DISCLAIMER: CSI is the property of CBS, Jerry Bruckheimer etc.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.

Patience
By Jen

 

Part One

"We're running a few minutes late, but we're on our way." Catherine said, holding her cell phone with her shoulder as she pulled her shoe on, "Sara's fighting a migraine and she overslept this evening. We're just about to walk out the door."

"Just be careful." Grissom's voice rang in response, "You'll get here when you get here. Does Sara need the night off?"

Catherine laughed, "If you value your life, you won't even suggest it."

"I suppose you're right. It's a slow night tonight, I've only got one call-out, and everyone's previous cases have been wrapped up. Take your time, I don't want to get called out because the two of you were in an accident."

"We'll be careful." Catherine replied, searching for her car keys, "Let me go so we can walk out the door."

She hung up the phone and called over her shoulder, "Sara! You ready?"

"Sara's sick. She just threw up." Lindsey said, flopping down on the sofa and looking up at her mother, "She shouldn't go to work if she's sick."

Catherine nodded, contemplating going to check on the younger woman, "I know that, and you know that, but Sara's just stubborn."

"Do I hear you using my name in vain?" Sara joked, walking into the living room as she fumbled with the zipper on her black sweater, "You ready?"

"Are you sure you feel up to working tonight?" Catherine asked, her voice laced with concern, "You look exhausted."

Sara smiled, "Thanks for the concern, but I'm fine. I slept for the majority of the day, I can make it through the next 10 hours."

"We probably won't even be there that long, Gris says tonight's super slow." Catherine replied, watching Sara with concerned eyes, "If you start to feel bad, promise me you'll come home."

"I promise, although I'm sure it'll be fine."

Lindsey bounced on the sofa, "You can stay home and play my Harry Potter video game with me. It's so fun!"

"As appealing as that sounds," Sara replied, exchanging a look with Catherine to show that she was sick of playing that particular video game, "I need to help your Mommy catch the bad guys so we can make enough money to buy you new video games."

"I could play my Harry Potter video game all day." Lindsey replied, "Over and over again."

Catherine rolled her eyes, "Believe me, Lins, we know." She motioned for Sara to follow her, "It's past time to go. Your Aunt Nancy is on her way, she should be here in just a few minutes to pick you up for the night. If Sara and I don't have to work too late, I'll come pick you up tonight, otherwise I'll see you in the morning."

"Okay, okay." Lindsey replied, nodding along with Catherine, "I've got it. It's not the first time I've waited for Aunt Nancy alone while you went to work. I won't answer the door until I know it's her, I won't answer the phone if I don't recognize the number on the caller ID, I won't try to cook anything, I will make sure to lock the door before we leave."

"Be good for Nancy." Sara called over her shoulder to Lindsey as she followed Catherine out the front door, "We better not get a call that you and Jeremy are fighting, or you can kiss that Harry Potter game goodbye."

Lindsey's eyes widened at the threat, and she nodded solemnly, "I'll be good, I promise!"

A few minutes later, Catherine climbed in the driver's seat, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine." Sara replied, buckling her seat belt, "Don't worry about me. I told you, I rested for a bit, I'm doing tons better."

Catherine looked over at Sara with narrow eyes, "I sleep with you, I know you weren't sleeping very well. You got up at least half a dozen times in the time I was with you, not to mention when I was up with Lindsey and you were alone."

"I'm fine. I just have trouble sleeping, you know that, I didn't want to disturb you." Sara replied, "I'm sorry I kept you up."

"You didn't," Catherine said softly, "I just noticed when you were gone. I'm worried about you, baby. Lindsey says you threw up earlier."

Sara squeezed Catherine's hand, "I'm fine, Cath, don't worry about it. It comes and it goes, it's not a big deal. I'll be fine at work tonight, I honestly feel tons better now. You know I wouldn't lie to you."

"I know." Catherine replied, resting her hand on Sara's leg, "I just don't like to see you hurt."

Sara smiled, covering Catherine's hand with her own, "I love you."

"I love you too."


"Just got a call in. 419 at 'Treasure Island', one of the Sirens was found dead in the dressing room between shows." Grissom said as he walked into the break room, where Nick, Greg, Catherine, and Sara were seated, "Nicky, you're lead, take Greg with you. Sara, Catherine, I have some cold cases for you to review until something new comes in."

