Disclaimer - see chapter one
Chapter 6
Warrick, Sara and Nick's mouths dropped in astonishment. After quickly looking at each other to see if any of them had seen that coming, they turned to Catherine, who was smiling, thoughtfully.
She looked like she was about to speak when the door to the break room opened and Brass entered, clothed normally, not a biohazard suit in sight.
"You're free to go!" he exclaimed cheerfully as he strode into the room, before stopping shortly when he noticed the silence, and a distinct feeling of anticipation. He looked at the group seated around the table, and realised that none of them had acknowledged him. Something was going on. The doctors had assured him that they should all be fine. Greg's illness wasn't contagious. But they all seemed a little strange to him.
"Hello?" he tried, stepping closer to the table.
"Hey!" Catherine said, standing up. "Is Greg okay?"
"He's gonna be fine just needs a few days rest. What's going on?" he asked, indicating towards the younger CSIs who were all still staring to where Catherine had been sitting.
"Grissom," she stated. "He always amazes them." She turned to smile, teasingly at Grissom, to find that he wasn't there.
"How did he."
"He just left. I was a bit offended actually. Didn't even say hello," Brass explained.
"Probably wants to check on his pets. I hope the lab techs have been feeding them."
"Reports are coming in that they tried to feed each other to them. Confinement seems to send people crazy. You lot had any incidents?"
Catherine thought for a second and smiled, "Nah."
"Good. Now you all need to go get some rest ready for tonight. I'll see you later." With that Brass left the room, taking one last confused glance at the three statues.
"Guys!" Catherine said, waving her hand in front of their faces. "We can go!"
"You didn't answer the question," Nick grumbled.
"What do you think?. Now, come on. We've got to be back for shift, so we need to sleep. At home. In our beds. But first, Sara. Sara."
Sara snapped from her daze and turned to Catherine. "Yeah? Sorry."
"I don't want to lose that bet. Hop to it."
"It's too late, we're free to go. It doesn't count now," Nick gloated.
"That was never stipulated before the bet was made," Catherine grinned.
"'Before we get out of here,'" Nick said slowly and precisely.
"And we're still in here," Catherine mimicked his tone.
Warrick and Nick leapt out of their seats and ran for the door. Nick got through but Sara grabbed Warrick by the arm and pulled him to her, kissing him hard on his lips. Catherine and Nick watched, laughing.
Sara pulled back and looked at Warrick seductively again. "I've always wanted to do that."
Against his own wishes Warrick's cheeks flushed, and he smiled, embarrassed. Sara winked to him victoriously, but was soon blushing herself when Warrick pulled her back and kissed her again.
Catherine and Nick turned to each other, looks of complete shock on both their faces. Neither had expected this.
When Warrick finally let her go, they were both breathless, and a little unsure what to say or do next.
"So who wins that bet then?" Nick said to Catherine as they walked down the corridor, leaving the other two to stand and stare at each other.
"We'll say we're even. I'll see you later," she smiled turning in the direction of Grissom's office.
"Aren't you going home?" Nick smirked.
"I have to sort something out first. And wipe that smirk off your face, Stokes," she called over her shoulder.
Nick laughed to himself. "I think. yes." He laughed again and headed for the parking lot, never before being so glad to see the outside world, or so sad to not still be confined.
***
As she expected, she found Grissom in his office, studying his many bugs.
"Are they well fed? Any clothes fibres, or other evidence? From what I've heard, if there are any lab techs missing, those cages are gonna have to be examined."
Grissom looked up from his tarantula's cage, frowning.
"Confinement seems to send people crazy," she grinned.
"Really?" he smiled. "Who'd have guessed?"
For a moment their eyes met, and both smiles widened at the feeling of being so captivated in the beauty of the blue and white orbs staring back at them. As she felt her heart beat increasing, Catherine thought it was probably a good idea to leave, or else she probably never would. "I'll see you later," she said, still not able to remove her gaze from his though.
"You didn't answer my question," he said walking towards her slowly.
"You ran off before I could," she smiled, internally analysing the way he was walking and the look on his face, and also the topic of conversation. If he'd reintroduced it, he obviously wanted an answer.
"Will you answer it now?" he asked, as the actual destination of his walking became apparent when he closed the door. But she could still analyse that. Why had he closed the door when she had implied that she was leaving?
"I don't remember what it was," she smirked.
