Catnapped by Frederica
Disclaimer: If I really owned CSI, I wouldn't be sitting here writing fanfiction, but actual episodes!
This is my response to the Weekly Unbound Challenge at the Your Tax Dollars At Work forum. The first and last line were provided by Brooklynn, and this had to be no longer than 2000 words.
So what happens when Grissom steals Sara's cat? This takes places before the episode 'Way to Go' when Grissom and Sara are not yet together. My dear friend Noryale, you didn't know I was writing this, so I hope you like it.
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"I sure hope you have been practising your poker faces!" Nick said, glancing at Grissom from the corner of his eyes every now and then. They were standing in front of Sara's doorstep, waiting for nothing in particular, since they had not rung the bell yet.
"Why would I need a poker face?" Grissom questioned as he looked down into the cardboard box he was holding. Nick blinked his eyes in frustration.
"You catnapped her cat, man! How are you going to make this up to her? She's been looking for it for three weeks and all the time you had it! You're going to need a poker face for this, cause looking apologetic is not going to do it for Sara," Nick replied. Grissom had to admit to himself that Nick had a point. So, there was only one option left. He had to lie about it.
"I'll just tell her I found it," Grissom considered. Honestly, what else could he do. It was a ridiculous thing he had done. Why did he steal her cat in the first place? And why was he bringing it back now? Just because Nick and Cath had followed the evidence and found out that he had Sara's cat? Yeah, that was the reason.
"Alright, here it goes," Nick said as he bend forward and pressed the button to the bell. Grissom tensed. Hopefully he was able to maintain his 'poker face' and tell Sara a lie. It was unlike him to lie, but he truly could not tell her the truth. If he did, she was going to ask him 'why?' and he could not answer that question.
"Maybe she's out," Grissom hoped. Nick raised his eyebrows and looked at Grissom.
"Who? Sara?" Sara was not the type to go out and Grissom knew that. In her free time, she listened to the police scanner and read forensic magazines. Oh, and Sara never sleeps. It indeed did not take long before the door opened to reveal Sara. She was wearing jeans and a plain black shirt. Her hair was a bit messy. Maybe Sara did sleep?
"Hey Nick, Grissom," she greeted, looking at Grissom in particular. Grissom just looked back. "What did I do now?" Sara asked, but neither Grissom or Nick said anything. Sara's eyes dropped to the box Grissom was holding. "New evidence on the Collins-case?"
"We eh…" Grissom swallowed nervously. He had to speak up NOW. "We found your cat." There, he had said it. Nick however, shook his head and pointed at Grissom.
"HE found it," Nick answered truthfully. Sara smiled and took the box from Grissom. She looked inside to find her black cat staring up at her with bright yellow eyes.
"Oh, that's great! Where did you find him?" Sara asked him.
"Him?" Grissom looked at Nick who had both of his eyebrows raised at him again. Come on, Nick, think of something!
"I have to go," Nick stated simply, before turning around and walking off, leaving Grissom behind. If it was in Grissom's nature, he would have kicked Nick. Instead, he stared at Sara, who was staring back at him.
"I…found it…" he continued to stare at Sara intensely, but she decided to break the eye contact and smiled at the cat in the box.
"Do you want to come in?" Sara asked him. Without waiting for an answer, she held the door open for him. Grissom entered and looked around the place. The last time he had been here, Sara had burst out crying because he made her talk about her past. Hopefully, he could just leave her with a smile now. Sara took the cat out of the box and hugged it.
"Welcome back, Selphie," Sara said. Grissom raised an eyebrow.
"Isn't Selphie a name for a female?" Grissom questioned her, hoping she was not going to ask the 'where?' question again, which was almost as bad as the 'why?' question. Sara smiled.
"When I got him, I was told it was a female. When I had to take him to the animal doctor, the doctor confirmed it was a male. That's the story. I didn't want to change the name anymore though," Sara explained, letting go of Selphie. Grissom nodded. He had been taking care of Selphie for three weeks. It was going to be empty in the house now.
"I see," was all Grissom could say.
"So can I get you anything? I'm out of explanations for now, but I think you owe me one," Sara said with a sly grin.
"What for? What do you mean?" Grissom of course knew very well what she was getting to, but he decided to play stupid. Maybe she would leave him alone.
"Why did you steal my cat?"
"What makes you think I stole your cat?" Grissom asked her. Sara cocked her head to the side and counted on her fingers.
"One, you stumbled over words when I asked you where you found him. Two, you come in here all tense, and that is very unlike you. Three, Selphie looks way too good to have been out on the streets for three weeks. Four, there are scratch marks on your hands and they're not from five minutes ago and five, you are just a bad liar," Sara confronted him.
Oops, busted…
"I don't know what to say," Grissom answered nervously. Well, she was a scientist. It had been a foolish idea to lie to Sara. She was just too smart to buy his attempted lies. She narrowed her eyes at him.
"Guilty as charged?" she asked him.
"I just wanted to—"
"Why did you do it? If you wanted to borrow my cat you could have at least asked for it? I've been worried sick and almost went to get a new one! I've had Selphie for years! Do you know what it feels like to have lost your pet, Grissom?
"Sara…"
"I mean it, all you had to do was ask and I would have brought him right over, but no…you had to make me squirm. Why did you want to make me squirm? You have no idea of what you put me through, have you?"
"Listen, Sara…"
"I'm glad you brought him back. Were you even planning on bringing him back or did you because Nick forced you to? Was that why you brought him with you?"
"Sara!"
"So you accuse me of chasing rabbits, but you chase cats! My cat! I can't believe you Grissom, of all the people in the world you were the last person I had expected to do something like this. What is wrong—"
"Sara, I did it because I wanted a reason to come over to your place!" Grissom said, raising his voice. He immediately felt regrets after saying that. Oh God, what did he just do?
"What?"
"I…needed a reason to come and see you," there was no point in denying it anymore. Now, she could laugh at his stupidity and he could leave. Tonight at work, it would be as if nothing happened.
"You wanted to see me? Why?" Sara asked in a soft voice.
"Just because…," Grissom started, shrugging his shoulders. Sara smiled. "…just because I like to see you."
There was a small silence. Sara took this opportunity to walk over to him and stand on her tiptoes to press her lips against his. It was no passionate kiss, just a soft press of lips against each other. Grissom wrapped his arms around Sara's back as Sara placed her hands on his chest. They continued to hold each other like that and the silence continued. They looked at each other intensely.
"You know…you may always come over to see Selphie. Just in case you need another reason," Sara proposed.
"Sounds good," Grissom replied. He bend down one more time to catch Sara's lips with his, remembering the feel of her soft lips as he broke the contact and gave her hand a slight squeeze. "I better get going. Nick is probably worrying if I'm still alive."
"Nick knew you stole my cat?"
"And so did Cath…"
"Basically everyone but me. Some kind of investigator I am," Sara said with a smile. Grissom squeezed her hand once more before releasing it.
"You were personally involved," he said, opening the door and stepping outside. He waved at the cat who was sitting on Sara's desk. He had his yellow eyes narrowed at Grissom. "Bye Selphie! I'll eh…see you soon!"
"Bye Grissom," Sara said, still smiling.
"Bye Sara," Grissom replied, before Sara closed the door behind him. So, just to get this all straight. In less than an hour time, Grissom had lied to Sara, argued with Sara and kissed Sara. All after catnapping her cat. Woah! Grissom smiled to himself as he walked back to the car where Catherine and Nick were waiting in. "What a night!"