Disclaimer: I wish I did, but I don't own CSI or any of the characters.
Disclaimer2: I didn't actually write this story. Somebody else wrote this for an Australian TV- series (Water Rats). And I thought this would be a good story for the characters in CSI.
Author's note: If anybody recognizes this story and knows who the author is, please let me know so I can put him/her up as the author.
The Name of the game
She's funny when she's drunk. I mean – no, that's wrong. She's funny when she isn't, but when she's been drinking, she reveals a whole other side of herself, that's funny and charming, and totally not- Catherine. I love it. I love the way she is when she's just relaxing down at the pub with her colleagues, one Friday every month when we've all got the night off. Like right now. She's sitting over there, talking to Grissom and Greg about something. And she's smiling and laughing, holding a beer in one hand and her wallet in the other. I think it's her turn to buy the next round.
I think I should go over there and join them, but nah. I just like to watch. Correction: I like to watch her. She's beautiful (and if I told her, she'd probably take a swing at me). Right now, she's shaking her head and laughing again, while Greg's animatedly trying to convince her about something.
He's a funny guy too, but less afraid to show it.
Meanwhile, Grissom's oddly enough nodding and smiling, backing him up all the way. Oh – and there's Brass, he's coming up behind them – cuffs Greg across the back of the head. He turns around and look a bit wounded. But that's just Greg, and he won't get any sympathy out of Brass! It looks like Brass's asking him what's going on. Greg's clearly not telling the whole truth – Catherine's protesting vehemently.
Brass's laughing at them both while Catherine shakes a finger at Greg. He grabs it and tries to bite her (trust Greg to do that – he's the only one who could get away with it)!
Grissom intervenes and Brass gets the next round. Lucky for Catherine.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Sara turns to me, and notices that I've drifted out of the conversation.
"Ah, nothing. Just thinking."
"Voyeur." She smiles affectionately and slips an arm around my shoulder. She's been drinking too, she isn't usually this forward. Sara is more... I wouldn't call her subtle, but more... Modest I suppose. A bit more reserved, especially around me. Sometimes we're really good friends, and other times things are a bit awkward. Times like this, though, we get along really well.
"Hey! I'm not voyeuring, I'm just... Observing?"
"Uh huh." Her hair brushes my shoulder and Warrick's looking at us, almost embracing – I reckon he's jealous. He has always had a bit of soft spot for Sara. But then again, he prefers blondes, so...
"If that's what you call it. But if you ask me, voyeurism's the name of the game." She winks, and then pauses. "I like watching people too."
This surprises me. "You do?"
"Of course! I'm a CSI, it's in my nature – prying into other people's affairs... Observing." she grins impishly and pulls away, pointing.
"Hey Warrick, turn around."
He turns to look over at the bar, and I follow his gaze. Greg and Catherine are almost tackling each other, he's trying to get... What is it? His wallet? Yeah, that's it! And she's holding it up away from him, threatening to buy the next round from it. Their voices drift over and we can't help but overhear.
"Sanders, you stink!"
"It is so your turn! You're just trying to get out of it – again."
"Hey, that's not fair! I bought the last one- ugf!" He dives for it and at the last minute, she pulls away, sending him falling against Brass, who barely manages to hold him up.
"Greeeg..."
"Sorry Brass." How does he do that? "Catherine will buy you a drink, it's her turn."
"Greg!" This time his name is a little more shrill. I glance at Catherine's face, and it's streaked with tears of laughter. She holds out the wallet. "Here, take it."
The distrust on his face is obvious, and after his last fall, I'm not blaming him a bit. She's got this look on her face that doesn't lend itself to trusting – a bit mischievous and thoroughly irresistible... "You sure?"
"Yes!"
"You're not gonna pull it away from me at the last second and send me falling to the floor?"
"No!"
There's silence for a moment, while Warrick, Sara and I watch, enthralled. Okay, so we're voyeurs. Shoot us.
They're talking quietly now, and I can't really hear them properly. A quick glance at Sara shows that she's leaning forward intently, like she's at the best part of a television show or something.
"... do you promise?" Greg's asking, trying to catch her eye.
"Absolutely."
"Now look me in the eye and say that."
"Absolutely."
"Catherine!"
"What? I looked you in the eye, didn't I?"
"Yeah, but..." I chuckle to myself, because she's done the same thing to me. She looks you in the eye, but it's such a perfect, unwavering star that you can't tell if she's promising, threatening or just really good at staring competitions. Greg's not gonna admit it, but she just stared him out.
"Here." She presses it into his hand.
"Thanks." Sara and I exchange a glance, sensing that the show's over.
"Now buy me a drink." I grin again – how utterly Catherine.
"You got it." And he's whipped. I know that feeling anywhere. She says jump and you not only ask how high, but whether she'd like a tuck jump or a back flip, because you'd bend over backwards for her any day. She's got one of those personalities – strong, bossy, sweet and charming. It's a lethal combination. When she's in one of these moods, where she's so relaxed, so natural, I fall in love with her all over again. I've watched her for years like this – at first, it was just a casual glance, like the way Warrick's looking at Sara now. But then it became more... and now I can't get enough of her.
So I keep watching, knowing that she'll never see me.
The End!
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