Disclaimer - see chapter one
Chapter Eight - Party Time
There must have been a huge new year party somewhere on the Strip for the Las Vegas underworld because it was another quiet night at the lab. Although, quiet probably wasn't the most appropriate word.
The break room was unrecognisable: decorations, music, nightshift and dayshift talking together, dancing together, partying together. The music could be heard throughout the building: Greg was in charge of its volume.
Grissom, sitting in his office, considered it to be too loud, but he would allow them that luxury once a year.
Nick danced over to where Sara was sitting at the side of the room. "Why aren't you dancing, Sidle?"
"Nobody's asked me, Stokes."
"Well would you care to dance with me?" Nick extended a hand to her.
"Certainly, Sir."
She took his hand and they proceeded to the designated dancing area. Warrick was already there, in a dancing competition with Greg. It was not possible to tell who was winning. They both seemed as bad as each other.
"Come on! Even I could do better than that!" Sara shouted to be heard over the music.
"Oh yeah? Prove it!" replied Greg.
"Yeah, come on. All of you. Dance competition. I'll judge," Nick proclaimed.
"Why do you get to judge?" Sara argued.
"Because I don't want to enter. But you extended a challenge, so you have to." Nick smiled and pushed her to the rest of the dancers.
For Nick, the dancing was entertaining, for the others, could they have seen themselves, it was humiliating. Greg was completely out of time, Warrick's hair was moving more than his body was and Sara was quite lost in the music, not at all concerned with what she looked like.
"Is this a private party, or can anyone join in?" Catherine said, creeping up behind Nick.
"Hey, nice to have you back," he said, focussing his attention on the man standing just behind her.
"Nice to be back.. Oh, this is Horatio Caine, Miami CSI. Nick."
Horatio and Nick shook hands.
"We're having a dance contest. So far, Ecklie's winning."
"Oh, we can't have that." Catherine announced as she joined the dance floor.
Dancing came naturally to her. Her body moved smoothly and rhythmically. She moved to Greg, and making him follow her lead, managed to get him into time. Then Warrick. Showing him how moving your feet can add positively to a dance move. Moving next to Sara, she stopped as a hand flew towards her. Realising it was safer to leave her be, she signalled to Horatio to join her. He refused. He was enjoying watching. After pleading didn't work she moved onto Nick, and, as she wouldn't take no for an answer from him, he joined her. And they danced.
Catherine seemed completely relaxed, as if this was the release she had been waiting for. He had tried his best, but no matter how many places he'd shown her, no matter how many great restaurants he'd taken her to, she would not relax. He could not take her mind off Vegas, off Grissom. However, her worries now seemed to have subsided, as she let herself dance. Moving her body to the music she expelled all her tension. She too was lost in the music, but was more in control than Sara was. Her arms were not flailing about threatening anyone who went near her, they waved rhythmically above her head. Her body twisted and turned, unaware of the many eyes fixed upon it. Her hair bounced around her head, yet still looked gorgeous. Her eyes were closed as if savouring the moment. Overall, she was breathtaking. The other dancers had stopped. Most of them amazed. Unaware that their co-worker could be so sexy. Many of them didn't know her history, had no idea how she learned to dance, or why. Those who did had never seen her dance. She had always avoided it, careful to keep that part of her life in her past. She was past it. She had moved on. It was something she didn't have to do anymore. She would only do it if she wanted to, and, right now, she wanted to. She wanted to let herself be free. To clear her mind. To ignore everything that had happened, to stop thinking about what might happen next, to stop. To stop the confusion in her head, to stop the madness in her heart, to stop waiting. To accept the inevitable and move on. To let it go. To go back to how it used to be, before she expected anything, before it got complicated, before it became confusing.
The music stopped. She stopped. As she opened her eyes she thought she saw everyone suddenly turn away and start fake conversations. She frowned suspiciously then noticed that one person was still watching her. Their eyes locked for a second then he smiled, and walked out of the room. She continued looking to where he had been standing until she was distracted by a voice in her ear.
"I think you won," Horatio whispered.
"And so I should," she smirked, "But perhaps I should be disqualified for withholding the fact that I used to dance professionally.
"What they don't know won't hurt them."
"Yeah. It's often what we do know that hurts us the most."
"Or who we know?" he asked softly and insightfully.
"In your case, who you don't know."
"Will I ever?"
"Do you want to?"
"I'm certainly intrigued."
"Now?"
"Because you need an excuse?"
"I don't need an excuse!"
