey's birthday properly and I realize that I have feelings for Sara Sidle.'

'I'm going to be at that prison no matter what she says. I need to know whether or not it is him. How could she ever understand how much I need to know for sure that the bastard is locked up? And I will not let her near him either, he cannot get his eyes on her. She deserves to have a problem free life and she'll never get that if he is ever let loose.' Sara stopped dead in her tracks as it hit her. 'She almost kissed me! She was about to kiss me when Grissom interrupted us! Maybe Nick will help me cover up if I kill him… Maybe Catherine would help me – she was about to kiss me after all… Wasn't she? I didn't make it up, did I? No… But why would she kiss me?'

Arriving at her office Catherine closed the door behind Sara. Opting against sitting behind the desk, she went for the couch instead.

"Sit down." She said, patting the spot next to her. "We have to talk this through."

"I'm going with Nick and Brass." Sara said, sitting down next to her.

"I don't want you to go." Catherine countered.

"What?"

"This guy attacked you and is obsessed with your friend."

"I know that, Catherine. I was there."

"So why would you want to be anywhere near him again? You'll end up hurt, Sara."

"I need to know that he can't hurt her or anyone else I care about again. I need to know that he is where he is supposed to be."

"You can have Nick tell you that."

"Nick won't know for sure that it's Dunne."

"He can take a picture, that way you'll know."

"I won't, Cath. I need this – I need to know for sure." Sara said, looking the blonde in the eyes. "I need to know that the people I care for are safe."

"Ok." Catherine didn't want to agree to what the younger woman was saying, but couldn't get herself to say no again. She thought about it for a moment. "But I get to be right next to you and…" She held up a hand to stop the oncoming protest. "And you will stay behind the two way mirror and not even think about getting into the room with him. Do we have a deal?" She held out her hand.

Sara thought about it. She didn't want Catherine within ten miles of Charles Dunne, but she doubted that the blonde would let her go without her.

"Deal." She shook the offered the hand.

"Good." Catherine couldn't help herself. She tugged at Sara's hand causing the brunette to fall lightly into her body. She put her arms around the surprised woman and hugged her tightly. "I don't want to see you hurt anymore, Sara."

Sara didn't answer but relaxed into the hug, enjoying the feeling of comfort Catherine was offering.

"Catherine?" She said, breaking the moment.

"Yes."

"When Grissom interrupted us before…" She stopped.

Catherine broke the hug and leaned back to look her in the eyes.

"Yes?"

"Were you… I mean, I could be completely wrong here, but I had this feeling that you were about to…" She stopped, suddenly loosing her nerve.

"About to what?" Catherine pushed, needing for Sara to actually say the words.

"No, never mind." Sara mumbled and looked down at her hands.

"About to what, Sara?" Catherine repeated gently, placing a hand under Sara's chin, forcing her to look at the older woman.

"About to… kiss me." Sara finally got out.

"I…" Catherine didn't get any further before Sara shot up from the couch and interrupted her.

"Look, never mind. It was a stupid question anyway. Just wishful thinking on my part." She started pacing the office.

"Sara…" Catherine tried again.

"Shit." Sara stopped as she realized what she had just said. "Look, Catherine." She turned towards the blonde. "I'm sorry. I just… Please don't have me fired for this, but I should probably tell you … God, what am I doing?" She sat down on one of the chairs in front of the desk and held her head in her hands.

"Sara, what…" Catherine was confused.

"These things always happen when she's around." Sara said.

"She?"

"Veronica. She always makes me do things I'd never do on my own." Sara was still hiding her face in her hands.

"Ok. I'm confused." Catherine admitted. "We were talking and now Veronica is in the middle of it all?"

"Yes. She said something and then Nick said something…"

"Nick? What's Nick…"

"Yes, at lunch he said something as well, and then Grissom interrupted and…" Sara looked up at the blonde knowing that it was now or never.

"Catherine, I have feelings for you."

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"Do you need help checking out the guards?" Nick asked, walking into the lab where Warrick was working.

"Sure, but aren't you going to the prison?" Warrick asked.

"They can't have him ready until 4 o'clock, so I have a couple of hours to kill."

"Pull up a chair." Warrick nodded towards the chair next to him. "Here." He added, handing him a stack of papers.

"Did you get Catherine to go out for lunch?" Nick asked while working his way through the pile of papers Warrick had given him.

"Yeah, it was nice." Warrick said. "Got updated on all the gossip."

"Yeah?" Nick tried to sound casual. "Lindsey's doing ok?"

