Ten hours passed and not much changed. The blood was DNA matched to the mom's toothbrush, which meant the girl could still be alive. The amber alert was out, and at least until Hansel was found, Catherine held on to a little hope.
They worked solidly through the day, and even though it was tough, they worked through the next night as well. At some point, though, Sara had called it.
"Cath. I'm as much for overworking as the next gal, but we're no good to this kid exhausted. We gotta get some sleep- we'll come back and we'll nail the guy."
Catherine grimaced. She knew Sara was right but something was bothering her.
"What if, you know, because Hansel and... Sara, what if she's still alive?"
There was no answer, but Sara put her hand over Catherine's and tucked her fingers in. She held it there for a second, comforting her, and then gently pulled.
"We'll be better once we've slept."
Sara drove and Catherine immediately fell asleep in the car. When Sara pulled up to Catherine's house, she couldn't wake the older woman. She checked for a pulse and found one, let her fingers rest there for a second. Felt her heartbeat sync with the other woman's, and sighed.
Sara got out of the car and opened the passenger door, and elected to carry the sleeping woman to bed-rather than try to wake her. She fished Cath's keys from her pocket and barely struggled with the door, but stumbled on the stairs. Catherine stirred and locked her hands around Sara's neck, murmuring.
"My princess charming" she snorted a laugh, her eyes still closed. Sara almost dropped her and ran, but instead elected to ignore the panic.
They made it to the bedroom, and Sara laid Catherine down on the bed. She did not tuck her in, because that would be ridiculous and weird.
Where'd that come from? Sara shook her head and turned to leave.
"You might as well stay." Catherine was awake, and apparently unaware of the sleepy moment they'd had on the stairs. If not unaware, at least unembarrassed.
"I just mean, you're gonna have to pick me up anyway. My car is at the lab. And we're close enough to share a bed without it being weird."
Suddenly, Sara was too hot. She turned.
"I'm too hot." She said, her brain-to-mouth filter failing her.
Catherine's eyes were still closed, but she smirked.
"Borrow some pyjamas. Top drawer. Unless you sleep naked, hot stuff?"
Sara was glad that her friend's eyes were closed, because she had turned a violent shade of purple.