Thanks for all the reviews guys!

x x x x

"You know what I don't get?" Hodges asked idly, propping his head up on the sterile counter, much to Wendy's growing annoyance.

"Dates." She answered instantly, not bothering to tear her eyes from her computer screen.

"Sex." Mandy chirped in from her position, eavesdropping in the doorway.

Seeing a fun game in this, Wendy straightened up and shared a mischievous look with the fingerprint tech.

"A social life."

"40 year olds who don't still live with their mother."

He looked between the two women in shocked insolence, not sure which insult to contest first.

"No." He shook his head, deciding to ignore their taunts altogether. "Bisexuals."

That was clearly not what either woman was expecting him to say and they each blinked at him in a mix of surprise and disgust.

"What?" Wendy asked, hoping that she had misunderstood the statement.

"No, not like that." Hodges quickly corrected himself, realising how that must have sounded. "I mean, I don't have a problem with it. I just don't get how can you be attracted to men at the same time as being attracted to women?"

"Well, that's kind of their thing." Mandy quirked an eyebrow behind her glasses, barely concealing her amusement.

"Yeah, but how?" He pressed. "Men and women are so different, how can you…" He paused mid-sentence, his brow furrowing in confusion. "What?"

The women turned, following his line of sight to the door where Sara was staring at him with an unreadable expression.

"Sara, you okay?" Wendy asked, taking a step closer. Snapping out of it, the CSI shook her head and offered a bashful smile.

"Yeah, sorry." She shrugged, hurriedly turning to leave before she embarrassed herself further. Her ears had pricked up at the trace tech's odd admission and the memory of her little note had suddenly sprung back to mind.

It was absurd of course. Hodges, really? He was hardly the master of deception.

However, before she could make her hasty retreat, Mandy's voice called her back.

"Oh, hang on!" She launched herself off the doorframe and darted back into her own lab.

As she vanished from his line of sight, Hodges scowled in her wake. "Hey!" He hollered after her. "I am not 40!"

Ignoring the indignant denial, she shuffled over to her desk and snatched the top folder off her unstable pile. "I got a hit off your rape case."

Sara trailed in behind the woman, her curiosity taking over her urgent desire to escape.

"Anything good?"

"Mark Davis." Mandy declared, handing her the printout. "Been arrested twice for indecent assaults and spent time in a juvenile facility when he was a teenager for sexual assault."

Sara smiled gratefully at the tech.

"Thank you."

For the second time, she made to leave; and also for the second time Mandy held her back, this time reaching out to brush her colleague's sleeve in an effort to keep her in place a little longer.

"Hey, Sara." She cleared her throat nervously. "Is Catherine okay?"

"Catherine?" Sara repeated, frowning. "Yeah, why?"

"It's probably nothing," Mandy shrugged. "But she was in here earlier and she just seemed distracted, like she was a million miles away. I've noticed it a few times lately."

Sara felt a twang of guilt at the realisation that she was the most likely cause behind Cath's pre-occupation of late. Seeing that Mandy was still waiting for an explanation, she masked her internal concern with a caring smile.

"She's fine, I think she's just tired."

"Okay." The other woman nodded, semi-satisfied with the answer. "I was just worried."

"I'll go check on her." Sara promised, glad when a relieved look flashed across the lab rat's eyes.

"Thank you." She smiled.

They may not spend that much time together, but Mandy was fond of the CSIs and she could always tell when something was wrong with one of them. And Lord knows, Catherine was not one to hide her feelings when something was bothering her.

It was actually one of the things Mandy loved about the feisty supervisor. That and her similiarly sarcastic sense of humour.

X x x

"Hey, you busy?" Sara enquired softly, peering around the door.

"Probably." Catherine muttered, tossing one folder after another onto the growing heap on the floor as she searched for the one she needed.

"I can come back." Sara decided aloud, making to go; but Cath instantly stopped what she was doing and spun on her heel.

"No, no." She gestured to the couch. "I can make time. What's up?"

"Actually," Sara pursed her lips, sinking into the cushions. "I came to ask you that."

"Me?" Cath repeated, joining her. "Why?"

"Mandy just asked me if you were okay. Apparently you seemed distracted earlier."

Catherine smiled at the concern from her colleagues.

"Oh, I'm fine." She dismissed it genially. "I mean, apart from being buried under a mountain of paperwork." She waved vaguely in the direction of her train-wreck of a desk. The ghost of a smile danced briefly across Sara's lips, but it was quickly replaced by her previous expression of disquiet.

