Title: Third Time's the Charm
Summary: AU: Catherine returns to Vegas to help find the terrorist who exploded a bomb in her casino, the Eclipse. This tragedy also brings back Gil Grissom. Is she ready to see her ex Sara with her Ex-husband, and what are these strange feelings she is having every time she is near Sara?
Fandom/Pairing: CSI – LV: Catherine Willows/ Sara Sidle
Author: Cherokee62
Rating: NC-17/M Sexual Situations involving women, hurt, comfort, language, angst
Spoilers: Final episode of CSI Fix it fic
Word Count :20,212

Yes her dad died, it was at the end of one of the shows. A guy comes up to him as he is leaving his casino, & shoots him. It was the first show of the season I think, the one where she wakes up after being at the bar & someone has druged her. She takes a rape kit on herself, and process the sceen. Image of 4x06- Jackpot for fans of Catherine Willows 12864723.

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, just having some fun with them. They are owned by CBS Corp. No profit is being made with this story.
Edited by: dhamphir
A/N: This is a fix it fic in response to the final episode of CSI. I love the show and have shipped Catherine and Sara for years and felt insulted both intellectually and fan wise to her 'sailing off in the sunset' with Grissom at the end of the series finale. So I decided to end it my way. Made me feel better at least. I hope you at least are amused by it and thanks for reading it.

Third Time's the Charm

Chapter 1: Present Day

Sitting in D.B. Russell's office, Catherine couldn't help but think of Sara; the way Sara's head shot up when she had heard Catherine's voice as she came into the Eclipse; and the surprise and joy she'd seen in Sara's eyes, even amidst the carnage around them. 'Was it just a few hours ago?' Catherine thought. She had to admit seeing her ex had made her feel like everything would be alright, even if just for a few moments. The feelings that quickly coursed through her when Sara embraced her took her by surprise and almost started the tears she had been struggling to hold back.

'Catherine. I'm so sorry.'

Those four simple words, coupled with the look in Sara Sidle's eyes almost undid Catherine Willows. She wished, for just a second, one brief moment, to fall into Sara's arms and let Sara take care of her. Accept the comfort that look seemed to offer. 'Sara. I just got in from L.A. Tell me how I can help.'

It was the pause. It was so slight, so minimal that if you didn't know Sara as well as Catherine did you might not have even seen it. 'Well…I'm not sure. It's a conflict of interest.'

That quickly the old Catherine wanted to come roaring back and fight. 'Legally I'm the owner of the Eclipse!' Catherine snapped. Her eyes had narrowed and her stance changed from wanting to lean on Sara to the old push and pull posture of when she was Sara's boss.

Sara backed down instantly, 'Of course, of course.'

Catherine barely heard the rest of what she said, so surprised that Sara had given in without fighting her like she would have in the past. Was it compassion, had the dark-haired woman changed that much, or was it just not worth the fight? Maybe she just wasn't worth fighting anymore.

Fortunately Catherine was pulled from her thoughts as the other members of the CSI team began to filter into D.B.'s office. Catherine had been told Grissom was on his way and even though she worried how his arrival would affect Sara, it was easy to put on a smile when she saw him; he had been a good friend once, and he had even given his blessing when he found out Catherine and Sara had become a couple. He had told Catherine in a long ago phone call, 'I always knew, was just waiting for Sara to realize you were the one she really needed, not me.' She felt no threat from his presence and knew there should be no reason she should. 'Might make it a little more difficult to get to talk to Sara alone if she's going to be playing hide and seek to avoid Gil,' Catherine thought as she watched the former married couple. She couldn't help but grin at the little jabs from Sara at Grissom. 'That's my Sara!' she thought with a smirk, then couldn't hide her surprise when Sara suggested Grissom accompany her to Lady Heather's house.

Everything Catherine saw suggested that Sara believed Lady Heather Kessler was, at the least, involved if not outright guilty of the bombings at the Eclipse Casino and the local school. It was also plain to see that she thought Gil was still infatuated with Heather and that was why he couldn't see what was so obvious to everyone else. Even as much as Catherine hated to jump to conclusions or try to make the evidence fit Heather, she thought Gil was pushing his theory a bit far. 'Poison flowers that turn you into a zombie? Really?' Catherine chuckled to herself, rolling her eyes when Sara glanced at her. 'What next, Aliens looking for a little BDSM thrill from Lady Heather?'

Judging by the looks on the others' faces, Catherine was the only one surprised when Grissom walked in hours later with Heather, when evidence pointed to the likelihood that the ex-dominatrix was the burned corpse lying on the autopsy table. Catherine wanted to ask how he knew or how he had reached her, for that matter, when they had been looking everywhere for her. . During the interview the hostility Sara showed made it so obvious that her pain over Grissom was far from in the past, and Heather knew just where all the sore points were and pressed hard on them. Catherine followed Sara into the viewing room after she stormed out of the interrogation, 'Just breathe Sara. She's only trying to get a rise out of you.'

'I know, I'm sorry. I lost my cool in there.' Sara gave her a look that said she felt she disappointed Catherine more than herself.

Catherine shook her head, 'Don't beat yourself up. I don't feel the way you do about Grissom and I want to kill the bitch with my bare hands.'

Sara's eyes had widened and she appeared to stumble over the words that refused to come. It looked like she wanted to deny Catherine's words, wanted to tell her that she was wrong.

'I'm a woman; I know it when I see it. So does she, remember that.' Catherine continued, not allowing Sara to say anything. She covered the hurt she felt inside as well as she could. To hear Sara confirm her belief or try to deny it would have cracked the wall she had built around herself to get through this case, get through seeing Sara again. 'I'm going back in.' Without another word, Catherine moved past the still silent Sara and returned to the interview.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation will welcome back an old friend for this evening's 300th episode. Marg Helgenberger will reprise her role as Catherine Willows after she retired from the series in January 2012 having appeared in 12 seasons.

Marg Helgenberger Returns To 'CSI' For A Special 300th Episode.

Catherine Willows Casino Owner

The 300th episode will involve the investigation into a murder at the home of a former reclusive casino tycoon who had been a suspect in a similar crime in 2000. Willows will return to help her former colleagues solve the cold case that has remained unsolved for 14 years. The team who worked the case at the time will recall elements of the original case in order to try to solve crimes old and new.

Catherine Willows Eclipse Casino

Continue reading: Marg Helgenberger Returns As CSI's Catherine Willows For 300th Episode Special