Disclaimer - see chapter one
Chapter 2
Catherine's head almost fell off her hand as her eyes slid closed. This was the third time it had happened, tiredness was overcoming her. There was an air of tension in the room after Nick's outburst, and everyone had been rather quiet as a result. Occasionally one of the others had made a comment about their bets, but the conversation wouldn't last long and now they had all allowed themselves to rest. The silent friction was leaving little to do and a day without sleep was finally catching up with her. But each time she was close to drifting off she was disturbed by Grissom fidgeting beside her. This time he sighed agitatedly and stood up to begin pacing the room, like a caged animal.
She forced her eyes open and shook the sleep from her body.
"Gil?"
He didn't say anything, he just continued pacing. Catherine stood up and placed herself in his path.
"Gil! Talk to me," she asked softly.
He stopped in front of her, but still didn't speak.
"They'll let us out of here as soon as they can," she tried.
"Good. Then I can go get a life," he spattered.
"Ah, so you're not fine?" she smiled sympathetically. "Who'd have guessed?"
Grissom gave a small smile at her comment.
"Nick. didn't mean to be callous. He had a date today. That's why he was so snappy."
"He was right, though," Grissom said, with more a tone of anger than sadness.
Catherine shook her head. "No he wasn't - "
"He's not the first person to have said it," he smiled gently.
"That's how I know," she smiled, knowing that she had been the other person. "Warrick and Nick come to work to work. Yes, they're good at their jobs, but they're jobs to them. You, you live your work. You put all of yourself into solving each case, and that's why we're the number two crime lab in the country. If you had another focus in life, we'd be down the bottom of the list."
Grissom frowned. "I'm not sure whether I'm supposed to take that as a compliment or not," he laughed.
"Yes you are," she smiled. "I know that we are your life, Gil, and the others will come to see that. Nick didn't make that comment because he looks down on you for not having many interests that aren't work related. It doesn't make him respect you any less. He said it because he doesn't understand it. They all aspire to be like you, but you're a mystery to them. They're trying to figure you out."
"That's an interesting theory but - "
"When you signed to Professor Gilbert, they told me about it. Surprise written all over their faces. Surprise and awe. You're a puzzlement. They're CSIs. It annoys them that they can't solve you. That is the root of that anger, not that they disrespect you or think you're a joke."
"I didn't - "
"But you were thinking it," she interrupted him.
He was about to respond when the door opened and a man in a biohazard suit entered carrying a tray of take-out.
"Excellent!" Catherine exclaimed taking the tray from him and thanking him as he left the room, closing the door behind him.
The smell of food must have stirred Warrick from his sleep because he was quickly standing beside Catherine at the table.
"Chinese. Excellent," he said, his hunger evident in his tone.
"We should wake the others," Catherine said, swatting Warrick's hand playfully as he started to root through the boxes, nibbling samples of each item as he went.
"I suppose that's only fair," he mumbled turning to the sofas. "Nick! Sara!" he shouted, causing both Grissom and Catherine to jump out of their skin.
Grissom creased his brow. "Next time, you wake them," he said to Catherine, who nodded in agreement.
Nick and Sara gradually opened their eyes and returned to the conscious world.
"Ooh, food!" Nick exclaimed excitedly as the smell hit his senses.
"I hope it's meat free," Sara commented moving to join the others.
They all took a seat round the table and set to work on the food as if they hadn't eaten for days. For the first few minutes they were all so occupied in quashing their hunger that they ate in silence. Then, as they began to feel the effects of the nourishment they found their speech faculties again.
"So, Sara, what were you dreaming about?" Warrick asked, intriguing the others with his choice of topic.
Sara frowned. "What kind of question is that?"
"Well you seemed to be enjoying it," he smiled.
Nick realised what he was doing. "Yeah, who's Joe?"
"Joe?" Sara asked with further confusion. "I don't think I know anyone called Joe."
"Well, in your dream you knew him pretty well," Warrick smirked.
"What are you talking about?" Sara queried.
"You moaned his name, quite a few times," Nick laughed.
Grissom and Catherine looked at each other and smiled. They knew the truth, but they agreed to leave them to it. Sara could look after herself.
"Really?" Sara asked, not at all phased by their remarks and, much to Warrick's dismay, not blushing.
"Yeah. Kept the rest of us awake. It was rather uncomfortable actually," Warrick continued his scheme.
"Yeah. I don't think you should be allowed to go to sleep again while we're in here," Nick added.
"We shouldn't have to put up with you squirming and groaning right next to us. It's distracting. Just the thought of it is putting me off my food," he grumbled, pushing his carton away from him slightly.
"So, who's Joe?" Nick repeated.
"You know there is no Joe, guys," Sara responded.
"Well, then it's a more disturbing dream than I originally thought," Warrick smirked.
"I really don't know where you've got Joe from. I was dreaming about you," Sara smiled seductively to Warrick.
All other eyes in the room shot to Warrick's face and studied him intently.
"Close," Catherine said, disappointed, turning to Sara, who nodded.
Warrick and Nick shook their heads at Catherine and Sara's smiling faces, and turned their attention to their food.
