DISCLAIMER: Not mine. I promise I'm only borrowing them and will return them to their rightful owners whenever they ask for them back. My imagination took a flight of fancy.....my bank account stayed empty. (Seriously, the cast of CSI belong to CBS and Jerry Bruckheimer and Alliance Atlantis and I'm only borrowing them for some free daydreaming that I wrote down).
SPOILERS: None specifically, although good knowledge of what happens in general is required. There will be the occasional reference to a case seen on the show, with any eps up to the end of Season 3 regarded as fair game. It is from this point that the AU occurs, although back story from the show (such as Nesting Dolls in s5 most obviously) will be incorporated where relevant/appropriate.
SERIES/SEQUEL: This piece is a standalone piece in its own right, but there is a companion piece of the same name in the L&O: SVU fandom (coming soon). These two fics will combine to be a crossover......eventually
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.

Cold Feet, Cold Case, Warm Hearts
By ncruuk

Part Six

Mid Sunday morning saw Catherine turning the Tahoe into their driveway, another shift over. Sara, who had been lightly dozing in her seat as the big vehicle wove its way through the light Sunday traffic now woke up fully as she realised where they were. The big house, their big house always caused a flicker of pride in Sara; somehow, a house felt so much more grown up than an apartment, so much more like a home, something she had long ago thought she would never have. But with Catherine and Lindsey, she now shared a home, all be it a rather large and smart one, and one they'd happened on, virtually by accident.

After the night of the shooting, Sara never returned to her apartment. Set part way up a tall apartment building, with no lift, she didn't feel enough attachment to the space to ask someone to carry her up to it. Nostalgia was not an emotion Sara had ever had cause to indulge, and the neatly decorated space that she collapsed in when she wasn't in the lab, well, calling it home was too much. After three months in hospital, recovering first from the shooting, then from the futile surgery to try to remove the bullet from her back, her stay extended by a dose of bronchitis, confirming her belief that hospitals were never as clean as they claimed to be, Sara was relocated to a recuperation hospital, where she spent another 4 months learning to live again. During that time, her apartment became progressively emptier as more and more of the stuff she really wanted, like her clothes, books, journals and music, were brought over to her various hospital suites by her friends, until all that was left in it, it seemed, was her furniture and kitchen equipment.

Deciding it was stupid to continue to rent a now inaccessible apartment, she moved out officially, rendering her technically homeless, although she was hardly on the street, the combination of her health insurance and the generous charities associated with the LVPD. You could say many things about the billionaires that profited from the gambling and bright lights of the Strip, and, on occasion, Sara had been known to say all sorts of things, but one thing was certain, those high rollers valued their law enforcement, and chose to appease their guilty consciences by ensuring that there was more than adequate financial support to any and all law enforcement officers, be it Cop, cadet or CSI that were injured whilst on duty. As her time in the recuperation hospital had drawn to a close, she was offered a place at what Sara would later describe, in a moment of sarcasm, as 'Cripples Motel'. For 8 months, she had been able to rent a small adapted apartment in a complex specialising in providing accommodation for the recently paralysed. She had been free to treat it exactly like she would her own apartment, but, if she had any problems or difficulties, there was a fully trained support staff to call on, as well as all the physiotherapy and treatment that she needed. But she hadn't been able to live there forever, hadn't wanted to live there forever. As great as the community support was, the constant friendliness and kindness began to feel intimidating and forced for the quiet and still shy Sara. Seeking sanctuary at Catherine's house, as she did more and more as their relationship grew, the first, potentially awkward conversation about living together had happened

"Cat?" asked Sara quietly, unsure if the huddled body of her girlfriend was asleep or just very well snuggled into her chest

"Mmm?" awake, just

"You know my apartment……at the centre" began Sara, awkwardly

"The one that you love, if it weren't for the neighbourhood?" asked Catherine lightly, trying as she often did with Sara to make her relax by infusing humour into their conversations

"Yeah, well, you know I only had a short lease right? That I wasn't there forever?"

"Yeah, 8 months wasn't it?"

"Yes. I've been there for nearly 6 now….."

"You're thinking about where you need to move to?" suddenly, Catherine was far more awake and alert. She'd been wanting to have this conversation for a while, ever since Sara and she had become physical lovers a couple of months before

"Yes….I think I need to find a new place"

"A new place? As in go out and buy or rent somewhere new?"

"Yes"

"Oh" Even though Sara couldn't see Catherine's face, she could tell by the way her body slumped slightly that Catherine was upset by this

"Cat? What's the matter?" Sometimes, direct was best

"Umm, I had thought, maybe, that you might like to, well, that we could, perhaps you would think about…" If the topic hadn't been so serious, Sara would have found her normally blunt and forthright lover's inability to express her point cute

"Me moving in here with you?" guessed Sara quietly, ending her lover's misery

"Yes" came the whispered response

"And I would have loved to, really I would…" began Sara

"Have?" queried Catherine, trying to remain calm and objective

"I was talking to the housing person at the Centre? She says that the cost of converting a family house so that I could use it is about the same as the cost of a decent apartment."

"Oh….this is a family house"

"Yes, with an upstairs and steps out to the garden. I couldn't keep an eye on Lindsey here on my own." Explained Sara sadly

"So you had thought about moving in with me?" asked Catherine tentatively

"Yes, if you and Lindsey would have me? I was starting to like having a family" came Sara's equally tentative questioning

"Of course we'd have you! We were starting to like being a trio again" Catherine tried to reign in her sudden enthusiasm on hearing that Sara's fear wasn't about the living together, it was just the logistics of finding a house that was right

"So, umm, wanna go house hunting?" came the shy enquiry

"When do we start? Wait, how do we start?" No matter how excited Catherine was, there was always a little bit of pragmatist ready to rein her in.

"Well, the Centre has a directory of all the properties for sale in Las Vegas that have either already been adapted or are well suited and would only require minimal alteration. They sort of have a specialist realtor there." Explained Sara, pleased that Catherine wasn't too fazed about having her house rejected as unsuitable so easily. Sara had been slightly worried about that, given that she knew how significant being able to make a deposit and then the mortgage payments had been to Catherine as landmarks in getting her life back on track

"Well, I feel a visit to the realtors coming on, first to look at these properties, and then to get this house valued and on the market." Suddenly, Catherine was worried her enthusiasm had scared Sara, as she felt the lean body underneath her tense

"Umm, you sure? I mean, selling this house…..is um, Lindsey….." Now it was Sara's turn for fumbling, unable to find the words to ask her questions. Thankfully, Catherine seemed to be on Sara's wavelength, able to convert her mutterings into proper questions

"After you first stayed here for a few hours, and we realised how difficult it was for you, Lindsey and I had a serious talk. She knew that I had stayed over at your apartment at the Centre a couple of times, and so we had a big talk about how she felt about us maybe becoming a family and living together."

"Oh" Sara's eyes were round like saucers and her lips formed a perfectly round, shocked 'o'. She hadn't quite expected Lindsey and Catherine to be ahead of her on this

"Yes. Anyway, it was Lindsey who made the point to me. She said she didn't mind us all living together, if that was what we wanted to do, only we would need to find somewhere better to live, because making you live here was mean, but your apartment was too small for 3, as it only had one bed."

"Oh" Sara's face hadn't changed

"Sara? What's the matter darling?" Catherine was beginning to be slightly concerned by Sara's deer in headlights look

"I'm overwhelmed"

"Oh"

"No one's ever cared where I live before, or worried that it might not be comfortable for me."

"Oh, sweetie, that's in the past. I care where you live; both Linds and I care where you live. We want to live with you"

"Even though you can't have an upstairs and the cooker will probably be at knee height?" joked Sara

"Especially then" confirmed Catherine, reaching round to kiss Sara.

"You know when I said that Linds and I were enjoying being a trio again?" asked Catherine, hoping that Sara would hear her out and not panic

"Yes…"

"I lied." Catherine felt Sara's body tense as her highly attuned 'fight or flee' instinct kicked in. Trying to physically reassure her, Catherine rearranged herself so that she was looking into Sara's startled eyes, before continuing

"We've never been a trio before, never been a proper loving family of three. Eddie and I, well…." Before Catherine could express herself clearly, Sara had relaxed, understanding…

"You know something? I've never been in a proper loving family of three either. I think I'm liking it" Sara's tentative words gave Catherine the courage to be bold and take the big step

"I love you, and want to move in with you, wherever that may be, as does Lindsey, but only if you'll have us?" There were times, thought Sara, when words were overacted. Sometimes, a kiss said it all, even if it took a very long, involved kiss!

