Part 8

"Hey Jess…Glad you could make it" Warrick smiled as he lent over and passed her a bottle. The bar was crowded – and Jess looked around confusion visible. "Hey, it's Vegas… what did you expect?" He asked referring to the large amounts of people in here drinking.

"Just…not for a bar to be full this early in the morning" She explained with a smile.

He nodded, "Well, for these guys it's night. Most are coming off night shift…and most of them are working night shift in some form of Police area of work."

"Well…when in Rome" Jess smiled when she brought up the bottle to her mouth.

"Your Nick's sister…that's for sure" He laughed. Then he moved her over to the table, where the CSI gang where sat.

"Hey guys look who I found"

"Hey Guys" Jess greeted.

"Hey…you made it?" Nick stood up and hugged her… "Thought you'd been held up of something"

"No…just running a little late." She explained.

"Hey Jess…how are you?" Greg asked.

"Good thanks…better now I have this" She explained holding up the beer.

"Yeah, has that effect on us all…it's first time Nick's smiled all week" Sara laughed as she drank from her own bottle.

"Hey" Nick protested, "I smiled when you fell in the dumpster" he corrected.

Sara just scowled at him.

"Hey down Sidle…" Warrick shot.

Jess laughed, "He has a way of really pissing you off don't he?"

Sara just nodded.

Nick shrugged, "I had a lot of practice" was his excuse as he put his hand on his sisters arm, "Wasn't that right sis"

She just slugged him. "yeah till I beat you up"

Nick backed off and Greg laughed.

"Talking about people who can beat Nick up, where's Catherine?" Warrick asked the table.

Sara didn't respond, mostly cause she had no idea where the blond was, she instead took another swig off beer and looked out across the crowed though still listening to the excuses been offered for the older CSIs absence.

"I think she had to tie up some stuff at work…she's going to meet us down here" Nick explained.

Sara couldn't help by think back to not that long ago when it was her job to know where the other female was, when it was her job to look out for her. And yes, she was aware that this infatuation with the other was near on obsessive but she couldn't help it. Nick was right, not too long ago he offered a resolution for Sara's broken heart…she needed to move on, and forget about it. Though she still hadn't decided how she should go about such a thing.

"Speak of the devil isn't that her over by the bar?" That was Greg who spoke.

Sara looked over, it was Catherine…

Than she noticed something else, someone fought through the crowed and came up behind her. A blond woman not someone Sara knew, though she had seen her around a few times. She was an officer who was on the odd occasion had been on scenes with them. She was putting her arm around Catherine. She was with Catherine. Hearing about the other women in Catherine's life was one thing for Sara and she was just about dealing with that but seeing them, that brought in a whole new level of pain. Was this for real, she sat there, eyes fixed on the couple as they laughed. "Guys… I…" She began, still looking at them. Then swallowed and turned back to the table, "I'll be back…in a second"

"Hey…Sara…Sara… wait" Greg called as the brunette escaped to the bathroom. He sank back into the chair –"Don't tell me she's brought her date"

"God damn it…yeah she has" Warrick cursed. He shook his head in disbelief –Catherine meant a lot to him, she was a good friend but he had to wonder what the hell she was playing at. She knew that Sara was having a hard time as it was…the last thing that she needed was to see this. "What's she thinking?"

"I don't think she is" Nick clarified.

Jess just sat, taking in everything. She was actually concerned from Sara right then in that moment. "Maybe one of you should go see if she's okay?" She offered. All three of the men had now sank down into a chair around the table – she was sat between Warrick and Nick with Greg opposite.

"Sara doesn't want us round her…she'll break down in the ladies, then show up out here with a fake smile and she deal with it. Like she does…" Nick explained.

"them going out was the worst move they made" Greg complained, "I mean, this is awkward between them now"

"Hey…they were happy…they were perfect for each other" Warrick argued.

"Obviously, Catherine didn't think that" Nick mumbled.

"Heads up" Greg eyes towards the bar, "We have movement"

They all looked over in time to see Catherine approach, "Hey guys" The blond wasn't with her now, she'd left the other woman back at the bar with another group. They all greeted her, "I brought a round" She placed the bottles down on the table.

"Thanks a lot Cath" Nick nodded.

"Who's died?" The blond asked noticing there very serious expressions.

