Disclaimer: see chap 1

A/N: Sorry for the wait. Work and school...it's not always easy. So I hope you can forgive me ... (pout)

Thanks for the reviews!!! Hopefully next chapter will be ready soon.

Chapter 16

I'm maxed out on overtime again, no surprise really but this sucks! I can't go out in the field and I have already finished all of my paperwork. I could have stayed home, but my apartment is clean so I don't see why I would want to be there. After the sleeping fiasco things between Hank and me were normal again, but lately thanks to my job we haven't spent much time together.

I go to Greg, maybe he needs some help. He is reading a magazine, guess he has a slow night too. I have seen Grissom but he was so lost in his … God knows what he was doing, so I decided not to disturb him. I don't think he would appreciate it and I already know what he was going to say. 'Sorry Sara, but you know the rules, you can't go out in the field!'

I walk through the lab hoping somebody needs help, Warrick and Nick are working a case together so they don't need me. Maybe…oh yes, please make my night…Catherine needs me or can help me. I saw her in one of the labs working on some evidence. I walk straight to said lab and clear my throat to announce my presence.

"Can you help me out?"

Catherine looks up confused, of course she doesn't know what I'm talking about, I can't blame her. "Uh…depends."

"I can't get out into the field because I'm maxed out on overtime for the month." I say in my sweetest voice. God, I sound like a child that wants some candy.

She looks up at me clearly amused about my statement, but definitely not surprised. "Ah, and you're confined to the lab, huh? Well, hey, look, it's regular hours. I mean, go have dinner with the boyfriend ... Hank, right?" She's pretending she doesn't know his name, typical I am so right, she doesn't like him. "And, and ... go, go to a spa."

I roll my eyes at her statement, why does she still think he's my boyfriend. She tries to say it casually but she's not doing a great job, it looks like she's jealous. Nah, I'm just kidding myself.

"Hank is not my boyfriend. And you know, those places are filled with bacteria." Now it's her turn to roll her eyes, she wants to laugh with my statement, amusement is clouding her eyes, but she doesn't.

"Sara, I don't make the rules around here. You've got to talk to Grissom about that."

"Yeah ... he's, um, not really in a talking mood." I try.

"What makes you think he's going talk to me?" I shrug. The fact that you're always able to persuade someone without even trying and the fact that you are the only one that can boss around Grissom, I add mentally. "Get some rest."

Why does everyone say that! I don't need rest, I NEED work, I NEED something to do, I NEED her. But I understand there is nothing she can do for me. "I'm not tired. Really. I'm not tired." I say hoping to convince her before walking away, it looks like she knew I was going to say that. Am I that predictable?

She's right about one thing, I don't need to be here. If I'm lucky Hank is available tonight, I call him and we decide to have dinner. But no spa, yuk these things are really gross. I have been there one time and I collected a sample of the water, at home I processed it, you wouldn't believe the things I found in it. That was the last time I went to a spa. I needed 4 showers hoping to get rid of all those things.

Warrick and I are working together tonight, we enter the apartment of a girl who possibly committed suicide. Hank is in there, putting away his equipment. I greet him, he's surprised we are here so fast. I ask him what he knows and look at our victim. She slid her wrists in her bed, that's atypical for a woman I tell Warrick. I move the bed sheets and see a straight-edged razor, talking about atypical…

"Warrick." He takes a look at the razor and takes some photos. "Did her parents say whether she lived with a man?"

"Was dating a Brody Jones. No idea where he works or lives." Detective Sulik tells us.

"Did someone move her?" Warrick asks, I look at the girl again, she is in a strange position.

"She was propped up when we got here. I checked for vitals." Hank defends himself, clearly he hasn't forgotten the bra-thing.

"You sure with all your life-saving efforts you didn't move her?" Warrick asks him skeptically.

"Hey, man, like I said, I checked for vitals." Hank is clearly getting upset, he didn't move her, I can tell by the look on his face. He looks lost and I feel sorry for him.

"It's okay, baby." I blurt out and every head in the room turns to me. Hank looks up very surprised, happy and confused all at the same time. I turn away, what am I doing? Great Sidle, try to convince them now you don't have a relationship with Hank. I feel very awkward, I called him baby worse I did it in front of my coworkers, I walk to the closet and look for something interesting there. Hank says something to Warrick but I didn't get a word of it, I'm still berating myself for my major fuck up. I let out a deep breath when I see Hank moving in my directions. Please, let me just disappear into thin air.

"I'm going to hit the road ..." Very good, go away! "... baby." He adds. OH NO! What have I done? How could I have been so stupid! Now what? Did I mean it, why did I say it? I'm smiling. Why are you smiling, there is nothing funny about it!

"I'm sorry." Is all I can think off, with that Hank walks out.

When we were processing the scene and the evidence I didn't have time to think about what I had said to Hank, but then I walk into the locker room guess who's there, yup Catherine. I sigh and she looks up to me.

"Hey, heard you closed the case, good work."

"Thanks." But I guess that's not all you heard I muse to myself.

"You hungry?" she asks beaming. "Or…do you have plans with your baby?" she laughs. I roll my eyes, just as I thought everyone already knows, but I can't deny it this time because I actually said it and I had witnesses.

"Yes, I'm hungry and no I don't have plans."

"That's settled then, you and me are having breakfast, so you can tell me all about…lover boy." She tries to be jokingly, but she's not. Her voice doesn't match her body language, again I have the feeling she's sad about the whole Hank-thing.

"Okay, only if we are not going to talk about him." She smiles and shrugs.

In the diner, we talk about everything and nothing but not about Hank, thank God. Something is bothering her, but even if I would ask her about it she wouldn't be honest with me. Better not ask her then, otherwise I would only upset myself again.

"Catherine, he is not my boyfriend." I state, I just want to get this over with.

She frowns "Whatever, it's none of my business anyway."

"No it's not, but I would like it if people stopped presuming things." I can't convince her.

"Presuming things? Hard not to do when you call your boyfriend baby while working a scene."

See she doesn't believe me. Strange because she knows how I feel about insincerity, funny really because I have been dishonest with her and with myself ever since I discovered my feelings for her. So maybe I am in no position to blame her.

"I know I did, but I still don't know why."

"Sara, how long have you been dating him? Over a year… and you honestly want me to believe there is nothing going on between you two. Come on. You called him baby because that's what your heart is telling you, so stop analyzing everything and open your eyes, stop denying yourself what you feel." Her voice becomes louder towards the end of her statement, she's upset and frustrated with me. Is she right? Am I really in love with him, but trying to ignore it because it's new for me, being in love with a guy that is? I can't deal with this, with her, not right now. I stand up, making an excuse to go, I throw some bills on the table and walk away.

Ah, life really isn't easy when you're Sara Sidle...Thanks for reading! R&R please :-)