As they always did, Catherine pushed Sara's chair up to the front door whilst Sara had their bags in her lap and keys in her hand. Seconds later, the bags were inside the front door and Catherine was locking it behind them before hanging up coats and kicking off her shoes, Sara having already made a beeline towards their bedroom to change and use the bathroom. Pausing out of weariness, Catherine leant back against the front door for just a moment, allowing the fatigue from her long shift to sweep through her, recognising the aching and tightness that she felt in her neck and shoulders. Breathing deeply, she allowed her mind to drift, casting off the thoughts of school buses, explosions and tankers. CSI Willows was done for the day. Now, in her home, her gaze taking in the open plan living space of their house, she let her thoughts turn to other things, like how good it will feel to relax with her lover, like…

"Oh God, laundry!" This sudden exclamation was prompted when her eyes settled on the large boxes of laundry detergent and softener, left prominently and very much out of place in the centre of the coffee table, directly in front of her and in front of the French doors that lead onto the back veranda. She remembered now, noticing as she helped Lindsey get ready for her sleepover, that the laundry basket was nearly full and so, as a reminder, had placed the detergent there so that she would do some laundry when she got in, after all, it was the weekend.

Pushing herself back onto the balls of her feet, she turned immediately to her left and entered her daughter's bedroom, making a beeline for the laundry basket. Her normally slightly messy daughter had tidied her room up and, unusually, actually managed to get all of her dirty clothes in the basket, and not just haphazardly thrown into the general vicinity of it, saving Catherine the normal task of inspecting the corner for stray socks and the like, something for which she was grateful as her back seemed against the idea of crawling on hands and knees. Laundry day was the only time she picked up after her daughter, her desire to not have dirty clothes lying around or festering in corners greater than the strong belief that Lindsey had to learn to pick up after herself, something that, in the past 2 and a half years or so, she had become much better at, with Sara being a very good influence on her, being naturally tidy herself, always putting stuff away when she wasn't using it, something which Catherine readily admitted, she didn't always do.

Leaving Lindsey's room, Catherine set off through the living space, initially heading towards the back corner of the house to collect the laundry from her bedroom. As she crossed through the living space, she heard sounds that indicated that Sara was getting changed, making her change her stride and veer to her right instead. Grabbing the detergent with her free hand, she crossed through the kitchen and went out to the laundry behind the garage. She would sort Lindsey's washing first, and then go and get the rest, but only once she knew that Sara was dressed again. She hadn't been lying when she'd told Sara she was aroused, and somehow, she knew that walking into their bedroom and seeing her partially dressed lover, well, that wasn't going to get the laundry started. This was a time where the short term sacrifice would reap long term rewards….after all, if she waited until all their chores were done, thought Catherine, there would be no need for them to get out of bed until next shift!

As the last sock was sorted, the laundry floor now sporting two piles, one of dark clothes and one of whites, Sara appeared in the doorway

"Do you want breakfast or snack supper before bed?" This strange question was fairly normal for the ladies. Considering her response for a moment, Catherine looked out the window before saying

"It's so sunny, do you think it would be warm enough to eat outside?"

"Snack supper on the deck?"

"Please?"

"I'll go start cutting fruit up" As Sara moved to return to the kitchen, she caught sight of the pile of Lindsey's laundry on the floor

"We only washing for Lindsey this week?" she asked curiously, knowing that Catherine normally collected all the clothes up before sorting them into loads

"No, I'm just going to get ours now." She replied patiently, enjoying the perplexed look that crossed Sara's face

"Remember our conversation at work, in the garage?"

"Umm, yes" admitted Sara carefully. Whilst she was certainly not frigid, being a very generous and unrestrained lover with Catherine, she wasn't always that verbal on the subject

"There was no way I was going to be in our bedroom with you partially dressed whilst there were other things to be done….I don't have that much restraint!"

"Oh" Sara had at first retained the perplexed look before blushing and smiling, much to the amusement of her lover, who, whilst careful to never admit it, always found Sara's perplexed frown very, very cute and right now, very sexy

'Face it Willows' she internally berated herself 'right now, you'd find anything sexy if it had anything to do with her.'

"You're whipped" came the amused comment from Sara

"Huh?" Now it was Catherine who wasn't following

"You think I'm sexy, too sexy to be able to resist me, even if I'm changing clothes…." Taunted Sara, enjoying herself, causing Catherine to smile

"Guilty"

"In that case, you best go and get the laundry then, cos you're not safe in the kitchen!"

"Huh?"

Before Catherine could try and fathom what Sara was up to, she felt her answer. In one smooth motion, Sara had pulled the baggy t-shirt she had been wearing over her head and had flicked it so it landed on Catherine's face. Like anything that Sara had ever worn, this shirt smelt of her lover, and, coupled with the knowledge that Sara was evidently now no longer wearing the loose shirt, Catherine's libido kicked in hard as she was bombarded with mental images of Sara topless. Groaning out of a mixture of lust and protestation at her lover's teasing, Catherine pulled the shirt away from her head, only to discover that once again she was alone in the laundry. Dropping the t shirt on the appropriate pile, she called out to her lover, who, by the sounds of it, was getting food from the refrigerator

"Payback's a bitch!" before considering her revenge.

In the kitchen area, Sara, still respectively dressed in a neat fitted sleeveless t-shirt, had turned the radio on quietly and was humming along to the end of one song whilst she gathered up the cheese, fruit, bread and crackers that would make up their food before sleep. Hearing Catherine's shout, Sara chuckled at her lover's playfulness and began wondering what her payback might be as she began cutting up a mango with, not surprisingly, near surgical like precision, only for the radio to switch to something that Sara was certain was a recording of white noise rather than actual music, prompting her to return to the stereo in the corner and take evasive action, switching to the CD that was already loaded.

Pressing play, Sara waited to identify the first song, as she tried to remember what the last CD Catherine had loaded was, feeling too lazy to hunt out one of 'her' CDs. Recognising the first few notes, Sara's smile became even bolder as she identified not only the song but also the CD as a compilation she had made for Catherine that was dubbed 'Kick ass Catherine' and was what her lover used as a soundtrack to clean to. Turning the sound down, Sara waited for her lover to emerge……two could play at this game, and the t-shirt was just a warm up!

Catherine listened to her lover's movements as she considered her next course of action. Whilst Sara had relaxed at work considerably in recent years, she was still more reserved than when she was home with Catherine, only then being comfortable enough to stop thinking and just go with whatever urge or thought she had, no matter how playful or silly. The t-shirt was just the latest in a long line of impish acts that Sara had indulged in, but only when Lindsey wasn't around, something that Catherine was thankful for; her daughter was wonderful but already a scamp, and certainly didn't need lessons as to how to be more of one from Sara, or, as now, be around for the payback. There were some things that mothers just didn't want to share with their daughters…..

Assessing her outfit, Catherine realised that all of it needed to go in the laundry except for the pale blue cashmere jumper, a present from Sara a while back. Deciding that not only would it be adequate payback, but also more efficient, Catherine glanced up to check Sara wasn't trying to sneak a peak through the laundry door before quickly stripping out of her clothes, assigning all except the jumper to the piles at her now bare feet. Pausing at the doorway to run her fingers through her hair, she picked up the jumper and, holding it loosely at her side, walked out into the open plan space in nothing but a smile…..who said payback gifts needed to be gift wrapped?

"Mango, my favourite" commented Catherine, by way of announcing her presence.

"Naked Catherine, my favourite" leered Sara, teasingly, not looking up from her cutting

"How did you…?" began Catherine, leaving her statement unfinished as Sara methodically continued to cut up her fruit, before then looking up at her lover, a surprised grin crossing her face

"I didn't, but if you ever asked me what my favourite was…." Teased Sara, enjoying the sight in front of her; Catherine had assumed her 'you're messing with me, now stop it' pose, not seen so much now that Greg no longer dispensed DNA results with a side order of flirtation. Obscured from the hips down by the work top, Sara wasn't bothered, instead happy to openly ogle her lover's smooth stomach, perfect breasts, delicate collarbones, glorious neck….not that her assessment was biased or anything she mentally chided herself.

"Why you sneaky little…." began Catherine, realising that Sara had once again managed to trump her teasing, simply by being Sara, logical to the last.

"What can I say?" asked Sara, shrugging, as she placed the remote triumphantly on the worktop next to her chopping board, just as Meredith Brook, now singing at an audible volume, belted out the chorus of 'that' song

I'm a bitch, I'm a lover,
I'm a child, I'm a mother,
I'm a sinner, I'm a saint,
I do not feel ashamed,

I'm your hell, I'm your dream,
I'm nothing in between,
You know you wouldn't want it any other way

To which Catherine did the only thing she could think of. She tossed the jumper on the couch before dancing her way into their bedroom, not quite sure, as she saucily thrust her hips towards Sara, if she was moving to the rhythm of the song or the rhythm of Sara's laughter….

An hour later, Catherine and Sara were sitting enjoying the late morning March sunshine having eaten their 'breakfast' of fresh fruit, cheese, crackers and bread. Catherine, now dressed again in loose button down shirt and cotton trousers, had long ago forsaken her wooden chair for the much more comfortable lap of her ever obliging lover.

