I think you'll like this chapter :) Thanks again for the reviews, keep 'em coming x

Chapter 7

"How's Lindsey doing?" Sara asked once they were seated in a quiet corner of a near-by bar with their drinks in hand.

"Good. Sort of. She's missing Eddie, but she's doing okay." Cath explained. "I never thanked you for that." She said quietly. Sara furrowed her brow in confusion. "For Eddie's case. You did your best and I was awful to you." She reached out and placed a hand over Sara's. "Thank you." Sara looked uncomfortable.

"You shouldn't. I never solved it."

"You tried. And I didn't make it easy for you." Cath smiled, and Sara smiled back. It struck them both that it was the first time either had ever acknowledged an argument and talked it out like adults.

Satisfied that the issue was buried, they made small talk for a while, and found that outside work they actually got on great. Catherine had never realised just how funny or playful Sara could be. She only ever saw the more sober side of her at work, and being here with her, she found herself falling for her even harder.

With a couple more drinks inside them they paid the bill and departed into the cool, early morning air. Sara sighed contentedly as they ambled their way to the cars. Cath watched her with fascination, loving this more free side of her. As they reached Sara's car they turned to each other and Sara started to say something, but before she could Catherine, for a reason unknown to even her, placed a quick, soft kiss on her lips. It was brief, but it was electric. Sara blinked at her. Catherine stared back at Sara in shock, not quite believing that she had done that herself. "I'm sorry." She rushed out breathlessly. Without looking back she turned and ran. Despite Sara – having found her elusive voice – calling her name, she ran and ran...

...straight under a lime green Cadillac.

x x x x x

"You're an idiot." Cath cracked one eye open, and promptly snapped it shut, but it was too late. "I know you can hear me." Nurse Nancy continued, hovering over the bed with her hands on her hips. She waited for a moment, and when it was clear that her little sister was going nowhere Catherine sighed and opened her eyes. She looked around, mildly bemused, trying to place the reason why she was hospital. When it all came screaming back to her, hitting her like a ton of bricks, there were no fireworks, no sharp intake of air. Just a quiet realisation of a stark fact.

"I did something stupid."

"Yeah, you ran out in front of a car." Nancy pointed out bluntly, "lucky for you they were going slow." But to her amazement Cath shook her head with a baffled expression.

"No." She stated obviously. "I kissed Sara." As soon as the words left her lips it dawned on her just how stupid that was and she covered her face with her hands, eliciting a muffled groan.

"You did what?" Nancy asked incredulously.

"Shut up." Cath mumbled.

"You kissed her! And that's why you ran away?" She joined the dots.

"She's gonna think I'm mad." Cath repeated her fear from earlier in the week.

"Why? I mean yeah she will, but isn't it normal to end a date with a kiss? Why did you run?" she asked, perching on the edge of the bed. Cath pulled a face, which gave her away instantly. "Cathy? What aren't you telling me?" Nancy demanded.

"She kinda didn't know it was a date."

"Why?" She asked again with confusion.

"Because I didn't tell her." Cath confessed in a small voice, with a shy little smile.

"Catherine!" Nancy exclaimed with a horrified expression.

"I was scared she might say no!" Cath defended herself, struggling to sit up despite her bruises.

"So you tricked her into going on a date? That's awful." Nancy scolded, less than gently encouraging her to lie back down again.

"It wasn't like that. I read in a horoscope that..."

"A horoscope?" Nancy asked sceptically. "You don't believe in that rubbish."

"Let me finish." Cath snapped. "The horoscope said I should follow the signs and take a chance. And that I would get surprised by someone. And she brought me a muffin."

"A muffin?"

"Yes." Cath said, scowling at the interruptions. "So, I followed the signs, and I asked her out. She misunderstood me and I just didn't correct her." She tried to explain, but even to her own ears the excuse sounded weak. "I screwed up okay, I feel stupid enough." She grumbled miserably, sinking back into the pillows. Nancy rolled her eyes at her big sister's petulant pout and folded arms.

"Well suck it up because there's someone outside who wants to see you." Catherine furrowed her brow. "And you've got some explaining to do to her." Her eyes widened.

"No!" She said adamantly. "No way, I cannot see her right now." Nancy placed her hands on her hips again.

"Hey, you owe her. She waited with you, she came in with you, and she's not left that hallway since you went into surgery." She pointed out, tapping Cath's bandaged wrist just hard enough to make Cath wince with pain.

"Ow!" She gasped. "Nancy please, I can't see her now!" Nancy offered her a vague wave of the hand and a half smile.

"Well if I leave her out there any longer she's gonna wear a hole in the floor."

x x x x x

Catherine shuffled as far under the blankets as she could with her eyes tight shut, working under the theory of 'I can't see you therefore you can't see me'.

It didn't work.

"Hey, how're you feeling?" Sara's worried voice filtered through the blanket. Cath opened her eyes reluctantly and offered a timid grin.

"I'm okay. A few bruises, nothing that won't heal." She laughed nervously, holding her broken right wrist up as proof. "You didn't have to wait." She said with a bashful smile, not so secretly pleased that she had.

"I was worried." Sara announced, making herself comfortable in the decidedly uncomfortable hospital chair by the bed. "You really scared me." Her voice sounded more vulnerable than Catherine ever heard it, and a pang of guilt shot through her heart.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled. "And not just for running off. I'm sorry for..." she trailed off, playing with the blanket nervously.

"For...?" Sara pressed with a small smile. "Kissing me?" She guessed when Catherine made it clear she was not going to answer. She chewed the inside of her cheek and raised her eyes to Sara's.

"Maybe." She mumbled. At Sara's coy smile Catherine blushed a deep red. "Okay, I'm sorry." She conceded sincerely. She didn't speak again, causing Sara to prompt her with a soft nudge. "Last night, when I asked you for drinks I don't think ... I think you misunderstood." Sara frowned, letting her mind work through this. When it clicked her mouth opened and closed again.

"This morning. That was a date?" She asked, more bemused than anything.

"It was supposed to be." Cath said with a sad sigh. She smiled weakly. "More pathetic than I look huh?" Sara lifted herself onto the edge of the bed and took Cath's good hand.

"No, you're not pathetic." She paused for a moment while Catherine played with their entangled fingers subconsciously. "Why didn't you tell me?" Her voice was not accusing or angry, just curious.

"I was scared that you'd say no." Cath admitted shyly. Her head shot up with a look of hurt plastered on her face when Sara laughed at her answer. The brunette, however, held up her hands in apology.

"Cat, anyone who would say no to you needs their head checking." She explained sweetly. Cath's face changed from hurt to blushing in an instant.

"Really?" Instead of answering, Sara leant forward and slowly captured Catherine's lips in a chaste kiss. When she pulled back Catherine didn't move, except to raise an eyebrow.

"Do you mean it?" She asked with a smile. Sara pulled a strange expression and said:

"Do you need me to do it again?" Catherine's grin answered her question and she leant in again. However, just as they were close enough to feel each other's breath on their lips, the door crashed open and in clattered...