Wow, this has been a long time, I'm so sorry. I've re-written this chapter a couple of times and I had it playing out in my head a few different ways and I wasn't sure which way to go, but I think we've got there.

Chapter Sixteen

Her fingers trailed delicately over my skin, her touch as light as a feather across my cheek and down my neck, circling just above my breasts. Her breath was soft and warm and my skin tingled every time she exhaled, my fingers caught up in her long blonde hair as she lay by my side under the sheets.

Her bare legs brushed against mine as she gently changed her position against mine. I closed my eyes, a gentle sigh leaving my lips.

"I love you." I whispered.

"I love you more." She whispered back, placing a kiss on my cheek.

I didn't think it would be humanly possible for her to feel more love for me than I felt for her, it was like it wanted to burst from my chest, but I didn't argue with her.

I felt her weight shift beside me and her mouth slowly slipped around one of my nipples. I moaned at the feeling of her lips on my skin, combined with the teasing of her tongue, making my whole body burn with desire. I parted my legs slightly and she slowly placed a trail of kisses on my stomach and hips, knowing what I wanted.

"Don't tease me, Cath." I pleaded.

"But I like to tease you," she purred, her lips now on the inside of my thighs, gently edging closer to the contact my body was begging she would make. She blew a soft breath of hot air between my legs, a moan escaping my legs as I throbbed with desire for her.

It was then she slid her tongue gently inside me.

I pushed the door of my car shut and hit the lock key on my fob, placing my keys into my jeans pocket before turning to make my way across the floodlit car park towards to the lab. I saw Catherine come up along side me and we exchanged a knowing glance, that less than thirty minutes ago we had been making love in my apartment. She brushed her hand against mine as we walked down the corridors of the laboratory; I felt tingles cross my skin and looked at her to see a smile on her lips.

We entered Grissom's office to meet Warrick and Grissom who were both stood either side of the desk, in a conversation that ceased as soon as they caught eye of us.

I frowned a little, suspicious of what it was they were talking about, but dismissed it as idle chatter. "Where's Nick?"

"He got here on time so he's already gone to the scene." Grissom responded, looking up from the papers in his hands.

I didn't justify his comment on mine, or Catherine's, arrival to work with a response. "Is that the scene I'm on?"

"Yes." Grissom responded, his gaze back down at his hands.

"What about me?" Catherine asked.

"We've got a body that's been found in Lake Mead. You ready to check it out?" Warrick asked.

Catherine nodded and they both left the office.

"I want to talk to you later." Grissom spoke as I had my back turned to leave the room.

"Sure." I said before walking off, confused as to what he wanted to talk to me about. I had applied for the opening of level 3 CSI a few months back, before the incident in the desert, it seemed like a lifetime ago, but maybe he had come to a decision as to who would have the position.

The time I spent with Nick at our crime scene on the outskirts of Henderson was quiet but I had no intention to make conversation with him, I was too occupied with what Grissom wanted to talk to me about.

"We're going to have to take the car back to the lab," Nick said to me as he hung up his cell, "We need proper light to go over the trunk again. I've arranged for someone to come and collect it."

The case we were working on involved a kidnapped girl who had been found in the trunk of the car. She'd died in there and only been found by a hobo looking for stuff to sell or a place to sleep. He'd called it in in the hope of a cash reward. We were still yet to I.D her but she looked like she could have only been around thirteen years old.

I nodded in response to Nick's words.

"We also need to go through the missing persons register to try and I.D the girl. Sara, are you even listening to me?"

I realised I'd been staring off into space and met Nick's eyes, "Yes, I'm listening."

"What's on your mind tonight?"

"Just... stuff." I shrugged. I wanted to tell him about my meeting with Lindsey and Nancy, and ask him if he knew what Grissom wanted to talk to me about, but since he had asked me about my relationship with Catherine I didn't feel the need to share more information with him than he already knew. Maybe somethings were too private to share.

"If you need to talk," Nick placed his hand on my t-shirt covered forearm and offered a friendly smile.

I returned his smile, "Shall we head back to the lab?"

"Sure thing."

I drove my Denali back to the lab with the radio on full blast in the hope that heavy bass of the music would distract me from the butterflies in the stomach over my meeting with Grissom. Unfortunately the butterflies I was feeling were also mixed with a feeling of dread that filled the base of my stomach. Something told me that my level 3 application wasn't the reason he wanted to see me.

I cleared my throat before knocking on Grissom's office door. I heard him call me in and I pushed the glass door open, closing it behind me once I was in the room.