"Sounds fascinating." Catherine replied, rolling her eyes.

Sara nodded, "Absolutely thrilling. Thanks for letting us stay here and review cold cases instead of taking the 419."

"All part of the job, my dears." Grissom replied, "Who knows, maybe the next call will be something better."

"Better than a 419?" Sara asked, "Yeah, right. I'm sure the next call in will be a trick roll."

"Or a decomp." Catherine added with a smirk, "Oh well, at least we won't be pulling overtime tonight."

Nick and Greg left, smirks on their faces as Grissom brought in a stack of casefiles to review.

"Have fun tonight." Nick teased, nudging Sara as he walked by, "We'll be thinking of you."

Sara rolled her eyes as Catherine laughed, "I hope you guys have to pull a triple to finish."

"Enough." Grissom said, motioning towards the folders, "These are cold cases from days, Ecklie thinks it's a good idea for different eyes to review them, some aren't too old, I'd start with those."

Catherine flipped open the first folder, "Aggravated Rape and burglary." She pushed the folder towards Sara, "Day shift processed it 4 months ago, inconclusive evidence, the lead CSI documented that all evidence was contradictory, and after an 'entire' week, they rendered the case unsolvable." She looked up to Grissom, "That just goes to show you how much initiative day shift shows on their cases."

Sara, who had remained silent so far, looked down at the folder, fighting the bile that was rising in her throat. She wasn't sure what illness she was afflicted with, but it had the most inappropriate times to resurface. Case in point, she felt fine (tired, but not weak or queasy) all day, and now that she was trying to work, her stomach was doing flip flops and the room kept fading out, causing her to want to fall out of her chair because she felt so unbalanced.

Taking a deep breath, Sara tried to focus on the pages in front of her. After just a few moments of fighting nausea, she realized it was a lost cause, and she jumped to her feet, all too aware of her fuzzy head, "I...excuse me..."

She rushed out of the room, nearly colliding with the door as she made her exit, leaving her girlfriend and boss staring after her with concern.

"She doesn't look so good tonight." Grissom commented, "Are you going to go check on her?"

Catherine nodded, "I wish she'd just be completely honest with me. She just can't admit she needs help. We've been together for almost three months now, and sometimes it's like she's a complete stranger to me."

"I've known her for over ten years, and she's still a mystery to me." Grissom retorted.

Catherine flashed him a smile, "Ah, yes, but you two aren't sleeping together. I'm sure you would know a lot more of her secrets if you two were having sex."

"Go check on your girlfriend." Grissom said, shaking his head, "I'm not interesting in talking about sex with you."

With a smirk, Catherine pushed her chair back and headed in the direction Sara had exited, knowing fully well where she'd find her.

Catherine pushed open the door to the bathroom, not surprised to hear the sounds of Sara being ill. With a concerned glance at the first stall, where she could see Sara's foot, she hurriedly wet a few paper towels, hoping that the rough brown paper would at least provide a small comfort to the brunette.

She swung the door open, sighing as she knelt down behind Sara and pulled back her hair, "Baby, you need to go to the doctor."

"I'm fine." Sara said between heaves, her face extremely pale. "I don't need a doctor."

Catherine rolled her eyes, "So puking your guts up is 'fine'? I'd hate to see if you were actually sick." She placed the paper towels on the back of Sara's neck, "You're worrying me. You're even worrying Grissom."

"I don't want to worry you. I don't want to argue with you. I just want to go home and go to bed. If we get called out and I puke in front of anyone, I'll die of embarrassment." Sara said with a sniffle, "I feel awful."

"You don't look too great either." Catherine said with a teasing smile, "I'm sorry you don't feel well. I'll go tell Grissom that I'm taking you home. Do you think you'll be sick again, or are you ready to go?"

Sara groaned, rubbing her eyes tiredly, "To be honest, I don't know. I didn't think I've eaten enough in the last week to be this sick."

"My poor baby...let me take you home and take care of you." Catherine said softly, letting her lips brush against Sara's forehead, "You're not feverish, but you should definitely see a doctor if you aren't feeling better in the morning."

Half an hour later, Catherine was tucking Sara into their bed, laying down beside her on her side, "Do you need anything?"

"Just stay with me." Sara replied groggily, "Please."

Catherine let her lips meet Sara's once more, stroking her cheek gently, "Baby, you'll never be able to get rid of me."

Part 2

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