"This is nice" commented Catherine, snuggling into Sara's body as she played with the bottom of her t shirt

"Mmm" hummed Sara contentedly, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her arms and face

"In fact, this is almost perfect" elaborated Catherine, warming to her theme, her fingers never stilling.

"Almost?" murmured Sara, wondering what Catherine's opinion of perfection would be

"Yeah. The only thing that would make this more perfect would be if it was sunset not sunrise we were watching the last vestiges of, and perhaps if this was a cocktail rather than orange juice."

"And that would be more perfect?"

"I think so" confirmed Catherine lazily, for once happy to enjoy a calm peaceful Sunday, like 'normal' people did

"I disagree" stated Sara simply

"Explain"

"I will. If it was sunset, we would only end up getting progressively cooler, rather than now, where we just get warmer as the day develops. We would probably have to cut the evening short to go to work….and I don't like cocktails" finished Sara as a lazy afterthought, focussing more on slipping her hands round Catherine's waist and easing her into a more comfortable position. She saw no need to remove her hands afterwards, happy instead to resume her earlier stroking pattern, only this time inside her lover's shirt.

"And here I was hoping I had a romantic as a lover!" joked Catherine unable to dispute the factual accuracy of Sara's statements

"I didn't say I wasn't romantic, just that your assessment that the end of the day was the best time to snuggle out here. Now is much better" Corrected Sara, enjoying the sheer simplicity of the conversation. Until she'd started becoming friends and subsequently lovers, with Catherine, she'd never really understood the need for gentle conversation that served no purpose than to enable you to hear a lover's voice.

"State your case" responded Catherine huskily

Sara, never one to back down from a challenge put to her by Catherine, smiled brilliantly, dropping a kiss on her lover's head before starting in a low, husky voice of her own

"The advantage of this time of the day is that we still have plenty of time before we even have to think about getting ready for work, so we can take our time to do lots of things that are way better than a sunset cocktail." In case Catherine was having trouble following what Sara was implying, Sara's previously restrained hands began creeping up Catherine's sides, lightly tickling her ribs before gently cupping Catherine's smooth, soft breasts, prompting a moan from Catherine as she instinctively arched, her response expertly controlled by her knowing lover. Even if she hadn't been comfortably aroused since their earlier teasing before eating, Catherine's response would have been the same. Tearing herself away from her lover's body, she uncoiled her lithe body from its spot on Sara's lap and seductively moved to her feet, turning as she straightened so she was looking back at her smug lover.

"You, bedroom, now." Stated Catherine, again in that husky, seductive voice that Sara was certain turned her knees to jelly even though she didn't have physical proof.

"I need to have a wash first" observed Sara practically. Whilst she was all for the passionate loving, she needed to attend to matters of hygiene as well, and somehow, she didn't think Catherine would be letting her out of bed all that easily….

"I'll tidy up out here and sort the laundry then" commented Catherine, signalling her agreement with Sara's wishes. Whilst their love life was wonderful, it couldn't always be as spontaneous as they may have liked, with some more functional activities having to take precedence, be it washing of Sara or clothes.

"30 minutes?"

"I'll give you a massage?" offered Catherine, already guessing from the tension she had felt in Sara as they had snuggled together that Sara's back was feeling the effects of their long shift just like Catherine's was.

"Thank you" said Sara, genuinely, motioning for Catherine to lean in for a kiss, a kiss that Sara pulled away from long moments later, leaving Catherine looking properly ravished, a look that Sara always thought her lover wore well, before carefully manoeuvring herself back through the French windows and heading for the adapted master bathroom to perform her ablutions.

Smiling like a love struck teenager, Catherine began tidying up the remains from their meal, before heading inside to deal with the endless cycle of washing.

As she transferred clothes from washer to drier and line, she automatically listened for the reassuring sounds of running water that signalled Sara's safe transfer from chair to tub. Whilst she no longer consciously worried about Sara taking care of herself on her own, Catherine's subconscious was always on high alert for any slight sound or indication of distress or difficulty. It was as instinctual to her now as it had been to listen for Lindsey when her daughter was a small child, but she no longer felt panic or fear at every little noise and bump, even being able to relax enough to let her mind drift as she sorted and pegged. But she hadn't always been so calm….

"Sara?" Catherine called out to announce her presence as she stepped into Sara's room at the recuperation hospital.

"She's not here right now Ms. Willows" explained the nurse as she changed the bed linens.

"Annie?" queried Catherine, recognising the generously built older lady who, despite years in the Vegas area, still retained some of her native Southern accent.

"That's my name, and you're Sara's sweetheart" stated the nurse in tone that brooked no room for disagreement, forcing Catherine to agree, no matter how embarrassed she was discussing her love life with this woman, although she wasn't sure why, given that currently, Annie probably had a more physical relationship with Sara than Catherine did, responsible as she was with helping Sara learn to take care of herself given her new situation.

"Girlfriend, yes."

"Grown women with sweet kids don't have girlfriends. If she's your sweetheart, get your ass in that chair, and if she isn't, well…" Annie left the statement hanging, but Catherine got the idea and carefully sat down in the indicated chair, curious as to what Annie was up to. She certainly wasn't going to argue the sweetheart part. For some reason, no matter how silly or weird the visual was, she couldn't stop herself from picturing Annie taking her across her knee and spanking her for disobedience, much as Catherine's grandmother had done to a 7 year old Catherine some years before.

"Before you start to worry yourself Ms Willows, Sara's at her physiotherapy session. The therapist had to reschedule her morning session to now, but she'll be back in half an hour." Years of interviewing suspects had refined Catherine's highly tuned 'bullshit detector' and she couldn't stop thinking that perhaps the therapist had had to reschedule because Annie had told her to. Determining to keep an open mind, Catherine willed herself to relax and listen to whatever it was that Annie felt she needed to say.

"You're a smart woman Ms Willows, and a mother too, so this shouldn't be too difficult" began Annie, settling into the chair opposite Catherine, and confirming her initial belief that this was indeed a set up.

"Go on" commented Catherine neutrally. She disliked set ups, but Sara had come to like and trust this motherly nurse over the recent weeks since her arrival, and if Sara trusted her, well, Catherine was going to keep her inner bitch just that for as long as possible.

"I've been doing this job for a long time Ms. Willows, and I've seen a lot of families through this difficult time. Some survive and some don't. You and Ms Sara, I think you'll do fine." Annie shuffled in her chair, trying to find a more comfortable position, and signalling to Catherine that this could become a long conversation if she wasn't careful. Deciding she wanted to force the pace a bit, she interjected with what she hoped was the point

"You think there's something I need to know, something that is important in your opinion to my relationship with Sara. I think you should cut the complimenting and cut to the chase" stated Catherine bluntly, in no mood for word games and riddles after her long shift.

"Very perceptive, and I'm sorry for insulting you. You're right, I do have something to say, and I'll put it bluntly. Don't smother her. She's still as pig headed, stubborn and independent now as she was at 2.07am on October 17. You'd do well to remember that."

"I….." Catherine began to protest, but the pointed look from Annie was enough to make her stop and really think. Annie wouldn't be saying this if she didn't think she had a point, that much Catherine had seen for herself since meeting Sara's formidable carer and teacher.

Had she been smothering Sara?

"When that bullet got in Sara's spine, she only lost the use of her legs, nothing more. She's still the same Sara that you argued with before your shift that night, still the painfully shy, over achieving adult she was the moment before that gun was fired. Before she started that shift, she washed herself, clothed herself and, if she was the kind to remember, would have fed herself as well." Here Annie paused as she saw that Catherine had tears creeping out of the corners of her eyes, Annie's words having struck a cord. Passing a tissue to her, Annie moved to Catherine's side before pulling her into a hug and letting the normally composed CSI have her moments of emotional disarray. After a few moments, Catherine regained her composure and pulled out of the comforting embrace, instinctively wiping away the inevitable mascara trails that no doubt adorned her cheeks.

"Thank you"

"It's what I'm here for sweetie, part of my job"

"I'm sure it isn't Annie, but thank you anyway" replied Catherine genuinely.

"Now, less of the thanking, we need to get you thinking right" responded Annie pragmatically; now the truth was out, it was time for action.

"Thinking right?" queried Catherine

"The first time your daughter went to the bathroom on her own, did you worry that she'd have an accident?" asked Annie, seemingly tangentially

"Yes" admitted Catherine sheepishly

"But you let her go on her own without you helping her tuck her shirt in and wash her hands?" continued Annie, settling herself back into her chair

"Yes"

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you let her go on her own even though you knew you would worry?"

"Because I knew that I had her taught her how to do it on her own" admitted Catherine carefully

"And do you think I would let Sara leave here without being able do things like that on her own?" asked Annie

"No"

"There's nothing wrong with worrying about her, just like you do with your daughter, even now, but you mustn't try to do things for her that she can do herself."

