Disclaimer - see chapter one
Chapter 5
"Do we get time to think about it?" Nick asked in response to Catherine's suggestion of something to do.
"Well, yeah, but you should be able to easily remember the best day of your life," Catherine replied.
"But I've never really thought about it before," Nick responded.
"Okay, well you can go last. Think while we go."
"But I can't think - " Warrick started, but was soon finished.
"Come on guys. None of you had a better idea. And this is a good opportunity for us to get to know each other better," Catherine interrupted. "I'll start. The best day of my life was the day I had Lindsey - "
"See, yours is easy," Warrick argued. "Women always think the day they have their first child is the best day of their life. Pick another day."
"She can't pick another day. She can't just change the best day of her life," Sara defended Catherine.
"It's okay, Sara. I'll give the best day of my life before I had Linds, after you lot have had your turn," Catherine offered, thinking it was a reasonable offer.
"But you'll just pick your wedding day," Nick commented. "That's the other day women always pick."
"My wedding day? I don't think so. That comes closer to the worst day of my life category," Catherine laughed.
"But is that not just in hindsight? Because you know it ended badly?" Nick asked. "At the time you probably - "
"At the time I thought it was a disaster. I should have taken it as a sign. But I believed that as long as I was marrying the guy I loved, it didn't matter how many things went wrong. Next time I won't be so naïve. First hint of trouble and I'll be out of there."
"Next time?" Warrick smiled. "You plan to marry again?"
"Maybe. I've never ruled it out. Now we seem to be digressing into my life story, I want to hear something about you. If you all share, I promise I'll try to think of another day, unrelated to marriage or motherhood," she said, knowing exactly which day she would ordinarily choose, but not sure whether she wanted to reveal it to these people, one in particular.
"Okay. I'll go next," Sara offered. "The best day of my life was the day I got accepted to college. I was so happy. ecstatic. I couldn't wait to get there. My mates and I had this huge party to celebrate. It was brilliant."
"You had mates?" Nick joked.
"Yes, Nick. It's only since I got here and had the option of spending time with you, that I decided to become a recluse."
Nick's eyes widened in shock as everyone else broke out in laughter. Sara smiled to him sweetly, and he smiled back, knowing that she was joking, and he had asked for it.
When they had managed to calm down, Catherine nominated Warrick to speak next. After thinking for a moment, his face became serious and he lowered his eyes. "The best day of my life, was the day Gris didn't suspend me."
Understanding that he was referring to after the incident with Holly Gribbs, the others all fell into a reflective silence.
"I deserved to be fired. But, you chose not to. You put your faith in me, and that was when I realised I could get through the gambling, as long as I had you guys."
Catherine looked to Grissom and could tell by the expression on his face that he wasn't sure if he should respond to that, and, if so, how he should respond. He noticed her watching him, and when he looked up, she smiled. It was a smile of reassurance, referring to their earlier conversation, and reiterating her point. And it was a smile of support, and of pride. He returned the smile, indicating that he knew what hers meant, and that she was right, as always.
"I didn't see it as a choice," Grissom said seriously to Warrick, surprising everyone else by responding, including Catherine.
Warrick looked up at his boss and nodded his thanks. Grissom nodded in return.
"Now, I guess it's my turn seeing as Nick's going last," Grissom said, surprising his colleagues further.
Catherine had expected him to make some lame excuse for not participating, and then, when she would have told him of the poorness of his excuse, he would pull rank. She smiled to herself, impressed at this new side of Gil.
"The best day of my life. Hmmm. That would have to be one day, many, many years ago, I hadn't been in Vegas for very long, and I was out driving one night, it was absolutely pouring with rain - the really heavy kind of rain, and it was thundering, and windy, and there were hardly any other cars on this road that I was on, I didn't have a clue where I was, I must have missed a turning somewhere, probably couldn't see the sign. And my car broke down. Completely dead."
