Disclaimers in Previous Parts

5th hour Veterinary Hospital.

If anyone had asked her what she would do if Sara had ever been kidnapped, Catherine certainly wouldn't have responded that she would be watching over the progress of an injured canine. But since she was doing that which she thought would never happen, she could reluctantly admit to herself that standing at Romeo's bed-side had an oddly soothing effect on her. He was resting comfortably his breathing, slow and rhythmic, and all his injuries had been healed. He was strong. He was a fighter.

Romeo was a representation of the strength that Catherine felt slowly slipping from her own body. As she looked down at the anesthetized dog, she began to realize that she had been in no condition to run off with a mysterious FBI representative to go save the world, or at least a very small fraction of it. Catherine had hardly even been in good enough condition to do her own work as a CSI anymore. She was worn out, both from trying to keep up with her own life and keeping her emotions together so that she could pretend everything in her world was fine.

"Ms. Willows," a woman stepped up to Catherine, startling the CSI back into the reality of the current situation. "I was told that you were Romeo's owner."

"Yeah," Catherine replied, "I guess I am."

"Well I'm Dr. Megan Fisher," the veterinarian held out her hand.

Catherine chuckled at the absolute hell fest that had become her night. She wondered at the chances that she would end up staring into the eyes of her ex's new girlfriend in one of the many 24 hour emergency veterinary hospitals in Las Vegas. Then she remembered that Erika was crazy and suddenly the 'chance' meeting seemed to make perfect sense.

"Are you okay Ms. Willows," Dr. Fisher asked carefully, unsure of the reasons for the other woman's silence. "Do you need anything?"

Catherine ran both her hands through her hair and released a long breath. "I need a rewind button," the CSI said seriously.

Dr. Fisher gave her a forced smile. "I assure you that Romeo is going to be just fine."

"I know," Catherine's voice was soft. "He's an amazing dog."

"Do you mind me asking how it was he got shot?" Dr. Fisher braved to ask. "I know that you didn't bring him in. It was some other men."

This moment was one of those universal tests, even if it had been somehow concocted by a psychopath, and Catherine knew it. This was one of the moments in her life where she could make a decision about what kind of person she wanted to be. This was an opportunity to prove, with no one watching, that she was the bigger person. She could prove to herself that she could move on with her life without Sara, because if Erika did bring Sara back she wouldn't be finding comfort in Catherine's arms. That privilege would be defaulted onto Megan, the pet doctor.

Catherine hated being an adult.

"Do you know a woman named Sara Sidle?"

"Yes," the woman answered slowly.

"Do you know where she works?"

"The Las Vegas crime labs."

Erika had a sense of humor and it was a cruel one.

"Well while Sara was working tonight she was kidnapped by a person suspected of several murders," that's it. All Catherine had to do was put on her professional face. She slipped into the role so easily nowadays.

"We're doing everything we can to find her at the moment. We have a special agent on the case." Catherine didn't feel the need to mention that their special agent was less than an ideal candidate for complete sanity.

Dr. Fisher began to shake as Catherine's words started to sink in. "And who are you exactly?"

"I'm Catherine Willows. I work with Sara." It was the simple truth, these days.

"Oh."

She couldn't believe she was about to say these next words about Sara but, "We're doing everything we can to find her and bring her back safely."

"How did you know about me?" Dr. Fisher asked her curiosity sinking in with her worry.

"Sara mentioned you once… or twice. We aren't very close but uh… do you know who I am?" Catherine couldn't keep up the façade anymore. She wanted to know if Sara had mentioned her at all. Did she tell this Megan about Lindsey? Did she tell Megan that she still worked with her ex? Did Sara say anything at all that would indicate that she thought about what they had had together at all?

Dr. Fisher seemed taken aback by the question. "No," she answered carefully. "Should I?"

"Apparently not," Catherine's voice was harsher than she had intended, but the fact that Sara hadn't even mentioned her hurt a lot more than she wanted it to.

"Is there someone I can talk to about Sara?" Dr. Fisher asked hesitantly. "Someone with more information?"

"Not really," Catherine answered shortly.

