Disclaimers: Not mine

Spoilers: Nope

+++++

UNINTENTIONAL

(Chapter 9 – August 3, 2003, Midnight)

"Hey, sorry, I was talking to Doc Robbins about our DB. Did you find Lyle Ricks?" Grissom rushed into his office where Brass and Catherine were already waiting.

"No, the guy's completely disappeared. No trails, nothing." Brass shook his head in frustration.

"Then why the 911 page?" Grissom held up his pager for added effect.

"Because we have a plan."

"We?" Grissom glanced at Catherine, who had stayed unusually quiet.

"There's only one way to contact Lyle Ricks or those around him. We have to bait him out."

"Bait him out?" Grissom repeated the words then quickly turned to Catherine. He now understood why she had stayed so quiet. "No way! There is no way in hell I'm letting Catherine do this."

At his outburst, Catherine's head shot up, "Don't you think that should be my choice to make?"

"It's too dangerous!"

"It's my choice!"

"I don't care! I'm not letting you do this!"

Brass watched with wide eyes as the exchange continued for a while longer. He wanted to back up and out the door but knew that might only bring some of that anger onto him. So he stayed put, watching in awkward curiousity.

"This is ridiculous! We should be doing everything we can to find Lyle Ricks!"

"Everything but risking your life!"

"I'm not gonna risk my life! I'm simply going to pretend to be some rich woman who wants to get some action!"

"If this guy really had something to do with David Wyatt's death, you'll be danger! Look, you're not being the bait. End of discussion!"

"Just because you're the boss doesn't mean you get to pull rank! I've decided and that's that!" Catherine turned around and stormed out of the office.

Brass watched her then slowly turned back to Grissom, "I take it things are a little shaky between you and Catherine."

"It's nothing. She's just being stubborn."

Brass snorted, "Oh and like you aren't."

"Is it so wrong that I don't want to put her in any danger?"

"No, there's nothing wrong with that. What is wrong is you acting like this is completely your decision to make."

"Jim, not you too."

"Hey, all I'm saying is, if you want her to see things your way, you better be ready to see things her way." Brass held up his hands defensively, "And anyway, we had no intention of using Catherine."

"What?"

"We've got uniforms for undercover jobs, Gil. As much as you'd like to believe that CSI's do all the work, it's not true. And if you had bothered to listen, I would've told you that and you and Catherine would still be speaking civilly to each other."

"I doubt that." Grissom muttered to himself.

"What'd you say?"

"Nothing. Why didn't Catherine just tell me that then? Why didn't *you* tell me that?"

"I know better than to interrupt a fight between the two of you. I'd rather keep my head on my neck, thank you very much." Brass chuckled as Grissom shook his head tiredly, "You look tired. Go home and get some rest. Won't be much work to do until we find Lyle Ricks. But before you head out, might I suggest you find Catherine and sort things out with her? It's never good to leave things overnight."

Overnight? More like a month's worth of overnights. Grissom sighed as Brass left the room. Either way, whether she listened to him or not, he knew it was time to have a talk with Catherine.

*To be continued*