Sara

"We can't just drag him down here, we shouldn't even be speaking with him"

A sigh, tongue running over an upper lip in annoyance.

"Then we stop by his place, ask him a few questions- it won't look good for him to resist"

A soft snort, manicured hand coming to rest firmly on the curve of a slim waist.

"As opposed to the innocence that he has tried so hard to maintain- come on Sofia, you know we have no grounds here"

My gaze shifted back to the blonde from where I was quietly stationed, leaning inconspicuously back against the wall. I was remaining Switzerland wherever possible these days.

"So what exactly is our plan then?" Glacial eyes shot over to Agent Callum, before shifting back to meet Catherine's irritated gaze. "Because clearly you have found nothing probative"

Catherine scoffed, eyes to the sky, tongue wetting her lips as though preparing for a proper argument. Callum seemed to pick up on this, stepping forward with a click of dangerously high heels, manicured hands coming to rest on the file littered table. "Maybe we sideline this for now, until we have more to work with"

"Or maybe, we need to give him the chance to mess up, give us an in"

"Oh, you mean like assaulting a CSI, or threatening lives? That clearly wasn't enough to keep him in our reach, what more could he really do to incriminate himself? Confess?"

I could see the tension in Sofia's squared shoulders, biting down on her tongue before tearing away from the glaring match she was engaged in, turning towards Callum.

"We are getting nowhere. This is the best lead we have, we may as well make another attempt at following it while we're sitting around waiting for him to make another move"

Catherine took a step forward, eyes narrowed "Really, is that what we're doing here?"

"Okay" Callum interjected, throwing her a warning glance. "I'm with Catherine here- work with what we have until this guy makes a wrong move, which he will. Assuming our focus is in the right place"

I let out a quiet, involuntary snort, drawing the attention of violent blue and hazel eyes, Sofia still focused on Rachel with a deep level of indignation. I had tried so hard to remain out of this conversation.

"How long is it going to be until he messes up? Two dead kids from now, five? We have nothing to work with, and yet we have a very likely suspect that we can't touch, because of what, politics?"

I gestured a hand at nothing in particular, my all too familiar frustrations once again growing.

"And what exactly are we going to ask him, Sara? Hey James, how's it going? Kill anyone lately?"

I took a breath, suppressing an eye roll as I met her gaze. I could feel it through my entire body- penetrating and angry with an edge of aching.

"Yeah, that's exactly it" Sofia shot, Catherine's gaze like piercing daggers returning to the blonde.

"I wasn't talking to you"

I could feel this conversation rapidly unraveling. Glancing over at Rachel, I silently prayed that she would be the one to defuse this. It was like walking on eggshells these days, something I had never quite mastered the art of. I was keeping a figurative hand outstretched towards Sofia, anticipating an eventual stumble. I knew that she was still reeling from the shooting, despite her steadfast denial.

Catherine on the other hand was like dealing with the uncertainty of a coastal spring- never quite sure whether you were in for a torrential downpour or the soft warmth of the returning sun. I had been harsh with her after the incident in the parking lot, the details of which I refused to dwell on. I was trying to make amends without putting myself out there. She had all the destructive power of a grenade- she knew it. A lingering touch, a toss of wavy hair over a slim shoulder and she held all of the power. But it was unfair to blame her for my own undoing- it wasn't her fault that she was undeniably intoxicating. It wasn't her fault that the walls I had built up years ago- the first time her beauty shook me-were beginning to crumble. I needed to rebuild them while not destroying this foundation on which we had managed to build the framework of a friendship. I was so tired of fighting- I only wanted peace. I couldn't muster the words, but I missed her. I missed her madly.

"Give it a few more days, work with what you have, and we will go from there. Try to play nice in the mean time" Rachel met Catherine's irritated gaze gently- her chosen favorite among us all. Maybe it was the low cut power suits and narrowly suppressed rage that connected them, storming around on their six inch heels. Either way, her and I were night and day, and in her eyes, Sofia was just a shell shocked liability. These were testing days.

"I'll be speaking with Ecklie incase anything magically comes up" Rachel spoke over her shoulder, drifting out of the room.

Catherine glanced between the two of us as though contemplating sharing her own plans before giving the faintest hint of an eye roll, heading out the door.

I watched her go, puffing out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding as I shifted my gaze to Sofia. She sighed, running a hand through her hair as she turned to face me.