Warrick was the one who took the stand "Was it necessary to bring the blond?" He asked.

"What?"

"the woman you were with at the bar? Sara saw…and now she's AWL"

Catherine rolled her eyes, "I see… and her break down is yet again my fault?"

Warrick rolled his eyes, "Just forget it" he took his seat again. "Grab a stool Cath"

"You sure…because I don't want to upset Sara" She spat sarcastically.

"Come on, don't be like this" Nick stood up and moved to the blond, he moved his arm around her and guided her to the chair. "Things just got a little tense… you know we don't pick sides with you two…it's just… you know, you bringing the blond makes it a little bit harder for these group get together to run smoothly."

"Well firstly, I never brought Rachel… she was here with her own work colleagues. And secondly, what I do, who I date and where I take them is nothing at all to do with you guys…you got me?"

Warrick lent back and took a swig from his beer defiantly; Catherine just looked at him and shook her head. "Look, I think its best that I just leave"

"No…look, where here to have a god damn drink together and that's what we are going to do. Just try and make it through this one get together…all of us?" Nick asked. He just wanted to keep the peace.

Catherine agreed, she reached out towards the bottle on the table that was hers, and then she looked back over to the bar. She did feel bad, for Sara and for the team but there was nothing that she could do. What did they expect… her never to be with anyone again. For her to get back with Sara just so it made it easier for them – maybe it was asking too much for them to be supportive, hell maybe she didn't deserve it. To be honest – she was beyond caring…her life was falling apart around her, and she was struggling to keep hold of it.

----

Sara eventually managed to pull it together; she walked out of the bathroom and headed back into the bar. She was greeted by a uniformed officer that she'd spoken too a few cases ago. "Hey, Sara how's it going?"

"Hey, Mike" Sara smiled and shook his hand, "Good thanks. What about you?"

"No complaints… you here on your own?" He asked.

"No, my friends are over there" She looked over to the table where they were all sat, Catherine included minus the blond to Sara's delight. She'd be able to manage talking to Catheirne and been civil but to the blond replacement – she doubted she'd handle that. "End of the week so we thought we'd finish in style" Sara explained.

"My kind of girl" He laughed, "Well, we have a little situation…me having drank one too many" He explained as he pointed to the bathroom, "So, I'll catch up with you later on"

"Sure… I'll talk to you later" With that Sara weaved through the crowed and headed to the table.

She readied herself and then smiled, and spoke, "Hey, well you made it?" She asked Catherine, "And you came baring gifts…" Sara reached forward and took the spare bottle that was hers.

"Yeah… you all looked like you needed it back at the lab" Catherine offered awkwardly. She found it hard to talk to Sara now… even as friends. That was her fault, she was the one who left it awkward between them and she had been refusing and avoiding to bring it up and talk about what happened so nothing, over the past few weeks had been resolved.

"yeah well, you got a smash and grab… I pulled the triple homicide… you got off easy today" Sara joked. She then moved back, taking a seat that was free from another table and pulling it between Greg and Warrick. The table eventually broke off into its sub conversations – Nick and Catherine talking about work. Warrick and Jess talking about Nick and his childhood embarrassments and Sara and Greg talking about – her.

"You sure you okay here…cause we could bail?" Greg asked, lowly so no one hared.

"Greg I'm fine" Sara lied.

"Yeah…you look it." Greg mumbled, "You don't have to do this you know"

"Do what?"

"Act like everything's okay? I know it isn't…"

"I'm not acting…it's fine." Sara growled back – "Look I appreciate it, I really do…I'm just not ready to break down yet."

Greg nodded in understanding… "Well, when you are… I'm here for you"

Sara smiled. "You know, you're kind of sweet when your concerned."

"I am huh?"

Sara nodded, "yeah…"

Then she lent forward putting her empty bottle down on the table, "Well guys, my round…same again?" She stood up and headed to the bar. Catherine watched her go, then she turned to Nick.

"Give me a sec…sorry" She offered for breaking into his conversation. She stood up, and headed towards the bar also.

"Where's she going?" Rick asked.

"Oh great… "Nick mumbled. All he needed was this, now. They'd all had a little too much to drink and he was convinced Catherine and Sara choosing now to work things out was a really bad idea.