Thanks for sticking with me on the last chapter. I hope you all find this one a bit more interesting. :)

Chapter Ten

I fiddled nervously with my keys as I stood in my apartment, waiting for Catherine to pick me up. I wondered what plans she had for us for the night and what it would actually be like to be on a date with her. I knew I had some questions to ask her, like why she had pushed me away when I had kissed her, only for her to come onto me a few weeks later. Was this serious to her?

I felt bad that I had told Grissom that I wasn't feeling well enough for tonight's shift, it was totally out of my nature to lie to him, but this was important, maybe it was time to finally put my heart over my head. I played with the hem of my black halterneck top, glancing out of the window to see if her car was there yet - it wasn't. I debated having a drink for some courage but starting the date off drunk really wasn't something I wanted Catherine to see from me. I wanted to be better than that for her.

I looked down at my dark blue denim jeans and black heels, I'd gone for a shorter heel than I normally would have done - Catherine was a few inches shorter than me and I didn't want to tower over her. I'd let my hair go a little curly at the ends instead of it's usual straightness and I'd found a purple eyeshadow that seemed to bring out my eyes a little.

I heard a car beep and my heart jumped at the sound. I took a deep breath and left my apartment, pocketing my keys in my jeans and taking the lift down to the ground floor. Catherine was parked just outside the building and I climbed into the passenger seat, "Hey."

"Hi," Catherine smiled at me, her lips a beautiful subtle shade of red. "Look at you." I felt myself blush at her attention and she leaned in to place a kiss on my cheek before slipping her fingers between mine. "How are you?"

"I'm good." I smiled back. My heart felt like it was going to explode. She smelled gorgeous and she looked even better. She was wearing a short blue silky dress that cinched in at the waist, and heels so tall she would probably be the same height as me when we were out of the car. Her tanned legs seemed to go on forever, despite the fact she was only 5ft 6" without shoes. "You?"

"I'm actually a little nervous," Catherine confessed, pulling the car out of the parking lot and onto the road, "You're all I've thought about all day."

I brought her hand, still entwined with mine, up to my lips and placed a kiss on the back of her hand, enjoying the feeling of my lips on her skin.

She glanced from the road to meet my eyes, giving me a smile.

"You look stunning." I told her. "Where are you taking me?"

"A cocktail bar... you do drink cocktails, don't you?"

I didn't have the heart to tell her I was a beer drinker, it wasn't like we'd been out drinking with the rest of the CSI team that many times for her to know, and to be honest I would drink anything if I was drinking it with her. "Of course."

We spent the next few minutes in slightly anxious silence until we parked up outside the 'Downton' cocktail bar.

"Have you been here before?" I asked as we left the vehicle and walked the few meters up to the building.

"I came here once about five years ago, with some friends," Catherine replied, "it's nice." she assured me, with a smile, before pushing open the large wooden entrance door.

Inside the building was decorated in rich reds and browns, candles sat on each table around the large room, and more candles lined the back of the bar area, where three members of staff were busily shaking cocktails for a small collection of people at the bar. Other than the candles there wasn't much else in terms of lighting, giving the tables a more private atmosphere. Loud house music was playing, drowning out a lot of the conversations that people were having around us.

Catherine led me over to a table near the back of the room, and I took a seat on the curved sofa seat. I looked around, a little uncomfortable - this wasn't the dingy, cheap bar near work that I was used to. This was Catherine's kinda place. It was classy.

"What are you having?" she asked, staying stood so that she could go and order drinks.

I desperately tried to think of the name of a cocktail but none came to mind.

She grinned, "I'll surprise you." And with that she made her way to the bar.

I studied a few of the people around the room. There were a lot of groups of men and women, all involved in their own lives, none of them seemed to notice how out of place I was. I wasn't naive, my job meant that that luxury was gone, but it had been at least six or seven years since I'd spent any of my free time somewhere like this. I realized as I looked around that I was the only woman here in jeans - all of the other women wearing little black dresses with the highest heels I've ever seen, and long shiny hair. I smiled to myself that none of them looked as beautiful as Catherine.

A long cocktail glass was placed in front of me, a straw and a cherry poked out of the bright pink liquid. Catherine sat back down next to me on the sofa, leaving little space between us which made the butterflies in my stomach give a flicker. She sipped on her cocktail before placing it on the table next to mine.

"Did the hit from IAFIS last night get the arrest you wanted?" I asked.

"Yes, it did," Catherine grinned, "although working with Nick was a bit of a drag. He acts like I'm made of glass and I'll shatter at any point."