"Well this is highly unsatisfying"

"We've got no range of motion here. We just have to go where we're told and try not to kill anyone in the process"

A smile tugged at her lips as I pushed off the wall, moving to join her by the doorway.

"Look at you falling in line" she teased, my hand subtly grasping hers for a brief moment, barely long enough to draw even the most conservative of attention, but the comfort was deep.

"Don't be silly, I'm telling you to stay in line" I gave her a quick wink as I walked backwards out the door, pursing my lips into a smile. "I'm going to try to sway Catherine over to our side"

She chuckled, quirking an eyebrow "I'm not sure even you are that talented"

"Oh you know that I am" I replied huskily, meeting her amused gaze with a teasing smile before turning down the hall.

/

I hesitated outside of Catherine's office, her blinds uncharacteristically shut. I couldn't very well feel out her mood this way, I noted with annoyance. I didn't want an argument, I didn't even want to discuss the case- I just wanted to effortlessly land on the same page, and be friends again. Was that so much to ask?

I sighed, leaning forward to knock before I lost the nerve. A muffled "come in" reached my ears, and I pushed into the familiar space with a deep breath.

Liev was leaning next to her against her desk, leg half propped on the surface as she scowled down at the papers in front of her, amber framed glasses perched on her nose. I plastered a smile on, giving a slight nod at a grinning Liev. Catherine glanced up briefly, doing a double take to meet my gaze for a lingering moment.

"Sorry- it's not important, I can come back" I shot them a smile as I turned to go, though Catherine's voice beckoned me back, her bright eyes flicking up at Liev with an edge of irritation as she pushed her glasses to rest on top of silky blonde waves.

"No, come in. Liev was just leaving"

He smiled, shifting his tall, burly form back into a standing position, leaning down to whisper something assumedly intimate against her hair before straightening up.

"Alright, I'll let you two talk- always good to see you Sara" he spoke, midnight eyes meeting mine on his way past.

"Likewise" I replied over my shoulder, watching him disappear down the hall. I shifted my focus back to Catherine, moving further into her office.

"Does he ever go home?" I came to lean against the side of her desk, glancing down at the paperwork she had resumed.

She snorted quietly, tossing her glasses onto the desk as she leaned back in her chair.

"God willing he's on his way there now" she pushed a hand through loose blonde waves, tussling them absently as she glanced over at her covered windows. "Do you know how many men have tried their hand at having sex in my office? What is that about?"

Apparently we were side stepping the irritation and right back to our easy rapport- how predictable and relieving. Azure eyes met mine and I immediately felt a slight blush rise against my skin, the initial disgust at the thought of her with Liev fading into far more enjoyable mental images. I had been one-more-volatile-word-out-of-her-mouth away from slamming her back against that desk and silencing her with the bruising force of my mouth on multiple occasions. That desire was born out of rage and fuelled by the tension that hung so heavily between us. It was more about violence, frustration and some sort of wild desperation to release all that was pent up more than it was about sex or some quick thrill.

I hadn't thought about it in any other sense- I never allowed myself to go there. But trailing my eyes over her form- tan blouse hanging low and loose over porcelain skin, tucked into a pair of skin tight jeans- I couldn't deny the sudden tension building in my lower stomach. When my eyes met hers again, they were a shade darker, the depth of oceans.

It felt wildly tenacious to hold her gaze as long and as intensely as I did, the tension palpable. After a few drawn out moments I crossed my arms, resting a hip casually against her desk, lips pursing into a coy smile.

"No idea"

A hint of a smirk tugged at her lips as she leaned further back in her chair, an eyebrow raising in question. I felt utterly enraged by her flirtatious moves only a few days ago and now I craved nothing more than the warmth of her attention. One moment I wanted to strangle her, the next there was a nervous tension building through my entire being beneath her gaze. It was like a game of wills- a far more enjoyable one than the anger fuelled battles we had grown used to. She may not mean it, and I may be breaking all of the rules I had set for myself the moment I realized she could undo me with a single glance, but what was the worst that could happen?

She took a deep breath, a visible rise and fall of her chest, mouth opening to say something when a sharp knock on the doorframe resounded through the room.

"Hey, Sara"

I whipped my head around so fast my neck strained, wincing slightly as I met the pale blue eyes of officer Keaton.

"Eli, what's up?" I turned completely around, hand coming up to absently massage my neck. He offered us a quick smile, giving Catherine a nod before focusing tense eyes back on me.

