Thanks for reading, and thanks so much for those taking the time to review- it keeps me interested in writing this!

Sara

"Catherine"

I tried once again, arms crossed as I stood beside the worn motel bed, staring down at the lump buried beneath blankets, messy hair concealing the small portion of her face not covered.

She was working herself to the bone- not that she had much choice in the matter I thought in annoyance as my phone vibrated in my back pocket for the third time that morning, undoubtedly another message about the mandatory meeting Ecklie had called for as soon as we made it back into town.

I sighed, leaning forward to shake her shoulder gently, "Cat". She mumbled something unintelligible as she burrowed deeper beneath the covers, golden light filtering in through the open blinds, illuminating the bit of red left uncovered. I took a breath, saying a silent prayer that a few hours of sleep was enough to raise her mood up from the depths of hell that it had descended to yesterday, pulling the covers down to expose her face to the light.

"Catherine" I pressed loudly, boldly reaching out to brush the pile of hair away from her pretty face. She wrinkled her nose, squinting open one eye at me in annoyance. I immediately grabbed the large coffee and the paper bagged breakfast sandwich I had snuck out to pick up at some local, overpriced café, holding them up as a sort of peace offering with an unsure smile.

"Morning. We've gotta go," I extended the cup towards her slightly "I brought coffee"

She groaned, rolling over onto her back, pushing a tired hand through her hair. "What time is it?" she asked, voice a few octaves lower than usual, sliding her leg out from beneath the covers as her eyes drifted sleepily open.

I averted my gaze to the window, shifting weight to my right leg awkwardly, craving a cigarette. This room was entirely too small for the distance I needed from her. She was the most infuriating force in my life on a good day, but I had eyes and a sex drive and she was doing an extraordinary job at overwhelming both.

"It's um, 7" I cleared my throat lightly, passing her the coffee. She looked at me quizzically, amusement tugging at her features as she slid up against the headboard, blankets pooling around her waist.

Give me a break.

"Thanks" she husked, running fingers through her hair as she glanced out at the sunlit parking lot.

"Ecklie want's us back at the lab ASAP," I grabbed my coffee from the bedside table, sitting down on the edge of my bed "Mandatory meeting, I wonder about what"

She smiled at my sarcasm, throwing back the covers and sliding her pale legs over the edge of the bed, "I need a shower, I feel like I got caught in a downpour and slept in a questionable motel bed."

She stood with a small, cat like stretch, padding sleepily towards the bathroom. On their own accord my eyes drifted over to watch her move, hips lightly swaying, deep maroon underwear barely covering the pale, firm curve of her ass. She disappeared into the bathroom and I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding, rolling my eyes at myself as I patted down my jacket pockets in search of my cigarettes, heading for the door.

/

"I hear you two spent the night together" Greg inserted himself between us as we walked down the hall towards the break room, waggling his eyebrows. I frowned, shaking my head lightly in annoyance. "Please tell me things got at least a little sexy."

Catherine smiled, eyes meeting mine briefly before wrapping an arm around Greg's shoulder. "Oh Greg- a seedy motel room, soaking wet clothes, a rainstorm- what's sexy about that?" she husked, tossing the waves that she had somehow managed to finger comb back to perfection over her shoulder, shooting him a wink. His smile grew, letting out a dramatic groan as we broke off into the break room, "You're killin me!"

"Don't encourage him" I scolded with amusement, grabbing two oversized mugs from the shelf above the coffee maker as she dropped down into one of the chairs with a smile. The memory of her body stretched in front of me- alabaster skin and bare curves that had previously been left to imagination; the burning look in her bright eyes flashed through my mind and I physically shook my head in a vehement attempt to clear it. I could have sworn that there had been intent behind her actions- I had watched her flaunt her looks countless times, it came like second nature to her, and it looked a lot like the way her azure eyes had burned into mine last night. I wasn't sure what she was playing at, but ignoring it seemed like the safest bet on all accounts.

"Good morning, thanks for gracing us with your presence"

I glanced up at the doorway, greeted by Ecklie's tired eyes and perpetual frown. I felt my body tense up, stirring Catherine's coffee with a sudden vehemence. I was hoping for at a few minutes to settle in before this began.

"We got here as fast as we could Conrad" Catherine sighed, leaning back in her chair, a razor sharp edge to her blue-eyed stare.

His gaze shifted from me to her, straightening the neutral toned tie that I could have sworn he wore daily with a pale hand. "Meeting commences in five minutes, do not leave this room," he ordered, shooting me a final glare before disappearing out the door. Catherine snorted, azure eyes meeting mine with a look of gratitude as I slid a mug in front of her, taking a seat to her right.

