Of Redheads and Younger Men
Summary: Catherine Willows and Greg Sanders: The Very Right Kind of Very Wrong. Catherine and Greg investigate a case that hits too close to home but brings two unlikely people into each other's arms. CathGreg pairing.
This was supposed to be a oneshot but it turned out to be much longer and will be quite a few chapters long. I don't expect many reviews as not many people support this pairing. I'd love some feedback though!
Rated for explicit sexual content and language from now on. If you don't like don't read! M rated.
Part One.
"Greg, honey," The pet name slipped out involuntarily as Catherine placed her hand on the younger man's shoulder. Ever since Sara Sidle's departure from CSI three weeks ago he had moped around the crime lab, not once showing the enthusiasm he had been so well known for back in his days as a labrat. Catherine had watched Greg grow up and change over the years and she hated to see him so miserable. They all missed Sara in their own ways but Greg seemed to be taking it the worst; worse than Grissom it seemed but it was always hard to tell with him.
Greg looked up at the sound of his name, his mouth twitching into the slightest of smiles when he saw it was Catherine.
"Hey Catherine." He replied.
"Coffee?" She suggested, despite the boiling Las Vegas day outside the air conditioning inside the crime lab made it cool enough to make drinking coffee bearable, and, in their line of work, essential. Greg nodded and handed Catherine his mug.
Catherine headed to the coffee machine and scooped out some of Greg's Hawaiian Blue coffee.
"Thanks." He said gratefully a few moments later when Catherine set a mug down in front of him and took a seat opposite him.
"Greg, you've gotta cheer up." She lowered her voice. "I know how you felt about Sara..."
He looked up in alarm but Catherine reached out and covered his hand with her's.
"It's okay." She assured him. Catherine Willows knew all about falling for the wrong guy, especially the wrong guy that you worked with. As much as she loved Warrick she knew that they would never get beyond the casual flirting of two good friends.
"Is it? Will it ever be okay?" Greg sighed, looking deep into Catherine's blue eyes.
This time Catherine squeezed his hand. "It will. I promise it will."
Greg opened his mouth to speak but both his and Catherine's pagers began to beep in unison. Once again the job had to come first.
Catherine and Greg climbed out of the air-conditioned vehicle and the blast of humid air hit them full force. Catherine wore her hair loose, an extra protection against the hot sun and placed a CSI cap on her head. She led the way towards the scene of the crime with Greg following, quite literally, hot on her heels.
"CSI Willows, Sanders." Catherine introduced herself and Greg to the detectives. "What have we got here?"
They were now stood on a porch outside a house on the outskirts of Las Vegas, the whitewashed wood offering very little protection against the sun.
"Suspected rape homicide." The detective, a tall balding man whom neither Catherine nor Greg recognised, told them.
Catherine nodded; these were always the worst. The detective, who had now identified himself as Peter Ronson, led the way into the house, which was much darker and cooler than it had been outside. Greg had to wait a moment for his eyes to adjust to the change in light before he could examine the scene before him. He felt Catherine's body tense beside him as her eyes took in the sight and she had been doing this much longer than him.
"I knew her." Catherine said, her eyes staring straight at the body. Her voice was so soft that Greg only just heard her and Peter didn't seem to notice she had spoken.
Greg opened his mouth to say something reassuring but Catherine pushed away from his side and set her kit down on the floor, pulling on a pair of latex gloves with a satisfying snap. Greg followed suit, his mind reeling with thoughts of Catherine and how she might know the victim. If she didn't want to talk to him about it then he couldn't force her.
Catherine and Greg processed the scene in silence, she taking the body and he studying the surrounding area. While they worked, Detective Ronson interviewed the neighbours. He arrived back at the house just as David Phillips was about to load the body into the coroner's van.
"The vic is Kerry Miller, aged around 40 her neighbours reckon, no children live here but she has frequent male visitors, never usually the same men either." Peter told them, raising his eyebrows as if he had already made up his mind about the sort of woman they were dealing with. Catherine could feel her blood boiling in her veins and she knew that it had nothing to with the sweltering heat.