Grissom stopped as if that was the end of his story. Nick, Warrick and Sara were frowning in severe confusion at this description. Catherine just smiled.
"Gris, the best day of your life. Not the worst," Nick said.
"That was the best," Grissom said.
"Being stranded in the middle of nowhere in a storm?" Sara asked, puzzled.
"Yes."
"Is it one of these 'that's when I discovered that human kindness does exist because some kind soul stopped and helped me' stories?" Warrick queried.
"Kind of, but not really," was Grissom's cryptic response, which Catherine seemed to understand, as her smile widened. But the younger CSIs were so confused that they didn't notice this.
"Okay," Nick drawled, his brow still creased intensely. "My turn then?. The best day of my life," he began, emphasising 'best', "would have to be Christmas, when I was four. I got this really really cu - . cool puppy."
"You're allowed to say to cute, honey," Catherine teased.
"Okay, it was cute. I was four. Sue me. I had wanted a dog for ever, and my parents kept saying I couldn't have one. I was absolutely thrilled. I wore my self out by lunchtime running around the yard with him," Nick laughed as he recalled the memory.
"See! That wasn't so hard was it?" Catherine asked Nick.
"I suppose not. Now, have you thought of your day?" Nick responded.
Catherine hesitated for a second. "It's kinda similar to one that we've already heard."
They all looked round, wondering what she meant. Then Warrick said, "That doesn't matter. Tell us anyway."
For a moment she seemed unsure, then she took a deep breath. "Well, there was this one night I had a huge fight with one of the girls at work - argument fight, not physical fight, before your imaginations go into overdrive. And I stormed out of the club, luckily having thrown on a jacket, because the weather was awful - "
"What is it with you two and awful weather? Do you have some sort of fetish?" Nick asked, aimed at the two senior CSIs, who both just shrugged in response.
"Shall I continue?. Anyway, I just wandered round the streets, letting the rain completely soak my clothes - if you could call them clothes," she winked.
"You could call them very revealing clothes," Grissom suggested, with a smirk.
Catherine grinned. "Thank you. So, I was dancing in the rain, letting it soothe away all my troubles and anger, when I danced around a corner - probably should have been looking where I was going - and literally bumped into this guy, who was also completely soaked from head to toe. I apologised for knocking him over - "
"I thought he knocked you over?" Grissom interrupted.
"Was worth a shot," Catherine smiled. "He apologised for knocking me over, and then complimented me on my. unusual outfit. I explained what had happened, and we walked to the nearest coffee shop and talked until we noticed the rain had subsided - about six hours later."
"So that's how you met Eddie?" Nick asked.
"No!" Catherine answered quickly. "The way I met Ed wasn't half as romantic."
"You think pouring rain is romantic?" Sara asked, sounding a little concerned about Catherine's mental health.
"I soon forgot that it was raining," Catherine smiled.
"How did you meet Eddie then? If you don't mind me asking," Nick asked, intrigued.
"I don't mind at all, Nicky, as long as you answer any questions I have about your life. I met Eddie at the club. He was completely fixated on me the entire night, and afterwards he came to talk to me, and he didn't use any pathetic chat up lines, like most of the guys in there would. It was sweet, I suppose, but not the same."
"So who was the other guy? The best day of your life, presumably because you liked him, and you just let him go?" Sara asked.
"Kind of," Catherine said, smiling, but sadly. "We're still in touch. But the timing wasn't very good."
"And since then, you've never."
Catherine shook her head. "No. We're friends. Best friends, but we've never been more than that."
"Would you want to be?" Grissom asked, suddenly re-joining the conversation that he had been silently observing.
Catherine grinned. "These questions are getting very personal now. Let's do, what's your most embarrassing moment?"
"You're changing the subject?" Grissom asked, surprised, and a little disappointed.
"I started this to learn more about you all, not so you could learn all about me," she smiled, teasingly.
"Just answer one more question," he said, calmly.
"One more. What is it?" she stated, unsure.
"Would you have let me kiss you?"