Without hesitation, Grissom repeated the question. "Would you have let me kiss you?"
Momentarily shocked by his lack of nerves, in contrast to the butterflies battering round her stomach, Catherine paused for a second then said, "Oh, yeah. I didn't know what you meant."
"I meant 'would you have let me kiss you?' What else could that mean?" Grissom said, amused by how flustered Catherine seemed to be, and how this increased when he stepped towards her.
"I. I . I didn't know whether you meant back then, or. or earlier tonight," she stuttered, kicking herself for reacting so nervously. She was a grown up, she shouldn't be acting like a nervous school girl.
"Well, both. I wanted to kiss you," he replied, a tone of hunger and desire to his voice, as he stepped closer to her again, effectively backing her towards the door.
"Which time?" Catherine asked, trying to regain control of her emotions, at present in turmoil, as Grissom was getting closer and closer, and she knew that soon she wouldn't be able to back away any further.
"Both," he answered simply.
Catherine took a deep breath to try to relieve the lightheaded feeling she was experiencing. "Well why didn't you?"
"Back then, I was scared that you might slap me, and I didn't want to spoil such a wonderful night. Earlier tonight. I was scared that you might slap me," he smiled.
She laughed. "You know me so well. So what about now? Are you gonna kiss me or just hover around my face torturing me like you did before?"
"Torturing you?" Grissom smiled, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes. Torturing me. Pressing your body against me, holding me against the door, pretending you were going to kiss me.."
"It wasn't my intention to torture you," he said as he pressed his body as close to hers as was possible. "I thought you would move away."
She inhaled quickly as she was pushed back against the door. His body touched hers as much as it could, one hand rested on her hip and the other trailed lightly down her cheek, then down her neck and across her shoulder.
"But you didn't."
"I knew what you were doing," she sighed as his hand passed a very sensitive spot on her neck.
"Ah. So it wasn't because you want this as much as I do?" he asked as his head moved towards hers, his hand wrapped round the back of her neck, and guiding her towards him.
"On some level, I suppose." she trailed off as his lips reached hers.
"So it would torture you if I stopped here?" he teased.
"Not just me," she smiled confidently.
"True," he said quietly as he gently touched his lips to hers.
THE END
Chapter 6
Warrick, Sara and Nick's mouths dropped in astonishment. After quickly looking at each other to see if any of them had seen that coming, they turned to Catherine, who was smiling, thoughtfully.
She looked like she was about to speak when the door to the break room opened and Brass entered, clothed normally, not a biohazard suit in sight.
"You're free to go!" he exclaimed cheerfully as he strode into the room, before stopping shortly when he noticed the silence, and a distinct feeling of anticipation. He looked at the group seated around the table, and realised that none of them had acknowledged him. Something was going on. The doctors had assured him that they should all be fine. Greg's illness wasn't contagious. But they all seemed a little strange to him.
"Hello?" he tried, stepping closer to the table.
"Hey!" Catherine said, standing up. "Is Greg okay?"
"He's gonna be fine just needs a few days rest. What's going on?" he asked, indicating towards the younger CSIs who were all still staring to where Catherine had been sitting.
"Grissom," she stated. "He always amazes them." She turned to smile, teasingly at Grissom, to find that he wasn't there.
"How did he."
"He just left. I was a bit offended actually. Didn't even say hello," Brass explained.
"Probably wants to check on his pets. I hope the lab techs have been feeding them."
"Reports are coming in that they tried to feed each other to them. Confinement seems to send people crazy. You lot had any incidents?"
Catherine thought for a second and smiled, "Nah."
"Good. Now you all need to go get some rest ready for tonight. I'll see you later." With that Brass left the room, taking one last confused glance at the three statues.
"Guys!" Catherine said, waving her hand in front of their faces. "We can go!"
"You didn't answer the question," Nick grumbled.
"What do you think?. Now, come on. We've got to be back for shift, so we need to sleep. At home. In our beds. But first, Sara. Sara."
Sara snapped from her daze and turned to Catherine. "Yeah? Sorry."
"I don't want to lose that bet. Hop to it."
"It's too late, we're free to go. It doesn't count now," Nick gloated.
"That was never stipulated before the bet was made," Catherine grinned.
"'Before we get out of here,'" Nick said slowly and precisely.
"And we're still in here," Catherine mimicked his tone.
