AN: Hope everyone is doing well. Thank you for your continued kind and supportive words.

Take care and enjoy.

CHAPTER 20

CATHERINE POV

"What is it?"

Sara glances up, her dark eyes returning almost immediately to the table.

"Sara." I try again. "What is it?"

I can tell the brunette is bothered by something regarding this case. While I'm still a bit hesitant around her since our talk a couple days ago, I've been trying to hold up my end of the agreement. Topics remain work related, we don't let our private issues impact our cases, and we don't avoid one another simply because it's more comfortable.

So, when I walked into work this morning to find Sara pouring over the transcript from the interview with our suspect from the shed killings, I don't walk out this time.

Perhaps also trying to hold up her end, Sara shakes her head before reluctantly speaking.

"I swore that there were two suspects," she says quietly, reminding me of her words in the autopsy room when the victims were first posted by Doc Robbins. "But, I don't know, all the evidence matches back to the son."

I raise a brow, knowing how many times my preliminary calls on a case have been wrong. At least partially. Apparently, judging by Sidle's frustration right now, she's not wrong nearly as often. Or perhaps at all, I smile to myself, reminded of her ridiculous solve rate.

"What made you think there were multiple suspects?"

Sara looks up, perhaps reminding herself that we agreed to work cases together, to not avoid one another to the detriment of our work.

Leaning back in her chair, she shrugs. "The victims. The torture, then the mode of death. It's like there's two different signatures. One that's in it for the pain, the suffering, the power over the girls. Then the second that's quick, efficient, void of emotion."

"Two signatures…"

"Two killers," Sara breathes out the end of my statement.

"Maybe not always?" I suggest. "Maybe this guy gets off on the torture for a while and then when he's got his kicks wants it ended quickly?"

I cringe, hating putting myself in the mindset of a man as sick as our killer. Anyone who would do those types of things we witnessed in that shed and along those poor girls' bodies is not anyone I want my mind going anywhere near.

"I don't know," Sara gets out quietly. "I guess it doesn't really matter. The evidence says we caught our guy. So that's it."

I move closer to the table, knowing as well as anyone that as a CSI there are cases that just won't let you go. Ones that make you still feel, years later, like there is something that you missed. I hate it when those cases keep me up at night, and I'd hate for this case to turn into one of those that haunt the already burdened brunette.

"Sara," I say quietly. "You did great work on this case. We wouldn't have even caught this guy if you hadn't found that blood. We never knew that couple even had a son."

I reach over, closing the casefile gently and taking it from her hands.

"You got the guy," I tell her. "Now it's time to let it go."

Sara stiffens slightly, her hands gripping the table now that she no longer has the casefile to hold. Looking up, she notes her surroundings, perhaps for the first time realizing just how small this room is and just whom she's occupying it with.

"Of course," she states, her voice steady but completely void of emotion. I know she's placating me, giving me what I want to hear when the reality is that she's still going to obsess over this for weeks to come.

Standing, she pushes away from the table.

"I guess I should check with Grissom for assignments."

"No need," I tell her when she reaches the doorway, causing her to turn to look at me over her shoulder. "You're with me tonight."

Sara keeps her expression steady, nodding professionally.

"Where to?"

I smile. "Hope you brought your hiking shoes."

Sara is at home in nature. That much was evident every time I caught her out running in the desert. But, witnessing her making quick work of this mountain trail, I realize just how at peace she is out here. It's perhaps the most relaxed I've seen her in weeks, even though she's out here with me.

"How much longer?" I question, my own breathing ragged as I myself am less than pleased regarding the location of our scene.

Yes, I like nature just as much as the next person, but I don't necessarily like trudging through it for hours in the blazing heat of the morning sun.

Sara glances down at her phone, no doubt having a GPS app open.

"About 20 minutes."

I nod, taking a deep breath. 20 minutes. I can do 20 minutes.

Turns out, I only needed to do 15.

