Disclaimer - see chapter one
Spoiler - teeny weeny little one for "And Then There Were None"
A/N I have made up the names of casinos/clubs to suit my purposes, and I hope I got the name of the place right, hopefully, if you've seen "And Then There." you'll know what I mean anyway.
Chapter Three
"My cousin," Grissom continued, nervously, "is getting married. And Lindsey said she's never been to a wedding, so I thought maybe. the two of you could go with me."
Catherine smiled appreciatively. "You don't have to do that. She'll get to go to a wedding one day."
"I want to," Grissom said, with a small smile. For some reason this wasn't going as he had planned. He hadn't expected her to argue. Maybe Lindsey had been wrong about Catherine's feelings for him.
"But, would you not rather take a date?" Catherine offered despite the pain it caused her to say it.
"I would like to take you," he began, but, realising that may have sounded like he wanted it to be a date, and thinking she didn't want that, he quickly added, "and Lindsey."
Catherine noticed the slight pause, but convinced herself she was letting wishful thinking cloud her logic and had imagined it. She shook the thought from her head and returned to their conversation.
"If there is someone else you would rather take, I wouldn't mind," she lied. She wanted to say 'yes'. Her heart was screaming 'yes'.
Grissom felt his heart sink, she obviously didn't want to go. "Okay. I just thought Lindsey might enjoy it," he said sadly as he walked round to his chair.
Catherine yelled at herself again. She had been so caught up in her jealously and self-pity she had completely missed what was going on. He needed her support. An hour ago she would have seen it straightaway. Lindsey was an excuse to get her to go because he was scared. He must have his reasons for not taking his girlfriend. Perhaps she couldn't go. He didn't want to go alone so he was asking his best friend. And she was being selfish. She mentally slapped herself round the face, and pulled herself together. No matter what feelings she may have discovered, he was still her best friend. She couldn't let that change, or else she would lose him completely.
"She would," she smiled, bravely, "And I would. We would love to go with you."
Grissom eyes wanted to light up, but he wouldn't let them. "Are you sure?" he asked, "You're not just coming out of pity?"
Catherine smiled again, "No. I'm coming because you used my daughter against me. Emotional blackmail, Grissom. Works every time."
A look of panic captured Grissom's face, "I didn't -"
"Joke, Gil. Remember the concept?" she grinned. "So, when is this wedding?"
Grissom looked away from her quickly and mumbled so quietly that she couldn't hear him.
"Pardon?" she said leaning closer to the desk.
He repeated himself, mumbling louder, but no clearer.
Catherine frowned suspiciously. "If you don't tell me when it is, I can't go with you."
"Saturday," Grissom finally said, still not looking at her.
"Any particular Saturday?" she smiled, but this slowly fell from her face in response to the look that Grissom now gave her. "This Saturday?!" she exclaimed. "Two days from now?. You don't leave things to the last minute do you? What if I can't get the night off?" she smirked.
Grissom sighed, inwardly, relieved that she wasn't really as angry as she had seemed. "I'm sure that won't be a problem. You'll just have to be nice to your boss."
"I always am," she smiled.
"Ha!" he exclaimed, busying himself re-arranging papers on his desk to avoid her glared response. He expected her to choose to say something in order to get her argument across, as he couldn't see her, but she didn't. After seconds of silence, he tentatively looked up. She was just smiling. It frightened him a little.
"Cath?"
"Yes?" she said, still grinning from ear to ear.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
Grissom frowned. "You didn't argue."
"I'm being nice. I'm letting you get away with it."
"Ah," Grissom chuckled, relaxing.
"Well, I'd best go get ready," she said, standing up and heading for the door. She stopped just before leaving, and turned to face him with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "But, I'll get you back one day." Then she left.
Grissom watched her thoughtfully, then grinned, evilly.
*****
Still smiling to herself, Catherine walked into the break room to join the others waiting for their cases.
"Hi guys!" she said, sitting beside Nick on the sofa. "How are we tonight?"
Nick looked at her, intrigued by her level of happiness. "We're fine, Catherine, how are you?"