"I was starting to smother her, wasn't I?" admitted Catherine sheepishly, considering her behaviour in recent visits. Every time she had visited, Sara's independence had re-established itself that little bit more, to Catherine's joy but also increasing panic.

"Only a little bit, and we've just started nipping it in the bud" stated Annie confidently

"It's just so…."

"I know sweetie, I know. But I promise you, if you let your confidence grow with Sara's, one day not to far from now, you'll be doing laundry at one end of your fabulous house whilst she's having a bath at the other…..and neither one of you will give it a second thought!"

How right her prophecy would become…..

Catherine entered their bedroom and, out of some basic instinct, paused just inside the door: just as a musician pauses before commencing their solo, so too did Catherine pause in her progress towards the bed and, in a manner of speaking, the beginning of her performance. The pause, whilst granting a moment for Catherine's breathing to return to its normal pattern, was not needed nor triggered out of performance anxiety, for this was not a solo, but a private duet, but was a breath-stealing moment of awe: awe of beauty; awe of courage and determination; awe of love and heart; awe of and for Sara Sidle by Catherine Willows.

Lying face down towards the centre of their double bed, a towel at her side, was a naked Sara Sidle, her damp, dark hair gathered neatly at the nape of her neck, allowing Catherine's gaze to caress the strong, toned shoulders, their slenderness concealing their strength. Continuing her unabashed scrutiny, she returned her focus to that neck, that vital connector between head and torso: resisting the urge to give into sweet temptation, Catherine continued lavishing and worshipping this magnificent sight with just her eyes.

Early in their physical relationship, it became apparent that Sara, although deprived of feeling, was not deprived the experience of the sensations of Catherine's love to and of all her body. Rather, as said by many in many different contexts, the other senses became more acute. As they became more familiar and experienced lovers, they found themselves adapting, no longer ashamed to confess to what, as individuals, truly 'worked' for them. For Catherine, supposedly immune or desensitized to the sexuality of the female body, following her former profession, the sight of her lover's body laid bare and extremely vulnerable, as this position was for Sara, was….Catherine was glad she never had to verbalise the feelings it generated for anyone, too potent and private was the feeling her lover's trust produced.

"You're watching me"

"Yes" Catherine was unsurprised when her mental wanderings and visual inspection was interrupted by her lover's "Catherine-sense"

"Why?" A simple question, so often a precursor to a complex answer

"Because I can"

"True, but there are times when you can do more than look" commented Sara logically

"I know" replied Catherine, managing to keep the answer simple as she continued her visual tour, recalling the warmth of Sara's skin and the definition of her vertebrae, faintly decipherable to Catherine's caressing fingers as they ran on, beyond the point of no more physical sensation, through the dichotic maze of faint definition of vertebrae, supposed to be so strong and solid, and the more obvious lines of scars in soft tissue, a harsh reminder of the spine's fragility and weakness when faced with a high velocity bullet.

"You watched me during shift" continued Sara, oblivious still to Catherine's thoughts as she stayed just inside the door

"From your office doorway"

"And in the garage"

"Do you mind me watching you?" asked Catherine carefully, feet still glued to the floor as she stood, transfixed now by the dappled sunlight dancing across her lover's back.

"Not really, although sometimes I have questions" stated Sara, almost shyly

"Do you want me to try and give you answers?" asked Catherine, finally coming all the way into the bedroom and beginning to undress

"Perhaps one day, when we feel old and grey inside" offered Sara, partly seriously and partly as a tease, poking fun at her love's greater interest in fashion and appearance than her own

"Whatever day you pick to ask is the day I will attempt to answer, although, if we have to wait for a day when we feel old and grey inside, well, I hope you never feel the time is right"

"Thank you" replied Sara, smiling into her folded arms as she listened to Catherine's progression quickly through the bathroom. After a few minutes, Sara called out

"Cat?"

"Yes sweetheart?"

"Why are you torturing me?"

"Why do you think?" came the automatic response, Catherine happy to banter for a minute with her relaxed lover as she removed the shift's make up and grime from her face and hair

"That's hardly my fault!" protested Sara, ostensibly having given the question some thought

"What isn't?"

"The fact that you find me sexy when I'm supervising" protested Sara, enjoying the fact that the empty house enabled such things to be shouted, free from eavesdroppers

"Honey, it's not when you're supervising, it's when you take command; and it's not finding you sexy, because I find you sexy all the time. My exact words were "horny" and "kick-ass"." Catherine punctuated her statement with the click of the bathroom light being turned off.

"So, because you've been horny for 2 shifts straight, you're punishing me by ogling me whilst naked without letting me ogle you back?" summarised Sara

"Yes" agreed Catherine, as she paused to consider which massage oil Sara would benefit the most from

"I repeat, not my fault!" protested Sara, eagerly anticipating Catherine's imminent arrival

"Which is why…." Began Catherine, moving to the foot of the bed

"I'm not punishing, as you see it…." She continued, as she carefully kneeled at the side of Sara's hips, taking advantage not only of Sara's head being turned the other way, but also their mattress, specifically manufactured to ensure that Sara's back was supported correctly, which only sagged within a very small area of the point of weight application, therefore concealing her position and location from Sara

"But increasing you anticipation…." Catherine carefully swung one leg over Sara, so she was now kneeling astride the slim hips of her unaware lover

"So that the moment I stop just watching……" Catherine placed her oil selection by the towel and placed her left hand by Sara's shoulder, her face still directed towards her right

"You enjoy my touching….." Catherine punctuated her words by dropping so her weight was now placed gently but firmly on the top of Sara's thighs, a sensation Sara couldn't feel directly, but became aware of very quickly as the added weight forced her pelvis and spine into a new position, signalling to her the location of her lover, whose nakedness was confirmed when she leant forward to lavish kisses across Sara's neck and shoulder blades, pressing warm, sensuous breasts into her now hypersensitive middle and upper back.

"All the more….." Catherine's final comment was lost in a hum of pleasure as their two bodies moulded together as only those of experienced lovers could. Just audible through the hums of pleasure emitting from both ladies was Sara's quiet comment

"I love foreplay……"

Catherine blinked sleepily as she awoke from her nap. Somehow, irrespective of how long or deeply she slept, sleeping between shifts during the day always felt like a nap, rather than the equivalent of a proper night's sleep

"Hello"

"Mmm, what time is it?" asked Catherine, focussing on the warm brown eyes of her awake lover

"Time for me to go and get Lindsey, and time for you to go back to sleep….." began Sara, reaching out to tuck some stray blonde strands behind an ear, before stealing a quick caress of a cheek as well

"No, you can't….." began Catherine, becoming much more alert at the mention of Lindsey

"Yes I can. The number was by the phone. When I get there, I'll call and Lindsey can come out to the sidewalk. If Mrs. Cunningham needs to talk to me, she can either talk on the phone or come out with Lindsey." Sara's mind was made up, and Catherine knew from experience that, whereas Sara had been determined before the shooting, now she was even more so.

"Thank you. I'll get up now and do some stuff whilst you're getting Linds"

"No, you are staying in bed and sleeping some more" countered Sara, supporting her argument with the big, loving smile that she knew Catherine couldn't resist, and that Catherine knew, was only given to her

"But it's time we were both up!" protested Catherine weakly

"Not this time love. You didn't sleep much yesterday, so you get a bit extra today. Here, pull on these and I'll send Lindsey in to wake you when we get back" Sara put some light weight pyjamas on the bed next to Catherine and dropped a kiss on the nearest bit of her lover, which happened to be a hand, before turning towards the door

"Hmm, very well, I'll stay in bed until you get back, but only if you come back here and give me a proper kiss, that was a feeble excuse for a wake up kiss" bantered Catherine, knowing that the fault for the poor kiss was entirely her own.

"You strike such a hard bargain Ms Willows" countered Sara, turning back to the bed to see Catherine stretching like the Cat that only Sara could call her

"And you pay up so wonderfully"

"Keep stretching like that and I'll be ringing Mrs Cunningham and extending the sleepover!" observed Sara, watching as the bedclothes fell away from Catherine's arching breasts to pool in her waist.

"Can't have that!" agreed Catherine, laughing as she tugged the t-shirt over her head

"Now, come here" she leant forward so that she was within Sara's grasp as Sara came towards the bed again. After a lengthy kiss, Sara reluctantly pulled back, conscious that time was marching on

"Now, back to sleep for you, I'm going to collect Lindsey. See you later"

"Thank you" Catherine was already snuggling back down into the pillows, ready to have a brief nap, her dreams inspired by their earlier activities and that kiss.

Amused, Sara left the bedroom, once again amazed at Catherine's ability to curl up and have a nap whenever she had the chance, as long as she was happy. For Sara, sleep was something that came in short, intense bursts. Once she was awake, there was no snuggling back to sleep, although now, after sleeping and then living with Catherine, she was at least cured of her habit of being unable to stay in bed once she was awake!

