A/N: This story was written as a response to the latest Unbound Improv Challenge. As always the first and the last lines were given and the word limit was 1000 but I went a little over the top. Hope the story makes sense though ;)
SPOILERS: Small one for Cool Change, post-Formalities
DISCLAIMER: All the characters are owned by Anthony E. Zuiker, the CBS Worldwide Inc. & Alliance Atlantis Corp. The purpose of the story is purely for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement intended.
SUMMARY: A social call that really wasn't. Slight G/S.
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Sara blinked at her Styrofoam coffee cup, unsure exactly how to respond. She was still surprised at finding Catherine on her front steps, ten minutes ago, and carrying two steaming cups of coffee.
"How about a truce?" she had said with a smile that was a little too bright. Sara knew immediately this wasn't just a social visit. Well considering Catherine...anything could happen.
Five minutes ago she roughly explained what she wanted from her but Sara was still pretty much wondering about her real motive for the visit.
"Yeah, I know how this sounds--" the blonde started wearily but was interrupted.
"Wait a minute..." she sighed and put down the coffee cup. She continued, "You want me to help you?" she narrowed her eyes at her.
"Yes. Look...I realize I haven't been myself for some time--"
Sara snorted and replied sarcastically, "That's putting it mildly."
Catherine hung her head. "Okay...I deserved that. I screwed up, I know."
"Then you also need to know that you can't always hide behind your past, or your relationships, or even your daughter. Especially your daughter." she gave her a pointed look. "You have behaved very unprofessionally towards me and everyone else."
"You got me. I deserved that too. I'm sorry...for treating you the way I have."
"I'm not the only one you should be apologizing to." she reminded.
"Yeah, I know." she nodded.
Sara smirked at her, making her expression brighten a little. "You seem to know awful lot, all of sudden."
"Well...I've been thinking...and this whole thing that's been going on has made me realize I need to work on a better relationship with my colleagues...and friends."
"Wow. That is a lot." she said, surprised.
"Yeah. Apology is just a start. I'm willing to rebuild our friendship...or whatever you might call it. I really need you on this."
If that were Grissom talking he'd soon have to pick me off the floor. Or you'd see me with a paper bag on the head, hyperventilating. She thought amused.
"So are you going to help me?" Catherine asked hopefully.
"It depends on what you need my help for." Sara said.
"Alright. Remember that formal thing you weren't supposed to attend since it was your day off?"
"Yeah. Grissom cleared that for me. He said I should consider myself lucky for not having to say something on Ecklie's behalf." she said amused.
Catherine grinned back, "Yeah. I think he was praying for a disaster, to miss the whole thing. I think that formal and party goes under unknown in his social dictionary. So you can say he was relieved when he got a call and I had to do the suck-up thing instead. You should have heard what stories I sold about Ecklie. I turned the guy into a saint."
"Hmm, Grissom trying to find something nice to say about Ecklie. That must have been a funny image."
"Oh it was." she smirked. "And add up his nervousness into the mix and you've got a disaster waiting to happen."
She narrowed her eyes at her. "Grissom, nervous? Never."
They both laughed.
"Oh, yeah. I'm telling you...he was so out of it that he couldn't even tie up his own bow-tie. So I had to do it for him. It's just something that needs a woman's touch, you know?" she gave her a mischievous look.
Sara knew what she was aiming at and wasn't willing to discuss it with her so she tried to change the subject.
"So, you still haven't answered my question. What's this about?"
"Well, I was getting to that. Grissom was called to work a murder at the high school home-coming party."
"Were the guys on it too?"
"No. That's what's weird. He had to work with one of Ecklie's CSIs'. Sophia, something...Anyway, the rumor has it that Ecklie placed her deliberately just to shadow Grissom."
"You mean he assigned her to spy on him?" she asked.
"Yeah and I don't think it's only that. I think she's meant to dig up something on him, anything that could put his position into question. I also heard that she applied for the day shift supervisory position."