"What the hell were these people doing all the way out here?" I question, looking around the flat plateau nestled between sharp, angular mountains that holds the bodies of our victims.

Sara doesn't answer, never one to jump the gun when it comes to making conclusions about a scene. She wants data, evidence, before making any assumptions.

But, when she looks over our victims, nodding to the two officers standing guard nearby, Sara smiles slightly.

"Sidle?"

Sara looks over, "Take a look at their wrists."

I get closer, glancing over our two young male victims, eyes moving from their torn clothing to their wrists. Seeing light glistening off some sort of glitter or ink, I furrow my brows.

"What is that?"

At the raised brow Sara gives me, I shake my own head.

"What am I not getting that I should be?" I question warily.

Sara shrugs, "Nothing, I just assumed you would recognize evidence of a rave when you saw one."

"A rave?" I look around me, noting only sand and cacti gracing this plateau. "Here? You can't be serious."

Sara nods, smiling slightly. "Flat space between mountains, perfect place for a desert rave. Rock faces of the mountains provide excellent acoustics, location is remote enough to not attract attention no matter how rowdy it gets." She shrugs. "That and the entrance stamps on the wrist, designed to be seen under a black light..."

I raise my own brows. "Never imagined you to be the rave type, Sidle."

Sara shrugs, giving nothing away.

I just add it to the mile long list of Sara Sidle mysteries already in my head.

But, as we move to work the scene, both silently agreeing on different responsibilities, I wonder if perhaps Gil put us on this case together on purpose. He may be stunted when it comes to the emotions and events occurring around him, but he isn't blind. He has to have noticed the tension between Sara and I lately. And, I suspect this was his way of getting us out of the lab where we have no other distractions, no excuses for avoidance. Just us and miles of desolation.

And, I think perhaps he knew Sara enough to know that this scene would be one the outdoorsy brunette would like. Calming her and making her more open to the person he sent her there with. And, while her guard is still definitely up, she hasn't been quite as defensive or standoffish as she usually is around me.

I know she hasn't forgiven me for what I said or did. All I need to do is make eye contact wither to know that, to see the hurt and anger tucked just below the surface. But, she's kept her word of trying to move on from it. And, I appreciate that beyond words.

Working the scene for what has to be over two hours, we're only interrupted when David arrives, breathing heavily from the hike up, to remove the bodies.

"Oh, a rave," David smiles, nodding to us in greeting.

Sara can't quite hide the smirk on her face as she takes a few photos of the area around the bodies before they are lifted onto the gurneys.

"Look," I call, "we don't exactly have desert raves in Montana, alright? We're more of a…beer and bar…type of place."

Sara works hard to keep her expression neutral. "Of course."

Groaning, I wave to David as he heads off, knowing as well as Sara does that I spent significant time in Vegas prior to moving to Montana. After all, this is where I met Eddie, where I worked as an exotic dancer of all things. My life here wasn't exactly straight and narrow.

"Okay," I amend. "I'm more of a beer and bar type of person."

Sara smiles slightly. "Never would have guessed."

Laughing, I shake my head. Perhaps Gil was right about sending us to this scene. Or, perhaps Sara and I are just too exhausted today to keep fighting with one another. Perhaps we both just need a break from the tension, the ever present distrust between us.

Whatever it is, I'll gladly take it while it lasts.

"You heading back in?" I ask, unloading the last of the evidence from the Tahoe and closing the back door.

Sara nods. "There's at least a few of the pieces of trace I want to get prepped and handed off for analysis before calling it a night."

"A few?" I question, giving her a look that lets her know I'm more than aware of the hours the brunette pulls.

"A few."

She watches me, not backing down, forcing me to either drop it or call her out.

"I'm not going to order you to go home," I tell her. "But I'm not happy about it either, Sara. You need rest."

While the brunette could have run circles around me today at our scene, the young woman clearly in amazing physical shape, it wasn't hard to miss the exhaustion that she was fighting through. Something tells me with all the events of recent, Sara hasn't exactly been getting many good night's sleep. Not to mention the brunette is still recovering from very serious physical injuries.

