It was just another dead body, just another crime scene, that brought Sara hurtling back to reality.

It had been as if she'd been living the last three weeks in a haze. Almost like a dream, but not quite. Catherine had been friendly. Sara had been happy.

Everyone had noticed, but nobody had mentioned anything. The reality was they were the best two CSI's on the nightshift, and if they could work together, they could smash out so many solves that the day team looked bad by comparison.

In fact, in the last 3 weeks, the night shift had improved their solve rate by over 30%. Grissom had put down this success to the women working together, so that by the end of our three weeks of waiting, Catherine and Sara were together on every case. Every shift brought them closer together.

Grissom came in to the standard start of shift meeting 10 minutes early, only to find that Sara wasn't yet there. Unusual, since she'd usually be working overtime by at least 3 hours already, but lately it was becoming the norm for Sara to show up on time.

He noticed that Catherine wasn't there yet either, and made a mental note to watch the two closely in case another argument was to crop up. The calm before the storm. His instincts told him that this time the fallout would be nuclear. It would affect everyone.

He went over to pour himself a coffee when he heard the sound that seemed to be filling the lab every night shift these days. Laughter.

As the two women walked side by side into the break room, he caught the end of what must have been a hilarious anecdote, judging by the tears streaming down Sara's face.

"… And then she said 'Mommy, why is there a –Ha- pheasant in the bath?" Catherine said. Sara cracked up, doubled over with laughter. The women sat down.

"H-h-hi Griss. Catherine was just –ehe- filling me in on Lindsay's most recent sleepover." The two women fell about laughing, to a joke Grissom just didn't get. The boys looked over from their videogame.

"Okay. So. Assignments" Grissom was happy for the girls, but it seemed to him destined to fall to pieces before any solid, concrete friendship was to form. "Catherine, Sara, you guys are on a double homicide out in Summerlin, Coralite Drive. Mother and Father killed, daughter missing. I want you guys to solve this one tonight if at all possible. Warrick, Nick, you guys have a break in at 115 Jones Boulevard."

"Aww man, the girls get all the interesting ones." Nick complained, but only half-heartedly. He, like the rest of the team, were glad that Catherine and Sara weren't about to kill each other.

"Oh, Sara, Mandy from prints asked if you could stop by there before you start, says it's pretty urgent." Warrick chimed in.

"Oh. Do you mind?" Sara asked Catherine, who shook her head.

"Just meet me by the car in ten, okay?"

"Sweet, see you in a bit. Bye, boys." She said, before leaving the room. Catherine watched her leave, before turning to the boys, who all appeared to be staring at her. Again.

"What?" She asked.

The boys averted their eyes, mumbling.