I laughed, "He'll settle down when he realizes you're okay."

There was a moment's silence between us before Catherine spoke. "You know, I never really thanked you, for you what you did in the desert."

"You don't have to, I-"

"No, I do. You put my life above your own and I will never be able to thank you enough."

"Is that what this is?" I asked, "is this you thanking me?"

"No, Sara," Catherine slid her hand over my thigh, "I knew when we were in the desert that I couldn't keep my feelings for you hidden anymore, I couldn't bare to think that I would die there without knowing what it was like to kiss you."

"So why did you refuse to speak to me, and then push me away when I kissed you in the lab? And then spend weeks avoiding me?" I asked, confused.

Catherine paused, like she was trying to find the right words. "I haven't been on a date in four years... even then it was just dinner and he never called me again. I've never introduced anyone new into Lindsey's life - it's always been her, Eddie and I, although he visits so rarely he may as well not exist," she took a sip of her cocktail. "I don't even know where to start when it comes to telling her that I'm seeing someone that's not Eddie, and that that person is a woman, but I want you to be a part of her life, and I want us to have that together." she paused again, her eyes falling to her lap as she seemed to struggle for words again.

I reached out and stroked my thumb against her cheek, bringing her eyes back to me. I noticed she had tears in her eyes.

"I pushed you away because I'm scared, Sara. I'm scared that I will end up hurting you, that things won't work out between us and Lindsey will be affected, I'm scared that I haven't felt like this about anyone for such a long time, I don't know what to do with all these feelings. When you were a fantasy," her cheeks blushed a little at her words, "I just accepted that that was all you would be, but now... I want you, all the time."

I slid my fingers between hers and offered a soft smile which she returned. "We don't need to rush into this, Cath. I don't just want you for a quick fuck, or some office fling, I'm in this for the long run."

She responded by capturing my lips in a kiss than sent waves of pleasure across my body. I released her hand and slid my hand around her back, pulling her closer to me. I could feel the heat between my legs sky-rocket as she flicked her tongue against mine, before pulling away.

"You know we will get in trouble for this at work if anyone finds out." she pointed out.

"Does that bother you?" I asked.

"No, I think we should keep it to ourselves for a little while, just until I figure out the right way to approach it with Grissom; I think it may come as a bit of a surprise to him." She smiled. "Can I get you another drink?"

"Sure." I sipped the remainder of my drink as she went over to the bar.

I had no idea what time it was but Catherine and I were now drinking a green cocktail with a sugar rim on the glass. Our table was filled with empty glasses and Catherine, realizing that beer was really my drink of choice, had decided to try and convince me that cocktails were better. We'd watched groups of people come and go at the bar and I figured we must have been here a few hours.

We'd managed to leave the subject of our relationship alone after our discussion about it at the start of the night and had moved onto talking about Lindsey, some cases at work and general conversation. We'd talked about Catherine's past as a dancer, and I knew at some point we would have to discuss my past too, but that wouldn't be tonight.

My fingers were slipped under the hem of her dress, my fingers slowly dragging backwards and forwards across the bare skin of her thigh as we talked. My mind flickered between the cocktail I was drinking and the thought of my lips on Catherine's skin.

Conversation died down as I felt Catherine's legs part slightly and my fingers slid down between her thighs. I was thankful for the minimal lighting in the room and the large table in front of us, hiding my actions from anyone in the room.

She closed her eyes, leaning back against the back of the sofa as I dragged a finger slowly between her legs, the feeling of her soaked panties making my body feel as though it was on fire.

I wanted her.

I needed her.

But not like this.

My fingers left her body and she opened her eyes to see why I had stopped - she looked hurt. "Catherine, as desperately as I want you, when I take you to my bed it's going to be when we're both sober enough to remember it." She didn't look entirely impressed with my decision, but I knew she would be grateful in the morning. I knew my self-control wouldn't be strong enough to refuse her a second time, it was time to go home. "Come on, let's get out of here." I took her hand in mine and we left the building.

Although Catherine's car was parked nearby neither of us were in a fit state to drive it and we walked for a few minutes before a taxi rolled up. I gave the driver directions to Catherine's house, to drop her off first. Catherine leant into me as I wrapped one arm around her, her head on my shoulder. We stayed like that in comfortable silence until the vehicle pulled up outside her house.

She looked up at me and I smiled at her softly before placing a kiss on her cheek. "Goodnight, Cath."

"Night, Sara." she replied, returning my smile, and slipping out of the taxi to head up the driveway to her house. The taxi driver waited to make sure she got inside okay before driving off again, this time to take me home.