"Noted."

Sara's tone is even, not quite challenging, but not particularly warm either.

Our semi-standoff is interrupted when footsteps approach from the other side of the parking lot.

"Hey."

Hearing the greeting, Sara and I both turn.

"Hey, Kel." I greet with a smile of my own. "Just finishing up, be there in a second."

"Sure," Kelly says, giving me a gentle nod. Then turning to Sara, she raises her hand in greeting. "Hi, Sara. Good to see you."

Sara smiles slightly in return, "You too."

Looking back at me, the brunette picks up the remaining bag near her feet.

"I'm going to get this inside."

"Sara."

Turning, she looks at me with a guarded expression.

There's so much I want to say, things I want to express to her so that we don't end this good day on anything but a high note.

But, the words fail me.

Perhaps sensing my struggle, Kelly steps to my side.

"Cath and I are just heading to my place for a quick bite before she picks up Lindsey," Kelly says, voice trailing off slightly as even she seems to hesitate. But, my friend seems much better at pulling herself together than I was. The next words surprising even me. "You're welcome to join us, Sara."

Eyes shifting from mine to Kelly's, Sara seems caught off guard by the invitation, the brunette remaining stoic and tense.

"Thanks," Sara gets out. "But I should really get this stuff processed."

"Okay," Kelly says, sending Sara an understanding nod. "Hopefully another time."

Sara watches Kelly, an unreadable expression on her face. Then, the barest hint of a smile makes it to her mouth.

"I'd like that."

Eyes shifting to mine, Sara's stoic mask returns.

"See you tomorrow."

"So that was intense," Kelly says with wide eyes as we make our way back to the car.

"I think with Sara everything by default is a bit intense."

Kelly laughs, "I'm beginning to get that impression. She's quite…"

Shrugging, Kelly seems at a loss of words.

"I know."

"How are things between you?" Kelly asks sincerely. "Since you guys talked?"

"Better," I tell her honestly. "We've finally stopped avoiding each other for the most part. Both trying to move past it like we agreed to."

"But…"

I sigh, letting out a long breath. "But it's just so professional, so empty. There's still this wall between us. I know it's to be expected after everything, but I just wish…"

"You wish she trusted you."

I smile at my good friend, at the one person who can read me better than I can read myself.

"I wish she trusted me," I agree. "I wish she could let her guard down, just a little, around me. I wish she felt comfortable giving me more than just brief, tiny glimpses behind her walls."

"It takes time," Kelly reminds me gently, squeezing my hand. "And something tells me Sara Sidle requires more time than most. Perhaps directly related to her having more walls than most."

I completely agree, knowing Sara's probably the most guarded person I've ever met. But, perhaps it's because I've always been able to see through most other people's walls, that I feel so frustrated being completely blocked by hers. She gives absolutely nothing away. Everything you know about her, learn about her, it's all on her terms. She has complete control, all the time, of all of it.

And, she should. It's her right to control every aspect of her own life. But, it makes me feel somewhat defeated, knowing that the person holding the control is the person least likely to ever give it up.

"What about you," I ask, focusing my defeated thoughts elsewhere as I raise an inquisitive brow. "Inviting her to your place?"

Kelly shrugs, unlocking the car. "I think when you enter into adult life it's harder to meet genuine people. Especially in a place like Vegas. When you meet them, you want to hold onto them."

I nod, understanding her point. Though complicated, Sara's a good person, a really good person. I know that Kelly recognizes that as well as anyone.

"Plus, she's gorgeous, right?" I smile playfully, reminding Kelly of her initial assessment of Sara.

"Beyond gorgeous," she replies with a wink. "But that's just a bonus."

Laughing, I feel some of the day's tension leaving me, knowing an evening with my best friend is exactly what I needed.

AN: Thanks for reading.