"Okay, because you need support?"
"Why would I need support, this is Gr-"
"Alright. Because you're scared?"
"Of Grissom?"
"Of what you might do."
He was right. But she wouldn't show it.
"I should never have told you what was going on. I should have known you'd analyse it. You're just like Grissom."
"No I'm not, Cath," he said seriously, "If I was, you'd move to Miami."
"There are hundreds of reasons why I shouldn't move to Miami."
"But he's the only one that could stop you. You're just waiting for him to ask you not to go."
"That's not gonna happen."
"Maybe if you told him where the job is, then he would."
"Now, I didn't tell you I hadn't told him. It's not what you're thinking."
"How do you know what I'm thinking?"
"I read minds," she smiled, "You think I won't go to Miami because I don't want to leave him."
"God, you're good."
"I know." She winked at him. " I just don't want it to be one of those 'don't know what you've got til it's gone' situations. It's so cliché."
"You seem pretty sure he'd miss you."
"Oh he'd miss me. 'Cause he'd realise he had the best goddamn CSI in the business."
"You tell yourself that's what it is."
They both laughed.
"So do you want to meet him?"
"I think you should see him alone first. You need to tell him you're back, and establish what it's gonna be like between the two of you."
"It'll be like it always is," she said, trying to conceal her tone of disappointment.
"It doesn't have to be."
"Yes it does. That's the way we agreed it would be. It's the way it's supposed to be."
"Is it?"
"You ask too many questions."
"I'm just trying to make you ask yourself questions."
"I already have. And my answer was that things are supposed to be as they are." She spoke as if she actually believed it. And she did. She wished things could be different, but it was out of her control. They were, apparently, destined to be right where they were. He was holding them apart. Keeping them closer to where they were than where she wanted them to be. But that was what he wanted. She had to respect that.
"So, we'll go in there and there won't be any sexual tension?"
"Unless he fancies you. Or you him," she teased.
"Everything'll be perfectly normal? You would bet on that?"
"I would. But you shouldn't," she said matter-of-factly.
"And why not?"
"Because you don't know what normal was like." With this she smiled and led him out of the break room.
The eyes of the younger CSIs followed them, curious. Was this Miami guy trying to break up their family? And was Cath going to let him?
TBC..
Chapter Eight - Party Time
There must have been a huge new year party somewhere on the Strip for the Las Vegas underworld because it was another quiet night at the lab. Although, quiet probably wasn't the most appropriate word.
The break room was unrecognisable: decorations, music, nightshift and dayshift talking together, dancing together, partying together. The music could be heard throughout the building: Greg was in charge of its volume.
Grissom, sitting in his office, considered it to be too loud, but he would allow them that luxury once a year.
Nick danced over to where Sara was sitting at the side of the room. "Why aren't you dancing, Sidle?"
"Nobody's asked me, Stokes."
"Well would you care to dance with me?" Nick extended a hand to her.
"Certainly, Sir."
She took his hand and they proceeded to the designated dancing area. Warrick was already there, in a dancing competition with Greg. It was not possible to tell who was winning. They both seemed as bad as each other.
"Come on! Even I could do better than that!" Sara shouted to be heard over the music.
"Oh yeah? Prove it!" replied Greg.
"Yeah, come on. All of you. Dance competition. I'll judge," Nick proclaimed.
"Why do you get to judge?" Sara argued.
"Because I don't want to enter. But you extended a challenge, so you have to." Nick smiled and pushed her to the rest of the dancers.
For Nick, the dancing was entertaining, for the others, could they have seen themselves, it was humiliating. Greg was completely out of time, Warrick's hair was moving more than his body was and Sara was quite lost in the music, not at all concerned with what she looked like.
"Is this a private party, or can anyone join in?" Catherine said, creeping up behind Nick.
"Hey, nice to have you back," he said, focussing his attention on the man standing just behind her.
"Nice to be back.. Oh, this is Horatio Caine, Miami CSI. Nick."
Horatio and Nick shook hands.
"We're having a dance contest. So far, Ecklie's winning."
"Oh, we can't have that." Catherine announced as she joined the dance floor.
Dancing came naturally to her. Her body moved smoothly and rhythmically. She moved to Greg, and making him follow her lead, managed to get him into time. Then Warrick. Showing him how moving your feet can add positively to a dance move. Moving next to Sara, she stopped as a hand flew towards her. Realising it was safer to leave her be, she signalled to Horatio to join her. He refused. He was enjoying watching. After pleading didn't work she moved onto Nick, and, as she wouldn't take no for an answer from him, he joined her. And they danced.
