Disclaimer: I cannot claim ownership to CSI or any of its characters. I can only dream . . . .
A/N: Set sometime before Living Doll.
Catherine anxiously tapped her pen on top of the desk while propping her chin up with the other hand. She stared at the box on the corner of the desk. Argh. She had to get some work done. She turned her attention back to the file laid out in front of her but it was no use. That box just sat there taunting her. Maybe if she got up and walked away from it for a while, it wouldn't be so tempting. So she got up and started wandering around Grissom's office looking at all his weird specimens. But that didn't help either. Now all she thought about was why Grissom suddenly and unexpectedly took three personal days off. He never did that. He could be on his deathbed and he wouldn't take time off. At first she thought maybe he decided to go to some conference at the last minute but when she asked him about it, he assured her it truly was personal time. When she questioned him further, he just remained tight-lipped and smirking. That's what killed her. He was smirking, like he was hiding a big secret or something! Maybe he finally got himself a woman. That was the word on the lab's grapevine. He certainly had been a lot happier and a lot calmer lately. He also hadn't been spending as much time at the lab. She just wondered how Sara was going to take it if Gil was getting serious about another woman. Catherine had known, almost from the time that Sara showed up in Vegas, that she had a huge crush on the bugman and that said bugman was doing a fair job of playing yo-yo with her emotions. He'd pull her in only to push her away again. Gil was one of her best friends but she felt like smacking him upside the head sometimes. If he would only open his eyes, he would see that Sara was a perfect, albeit a bit young, match for him. The two were both workaholics who lived for the job and were passionate about their work to a fault. Also, they both were damaged. Neither one talked much about their past so Catherine had no idea how they were damaged or how badly, but they were. Yet, when they were together, they were perfect. They somehow healed each other.
Argh! All her thoughts of Gil had led her right back to Sara and that damn box of envelopes sitting on the corner of Grissom's desk. Sara had dropped the box off at Catherine's house a couple hours ago asking her to pass out the letters at the beginning of shift. But what got to her was that she was so insistent that everyone be together when they opened their letters . . . .
Ding-dong. Catherine cursed as the doorbell rang. She was running late. Shift didn't start for another three hours but she had several errands to run beforehand and she wanted to get in early since she was temporary supervisor while Grissom was off for a few days.
Ding-dong. Another curse and Catherine was hopping down the hallway trying to put her shoes on. She glanced through the peephole and was surprised to see Sara. She swung the door open.
"Sara, this is a surprise."
"Hey, Catherine. I, uh, I was wondering if you could do me a favor." Catherine was surprised by how nervous and uneasy Sara seemed. Rather unusual for the normally confident, forthright younger woman.
Depends. What's the favor?
"Could you hand these out at the beginning of shift?" Sara held out a box of envelopes.
"Yeah, sure, but why don't you just hand them out yourself?"
"I'm off for the next few nights and it's something that can't wait."
"You could just stop in at the start of shift
No, I would rather you just hand them out. Besides, I have a ton of stuff I have to get done."
Catherine had her suspicions. Had Sara heard that Gil might have a lover? Was she leaving town because she couldn't take being around Gil if he had a new girlfriend? "Those aren't goodbye letters, I hope."
"What?" Sara squeaked.
Catherine reached out and placed a comforting hand on Sara's arm. "You've heard the rumors, haven't you? Supposedly Grissom is involved with someone. A girlfriend."
She looked genuinely surprised at Catherine's comment and a slight tinge of pink colored Sara's cheeks. "No, no, it's something else. You'll see, there's one in there for you, too. But, I'd like you to hand them out in a specific order," Sara spoke as she passed the box to Catherine.
"Ok."
"First, I want the team – you, Warrick, Nick and Greg – to see these first and all at the same. Promise me, Cath! You'll only take a look at yours once you've handed them out to the team and you all read them at the same time."
"Alright."
"Promise, Catherine?"
"Yes, yes" Catherine exclaimed impatiently.
"Once the team has read these, then hand the rest out. It doesn't matter what order those are handed out. They're for the lab techs and others. There's even one there for Ecklie."
"Ecklie won't be around at night."
Sara grimaced. "That's OK. Just lay it on his desk or slip it under his door. Maybe he won't read it. I hope it doesn't read it." Catherine noticed that Sara put a little too much emphasis on the 'hope'.
"Is there one for Grissom as well?" Catherine questioned. "Cause he's off for the next few nights as well."
"Yeah, I know. Besides, he's already aware of what's in the envelopes."
"Oh?" That peaked Catherine's curiosity.
"Anyways, I've gotta go. Thanks, Catherine."
"Yeah, sure."
As Sara was walking down Catherine's front walkway, she turned back and called out, "Remember, I know how to hide a body so no peeking! Read yours only after you've handed them out to the rest of the team. I know you, Cath. You'll want to peek but I'm trusting you!"
"I won't."
And Catherine hadn't . . . yet. But the curiosity was getting to her and it was still forty-five minutes until the beginning of shift. She was tempted to call the guys in early but figured they would either already be on their way in or getting ready to come in.