"Take a seat." He offered the chair in front of his desk.

I sat in the thin framed leather back chair and smiled at him cautiously.

He was still immersed in paperwork, but after a few seconds he slid his pen lid back onto his pen and looked up at me. "We need to talk."

"That's why I'm here." I smiled but he didn't smile back.

"You were late for work this morning."

"By ten minutes." I corrected him, a little annoyed that he would mention it, "I work sixty, sometimes seventy hours weeks. I only get paid for fourty, I think I'm owed ten minutes."

"Since when did you care about how many hours you were being paid for, and how many hours you actually worked, Sara?"

"I guess I've just re-evaluated some of the aspects of my life." I replied, nonchalant.

"I know why you were late." he replied, his voice and face showing no emotion. "I also know why Catherine was late."

I stayed silent, the butterflies in my stomach had vanished and I felt like my heart was now in my stomach.

"How long have you been sleeping with her?"

I wanted to tell him it was none of his business, that he had no right to ask me but he did. He was my boss and Catherine was my superior. "A few weeks."

"It's against office policy."

"I know that."

"Then why are you doing it? If Ecklie found out he would fire you both on the spot, which is exactly what I should be doing right now." Grissom's tone was becoming increasingly sharp.

"Since when did you become Ecklie's best friend?" I could feel anger start to build. Until Catherine and I made our relationship official there was no need for him to do anything.

"Since when did you become the office slut?"

"Excuse me?" I asked, incredulous at his question. "Because I asked you to dinner two years ago and you turned me down? Is that what this is about?"

"I was just wondering who the next member of the team you were going to approach is, once you've become bored with Catherine."

I got to my feet, pushing my chair back, "I didn't get bored of you, Grissom, I gave up on you because after a year of asking you for breakfast, or coffee, or dinner, and making it quite clear to you how I felt you continued to ignore me. Just because I've moved on it doesn't give you the right to-"

"If you value your job then you'll break up with Catherine."

"That won't happen."

Grissom shifted in his chair uncomfortably, like he had expected me to agree to his ultimatum.

"Who even told you about this?" Only two people knew about Catherine and I. Nick and Nancy.

As shocked as Nancy had been I didn't think she was the sort of person to possibly get Catherine fired over it, she wouldn't have done for Lindsey's sake at the very least.

Nick.

"You're not the only one that applied for the CSI 3 role." I almost saw a smirk on Grissom's face, but I already knew exactly who he was referring to and I left his office, making my way to the evidence room where Nick would be.

I found him with his head in the trunk of the car we had processed a few hours earlier near Henderson. I grabbed the back of his blue overalls and spun him around, pushing him against the side of the car and grabbing his collar.

"You piece of shit." I growled.

"What are you doing, Sara?" Nick asked, his voice a little shaky from my outburst.

I pulled him forward slightly before pushing him back against the car again, "I trusted you!"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You knew I wanted that CSI 3 role, and then when you saw your chance you thought you'd try to get me sacked!" I shouted, feeling strong hands grab my arms and pull me backwards. I knew from the sheer strength of the person who had grabbed me that it was Warrick, and I struggled against his grip, trying to lunge for Nick.

"I told you about Catherine and I because I thought you were my friend, you fucking jerk!" I shouted. "How dare you go and tell Grissom! Don't you see what you've done?!"

"Maybe if you could keep your hands to yourself rather than fucking your superior then you wouldn't be in this fucking mess at all!" Nick retaliated.

I lunged for him again and somehow managed to break free enough from Warrick's grip to plant my fist against Nick's jaw. I pulled my fist back again to take another shot at him but Warwick regained his grasp on me.

"Sara!"

My eyes shot over to the entrance of the lab to see Catherine stood in the doorway of the room.

"Let go of me." I shook against Warrick's grip and he let me go. I quickly headed over to Catherine. "Catherine, I-"

"Do they know about us?" she asked, tears in her eyes.

"It was Nick, he asked about us and I couldn't lie to him." I replied, reaching out to take her hands but she pulled back from me. I knew my words sounded stupid but it was the truth.

"Even though I asked you not to tell anyone?"

"Please let me explain." I pleaded, feeling a hot tear fall down my face.

"You don't need to explain." She shook her head. "You betrayed my trust, Sara."

I reached out to touch her arm but she pulled away again, before turning to head down the corridor.

"Catherine!" I shouted after her but she didn't turn back.

"Will someone arrest her?" Nick shouted from inside the room and within seconds I felt cold metal handcuffs clasp around my wrists and the presence of three security guards around me.