"You'd think that having a room full of evidence to catalogue and the entire state's eyes on us for answers would take priority here" she shook her head in bemusement, sinking back into the soft backed chair, taking a quick moment to glance at her nails on the hand not gripping her coffee like a life line.

I had shared my vexed thoughts on that particular matter on the drive here, taking the time to go over the aspects of the scene and compare it to the others. Just like the previous six though, it all came down to the evidence we were able to gather, which meant that time spent waiting for this politic based confrontation to begin was time wasted.

"Good morning ladies- nice to see you in the light of day" a low alto sounded from the doorway.

I repressed an eye roll, glancing up at Leiv's entirely too enthusiastic face, dark eyes predictably focused on Catherine who hadn't bothered to look up, flipping through the newest quarterly edition of The Forensic Examiner. "Good morning" she replied absently, azure eyes scanning over an article on molecular death, manicured hand raising her coffee mug to her lips.

He sat down slowly in the seat next to her, eyes dropping to the article as he leaned in to feign interest. He was about a subtle as a hurricane in his attempts at garnering the red heads attention. He was hardly the first to fall for her blatant charm and devastatingly good looks, and I was well versed in the inevitable downfall.

Brass was the next to join us, bee lining for the coffee, thick hand landing solidly on my shoulder as he passed "Glad you two made it back in one piece- that storm last night was nasty"

I shot him a smile, absently glancing at the vacant hallway, wondering if Sofia had been called in for this. Part of me hoped she had managed to escape it, but the greater, more selfish side was longing for her presence. Jim glanced over his shoulder, as though he could sense my silent question. "If it lifts anyone's spirits at all, Sophie is on her way with a basket of muffins"

I smiled at the imagery, about to comment on the absurdity of that idea was when the blonde sauntered in, as if on cue- gun holstered at her waist, aviators resting on top of her head, pushing back lengthy hair away from her face that was sporting a deep, nasty looking gash across her high cheekbone- sure enough, a basket of muffins held securely in one strong hand.

Jim smiled from behind his mug and I gave her a quizzical look as she dropped it down at the center of the table ungracefully. Blue eyes held mine for a brief moment before taking a scan of the occupants of the table.

"These smell delicious, I had no idea you baked" Liev commented, clearly impressed as he stood to lean over the table, large hand rifling through the basket in search of some specific flavor. She shifted glacial eyes over to him in annoyance and Catherine let out the muffled laugh that I had managed to contain into the back of her hand- the blonde with her shit kicking boots and impatient stance giving her head a slight shake, slim hand brushing the loaded piece at her waist as she rested it on her hip. "They're from a bakery down on Jefferson"

I wasn't even sure she knew how to work an oven, based on her empty kitchen and her affinity for snack food. I grabbed a blueberry- the same delicious type she had brought me a few days ago, smiling at her as she dropped into the seat next to me. "Muffins? Interesting choice" I noted quietly in amusement.

"As of yesterday officer Keaton was released from surveillance duty on my condo. Thought it would be cute to bring me a whole basket of muffins this morning" she tossed her sunglasses onto the table, gesturing vaguely at the basket with a crinkled eyebrow, "What would I possibly do with a dozen muffins?"

Eli Keaton was a kind eyed, marginally sleazy but goodhearted cop who had transferred in from Los Angeles a few months back. He couldn't have been more than 30, with his thick blonde hair and boyish good looks. It was a minor case of mishandling evidence in his first week that had initially grated at Sofia's nerves, ever unsympathetic when it came to people being careless in our line of work. Her annoyance didn't deter him from falling for her brash attitude and sharp beauty, and it had been some strange form of disheartening fun watching him clamor to win her affections.

This was just the latest attempt and I couldn't help a quiet chuckle, her irritation at the kind gesture strangely endearing. I shifted my boot-clad foot beneath the table to collide gently with hers- some painfully innocent form of affection.

"Well I for one am grateful for the guy" Jim reached over to grab the last blueberry, raising it slightly in reference. His hound dog eyes fell on Catherine, observing her for a moment silently before going against his better judgment and asking the question that anyone paying the least bit of attention knew that she was sick of hearing, "How you doing Cath?"

She glanced up, offering him a quick smile, expertly repressing her irritation. The fading bruise coloring her cheek was a neon sign asking for the exact sort of attention she hated, and despite her calm demeanor, I knew she was still picturing the young, lifeless face of Eliza Hayes, quietly furious that we hadn't managed to stop this unnecessary horror sooner. She was far from okay.

"Alive and kicking Jim."

