Chapter Three
The party was in full swing as the sun went down. The cake had been cut without the usual fan fare of grinding the piece in each other's face. Grissom refrained because he knew he was already in the doghouse, and didn't want to piss Sara off even more. And although Sara did feel like playfully squashing cake into Gil's face, she knew Grissom had to remain the boss in the eyes of everyone gathered. A beard full of French vanilla icing wouldn't do.
"Congratulations," said a leggy redhead as Grissom speared a piece of cake onto his fork.
"Thank you," Grissom answered amiably. "Do I know you?"
The woman laughed. "No," she held out her hand, and Grissom balanced his cake plate on top of his drink and took her offered hand. "I'm Julie, Wendy's roommate."
"Gil Grissom. Are you having a good time?"
"Oh yeah!" Julie said with enthusiasm, "I love meeting everyone Wendy's been telling me about, putting faces with names."
Grissom nodded his understanding.
"For instance," Julie went on, "Hodges. I thought Wendy was making him up!" Julie threw her head back and laughed.
On the other side of the room, Greg turned at the sound of her laughter, watching as Julies long hair fell across her back.
"Pretty girl," Brass said from his elbow.
Greg jumped at the sound of his voice. "Hey, Capitan. What's up?"
Brass shrugged his answer. "Want an introduction?"
"The redhead?" Greg turned to look at Julie again. "Nah, thanks anyway. Weddings aren't such a great place to meet chicks. They've got marriage on their minds."
Brass smiled softly.
"Hey," Warrick snuck up behind Catherine. "How ya doing?"
"I'm happy," she told him glancing over her shoulder.
"Yeah?" He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her tightly to him, her back against his chest.
"Yeah," she confirmed. "The wedding went off without a hitch," she felt his head twitch against her shoulder and knew that if she could see his face, he'd be wearing an expression of utter incredulousness. "Well, okay," she confessed "there was a tiny hitch, but we got through it. And now Grissom is here, and your arms are around me, all is right with the world."
"Aw," Warrick said and lightly kissed her cheek. "When do you think these people will be leaving?"
"You in a hurry to get somewhere?" Catherine asked, teasing.
"Not at all," he pulled her impossibly closer, "waiting to be alone with you."
Catherine chuckled low in her throat. "Can't wait."
"Hey, Moms," Lindsay walked up from behind them.
"Hey, Sweetheart," Catherine put a hand on top of the teenager's head.
"Hey, Linds, you having a good time?" Warrick asked.
"Fo' shizzle," Lindsay uttered and sipped her soda as she found something more intresting in the middle of the party and walked away.
Catherine watched her daugher for a moment before turning her head slighly and catching Warrick's eye. "What'd she say?"
Warrick laughed. "She said 'for sure'.'
Caterine shook her head slightly. "I'm getting' old."
"Hey, Nick," Sara walked up to her co-worker, and groom for an hour.
"Hey, Sara," Nick kissed her temple. "Congratulations, again."
"You know, I didn't get the chance to thank you for standing in for Grissom." She reached out and put her hand on his forearm. "It really meant the world to us."
Nick waved if off, her hand slipping off his arm. "It was nothing Sara, really."
"No it wasn't nothing Nicky, we really—"
"Sara," Nick cut her off a bit more sternly than he'd intended. "Really, it's ok, don't mention it." His stance changed, and Sara didn't know why, but she did know she needed to change the subject.
"So, ah—Did you meet Julie?"
"Julie?" Nick asked her, his tone returning to normal.
"Wendy's roommate. The redhead." Sara's eyes searched the room and found Julie standing next to Grissom. "Over there." Sara poked a good-natured elbow into his ribs. "Want me to introduce you?"
"Ah, no. Thanks anyway," Nick slipped into the ladies-man role Sara hadn't seen him wear for years "I'll, ah, I'll go introduce myself." He put a light hand on her arm, as a goodbye, and began to make his way through the crowd.
About half way across the room, Nick turned to see if Sara was watching. She wasn't. David and his finance had captured her attention. Immediately, Nick changed course, heading away from Grissom and the redheaded Julie and stepped through the back patio door, going outside for some fresh air.
A swing set he and Warrick had assembled for Lindsay years ago sat looking lonely in the well-kept backyard. With the muted sounds of the party steaming to him from inside the house, Nick walked over to the swing set, grabbing hold of one of the supports, giving it an easy tug, testing it's stability, his own craftsmanship. He sat down on the swing, the heels of his polished shoes scuffing in the dirt, and let the swing move him gently. A burst of laughter came from the party, and Nick wished like hell he could be as happy for Sara and Grissom as everyone else was
"Excuse me," Mike the cab driver tapped Greg on the shoulder.
Greg cocked an eyebrow. "Hi."
"Uh, hello. Tell me, are you Greg?"
"Yes," Greg answered hesitantly.
The driver put out his hand, and Greg took it out of habit. Shaking Greg's hand for all it was worth, Mike smiled brightly. "Great job on the Sherlock thing, really, very great."
Greg was perplexed. "How'd you…"
"He told me," Mike pointed across the room to Grissom. "He told me about all of you."
"Really?" Greg's chest swelled with pride.
"It's a sign of the good stuff when the cork is hard to remove," Julie said as she watched Wendy struggle with the champagne.
"Yeah." Wendy gritted her teeth and struggled with the cork puller. "Cath really outdid herself."
"You ladies need some help with that?" Hodges sauntered up, smiling with what he thought was a teasing grin. To the women, it merely looked smarmy.
"No. Thank you, Hodges," Wendy uttered through her clenched teeth and groaned, as the cork remained firmly snuggled in the bottleneck.
"Come on now," Hodges took the bottle from Wendy's hands. "This is a man's job."
"Really?" Wendy answered. "Are you gonna send out for one?"
Julie barked out a hearty laugh before she put her fingers to her lips, trying but failing to cover her smile.
"I think Grissom is fading quickly," Catherine told Warrick with a nod toward their boss.
"Who can blame him? He's had a long few days." Warrick's arm slipped easily around her waist, his hand resting on her hip. "Not to mention the shock of being married."
"Shock?" Catherine moved, turning toward him. His hand slipped off of her.
"Well…" Warrick began, quickly backtracking. "I mean, you know, for Grissom…been single for so long, not even a girlfriend…being suddenly married might come as a shock."
"Uh-huh," Catherine said slowly, deciding to give Warrick a break. A silly fight with him would only result in an increase of the physical frustration mounting in her, while what she sought—needed—was a release from it.
"What's say we clear this party … then get the party started?" Warrick asked slowly, drawing out the words.
"Okay everyone," Catherine moved quickly lifting her arms, getting everyone's attention. "The Grissom's have a wedding night to get to," she paused letting the hoots and hollers rise and fall, like a breath. "So," Catherine began again, "one last toast, then, everyone out. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here."
Laughter and chuckles followed her last comment. As everyone gathered around, the graveyard shift gravitated toward the middle of the room, surrounded by everyone else. The last of the champagne was passed around, everyone refilling glasses for the last toast. "Who gets the honors?" Julie called out.
"I'd like to propose that toast." Hodges pushed his way through the crowd, and invaded the small center group. Holding up his glass, he basked in the spotlight. "To Sara, and her new husband. Nick Stokes."