Catherine seemed completely relaxed, as if this was the release she had been waiting for. He had tried his best, but no matter how many places he'd shown her, no matter how many great restaurants he'd taken her to, she would not relax. He could not take her mind off Vegas, off Grissom. However, her worries now seemed to have subsided, as she let herself dance. Moving her body to the music she expelled all her tension. She too was lost in the music, but was more in control than Sara was. Her arms were not flailing about threatening anyone who went near her, they waved rhythmically above her head. Her body twisted and turned, unaware of the many eyes fixed upon it. Her hair bounced around her head, yet still looked gorgeous. Her eyes were closed as if savouring the moment. Overall, she was breathtaking. The other dancers had stopped. Most of them amazed. Unaware that their co-worker could be so sexy. Many of them didn't know her history, had no idea how she learned to dance, or why. Those who did had never seen her dance. She had always avoided it, careful to keep that part of her life in her past. She was past it. She had moved on. It was something she didn't have to do anymore. She would only do it if she wanted to, and, right now, she wanted to. She wanted to let herself be free. To clear her mind. To ignore everything that had happened, to stop thinking about what might happen next, to stop. To stop the confusion in her head, to stop the madness in her heart, to stop waiting. To accept the inevitable and move on. To let it go. To go back to how it used to be, before she expected anything, before it got complicated, before it became confusing.
The music stopped. She stopped. As she opened her eyes she thought she saw everyone suddenly turn away and start fake conversations. She frowned suspiciously then noticed that one person was still watching her. Their eyes locked for a second then he smiled, and walked out of the room. She continued looking to where he had been standing until she was distracted by a voice in her ear.
"I think you won," Horatio whispered.
"And so I should," she smirked, "But perhaps I should be disqualified for withholding the fact that I used to dance professionally.
"What they don't know won't hurt them."
"Yeah. It's often what we do know that hurts us the most."
"Or who we know?" he asked softly and insightfully.
"In your case, who you don't know."
"Will I ever?"
"Do you want to?"
"I'm certainly intrigued."
"Now?"
"Because you need an excuse?"
"I don't need an excuse!"
"Okay, because you need support?"
"Why would I need support, this is Gr-"
"Alright. Because you're scared?"
"Of Grissom?"
"Of what you might do."
He was right. But she wouldn't show it.
"I should never have told you what was going on. I should have known you'd analyse it. You're just like Grissom."
"No I'm not, Cath," he said seriously, "If I was, you'd move to Miami."
"There are hundreds of reasons why I shouldn't move to Miami."
"But he's the only one that could stop you. You're just waiting for him to ask you not to go."
"That's not gonna happen."
"Maybe if you told him where the job is, then he would."
"Now, I didn't tell you I hadn't told him. It's not what you're thinking."
"How do you know what I'm thinking?"
"I read minds," she smiled, "You think I won't go to Miami because I don't want to leave him."
"God, you're good."
"I know." She winked at him. " I just don't want it to be one of those 'don't know what you've got til it's gone' situations. It's so cliché."
"You seem pretty sure he'd miss you."
"Oh he'd miss me. 'Cause he'd realise he had the best goddamn CSI in the business."
"You tell yourself that's what it is."
They both laughed.
"So do you want to meet him?"
"I think you should see him alone first. You need to tell him you're back, and establish what it's gonna be like between the two of you."
"It'll be like it always is," she said, trying to conceal her tone of disappointment.
"It doesn't have to be."
"Yes it does. That's the way we agreed it would be. It's the way it's supposed to be."
"Is it?"
"You ask too many questions."
"I'm just trying to make you ask yourself questions."
"I already have. And my answer was that things are supposed to be as they are." She spoke as if she actually believed it. And she did. She wished things could be different, but it was out of her control. They were, apparently, destined to be right where they were. He was holding them apart. Keeping them closer to where they were than where she wanted them to be. But that was what he wanted. She had to respect that.
"So, we'll go in there and there won't be any sexual tension?"
"Unless he fancies you. Or you him," she teased.
"Everything'll be perfectly normal? You would bet on that?"
"I would. But you shouldn't," she said matter-of-factly.
"And why not?"
"Because you don't know what normal was like." With this she smiled and led him out of the break room.
The eyes of the younger CSIs followed them, curious. Was this Miami guy trying to break up their family? And was Cath going to let him?
TBC..