"Word is there's muffins somewhere around here" Nick popped his newly shaven head around the corner, soft brown eyes landing on the basket as the corners of his mouth curled up in satisfaction, sauntering in, followed closely by a disheveled looking Wendy Simms. Her usually sleek, black ponytail was loose and un-kept; the dark circles under her eyes rivaling even mine. She grabbed for a lemon poppy seed, eyes falling on Sofia as she wandered over to the couch, collapsing unceremoniously onto the dark leather. "You bake now?"

Sofia smiled, shaking her head as she absently reached over to take hold of my coffee mug, raising it to her lips, "What do you think?". I watched her take a long sip, glancing around to see if anyone noticed the oddly intimate gesture, though no one seemed to be paying any attention.

"Really, you took the last poppy seed?" Greg complained, drawing my attention over to his boyish form poking through the quickly dissipating array of muffins, brown eyes shifting over at Wendy in mock annoyance. She held up a hand, dark eyes narrowing slightly "Do you know how many hours I have been processing evidence from that semi explosion on Flamingo yesterday? Many. And Hodges is at a forensic technology conference in Miami all week, which means we're short staffed," she crossed one long leg over the other with a quiet huff, raising the muffin in her hand up at Greg vehemently "This is my first meal since yesterday".

He held his hands up in defense, dropping down next to her. "Okay, I get it, no need to get hangry with me" he nudged her slim shoulder gently, a repressed smile tugging at her lips.

Despite the obvious exhaustion weighing down the majority of us, and the underlying sense of anxiety this case was causing, it was nice to be together. Comfortable conversation was taking place around me, Sofia occasionally stealing a sip of my coffee, glancing over with a sly smile. I made a mental note to force a bandage onto the two-inch gash decorating her cheek, which she was stubbornly brushing off as a scratch- an injury from the brutal scene last night. An oil tanker had driven into a convenience store, leaving the building in shambles and the body count at 13 with a few critical injuries expected to become fatalities. We had gotten the gory details over the radio on the way back into town.

The relaxed atmosphere of the room shifted immediately as Ecklie breezed back in, undersheriff McKeen following moments later.

"Okay, social hour is over. Unless this meeting pertains to you, get back to work. God knows you have enough of it"

Nick and Wendy cleared out, the Texan shooting me a sympathetic smile on his way out the door, holding up the remainder of his muffin at Sofia in thanks.

Ecklie took a scan of the occupants of the table, frown deepening as he exhaled a tired sigh "Does anyone know where Gil is?"

I was sure that he had taken a case with Warrick in a valiant attempt at avoiding this little powwow- not that I could blame him.

"Typical" he muttered at our silence, pressing his hands against the table, fingernails worn down to the skin. "Let's just get right down to it then. James O'Riley was released on bail this morning. His assault case won't see the inside of a courtroom for at least a few months"

I felt my stomach turn over, the muffin I had just eaten threatening to resurface. I should have expected that, but hadn't. I shifted my focus to Catherine, her expression remaining unchanged, though her crossed arms were pressed protectively against her slight frame, complexion paling even further. I balled my hands into fists, a surge of anger coursing through me.

"He assaulted a law enforcement agent- those cases always take priority" I interjected, tearing my eyes away from her to meet Ecklie's sharply.

"He's a wealthy man Sara, he got a good lawyer. And frankly, when you throw in two assaults against him from our side before his charges were even filed, it really doesn't paint the picture of him as a monster to the judge"

I opened my mouth to protest, feeling Sofia's hand sliding onto my knee - gently but firmly. I shook my head with a humorless snort, leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms over my chest, standing down for the moment.

"This entire ordeal has been a PR nightmare, and now that he's out I don't want either of you so much as glancing in his direction" McKeen's bright eyes burned into mine, daring me to challenge him.

"Well that's not going to happen, we're working a case with him as our primary suspect- how do you expect us to do our job?" Catherine rested thin arms on the edge of her chair, foot tapping a hole into the carpet.

"Take a page out of Grissoms book- work the evidence, avoid the people. If you have a solid reason for speaking to him, Brass or Curtis can be on the frontlines there," he glanced at the blonde in acknowledgement. "As I'm sure you're aware the press has picked this up, and that means I expect you all to be diligent and professional in this investigation- there are a lot of eyes on us"

I could practically feel Catherine's eyes rolling beside me, Greg shifting in his chair. "With all due respect, I'd like to think that we're always fairly diligent and professional, regardless whose watching"

Pale blue eyes didn't bother to meet Greg's, instead breezing over mine and settling on Catherine, the stress lines creasing his face more prominent than I remembered. "I'd like to think so, but after last weeks incidents, I feel that I need to reiterate the expectations around here"

"Okay," Catherine re-crossed her arms, shaking her head lightly with a quiet scoff "You've made your expectations of Sara and I crystal clear, no one else has given you any reason to be this condescending"

McKeen seemed genuinely surprised at her audacity, a hint of a smile tugging at my lips. Ecklie let out a tired sigh, running a hand over his head- clearly more familiar with being on the receiving end of Catherine's indignation. "Let's all just do our part to nail this guy while doing our best to uphold the reputation of the lab, okay?"