"You do realise don't you, that those puppies won't be big enough to leave their mother for a while yet?" asked Sara, curious as to how much Lindsey actually knew about the animals

"Jill's mother said that they'd have to stay with them for another 6 weeks, so that the puppies could get big and strong on the food that only their mother could give them" explained Lindsey, turning her head as she spoke to Sara, who was driving the car.

"Right. And that the decision about what happens to the puppies is a decision made by Mrs Cunningham, not by Jill and you, agreed?" checked Sara, knowing how persuasive her daughter could be when she wanted something badly

"Yes. Jill said that since Bonnie was pedigree, and the puppies were also pedigree now, there were important breeders who were interested in having a puppy to increase their…." Here Lindsey paused, not quite sure how to express herself

"Genetic diversity?" offered Sara, guessing at what Lindsey reaching for

"Is that a scientific way of meaning making sure that brothers and sisters don't have to make puppies together?" asked Lindsey, remembering what her friend had said

"Sort of, yes. It means a lot more than that, but that is a big part of it." Agreed Sara, laughing at the screwed up face she could see Lindsey pulling out of the corner of her eye

"Breeders might want a puppy to increase their genetic diversity, and Jill's Mom says they pay a lot of money, which is flattering, she thinks, but she says she's not too keen on that idea."

"Did she say why?" queried Sara, interested, but also curious as to what the reasoning was

"Yes. She said it didn't seem right to sell puppies that they had received from Bonnie and, that if anyone was to profit from the puppies it should be in pride at seeing them grow up into fine dogs, rather than from Jill getting extra pocket money because Bonnie had good taste in partners." Finished Lindsey, her expression now reflecting that of all young teenage girls when trying to understand an adult's logical justification for no more extra pocket money, causing Sara to laugh again

"Sweetie, it's not just the extra pocket money. How would you feel if I sold those cookies you baked without asking you, and then, having taken all your cookies away from you, kept the money I made from selling your cookies?" asked Sara, trying to put the situation into one that Lindsey could relate to, but without getting Lindsey upset about what giving away puppies actually amounted to.

"Upset, and angry at you for stealing my cookies from me" answered Lindsey, after a moment's thought

"What Mrs Cunningham was trying to tell you was that she feels it would be the same thing if she sold Bonnie's puppies to the breeders. She didn't make the puppies, Bonnie did; she doesn't want to sell off Bonnie's puppies and keep the money herself, and Bonnie doesn't get much benefit from money." Sara wasn't sure how successful her explanation had been, but Lindsey was a smart kid…

"That makes sense. But if Mrs Cunningham doesn't sell the puppies, she has to give them away to good homes!" Lindsey was a smart kid, perhaps thought Sara, realising the hole she'd backed herself into now, too smart at times

"Yes, but there are many places she could give the puppies to, and not all of them are to homes and families like Bonnie has." Tried Sara, wanting Lindsey to understand for herself that there were lots of places these puppies could go to.

"You mean like the K9 dogs you work with?" asked Lindsey, remembering when the police dog division had come and given a talk at her school

"Yes, although I'm not sure that Labradors are the best sort of dog for what the K9 unit does. I was thinking more of dogs like Max, do you remember him?"

"He was at that hospital you were in for a while, wasn't he?" asked Lindsey, trying to remember

"Yes, the recuperation hospital. He was a Labrador, like Bonnie's puppies, and he had a very good home"

"He was a guide dog, wasn't he?"

"Sort of. He was actually a specially trained dog for disabled people. I would have had one like him if I didn't move in with you and your mom"

"You would have? Why?"

"Because just as it's sometimes easier for a blind person to have a guide dog to help them move around and do things, it's the same for some people in wheelchairs. If I had ended up living on my own, I would have been able to apply to have a dog like Max to help me do things."

"What sort of things?" Lindsey had forgotten about the puppies for the moment, curious instead to learn more about the sort of dog Sara might have had

"All sorts of things" said Sara, evading answering as she tried to remember the information she'd been given to read at the hospital

"You mean like taking the clothes out of the washer?" asked Lindsey suddenly, remembering that Sara never did that because it was too low for her to reach down and into the back of the drum without banging her shoulder or overbalancing

"Yes, and other things, like being able to bring the telephone if I'd fallen on the floor and needed to ring for help. Each dog would learn to do special things for each person. But I didn't need one, as I have you to do all my errands for me!" teased Sara, not wanting to dwell on her personal experiences all that much

"But if you didn't have me and Mom, would you have had a special dog?" asked Lindsey, obviously intrigued by the idea

"Probably not"

"Why not? You would have lived on your own, and you were always trying to be brave and falling over. Mom got very good at picking you up" stated Lindsey, matter-of-factly

"Yes, she did, didn't she?" admitted Sara ruefully, remembering those early weeks and months, when she was determined not to be as she saw it a burden, insistently exerting her independence and trying to do her share, only to overstep her limits and fall out of her chair or, on one painful occasion, pull a kettle of boiling water over herself. Thankfully, after a couple of months at the Centre, she had rediscovered her limits and abilities, becoming much happier in the process

"And Annie had taught me the recovery position. I learnt it ahead of everyone else at school" remembered Lindsey proudly, unaware of Sara's ponderings as they drove through the Las Vegas suburbs.

"And tried to show off about it too, if I remember correctly" teased Sara, taking advantage of the stop sign to turn and look at Lindsey who was now blushing

"I was only nine!" protested Lindsey

"True" conceded Sara, enjoying Lindsey's squirming

"And it wasn't my fault that that English teacher gave me the wrong word!" protested Lindsey, turning to look at Sara, thinking she was still in trouble of some sort with Sara for that incident, only to realise that Sara was struggling to contain her giggles as she remembered the incident.

"Hello?"

*Sara? It's Lindsey*

"What's the matter munchkin? Why are you calling me in the middle of school, is everything ok?"

*I'm in the principal's office. They want to call Mom, but I told them to wait until I called you*

"What's happened?" Sara willed herself not to panic or wonder what had happened that Lindsey was in trouble, but to wait for Lindsey to explain

*Umm, we had first aid today, and, well, I think I got Mom and you in trouble* explained Lindsey vaguely

"You think you got us in trouble? How?" Now that Sara didn't think Lindsey was in trouble, she felt herself become much calmer, with her fear being replaced with curiosity.

*I think the teachers think that you're a drunk* came the straightforward response

"How? They wouldn't have thought that on their own" reasoned Sara, intrigued

*Umm, I don't know* admitted Lindsey shyly, reminding Sara how young nine years old really was when something strange was going on, prompting her to try a different tack. Whilst parental responsibility may be a new concept to her, extracting information from incomplete evidence and putting the pieces of a puzzle together was something very familiar to her

"Do you think Catherine's in trouble herself, or just because she's good friends with me?" asked Sara, trying to think her way to a solution

*I think that they're worried about you, that you're not a good person for Mom to be letting me stay with* guessed Lindsey

"Would it help if I came in do you think?" asked Sara, eager not to have the school wake up Catherine unnecessarily, especially as, with Grissom away on some bug thing, she was supervising tonight

*Would you?* asked Lindsey, cheering up immediately

"Can I talk to a teacher?" asked Sara, having obviously said the right thing

*I'm outside the Principal's Office, would his secretary be ok? He's off teaching something I think*

"If that's who's there, that's who I'll talk to" reasoned Sara, before hearing Lindsey talk to the secretary

*Ms. Sidle? It's Maureen Cross here* came the efficient response. Sara's internal assessment of the voice matched it to a sensible, slightly older woman

"Sara Sidle. Do you have any more of an idea as to what's going on?"

*Not especially, no; it seems that Lindsey said or did something which made her teacher worry about her home environment and so brought her to talk with the Principal immediately, although it's going to have to wait until next period as he's covering a class at the moment.*

"Would it be best if I came in to talk with the Principal, teacher and Lindsey then?" offered Sara, slightly more enlightened as to what was going on, but still felt very much like the blind were leading the blind, or at least hogging the map!

*I'm sure that won't be necessary…..* began the secretary, but Sara felt differently

"I'm sure that it will be Ms Cross" countered Sara, interrupting in a tone not dissimilar to the one she used when presenting suspects with evidence that disproves the story they'd just woven

*But I'm sure….*

"You and Lindsey both think this situation has something to do with her home environment, which, following the updated records you were given about emergency contacts and guardianship last month, is of concern to her Mother Catherine, her Aunt Nancy, and myself. Her Aunt is at work, her Mother is asleep in preparation for running a shift in the Criminalists Department tonight, and I am reading a book at home. If the Principal or any other staff member wishes to discuss Lindsey's home life with her, all three of us would prefer that one of us was there with her. I am the best one at the moment, and, if you ask Lindsey if she would like me to be there, she has just said yes. So, I think, don't you, that it would be best if I came in to be there." Sara's tone and logic left no room for argument.

*Put like that, yes* agreed the secretary

"What time does next period start?"

