Disclaimer: I don't own 'em…

A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews that many of you have left. I posted this on my profile, but will do so here as well. I will no longer accept anonymous reviews. I mean, come on, having an account is about as anonymous as you can get. I could be your next door neighbor and you wouldn't know it. So why go all cloak and dagger to leave anonymous reviews? Oh, and another thing, if you're going to leave a review and attempt to flame me, you weaken your case by saying that you've read more than one of my stories. If you read one and it sucked, you should've stopped reading. There's no need to continue reading ALL of my stories if you think I am unoriginal and my writing is of poor quality. Now, having said that, let's get on with the story, shall we?

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"Can we talk?"

"If it's about the case, sure. If it's not, then no." I never bothered to lift my head to even acknowledge her. I had spoken very little to her in the last few days. Unfortunately, Gil had paired us up on a case together and that had forced us to interact. I, however, kept it strictly professional.

I heard the door shut behind me and her heels click across the floor as she moved closer to where I was sitting.

"I don't get it. Things were fine a few nights ago when I Lindsey and I came over for dinner." She pulled out a chair across from and sat down, clasping her hands together on top of the table. Her mouth widened into a large smile, "We kissed. We ate. And then, well, then you went distant again. What's going on?"

While she gave all the appearances of being calm and collected, I was anything but. I didn't want to have this conversation. I was much better at avoiding conversations like this. I closed my eyes and pushed my chair back from the table. As I went to stand, she reached across the table and took my hand in hers.

"What did I do? I think I deserve to know that much? Did I do something wrong? Did I say something I shouldn't have?" As if something finally clicked, her expression changed. "Oh. Are you seeing someone else? Is that what it is?"

I took a deep breath and shook my head. "I'm not seeing anyone, Cat."

"Then what is it? What did I do?"

I sat back in the chair and crossed my arms over my chest. "How about you just cut the shit and just ask what it is you want to ask. You don't have to sit here and insult my intelligence or even act like you care."

"I'm asking you the only thing I want to ask you," she said as her voice raised an octave. "What the … what caused the sudden attitude from you directed at me?"

I stood up harshly, sending the chair I was sitting in careening backwards and falling against the floor. I turned the door handle and swung it open roughly.

"I'll keep Lindsey while you go on your little romantic getaway with Alex. All you had to do was ask to start with. You knew I'd do it."

Without waiting for a response, I tread heavily down the hall and out the back door of the lab. I didn't want a big ugly fight with Catherine. I had gotten those out of my system long ago when I found a much better way of taking out my frustrations on her.

No sooner had I lit the cigarette in my shaky hands than the door beside me opened and Cath stepped into the cool Vegas night beside me.

"I thought you quit." She took the Marlboro from my hand and dropped it on the ground, stubbing it out with the heel of her boot.

I exhaled the one drag I had taken off of the cancer-stick and leaned heavily against the building.

"I already told you I'd keep an eye on her while you're gone. Is there something else you want? Need me to drop you and Alex off at the airport, too?"

I knew I'd come undone even more if I looked at her. Instead, I focused my attention on the winter sky above me, counting stars.

"Sara, why do you think I'm going somewhere with Alex?"

I bit my tongue. I didn't want to rat Lindsey out. I wasn't about to tell Catherine that Lindsey was the one that told me

Even in the darkness I could see her working through the situation—after all, she did love solving puzzles.

"You were fine until after dinner. I was doing dishes and you were…Lindsey. What did she tell you?"

I stood mute. I wasn't about to sell Lindsey out.

"Sara. Tell me."

"What difference does it make? You're going out of town with some guy named Alex and I already said I'll watch Lindsey. She said that's the reason you came over on Christmas Eve."

Catherine chuckled.

"Yeah, go ahead and laugh at me. I get it, okay?" I pushed myself off of the wall and took a few steps away from her. "I fucked up when I ended things. I get that. And I've regretted it every single day. But it was for the best. It was. I know it was. You have to know that, too. You know that, right?"

"What I know? You're joking, right?"

When I stayed somber and didn't reply, she continued. "You need to cut the victim act here, Sar. What I know is that I came home one day to find your stuff gone and a note explaining that we couldn't be together because you needed time—that things had moved too fast for you. And I've tried to respect that. I have. I've seen you out on dates—and I kept my mouth shut when all I wanted to do was beat the shit out of the bitch on your arm and take her place. But I didn't. Because you needed time. We kept working together—alongside each other. I made sure you were okay after you drank yourself into oblivion at that bar. I…I…dammit. I'm still as in love with you today as I was the day I came home and found that note. And you don't get that, do you?"

By this time, silent tears were streaming down her face and she was standing toe to toe with me, daring me to answer.

"And for the record, Alex and I used to work together. She was a stripper. She's married and has kids now. She invited me AND Lindsey to go with her family to their house at Lake Tahoe for the New Year. So when Linds told you whatever she told you, she didn't have the full story. And how dare you assume that I would think so little of you that I'd use you that way," she snorted and rolled her eyes. "I guess you still think I use my sexuality to get whatever I want, don't you?"

I reached out to touch her, immediately filled with regret for assuming that Lindsey knew what she was talking about and that I hadn't considered even asking Catherine about the situation. She recoiled in apparent disgust.

"Cath, I…"

"Yeah, I know. You're sorry, right? Never meant to hurt me? Well, guess what Sara? I'm done listening to it. We've been on this merry-go-round for almost a year now and I'm tired. I'm tired of waiting for you to get your head out of your ass and be the woman I need you to be—to be the woman I know you can be. I'm tired of it. So you know what? This is where I get off. It ends here."

She leaned in and brushed her lips against mine.

"I love you, Sara. But I love myself, too. And loving you hurts me too much."

A/N: One more to go (: