Title: Entwined
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own the CSI characters or premise. TPTB do
Important stuff to note before reading: The time setting for this piece is after "Playing With Fire" but before "Inside the Box", so the events of that ep and season four have not happened.
Chapter One
"I'd be a security guard," they heard Nick say as they entered the break room to find Greg, Warrick and Nick lounging on the sofas.
"No work to do boys?" Catherine smiled as she dropped herself wearily into the seat beside Warrick.
"We've been waiting for you guys. Shift's over, wondered if you fancied breakfast," Warrick responded.
"Sounds good," Catherine replied whilst rolling her neck to remove the tension from her muscles. She jumped slightly when she felt Warrick's hand touch her neck and start to massage it gently, but firmly. She sighed contentedly and smiled to her saviour. Grissom watched, his eyes tinged with sadness, as he sat down at the table. He opened the file he had with him, and forced himself to lower his eyes and not dwell on what he seemed to be losing.
"Hey, what were you guys talking about when we came in?" Sara called from her seat opposite Grissom at the table.
Greg's eyes lit up at Sara's interest in a conversation that had been initiated by him. "I was asking what these guys imagined they would be doing if they weren't CSIs," he explained with a proud smile.
Sara looked to Nick, seemingly surprised. "A security guard?"
"Yes. What's wrong with that? I think I'd make a great security guard," Nick said, his voice soft and feigning hurt.
"You would sweetie," Catherine assured him in a tone one would use to a child, as she smiled teasingly. "So, Warrick, what was your answer?" she asked.
"I'd be a cop... I know it's not much different, but it's what I always thought I would do," he shrugged. "It is not as boring as Greg's though – "
"Hey! Mine's not boring! It's my dream to be a CSI! And I'd be much better than you lot!" In response to the glares that this comment acquired him, he quickly added, "Well, I'd at least be nicer to the lab techs!" When the glares didn't subside, he briefly considered running back to the DNA lab, as he normally did, but, as he didn't have any work to attend to, he decided he would instead try to redirect their attention. "So what would you three be?" he asked, hopeful that they would take the bait.
"I wouldn't be anything else," Grissom and Sara said simultaneously. This broke Catherine from the relaxed state that her massage had taken her to, and her eyes shot open to look at Grissom. She saw Sara's eyes widen, and her grin at him smugly, then allowed herself a private smile when Grissom just shrugged and looked back to his file.
"Okay, so they win the award for the least imagination," Nick laughed. "Catherine?"
"Well, it seems I'm the only one who wouldn't be in some sort of law enforcement – " she began, only to be cut off by Greg.
"Do you think you'd still be a dancer?" he smiled excitedly, his imagination obviously in overdrive.
Grissom looked up at Catherine, concern, and also surprise, creasing his features. "Really? You'd still be dancing?" he asked, a hint of disappointment creeping into his voice.
Catherine was shocked by this unexpected contribution from a man who normally just frowned and didn't pay much attention to their non-work related conversations. As a result there was a split second of hesitation before she responded.
"I... I didn't say that... I think I would be a hotel manager, or something like that. I always fancied that line of work when I was little. I used to pretend our house was a hotel, and I made my parents check in and out whenever they were going anywhere. Real life kinda took me in a different direction though," she smiled.
"Hotel management, eh?" Warrick nodded approvingly.
"You'd be good at it," Grissom smiled, letting his eyes meet Catherine's. He knew it was a dangerous move to make, he knew he could easily get lost there, and that would make it so much worse when his world came crashing down, but he allowed himself that moment. For a memory.
She smiled her beautiful, bright smile back to him. "Why, thank you. And I think you'd make an excellent CSI." This was better. This was more like the friendship they used to have before they began to drift apart. She didn't know who had started it, but she did know that they both perpetuated it. They had allowed themselves to back away from each other. She knew her reasons, and suspected his, but anger had got the better of her logic and she found herself believing that he didn't want her to know. He didn't care about her enough to tell her, so why should she care. Deep down she knew he was scared, but too much time had passed, and during it, too many things had been said, to just pretend it never happened. But this was a good sign. This felt right. This felt like the beginning of the future.
"Do you think our paths would still have crossed?" Sara asked quickly, hoping to break the moment that Grissom and Catherine were enjoying.
"You mean like we were destined to meet? And no matter what we chose to do, we would still have encountered each other?" Greg asked confidently, the concept of their lives being somehow cosmically entwined seemingly not new to him.
"Do you believe in all that stuff, Greggo?" Warrick said in disbelief.
"I've read a few articles and things about it. I wouldn't say I believe in it, but I wouldn't say I don't," Greg replied defensively.
"I think it's an interesting idea," Sara commented thoughtfully. "I wonder if we would have met if things had gone differently."
"Well, seeing as you and Grissom would have followed the same path as you did, it's probably safe to say that you would have met," Catherine said, a touch coldly. "But, if the rest of us had taken different paths, would we know each other now?"
