Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. And... yeah, I'm out of cute comments to add to that.

AN: Some part of me really thinks I should wait until after Christmas for an update… this stuff is sort of gloomy.

This has been one of the worst shifts ever. It ranks right up there with Eddie's case, and that's saying something.

It's sort of sad that both shifts I've ended up miserable because of Catherine.

This night has been worse than Eddie's case, actually. Much worse, thanks to Nick, who really needs to keep out of Catherine's business.

Six words, and the entire shift was ruined for me.

"So Cath, how'd your date go?"

Catherine just looked at Nick and grinned in a distinct Cheshire cat manner. She didn't even need to say anything- her smirk nearly shattered my already broken heart.

She's answering him now, hours later, while Grissom and Warrick work some DB at Lake Mead. Bugs all over the place, of course.

"The date was fantastic, Nick. But afterwards was even better." She winks at me as she says the last part.

I know she can't know what she's doing to me. There is no way she can know the torture she's putting me through.

She isn't hurting me intentionally.

Knowing that really doesn't help. It still hurts just as much as if she had put a spike through my heart.

And yet I'm still blushing when she winks at me. 'Cause for just one second, I can imagine that she's flirting with me, and not flaunting just how much fun she had last night.

I really feel pathetic.

Greg's hand is on my knee, squeezing it reassuringly. I look over and smile at him before I pop another cough drop in my mouth.

"What's his name, anyways?"

"You going to do a background check if I tell you?"

"Maybe, but I was thinking more along the line of giving him a medal for making you glow like that."

Damn it, Nick, would you just drop it? She obviously doesn't want to give out details- thank God- so don't go pushing her for them!

"Fine. It's Max."

This is hell.

"Food or beer?"

"Something wrong with both?"

"Well, even though I know how much you love spending time with me, I'm afraid that some humans are capable of sleep."

"Food. I don't think I can handle another hangover next shift. Especially not if Nick's still asking Catherine about her date."

I slam my locker shut as I think of all the questions Nick threw her way. My hangover made things ten times worse, but I doubt I'd have been able to stay silent if not for my headache.

And cough drops. The cough drops helped a lot, even though they aren't really meant to withstand vicious biting.

"Right then. Breakfast it is! Onwards!"

I smile halfheartedly at Greg. I know he's trying as hard as he can to cheer me up, but it isn't helping much.

Still, I might as well look like my heart hasn't been trampled, if only to make him feel better.

When Greg mentioned breakfast, I don't think he wanted me to stay quiet and pick at my food for minutes on end. I think he might have actually wanted some human conversation.

He sighs from his seat across the table, and begins to talk.

"Look, Sara, I know that seeing Catherine with her, uh, girlfriend, was a bit of a shock. But c'mon! It's not like it's any different than her dating men! I mean, this new girl could be just as bad as all of her other dates."

I snort. He didn't see the way Catherine's eyes lit up when she saw 'Max'. And how many of her past dates have actually come into the lab bearing flowers? None that I can think of… and I've noticed. God have I noticed.

"Think of it this way; now you have an actual chance! I mean, you know she's not straight, so why not let her know that you're interested? You look a little like Max, anyways- maybe she's using Max to distract her from you, since you haven't shown any of your feelings towards her! Come on, Sara! Look at this a good thing instead of thinking that the woman you love is with someone else who isn't you!"

"Greg, she doesn't have any feelings towards me besides borderline hatred. We aren't even friends! She's never shown any interest in me, and I'm not going to get my hopes up just because she decided to date some woman who happens to share a few of my features!"

"You've never shown any interest in her, either. All I'm saying is that you shouldn't give up hope! This is no different than the times when Catherine had a boy toy!"

Yes, it is. It's much different than the times Catherine dated her little boy toys. Catherine has never had that glow surrounding her- in my six years of knowing her, no one has inspired that look in her eyes. Screw gender- anyone who can do that to her… she obviously cares for. And it isn't me. Why can't Greg just understand that?

He sighs again and reaches across the table, grabbing my fork.

"Would you stop picking at your food, please? Do you have any idea how annoying it is?"

I sigh and drop down my fork. For a second, I think about glaring at him, but he hasn't really done anything to deserve that.

I open my mouth to apologize, or just say something that will make this all go away, but the words catch in my throat when I look at who's coming through the door.

Catherine…. And….

Max.

Pain flashes through my heart, and I fight it back, trying not to look as wounded as I feel.

Catherine looks stunning. She's still wearing her work clothes, but…

Max is causing her to look that way. Max is causing her to look even more gorgeous than usual.

Hell.

"Sara? Are you okay? Is something wrong?"

I try to answer him with limited emotion in my voice, but I don't think I manage it.

"Uh… I'm fine. Look, Greg, I've had all of the food I can manage right now, so I'm… I'm just going to head home, okay?"

Greg looks confused, but he nods anyways, following my rushed pace out after leaving a tip.

I catch one more sight of Catherine and her… girlfriend… as we leave. They're kissing… Extremely passionately… Oh God, I need to get out of here. Now. I just can't handle this. It's a thousand times worse than watching her with any of her boy toys.

I hurry out and walk over to my car- suddenly very glad that Greg and I drove here separately.

"Sara! What's wrong?"

I lean against the car and shake my head. I think I might be close to crying, but I'm mostly feeling hysteria. This is just too damn perfect!

"Oh, nothing! It's just that the woman I love is in there having breakfast with her girlfriend, and they're kissing the living daylights out of each other! So everything's just fan-fucking-tastic!"

Tears start to fall from my eyes. Yeah, that pretty much covers 'what's wrong'.

Greg's eyes widen, and he shakes his head, looking up at the sky like a stupefied goldfish. Then he pulls me into a hug and laughs sadly.

"Geez, Sara- what higher being did you piss off? I mean, you do realize you've gone through more suffering than anyone else I know, right?"

I can't help laughing back, using the same miserable tone.

Thanks, Greg.