*In another 35 minutes*

"In that case, I will be there then or not long after, depending on traffic. Could I talk to Lindsey please?" Sara deliberately forced herself to take some deep breaths whilst she listened as the phone was passed across to Lindsey

*Sara? Are you coming in?*

"Do you still want me to?"

*Yes please"

"Do you want me to bring your Mom?"

*Is she still sleeping?*

"She should be" admitted Sara honestly, glancing at her watch for confirmation

*Mom needs her sleep; this was why you got put on my parent list* summarised Lindsey, meaning the contact and 'approved carers' details the school stored for each child

"Is that a no to Catherine then?"

*Yes, I mean no, I mean….* Sara's phrasing of the question got Lindsey in a tangle

"You mean yes, I don't want you to wake up Catherine and bring her with me, don't you?" asked Sara, amused in spite of the serious situation

*Yes* agreed Lindsey, happy that Sara understood

"Ok, I'll come on my own. Now, I need you to think real hard for me, are there any steps between the entrance and the principal's office?" asked Sara, reaching for the call button as she asked

*Umm, hang on* Sara could hear, despite Lindsey attempting to muffle the receiver, Lindsey politely asking a seemingly bemused Ms Cross if there were any steps

*Ms Cross says only a very shallow one, but that it's so small you can run a trolley of coffees over it without spilling* repeated Lindsey carefully

"Thanks sweetie, you sit tight with Ms Cross and I'll be there as soon as I can, kay?"

*Kay. Bye Sara*

Forty minutes later, Sara arrived at the entrance to the school having been driven in by one of the cars that the Centre had on standby for residents to use, when they could get in and out of cars virtually unaided, but hadn't yet mastered driving. Following the directions given by a passing student, having first shown her CSI ID, Sara carefully plotted her way through the corridors until she arrived at the correct suite of offices. Entering the room, she saw Lindsey and a sensible looking, slightly older woman, who based on her earlier telephone conversation, she correctly assumed to be Ms Cross. Before she could announce her presence however, she was attacked by a whirlwind Lindsey, rushing straight for her, only to pull up short suddenly, as she remembered an important lesson she'd been taught by Annie – never jump on Sara's lap until she's ready and her brakes are on, otherwise…..

"C'mere kiddo" said Sara, opening out her arms, the signal to Lindsey that it was safe to rush into her lap. It was interesting, noted Sara idly, that both *her* Willow's women not only liked curling into her lap, but had also, independently as far as she could tell, decided to curl into her lap in exactly the same fashion, snuggled into the right hand side of her body, head resting against her right shoulder.

"I'm sorry you had to come" apologised Lindsey immediately

"Hey, it's fine, I was only watching something I'd seen before on TV anyway" admitted Sara, prompting Lindsey to question

"The Discovery Channel?"

"Yup!"

"Is there any show on that channel that you haven't seen?" asked Lindsey reasonably

"Yes. I really can't stand the really gross ones about" Sara's comment was interrupted when a small hand slapped itself over her mouth

"If you think they're gross, I don't want to know. You like all sorts of things I find gross" stated Lindsey reasonably, tentatively removing her hand

"Fair enough. Yes, there are a few things I haven't seen on the Discovery Channel, but not many, so don't worry, I didn't miss anything. How long until the Principal is back?"

"He's back now, just a couple of minutes ago. We're just waiting for the teacher, Miss Abrahams, to come in from teaching out on the playing field" explained Ms Cross, joining in the exchange for the first time

"Miss Abrahams?" questioned Sara of Lindsey, not recognising the name from previous conversations about school

"She's new, sort of, and teaches the older kids, but we had her for a special class today, about first aid" explained Lindsey

"An English teacher teaching First Aid?" remembering a passing comment made by Lindsey a few weeks ago about the school getting a new English teacher, but not recalling the name until now

"She teaches Biology and coaches some sports, but comes to us from England" explained Ms Cross, sensing Sara's confusion

"Ah, thank you, I was thinking English Literature teacher, not English English" explained Sara, trying not to wince at her awkward phrasing

"And you're not the first one to be confused" commented a new, male voice as it entered the room, before it continued

"Principal Hutchinson, you must be Sara Sidle?"

"Yes, Linds?" Sara gently nudged Lindsey, encouraging the girl to get off her lap so she could shake hands with the Principal, something which Lindsey did immediately, although she stayed next to Sara. After shaking hands, the Principal continued

"I suggest we continue this meeting in the next room, rather than my office. Despite supposedly being the most important person here, my office is rather too poky to be suitable for this meeting, whereas this room has not only some room to swing a cat, but also enough chairs for us all to sit comfortably?" His ease with which he sidestepped the issue of Sara's wheelchair suggested to her that Ms Cross was not only sensible, but also efficient, having already informed him of her situation right before she arrived.

"Lead on, Linds, have you got everything?" asked Sara, before following the Principal into a room that, as he correctly stated, was comfortably sized for 4 people to have a meeting. Just as the Principal had finished taking Sara's coffee order, a new voice, speaking with a very apparent English accent, introduced itself by saying

"Oh god, I'm an idiot"

"Excuse me?" queried Sara, the first to recover herself, as she turned towards the new speaker

"Charlotte Abrahams, teacher of biology, first aid and misguided fool" came the honest introduction

"Sara Sidle. I don't follow"

"I'm sorry, I'll explain from the beginning, if Lindsey will help me?"

"Ok" Lindsey was as surprised and confused as everyone else was by the frank behaviour of the young teacher

"We were discussing the recovery position, and I asked if anyone knew what it was" began Charlotte, gesturing to Lindsey that she could tell the next bit

"I was the only one who put up my hand, because I know what it is and how to do it. Annie taught me" explained Lindsey cryptically

"I then asked Lindsey why she knew the position, and that was when I'm afraid this whole misunderstanding happened on my part. I'm terribly sorry Ms Sidle"

"Go on, I'm curious, and it's Sara" encouraged Sara surprisingly kindly, her investigative curiosity overcoming any other emotion she might have been feeling at that point

"Lindsey tried to explain her situation at home, with her Mom's best friend being a…" here, Charlotte paused, obviously embarrassed, before continuing

"She was grasping for a big word, stumbling on the first syllable."

"I knew it began para-" interjected Lindsey proudly, to be rewarded with a smile from Sara that managed to somehow communicate not only 'well done' but also 'let your teacher speak'

"I tried to give her some help, but all Lindsey could remember was that it began with para- and ended in –ic. Not sure what it could be, I suggested paralytic." Admitted Charlotte, obviously reaching the point of her embarrassment

"Technically accurate, as I don't have use or feeling in my legs" commented Sara, not quite sure why the teacher was calling herself an idiot

"Lindsey accepted the word, but I think now, what you really wanted was paraplegic, wasn't it Lindsey?"

"That sounds better" admitted Lindsey, thoroughly confused, looking to Sara for reassurance

"They both mean roughly the same thing" commented the Principal, also confused, although hiding it better

"But only in American English. One of Mark Twain's better quotations I think applies" commented Charlotte Abrahams ruefully. For Sara, used to dealing with Grissom's frequent quoting and oblique references, it was the switch for the proverbial light bulb. Paraphrasing the quotation from memory, she said

"America and England – two nations divided by the same language. I take it that paralytic and paraplegic don't quite mean the same thing for you?"

"Technically they do, but colloquially, paralytic has a slang association" Charlotte didn't need to explain any further, as Sara had all the pieces to her puzzle

"When Lindsey recognised paralytic as describing how I am, you thought she meant that I was drunk, because of the slang meaning in England?"

"Yes, like I said, I'm sorry" Charlotte was quite genuine in her contrition. To her and everyone else's surprise, Sara grinned

"What is the slang meaning, exactly?" asked Sara, curious rather than annoyed.

"Someone is said to be paralytic when they've drunk themselves so silly they can't use their legs" explained Charlotte, slightly confused as to Sara's reaction

"No wonder you worried about Lindsey."

"Like I said, I'm an idiot and I'm sorry"

"Don't apologise, I'm glad you were concerned about Lindsey, even if it was misplaced. And, I think Lindsey has learnt a little lesson too?" questioned Sara, turning to Lindsey

"I have?" asked Lindsey, shocked

"What was Catherine telling you about big words?"

"Umm, they're only clever if used correctly?" guessed Lindsey, remembering a conversation her Mom had had with her after she'd discovered Lindsey trying to cram as many long words into her English assignment as possible

"And?" prompted Sara gently, wrapping an arm around Lindsey as comfort

"That well chosen little words work even better than badly chosen long ones" recited Lindsey, remembering the conversation

"Sound advice" agreed the principal

"She makes Sara repeat it sometimes, when she goes off in a big science geek story" confessed Lindsey conspiratorially, receiving a tickle from Sara as a result

"A big science geek story?" queried Charlotte Abrahams, picking up on the science

"Mom and Sara work for the Police as CSIs – they're Crim…." Lindsey paused, obviously thinking about what she'd just said, before continuing

"They're special people who know a lot about science who work for the police to help them work out who the bad people are" explained Lindsey proudly

"I see"

"Officially, both Catherine and I are Criminalists for the LVPD, or Crime Scene Investigators – CSIs, although I'm on leave at the moment, because of my back" explained Sara carefully

"Cool" was all Charlotte could think to say

"We think so" agreed Sara, smiling as she recognised a fellow science geek.