"What is Sofia…uh, Detective Curtis" he corrected himself, my lips pursing to suppress a smile. "What's her relationship like with her mother?"

I frowned in confusion, eyes shifting over to Catherine whose brow was furrowed in bemusement. I turned the question over in my mind, trying to understand but coming up empty.

"…what?"

"It's just been a difficult couple of weeks for her, and…"

I felt my stomach drop, eyes widening slightly.

"Oh no" I interrupted. He glanced over his shoulder before meeting my gaze again tiredly. "Oh yeah. Breezed into the lab about five minutes ago"

I shot a glance over at Catherine that I hope portrayed my intentions to finish this conversation later before moving towards the door, resting a firm hand on Eli's chest absently on my way by.

I had not had the pleasure of meeting Elizabeth Curtis, nor had the foresight to prepare for the occasion, but I had heard stories. Beautiful, tenacious, tough as nails. Sofia hadn't spoken of her much, though when she did it was always with a quiet sort of tension. I knew that she was dreading the impending reunion- Keaton's concern was certainly warranted.

She could take care of herself, I knew that. She could enter most situations with an air of calm neutrality that held fast until she was behind closed doors. But I had come to know intimately the woman behind the tough façade, and the desire to protect that soft eyed, tender heart was fierce.

Poking my head into the break room I took a quick scan before meeting Warrick's placid gaze with a tense smile.

"Have you seen Sofia?"

Green eyes shifted over my shoulder, motioning with a slight nod.

I felt the weight of her hand on my shoulder before I had a chance to turn around.

"I'm swinging by PD for a quick workout to relive some of this…" she hesitated, rubbing a hand over the clearly sore muscles in her neck "workplace stress"

I opened my mouth to speak, but was cut off by a smooth voice, like liquid honey, calling out Sofia's name. Ice blue eyes held mine for a moment, as though trying to remain outside of this current reality for as long as possible, before she turned resolutely towards the voice.

"You are a difficult woman to track down- perhaps if you answered your phone calls…"

I was immediately transfixed by the approaching woman- a familiar saunter to her walk. She held the same disarming beauty as Sofia, though her features were sharper- the confidence radiating off of her more refined than cocky. She stopped a few feet away, crossing strong arms over her chest. A thick braid was woven into her long hair, a beautiful golden white, falling over her shoulder- the balance of femininity and masculinity in her presence so similar to the ridged woman beside me.

"I'm working" Sofia defended, though stepped forward to wrap an arm around the older woman in a casual hug. Elizabeth enveloped her for a moment, identical glacial eyes suddenly flicking over to meet mine over her shoulder. I shifted uncomfortably beneath her analytical gaze as Sofia moved back, colliding lightly into me, though making no move to create any distance.

"Hello, Captain Curtis" I forced a smile onto my face. "I'm…"

"Sleeping with my daughter, clearly" she cut in, feelings unreadable.

I mimicked a fish out of water for a few moments, trying to formulate a response, brows furrowed as I crossed my arms protectively over my chest. I glanced over at Sofia who was glaring at the older woman with an intensity I hadn't seen from her before.

Warrick was suddenly moving quietly out of the break room behind us, looking almost as uncomfortable as I felt. He flashed a smile at the older woman.

"Captain, always a pleasure"

I focused my frown towards him, wondering when they had met and why he hadn't mentioned it. He met my gaze with a silent invitation and I looked to Sofia, who gave an almost imperceptible nod.

I turned to the older woman, still staring at me with the same analytical intensity, opening my mouth with the intention of saying something, but coming up entirely at a loss I simply plastered an uneasy smile onto my face before turning on the ball of my foot to follow Warrick anywhere else.

"Wow" he whispered as we rounded the corner, sending me a quick glance, somewhere between pity and amusement.

"Yeah" I breathed out, mind full of unprocessed thoughts.

It was three hours later that Sofia found me in the locker room, light trench coat wrapped around her form and a tension settled deeply into her features. I slung my bag over a shoulder, shutting my locker before turning to face her with a soft, crooked smile.

"Desert trail run and a beer?"

Her face softened and she turned with me as I headed out the door, shoulder brushing mine as we walked into the hall.

"Three beers" she compromised, tugging the elastic out of her hair, blonde tresses falling loose with a shake of her head. I smiled, giving a conceding nod. We were navigating these waters with a shaky level of cohesion, but cohesion none the less. That deserved a few drinks, at least.