"The one that you also applied for. Wait, are you asking me to help you in getting the new position? 'Cause if that's the case then I can't help you. I don't want to work behind Grissom's back." she protested.
"No, of course not! Well... technically you would be working behind his back but it would be for his own good."
"O-kay. Now you've lost me." she said confused.
"You see...I want us to do a little of our own digging. We need to check out this Sophia and what exactly she has against Grissom."
"I get it. You want to find something on her." she nodded and wondered aloud, "But why me? I mean, you could've asked one of the guys."
"You kidding? This is one of those things that need to be handled delicately. A woman's touch is just what I'm talking about here. And besides you do have experience with internal investigations and are very good at it."
"As I recall, you said you didn't need someone snooping around."
"Yeah but later I've changed my mind. You became a great asset to our team."
"Wow. A compliment from you, Cath? That's some change you got there." She smiled.
"Yeah. I'm practicing my management skills. So, what do you say? You up for it? 'Cause you know, two sharp women--"
"Are better than one?" she finished for her and shook her head amused. "I can't believe you're using my old line against me. But you know you already got me when you said Grissom and spying in the same sentence."
Just at that moment the light in her apartment flickered until everything went dark.
"Great."
"What the hell." Catherine muttered.
"Must be the fuse. I get that all the time. You wouldn't believe how old this building is. Wait a moment; the super's going to replace it." She assured.
And just as she said, the lights went on again and with it, Catherine's cell started ringing.
"Willows. Hey, Gil. What? Oh, just having a midnight rendezvous with an old friend. Why yes, Gil, you do know her. Yeah. Alright I'll stop by later. I'll hurry up. See you in a few. Bye."
She flipped her cell phone and said, "That was Grissom. Poor guy has quite a migraine. He's out of medicine and asked me if I could go get it for him. That case must have done him in."
"Oh. Is he going to be alright?" she asked worriedly.
"He'll be fine as soon as he gets his pills. Well I better go."
Sara noticed something suddenly flicker in the older woman's eyes.
"On the other hand..." she started.
Sara knew when Catherine had an idea she wasn't going to like it.
"I'm still kind of new with this reacquainting thing and it's still kind of early, well for us anyway...I'd love to see Lindsay before I collapse from exhaustion. Could you do me a favor and get those pills to him?"
Bingo.
"Oh, no, no Catherine. No way! I'll do the investigating thing but don't expect me to visit him at home. I just can't do it."
"Oh, come on. Consider this your social therapy. You need it, he needs it and hell we need it too." she persuaded. "I think we could already use some therapy just from being exposed to that much Geek angst for more than a year." she muttered inaudibly.
Sara shook her head. "I can't. You know he'll freak out. And besides he won't even let me in."
"Oh don't worry about that. He's probably left the door unlocked so he doesn't have to get up all the time. You can get in without him even noticing who was there."
Catherine didn't get her double entendre and frankly she was relieved. She didn't want her to analyze her non-existent relationship with Grissom any deeper.
She shook her head no.
"Do this for him...no do this for yourself. That guy needs a serious kick in the head, no pun intended." she gave her a pleading look. "Stop torturing yourselves and take a chance. Besides, he's pretty vulnerable at the moment. You might even get lucky, if you know what I mean." she gave her a pointed look.
"Catherine!" she chided, but couldn't contain a smile from showing on her face.
Catherine noticed it. "Is that a yes?"
She nodded. "Yes. I'll do it."
"Good." she said and started for the door. "I want you two to be happy. If not...God help us all."
"Thanks for your vote of confidence." She retorted sarcastically.
"Anytime. You know I like your apartment. It's so...you."
Catherine's eyes settled on the small black object visible from Sara's bedroom.
"I hate when that happens. You should really fix that. Don't wanna be late for work." she said on her way out.
Sara followed her gaze.
The clock on the desk blinked twelve o'clock.