"He what?" Catherine Willows was livid. Nick had called her and filled
her in on his run in with Grissom as well as the phone call Sara had
gotten. She let out a deep breath. "Nicky, don't worry, I'm going to talk
to him. He's completely out of line."
She hung up the phone and glanced at the clock. She knew that she probably wouldn't be getting much sleep, but she'd pulled double shifts before and this was more important than sleep. Two of her team members were being bothered unnecessarily and she had a sneaking suspicion she knew why.
She pulled on her jacket and grabbed her keys. She had a few hours before Lindsey would be out of school for the day and she planned to make the time count.
In a matter of fifteen minutes, she had pulled up in front of Gil Grissom's townhouse in her Tahoe and was knocking on the door rather loudly and insistently.
Grissom opened the door looking slightly bewildered as Catherine brushed past him without a word. He could tell she was not happy. As he shut the door and turned around, he received the brunt of her frustration.
"What the hell were you thinking? Or were you?" Catherine was livid.
"What are you talking about, Catherine?" Grissom sputtered.
"What am I talking about?! Get real, you know what the hell I'm talking about. I'm talking about Sara and Nick. What right do you have to tell Nick to stay away from her and tell Sara her job could be at stake if they decide to date each other?" Catherine narrowed her gaze as she called him on the carpet.
"There are rules, Catherine." Grissom began.
Catherine tilted her head in disbelief. "Those rules you're talking about refer to supervisor/subordinant relationships, Gil. That doesn't cover Nick and Sara."
Grissom looked guilty as hell. "I, uh."
"What is wrong with you? Jealous? You had your chance and you didn't take it. Get over it." Catherine stood inches from him pointing into his chest with her finger.
"I'm not jealous." Grissom defended.
Catherine rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right."
"I may have had an interest in Sara, but it's always been professional." Grissom continued.
Catherine let out a breath in disgust. "Like hell. If it was just professional, Gil, her dating Nick wouldn't bother you."
Grissom's eyebrows went up in surprise.
She nodded. "Yes, they're dating, and you can't do anything about it, so you had better get over yourself before you get slapped with a sexual harassment lawsuit or have a complaint filed against you for misusing your authority, and you know how much Brian Mobley would love to get his hands on something like that."
Grissom sat down a little shell shocked. "They're dating."
Catherine's expression began to soften as she sat down next to her longtime friend. "Yes, Gil, they're dating, and they seem really happy. They're both professionals, they do a damn fine job. Besides, you're always telling Sara she needs to find an outside interest before she burns out. Nick is good for her."
Grissom leaned back into his couch. "Have I really been that bad, Catherine?" He glanced over at her. The man looked like his heart had been ripped from his chest.
She nodded and put her hand on his arm in a comforting gesture. "Yeah, you have. It's a good thing I've known you as long as I have, or I might have just let things go ahead and hit the fan."
"I just never thought. I mean. Nick." Grissom was having a hard time letting it all sink in.
"Nicky's a good guy. He would never do anything to hurt her. Besides, if he did, I'm sure Greg would be the first in line to kick his ass."
A faint hint of a smile played at Grissom's lips. "I really blew it."
"Yeah, you did." Catherine looked faintly amused.
He looked at her. "You're good with people. I'm not."
She chuckled. "That is an understatement, but I'm not fixing this for you."
"Are you going to tell Mobley?" Grissom looked concerned.
She raised an eyebrow. "Don't you know me better than that? You do need to talk to Nick and Sara though, because if you don't straighten up, I guarantee you they will talk to Mobley."
Grissom closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. "Can you take shift for me tonight? I need some time to think this through." He looked up at her, his eyes held a hint of pleading.
She nodded.
She hung up the phone and glanced at the clock. She knew that she probably wouldn't be getting much sleep, but she'd pulled double shifts before and this was more important than sleep. Two of her team members were being bothered unnecessarily and she had a sneaking suspicion she knew why.
She pulled on her jacket and grabbed her keys. She had a few hours before Lindsey would be out of school for the day and she planned to make the time count.
In a matter of fifteen minutes, she had pulled up in front of Gil Grissom's townhouse in her Tahoe and was knocking on the door rather loudly and insistently.
Grissom opened the door looking slightly bewildered as Catherine brushed past him without a word. He could tell she was not happy. As he shut the door and turned around, he received the brunt of her frustration.
"What the hell were you thinking? Or were you?" Catherine was livid.
"What are you talking about, Catherine?" Grissom sputtered.
"What am I talking about?! Get real, you know what the hell I'm talking about. I'm talking about Sara and Nick. What right do you have to tell Nick to stay away from her and tell Sara her job could be at stake if they decide to date each other?" Catherine narrowed her gaze as she called him on the carpet.
"There are rules, Catherine." Grissom began.
Catherine tilted her head in disbelief. "Those rules you're talking about refer to supervisor/subordinant relationships, Gil. That doesn't cover Nick and Sara."
Grissom looked guilty as hell. "I, uh."
"What is wrong with you? Jealous? You had your chance and you didn't take it. Get over it." Catherine stood inches from him pointing into his chest with her finger.
"I'm not jealous." Grissom defended.
Catherine rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right."
"I may have had an interest in Sara, but it's always been professional." Grissom continued.
Catherine let out a breath in disgust. "Like hell. If it was just professional, Gil, her dating Nick wouldn't bother you."
Grissom's eyebrows went up in surprise.
She nodded. "Yes, they're dating, and you can't do anything about it, so you had better get over yourself before you get slapped with a sexual harassment lawsuit or have a complaint filed against you for misusing your authority, and you know how much Brian Mobley would love to get his hands on something like that."
Grissom sat down a little shell shocked. "They're dating."
Catherine's expression began to soften as she sat down next to her longtime friend. "Yes, Gil, they're dating, and they seem really happy. They're both professionals, they do a damn fine job. Besides, you're always telling Sara she needs to find an outside interest before she burns out. Nick is good for her."
Grissom leaned back into his couch. "Have I really been that bad, Catherine?" He glanced over at her. The man looked like his heart had been ripped from his chest.
She nodded and put her hand on his arm in a comforting gesture. "Yeah, you have. It's a good thing I've known you as long as I have, or I might have just let things go ahead and hit the fan."
"I just never thought. I mean. Nick." Grissom was having a hard time letting it all sink in.
"Nicky's a good guy. He would never do anything to hurt her. Besides, if he did, I'm sure Greg would be the first in line to kick his ass."
A faint hint of a smile played at Grissom's lips. "I really blew it."
"Yeah, you did." Catherine looked faintly amused.
He looked at her. "You're good with people. I'm not."
She chuckled. "That is an understatement, but I'm not fixing this for you."
"Are you going to tell Mobley?" Grissom looked concerned.
She raised an eyebrow. "Don't you know me better than that? You do need to talk to Nick and Sara though, because if you don't straighten up, I guarantee you they will talk to Mobley."
Grissom closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. "Can you take shift for me tonight? I need some time to think this through." He looked up at her, his eyes held a hint of pleading.
She nodded.