Disclaimer - see chapter one

Chapter Fourteen - Attack of the Coffee Cup

A loud exclamation of pain came from the break room as Catherine approached. She quickened her walk to a run and went to investigate. On arrival she found the other three gathered around Warrick, a broken mug lying in front of him.

"I leave you alone for ten minutes. What have you done, children?"

They all turned to face her. Warrick had an inflamed, red mark on his forehead.

"Okay, who hit him with the mug?" She asked, her observation skills telling her what had caused the wound.

"Nobody. The mug jumped," Nick informed her.

"Jumped? Mugs don't just jump."

"This one did, MOM," Sara said with a grin.

"It did, Cath. I was trying to reach my mug from the back of the cupboard and that one jumped off and caught my head on the way down." Warrick explained.

"Caught? It looks like somebody thumped you," Catherine said as she walked towards him. She stood in front of Warrick, beside Horatio, and examined the wound.

"Sara, bag the mug, just in case he decides to press charges."

"Oh, that's it. Make fun of my misfortune. It hurts," Warrick said, with a child-like tone to his voice.

Catherine placed her hand under his chin and raised his head so she could see the bruise more clearly. She, sighed mockingly. "Alas, poor Warrick.. I knew him, Horatio," she tried to shake her head seriously, but a smile escaped.

Horatio laughed, Warrick pulled his head away, shaking it as he did so.

"Grissom's rubbing off on you," he said to Catherine.

"Yeah? And you, evidently, you knew it was a quote," was her response, accompanied by her famous smile.

"I have read some Shakespeare, you know. I'm not just a pretty face."

"Good job," Nick threw in.

"So have I, so why would it be Grissom's influence on me?" Catherine protested light-heartedly.

"Only Grissom uses the quotes in every day conversation."

Catherine knew he was right. Since she had met Grissom, she had started to read again. Poetry, prose, plays. And she had picked up his habit of using quotations in conversation, initially so that she could surprise him by being able to counter-quote whatever he came up with. But then she was doing it more and more without realising.

The rest of the team had realised. Like they had noticed that Grissom was more open when Catherine was in the room. Like they had observed that both senior CSIs would light up when together. How neither seemed complete or content when they were apart. They didn't presume to say it was love, they knew the strength of their connection was the result of years of friendship and support. Grissom and Catherine were a team, professionally and personally. But lately they had noticed a change. Slightly more hostility between them. More time spent apart. More secret saddened glances when they thought no-one was looking, and only when they knew the other definitely was not. Perhaps the friendship had developed. The evidence certainly pointed that way, and their conclusion was that they must have been afraid of it.

And then, like a knight in shining armour, in rides Horatio Caine. Right when Catherine is vulnerable, when her Vegas life is unsettled. Offering her an escape, a fresh start, an open heart. They could see it all clearly, as if before them in the layout room. Horatio was trying to take Catherine away, and Grissom was too shy and afraid to try to stop him. It was up to them.

Nick had tried tonight. Seeing the looks on their faces, and hearing Caine's insinuations, he thought some time alone might be beneficial. Whatever had happened at that apartment might act as a stepping stone for Grissom to reveal all. However, from the expression on Catherine's face now, it did not appear to have worked.

"Grissom says we can go," Catherine announced after returning, from her thoughts of Grissom, to the real world.

"Good, I could do with some sleep," Warrick muttered as he stood up.

"Oh, you shouldn't sleep. You might have a concussion," Nick joked.

"Ha! Ha!"

"Nick's right. We should make sure you're okay before we let you out of our sight," Sara supported. "We'll observe you over breakfast, then if we think you are okay, we'll take you home."

"This is silly, I'm fine."

"Do as you're told, honey," Catherine said, teasingly.

"Are you gonna join us?" Nick asked.

"Not today. I'm gonna get Lindsey and see her before school. I've missed her."

"Understandable. Caine?" The guy might have been trying to steal their 'Mom', but he was a nice man. They couldn't dislike him. In one night, he was one of the team.

"I'm with her, but thanks," Caine replied sincerely, indicating Catherine.

"Okay, well it was nice to meet you. Hopefully see you again some time."

The others exchanged similar farewells with Caine, told Catherine they would see her later, and left.

"So?" Caine turned to Catherine.

"So?" She replied, not understanding what his so had meant.

"By this morning, you said."

Catherine looked away from him. She had said she would give him an answer by the end of the shift, but she didn't know what to say.

"If the decision to leave is this hard, then that's a sign that you should stay." He spoke the words seriously, but not sadly. He had realised long ago how Catherine felt about Grissom. He hadn't expected her to move to Miami, but it was only fair to give her the opportunity.

"What if it's the decision to stay that's hard?" she asked, looking back to him.

"If you're trying to decide to stay, then that's your answer."

She just looked at him in silence. He could see the confusion and anguish in her eyes.

"I think I can show you what you want to do," he offered.

"Please do," she said.

Without another word he leaned forward and kissed her.

TBC .