"We'll take these samples back to the lab." She said coldly. "We'll let you know when we find out anything concrete."
With that Catherine stalked out, leaving Greg to hurry after her. It didn't stop him seeing Ronson admiring the sway of Catherine's hips and backside though. Greg felt strangely protective of the woman who still had ten plus years on him.
"Ignore him." Greg told Catherine when they had loaded their kits into the car and were preparing to leave the scene.
"Sorry?" Catherine replied, emerging from a reverie.
"Ignore Ronson, he's an ass." Greg said, still annoyed with the detective for his behaviour and treatment of Catherine.
"Thanks Greg." Catherine smiled; pleased to know she had his support at least. She decided that she should share what she knew about Kerry with him. "I knew her," She said with much more confidence than she had earlier. "I knew Kerry Miller. We used to work together."
Greg turned to look at her from the passenger seat. "She's a CSI too?"
Catherine laughed softly and placed her hand casually on Greg's leg before she even had time to think about it. Greg swallowed a lump in his throat and waited for Catherine to continue, trying not to think of that delicate hand creeping further up his thigh…
"No, Greg." She rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "We worked some of the same clubs."
"Oh," Greg replied, kicking himself for being so foolish. He loved the way she wasn't ashamed to talk about her career before becoming a criminalist, they all had pasts after all. "Were you close?"
Catherine nodded. "At the time we were good friends, yes, but I haven't heard from Kerry in a long time."
"I'm sorry, Catherine." He said softly, his eyes meeting hers.
"Thanks Greg." Catherine replied, feeling a strange and unprecedented rush of emotion towards the younger man beside her.
Back at the Crime Lab, Catherine went and filled Grissom in on the case while Greg checked in the evidence and took it to one of the vacant labs. He was buttoning up a lab coat when Catherine entered the lab.
"Hey," He greeted, giving the redhead a smile. He knew she was taking Kerry's death worse than she was letting on and he wanted her to know that he was there for her.
"Hi Greg." Catherine smiled.
"Did you tell Grissom that you knew the victim?" He asked.
"No," Catherine said, eyeing him deadly seriously. "And he isn't to know. You're the only one I've told."
"But Cath…"
"I need to solve this case for Kerry and I don't want the case being taken away from me. This stays between us. Understand?"
"Yes, ma'am." He said seriously, but there was still the ghost of a mischievous glint in his eye.
Catherine smacked him lightly on the side. "Call me 'ma'am' one more time you'll be the one down in autopsy!"
"The semen we found doesn't match anyone in the database, the fingerprint on her stomach came back with no hints and the man she had an appointment with most recently has an iron-clad alibi." Greg reported to Catherine who was curled up on the couch in the breakroom with a cup of coffee.
"So basically we have nothing." Catherine said.
"Yes. But, if we do get a suspect we'll have plenty to match him to." Greg confirmed.
"Or she?" Catherine replied.
"True. Hell hath no fury and all that…" He smirked.
"What are you trying to imply about the fairer sex?" Catherine asked.
"Oh, nothing." He smiled sweetly, and took a seat in a nearby chair.
"Never underestimate a beautiful woman, Greg." She told him and he couldn't quite work out if she was being serious or not.
"I never do." He replied, looking straight into her eyes and feeling a rush of desire that had been missing ever since Sara had been gone.
Catherine sat up and rubbed her forehead. "This case is going to drive me insane. Why didn't Kerry come to me if she was in trouble?" She asked, voicing her thoughts out loud.
"You haven't been in contact with her for a long time Catherine, it's not your fault." Greg said softly.
"No, I know. I still can't help but blame myself for not being a better friend to her. She was good to me when I first started out."
"Cath," Greg said softly. "The best thing you can do now is to catch the bastard who did this but you need to get some rest, and stop beating yourself up."
"I'd rather stay here…" Catherine replied. "You can go home though."
He shook his head firmly. "Nope. We are both going home and we can come back tomorrow with fresh eyes. I'll drive you."
Catherine finally caved. "Thanks Greg." She wasn't sure she could focus long enough to drive herself home.