As the conversation turned from cultural misunderstandings to science, and the possibility of Sara and/or Catherine coming in to give some presentations to various groups of students, Lindsey was excused to go back to class, having learnt from practical experience that her Mom was right: big words used wrongly were far less smart than lots of carefully chosen small ones.

After a few blocks, Sara once again drew up at a stop sign and had managed to suppress her smile again so it was back to a more sensible 'adult' beam, only for Lindsey to start up the conversation again

"Miss Abrahams liked you that day"

"And I liked her, she's a good teacher" observed Sara, not quite getting Lindsey's point

"No, I mean liked you like you like Mom" clarified Lindsey

"No she didn't" disputed Sara, disagreeing

"Yes, she did" teased Lindsey, trying to get her normally stoical and shy 'Mom' to blush or squirm. Unfortunately for the teenager, Sara wasn't playing

"It doesn't matter if she did, does, didn't or doesn't" stated Sara firmly and dismissively

"But wouldn't you like to know?"

"No"

"Why?"

"Because I don't need or want to know if she liked me. I like Catherine like that, and only Catherine, and as long as I am liking Catherine like that, I wouldn't be interested in liking anyone else or being liked by anyone else like that"

"Wow"

"What?"

"You get really good at tongue twisters when you get mad" observed Lindsey, just as Sara turned into their driveway. Speechless, Sara put the car in park and just watched as Lindsey jumped out of the car and ran towards the door, only to turn back having dumped her bag. Like any other 12 year old, Lindsey was developing signs of typical teenage behaviour, such as rushing to call the friend she last saw less than 30 minutes ago and wishing to do nothing more active than slump in front of the TV. But, unlike many other 12 year olds, at least the selection Sara and Catherine came across, she also showed a maturity, respect and responsibility towards her parents and teachers, and so, whilst the headlong rush for the house and the dumping of stuff was to be expected, the returning to the car to help Sara was not. What made the action potentially more unusual was that she was neither asked nor, in this instance, expected to help, as the car, unlike the Tahoes, was fully fitted so that not only could Sara drive it, but also get her wheelchair stowed away without any assistance. As such, Lindsey wouldn't have left her stranded had she continued into the house, but the gesture was nevertheless appreciated by Sara as she held the chair steady and then wheeled her chair into the house.

"Is Mom up yet?"

"She shouldn't be; I told her to stay in bed and get some more sleep."

"Ok. I was going to get some juice. Do you want some?" asked Lindsey politely

"Please, and I'm sure Catherine would love some. Do you want me to take it in or do you want to bring it in after I've woken her up?" asked Sara, aware that Lindsey was just getting old enough now to start feeling rather awkward about disturbing her Mom in bed, not to mention the risk of seeing either Sara or Catherine anything other than fully clothed.

"I'll take my bags to my room and put the clothes away and then come by with some juice" suggested Lindsey, conscious that leaving bags scattered on the floor was not something that was good in general, nor safe in the specific Sidle-Willows house, but also making the point to Sara that she was giving them time to get, as she saw it, the soppy stuff over with before becoming respectable and 'parental' again. Being in love and all that kissing was fine on TV shows, but not when it involved your Mom, thought Lindsey quite adamantly. As she had said, in what she felt was as awkward a conversation for her Moms as it was for her, it wasn't so much the fact of her having to think about nudity and sex so much as having to come across anything that made her think about those two concepts and her Moms. Having just had a course of classes at school on reproduction and safe sex, she was firmly of the belief that sex and her Mom were two alien concepts, deciding, as most children did at some point in their adolescence, that Mary wasn't the only Virgin Mother, but that they were also a product of an immaculate conception.

"I promise that when you come by with the juice we'll be behaving" agreed Sara, amused at how puritanical girls Lindsey's age could be one minute, before eagerly discussing the latest gossip about the 'cute boys' on the phone with each other the next.

"And then can I ring Jill?"

"Half an hour, tops" conceded Sara, reluctant to let her spend a good part of the afternoon on the phone but aware that Lindsey had been responsible and well behaved. An added bonus was that 30 minutes on the phone did ensure 30 minutes uninterrupted time with Catherine, something Sara was always happy to indulge in, especially when there weren't any nights off together scheduled for a while.

"Thanks Sara!" beamed Lindsey, giving a big grin before heading back towards the front door to gather up her stuff, calling out as she did

"I'll knock real loud with the juice" to which a chuckling Sara called out

"Brat!" good naturedly, before turning away from the living area and heading back towards their bedroom.

"Don't slam the" began Catherine, only for the end of her statement to be drowned out by the slamming of their bedroom door as Lindsey rushed off to telephone her best friend, leaving Sara and Catherine lying propped up on pillows on their bed.

"Did I ever have that much surplus energy?" queried Catherine, wearily as she listened to her daughter's noisy progress through the living area to her room, presumably having grabbed one of the portable handsets first.

Sara didn't verbally answer the question immediately, preferring to turn her head so she was looking at Catherine's profile, before then guiding her lover's body towards her some more, using the arm that was currently wrapped around Catherine's shoulders. As expected, the gentle pressure applied to Catherine's shoulder not only resulted in the instinctual inward turning of her torso, but also drew Catherine's gaze away from the middle distance, focussing instead on Sara's face and sparkling eyes, a split second before her eyes instinctively closed as her lips felt the gentle pressure of Sara's own soft pair, as they began a tender caress with little nips that gave way to a passionate duel, a perfectly choreograph duet, a kiss of mutual love and passion. After a moment that could have been minutes, or could have been seconds, Sara pulled back slightly, saying

"Can your short term memory stretch back about 8 hours?"

"You want me to try and remember stuff after a kiss like that? God woman, I know we're supposed to be able to multi-task….." Catherine's mock indignation prompted Sara to let out a rarely heard guffaw of genuine laughter

"I hope you're laughing with me"

"Nope!" wheezed Sara, in between laughs

"So what's so funny about me not being able to remember what I was doing 6 hours ago when you've just given me a kiss that very nearly had me climaxing, and what the hell does a conversation about surplus energy do to deserve a kiss like…." Suddenly Catherine stopped as the proverbial light bulb was substituted for the Rose Bowl floodlights and then turned on

"You little…." Catherine couldn't think of a suitable insult, instead deciding to instigate the only sensible course of action, a pillow fight!

"Umph" came the muffled sound of Sara rapidly recovering from her laughter as a soft pillow gently met the side of her rib cage

"Mmph" the second blow was to the forearms, crossed feebly across her chest

"Mercy!" came the amused shout as Catherine refusing to forgive her lover easily, landed a soft blow to the back of Sara's shoulder as she turned away from the playful onslaught

"CAT stop" came the firm command as Catherine was about to take aim with a fourth swat, the pillow instead landing silently on the bed behind her

"Sara?"

"I'm about to fall off" stated Sara, her position now precariously close to the edge of the bed now that she'd rotated her upper body round. Despite stretching down the bed, Sara's legs wouldn't be much of a counter balance to the weight of her head and torso if she leaned over much more. It wouldn't be the first time that Sara had rolled off a bed or sofa in this fashion, but right now, she didn't want this moment to become the most recent.

No sooner had Sara stated her problem than loving arms had shot round her rib cage, gently hugging her whilst easing her backwards, pulling her further onto the bed, away from the edge. After a couple of shuffles, Sara was once again comfortably settled against some pillows, with Catherine snuggled under her arm, curled against the side of the lean, long body

"Better?" asked Catherine, their pillow assault forgotten

"Hmm, much. I like it when we're like this. I can feel tall again" admitted Sara amused, looking at her legs splayed out in front of her

"You're always tall. Why do you think I'm always wearing heals?"

"So that you're just the right height for me to reach your fly?" asked Sara innocently, dropping a kiss on Catherine's head as she waited for the inevitable reaction. Sara rarely made jokes about sex, rarely spoke about sex, and when she did, it not only caught Catherine unawares, but often generated some interesting responses, and judging by the look on Catherine's face, this would be no exception, when it came…….which, after a short pause, it did

"That, and keep you under my thumb" observed Catherine, waving said digit in the general direction of Sara's face before quickly reminding her lover that she had two thumbs as the other slipped through Sara's now open fly to place another, rather more sensitive part of her lover's anatomy under it.

"OOooooo" came the short sound from Sara as she felt her body responding to Catherine's experienced touch. That thumb was one she was gladly under!