TBC
Chapter 2
Catherine's head almost fell off her hand as her eyes slid closed. This was the third time it had happened, tiredness was overcoming her. There was an air of tension in the room after Nick's outburst, and everyone had been rather quiet as a result. Occasionally one of the others had made a comment about their bets, but the conversation wouldn't last long and now they had all allowed themselves to rest. The silent friction was leaving little to do and a day without sleep was finally catching up with her. But each time she was close to drifting off she was disturbed by Grissom fidgeting beside her. This time he sighed agitatedly and stood up to begin pacing the room, like a caged animal.
She forced her eyes open and shook the sleep from her body.
"Gil?"
He didn't say anything, he just continued pacing. Catherine stood up and placed herself in his path.
"Gil! Talk to me," she asked softly.
He stopped in front of her, but still didn't speak.
"They'll let us out of here as soon as they can," she tried.
"Good. Then I can go get a life," he spattered.
"Ah, so you're not fine?" she smiled sympathetically. "Who'd have guessed?"
Grissom gave a small smile at her comment.
"Nick. didn't mean to be callous. He had a date today. That's why he was so snappy."
"He was right, though," Grissom said, with more a tone of anger than sadness.
Catherine shook her head. "No he wasn't - "
"He's not the first person to have said it," he smiled gently.
"That's how I know," she smiled, knowing that she had been the other person. "Warrick and Nick come to work to work. Yes, they're good at their jobs, but they're jobs to them. You, you live your work. You put all of yourself into solving each case, and that's why we're the number two crime lab in the country. If you had another focus in life, we'd be down the bottom of the list."
Grissom frowned. "I'm not sure whether I'm supposed to take that as a compliment or not," he laughed.
"Yes you are," she smiled. "I know that we are your life, Gil, and the others will come to see that. Nick didn't make that comment because he looks down on you for not having many interests that aren't work related. It doesn't make him respect you any less. He said it because he doesn't understand it. They all aspire to be like you, but you're a mystery to them. They're trying to figure you out."
"That's an interesting theory but - "
"When you signed to Professor Gilbert, they told me about it. Surprise written all over their faces. Surprise and awe. You're a puzzlement. They're CSIs. It annoys them that they can't solve you. That is the root of that anger, not that they disrespect you or think you're a joke."
"I didn't - "
"But you were thinking it," she interrupted him.
He was about to respond when the door opened and a man in a biohazard suit entered carrying a tray of take-out.
"Excellent!" Catherine exclaimed taking the tray from him and thanking him as he left the room, closing the door behind him.
The smell of food must have stirred Warrick from his sleep because he was quickly standing beside Catherine at the table.
"Chinese. Excellent," he said, his hunger evident in his tone.
"We should wake the others," Catherine said, swatting Warrick's hand playfully as he started to root through the boxes, nibbling samples of each item as he went.
"I suppose that's only fair," he mumbled turning to the sofas. "Nick! Sara!" he shouted, causing both Grissom and Catherine to jump out of their skin.
Grissom creased his brow. "Next time, you wake them," he said to Catherine, who nodded in agreement.
Nick and Sara gradually opened their eyes and returned to the conscious world.
"Ooh, food!" Nick exclaimed excitedly as the smell hit his senses.
"I hope it's meat free," Sara commented moving to join the others.
They all took a seat round the table and set to work on the food as if they hadn't eaten for days. For the first few minutes they were all so occupied in quashing their hunger that they ate in silence. Then, as they began to feel the effects of the nourishment they found their speech faculties again.
"So, Sara, what were you dreaming about?" Warrick asked, intriguing the others with his choice of topic.
Sara frowned. "What kind of question is that?"
"Well you seemed to be enjoying it," he smiled.
Nick realised what he was doing. "Yeah, who's Joe?"
"Joe?" Sara asked with further confusion. "I don't think I know anyone called Joe."
"Well, in your dream you knew him pretty well," Warrick smirked.
"What are you talking about?" Sara queried.
"You moaned his name, quite a few times," Nick laughed.
Grissom and Catherine looked at each other and smiled. They knew the truth, but they agreed to leave them to it. Sara could look after herself.
"Really?" Sara asked, not at all phased by their remarks and, much to Warrick's dismay, not blushing.
"Yeah. Kept the rest of us awake. It was rather uncomfortable actually," Warrick continued his scheme.
"Yeah. I don't think you should be allowed to go to sleep again while we're in here," Nick added.
"We shouldn't have to put up with you squirming and groaning right next to us. It's distracting. Just the thought of it is putting me off my food," he grumbled, pushing his carton away from him slightly.
"So, who's Joe?" Nick repeated.
"You know there is no Joe, guys," Sara responded.
"Well, then it's a more disturbing dream than I originally thought," Warrick smirked.
"I really don't know where you've got Joe from. I was dreaming about you," Sara smiled seductively to Warrick.
All other eyes in the room shot to Warrick's face and studied him intently.
"Close," Catherine said, disappointed, turning to Sara, who nodded.
Warrick and Nick shook their heads at Catherine and Sara's smiling faces, and turned their attention to their food.
TBC