Curling

TEASER: Just some delayed Halloween fluff. A one-off completely unrelated to the COLORS series. Response to the 31 October 2005 Unbound Improv Challenge.

RATING: T for the lines between which you can read.

SPOILERS: Who knows? Assume everything and nothing specific.

DISCLAIMERS: Hmm, let me check my strong box to see if I have any documentation assigning the rights to CSI to me. (Dramatic pause.) No, just as I thought, the only things here are a desiccated plot bunny who just hopped off to the water dish and the title to my 1991 Honda Civic. Jerry and the gang must have misplaced that memo before it made it to my desk.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've been rather harsh to poor Catherine in my COLORS series, so this is to make up for it. First and last lines given, 1000 word limit for the story itself; according to MS Word 2003, I made it with 5 words to spare.

CSI CSI CSI

"So, Sara, who do you like better, Dracula or Frankenstein?" Lindsey Willows spun herself around on the lab stool beside the evidence table, her lime lollipop refracting the overhead spotlight each time she revolved.

It reminded Sara of some Rube Goldberg strobe light, and she smiled at Catherine's daughter. "I like Dracula better."

"Why?" She stopped spinning and dropped her elbows on the table.

"As weird as it sounds, because it's a more believable story."

Lindsey tilted her head just like her mother did when questioning the veracity of a statement. "Vampires are more believable than a monster brought to life by science?"

Sara nodded and snagged a piece of candy from Lindsay's trick or treat bag. "At least there's an explanation for vampirism. People who suffer from a certain form of porphyria were once believed to drink human blood and have other symptoms that made them look the way Dracula and other vampires are often described. We're a very long way from building a living creature, though we'll probably create single-celled life within a decade."

"I watched that episode of Nova, too. Sara?"

"Yeah, Lindsey?"

"I'm glad you and Mom are friends again. I missed hanging out with you."

Sara smiled. She had missed Lindsey, too, an unintended consequence of her blow up at Catherine last year. "So am I. Thanks for sharing your loot."

"You're welcome. Thanks for letting me stay in here. I know Mom was pretty pissed that Grandma wasn't home and sometimes she takes it out on me."

Sara must have reacted despite her best efforts not to because Lindsey was quick to lay her hand on Sara's sleeve. "Oh, no, not like that. She just yells a lot, but she's getting better at telling me she's mad at someone else. She and Grandma don't get along so well right now. I keep telling Grandma that Mom's doing the best she can, but I think she wants Mom to take . . ."

Sam Braun's money, Sara finished in her head when Lindsey's voice dropped and the girl became intensely interested in the crystals of lime candy on the stick in her hand. "Counseling has really helped you."

"It helped you, so I thought I'd try."

Sara heard the telltale tapping of Catherine's boots on the hard granite floor. "Well, I'm proud of you, Lindsey. And I bet your mom is, too."

Catherine stopped in the door. "Grissom wants to talk to you for a few minutes before assignments, Sara. Lindsey, let's get you set up in my office for the night."

Lindsey high-fived Sara as they parted. Sara's light steps took her to Grissom's office, where she found him relaxed and smiling.

"That was quick, good," he said, nodding to the chair in front of his desk. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm giving you an outstanding performance evaluation this year. You have worked under extraordinary conditions with precision, patience, and great courage and you have the highest individual solve rate in the lab."

She settled back in the chair, comfortably warmed by his words. "Except you, of course."

Grissom grinned, which sent a sizzle of arousal straight down Sara's spine. "Actually, for the first time since I arrived at the lab, someone beat me. Your solve rate was 94.6 and mine was 93.9."

"Wow."

"The student surpasses the teacher. And . . ." he glanced away, then back to her with blazing blue eyes, ". . . and if it's not too late, I'd very much like to take you up on the invitation to dinner, except that I'd very much like to treat to celebrate."

"Celebrate?" She hated that her voice squeaked.

"This," he whispered, waving his hand between them. "If there's still a this?"

All she could do was nod for fear of squeaking again.

"Good. It's surprisingly quiet for Halloween. Got a preference? I've got 3 B&E's, a vandalized car, and a suspected arson, no casualties at any site."

Not surprised at the abrupt change of subject, Sara raised her eyebrow at him with a question. "Can Greg work alone yet?"

"As of tonight."

"Do me a favor. We've all got extra overtime we can't claim. Let Catherine take a comp night. I'll take whatever the boys don't want."

Grissom smiled again, a softer, understanding look that told her he understood, which was more than she would have credited him with a year ago. Sara returned the smile, feeling truly hopeful that her unrequited love wasn't unrequited after all.

CSI CSI CSI

Lindsey wasn't sure how it happened that Uncle Gil let Mom have the night off, but he had done so with more affection than he'd shown toward either of them in quite a while. He was also happier than she had ever seen him, practically skipping away from them to the break room to give out assignments.

When Lindsay asked her mom about it, she said she thought maybe he had finally realized how much he loved Sara and done something about it. Lindsey hoped that was the truth. Sara and Uncle Gil belonged together more than any two people she had ever known, even Mom and Dad.

"The no school rule still applies if you're up for it, Linds," her mom said as she unlocked the door.

"But now we get to be together."

Mom looked at her with the same smiling eyes Lindsey remembered from pre-school, before things had gotten bad between Mom and Dad. She hadn't seen it forever, but lately, she'd seen it more. "Yeah. How about a Shrek marathon?"

"Oh, yeah!" Lindsey scrambled up the stairs to get the DVDs, pillows, and the big comforter from her bed. When she got back downstairs, Mom had the milk and cookies out and the lights dimmed. It took only a moment to put the first movie in.

"Hey, Mom, I love you."

Mom's smile brightened the whole room. "I love you, Lindsey."

Together, they curled up on the couch.

--FIN--