"Fine." She noticed that Warrick was watching her, and that concern filled his features. "I'm fine," she repeated, tenderly, looking directly at Warrick, who winked and smiled in response.
Nick noticed where her attention was directed, and looked from her to Warrick, noting that he, also, was smiling; then he looked back to Catherine, and frowned suspiciously.
"Are you okay, Nicky?" she asked, amused by his confusion. "You look a bit. confused."
"I'm.. just wondering where Grissom is. It's not like him to be late," Nick said quickly.
"He's three minutes late, Nick - " she began, only to be interrupted, and misinterpreted, by Grissom.
"Because I was on the phone to Brass, Catherine. Sorry!" Grissom smirked, knowing that she had been responding to Nick, but not willing to miss an opportunity to tease her.
"Hey!! I was defending you! Because I'm nice like that," she smiled, locking her eyes with Grissom's. "Nick was the one that was grumbling. I was just gonna remind him that you're the boss, and it's your prerogative to be late."
"Well, thank you," Grissom grinned.
"You're welcome," Catherine replied, still smiling.
A short silence followed, during which Nick's confusion increased as he looked from Grissom to Catherine, both smiling at each other, and then to Warrick who seemed to be laughing to himself. He couldn't help feeling that he had missed something, and he wished Sara was there so he wouldn't be the only one excluded from this secret.
"Am I missing something?" he finally asked, thinking it was worth a shot.
"Only an assignment," Grissom responded, breaking his connection with Catherine, and dropping the smile. "You and Warrick have a gun shot victim, over at the Charnley Casino. Catherine, you have a robbery in Cal Navari," it took all the strength he had to suppress the smile that was trying to form in anticipation of Catherine's response.
"I don't think so!" she protested. "I went out there last time!"
"So you know the way," Grissom said, nonchalantly, holding out the file to her.
"I'm not going. It's seventy-five miles away! And for a home invasion?!" she shook her head vehemently, "I'm not doing it. Send Nick!"
"Okay, we'll be off now," Nick said, as he and Warrick rushed out of the room.
"Looks like I can't," Grissom smirked, "You'll have to do it."
Catherine stood up and snatched the file out of his hands. "You think you're so funny, don't you? Well, I'm not going!" she said emphasising each word, and throwing the file down on the table.
"This isn't what I would class as 'nice', Catherine," Grissom said, teasingly.
"Well, you know what, I've realised I don't have to be nice. If I don't get the night off, it's no problem for me. It's not my cousin's wedding," she replied, confidently.
"But you would have to deal with your ten-year old daughter, who would sulk and whine and moan about how mean you were because she really wanted to go and you wouldn't let her," Grissom said, smiling smugly.
"No I wouldn't. Because she doesn't know yet!" Catherine grinned.
Grissom just continued to smile.
"When did you tell her?" Catherine sighed.
"About a fortnight ago. She's probably pretty excited by now."
"A fortnight? And you've only just asked me? What if I'd said no?" Catherine said, shocked by this revelation.
"She said you wouldn't. And that, if you did, she would sulk and whine and moan until you gave in," Grissom laughed.
"Well, now I feel like saying no just to spite you!" Catherine growled. "But, Lindsey probably is looking forward to it, and as much as I'd love to break yours, I don't want to break her heart."
She picked the file up from the table. "I'll call you when I get there, so you know I made it safely," she said, pouting.
"That's very thoughtful of you," Grissom smiled as he watched Catherine walking away, opening the file to see where exactly she had to go. His eyes followed her as she left the break room, and took a few steps down the corridor. Then they followed her back as she stopped, turned and re- entered the room.
"Grissom, this is a robbery at the Colony nightclub, on the strip" she said as she walked through the door.
"Is it? Oh, I must have misread it," Grissom replied, casually, fighting off the satisfied grin that was tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Catherine narrowed her eyes at him and pursed her lips. As he lost his battle with his smile, she shook her head. "Just you wait, Gil Grissom, just you wait!" she threatened as she turned back to the door and left.
