Discoveries
Warrick strode into the building, dirty, smelly and tired from his ordeal. Trailing behind him, but nonetheless firmly attached to Warrick's left hand was the ten-year-old girl, Isobel.
"Warrick!" Catherine looked startled at his approach.
"Yeah."
"What the hell happened to you? You know you've caused an outright investigation, Grissom and Sara are tracking down some clues and goodness knows what-". Catherine cut herself off. She'd only just noticed Isobel, gazing up at her with those dark penetrating eyes. She looked at Warrick, then back at Isobel, and back again several times, while questioningly raising her eyebrows.
"Isobel, I'd like you to meet Catherine, a colleague of mine. Catherine, this is Isobel, my saviour."
Isobel's cheeks reddened but she glowed inside. Shyly she shook hands with Catherine.
"There's a lot you've got to explain Warrick."
~*~*~*~*~*
"Would you, by any chance, recall who purchased two large tins of white paint here, five days ago at 14:05:06?"
"Five days ago? D'ya know how many people shop here? We sell the best paint this side of Las Vegas."
"Make an effort. Two large tins of white paint? Doesn't it mean anything to you? Sara chided. The assistant stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"We'll make it worth your while, believe me." Grissom saw Sara gave the shop worker one of those rare and dazzling smiles of hers.
"No one can refuse that", he thought.
"Now that you mention it.white paint? It rings a bell."
"That's a start." Sara's smile could not have stretched any further across her face. "A little girl. Long black hair. She looked awful strange, she could hardly manage to carry those tins."
"You didn't think to help her, to ask her any questions?" Sara asked incredulously.
The assistant lifted his arms in mock despair.
"My job is to sell paint m'am, not to enquire on peoples use for the stuff. The more customers the better."
"Thanks anyway." Sara sighed, and turned towards the shop doorway.
"Didn't you say you'd make it worth my while?"
"Oh. Yeah." Sara tossed him a mini tube of toothpaste she kept for emergencies. "It'll stop the rest of your teeth from falling out."
Grissom couldn't stop himself, and smiled a tiny smile.
That was Sara.
~*~*~*~*~*
Warrick emerged from the shower room, a towel still around his neck. Isobel was waiting right outside the door, motionless. She jumped as the door was opened, but her body relaxed at the familiar form of Warrick.
"Don't you want anything to eat? Haven't Catherine or Greg given you anything?"
Isobel smiled, it was comforting having someone look out for her like that. "O.k." she whispered.
He guided her towards the break room.
"I'm sure there's something edible in the fridge. Well, maybe a few of Grissom's insects."
Isobel looked alarmed. Warrick smiled, "Hey, I was joking."
Isobel grinned, getting the joke. Warrick opened the door and led her inside and over to the fridge.
"Now, lemme see what I can find for you", Warrick murmured as much to Isobel as to himself. "We have a pint of milk, that went off last month and some tofu. I tell you what, we'll order in a pizza."
Isobel's eyes shined. "I haven't had pizza in ages."
~*~*~*~*~*
"We're kind of got to a dead end now, I mean we have no idea where Warrick is now. Or how a little girl who bought two cans of paint ties in with it either."
"I'm going to phone the lab." Grissom got out of the car and stood leaning against it.
"Catherine. I-. we're on our way."
So simple, so minimalist.
"That was a short conversation."
" Warrick is safe."
"What? How? When?"
"I don't know. That is why we're driving there."
"Why do you have to be so. Grissomy?"
"How unorthodox is that word? I've never heard it before." A smile played mischievously at Grissom's lips.
Sara wanted to smile back, but that would mean Gil had won. She sat back primly in her seat and didn't speak another word.
Maybe he shouldn't have teased her.
~*~*~*~*~*
Isobel was busy munching on a huge, thick slice of pizza as Grissom and Sara walked in. "Who are you?" Grissom asked Isobel.
The directness of the question unbalanced the young girl. "I'm." she whispered.
"She's a ten year old girl." Catherine's voice made Sara jump.
"What is she doing here?" This time Grissom turned to Catherine for an answer.
"Either Isobel (yes, she has a name Grissom) or Warrick will tell you that. It's not my job."
"Where is Warrick?" That was the first time Sara spoke, and the tone of impatience was audible in her voice.
"Writing a report, while everything is still fresh in his mind."
This comment made the atmosphere uneasy among the group, at least Grissom seemed untainted by it. He left the room without a word.
"Men," said Catherine simply.
" 'Grissom,' you mean rather." Sara smiled wryly.
"Where am I going to go?"
Both women turned in the direction of the little voice.
"I don't know yet honey. We'll sort something out."
"But, but, if George finds me, he'll." Isobel choked back a sob.
"We won't let it get to that, will we Sara?"
"No, Sara was rather uneasy as to what to say, Isobel, have you been examined?"
"What for?"
"Oh, you know, cuts, bruises, DNA, anything that might help us catch George."
"Oh. No. I haven't." Isobel recoiled in her seat.
"It doesn't hurt you know. I'll come with you, but it really needs to be done."
"How do I know." The end of her sentence tailed off. Catherine knew she meant 'How do I know I can trust you".
"You know Isobel. I have a daughter of my own. She's about your age."
"What's her name?"
"Lindsey." This seemed to satisfy Isobel.
"After all, any friend of Warrick has to be good," she reassured herself.
Catherine took her hand and led her out.
A/N: Sorry this is short, I just thought I'd better write something, after all I haven't updated in yonks! =) Well there we go, hope you like it.
