A/N: I wanted to upload this a while ago, but I lost my internet and then forgot all about it! Hope you enjoy, I've not forgotten about you! So, it's just a little story of something I was thinking about recently.

Mistake

I was just innocently walking down the corridor, two cups of coffee in hand, thinking about Sara. This has been a regular occurence lately, not the coffee, the thinking about Sara. At first I was shocked, but now it just makes sense. The constant fighting, tension, picking at her just to spend time with her. It's not just a sexual thing either, I mean, yeah, the two of us would be amazing together in bed, I know we would... Ahem, back to it. Yeah, I am pretty sure I am wholeheartedly in love with Sara Sidle. My younger, female, colleague. There are so many reasons why nothing will ever happen between us, it's untrue. I tend to live in my little fantasy, hoping that one day she'll walk up to me after a hard case, hold me tight in her arms and kiss me. I act like it doesn't kill me that nothing will ever happen, but there have been quite a few occasions where I've cried myself to sleep after a bottle of wine. I know, I know, I'm fucking pathetic! But when I wake up after these nights, I convince myself that I hate her. I go into work ready to pick a fight with her. Then I see her beautiful smile, a smile that she's smiling for me. My hate for her just dissolves right then and there. Fuck. She's gorgeous. I bet her lips are so soft. A soft nudge of someone as I'm walking past them bring me back to the present. Shit, I need to pay more attention to where I'm going. I keep walking, determined to get this cup of coffee to Sara before it goes cold. And that's when I walk into Sara. Well, not so much walk, more like throw the coffee all over both of us and then land on top of her. Well... Coffee's still hot. Really fucking hot. Shit. That's when I remember I'm not the only one burnt, and I'm also not the one lying on the floor, burnt with me on top of her. I scramble up and offer my hand to Sara to help her up, I wince as she grabs it. Shit. I notice that Sara's wearing what was a white shirt, I also notice that she's wearing a black, lacy bra underneath it... For fuck's sake Catherine! This is no time to be looking at her underwear, you just threw coffee all over her. I look up at her, her face is slightly contorted in pain. "Come with me honey," I say gently. Sara's not so good with people knowing she's hurt. She nods and follows me as I walk towards my office. I close the door behind us and close the blinds. She stands still with her head down, "Sara..." She doesn't look up. "Sara." This time she makes eye contact, and she looks scared. "Sara honey," I say, bringing my very red hand to her cheek, "You need to take your shirt off." She shakes her head and a tear falls down her cheek and onto my hand, "Hey, hey, as soon as you get your shirt off, it'll stop hurting so much, I promise."

"No." She chokes out,

"Sara, you're kind of freaking me out here, just take your shirt off please, you must be in a lot of pain." I walk away to get some cold water and paper towels, when I turn around, she's just stood there in her tights jeans and a bra. I'm debating downing this bottle of water, due to the fact I have a topless Sara Sidle in my office. But I also have a burnt Sara Sidle in my office, so I won't drink the water. I drench some of the paper towels and press them to her stomach, she tenses at the initial contact, "Hold them there honey." She shakily brings her hand to her stomach and my heart breaks. I can't believe I've done this to her. I swallow back the tears, I'll save them for with my wine later. I check her over, making sure she's okay. And she is, it's just her stomach that's red. Something catches my eye. A long scar running next to Sara's bra strap. And I mean long, it started right at the beginning of her shoulder and ended under the back of her bra. "How?" My voice was hoarse from being so close to her. She gulped.

"Accident." I frowned but left it at that. Now I've noticed that scar, I can't help but see all the others, most just an inch or so long, some circular and much smaller... Almost like... Cigarette burns!

"Sara," I say, putting my fingertip on one of the circular scars. She tenses.

"I was a mistake, and I damn sure wasn't allowed to forget it." Oh shit. Everything just clicked into place, and this white-hot rage coursed through me so fast I almost missed it. I moved to stand back in front of her and take the towels to replace them with colder ones. "Don't!" It was too late, the paper towels hit the floor and a sob escaped my lips. There, on my beautiful Sara's stomach, was the word 'mistake'. It had clearly been carved in a long time ago, and not by her.

"Oh god." The rage was back. How can anyone think of Sara as a mistake? "You're not a mistake." I looked up and made eye contact, "You are not a mistake Sara Sidle. Do you hear me?" I put all my emotions into that sentence, she shook her head.

"I am..." I almost missed it she was that quiet.

"No. You're not. You," I stopped and took a deep breath, it had to be now. "You are amazing. You're gorgeous, you're so talented in your job, you have an amazing spirit, you're amazing to be around, you make an impact on everyone who has the privilage to know you. You're smile... Makes me happy on my darkest day..." I had to say it. "I love you." There, it was out. And now there's silence, she's not replied, and I am freaking out. I've fucked it up. I've done the typical Catherine Willows and fucked it all up. Brilliant. Think I'll be having more than a bottle of wine tonight.

"I love you too." Now that caught me off guard, my eyes snapped to hers, "I love you too." She said it again.

"You... You do?" I asked, probably the most desperate I have ever sounded.

"Yeah. Of course I do." A pause. "Even if you did just throw coffee over me." I grinned.

"You walked into me, actually." She nodded,

"I probably did... I was... Distracted." Hmm...

"By what?"

"This certain beautiful blonde I'm in love with."

"Oh yeah, anyone I know?"

"Yeah you know her, about this high," She held her hand next to my head, "bossy, intimidating, sexy as hell, just all round amazing. Oh, and when she stands up and leans over her desk," A pause as she purses her lips, "What a view." I giggle, fucking giggle! How does she do this to me? After such a serious moment, how is this happening? Wait, is this even happening? And as I'm thinking that, her lips touch mine and it's more amazing than I ever could've imagined.