Warrick and Nick leapt out of their seats and ran for the door. Nick got through but Sara grabbed Warrick by the arm and pulled him to her, kissing him hard on his lips. Catherine and Nick watched, laughing.
Sara pulled back and looked at Warrick seductively again. "I've always wanted to do that."
Against his own wishes Warrick's cheeks flushed, and he smiled, embarrassed. Sara winked to him victoriously, but was soon blushing herself when Warrick pulled her back and kissed her again.
Catherine and Nick turned to each other, looks of complete shock on both their faces. Neither had expected this.
When Warrick finally let her go, they were both breathless, and a little unsure what to say or do next.
"So who wins that bet then?" Nick said to Catherine as they walked down the corridor, leaving the other two to stand and stare at each other.
"We'll say we're even. I'll see you later," she smiled turning in the direction of Grissom's office.
"Aren't you going home?" Nick smirked.
"I have to sort something out first. And wipe that smirk off your face, Stokes," she called over her shoulder.
Nick laughed to himself. "I think. yes." He laughed again and headed for the parking lot, never before being so glad to see the outside world, or so sad to not still be confined.
***
As she expected, she found Grissom in his office, studying his many bugs.
"Are they well fed? Any clothes fibres, or other evidence? From what I've heard, if there are any lab techs missing, those cages are gonna have to be examined."
Grissom looked up from his tarantula's cage, frowning.
"Confinement seems to send people crazy," she grinned.
"Really?" he smiled. "Who'd have guessed?"
For a moment their eyes met, and both smiles widened at the feeling of being so captivated in the beauty of the blue and white orbs staring back at them. As she felt her heart beat increasing, Catherine thought it was probably a good idea to leave, or else she probably never would. "I'll see you later," she said, still not able to remove her gaze from his though.
"You didn't answer my question," he said walking towards her slowly.
"You ran off before I could," she smiled, internally analysing the way he was walking and the look on his face, and also the topic of conversation. If he'd reintroduced it, he obviously wanted an answer.
"Will you answer it now?" he asked, as the actual destination of his walking became apparent when he closed the door. But she could still analyse that. Why had he closed the door when she had implied that she was leaving?
"I don't remember what it was," she smirked.
Without hesitation, Grissom repeated the question. "Would you have let me kiss you?"
Momentarily shocked by his lack of nerves, in contrast to the butterflies battering round her stomach, Catherine paused for a second then said, "Oh, yeah. I didn't know what you meant."
"I meant 'would you have let me kiss you?' What else could that mean?" Grissom said, amused by how flustered Catherine seemed to be, and how this increased when he stepped towards her.
"I. I . I didn't know whether you meant back then, or. or earlier tonight," she stuttered, kicking herself for reacting so nervously. She was a grown up, she shouldn't be acting like a nervous school girl.
"Well, both. I wanted to kiss you," he replied, a tone of hunger and desire to his voice, as he stepped closer to her again, effectively backing her towards the door.
"Which time?" Catherine asked, trying to regain control of her emotions, at present in turmoil, as Grissom was getting closer and closer, and she knew that soon she wouldn't be able to back away any further.
"Both," he answered simply.
Catherine took a deep breath to try to relieve the lightheaded feeling she was experiencing. "Well why didn't you?"
"Back then, I was scared that you might slap me, and I didn't want to spoil such a wonderful night. Earlier tonight. I was scared that you might slap me," he smiled.
She laughed. "You know me so well. So what about now? Are you gonna kiss me or just hover around my face torturing me like you did before?"
"Torturing you?" Grissom smiled, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes. Torturing me. Pressing your body against me, holding me against the door, pretending you were going to kiss me.."
"It wasn't my intention to torture you," he said as he pressed his body as close to hers as was possible. "I thought you would move away."
She inhaled quickly as she was pushed back against the door. His body touched hers as much as it could, one hand rested on her hip and the other trailed lightly down her cheek, then down her neck and across her shoulder.
"But you didn't."
"I knew what you were doing," she sighed as his hand passed a very sensitive spot on her neck.
"Ah. So it wasn't because you want this as much as I do?" he asked as his head moved towards hers, his hand wrapped round the back of her neck, and guiding her towards him.
"On some level, I suppose." she trailed off as his lips reached hers.
"So it would torture you if I stopped here?" he teased.
"Not just me," she smiled confidently.
"True," he said quietly as he gently touched his lips to hers.
THE END