Warrick strode into the building, dirty, smelly and tired from his ordeal. Trailing behind him, but nonetheless firmly attached to Warrick's left hand was the ten-year-old girl, Isobel.
"Warrick!" Catherine looked startled at his approach.
"Yeah."
"What the hell happened to you? You know you've caused an outright investigation, Grissom and Sara are tracking down some clues and goodness knows what-". Catherine cut herself off. She'd only just noticed Isobel, gazing up at her with those dark penetrating eyes. She looked at Warrick, then back at Isobel, and back again several times, while questioningly raising her eyebrows.
"Isobel, I'd like you to meet Catherine, a colleague of mine. Catherine, this is Isobel, my saviour."
Isobel's cheeks reddened but she glowed inside. Shyly she shook hands with Catherine.
"There's a lot you've got to explain Warrick."
~*~*~*~*~*
"Would you, by any chance, recall who purchased two large tins of white paint here, five days ago at 14:05:06?"
"Five days ago? D'ya know how many people shop here? We sell the best paint this side of Las Vegas."
"Make an effort. Two large tins of white paint? Doesn't it mean anything to you? Sara chided. The assistant stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"We'll make it worth your while, believe me." Grissom saw Sara gave the shop worker one of those rare and dazzling smiles of hers.
"No one can refuse that", he thought.
"Now that you mention it.white paint? It rings a bell."
"That's a start." Sara's smile could not have stretched any further across her face. "A little girl. Long black hair. She looked awful strange, she could hardly manage to carry those tins."
"You didn't think to help her, to ask her any questions?" Sara asked incredulously.
The assistant lifted his arms in mock despair.
"My job is to sell paint m'am, not to enquire on peoples use for the stuff. The more customers the better."
"Thanks anyway." Sara sighed, and turned towards the shop doorway.
"Didn't you say you'd make it worth my while?"
"Oh. Yeah." Sara tossed him a mini tube of toothpaste she kept for emergencies. "It'll stop the rest of your teeth from falling out."
Grissom couldn't stop himself, and smiled a tiny smile.
That was Sara.
~*~*~*~*~*
Warrick emerged from the shower room, a towel still around his neck. Isobel was waiting right outside the door, motionless. She jumped as the door was opened, but her body relaxed at the familiar form of Warrick.
"Don't you want anything to eat? Haven't Catherine or Greg given you anything?"
Isobel smiled, it was comforting having someone look out for her like that. "O.k." she whispered.
He guided her towards the break room.
"I'm sure there's something edible in the fridge. Well, maybe a few of Grissom's insects."
Isobel looked alarmed. Warrick smiled, "Hey, I was joking."
Isobel grinned, getting the joke. Warrick opened the door and led her inside and over to the fridge.
"Now, lemme see what I can find for you", Warrick murmured as much to Isobel as to himself. "We have a pint of milk, that went off last month and some tofu. I tell you what, we'll order in a pizza."
Isobel's eyes shined. "I haven't had pizza in ages."
~*~*~*~*~*
"We're kind of got to a dead end now, I mean we have no idea where Warrick is now. Or how a little girl who bought two cans of paint ties in with it either."
"I'm going to phone the lab." Grissom got out of the car and stood leaning against it.
"Catherine. I-. we're on our way."
So simple, so minimalist.
"That was a short conversation."
" Warrick is safe."
"What? How? When?"
"I don't know. That is why we're driving there."
"Why do you have to be so. Grissomy?"
"How unorthodox is that word? I've never heard it before." A smile played mischievously at Grissom's lips.
Sara wanted to smile back, but that would mean Gil had won. She sat back primly in her seat and didn't speak another word.
Maybe he shouldn't have teased her.
~*~*~*~*~*
Isobel was busy munching on a huge, thick slice of pizza as Grissom and Sara walked in. "Who are you?" Grissom asked Isobel.
The directness of the question unbalanced the young girl. "I'm." she whispered.
"She's a ten year old girl." Catherine's voice made Sara jump.
"What is she doing here?" This time Grissom turned to Catherine for an answer.
"Either Isobel (yes, she has a name Grissom) or Warrick will tell you that. It's not my job."
"Where is Warrick?" That was the first time Sara spoke, and the tone of impatience was audible in her voice.
"Writing a report, while everything is still fresh in his mind."
This comment made the atmosphere uneasy among the group, at least Grissom seemed untainted by it. He left the room without a word.
"Men," said Catherine simply.
" 'Grissom,' you mean rather." Sara smiled wryly.
"Where am I going to go?"
Both women turned in the direction of the little voice.
"I don't know yet honey. We'll sort something out."
"But, but, if George finds me, he'll." Isobel choked back a sob.
"We won't let it get to that, will we Sara?"
"No, Sara was rather uneasy as to what to say, Isobel, have you been examined?"
"What for?"
"Oh, you know, cuts, bruises, DNA, anything that might help us catch George."
"Oh. No. I haven't." Isobel recoiled in her seat.
"It doesn't hurt you know. I'll come with you, but it really needs to be done."
"How do I know." The end of her sentence tailed off. Catherine knew she meant 'How do I know I can trust you".
"You know Isobel. I have a daughter of my own. She's about your age."
"What's her name?"
"Lindsey." This seemed to satisfy Isobel.
"After all, any friend of Warrick has to be good," she reassured herself.
Catherine took her hand and led her out.
A/N: Sorry this is short, I just thought I'd better write something, after all I haven't updated in yonks! =) Well there we go, hope you like it.