TBC
Chapter 5
"Do we get time to think about it?" Nick asked in response to Catherine's suggestion of something to do.
"Well, yeah, but you should be able to easily remember the best day of your life," Catherine replied.
"But I've never really thought about it before," Nick responded.
"Okay, well you can go last. Think while we go."
"But I can't think - " Warrick started, but was soon finished.
"Come on guys. None of you had a better idea. And this is a good opportunity for us to get to know each other better," Catherine interrupted. "I'll start. The best day of my life was the day I had Lindsey - "
"See, yours is easy," Warrick argued. "Women always think the day they have their first child is the best day of their life. Pick another day."
"She can't pick another day. She can't just change the best day of her life," Sara defended Catherine.
"It's okay, Sara. I'll give the best day of my life before I had Linds, after you lot have had your turn," Catherine offered, thinking it was a reasonable offer.
"But you'll just pick your wedding day," Nick commented. "That's the other day women always pick."
"My wedding day? I don't think so. That comes closer to the worst day of my life category," Catherine laughed.
"But is that not just in hindsight? Because you know it ended badly?" Nick asked. "At the time you probably - "
"At the time I thought it was a disaster. I should have taken it as a sign. But I believed that as long as I was marrying the guy I loved, it didn't matter how many things went wrong. Next time I won't be so naïve. First hint of trouble and I'll be out of there."
"Next time?" Warrick smiled. "You plan to marry again?"
"Maybe. I've never ruled it out. Now we seem to be digressing into my life story, I want to hear something about you. If you all share, I promise I'll try to think of another day, unrelated to marriage or motherhood," she said, knowing exactly which day she would ordinarily choose, but not sure whether she wanted to reveal it to these people, one in particular.
"Okay. I'll go next," Sara offered. "The best day of my life was the day I got accepted to college. I was so happy. ecstatic. I couldn't wait to get there. My mates and I had this huge party to celebrate. It was brilliant."
"You had mates?" Nick joked.
"Yes, Nick. It's only since I got here and had the option of spending time with you, that I decided to become a recluse."
Nick's eyes widened in shock as everyone else broke out in laughter. Sara smiled to him sweetly, and he smiled back, knowing that she was joking, and he had asked for it.
When they had managed to calm down, Catherine nominated Warrick to speak next. After thinking for a moment, his face became serious and he lowered his eyes. "The best day of my life, was the day Gris didn't suspend me."
Understanding that he was referring to after the incident with Holly Gribbs, the others all fell into a reflective silence.
"I deserved to be fired. But, you chose not to. You put your faith in me, and that was when I realised I could get through the gambling, as long as I had you guys."
Catherine looked to Grissom and could tell by the expression on his face that he wasn't sure if he should respond to that, and, if so, how he should respond. He noticed her watching him, and when he looked up, she smiled. It was a smile of reassurance, referring to their earlier conversation, and reiterating her point. And it was a smile of support, and of pride. He returned the smile, indicating that he knew what hers meant, and that she was right, as always.
"I didn't see it as a choice," Grissom said seriously to Warrick, surprising everyone else by responding, including Catherine.
Warrick looked up at his boss and nodded his thanks. Grissom nodded in return.
"Now, I guess it's my turn seeing as Nick's going last," Grissom said, surprising his colleagues further.
Catherine had expected him to make some lame excuse for not participating, and then, when she would have told him of the poorness of his excuse, he would pull rank. She smiled to herself, impressed at this new side of Gil.
"The best day of my life. Hmmm. That would have to be one day, many, many years ago, I hadn't been in Vegas for very long, and I was out driving one night, it was absolutely pouring with rain - the really heavy kind of rain, and it was thundering, and windy, and there were hardly any other cars on this road that I was on, I didn't have a clue where I was, I must have missed a turning somewhere, probably couldn't see the sign. And my car broke down. Completely dead."
Grissom stopped as if that was the end of his story. Nick, Warrick and Sara were frowning in severe confusion at this description. Catherine just smiled.
