Chapter 4 – Grind Into Me

Catherine's POV

What has come over me? I don't think that I am completely sure of what just came out of my mouth a few hours earlier.

Sara Sidle…what do you do to me?

It seems that my little revelation of Sara not being the devil has grown exponentially into the telltale signs of me flirting with her.

Me. Catherine Willows, flirting uncontrollably with someone I fight with eight days a week.

I'll ask myself only once more today.

What in the hell has come over me?

Sara's POV

What the hell has come over her? My mind is still reeling from the blow it took when Catherine essentially told me to nibble her to death.

And that she found my ass endearing.

Maybe she wants me to nibble her ass…er…

Catherine Willows just flirted with me….!

The thought finally hit my perplexed mind for what it was. It accepted it at face value, and then tried to sell it to the comprehension part of my brain for a discounted price.

Catherine Willows. Sexy strawberry blonde bombshell…husky voice and all just flirted with me. Gap-toothed, plain old Sara Sidle.

Is it international Confusion Day? Am I subconsciously allowing my daydreams to project themselves into a not so real reality? Stranger things are certainly possible.

I mean, there couldn't have been something that turned me on more than that. I've had a horrible crush on Catherine since the day I stepped foot in this lab. And yes, I absolutely mean horrible. How could anything be more terrible than drooling over a colleague who has absolutely no interest in you that way? And better yet, a colleague that likes to take you down a notch every time you work with her?

And speaking of notches, my bedpost has been seriously lacking in them lately. That being said, it's not like I sleep around with a lot of people, I've had a serious drought when it comes to relationships. Hank was the last one I had…and for a guy that saves lives, he sure ruined my sex life for a long time.

It had been along time since I dated a guy. I thought maybe Hank was a little different. He was so sweet and polite. And then BAM! He's a big cheater who can suck a fat one.

And I'm back to swearing off men.

Alright back to the present. Catherine and I are walking briskly out of the casino. I think we've both had our fill of this crime scene. I don't think there is anything left to be found there.

I really want to get those bastards.

"Wanna grab some coffee?" Catherine asks smoothly.

"I would…yes…sure" I mumbled incoherently. Seems my mind is still a little messed up after all.

Catherine chuckles. "I think that was some form of the human language meaning yes, you would love to."

My cheeks redden again. I decide to stay silent until we climb into our cars. And Catherine says something that forces a response full of stutters once again.

"Grind Into Me?" Catherine asks with her sultry voice.

"Wha…What?" I ask back. Did she just ask me to…. to fornicate with her?

Catherine smirks and I know she's thinking what I'm thinking. "The coffee place…Grind Into Me? Meet me there in ten?"

Oh God.

Sometimes I hate everything.

We arrive at the horrendously named Grind Into Me coffee shop in eight minutes. My mind has been scolding itself nonstop for the last seven and a half minutes. I needed the thirty seconds to recover after the plethora of shocks my dirty mind sent me of grinding and Catherine.

We walk to a table for two near the window. We take our seats and I fold my hands in front of me on the table. A waitress comes around.

"What can I get for you ladies today?" she asks in a semi-southern drawl.

"I'll have a latte, extra cream please," Catherine orders with a slight smile.

The waitress turns to me. "And how about you?"

"I'll have the house brew. Black please," I responded, politely smiling her way. I decided I need something strong to help my mind start to make sense of itself.

The waitress turns and leaves, her hips swaying in her green smock as she places our orders with the barrista.

With her departure, Catherine faces me, a broad grin on her face.

"So Sidle. I want to know everything. Absolutely everything about you. And don't you even think about skipping the little details. I'm a CSI. I'll know." Wow, she sure does jump into things with both feet.

I decide to be sly back. No more of this nonsense stuttering and making a fool of myself.

"Well, that depends on what you want to know. I'm just so interestingly amazing that I could drone on for hours about myself," I respond saying that last part with an exaggerated snobbish accent.

Catherine's eyes twinkle back at me. "Ok, let's play a game." A game? Does this game include bondage and whips?

"Alright, what exactly do you have in mind?"

"I was thinking we could play two truths and a lie. You tell me three things about yourself and I'll try to guess which one the lie is."

"Hmm," I say out loud as I begin to think of what I want to tell her. "Alright. I play guitar and sing songs to myself every night. I have a fear of waking up someday and being the only person left on Earth. And I have a tremendous crush on someone in the lab."

Catherine's POV

Well let's see here. Three very interesting statements indeed. I ponder them for a while, trying to come up with what the lie could possibly be. I know she has had that huge desire for Gil since before she came to the lab. So that's one truth. I've heard the girl sing before. And my God she has a voice. So the first statement is certainly plausible. But that fear that she has is a very normal fear, she could easily be afraid of that.

"I dunno, Sidle, you have me stumped. A little help here?"

Sara looks at me and blinks a few times before explaining. "The fear was a lie," she says sadly. "I don't mean to get all morbid on you, but sometimes I just feel so lonely. Like I'm already the last person on Earth. No phone calls, no visits, it's crazy how much I feel like the only living soul sometimes." Sara finishes and bows her head slightly.

"Oh Sara," I stutter out. My heart breaks for slightly. "How could a wonderful woman like yourself feel so lonely? How could people not want to be with you?"

"I don't know Cath. I think I'm defective."

"I don't think so Sidle…don't even go there. You know that crush you have in the lab? I'm sure Gil will realize how amazing you are someday. I don't know how he couldn't." It pains me a little to say this. It's becoming clear to me that I don't really like the idea of Sara with anyone who isn't me. Where did all this come from? Just days ago I thought I loathed her...but now…I can't seem to think of her without pairing her name with the word "desire".

Sara looks up at me with sad eyes. She takes a deep breath, like she's about to say something that's hard for her.

"Cath…I don't give a rat's ass about Gil. That ship sailed a long time ago. And I think it crashed into an iceberg somewhere. It's never coming back." Interesting. Very interesting.

"So has a new ship come along? Nick, Warrick, or god forbid Greg? And please please please don't say it's Hodges."

"Well…I don't really know how to say this. But I'm not really into their whole scene."

"What scene?"

"You know, the whole, them being guys thing."

And that stopped me. Completely floored me. Sara wasn't as into guys as I thought. As in not into them at all.

"Oh um…" I start. I feel a ramble coming along. "So then who have you had this crush on…Sofia? She's really beautiful. I mean, she's got that hint of an exotic accent. Great cheekbones. And…and…"

"CATH!" Sara interrupts, red-faced. "I don't have a thing for Sofia, although she is very good-looking."

"Ok…" I move my hands in a confused manner. "So then? Who's the lucky gal?"

Sara takes another deep breath, steeling herself for her next response.

"Catherine, I have wanted you since the moment I laid eyes on you."

And I'm floored again. Mouth open, eyes bugged out. I look across the table intently at Sara; her eyes appear to be wild and full of terror…terror?

Sara's POV

I can't believe I just told Catherine that. She is going to freak. She's going to hate me.

I look at her and her wide eyes. Then I look past her wide eyes and see a car driving past the coffee shop window. Much to my disbelief, I see the muzzle of two guns pointing out the window in our direction.

Everything happens in slow motion.

I see a flash of light appear from both guns as bullets are squeezed from the barrels. I leap across the table and cover Catherine's lithe frame with my body. A split second later, glass rains around us as the bullets penetrate the window. I feel several hot flashes of pain.

As quickly as it began, everything stops.

Silence.

AN: I am SO sorry it took me such a long time to update. School finally started and I am swamped with work. But I think I have a routine down now, so the updates will come a little faster hopefully.

Please please review. I hope you all still care :( Thanks!