"Do you remember the first time we were in this position?" asked Catherine conversationally, snuggling deeper into Sara's embrace but not moving her hand from her lover's jeans, although she did alter her motions to a rhythm that she knew would give Sara pleasure without overwhelming her into as Sara described herself, a gibbering blob

"How specifically?"

"Specifically?"

"This position with you curled up into my body like this on a bed specifically? Or me under your thumb like this on a bed specifically?" queried Sara, her body relaxing into the intimate caress, allowing her mind to focus on the conversation that Catherine seemed to want to have

"I was thinking of the former, although the later was a good memory too"

"Yup, but I'm kind of fond of the first one, who knew that the magic ingredient for our first date would be a hospital bed?"

"Annie" came the dead-pan reply from Catherine, before terminating the conversation with a delicate twitch of her thumb……

As the movie credits began to roll at the start of the film, Catherine stole a glance at Sara, who was propped up on her bed, the head angled to support her back whilst she watched the screen intently, her face focused much like it is when about to dust a complex or fragile object for prints

"You don't have to solve this one, Sara" observed Catherine, amused

"Huh?" Sara broke away from the screen to look at Catherine

"You can just watch this and admire the film, you don't need to solve it"

"Sorry" Sara's facial expression now resembled that of Lindsey's when she'd been caught once sneaking chocolate after bedtime.

"Hey, it doesn't matter! If you want to try and solve it, that's fine by me. I was just going to ask you if you minded me kicking off my shoes as I sat back and admired Eva Marie Saint" commented Catherine

"Sure, go ahead" replied Sara briefly, ready to return to the film, eager to see the Hitchcock thriller play out, only to do a double take

"You like blondes?"

"Liked, I seem to have a bit of a thing for a certain fabulous brunette, who thankfully is near by right now" teased Catherine, happy to see Sara blush at the compliment but not reject it, like she had done so many times already

"You started watching that film yet Sara?"

"No, it's paused on the opening credits Annie. Do I need to do something?" queried Sara politely

"Yes. Get your nice lady-friend up on that bed with you!"

"What?" Sara was surprised at the tone Annie was taking, not to mention the subject matter

"You're too noble for your own good Miss Sara. Here's a nice lady, good friend and pretty too, bringing a scary movie round to watch with you and what do you do? Leave her to watch it sitting on an uncomfortable chair and get a crick in her neck. Does she have to get a school marching band through here to tell you that she likes you?"

"What?" Again, Sara wasn't quite following what Annie was saying

"Catherine, how do you expect to sneak a snuggle from your date if you're in the chair and she's on the bed when it gets scary?" Annie had watched these two dance around each other since Sara's arrival a fortnight ago and, now that Sara had had the courage to suggest that Catherine brought a film round to watch sometime, Annie wasn't about to let the moment pass by. She'd heard all about the kiss from Sara, eventually, and was not above meddling. The fact that a quick glance at the credits told her it was North by Northwest only added to the potential….once she'd got Catherine on that bed with Sara.

"Thanks Annie, but I won't be scared. I've seen it before" tried Catherine, deflecting her blushes with light laugher and banter

"Sure you won't be scared, Miss tough CSI. Now, get that neat behind out of that chair and onto this bed, there's plenty of room for the two of you, you're both as skinny as rails. Good job I've got this big bowl of popcorn for you both to share."

Unceremoniously dumping the bowl in the now completely speechless Sara's lap, Annie approached Catherine and, in a determined fashion that left no room for argument, got Catherine settled leaning back on the bed adjacent, but not in any way close to Sara. They were as near to each other as they would be if they sat in the cinema.

"Right, far more comfortable than that nasty chair. Sara, your pills are to be taken in 3 hours at 5.30. I'll be by at 6 to make sure you've remembered them. If you need me before that, just buzz me, otherwise, enjoy your film ladies" and, as abruptly as she had arrived, Annie left, leaving two slightly dazed CSIs leaning adjacently, but most definitely separately, against the raised head of Sara's bed.

"That told us" commented Catherine, the first to recover

"You like sweet popcorn?" asked Sara, tangentially, trying to distract herself from Catherine's proximity by starting a random thread of conversation, all the while wondering how many different ways she could kill Annie without ever being caught. This was supposed to have been two friends watching a film together on a Sunday afternoon, but was now feeling suspiciously like a date, a first date.

"Yes"

"Shame, I guess I'll have to share" came the teasing counter, as Sara once again started the film running again.

"Hmm, that was good" commented Catherine as she watched the end credits begin

"Yes, interesting concept"

"Go on"

"Who are you? I mean, do you really know you're Catherine Willows intrinsically? Or is it only because everyone around you is constantly projecting the identity onto you because we believe you to be Catherine Willows" Sara's default state was logic and science. When in doubt or in an unfamiliar situation, resort to default.

"Please, don't remind me of that case"

"The Paul Milander case?"

"There ya go, you've reminded me!" teased Catherine, amused that Sara had fallen for such an obvious set up

"Oh" Sara couldn't think of anything else to say, and was certain she was blushing

"You're blushing" observed Catherine, amused, constantly amazed at how pretty the light infusion of colour into Sara's cheeks made her look, somehow peeling back the CSI to reveal the sensitive young woman beneath.

Sara, so long alone, either through deliberate choice on her part or the forced isolation imposed on her by parental figures and teenage 'cool-sets', wasn't used to dealing with genuine, good-natured teasing much. Whilst she'd had some exposure to it from the guys at work, Nick and Warrick had never really fully opened up to her, and Greg, well, she'd never been entirely comfortable until relatively recently that his flirtatious teasing was completely innocent and not without some seed of truth. But with Catherine, the teasing was gentle and genuinely fun, and Sara was beginning not to worry about whether there was a flirtatious tone or meaning to her careful responses, a realisation that allowed her to no longer tense whenever Catherine teased her, although she hadn't yet got as far as being relaxed. Thinking for a moment, Sara decided that if she was blushing, now was a time to not blush alone

"You're comfy" observed Sara neutrally, waiting to see what Catherine's reaction would be.

"Now who's blushing?" asked Sara softly, marvelling at the change from collected efficient professional to almost shy, beautiful woman, that a little light blush caused, to her eyes, in Catherine

"You don't need to move" whispered Sara softer still, as she felt Catherine begin to shift when her position had been drawn attention to

"I don't?" came the equally quiet whisper from Catherine

"Do you want to?"

"Only if I'm hurting you"

"You're not. Actually, it's quite nice" admitted Sara, surprising herself

"That's what I thought" agreed Catherine, tentatively shifting so she was slightly more comfortably settled against Sara's long body, enjoying how natural it felt to have the weight of Sara's arm resting across her shoulders, helping to hold them together

"I thought you weren't going to be scared?" asked Sara, still almost whispering

"I'd forgotten about the plane" admitted Catherine, dipping her head to study her nails, a position Sara knew all to well from her own experiences

"Hey, I didn't mind"

"But it's silly" for the normally tough Catherine, who's reputation was that nothing phased her, although those professionally closest to her knew that children brought 'Mother Catherine' nearer the surface than anything else

"No it's not, I was just a bit surprised though" confessed Sara

"That tough Catherine got spooked by the plane?" asked Catherine bitterly

"No, that sensible Catherine had forgotten about the plane" admitted Sara, understanding why the scene had troubled her normally collected colleague

"Look at me?" that must have been the first time ever that Sara had ever made that request. When Catherine didn't move her head, Sara reached across with her free arm and gently guided Catherine's face up, letting go with a gentle but fleeting stroke of a cheek

"I'm glad you felt you could hold on to me, and I'm really glad I could hold you. Normally, if someone does something like that, I freak out a bit, but with you? It was nice, not nice that you were scared, but nice that, I don't know….it was like my body knew without my brain needing to tell it that you were safe." Admitted Sara, hoping she didn't sound as awkward as she felt

"Oh"

"Are you ok, about the plane now? I heard about that scene, at the airport…" Sara trailed off, not wanting to repeat all the details, but wanting Catherine to know that she understood. Their job took them to some strange places, and the very tip of the main McCarran runway had been one of them. As the jets thundered over the top of Catherine's head, she and Warrick had processed a grisly case. Small wonder that film had made Catherine jump a bit.

"I think so. It was just a bit unexpected…." Catherine wasn't sure how to explain that right now, she'd completely forgotten about it, the case, the plane, the film…..she'd forgotten about everything except how good it felt to be sitting here, propped up on a mix of pillows and bed, leaning into Sara, looking into those rich, concerned, caring, brown eyes, which right now flickering with worry, presumably over Catherine's now prolonged pause. Just when Catherine thought her rational side was about to reassert itself and her brain was about to restart and spoil everything, she saw it. Just a flicker before being covered with worry and concern again, but it was enough. If the eyes were supposed to be the windows to the soul, Catherine had just sneaked a peak through the curtains, and had caught sight of the most wondrous thing…….seizing courage with everything she had, Catherine abandoned her quest to find words and instead……

They kissed.

Tenderly

Gently

Softly

Perfectly.

Part 7

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