"What about her superior?"

"He doesn't know what's going on," Catherine replied truthfully. "The only people involved are either out in your waiting room or working on getting Sara back."

"I thought she just processed evidence," Dr. Fisher was confused. "I didn't think she actually got involved with the actual police work."

"Tonight's been different. Complicated." Catherine chuckled at a joke that wasn't made but was certainly very funny to her at the moment.

Dr. Fisher's composure was weakening and her eyes looked strained. "I don't know what to do."

Certainly if Megan was looking to Catherine for guidance or comfort she was looking at the wrong person, and it wasn't just because Catherine wasn't sure how much longer she could stay in the same room as Megan. Catherine really didn't know what to do either. Erika said she would get Sara back, and pathetically that's all Catherine had. She had to put her faith in the promise of a psychopath.

What the hell was she thinking?

"Excuse me," Catherine turned away from Dr. Fisher and walked to the waiting room where two agents were seated. They both looked up at her when she entered the room, and even sat up a little straighter in their chairs. "Take me to Erika," she ordered.

A tall middle-aged man stood up and cleared his throat. "I'm sorry Ms. Willows, but we can't do that. She really doesn't want you to be involved with this. It's too personal for you ma'am. I can assure you that she and the other agents are doing everything in their power to get Ms. Sidle out of Marisa Clays's hands."

"You do realize that we've left Sara's life in the hand of two psychopaths?" Catherine waved her hand wildly in the air. Whatever ease had come upon her while she was overlooking Romeo was now gone.

"I know it seems unorthodox," the man kept his voice calm, "but Erika is very good at this kind of thing. If for one minute any of us thought that Erika was involved in this or even tempted to be involved, we would pull her off the case."

"Well that sounds just a little too simple, don't you think?"

"If it will make you feel any better, I'll radio the other agents and get an update on their progress." The agent offered.

"I think you should do that, now."

The man nodded then took a step outside to make his call. Catherine watched him go then dropped her face in her hands as soon as the door closed behind him.

"What did you say about a psychopath?" Dr. Fisher's voice asked from behind her.

The situation was too much. Catherine couldn't be the bigger person anymore. "Sara was taken by a woman who's been leaving dead bodies across the country because they might have known me once. She took Sara because she thinks Sara is the love of my life. We had to pretend that we were madly in love so that some psychopath's plan could work. But you know the truth is, we are the love of each other's life but we're too insecure and hurt to admit it. So I really think that you shouldn't be talking to me right now, because I'm not completely neutral when it comes to you at the moment."

Before Catherine could run through in her mind what exactly it was she had admitted to, and before Dr. Fisher had a chance to reply, the agent walked back into the room looking less than reassuring.

"I think we have a problem," he said lowly.

"What kind of problem?" Catherine enunciated her words very carefully.

"Agent Stevens and Agent Collins were shot. They're alive and said that Marisa saw them coming. She took shots at the car and ended up dragging Erika out. They saw her stick Erika with a needle then Erika passed out. I'm sorry, Ms. Willow, but they don't know anymore than that." His voice was professional, just like Catherine's had been when talking to Dr. Fisher earlier. It was distant, clinical. It was the most maddening voice Catherine had ever heard.

Now wasn't the time for calm descriptions and professional observance. Now was the time to start yelling and raving and to show some emotion. Catherine wanted the agents to show that they actually cared that things had gotten worse.

"What happens now?" Catherine's body was shaking. She felt cold and was sure the beating of her heart could be heard by everyone in the room.

"We do our best to find them both."

That wasn't good enough. It was nowhere close to being enough, but that was all she was going to get.

"The tracking device is still in Sara's belt buckle right?"

"Yes, ma'am," the agent nodded his head. "And it's still sending out a signal. As long as we have that we know where they are."

"Then I really think we should go find them now, don't you? Marisa isn't a very stable person. Neither is Erika, if you think about it." She was able to keep her voice controlled. She was able to be a professional along with all the other professionals in the room. She wanted to yell. She wanted to be as emotional as her heart told her to be, and when she finally met up with Marisa face to face she would be.