"Yeah, she's good. Looking forward to her birthday coming around."

"That's right, I gotta buy her something." Nick thought out loud. "So, is she seeing anyone?" He added casually, wanting to find out as much as possible for Sara.

"Who? Lindsey? No, I think she's still a little young for that." Warrick joked.

"No, jackass." Nick punched him on the arm. "Catherine."

"No, not really." Warrick was dying to tell Nick about what Catherine had told him, but he would never betray her confidence.

"Not really?" Nick asked not understanding.

"She has her eyes on someone, but I can't tell you who. She'd kill me."

"Gotcha." Nick nodded.

"How was lunch with Sara?" Warrick asked.

"It was good," Nick smiled. "Finally got some gossip."

"Yeah? What?"

"Can't really tell you, but it was nice to see her so relaxed for once."

"Yeah, the girl needs to relax more. Is she seeing anyone?"

"Not really." Nick answered with a smile.

"Not really?" Warrick said. "Well, we all know who she has her eye on."

"I doubt it." Nick smiled.

"Come on, man. Everybody knows she has a thing for Grissom." Warrick said, feeling a little sorry for Catherine.

"Not according to her." Nick told him.

"What? Well, who then?" Warrick was surprised, but happy that Sara had gotten over Grissom. Those two would never be right for each other.

"You know I can't tell you that, man."

"It was worth a try, though." Warrick chuckled.

"I forgot to call Catherine to tell her when we're leaving for the jail. I better do that." Nick said, pulling out his phone and dialling the number.

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"Oh." Catherine felt her stomach doing summersaults. "Sara…" She was interrupted by her phone ringing. "Willows." She answered harder than necessary.

"Catherine, it's Nick."

"What do you want now, Nick?"

"Did I interrupt something? You sound a little pissed."

"Yes, you did. What did you want, Nick?"

"Just wanted to say that they'll be ready for us at the jail at 4."

"Ok, thank you, Nick. Sara and I will be joining you."

"I really don't think Sara should be there." Nick said worriedly.

"I don't either, but I can't convince her not to go." Catherine explained.

"Ok. I'll meet you guys by the car at 3 then. I'll let you get back to what you were doing."

"Yes. Bye Nick." Catherine hung up and turned back to Sara. "We leave for the prison at 3."

"Ok." Sara nodded. "Look, I should probably…"

"Sara." Catherine stopped her. "I…" She was interrupted once again by a phone ringing; only this time it was Sara's.

"Sidle." Sara answered the phone.

"Sass."

"Foxy, hey, what's up?" Sara got up. "I gotta take this." She said to Catherine and went into the corridor outside the office.

"I was thinking about what Catherine said. You know, that I could be wrong when I think this guy isn't coming for me."

"Yeah?" Sara went into the locker room to get some privacy.

"And if I'm wrong you'll be in danger as well, so I was hoping to convince you to have protection too."

"I don't think that will be necessary." Sara said calmly. "I don't think the guy who killed Siobhan is after either of us, either."

"Yeah, but still… Please think about it."

"I will."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Good. What are you doing? Don't you need to get home and get some sleep soon?"

"Sleep? I doubt I'll get any sleep even if I had time to go home." Sara laughed.

"What do you mean?" Veronica sounded worried. "You still think about the attack? I could probably prescribe a couple of sleeping pills for you, but only as long as this case is going on."

"No, that won't be necessary. It's just…" Sara looked around in the locker room making sure that she was alone. "I told her."

"You told who what, hon? OH! You told Catherine? Way to go sweetie!"

"No! Not good, Foxy. You always make me do these stupid things!"

"What? Me? I haven't talked to you the last ten hours or so, and I didn't tell you to tell her anything before that."

"You hinted that she would be interested."

"Well, yeah but… What did she say?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing? Surely she would say something…" There was a pause. "Sara, did you give her a chance to say anything?"

"The phone interrupted us."

"I interrupted you?" Veronica asked, not believing that she of all people would be the one with such bad timing.

"Well, Nick interrupted us first, then you."

"Well, what the hell are you doing talking to me? Get back there and talk to her!"

"Foxy…"

"You haven't hung up yet? Get going you big idiot!"

"Foxy, I don't know what she's going to say."

"There's only one way to find out, hon. And I swear to God – if you don't hang up this instant and get back to her, I will come over there myself and make you talk to her."

"I love you, Veronica." Sara smiled.

"Wrong girl you're saying that to. Now go!"

"Bye." Sara hung up the phone. She hesitated a moment, before heading back to Catherine's office.