TBC.
Spoiler - teeny weeny little one for "And Then There Were None"
A/N I have made up the names of casinos/clubs to suit my purposes, and I hope I got the name of the place right, hopefully, if you've seen "And Then There." you'll know what I mean anyway.
Chapter Three
"My cousin," Grissom continued, nervously, "is getting married. And Lindsey said she's never been to a wedding, so I thought maybe. the two of you could go with me."
Catherine smiled appreciatively. "You don't have to do that. She'll get to go to a wedding one day."
"I want to," Grissom said, with a small smile. For some reason this wasn't going as he had planned. He hadn't expected her to argue. Maybe Lindsey had been wrong about Catherine's feelings for him.
"But, would you not rather take a date?" Catherine offered despite the pain it caused her to say it.
"I would like to take you," he began, but, realising that may have sounded like he wanted it to be a date, and thinking she didn't want that, he quickly added, "and Lindsey."
Catherine noticed the slight pause, but convinced herself she was letting wishful thinking cloud her logic and had imagined it. She shook the thought from her head and returned to their conversation.
"If there is someone else you would rather take, I wouldn't mind," she lied. She wanted to say 'yes'. Her heart was screaming 'yes'.
Grissom felt his heart sink, she obviously didn't want to go. "Okay. I just thought Lindsey might enjoy it," he said sadly as he walked round to his chair.
Catherine yelled at herself again. She had been so caught up in her jealously and self-pity she had completely missed what was going on. He needed her support. An hour ago she would have seen it straightaway. Lindsey was an excuse to get her to go because he was scared. He must have his reasons for not taking his girlfriend. Perhaps she couldn't go. He didn't want to go alone so he was asking his best friend. And she was being selfish. She mentally slapped herself round the face, and pulled herself together. No matter what feelings she may have discovered, he was still her best friend. She couldn't let that change, or else she would lose him completely.
"She would," she smiled, bravely, "And I would. We would love to go with you."
Grissom eyes wanted to light up, but he wouldn't let them. "Are you sure?" he asked, "You're not just coming out of pity?"
Catherine smiled again, "No. I'm coming because you used my daughter against me. Emotional blackmail, Grissom. Works every time."
A look of panic captured Grissom's face, "I didn't -"
"Joke, Gil. Remember the concept?" she grinned. "So, when is this wedding?"
Grissom looked away from her quickly and mumbled so quietly that she couldn't hear him.
"Pardon?" she said leaning closer to the desk.
He repeated himself, mumbling louder, but no clearer.
Catherine frowned suspiciously. "If you don't tell me when it is, I can't go with you."
"Saturday," Grissom finally said, still not looking at her.
"Any particular Saturday?" she smiled, but this slowly fell from her face in response to the look that Grissom now gave her. "This Saturday?!" she exclaimed. "Two days from now?. You don't leave things to the last minute do you? What if I can't get the night off?" she smirked.
Grissom sighed, inwardly, relieved that she wasn't really as angry as she had seemed. "I'm sure that won't be a problem. You'll just have to be nice to your boss."
"I always am," she smiled.
"Ha!" he exclaimed, busying himself re-arranging papers on his desk to avoid her glared response. He expected her to choose to say something in order to get her argument across, as he couldn't see her, but she didn't. After seconds of silence, he tentatively looked up. She was just smiling. It frightened him a little.
"Cath?"
"Yes?" she said, still grinning from ear to ear.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
Grissom frowned. "You didn't argue."
"I'm being nice. I'm letting you get away with it."
"Ah," Grissom chuckled, relaxing.
"Well, I'd best go get ready," she said, standing up and heading for the door. She stopped just before leaving, and turned to face him with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "But, I'll get you back one day." Then she left.
Grissom watched her thoughtfully, then grinned, evilly.
*****
Still smiling to herself, Catherine walked into the break room to join the others waiting for their cases.
"Hi guys!" she said, sitting beside Nick on the sofa. "How are we tonight?"
Nick looked at her, intrigued by her level of happiness. "We're fine, Catherine, how are you?"