It didn't help that the top envelope on the stack was addressed to her. 'Ms. Catherine Willows', in elegant handwriting, just there taunting her. Funny, she would never have guessed Sara to have such elegant handwriting but then she had never seen Sara's handwriting except in hastily scribbled case notes. And the way the envelope was addressed was so formal. Catherine grabbed the box and sat it in front of her. She rifled through the envelopes noting that they were all addressed very formally. With a frustrated sigh, she pushed the box back to the corner of the desk. She tried concentrating on the paperwork again but a couple minutes later she caught herself once again staring at the box and tapping her pen. Slowly, she reached out a hand and picked up the envelope addressed to herself. She flipped it over and slipped a finger under the flap which had only been tucked inside rather than being sealed. She almost opened it but a sense of guilt stopped her. Sara had obviously thought she could trust her. She could've given them to Nick or Greg. After all, she was closer to those two than she was to Catherine. She could have even given them to Warrick but she had chosen to give them to her. Catherine couldn't break that trust now. So she tossed the envelope back on the pile, slumped back in the chair and let out a huge breath that tousled the bangs on her forehead.
She turned back to the files at hand but it was impossible to concentrate. Between wondering what Grissom was up to during his time off and wondering what the heck was in Sara's letters, she wasn't getting anything accomplished. Finally, twenty minutes before shift, she gave up, threw her pen on the desk, grabbed the box and marched to the break room.
When she got there, she dropped the box on the table startling Warrick and Greg who were deep into a video game. They looked at the box, then Catherine and then each other. They knew Catherine's irritated look.
"Hey, Catherine, what's up?" Warrick asked.
"These," she replied motioning to the box with one hand while the other one jauntily rested on her hip. "Sara dropped these off at my house earlier this evening. I'm supposed to hand them out to everyone."
"Give me!" Greg whined, reaching out his arm for one opening and closing his hand repeatedly, just like a little kid.
"That's the problem," huffed Catherine. "I have to wait until everyone's here before I hand them out. That's under threat of death from Sara." She glanced impatiently at her watch. "Where's Nick anyways?"
"Chill, girl. It's still a good fifteen minutes before shift. He'll be here soon."
"Yeah, well, you wouldn't be so calm if you had these damn things taunting you all evening."
Catherine began to pace around the break room while Greg and Warrick continued playing their video game. Every once in a while, Catherine would huff or give a low growl of frustration at which Warrick would shrug his shoulders and Greg would roll his eyes. They just didn't understand why Catherine was so worked up.
At long last, which was really only about ten minutes later, Nick casually strolled into the break room munching on an apple.
"It's about time you showed up!" Catherine shrieked.
Nick stopped dead. "What? It's still five minutes to shift." He glanced over at Warrick and Greg as if to ask what her problem was. Warrick just shrugged his shoulders and Greg pointed his finger at his head making little circles indicating that he thought Catherine was going a little crazy.
"You haven't been sitting on top of these stupid letters all evening."
"Huh?" Nick was obviously confused.
"Sara gave me these to hand out to everyone. I've been waiting all evening already to find out what this is all about," Catherine said indicating the box sitting on the table.
"So why didn't you just look at yours?"
"Because we're all supposed to read them at the same time. She even threatened me with death. And one pissed-off Sara is no one I want to deal with!" With that, Catherine grabbed the top envelopes from the stack, read the names off and started handing them out.
"Mr. Warrick Brown."
"Here," he hollered while stretching over the top of Greg to grab his envelope. He tossed it onto the sofa beside him and continued playing. Catherine just shook her head. She could not believe he was not the least bit interested.
"Mr. Gregory Sanders." Nick snickered and Greg shot him a death glare. He then reached up his hand and Catherine placed the envelope in it. Like Warrick, he put the envelope down and turned his attention back to the video game.
"Mr. Nicholas Stokes." Nick grabbed the envelope and laid it on the table before walking over to the sink, throwing his apple core into the garbage and washing his hands.
Catherine just rolled her eyes. Well, she couldn't take it anymore. She was finally going to read hers. She flipped hers over, ran a finger under the flap and flipped it open. She pulled a second envelope out of the first one. "It looks like some kind of invitation," she mumbled as she read the names addressed on the inner envelope . . . 'Ms. Catherine Willows & guest, and Lindsey & guest'. Like the first envelope, the flap was just tucked inside so she flipped it open and pulled an invitation out. The front of the card was embossed with calla lilies. Catherine flipped the invitation open and started reading. The further she read, the more and more stunned she felt. "Oh, my goodness. I don't believe this," she mumbled. She plopped down in a chair. Then louder, shrieking, "I don't freaking believe this!"
The guys all turned to look at her. Seeing Catherine's shocked expression, their curiosity was finally stirred. They each grabbed their envelopes and ripped them open. A pin drop could've been heard throughout the break room as they each stared in disbelief at the invitations.
Now Catherine understood why Grissom and Sara needed a few nights off with all they had to accomplish in the next couple days. How could they have missed all the signs?! They were supposed to be some of the top investigators in the country! Catherine just kept mumbling over and over, "I don't believe this. I don't freaking believe this," as she read and re-read the words on the invitation.
"Dr. Gilbert R. Grissom and Sara Ann Sidle cordially invite you to join them as they celebrate the union of their lives in holy matrimony . . ."
A/N: I was struggling to come up with a title for this story when I was watching a CSI re-run and I heard someone say 'Cath'. I've always thought her nickname is so close to 'cat'. And thus the title of this story was born. I thought it was a cute twist on an old saying.