"Gris, the best day of your life. Not the worst," Nick said.
"That was the best," Grissom said.
"Being stranded in the middle of nowhere in a storm?" Sara asked, puzzled.
"Yes."
"Is it one of these 'that's when I discovered that human kindness does exist because some kind soul stopped and helped me' stories?" Warrick queried.
"Kind of, but not really," was Grissom's cryptic response, which Catherine seemed to understand, as her smile widened. But the younger CSIs were so confused that they didn't notice this.
"Okay," Nick drawled, his brow still creased intensely. "My turn then?. The best day of my life," he began, emphasising 'best', "would have to be Christmas, when I was four. I got this really really cu - . cool puppy."
"You're allowed to say to cute, honey," Catherine teased.
"Okay, it was cute. I was four. Sue me. I had wanted a dog for ever, and my parents kept saying I couldn't have one. I was absolutely thrilled. I wore my self out by lunchtime running around the yard with him," Nick laughed as he recalled the memory.
"See! That wasn't so hard was it?" Catherine asked Nick.
"I suppose not. Now, have you thought of your day?" Nick responded.
Catherine hesitated for a second. "It's kinda similar to one that we've already heard."
They all looked round, wondering what she meant. Then Warrick said, "That doesn't matter. Tell us anyway."
For a moment she seemed unsure, then she took a deep breath. "Well, there was this one night I had a huge fight with one of the girls at work - argument fight, not physical fight, before your imaginations go into overdrive. And I stormed out of the club, luckily having thrown on a jacket, because the weather was awful - "
"What is it with you two and awful weather? Do you have some sort of fetish?" Nick asked, aimed at the two senior CSIs, who both just shrugged in response.
"Shall I continue?. Anyway, I just wandered round the streets, letting the rain completely soak my clothes - if you could call them clothes," she winked.
"You could call them very revealing clothes," Grissom suggested, with a smirk.
Catherine grinned. "Thank you. So, I was dancing in the rain, letting it soothe away all my troubles and anger, when I danced around a corner - probably should have been looking where I was going - and literally bumped into this guy, who was also completely soaked from head to toe. I apologised for knocking him over - "
"I thought he knocked you over?" Grissom interrupted.
"Was worth a shot," Catherine smiled. "He apologised for knocking me over, and then complimented me on my. unusual outfit. I explained what had happened, and we walked to the nearest coffee shop and talked until we noticed the rain had subsided - about six hours later."
"So that's how you met Eddie?" Nick asked.
"No!" Catherine answered quickly. "The way I met Ed wasn't half as romantic."
"You think pouring rain is romantic?" Sara asked, sounding a little concerned about Catherine's mental health.
"I soon forgot that it was raining," Catherine smiled.
"How did you meet Eddie then? If you don't mind me asking," Nick asked, intrigued.
"I don't mind at all, Nicky, as long as you answer any questions I have about your life. I met Eddie at the club. He was completely fixated on me the entire night, and afterwards he came to talk to me, and he didn't use any pathetic chat up lines, like most of the guys in there would. It was sweet, I suppose, but not the same."
"So who was the other guy? The best day of your life, presumably because you liked him, and you just let him go?" Sara asked.
"Kind of," Catherine said, smiling, but sadly. "We're still in touch. But the timing wasn't very good."
"And since then, you've never."
Catherine shook her head. "No. We're friends. Best friends, but we've never been more than that."
"Would you want to be?" Grissom asked, suddenly re-joining the conversation that he had been silently observing.
Catherine grinned. "These questions are getting very personal now. Let's do, what's your most embarrassing moment?"
"You're changing the subject?" Grissom asked, surprised, and a little disappointed.
"I started this to learn more about you all, not so you could learn all about me," she smiled, teasingly.
"Just answer one more question," he said, calmly.
"One more. What is it?" she stated, unsure.
"Would you have let me kiss you?"
TBC