TBC...
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own the CSI characters or premise. TPTB do
Important stuff to note before reading: The time setting for this piece is after "Playing With Fire" but before "Inside the Box", so the events of that ep and season four have not happened.
Chapter One
"I'd be a security guard," they heard Nick say as they entered the break room to find Greg, Warrick and Nick lounging on the sofas.
"No work to do boys?" Catherine smiled as she dropped herself wearily into the seat beside Warrick.
"We've been waiting for you guys. Shift's over, wondered if you fancied breakfast," Warrick responded.
"Sounds good," Catherine replied whilst rolling her neck to remove the tension from her muscles. She jumped slightly when she felt Warrick's hand touch her neck and start to massage it gently, but firmly. She sighed contentedly and smiled to her saviour. Grissom watched, his eyes tinged with sadness, as he sat down at the table. He opened the file he had with him, and forced himself to lower his eyes and not dwell on what he seemed to be losing.
"Hey, what were you guys talking about when we came in?" Sara called from her seat opposite Grissom at the table.
Greg's eyes lit up at Sara's interest in a conversation that had been initiated by him. "I was asking what these guys imagined they would be doing if they weren't CSIs," he explained with a proud smile.
Sara looked to Nick, seemingly surprised. "A security guard?"
"Yes. What's wrong with that? I think I'd make a great security guard," Nick said, his voice soft and feigning hurt.
"You would sweetie," Catherine assured him in a tone one would use to a child, as she smiled teasingly. "So, Warrick, what was your answer?" she asked.
"I'd be a cop... I know it's not much different, but it's what I always thought I would do," he shrugged. "It is not as boring as Greg's though – "
"Hey! Mine's not boring! It's my dream to be a CSI! And I'd be much better than you lot!" In response to the glares that this comment acquired him, he quickly added, "Well, I'd at least be nicer to the lab techs!" When the glares didn't subside, he briefly considered running back to the DNA lab, as he normally did, but, as he didn't have any work to attend to, he decided he would instead try to redirect their attention. "So what would you three be?" he asked, hopeful that they would take the bait.
"I wouldn't be anything else," Grissom and Sara said simultaneously. This broke Catherine from the relaxed state that her massage had taken her to, and her eyes shot open to look at Grissom. She saw Sara's eyes widen, and her grin at him smugly, then allowed herself a private smile when Grissom just shrugged and looked back to his file.
"Okay, so they win the award for the least imagination," Nick laughed. "Catherine?"
"Well, it seems I'm the only one who wouldn't be in some sort of law enforcement – " she began, only to be cut off by Greg.
"Do you think you'd still be a dancer?" he smiled excitedly, his imagination obviously in overdrive.
Grissom looked up at Catherine, concern, and also surprise, creasing his features. "Really? You'd still be dancing?" he asked, a hint of disappointment creeping into his voice.
Catherine was shocked by this unexpected contribution from a man who normally just frowned and didn't pay much attention to their non-work related conversations. As a result there was a split second of hesitation before she responded.
"I... I didn't say that... I think I would be a hotel manager, or something like that. I always fancied that line of work when I was little. I used to pretend our house was a hotel, and I made my parents check in and out whenever they were going anywhere. Real life kinda took me in a different direction though," she smiled.
"Hotel management, eh?" Warrick nodded approvingly.
"You'd be good at it," Grissom smiled, letting his eyes meet Catherine's. He knew it was a dangerous move to make, he knew he could easily get lost there, and that would make it so much worse when his world came crashing down, but he allowed himself that moment. For a memory.
She smiled her beautiful, bright smile back to him. "Why, thank you. And I think you'd make an excellent CSI." This was better. This was more like the friendship they used to have before they began to drift apart. She didn't know who had started it, but she did know that they both perpetuated it. They had allowed themselves to back away from each other. She knew her reasons, and suspected his, but anger had got the better of her logic and she found herself believing that he didn't want her to know. He didn't care about her enough to tell her, so why should she care. Deep down she knew he was scared, but too much time had passed, and during it, too many things had been said, to just pretend it never happened. But this was a good sign. This felt right. This felt like the beginning of the future.
"Do you think our paths would still have crossed?" Sara asked quickly, hoping to break the moment that Grissom and Catherine were enjoying.
"You mean like we were destined to meet? And no matter what we chose to do, we would still have encountered each other?" Greg asked confidently, the concept of their lives being somehow cosmically entwined seemingly not new to him.
"Do you believe in all that stuff, Greggo?" Warrick said in disbelief.
"I've read a few articles and things about it. I wouldn't say I believe in it, but I wouldn't say I don't," Greg replied defensively.
"I think it's an interesting idea," Sara commented thoughtfully. "I wonder if we would have met if things had gone differently."
"Well, seeing as you and Grissom would have followed the same path as you did, it's probably safe to say that you would have met," Catherine said, a touch coldly. "But, if the rest of us had taken different paths, would we know each other now?"
TBC...