"You've got it boss" Liev chimed in over our collective silence.

"Which leads me to the next point" McKeen cut in, "The Feds have caught wind of this, and have been in contact." A series of quiet exhalations and under the breath expletives sounded around the table, the older man holding up a hand "it is still under our control for now, but don't be surprised if a small team shows up to aid in the investigation in the coming weeks. As you well know, they take rank, so please be accommodating"

Fucking fantastic.

Again, I should have seen this coming. Of course the FBI would insert themselves into the middle of this with the best of intentions. In reality, it meant everyone felt the need to constantly look over their shoulders, as the quality of our work was consistently brought into question- if the handful of times we had found ourselves working along side them was any indication. A bunch of power mongers, swooping in to criticize our technics and take the credit once all is said and done.

McKeen's phone buzzing for the third consecutive time put a definitive end to the conversation, everyone beginning to disperse. Brass's phone soon after penetrated the silence, his tired voice spouting off a few single worded questions into the mouthpiece before he snapped it shut, grasping his mug with a thick hand, downing the rest of the lukewarm contents before pushing up onto his feet. "Okay kid," his eyes met Sofia's "suspicious circs down on Freemont- I'll meet you out front in ten"

She made a move to stand and I shook my head, pushing her gently back into her seat as I stood. "Hold on there Rambo, let me patch you up"

I moved to the cupboards, opening a few doors, finding nothing but a sea of random things in some concerning state of organized chaos.

"Where have you been?" Catherine's exasperated voice sounded from her seat behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to see Grissom meandering in from the hall, shrugging lightly, "I had a case"

I found the kit in the last cupboard, pursing my lips in satisfactions as I pulled it out, moving back to the table.

"And this didn't seem important at all?"

He frowned, raising an eyebrow at her "Let me guess- you both got a lecture; the press is watching, so be on our best behavior, and expect a visit from the feds?"

I sat down, taking a moment to run my fingers gently through Sofia's silky hair under the guise of a thorough examination, trailing my thumb over her soft cheek- her bright eyes burning into mine.

"I guess mandatory meetings don't pertain to you then" Catherine huffed behind me. I glanced sideways at Grissom with a look of sympathy- silently grateful to not be the one on the other end of her foul mood for once.

"What is this about, Catherine? O'Riley being out of jail? The feds coming to breathe down our necks? Because you really should have seen that coming"

Sofia winced slightly as I laid a small, medicated Band-Aid over the gash, smoothing down the sides, offering her a gentle smile. She glanced over my shoulder at the two squaring up with a flash of frustration- at the hostility or their general presence I wasn't sure. Her fingertips gently brushed my hand as her eyes met mine again. "You know, this look is far less intimidating."

I chuckled, shaking my head lightly. "Thanks" her soft fingertips grazed my hand once more before standing up. I pursed my lips together into a smile, leaning back into the chair, "go get em'"

"You really are a piece of work, you know that?" Catherine shot, standing up to cross her arms over her chest. I narrowly managed to suppress an eye roll, pushing out of my chair and moving to stand next to her. Grissom, ever calm in the face of her out bursts just shrugged lightly, taking the seat that Jim had vacated.

"Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured." He held her gaze, pushing his glasses up with his index finger absently. "Mark Twain" he cited after a moment, apparently picking up on the fact that we were in no mood for guessing games. The look she gave him could have seared through flesh, but he either didn't notice or didn't care, motioning a hand at her in acknowledgement "Do you need a few days off, Catherine? It might be good for you"

She cocked an eyebrow, weight resting on one hip, lips parted with a quiet huff. I knew he meant well, but it was incredible how oblivious he could be. There were some infinite truths about Catherine, one of which being she did not do well without adequate sleep, and I could tell that this was headed nowhere productive fast.

She opened her mouth to say something assumedly volatile and I slid behind her, noting the smell of jasmine as my hands moved to her tense shoulders, the touch distracting her just long enough to direct her towards the door.

"Okay, we're going to start logging evidence" I tossed over my shoulder, turning to offer him a quick smile, all but shoving her out of the room.