Sorry about the delay in posting, I've had a tough few days but it feels good to write for you guys now I've found the time.

Chapter Thirteen

"I don't think you have any idea how beautiful you are." Catherine trailed her fingers down my bare arm, curled up beside me as we lay in my bed. I was propped up on one elbow, looking down into her big blue eyes.

"Don't be silly, Catherine."

"I'm not being silly, I'm being serious." she raised her head a little and placed a kiss on my chest just below my shoulder blades.

I couldn't remember the last time I'd been called 'beautiful'. I wasn't sure it had ever really happened before. 'Clever' yes, but 'beautiful'... I smiled as Catherine shifted her naked body against mine, enjoying the warmth of her against me under the covers.

"We need to get back to the lab soon." She sighed.

"What if I won't let you?" I teased.

She grinned as she looked up at me. "I don't think you could stop me if I wanted to."

"Wanna bet on that, Willows?" I raised my eyebrows.

"I sure do."

I pinned her wrist down to the bed whilst rolling to lay between her legs, pinning her other wrist as I settled my body weight on top her of. "Do you still want to go to work?" I asked.

"If I could choose between work and you, I would choose you every time."

I placed a tender kiss on her lips, grinding my hips into her gently. She moaned against my mouth at the movement and I couldn't help but smile, pulling away from our kiss. "Do you like that?"

"The last hour we've spent together making love should have confirmed that, Sara." Catherine pulled me into another kiss and I reveled in the feeling of her hands running across my bare back.

Eventually we parted for air and I grudgingly slipped out of bed and into the bathroom to shower. I let the hot water pour over my body, rubbing shampoo into my hair before covering my skin in the excess bubbles and rinsing it all off.

"You are so sexy." I looked over at the doorway off the bathroom to see Catherine stood there, fully dressed and a cup of coffee in hand.

I felt myself blush at her gaze, but let her continue to watch until I stepped out of the bath/shower unit and wrapped a towel around my body. Catherine passed me the coffee in her hands and I sipped it gratefully, enjoying the hot liquid slip down my throat.

After drying my hair and dressing myself, I found Catherine in the living room watching TV. I smiled at how relaxed she was in my apartment, it was like she belonged there. "Are you ready?" I asked.

She flicked the TV off and got to her feet, "Yes, I am."

We shared a last kiss before leaving the apartment block and driving our separate cars to the lab.

With two new cases assigned to the team for that shift, Catherine and Grissom went out to collect evidence from a drive-by, and Warwick was sent to photograph a store break-in. Nick and I were given the task of trying to make sense of the case from last night.

"Grissom and I didn't make much progress after you and Catherine left yesterday," he explained, us both back in the evidence room from before, our photographs still hung on the walls. "We matched a partial from our scene to your scene."

"IAFIS didn't get a hit on the partials from my scene, so no luck there."

"The vic, Tom Markson, did have a gun registered in his name - an old Browning pistol, which takes 9mm ammo, so we may have a match there."

"Maybe that's what what in the cupboard." I suggested.

"Well it wasn't at his house or at the casino, which suggests the killer either ditched the weapon somewhere or still has it."

"This is going nowhere." I sighed.

"Can I ask you a question?" Nick asked and I filled with dread as I knew what was coming.

"Sure." I replied, I couldn't really say no.

"Are you and Catherine a... is there something going on?" He seemed awkward in his question, which was rightly so, it wasn't any of his business.

I paused, pursing my lips and avoiding his gaze. Catherine had said she didn't want anyone at work to know, but could I lie to his face?

"Please tell me the truth, Sar, we've been friends for three years, you know I wouldn't tell anyone."

"Yes, Catherine and I are seeing each other." I caved, frustrated that he had asked at all.

"Are you two planning on telling everyone at some point?"

"It's not really anyone else's business." I replied shortly.

"Well it's against office policy."

I looked at Nick, annoyed that he wouldn't drop it now he had the answer he wanted. Since when was he bothered about office policy? It wasn't too long ago he slept with a prostitute that ended up dead. He seemed concerned more than anything, although I wasn't sure as to why. "We'll tell everyone eventually." I raised my eyebrows at him, "Do you have any more questions?"

He shook his head, and I could have sworn I saw a little pink flush his cheeks, realizing everything he had just asked.

"Can we carry on with work now?"

He cleared his throat and turned his attention back to our work, "Of course."

I wondered how true to his word Nick would be that he would actually keep it to himself but I hoped to God that he did. I didn't want Catherine to think I had abused her trust by telling someone else, and I didn't want our relationship to be passed around as office gossip until it got to Grissom, who would have to follow office procedure on work relationships and move one of us to another team. I wasn't ready for us to not be working in the same team anymore.

A couple of hours passed as Nick and I ran samples of material past Greg in the hope we would make a connection somewhere, but eventually I needed coffee and left the evidence room to head towards the break room. I saw Catherine sat in there on my own and my heart leapt, a few minutes with the beautiful blonde would certainly brighten my shift.

I poured myself a mug of the caffeinated liquid and sat down next to her. "Hey."

She smiled at me, looking up from a pile of papers that she had in front of her on the table.

"Anything interesting?" I asked, taking a sip of my hot drink.

"Just some admin work that Grissom can't find the time for," she sighed, "I wish I was curled up in bed with you."

I watched as a small yawn escaped her lips and I wondered what it would be like to fall asleep next to her.

"I was thinking," Catherine broke me from my thoughts a few seconds later, "You should come and have dinner with Lindsey and I on Monday night."

I didn't know what to say to her. I was touched that she wanted to invite me into her house, to meet Lindsey properly instead of just a quick 'hello' the few times she had been to the lab with Catherine, but I was nervous too. What if she didn't like me?

"You are free on Monday, aren't you?" my silence made her unsure.

"I am." I smiled. "And I'd love to."

She looked relieved. "Good. I will attempt to cook something vegetarian."

I loved the fact she remembered that I was vegetarian.

"Sara, I want us to build a family together - you, Lindsey and I ... I know these things take time but I do want you to be a part of her life. She would be so lucky to have someone like you to look up to." Catherine's words seemed to come out a little nervously, but sincere.

I felt my heart stop at that moment. A family. Like the one I had had? What kind of parent would I be?

"Sara?" Catherine reached out to stroke my arm and I smiled at her.

"Sorry, honey, yes Monday would be great."

Catherine's fingers lingered on my arm, "I told Grissom I would only be on break for ten minutes, I better get back. Will I see you tomorrow, before work?"

"Of course you will." I replied, the same smile forced to my lips as my thoughts ran at a thousand miles a second.

I needed to tell her about my past.

I couldn't let her bring me into Lindsey's life without knowing what had happened... who I was. With two violent parents and twelve years of living in a violent home, followed by six years of unsettled, despairing life in care, and an adult life teetered on the edge of an alcohol problem, I wasn't the CSI role-model that Catherine thought I was, I was scarred.

She left me with a wink but where I had felt pleasure in her affection, I now felt guilt and shame.

I wanted to perfect for her, but I was as far from perfect as anyone could get.