Title: Drunken Memories
By: Amara Tenoh
Pairing: Cath/Sara & past Sara/Grissom
Rating: PG
Archive: Ask me first.
Disclaimer: The characters belong to CBS and all other companies.
Challenge: a) Write no more than 600 words(ish).
b) Include the words: Train, beautiful, debate, padded, filter, golf, toll, slip, Bugger, destination, beer, CSI, object (they don't have to be in order)
c) ... and this phrase: 'There stood...'
Summary: Sara wakes up at Catherine's house after a drunken stupor hits her.

***

Sara woke up. She smelled soap. Then, she realised that she didn't know where she was. She struggled in the blankets that she was wrapped up in. She slipped out of the blankets that she was wrapped up in and landed on the ground. She lifted her head and looked around her. She recognised where she was. She was at Catherine's house in the living room. Sara had slept on the couch. She heard a shower running in the other room. Lindsey bounded into the living room and sat on Sara's lap. Sara spoke quietly to Lindsey, stroking the hair of Catherine's beloved daughter. The shower shut off and a towel wrapped woman with blonde hair walked in to the living room. There stood a beautiful Catherine. She had a pink towel wrapped around her slender body.

"That hard water really takes its toll on my skin. Makes it dry." Catherine said. She flipped her hair and commanded Lindsey to go take her bath. Lindsey obliged.

"Why am I here?" Sara asked, her voice choking up at the sight of a half-naked Catherine.

"You got drunk on some beer last night. You couldn't drive home, so you crashed here. You were talking about going to play golf. I didn't know you liked golf." Catherine said. She walked to her room and started to dress.

Sara called from the living room, "I don't like golf."

"I didn't think so. You were really drunk. You were out like a train in a train wreck." Catherine said. She came out of her room, fully dressed in a provocative tank top and mini-skirt. Sara's jaw dropped. Catherine pretended not to notice. She started to brush her hair, little droplets of water spraying on the ground. Catherine finished brushing her hair and went to the kitchen. Sara padded in after her. Catherine picked up a coffee filter and stuck it in the coffee maker. "I stole some of Greg's coffee from work."

Sara smirked when she thought of what Greg would do when he found out. Sara debated whether or not to confront Catherine about last night. She wanted to know if she had done anything really foolish. Ashamed, Sara told Catherine that she had to go. She gathered her belongings. Scatter brained, She left her sock at Catherine's house. She got into her car and drove home. She didn't know what her destination was. She drove aimlessly, trying to remember what had happened the night before. When he arrived home, she looked down at her foot and remembered her sock wrapped up in the blankets. "Bugger." She cussed at herself.

*****

Catherine bumped into Sara in the hallway of CSI. Catherine stopped Sara in the hallway and pulled an object out of her pocket. She grinned widely as she turned over the sock. As Sara took the sock, her finger brushed Catherine's hand. She blushed. "Sara, do you want to come over after work?" Catherine asked. She held half the sock with her left hand while Sara held the other half.

"Sure." Sara said. She gently tugged on the sock and put it in her pocket. She smiled at Catherine. The two went their separate directions. Sara couldn't get Catherine off her mind. The beautiful woman was stealing her heart, but she couldn't let Grissom know.

***

Where one went, the other was close behind. The sock incident had truly shown Sara her real path in life. Yet, one day Sara had to stop and ask herself what she was doing. She had begun to question all her morals.

Sara sipped on some of Greg's exotic and expensive coffee. She savoured the taste that was tickling her taste buds. The coffee's flavour was full and thick and the coffee's temperature was just cool enough not to burn. Catherine walked in the break room. She balked when she smelled the coffee. The aromas had wafted up to her nose. She with the coffee pot in her hand turned around to Sara.

"Is this Greg's coffee? She asked. The coffee in the pot swished around as she turned back around to pour herself a cup.

Sara replied, "Yeah it's Greg's. I'm so beat. I couldn't handle that sludge crap that we usually drink." Sara took another sip of coffee.