"Is it because of me?" She asked uneasily. "Because of everything…"

"Oh, no honey." Catherine leant closer, taking both of Sara's hands between her own. "I mean, I am still worried about you of course." She corrected hurriedly. "But it's not your fault."

"Yes, it is." Sara mumbled sadly, looking away.

Sensing that she was missing a piece of information, Catherine inched closer on the couch and nudged her friend's shoulder.

"Come on." She probed gently. "I know when you're hiding something from me. Spill."

Sara couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips when she flicked her gaze back up to the playful blue eyes staring at her. She just couldn't lie to this woman.

"Okay." She breathed, taking a minute to plan her words carefully. "I am planning on breaking up with Kirsty. Soon."

She felt Catherine's mood change instantly as the blonde bristled at the news.

"Why, has something happened?" She asked, her eyes naturally seeking out every inch of visible skin; which admittedly was not much right now.

"No, nothing like that." Sara promised, squeezing her hands tighter in a bid to reassure her. "That's kind of the reason in itself really." She admitted, earning her a puzzled look. "She's been oddly calm lately, about everything."

"And you're worried that she's building up to something?" Catherine guessed knowingly.

"Yes. No. Well, sort of." She answered vaguely with a helpless shrug. "I just can't take it anymore – I'm on edge all the time. I feel like if I so much as breathe at the wrong time she could just snap."

Despite her best efforts, she felt tears beginning to sting her eyes and her attempts to blink them away without Cath noticing failed miserably.

The blonde scooted as close as possible, wrapping one arm around her friend's shoulders.

"Honey, I know it's not an easy thing to do. But sometimes the only thing you can do is to walk away."

"I know." Sara mumbled sheepishly. "I'm just scared."

"Yeah, I know babe." Cath agreed, tipping her head against Sara's. "But it'll be alright."

There was a long silence between the pair, before Catherine finally spoke again.

"How are you going to do it?"

"I don't know." Sara sighed, straightening up and wiping at her eyes. "I'm still trying to work that out."

"Well, when you decide let me know. That way I can be on standby in case she kicks off."

Sara smiled meekly at the offer.

"Thanks, but I'd rather not get you involved in this."

"Tough." Catherine responded blithely. "I'm already involved." Without giving the younger woman a chance to argue, she stood up and tapped the brunette's cheek with her fingertip gently. "Don't do anything until you've let me know."

X x x

Sara dropped her keys onto the counter and released a long, slow breath.

She had hoped that Kirsty wouldn't be here when she got back so she could plan what she was going to say in advance, but no such luck.

The woman in question wandered out of the bathroom and did a double take at the brunette's sudden appearance in the flat. Sara smiled weakly in greeting, her pitiful effort belaying her dread at what she was about to do.

"Oh, hey." Kirsty stated coolly, brushing past her and stalking towards the balcony doors. It was early and the sun was still low in the sky, blanketed by a light morning mist. Above the city of Las Vegas, the sky was a deep red and brimming with ominous clouds.

It was like the world was trying to warn her.

Sara couldn't help but pick up on Kirsty's cold demeanour towards her, but she decided it was probably better that way. If she was already pissed about something, it might make ending things a whole lot easier. Or worse, but there was only one way to find out for sure.

Realising that she still hadn't moved from the doorway, she forced herself to walk further into the flat and straightened her back in a vain attempt to project an air of confidence.

No time like the present, she thought to herself jadedly.

"Kirsty, I need to talk to you." She began with a steady voice. When the cop didn't move, she took another tentative step closer. "Please?"

To her pleasant surprise, the woman complied, albeit somewhat moodily.

She stropped towards the couch and flung herself onto it, fixing her girlfriend with a raised eyebrow.

"Well?"

Sara cleared her throat, electing to perch on the arm of the chair rather than join her on the couch.

"Look, I know this might come as a bit of a shock, but…"

"Oh no." Kirsty cut her off, shaking her head resolutely. "Nothing could shock me today." She sent Sara the same withering look she had when the CSI had first come through the door and Sara realised that she wasn't going to be able to do this until Kirsty had had her say.

"What's going on?" She asked at last, somewhat reluctantly.

Kirsty sat forward, resting her hands on her knees.

"I had some spare time on my hands this afternoon." She began calmly. "I decided to help out a colleague with some paperwork – I think you might know her: Sofia Curtis?"

Sara swallowed hard. This could not be good.

"Your name might have cropped up in conversation." The dark-skinned woman continued, her lips turning into a sneer. "And my word, did she have something to say about you…"