"Fine." She noticed that Warrick was watching her, and that concern filled his features. "I'm fine," she repeated, tenderly, looking directly at Warrick, who winked and smiled in response.
Nick noticed where her attention was directed, and looked from her to Warrick, noting that he, also, was smiling; then he looked back to Catherine, and frowned suspiciously.
"Are you okay, Nicky?" she asked, amused by his confusion. "You look a bit. confused."
"I'm.. just wondering where Grissom is. It's not like him to be late," Nick said quickly.
"He's three minutes late, Nick - " she began, only to be interrupted, and misinterpreted, by Grissom.
"Because I was on the phone to Brass, Catherine. Sorry!" Grissom smirked, knowing that she had been responding to Nick, but not willing to miss an opportunity to tease her.
"Hey!! I was defending you! Because I'm nice like that," she smiled, locking her eyes with Grissom's. "Nick was the one that was grumbling. I was just gonna remind him that you're the boss, and it's your prerogative to be late."
"Well, thank you," Grissom grinned.
"You're welcome," Catherine replied, still smiling.
A short silence followed, during which Nick's confusion increased as he looked from Grissom to Catherine, both smiling at each other, and then to Warrick who seemed to be laughing to himself. He couldn't help feeling that he had missed something, and he wished Sara was there so he wouldn't be the only one excluded from this secret.
"Am I missing something?" he finally asked, thinking it was worth a shot.
"Only an assignment," Grissom responded, breaking his connection with Catherine, and dropping the smile. "You and Warrick have a gun shot victim, over at the Charnley Casino. Catherine, you have a robbery in Cal Navari," it took all the strength he had to suppress the smile that was trying to form in anticipation of Catherine's response.
"I don't think so!" she protested. "I went out there last time!"
"So you know the way," Grissom said, nonchalantly, holding out the file to her.
"I'm not going. It's seventy-five miles away! And for a home invasion?!" she shook her head vehemently, "I'm not doing it. Send Nick!"
"Okay, we'll be off now," Nick said, as he and Warrick rushed out of the room.
"Looks like I can't," Grissom smirked, "You'll have to do it."
Catherine stood up and snatched the file out of his hands. "You think you're so funny, don't you? Well, I'm not going!" she said emphasising each word, and throwing the file down on the table.
"This isn't what I would class as 'nice', Catherine," Grissom said, teasingly.
"Well, you know what, I've realised I don't have to be nice. If I don't get the night off, it's no problem for me. It's not my cousin's wedding," she replied, confidently.
"But you would have to deal with your ten-year old daughter, who would sulk and whine and moan about how mean you were because she really wanted to go and you wouldn't let her," Grissom said, smiling smugly.
"No I wouldn't. Because she doesn't know yet!" Catherine grinned.
Grissom just continued to smile.
"When did you tell her?" Catherine sighed.
"About a fortnight ago. She's probably pretty excited by now."
"A fortnight? And you've only just asked me? What if I'd said no?" Catherine said, shocked by this revelation.
"She said you wouldn't. And that, if you did, she would sulk and whine and moan until you gave in," Grissom laughed.
"Well, now I feel like saying no just to spite you!" Catherine growled. "But, Lindsey probably is looking forward to it, and as much as I'd love to break yours, I don't want to break her heart."
She picked the file up from the table. "I'll call you when I get there, so you know I made it safely," she said, pouting.
"That's very thoughtful of you," Grissom smiled as he watched Catherine walking away, opening the file to see where exactly she had to go. His eyes followed her as she left the break room, and took a few steps down the corridor. Then they followed her back as she stopped, turned and re- entered the room.
"Grissom, this is a robbery at the Colony nightclub, on the strip" she said as she walked through the door.
"Is it? Oh, I must have misread it," Grissom replied, casually, fighting off the satisfied grin that was tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Catherine narrowed her eyes at him and pursed her lips. As he lost his battle with his smile, she shook her head. "Just you wait, Gil Grissom, just you wait!" she threatened as she turned back to the door and left.
TBC.