Title: Go Fish

Summary: Greg sulks, Ecklie fishes, and Catherine… is Catherine. [Unbound response, GSR]

Rating: PG

Category: Humour

Disclaimer: Look, they aren't mine. A fact which people celebrate regularly. I'm not making a profit. Heck, I ain't even breaking even. G And feel free to throw the rotten tomatoes, stale bagels and/or dark chocolate. I've never heard of this characterization of which you speak so highly of. And this is over the limit, but only by a small amount.

------------------------------------

Sara read her journal, ignoring the pouting figure seated opposite of her. She had apologized once, and she shouldn't have even needed to do that. She had warned him, and if he chose not to listen that was his own damn fault. But it was getting frustrating, and even Sara's ability to tune people out was wearing thin.

She turned the page, only to realize she hadn't finished the last one. In fact, she honestly couldn't remember what the article was about. This sulking was absolutely ridiculous.

"Damn it Greg! I said I was sorry."

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about."

Sara couldn't resist the urge to roll her eyes. "I'm sorry I missed your promotion lunch. I'm sorry the DA is such an ass he held over my testimony until this afternoon. I'm sorry that you're looking at me like I betrayed your confidence. I wanted to be there, but I couldn't. It's the job. You're a CSI now, so you better get used to it."

"When you put it that way," Greg grinned, "I suppose you did owe me an apology."

Sara smiled and turned back to the Physics and Forensics Journal. Greg's a good kid, she thought fondly. Not that he's that much younger than you are. Talk about jaded.

"And since you're being nice, I guess I should warn you…"

Looking up, Sara was tempted to lob the magazine in Greg's direction. Or the handy coffee mug. Anything to shut him up.

"Ecklie's asking about Grissom again."

Odd.

"What about?"

"Team relations and shit. I'm not one to meddle into other people's business…" at Sara's disbelieving look, he amended his statement. "I'm not one to do anything to draw Ecklie's attention, but I hear another one of his CSIs quit, and he wants an in house replacement. Make Grissom handle a newbie."

"Where'd you hear this?"

"Lab tech grapevine. Trust me, they know everything before us CSIs. But I've still got my connections."

"Tough nuts to him. I'd like to see Ecklie try to convince one of us to work for him," Sara commented dryly, smirking at the thought. To say the dayshift supervisor was disliked was putting it mildly; even Catherine preferred nights, though it meant less time with Lindsey.

As if on cue, the gossip queen walked into the break room. Sara glanced at her watch. Catherine had arrived with only minutes to spare. Nick and Warrick were working a homicide and were in the field already, having checked in with Grissom a few hours before.

"Megan Adams is changing shifts, Greg. So if he's asking after our fearless leader, it has nothing to do with stealing personnel."

Catherine's ability to hear any gossip within a forty mile radius never failed to amaze her co-workers. Pouring herself a coffee, the older woman looked at both her companions as if to decide whether or not to let them in on a secret.

"Spill Cath," demanded Sara, setting aside her magazine and crossing her arms over her chest.

"What makes you think I have anything to add?" she asked innocently.

"Because you look like the cat that swallowed the canary," Grissom spoke up from the doorway, assignments in hand.

"Christ Gil! Don't sneak up like that," scolded Catherine, much to the amusement of Greg.

Completely ignoring Catherine's reprimand, Grissom persisted. "So what is there to tell?"

"Nothing."

"Ecklie's asking questions," explained Sara, knowing full well that shift would be over before Catherine offered any details if she didn't.

"More like fishing for something," Catherine remarked. "He cornered me in the Print Lab, asking about favouritism. Greg figured it was him wanting to 'borrow' one of your CSIs…."

"No, someone from Swing is taking over."

"That's what I said."

"Looks like your sources are out of the loop Greg," Sara laughed, standing up to get a coffee. Which was a mere pretext to what she was really doing. Regrouping. Ecklie couldn't know. Could he? No, she wouldn't consider it.

"Conrad Ecklie…" Grissom had a hard time finding the appropriate words to describe his colleague without resorting to name calling.

"…is an ass?" Sara supplied helpfully.

"I was going to suggest that he is exceptionally fond of his administrative duties, but I suppose that term could be used to describe him."

"Well, either way he was pretty pointed in his queries. He made it sound like you were up to something that would get you fired," Catherine said worriedly.

"Hanky panky on county time, Griss?" Greg asked, wiggling his eyebrows to add to the comic effect.

Sara's spat her mouthful of coffee back into the cup. "Greggo, don't tease Grissom about his sex life. You're a CSI One now, and he'll make your life miserable. Dirty jobs, bad scheduling, you name it. And all without doing paperwork."

Gulping nervously, Greg wisely chose to be silent. It was common knowledge around the lab that the techs reported to Cavallo, and while a shift supervisor could pretty well get you fired, it meant a lot of paperwork and ass kissing. Meaning that Greg's position had been relatively safe. But now he was in the field, and his ass was grass if he crossed the wrong line. Catherine watched the new CSI's face, and laughed inwardly. As if he wasn't sufficiently frightened of the boss… who still hadn't responded either way to her news. She opened her mouth to mention the topic, but he beat her to it.

"Catherine, I appreciate your concern. But I'm not doing anything that Conrad can nail me for."

"Which sounds like you're doing something we don't know about."

Catching Grissom's eye, Sara raised an eyebrow in question. She assumed the slight nod of his head was acquisition, though she wasn't certain. She took a deep breath, bracing herself. They had to find out some time.

"We're seeing each other."

Sara wasn't sure if the silence in the room was enough to hear a pin drop, but it was loud enough to hear Catherine's pen hit the floor.

"What?" Catherine managed in a strangled tone. Greg was back to pouting.

"We're dating. Intimate. Doing the horizontal tangle."

"When?" asked the curious Catherine, desperately wishing Sara hadn't added on the last description.

Sara shrugged. "Awhile. Cavallo knows. Grissom cleared it with him so Ecklie couldn't do anything even if he did find out."

"Preventative measures."

"In a building of criminalists, we figured we'd need it."

"But… Ecklie?"

"My fault, I'm afraid," Grissom said. Sara stared at him, shocked, and he had to explain. "All I did was say 'Good afternoon Conrad.'"

"Way to be inconspicuous Gil," muttered Catherine.

Her comment broke the tension in the room, and both Greg and Catherine offered their well wishes and 'about times'. Amidst the congratulations, the couple smiled at one another. He was okay with them knowing, and she gave a big sigh of relief. That was easier than Sara thought it would be.

………

Ya know, it's okay to throw rotten fruit. Just try and avoid the carrots.