Catherine smirked and took a deep gulp of her coffee. She sat down next to Sara. The two women drank their coffee in silence, only exchanging quick smiles every once in a while.

Finally, Sara broke the silence. She spoke up, "What happened the night that I got drunk? What made everything change?"

"Well..." Catherine began to tell the story of the night that changed everything.

i Sara danced wildly on the floor of Catherine's house. She was bumping into everything that she came near. She bumped into Catherine. Catherine spilled her drink all over the floor. "Oh, I so sorry. What is your name again?" Sara slurred her words together.

"I'm Catherine. You know, you work with me. This is my house that you are in." Catherine yelled over the loud music.

"Huh? Whatever. I just want another drink." Sara yelled back. Her eyes were glassy with drunkenness. She danced across the room and ran in to Grissom. "Hi. Could you get me another drink? Nick." She yelled at Grissom.

Grissom had a wine glass in his hand and he handed it to Sara and yelled back, "I'm not Nick; I'm Grissom." He said. Sara downed the drink quickly and handed the glass back to Grissom. Grissom looked disgustedly at Sara. She was not like her normal self, and Grissom did not like that. Sara continued on her haphazard hunt for more alcohol. She ran into Greg.

"Hey, Greggy!" Sara yelled. She had finally gotten a name right. The first time all night. Sara stumbled into Greg's arms. Greg held her around the waist. He grinned. "What are you doing?" Sara yelled when she regained consciousness. She pulled Greg's arms off of her and collapsed on the floor.

Catherine ran over to Sara. "You are not driving home, girl." She whispered in Sara's ear. She had Nick take Sara to the couch and set her down. Catherine sat on the couch next to Sara and gently brushed the hair out of her sleeping face. She kissed her on the forehead when nobody was looking and rejoined the party. /i

Catherine finished up her story at the same time she finished her coffee. She ste her empty coffee cup on the table. Catherine stared Sara in the eyes. "I believe you left something at my house. I found it in the couch cushions."

"Yeah?" Sara asked. She thought for a second. "Nuh-huh." Sara said. "The only thing that I left was my sock."

"Yes..." Catherine dug her fingers into her pocket and pulled out a necklace. Sara took it in her hand and looked at it. It was a plain, but very expensive gold necklace that had 'Sara' engraved on it. Catherine took it from Sara's hands and reached her arms around Sara's neck to put it on. She fumbled with the clasp.

Grissom trotted by the break room. He dropped a leaf of paper in front of the door and bent down to pick it up. He glanced up and saw Catherine with her arms wrapped around Sara. Grissom stared at the pair of women in what looked like a very friendly embrace. Grissom was kneeling on the floor with his mouth wide open. He could not close it. He could not move. His legs could not leave the spot. He was glued on the sight of Sara and Catherine. Grissom watched as Catherine tilted Sara face up to her own and whispered something to her. Sara leaned in next to Catherine and kissed her gently on the lips. Grissom stood up and cleared his throat. The two women looked over at him. Catherine blushed and Sara stood up from her seat. She had to explain this to Grissom. She walked over to him, and a jumble of words flowed from her mouth. Her hand moved instinctively to the front of her necklace. Grissom saw some gold glinting before her arm moved.

"I don't need an explanation." Grissom said. He continued, "I saw it all. But, something has to be done about this. Not now. But, soon." He said. The moment between Sara and Grissom hung suspended from a thin string. One false move and the string would snap and the friendship would be over forever. Neither one dared to speak. The air was thick with emotions, but nobody could confront those confusing emotions. Grissom walked away from Sara. He walked own the hallway shaking his head. Grissom knew what had happened. He knew it all. Nothing had to be said for the seriousness of the situation to hit him. Sara has oppressed her natural feelings in front of Grissom and, now, he knew it all. He could feel Sara's pain, but he would not allow that to interfere with his work. Grissom had seen the hurt in Sara's eyes when she tried to explain it. He wanted to hold her and comfort her, but he knew the real feeling of the woman who he had once loved. He desire for her fled. Now, it was just Grissom, alone.

***